Wednesday, May 16, 2012
School budget passes; Joshua Lafazan elected to school board with 82 percent of vote Tuesday.
LONG ISLAND, NY -- In a dramatic and historic statement by voters, an 18-year-old high school senior was elected to the Syosset School District's Board of Education Tuesday night. Calling himself "A fresh voice for the 21st century," teenager Joshua Lafazan earned a seat on the board, joining Christopher DiFilippo and Alan Resnick. Lafazan won with a remarkable tally of 4,739 ballots or 82 percent of the vote. DiFilippo garnered the second-most votes with 2,531, followed by Resnick (2,474). Syosset school officials also announced that the $198 million 2012-13 budget passed by 61 percent, 3,530-2,271. Voters also reelected Robert Glick to the Syosset Public Library board. News crews joined hundreds of Syosset residents, many of them …
40.832532
-73.48564
South Woods Middle School
Pell Ln, Syosset, NY
/articles/difilippo-lafazan-resnick-win-boe-election-budget-passes
63861
/locations/7035105
Town Board's decision offers protections for the historic home and stop on the Underground Railroad.
The Maine Maid Inn, once home to Valentine Hicks and a hiding place for runaway slaves, has earned a landmark designation that could help preserve it. The Oyster Bay Town Board voted unanimously Tuesday to grant town landmark status to the currently vacant structure hidden in a corner of Jericho. What's more, Supervisor John Venditto said at least two restaurants are interested in operating the old mansion as a restaurant again. Thomas Abbe was delighted by the decision and thanked the broad coalition of historians and civic leaders who joined forces to preserve the old Hicks homestead. "Your thoughts and actions helped carry our efforts to today's success," said Abbe, who serves as clerk of the Jericho Preparative Meeting of the Religious…
40.794975
-73.538369
4 Old Jericho Tpke, Jericho, NY
Site of the former Maine Maid Inn
/articles/historic-maine-maid-inn-designated-as-landmark
/locations/7029884
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Venditto vows to examine Oyster Bay policies going forward in wake of ex-Yankee's arrest on child molestation charges.
Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto expressed "shock" at the arrest of former Yankee and town employee Rusty Torres, saying he found the sexual abuse charges "deeply disturbing," and vowed to address town hiring policies as the case goes forward. In an exclusive interview with Patch following Tuesday morning's Town Board meeting, Venditto said an extensive background check was done on Torres before he was hired in 2002 by both the Nassau County Civil Service Commission as well as in a separate investigation by the Town of Oyster Bay. Going forward, Venditto said the town will examine its hiring practices and make changes if necessary. "As we learn more (about the case) if there are lessons to be learned from this and things to be done in …
40.873247
-73.531999
Town of Oyster Bay
54 Audrey Ave, Oyster Bay, NY
/articles/venditto-shocked-disturbed-by-torres-allegations
334627
/locations/7025508
Oyster Bay leaders have not answered key questions about ex-Yankee they've employed for 10 years.
The Oyster Bay Town Board meets in public Tuesday for the first time since Rusty Torres, the town's longtime employee, was charged with molesting an 8-year-old child. Among the lingering questions in the Torres scandal is whether the town did a background check on Torres before hiring him in 2002 as the town's baseball coach. Torres is a convicted felon who served five years probation for a cocaine-related conviction dating to 1985. The town has also not clarified its hiring practices regarding other potential convicted felons. In his decade-long role as the town's baseball coach, Torres was in contact with thousands of children, town and police officials said. The former major leaguer served as a hitting coach for numerous youth baseball …
40.873247
-73.531999
Town of Oyster Bay
54 Audrey Ave, Oyster Bay, NY
/articles/torres-questions-linger-as-town-meets-in-public-tuesday
334627
/locations/7012213
Monday, May 14, 2012
This playful pit bull is waiting to meet you at the Town of Oyster Bay Animal Shelter!
Looking for a new addition to your family? The Town of Oyster Bay Animal Shelter has plenty of cats and dogs looking for a home. Every Monday, we'll feature an animal from the shelter that we think will make a great companion. This week's featured friend is Aspen, a female pit bull terrier/labrador retriever mix who has lived at the shelter for almost a year. Aspen is fully grown and loves to play with her doggie toys. With all the playing and loving she will give, Aspen will do well as an only dog. She is up to date on all of her routine shots. Come meet Bowser and the other residents of the TOBAY Animal Shelter in Syosset. The shelter is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
40.796652
-73.507344
Town of Oyster Bay Animal Shelter
150 Miller Pl, Syosset, NY
/articles/tobay-shelter-animal-of-the-week-aspen
1838785
/locations/7003569
Sunday, May 13, 2012
TOBAY Notebook:: Oyster Bay's public pool set to open June 23 through Labor Day.
Registration for the Town of Oyster Bay's community pools begins on Saturday May 26. Marjorie R. Post (Massapequa), Plainview-Old Bethpage, Syosset-Woodbury…as well as Tappen Pool, will begin on Saturday, May 26. The 2012 pool season begins about a month later, on Saturday, June 23. Residents can register early for membership at one of the complexes: Marjorie R. Post (Massapequa), Plainview-Old Bethpage, Syosset-Woodbury and Tappen Pool, will begin on Saturday, May 26. The price of pool memberships has been held at the 2010 level. The season continues through the summer until Sept. 3, Labor Day. Memorial Day Weekend Garbage Collection Town sanitation and S.O.R.T. recycling collection schedules will be modified for the Monday, May 28, …
40.783869
-73.461697
Plainview-Old Bethpage Community Park
175 Washington Ave, Plainview, NY
/articles/pool-registration-begins-may-26
1828147
/locations/6998933
The annual Syosset Clean-Up and planting at the Memorial Park was a hit with residents.
Residents of all ages came out by the dozens Saturday to spruce up the Memorial Day parade route and cermony sites. Town of Oyster Bay Councilman Chris J. Coschignano's 11th annual Syosset Clean-Up coincided with the Residents for a More Beautiful Syosset's planting flowers in the memorial garden on Underhill Boulevard. "It feels like we just started this, but it's already been 11 years," remembered Coschignano, who said he started the clean up in 2002. Residents picked up gloves, garbage bags, and trash pickers and headed to the streets, beginning at Dunkin Donuts and running down Jackson Avenue with a stop at the post office. Meanwhile, across the street at the memorial garden, Nassau County Legislator Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury) donned …
40.824333
-73.502336
Dunkin' Donuts
59 Jackson Ave, Syosset, NY
/articles/sprucing-up-syosset-for-memorial-day-photos
63695
/locations/6999789
Saturday, May 12, 2012
News from around Long Island, May 12.
Some of the news from around the Island this week. Failed $24 Million Bond Issue Draws Fire A Huntington Town Board resolution to refinance $24 million in municipal bonds failed Tuesday, drawing sharp criticism from members of the Democratic majority toward minority party members of the board who requested more time for review. Sponsored by Supervisor Frank Petrone, the resolution called for refinancing of bonds issued from 2002-05 at lower interest rates. Social Media Panel Draws a Crowd Port Washington Public Library's Hagedorn meeting room was nearly packed to capacity Wednesday afternoon for a panel discussion on social media, and community. The event brought a lively discussion, almost immediately. "I enjoyed the panel because it …
News from around Long Island, May 12.
Some of the news from around the Island this week. Failed $24 Million Bond Issue Draws Fire A Huntington Town Board resolution to refinance $24 million in municipal bonds failed Tuesday, drawing sharp criticism from members of the Democratic majority toward minority party members of the board who requested more time for review. Sponsored by Supervisor Frank Petrone, the resolution called for refinancing of bonds issued from 2002-05 at lower interest rates. Social Media Panel Draws a Crowd Port Washington Public Library's Hagedorn meeting room was nearly packed to capacity Wednesday afternoon for a panel discussion on social media, and community. The event brought a lively discussion, almost immediately. "I enjoyed the panel because it …
A weekly look-in at the news of Nassau County.
Republicans Rip Democrats Over Voting The following is a joint statement from County Executive Ed Mangano, Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt and the Republican Legislative Caucus: "During the decade in which the Democrats controlled the County Legislature, Republicans put politics aside and provided the responsible votes necessary to run county government. Unfortunately for Nassau's taxpayers, the Democrat minority on the legislature is now refusing to implement a plan that forever ends borrowing for tax refunds while cleaning up debt created over the past decade. If the Democrats do not provide the votes needed to pay residents their rightfully owed property tax refunds, judgments will be executed against the County’s bank accounts — …
Joe Dowd
1:03 am on Thursday, May 17, 2012
As a resident, I'm thrilled to see this happen. This effort will preserve a very important part of Long Island's past. This Quaker enclave is a way for our children to look back at our history and inspire them to the future. I've greatly enjoyed writing about this and look forward to future updates. jd more ›