TOB’s Waiting For Union’s Negotiation Call

With layoffs on the table, Supervisor Venditto leaves the door open for union negotiations

Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto is still struggling to solve the town’s cash flow problems. To solve the TOB budget problems he needs union concessions or the town workers will experience layoffs.

Finding a solution began with a retirement offer which included $1,000 for each year of service which was accepted by 89 employees whose last day with the town was Aug. 30. They will receive the funds in a single payment at the end of October. It will be paid with a $7.5 million 10-year bond. The payment included any unused or sick days owed. The workers are guaranteed health care for life and for a surviving spouse, for five years (this is not a reduction or increase, but the same as the current contract).

Glen Cove Aims To Improve Test Scores

Board of Ed begins discussion of primary district goals

The first discussion relating to the primary district goals took place at Monday night’s Glen Cove School District Board of Education meeting, held at Robert M. Finley Middle School. Despite the absences of Superintendent Dr. Joseph A. Laria and Trustees Ida McQuair and Gail Nedbor-Gross, the meeting progressed smoothly and the discussion covered a lot of ground.

The evening’s discussion centered around the goals the board created pertaining to improving the percentages of students meeting or exceeding state proficiency standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and math assessment tests for grades three through six; improving the percentage of students graduating from high school, earning a Regents diploma with advanced distinction and reaching a college preparedness performance level; improving the number of students taking advanced placement (AP) courses as well as improving test scores; and completing the alignment of the grade level curricula with the common core standards, which should result in an improvement of scores on the ELA and math assessments in grades three through eight.

Summer Of Music Big Success

Despite heat and rain, community flocks to outdoor venues

During the months of July and August, Glen Cove was a hotbed for free outdoor concerts, attracting large crowds eager to hear some of the bigger-name bands performing downtown and at Morgan Park. The summer season saw cover bands paying tribute to The Eagles and The Beatles in the park as well as names like Richie Cannata and John Oates for Downtown Sounds. Though some of the concerts had to be moved to indoor locations due to the weather, overall the season had a good turnout for both series.

Francine Koehler, executive director of the Downtown Business Improvement District, told the Record Pilot, “In spite of some weather-related obstacles, we had a great turnout this year.”

Groundbreaking For ‘Yellow Cottage’

Historic building donated to city for new youth foundation

After years of planning, a groundbreaking was held last week to celebrate the preservation of one of Glen Cove’s historic buildings, known as the “Yellow Cottage,” a final holdover on Cottage Row from days past. The cottage is being donated by the Canarick family in memory of Morris and Rae Canarick. The building is being moved onto city property, where it will house the Sidney Canarick Foundation, a nonprofit with a mission to benefit the youth of Glen Cove through sports.

Founder and CEO/treasurer of the Sidney Canarick Foundation, Paul Canarick, was joined at the groundbreaking by the foundation’s trustees: City Councilman Michael Famiglietti, president; Judge Richard McCord, vice president; and County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, secretary.

Longtime Glen Cove Dental Practice Gets A Facelift

Woodman Dentistry upgrades name to Gold Coast Smiles

The world of dentistry is changing, and Gold Coast Smiles, located in Glen Cove, is on the cutting edge. Formerly Woodman Dentistry, the practice of Dr. Edward Woodman and Dr. Andrew Sami has been in Glen Cove for more than 40 years, though the name just recently changed as Dr. Sami, who has been with the practice for the past three years, came on as an equal partner.

Unlike the typical white, clinical atmosphere associated with most dental offices, Gold Coast Smiles evokes a more comfortable, almost home-like feel upon first walking through the door. With hardwood floors, rich wood moldings, sliding glass office doors and hallways warmly lit by lantern-style lights instead of the traditional overhead fluorescent lights, the space is meant to make patients feel relaxed, not fearful of the impending services. Perhaps more importantly is the technology used at the practice; x-rays are 100 percent digital, and patient chairs are equipped with personal television screens that can also be used to pull up and explain the dentist’s findings. Alternatively, patients can watch programs or listen to music of their choice during their visits, lessening the discomfort of having someone poke around in your mouth.

Glen Cove Establishes PILOP Fees

Jesse Mayreis receives a life-saving award at City Council meeting

The Glen Cove City Council held four public hearings and passed a number of resolutions at Tuesday’s city council meeting, establishing the Payment In Lieu Of Parking (PILOP) fees that have been discussed at meetings since May and amending the zoning codes of three lots near the Lee Gray Court properties.

At the start of the meeting, a moment of silence was held for several Glen Cove residents who recently passed away. Mayor Ralph V. Suozzi expressed his condolences for the families of Dominick Torquato, Mitzi Farnan and Bertha Muldoon.

GCBOE Discusses Ground Rules, Sets Goals

Possibility of reinstating the high school ski club also discussed

In the final meeting before the start of the new school year next week, the Glen Cove Board of Education discussed some of the operational ground rules and protocols they plan on setting for the year ahead, and began addressing the goal setting process for this year. The meeting was the first after the board’s retreat in mid-August, when the ideas were first discussed among the trustees.

Regarding the goal setting process, eight topic areas were introduced, to be included on future agendas for public discussion and adoption. The first four topic areas that the board plans on addressing in the next several weeks include: improvement of percentages of students meeting or exceeding state proficiency standards in English Language Arts and math assessment tests for third through eighth grades; improvement of the percentage of students graduating from high school, earning a Regents diploma with advanced distinction, and reaching a college preparedness performance level; an increase in the number of students taking Advanced Placement courses as well as an improvement in the test scores; and to complete the alignment of grade level curricula with the common core standards, which could result in an incremental and consistent improvement of scores on the state’s assessment tests in math and ELA.

Levine Takes On Citi Field For Third Time

Glen Cove resident sings National Anthem at Tuesday’s Mets game

On Tuesday, August 21, Adam Levine of Glen Cove performed the national anthem at Citi Field for the third time, at the Mets game against the Colorado Rockies. About 150 friends and family members, mostly from his congregation, Congregation Tifereth Israel, attended the game to cheer him on.

Holocaust Center Gets 20-Year Lease Extension

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano was joined by Boris Chartan, founder and chairman emeritus of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, Howard Maier, chairman of the board, former Nassau County Executive Tom Gulotta and members of the Nassau County Jewish Advisory Council on Tuesday, Aug. 14, to sign a 20-year lease extension of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County.  

“It is critical to support the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center, not only to honor the lives that were lost and to celebrate the survivors who made it, but also so those of us alive today as well as future generations do not repeat the errors of our ancestors,” said County Executive Mangano. “The importance of the center is that it educates us to allow us to learn from the mistakes of the past and, from that knowledge, prevent this hatred of our fellow human beings from ever happening again.”

GC Signs On To Harbor Protection Committee

An inter-municipal agreement to protect the Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor watersheds was finalized

Last week, an agreement was signed to establish a harbor protection committee by various municipalities at Theodore Roosevelt Park in Oyster Bay in an effort to protect and preserve the Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor watersheds.

Elected officials representing 14 municipalities formally established the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Protection Committee by signing an inter-municipal agreement, which codifies the relationship between them. These municipalities have been meeting since January 2010 at the recommendation of Friends of the Bay, a local environmental advocacy organization.