Kiwanis Korner

Before heading out to the LEADD Walk/Run on Sunday, April 7, fill up at the Kiwanis Club’s annual Pancake Breakfast. The breakfast, which will take place from 8 to 11 a.m. in the Panther Room at Levittown Memorial, is a great place to build up some energy for the run/walk. The pancakes will be hot, the sausages tasty, and the fellowship fun! The committee of Club President Glen Lachow, DPP Gary Crozier, Fred Interdonato, and chef DPP Pete Ryan will be flipping pancakes and frying sausage for hungry people looking to start their morning off right. 

GOP Passes Districting Map

The turbulent redistricting process in Nassau County came to an end last week with a party line vote approving a map drawn up by the Republican majority. But the strong possibility of a lawsuit by those opposed to the new map looms.

Republican legislators were booed by members of the audience as they voted for the GOP map. Critics of the map had held out hope that Legislator Denise Ford, who had voted against a similar Republican map in 2011, would vote against her caucus, but she voted with the majority.  The map passed 10-9.

Pironti Helps Rams With First Win

The Farmingdale State women’s lacrosse team opened the 2013 season on Sunday, March 10, with a 21-13 victory over visiting Manhattanville College. The Farmingdale Rams had three players scoring four goals, while sophomore midfielder Christy Thoden (Bayport) finished with four assists, two goals and 15 draw controls.

Farmingdale State jumped ahead to a 3-0 lead with goals from sophomore attack Nicole Marzocca (West Babylon), sophomore midfielder Jackie Kennedy (Massapequa Park) and Thoden. The Valiants got on the board with 22:12 left to make it 3-1. Senior attack Carly Schneider (Merrick) added a goal seven seconds later for a 4-1 Rams advantage, but Manhattanville scored three straight to tie the game at 4-4.

Farmingdale responded with five consecutive goals and would hold a 10-5 lead at the break. In the second, the Rams led by more than four the entire way, leading by 10 goals with 21 minutes left to play.

Schneider finished with a team-leading four goals and three assists, while Marzocca and senior midfielder Jillian Pironti (Seaford) also had four goals. 

Haber’s Hat In The Ring

County executive candidate sits down with Anton Editors

Though he has to contend with Tom Suozzi to challenge Ed Mangano for the Nassau County seat, Democrat Adam Haber said he knows what will happen. 

“I’m not going to get the nomination,” the Roslyn resident said in a sitdown with Anton Newspapers last week. “I’m going to run a primary. I’m going to do exactly what Suozzi did against [Thomas] DiNapoli. He didn’t get the nomination. He ran a primary and I’m going to win the primary.”

How Do You Spell...

Island Trees’ David Wendt competes for Scripps Regional Spelling Bee crown

In the age of “spell-check” and “auto-correct” the accurate spelling of words independently from smart phones and computers seems to no longer be of relevance. However the tradition of the spelling bee still reigns. 

Recently, students from schools across Nassau and Suffolk County competed for the winning title of the Scripps Regional Spelling Bee at Hofstra University. Participants from grades 4 through 8 competed in hopes of advancing to the National Bee in Washington D.C. later this spring. Anxiously sitting under stage lights and fidgeting in their seats, students waved to reassuring faces in the audience. 

Breathalyzers And Budgets Hit The Spot

At the Island Trees Board of Education that took place on Feb. 13 in Sparks Elementary School, two main topics were on the agenda: The use of breathalyzers as well as preparing for the upcoming budget season. 

“In more recent years, we have had some issues with alcohol at the prom,” said Dr. Charles Murphy, Island Trees superintendent. “In fact, we had to ask a number of students to leave the prom because of this. In many cases, we have students and parents who have denied that their child had been drinking – sometimes creating tremendous scenes at these venues.”

School Security, PTA Honors

During the Feb. 13 gathering, the board covered its usual range of topics, while also taking the time to honor the work of Levittown PTA members and presidents during a brief reception and awards ceremony.

Levittown resident Mike Scully inspired the discussion on school security during a passionate speech in which he urged the district to install panic buttons in classrooms. Though the subject came as no surprise, the responses were interesting.

Walk Raises $5,001

 Despite a snow delay, the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Center at North Shore-LIJ second annual walk exceeded the financial success of the first one by more than $600, raising $5,001. 

While attendance was down, donations were up as members of the downstate area K-Family rallied to support the KPTCenter at North Shore-LIJ. 

Suozzi Hits The Ground Running

Levittown: New Suburbia?

“We have to wake up to the reality, that America’s first suburb, Levittown, has to be the new suburbia; when I think of the southeast part of Nassau county, It’s probably one of the only places left in the county that is consistent with the original suburban concept; it’s still working there,” said County Executive challenger, Thomas Suozzi, of Glen Cove. “It’s still the closest to our original suburban dream; it hasn’t been as ruined as other places.”

This, among myriad issues facing the county that Suozzi would work to fix if elected to the position of county executive, was forefront in the topics of a recent interview by the editors at Anton Community Newspapers.  

When his own daughter went away to college, he began to wonder if she would ever come back to Long Island, not just because of the high cost of living, but whether there would be areas that would appeal to a young adult. “Suddenly, young people leaving the island became very real to me.” 

Gay Scouts Still Not Welcome

Decision to alter current policy banning gay Scouts, leaders postponed

Local Boy Scout organizations from Levittown, and across the nation won’t permit openly homosexual Scouts and troop leaders anytime soon, as the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) postponed making a decision to alter its current policy barring gays.

BSA said the organization received an “outpouring of feedback from the American public” regarding the proposed change to its policy, which the organization will vote on in May.