Letter: Unhappy With School District’s Administration

On Oct. 21, I went to a school board meeting at the Westbury High School. That night I find out that our teachers are working without a contract. From June 2009 until now and still they have no contract. But the administrators are all getting raises and they know our teachers are working very hard with our children.

I see this. I am on the PTA and SEPTA. My name is Grandma Rose Ryan, RN. I help out at the school. As a taxpayer, I also want to know and let other taxpayers know that we are paying a salary to a principal at the Westbury Middle School. He had not been there in two years. And the district will not let us know what this is all about. This is taking away from our children and teachers.

Letter: Commends Local Business for Support

As a senior naval officer and veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, a proud resident of Westbury for my entire youth and an “every-time-I-return-home” customer of Maria’s Pastry Shop, I am compelled to provide formal feedback recognizing this amazing bakery for outstanding support to the U.S. military during the Global War on Terrorism.

From firsthand experience, I am duty-bound to state that the management and staff at Maria’s Pastry Shop went “above and beyond” by voluntarily providing servicemen deployed to Iraq a taste of America – a true morale booster in an arduous combat environment.

Joe DeLucia and his family/staff impressed me like no other culinary or service professional has in over 23 years of active military service. He is an exceedingly rare, precious commodity in a profession dedicated to and defined by service to others: His sincerity, warm spirit and giving nature, coupled with an unparalleled desire to exceed all expectations, make him unique to the culinary arts and our country. His natural ability to embrace the human element and circumstances of his customers make him “the” obvious choice for the most prestigious service award that you can bestow. He is, in a word, the “best” among us.

The bottom line [is] one cannot affix a price on the faces and in the hearts of the servicemen who, thousands of miles away in an oppressively hot and hostile land, lit up with job when each, in his own way, realized that a landmark pastry ship thought enough of them – and their sacrifices – to say thank you in such a genuine and tangible way. As delicious as the ingredients were, the message conveyed by Mr. DeLucia and his superb team at Maria’s Pastry Shop reflected the best in America – and made it simply the best chocolate fudge cake I, we, have ever had.

Letter: A ‘Thank You’ To Voters

I would like to thank the entire communities of Carle Place, Old Westbury, the hamlet of New Cassel and the Incorporated Village of Westbury for their continued support and commitment to the maintenance of the quality of life we all share as a district. For those who worked tirelessly to get the vote out I say “thank you.” Also, I wish to extend special congratulations to my opponent, North Hempstead Town Councilwoman-elect Viviana Russell, and all of the Election Day winners.

Letter:Russell, Troiano Extend Thanks

We want to thank the voters of our community for the overwhelming support we received on Election Day.

We are humbled not only by the margin of victory, but also by the sheer number of voters who turned out to support our candidacy. We are inspired by the confidence shown in us. We hope to earn the confidence of those who chose to support other candidates. We pledge to work in the best interests of everyone in our community.

We also want to extend our appreciation to the many volunteers who distributed literature, made phone calls, knocked on doors or simply asked a friend to support us. Our success is due to your commitment.

Thank you all.

Viviana Russell
North Hempstead Councilwoman-elect

Robert Troiano
Nassau County Legislator-elect

From the Desk of Legislator Roger Corbin

Consider LIPA’s Efficient Furnace Fan Program

Nassau County Legislator Roger Corbin (D-Westbury) encourages residents to consider an incentive the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) is offering for savings with new oil, gas, or propane heating systems.

The LIPA Efficient Furnace Fan Program offers a $200 rebate on new furnaces with electronically commutated motors (ECM), an energy efficient motor which can adjust its speed to ensure the best possible performance in a furnace. In addition to the rebate, it is possible to save $40 to $300 per year based on the homeowner’s usage and the lower operating costs of ECM motors.

“By taking advantage of this program we can maximize energy efficiency, reduce our carbon footprint and lower our energy bills,” Corbin said. “With the temperatures beginning to drop, it would be wise to think now about utilizing these cost-saving opportunities.”

From the Desk of Senator Craig Johnson

Testifies Before Senate Autism Hearing

New York State Senator Craig M. Johnson, (D-Nassau), and representatives from Austim Speaks addressed the Senate Standing Committee on Insurance during an Oct. 23 hearing in Albany on the insurance industry’s role in the treatment of Autism. A video of his statement can be found at www.craigjohnson.nysenate.gov. Johnson’s prepared remarks are below:

“Hello and thank you for this opportunity to discuss this very important subject. In particular, I really want to thank the representatives from Autism Speaks for allowing me to join them this morning.

“Though I am a member of this committee, I sit here today as an advocate.

“I am here to implore members of the Insurance Committee to pass Senate bill 2366, which I believe – as 51 other of my colleagues do – to be vitally important legalization that would finally require private health insurance companies to pick up some of the medical costs associated with the treatment of an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

“I am a co-sponsor on the bill, which was drafted and is being carried by my good friend, Senator Chuck Fuschillo from Long Island. The very fact that I traveled here today from Long Island to talk about a bill that is being carried by a member of the minority conference shows how important I believe this legislation is.

Eye on the Island: October 29, 2009

News Outlets Adapt

Cablevision-owned Newsday is charging $5 a week for access to newsday.com effective Wednesday, Oct. 28, a fee it is waiving for subscribers to Newsday’s print edition or Cablevision’s Optimum Online Internet service.

I can understand why Cablevision is trying to boost its bottom line. News-gathering is a labor-intensive process, and what’s the sense of giving the final product away ‘for free,’ even though online advertisers are contributing financially to the undertaking?

Viewpoint: October 29, 2009

Vote

County, town, city and judicial elections are this Tuesday. I have some very definite opinions about the political campaigns that as you read this are maybe hitting you with last-minute automated calls and postcards that all look alike. Our local political campaigns may spend more and more but they have been saying less and less and engage fewer and fewer voters at a time when we need to build a public vision like never before. Perhaps you’ve picked up on that sentiment from little hints I’ve dropped here and there in previous essays.

It’s the last issue before Election Day, and fair is fair and I’m putting it all aside for another time. By then, perhaps I will have found some inner peace and will write about the puppies and clouds and cheesecake I always think will be the subject, until something gets me going. And this week, I really got going.

Silver Alert System Will Help Locate Missing Adults With Alzheimer’s

60 Percent Will Go Missing During Course of Disease

Senator Charles Schumer is pushing legislation to create a nationwide network for locating missing adults and senior citizens with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other mental impairments.

The Silver Alert Act would create a program, modeled after the AMBER Alert, which would provide federal coordination and assistance through the Department of Justice to local and state law enforcement to assist efforts to locate missing senior citizens throughout New York City and across the country. Schumer said a nationwide alert network is critical because missing adults can cross state and county lines.

He is sponsoring the National Silver Alert Act (S. 557), which will encourage and integrate systems throughout the United States to help identify and locate missing seniors with cognitive impairments. The bill will also authorize grants for these organizations. The bill has already passed the House of Representatives.

From the Desk of Assemblyman Charles Lavine

Coats for Kids Reminder

Assemblyman Charles D. Lavine (D-Glen Cove) would like to remind the community that his district office in Glen Cove is once again participating in the National Cleaners Association’s (NCA) Coats for Kids program. Members of NCA collect, clean and distribute donated winter coats to children in need as the cold weather approaches.

“In these difficult times, it is important for neighbors to look after neighbors. I am proud to join with the National Cleaners Association to help ensure that no child is without a warm coat this winter,” said Lavine.

The assemblyman will be accepting new and gently worn jackets and coats in all sizes through Dec. 15. Donations can be dropped off in the bin located outside the assemblyman’s office at 70 Glen Street, Suite 100, Glen Cove.

For further information, call the office at 676-0050.