Incumbent Senator Hannon Challenged By Cronin

Hannon: Medicaid/Medicare reform, jobs and taxes central to subsequent term

By Dave Gil de Rubio
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On Tuesday, Nov. 6, voters will go to the polls to decide whether Senator Kemp Hannon (R, C, I, TR) will return to serve his 13th term overall in New York’s 6th Senate District. Running against Hannon is newcomer and fellow Garden City resident Ryan Cronin, a litigator with experience representing victims of financial fraud and a former executive director of the Nassau County Democratic Committee. Hannon recently came in to sit down with Anton Community Newspapers editors to discuss past, present and future issues facing his constituents and policies he’s enacted to address these concerns.

Sparks Fly In The Debate Arena

Town hall format and Obama’s performance finds president rebounding in the polls

On Tuesday, Oct. 16, Hofstra University was the site for the second of three debates between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney. Hofstra had also hosted a debate between then-Democratic nominee Obama and GOP nominee Sen. John McCain back in 2008, making the school just the second university to host consecutive presidential debates. (St. Louis’ Washington University was the other.)

With Romney scoring what many considered an upset victory over Obama’s decidedly lackluster performance in the first debate, this follow-up was going to be a “deal maker or breaker in this campaign,” according to political pundit Chris Matthews, who spoke at Hofstra the prior week. Shortly after moderator Candy Crowley took the stage at 9 p.m., it was clear both candidates were prepared to come out swinging, making for a lively hour and a half that found roughly 65 million viewers tuning in to the town hall-style debate, according to the Nielsen Ratings.

A New Look For Garden City Public Schools

Upgrades done at no net taxpayer cost with savings to be in six figures

Inside and out, Garden City School District has a fresh new look. District students can create, research, study, and build the foundations for a lifelong love of learning in the many new and upgraded classrooms and work spaces now in use. The sweeping changes were made possible by the School Investment Bond approved by voters on October 27, 2009 and the district’s Energy Performance Contract (EPC).

Excellence In Education

Garden City native chosen for prestigious educator program

Roslyn’s Buckley Country Day School recently congratulated Gina Sipley on being selected by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) to participate in their annual Teacher of the Future program. The Forest Hills resident was chosen along with 20 other teachers nationwide who inspire academic excellence and prominent teacher leadership. NAIS believes in high quality education for the 21st century, and focuses on nominees who excel in teaching environmentalism, globalism, equity and justice in conjunction with their use of technology in and out of the classroom.

Headmaster Dr. Jean-Marc Juhel of Buckley says, “Mrs. Sipley is an example of the type of growth-minded professionals that Buckley wants to continue to attract and support.”

Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt Dies At 62

Longtime legislator passes away suddenly while on the job

Nassau County Legislature Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt died suddenly on the morning of Oct. 3. According to Ed Ward, spokesperson from the legislator’s office, Schmitt, 62, collapsed while in a budget meeting with Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano in the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building and was rushed to Winthrop Hospital. He died at 11:55 a.m.

“Nassau County has lost a dedicated public servant,” said Mangano in a statement. “My wife Linda and I lost a friend of over 20 years. Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt served the residents of Nassau County with great integrity and pride. I had the privilege of serving closely with Peter in the legislature since its creation in 1996, where he distinguished himself as an outspoken advocate for the residents of the 12th Legislative District.”

Superintendents Join To Restore Service Programs

Long Island school district leaders call on Nassau County to restore $8 million in funding

Local school district superintendents on Tuesday, Oct. 2 called on Nassau County to restore youth and family programs that were cut or eliminated from the county budget on July 5. Representatives from Elmont, Great Neck, Long Beach, Massapequa, Mineola, Uniondale and Westbury protested the decision to slash nearly $8 million in program funding that went to counseling, tutoring, crisis intervention, after school programs, among other areas.

These programs were the victim of the ongoing tug-of-war between party lines in the county concerning borrowing and redistricting. Organizations across Nassau County, like the Gateway Youth Outreach in Elmont and Mineola Youth and Family Services in Mineola were blindsided when the cut came down three months ago.

‘Creative Cups’ Returns For Third Year

Project honors and raises money for those suffering from breast cancer

Whether it is a grandmother, a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend or a colleague, it is likely that most people will in some way be affected by breast cancer in their lifetime. Now there is an opportunity to give back to the cause and help others. And with October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the timing couldn’t be better.

For its third year, the Creative Cups program is back at Adelphi University. The project encourages artistic expression for participants, who design and build works of art using bras, which will be exhibited and auctioned at a gala reception in the spring.

‘Arts Alive LI’ Fostering Arts, Creativity All October

Island-wide, multi-venue festival showcasing finest in culture, artistry

For the month of October, Long Islanders won’t have to travel into Manhattan to get an art and culture fix.

On Sept. 27, the Cradle of Aviation Museum, located at 1 Davis Ave. in Garden City, hosted representatives from the Long Island Arts Alliance (LIAA), Bethpage Federal Credit Union, the Long Island Community Foundation and local elected officials as they announced the month-long festivities promoting Long Island’s finest artists and their works.

Construction Time Again

2009 School Investment Bond results shown off in tour of new look Homestead School

New was the operative word last Thursday at the Homestead School.

New year, new students, and in this case, a new look.

Before the Garden City Board of Education held its first regular meeting for the new school year, it was time to take a tour. The 2009 School Investment Bond has allowed the district to make significant improvements to its buildings, and all were invited to check out some of the changes at Homestead.

Opening Day In Garden City Public Schools

Not much matches the first-day excitement of a new school year. Waiting at the bus stop or walking to school sporting a brand new outfit and carrying a backpack filled with fresh school supplies occupies a special place in a student’s life.

On Sept. 4, the sense of a new beginning was palpable across the district as parents’ hopes and dreams waved goodbye from departing buses to be received by a sea of face-scrunching smiles, high fives, fist bumps and open arms from staff and one-year-older classmates as students entered their buildings for the first day of the 2012-13 school year.