JFK High School String Orchestra Takes Top Prize

Student orchestra wins first place in KPALI Competition for consecutive year

Plainview-Old Bethpage School District’s John F. Kennedy High School (POBJFK) String Orchestra students recently performed in the 2nd Annual Korean Parents Association of Long Island (KPALI) Music Performance Competition under the direction of POBJFK orchestra director Glenn Rubin. The students performed “The American Dream: An Anthem,” by young American composer Chris Lowry.

Town Of Oyster Bay Passes 2013 Budget

3.8 percent property tax increase

The Town of Oyster Bay Town Board unanimously approved the town’s $265 million budget for 2013 on Tuesday, Nov. 13. The budget includes a 3.8 percent property tax-levy increase, within the state-mandated cap.

Local Officials Ask Feds To Help LIPA

Power authority blasted for delays in restoring power, lack of communication with customers

“LIPA has failed and has failed miserably.”

That is what Congressman Peter King said at a press conference in which elected officials called on the federal government to send resources to get the job done in turning power back on for all Long Island residents. On Friday, Nov. 8, 11 days after super storm Sandy devastated Long Island, the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) reported that more than 81,000 Nassau County customers remained without power and more than 162,000 throughout Nassau and Suffolk. That was enough for King, County Executive Ed Mangano, Congressman Steve Israel, New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray and Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto, to hold a press conference and ask the federal government to send the resources to do the job which LIPA has not been able to.

U11 Plainview Hawks Baseball Team Wins Championship

The U11 Plainview Hawks won a championship game over the Levittown North Stars by a score of 9-1 in the Hicksville Fall Classic. Plainview went 7-1 in the fall and the team’s only loss was to this Levittown team in the first game of the tournament by a score of 6-3.

This was a team win with patience at the plate, aggressive base running, timely hitting and strong pitching. Eric K. started the game and at first it looked like Levittown came to play. Their leadoff hitter walked on four pitches and went on to steal second and third base. Eric settled in by striking out the second batter of the game, and a soft line drive to first was caught by Alex J. for the second out. With the runner still stranded at third, Eric battled to strike out the next hitter for the final out of the inning. Eric went on and pitched his heart out and ran into very little trouble to finish a complete game, giving up one unearned run, three hits and finishing with nine strikeouts.

After Sandy: Plainview’s Safe Haven

Residents without power flock to POB Library for warmth, companionship and a helping hand

When the staff of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library decided to help the community after Hurricane Sandy, they didn’t just mean giving people a place to charge their phones. Of course, many residents whose homes were without power flocked to the library for an opportunity to charge their electronic devices and access the Internet, but people also came to hold appointments, use the microwave in the staff kitchen, do their hair in the ladies room, and even plug in medical equipment.

According to Library Director Gretchen Browne, the staff made a decision to do everything within reason to help those affected by the hurricane, and patrons took them up on the offer in a big way: making the library a second home. The library has been a spiritual center of the community for a long time, but for the last few days, it’s become a community center in every sense of the term.

Local Runners Score At 5th Annual Blazing Trails 4 Autism 4 Mile Run

The 5th Annual Grillo & Associates Blazing Trails 4 Autism 4 Mile Run was almost a brand new race: it was a new community (North Bellmore/North Merrick) with a new school, the Nassau BOCES Children’s Readiness Center, and a new flat course through some very nice local streets.

What didn’t change were the high quality hoodies given out for every entrant and volunteer, an array of past-race refreshments, quick and accurate results courtesy of JMS Racing Services, and a generous raffle highlighted by a Beach Bike courtesy of South Shore Bicycle and Fitness.

Election Results

(Unofficial Results)
* winner

U.S. President:
* Barack Obama (D)
Mitt Romney (R)

Residents Speak Out At Redistricting Hearing

Last year’s political battle over new district lines in county still casts a shadow over current proceedings

While Nassau County Temporary Redistricting Commission Chairman Frank Moroney said at the commission’s first meeting that the controversial proposed 2011 redistricting map, drawn by the Republican-dominated county legislature, was not to be considered, residents clearly aren’t convinced the map is gone for good. At the redistricting hearing held on Monday, Oct. 22 at Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School, many of the 20-plus speakers expressed concerns about the 2011 map, especially the fact that it divided Plainview into four legislative districts. In addition, even if a new map is to be drawn, many expressed skepticism that it could be done in a truly fair and bipartisan way.

Legislator David Denenberg was blunt in his assessment of the blatantly political nature of the Republican-drawn map. “Everyone knows that when it comes to redistricting, the map that was presented last year had one thing in mind, and that was that the Republicans could have a supermajority in the legislature,” Denenberg said. “There’s no way you can tell me that half a million people moving into new districts was about the people and not about the parties.”

Candidates Discuss Redistricting, Taxes

Plainview-Old Bethpage Chamber of Commerce hosts 3rd Annual Meet the Candidates Breakfast

A large group of local business owners and other professionals converged on the Plainview Residence Inn on Wednesday, Oct. 17 for the 3rd Annual Plainview-Old Bethpage Chamber of Commerce Meet the Candidates Breakfast. While the event featured many of the same candidates as the League of Women Voters candidates forum held at the POB Library on Oct. 2 and covered many of the same topics, candidate Stephen Labate (R), challenger for the third Congressional District against Democrat Steve Israel (not present), made sure to bring federal issues to the table.

Like Labate, Democratic challenger for the 6th State Senate District Ryan Cronin was also without his opponent; this is the second event in Plainview this month where Cronin has appeared in the absence of Republican incumbent Kemp Hannon. In fact, the only race where both candidates were present at the breakfast was that of 13th Assembly District, where Republican challenger Louis Imbroto and incumbent Charles Lavine (D) faced off.

Chamber Of Commerce Holding Craft And Gift Fair

The Plainview-Old Bethpage Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the POB Library, held its First Annual Craft and Gift Fair on Sunday, Oct. 7 in the library parking lot.

The craft and gift fair was the first community-wide fair of its kind held in the Plainview-Old Bethpage area in over 25 years. Despite the wet weather, the fair proved a roaring success. Hundreds of residents came out to shop for goods and merchandise that ran the gamut from garden plants, jewelry, housewares, window-treatments, eyeglasses, knick knacks and toys. Vendors such as financial planners, dentists, lawyers and charitable organizations offered their services to fairgoers.