A Safety Message from the Firefighters Museum & Education Center

As the holiday season comes to an end, many people take this time to relax after the hustle and bustle of the last few busy weeks. The Nassau County Firefighters Museum & Education Center on Museum Row in Uniondale, wants to remind everyone to not forget about the potentially dangerous fire hazards lying around the house after the holidays.

Parenthood Plus - December 31, 2010

Standing By or Standing Up to Bullies

My friend, Ralph Kolodny, professor emeritus at Boston University School of Social Work, commented on the brutality of the schoolyard in children’s lives. He said, “We tend to forget the pain that normally characterizes interaction among children. Oddly enough,” he added, “the work of the imaginative journalist or novelist often provides a more accurate picture.”

School Districts Face $815M Shortfall Under Tax Cap


Cumulative Gap Would Be $3.3B From 2010-11 to 2013-14, Based on NYSSBA Projections

(Submitted by the New York State School Board Association)

School districts across New York face a potential shortfall of $815 million per year over the next four years just in meeting personnel costs under a property tax cap, according to a report issued by the New York State School Boards Association.

Letter: ‘Setting the Record Straight’

Recently, Nassau County superintendents of schools received literature from County Executive Ed Mangano regarding his 2011 “No Property Tax Increase Budget.” As part of this proposed budget, Nassau County Legislators voted, strictly along party lines, to shift the financial expense of paying county assessment errors from Nassau County to the local school districts. We certainly agree that the assessment system is broken, however, shifting the responsibility to the school districts will not help fix it.

From Long Island Wins - December 17, 2010

Mort Künstler on Immigration in Life and Art

When it comes to historical paintings, especially of the Civil War, few artists have enjoyed the level of success achieved Oyster Bay resident Mort Künstler. The 79-year-old painter has tackled everything from movie posters to a space shuttle launch, and in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, a collection of his related work will be on display at the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn until January 9.

Letter: Support Tax on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

A tax on sugar-sweetened beverages can benefit New Yorkers by reducing consumption of empty calories – which could help fight obesity and generate much needed revenue. The November report from the Bipartisan Policy Center called for the state to impose an excise tax of 1 cent/ounce on these beverages to reduce obesity-related healthcare costs.

Letter: Concerned About Medicare Cuts to Physicians?

At the stroke of midnight on December 31, 2010, doctors who treat Medicare patients are scheduled to absorb a 25 percent pay cut – a cut that threatens the ability of seniors to see their physicians and receive the care they need. It is up to Congress to stop this pay cut and ensure that doctors are not driven out of Medicare.

Letter: Legitimate Concerns on Assessment Controversy

I read Tony Brita’s column, “Jankowski Was Scapegoated While on Truck Toward True Assessment Reform,” The Massapequan Observer, Nov. 19, 2010. Did he write to Mr. Mangano? Are the residents of Nassau County so easily fooled, or is this “politics as usual?” The taxpayers deserve an answer to Mr. Brita’s claims from Mr. Mangano. I, for one, am sick and tired of getting phone calls and countless letters from certiorari/reduction companies courting my business. I have lived in a home in Massapequa for over seven years, my taxes have more than doubled, and the number of firms that court my business has increased five fold! It sounds like Mr. Brita has some legitimate concerns, as should all the taxpayers of Nassau County. So, Mr. Mangano, care to answer any of these claims, and explain how you are going to fix a very broken system with people who have conflicts of interest in respect to their way of making a living?

Karin Hibler-Pevsner

Parenthood Plus: November 26, 2010

Please Do Fight With Your Teen-Agers

Teen-agers enjoy a good “fight” with adults who do not feel a need to dominate and are willing to listen. As children progress from the “earthbound” quality of concrete thinking to the “intergalactic” quality of complex thinking, they become capable of formulating contrary-to-fact-hypotheses, of leaping with their minds here, there and everywhere. Herein lays the source of teen-agers’ growing ability and fervor for challenging others’ ideas, beliefs and values and for engaging in furious debate, often to the dismay of parents, teachers and other adults.

From the Desk of Gary Brosnan: November 26, 2010

On behalf of the South Farmingdale Water District and Board of Commissioners, I’d like to warn residents to be aware of false and misleading statements and claims recently made about Long Island water quality. A local organization has been leaving solicitous door tags and fliers with area residents which offer free water testing. The promotional materials contain misleading information, which may alarm uninformed residents. While the South Farmingdale Water District cannot forbid the company from continuing its marketing ploys and erroneous claims, the District has made it clear that the water delivered to your home meets or exceeds water quality standards. In keeping with New York State Law, the South Farmingdale Water District publishes a water quality report annually and releases the report to the community (by mail and web) each May.