Meet the Lunatics Who Run Your Kids’ Sports Leagues

Recently there has been a spate of reality shows, such as “Toddlers & Tiaras,” which people either are hopelessly addicted to or simply cannot watch because it makes them physically ill. Those in the latter category will typically say something about how the insanely competitive parents on the show are clearly forcing their children into the arena because they want to feel validated themselves.

Although child beauty pageants are more of a rare and specialized occurrence, especially on Long Island, youth sports leagues are unavoidable. And in a perfect world, kids would play the sport they are interested in, get plenty of healthy exercise, and be supported by caring parents who have reasonable expectations, wanting them to succeed. Although such situations do exist, usually when a child runs down the first baseline, there is a coach or parent yelling, as if the fate of the universe and their concept of self-worth hang in the balance.

Letter: Remembering Veterans

Every minute, of every hour, of every day, Americans enjoy the blessings of a peace-loving nation; blessings protected by the selfless service of men and women in uniform who, when necessary, stand fast against the forces of fear, tyranny and terrorism. For more than two centuries untold numbers of Americans have answered the call to duty.  

Freedom is our cause, but freedom does not come free and many have paid the ultimate price. The America we know would not be the same were it not for the men and women we honor on Memorial Day. All of us at the Long Island State Veterans Home would like to take this opportunity to remember those brave men and women whose ultimate sacrifice has helped to protect the freedoms we enjoy today.

Out On The Town: Massapequa Street Fair

The smell of fried carnival fare and beer wafted down Central Avenue as I was snapping my last few photos of patrons from BlüPlanet for Free Comic Book Day last Saturday.

I could hear sounds of children laughing and screaming for joy and as I got closer I realized The Massapequa Street Fair was already in full swing.

Letter: Vanishing Bees, Vanishing Humankind

The old saying, “Busy as a Bee” comes from the fact that bees pollinate at least 70% of our crops, which is 1 out of 3 bites of food that we eat - encompassing at least 95 varieties of crops.

The world’s bees are in jeopardy of extinction. Bees have been dying off in droves since the mid 1990s. This disaster began in France and kept spreading throughout the world, hitting the U.S. in 2006.  It was given a name – colony collapse disorder, or CCD.  Much has been made over the so-called mystery surrounding CCD.  

Lawns by the Shore The Forgotten Superstorm Victims

Like most, if not all, of your subscribers, I was significantly affected by Hurricane Sandy. My family and I grimaced through 12 days with no power, flitting between houses of relatives and friends in the latter half just to regain some sanity.

Months later, my brother and I still jokingly point to newspaper front pages that bring up the Sandy recovery effort because they seemingly have nothing better to write about and because it is an easily relatable story. Our personal situation was no Long Beach, but even so, our Massapequa home on Overlea St. North put us close enough to the Great South Bay to flood our crawlspace. Still, it just seemed like something I could tell a story about later and mostly forget.

Editorial: Hi, I’m Dan

I’ve taken over as the editor of this publication and I am so looking forward to learning more about the beautiful communities of Massapequa, North Massapequa, Massapequa Park and Plainedge, and serving you, our faithful readers.

I started writing for my school newspaper, St. John the Baptist’s The Prophet, when I was 14 years old. I’ve written for several papers since then, including my alma mater’s publication The New Paltz Oracle and a now defunct home and green-living magazine called New York House.

Letter: Save Our Libraries

In today’s climate of ever-shrinking funding, hard decisions need to be made in order to balance the school budget. As you consider where to make cuts and what programs to eliminate, please consider the following information about school library programs and school librarians.

While all school libraries are important, we believe that school libraries, especially elementary school libraries, and certified school librarians to staff them, are needed now more than ever. As you know, elementary school provides the basis upon which all further education is built. A strong school library program in elementary school will result in the future success of your students as they move toward college and careers.

From The Desk Of Legislator Michael Venditto: April 19, 2013

Spring is a great time of the year. The temperature is rising, the amount of daylight continues to increase and a feeling of renewal fills the warmer air. In our 12th Legislative District, the season brings many exciting events, with one of these being the opening of the Little League season.  After a cold winter, the beginning of the Little League season is always a welcome event. With the season having just begun, let’s send the young athletes our best wishes for a successful season while also thanking the coaches and parents who make the games possible.

The spirit of community involvement is demonstrated at Massapequa Park’s annual Earth Day program when many of our local Scout troops, as well as other residents help clean up the village and make it even more beautiful. This year, it will take place on Saturday, April 20. Groups will begin assembling around 9 a.m. in Brady Park. I’m looking forward to joining village officials at the park to support and thank those who will be giving back to our district with their efforts.

Letter: Very Bad, But No Worse

While I’m in total agreement with John Owens’ “Buttafuocoed” views about Long Island, I have some disagreements with John Collins’ reaction letter published last week (“Joey’s Legacy”).

Collins is absolutely right when he says that “[Long Island] lacks political leadership that has any sense of vision for this area. The politicians are too vested in partisan politics and patronage. They lack the intelligence, experience and commitment to develop any bold, creative solutions to Long Island’s challenges...how dysfunctional the governmental process is in both counties. It is a half-century history of one stupid decision after another.”

Nassau County Comptroller’s Report: April 12, 2013

Do-It-Yourself Grievance

Homeowners who have not filed property assessment appeals in the last two years should file prior to May 1, 2013 deadline

Home prices fluctuate annually throughout Nassau County due to market conditions. In some cases, the price fluctuations may be uneven within the same area or amongst individual homes. The annual property re-assessment process, from the creation of the tentative roll to the end of the grievance process, is intended to deliver a final roll, which is as fair as possible, and free of errors. The grievance part of the process is intended to give homeowners the opportunity to point out and correct any errors in their individual assessment.