Over 60...and Getting Younger: April 30, 2010

It’s a Small World, After All!

The volcanic explosion in Iceland affected me in two distinct ways. One, it reminded me of my visit to this North Atlantic Island about 10 years ago. We chose Iceland, just to say we had been there.

Editorial: Online, Accountability Works Both Ways

As someone who was a blogger before entering the world of newspapers, I am perhaps in a unique position to see the irony in many of the popular criticisms of blogging, as well as social media services such as Twitter, that emerge from the world of print. While critics of new media often bemoan the paltry research and lack of accountability to be found in the world of blogging, criticisms of blogging are often based on nebulous fears for the future of publishing as opposed to actual facts, and the critics themselves don’t think they should be held accountable for the fact that they don’t know the culture of the blogosphere very well, or even know anyone who does. Many criticize Twitter for encouraging the oversimplification of concepts through the enforced character limit, however ignoring the many possible uses of Twitter that do not have such limitations- to instead judge the phenomenon only by its weakest applications- is itself a gross oversimplification. In short, while there are undoubtedly legitimate concerns about the veracity of information to be found online in general, many media traditionalists have been presenting these concerns either dishonestly, or through a veil of genuine fear and culture shock.

Letter: Problems in Albany

When you vote on your school district budget next month, thank Albany if there’s an increase in your property tax levy. Albany gave us an MTA tax that takes valuable dollars away from students and gives it to the Transit Workers Union’s 11.5 percent pay increase over the next three years. Albany gave us defined-benefit public pension plans that cost more than defined-contribution plans [e.g., 401(k)] without benefiting education. Albany gave us expensive public construction mandates (e.g., “prevailing union wages” and the “Wicks Law”) that can double the cost of school capital improvement projects. Albany gave us these costly mandates that take tax dollars away from a child’s education. Let’s help our students this November by sending pink slips to Albany!

Robert Germino

Over 60...and Getting Younger: April 23, 2010

Greenberg

• It was a definite obligation!

• How could I not see this movie?

Over 60...and Getting Younger: April 16, 2010

So Long, Denise!

Sixteen years ago when I retired from dentistry on Nov. 4, 1994 (but who’s counting) I proclaimed that I would become a writer in my retirement. I had no idea about what I was talking about. Through a series of coincidences and good luck I got this position in the Anton Newspapers.

Editorial: Saying Hello

Editing this paper is a daunting proposition- especially when the previous editor, Denise Nash, made the Syosset-Jericho Tribune her home-away-from-home for nothing less than a decade. As a Jericho resident of 20 years, I am certainly comfortable with the area, but that doesn’t stop me from feeling a little intimidated- after all, there’s a lot going on here. I want to make sure I don’t miss something important...oh, and did I mention that Denise did this for ten years?

Editorial: Take a Moment and Say Goodbye

Just over ten years ago, I remember staring at a blank document on my computer screen not knowing what to say to a community that I didn’t know.

Over 60...and Getting Younger: April 9, 2010

Weekend in the City

The big weekend arrived. Packing the suitcases began on Thursday night. Packing was a huge question. Would there be beautiful weather or rainy, inclement weather? We can’t overpack.

It Happened In Syosset! - April 2, 2010

Part 3: The Syosset Farmer Who Would Have Shot TR?

(Editor’s Note: This is the third in a multi-part series by Tom Montalbano highlighting some of Syosset’s most shocking and most forgotten events.)

Twenty-eight-year-old Henry Weilbrenner, Jr. was the son of a German immigrant “truck farmer” who owned a 72-acre parcel of land on the west side of Jackson Avenue, encompassing what is now De Benedittis Nursery and the surrounding area. One of three brothers, Henry played a significant role in his family’s daily grind, which included hauling a large, horse-drawn wagon (truck) into Brooklyn or Manhattan each day to hawk fresh produce to restaurant owners, cruise ship purchasing agents, and servants to Manhattan’s elite. To balance the tedium and stress of his day-to-day routine, Henry apparently manufactured an imaginary love affair with Alice Roosevelt, the daughter of the 26th President of the United States, for whom the fantasy almost turned deadly.

Over 60...and Getting Younger: April 2, 2010

The Games We Play

Lorraine bought my grandson a magic game.

I was appalled!