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Plainedge, November 9,
2007
Click
Here for more photos!
As the
holiday season approaches and children fill out there wish
list, you probably will not find a corn husk doll on that
list. Last Thursday evening the Plainedge PTA combined to
deliver Plainedge's first all community History Night. It
was a family fun night
out!
History
Night brought us all back to when things
were simple. They featured activities like making corn
husk dolls, candle dipping, fudge and paper making and some all time
favorite games like marbles and hop scotch. This was
one great night that made fun easy. The PTA put together a
tremendous effort as they had to coordinate many volunteers along
with pleanty of supplies to make this event run as smooth
as it did.
In the
past few years History Night would take place at each individual
grade school but on this night, for the first time they brought all
of the schools together. The large undertaking all took place
at the Plainedge Middle School.
Who
thought you could make paper or did you know how easy it is to make
fudge? Nights like History Night are a perfect
interactive family outing.
In case
you missed all of the fun or if you want to have a lasting memory
just click on the link above to see the many great pictures on our
special photo page. History Night 2007 . . . a night that made
history in
Plainedge.
Plainedge, September 9, 2007
We're
having a ball! As the new season kicks off for
both the Plainedge Bobcats and the Plainedge Soccer club, harmony
has seemed to settle in our town of Plainedge. For the first time
in quite a while all aspects of Plainedge seem to be headed in the
right direction. Its funny how it has come full circle as
Plainedge Sports once again has taken center stage.
Three cheers to the both the Plainedge Bobcats
and the Plainedge Soccer Club for making noticeable improvements to
their programs showing that hard work does pay off. It
was a great weekend for Plainedge; there were many families and
smiling faces on both the football and soccer fields.
Some of the smiling faces included our new
Superintendent of Schools and our Town of Oyster Bay
Officials who are up for re-election.
Our Superintendent is off to a great start and has brought in a
comfortable feeling of moving forward. Our Town officials have
the ball in hand as they continue to work on their plan to deliver
state of the art sports and recreational facilities to
Plainedge.
It
was a glorious weekend . . . one that was sun drenched in Plainedge
Pride!
Plainedge, May 15,
2007
Douglas
Pascarella becomes a two time elected Board Member. Nancy
Giris also wins a seat. Below is a photo of the actual board
used to announce the results. Also pictured is Joe Karam,
President of the Plainedge Soccer Club and leader of the Vote Yes
campaign. For additional photos click here.
Plainedge, May 12,
2007
Thank
you to our friends at WALK 97.5 for providing Plainedge with a fun
day of entertainment at the Budget Awareness Day Event in the
parking lot of J.H West. WALK 97.5 made arrangements for
their official entertainment company 888-LETS-JUMP /
800-LETS-DANCE to provide a DJ / MC and an incredibly fun Power
Rangers Obstacle Course
Jumper!
The Entertainment
company is owned by a former Plainedge Graduate and
they did a wonderful job creating a fun atmosphere for
all.
For a complete photo
gallery of the days events CLICK
HERE!
Plainedge, March
17, 2007
Here's two
cents on the latest Plainedge School
District Budget saga.
Before going forward, it is important that
I take you back to the Board of Education (BOE)
reorganization meeting last July. I remember that meeting
well, mostly for the smiling tanned faces of the Plainedge
School District
administration members who just returned from vacations.
You see, the community of Plainedge just got through an
epic effort to help pass the year's school budget. With the
budget passed and administrative pay raises in hand,
symbolically I remember the tanned faces.
The meeting was not attended by many of the
usual community members who worked so hard getting that
budget passed. Some said they were exhausted from the effort
and needed time away from the board meetings. Last year
the community supported one the highest increases that this district
has ever seen in hope of giving everything back to the children of
Plainedge after a year on an austerity budget.
Now, let's revert back to the present and a new
Plainedge School
District budget discussion. This
year’s discussion is highlighted by some very important
issues involving the restoration of Middle School Sports
programs, Gifted Student programs and keeping community tax
increases at a reasonable level. If you have been to a recent
BOE meeting you will know that it is crunch time. The BOE is
trying to decide whether to add the additional programs that will
benefit children or keep these important programs away from the
children to protect a lower budget percentage.
Back and forth the discussions go as each Board
Member presents their position. Often their discussion gets
steered not by themselves but by the opinion of a soon to be retired
superintendent. It is heartbreaking that the discussion has
come down to “give to our children or take away from our
children.”
In the last few meetings, I appreciated the
efforts of some BOE members as they used their calculator to try to
help solve the equation while making their suggestions on which
services to cut from the budget. I sat listening intently to
community members one after the other present what exactly they
wanted for their children, "MORE PROGRAMS" (Middle School Sports and
Gifted child programs.) My thoughts went back
to an important issue from last years BOE election, the one that
clearly asked does the board of education run the administration or
does the administration run the board of education, who works for who? I
was puzzled as our elected Board Members tried to solve "the budget
equation" as the administration sat next to them. The BOE was working hard
scratching their collective heads thinking about what could be
cut from the budget to lower the tax levy for the community instead
of the important programs. I thought it odd that someone
being paid to administrate our school district finances sat idle
with no other suggestions on potential budget options to reach our
goal, after all isn’t she being paid to produce a budget that meets
our requirements?
Now for more of my two cents and a clear
message to elected members of the Plainedge Board of Education . . .
MANAGE THE PROCESS! The
community of Plainedge has elected you to listen to their
requests. The community elects the Board members to
represent them and to MANAGE and DIRECT the administration to
follow through on their instructions. So I ask this
question, why are our BOE members, the leaders of our school
district, sitting by and working hard to figure out budget cuts
themselves? Don’t they realize that the have a brilliant
administration of individuals that have Masters Degrees and
Doctorates in Education, Engineering and Finance at their
disposal! Why aren’t these people doing their jobs by figuring
out what to cut on other budget line items themselves?
It's time that the Plainedge Board of Education
takes a stand and directs this administration to GO TO WORK!
The BOE quite frankly, should do what any leader in any
corporate situation would do and dictate . . . this is what we need
. . . a lower budget number to present to the community along with
adding in the programs for the children that our voters in
attendance have demanded of us. It is your responsibility
and you (the administration) are being paid to produce. Why are we different from
any other business?
Could you imagine telling your boss or the leaders of your
company “nah, you figure it out?”
The BOE should instruct the talented
administration staff with all of their degrees to lock themselves in
a room and not come back to the table until they solve the budget
equation period. It is
difficult for any organization facing budget cuts, the
administration should recommend in order of importance line items
that can be adjusted.
Stop cutting the children of Plainedge. The BOE should again demand
that the administration make hard cuts just like any other business
in America! The administration seems to
play a game with the BOE members and the community of “we're not
telling, you figure it out for yourselves and while you’re thinking
we’ll distract you with other issues.”
Now, let’s once again recall the tanned faces
of last July, this community clearly stepped up and provided
the sun! Now the administration should do their job and give
back to the community and the children. The administration should
deliver a program filled budget at a lower percent of increase
by making hard cuts in other areas of the budget.
It's the administration’s job to get it done and the
Plainedge BOE should toughen up and demand nothing less for our
community!
After they close the door and give us the
effort that we are clearly paying for if they conclude that there
are truly no other cuts available then it is up to our BOE to boldly
add the requested programs back in the in the budget. The parents who worked so
hard last year deserve the opportunity to sell a program
filled budget to our community that would best benefit our
children and give them MORE! Once again the school
district should ride the backs of some of the hardest working
parents that a community has ever seen.
Two cents? The BOE manages the process
and administration does their job to deliver this community what it
needs for our children and to bring Plainedge back. Times are changing in
Plainedge and it’s time to go to work . . . we demand it!
Plainedge, December 06,
2006
The
Plainedge Soccer Club scores a goal for charity.
Plainedge Soccer Club Board members stopped by the
Plainedge Middle
School to play Santa for the eighth
consecutive year. The large toy donation was a part of their
successful "Kids Helping Kids" Charity Soccer Tournament which takes
place annually over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Over the last eight years the Plainedge Soccer
Club has donated over $ 80,000 to help children in need around
Long Island. The toys and
donations have helped various charities including Cure Kids,
American Cancer Society and their Camp
Adventure
program and Cure Mommy’s charity. All of the donations go
towards helping local Families.
Pictured above is Club President Joe Karam,
Vinnie Capuano, Club Treasurer Sue Lindsey and Travel
commissioner Frank Allesandro, joined by Middle School teacher
Jennifer Marchignoli, the Superintendant of Schools Dr. John
Richman and members of the Plainedge Soccer Club. The
Board members of the club have donated countless hours of their
Thanksgiving holiday weekend to make the Charity Tournament
Successful. Their sacrifice of their personal time to help
needy children is a demonstration of what makes Plainedge a great
community.
Their interaction with the Plainedge schools is
a key to making their tournament a success. They received
smiles of approval from both Ms. Marchignoli and Dr. Richman who
support the program. The Plainedge Soccer Club is one of the
largest athletic organizations in Plainedge and their
consistent dedication to the community over the last eight
years is only a small part of what they do for the community of
Plainedge.
For
more information on the Plainedge Soccer Club, please visit them
online at www.plainedgesoccerclub.com
Plainedge, November 16,
2006
A
serious discussion on child safety took place at the Board of
Education public work session last Tuesday Night. By
now, you may have heard about an incident
involving a child in kindergarten who accidentally
walked out of Schwarting Elementary school. The unattended child walked
into the street while school was still
in session. The most important part of this incident is
that the child is 100% safe.
With no official written details available, it
was learned that the incident happened during the first week of the
new school year. At
least one kindergarten child being escorted to the nurse’s
office took a wrong turn and accidentally left the Schwarting
building through unguarded doors. The child thought the school
day was over upon leaving.
Luckily, the child was brought to safety by their parent
waiting in their automobile outside of the school.
During last Tuesday night's Board of Education
public work session, the incident was properly addressed, discussed
and presented on the meeting agenda. It was also
discussed during an emotional question and answer session by the
parents of a child involved. During the meeting, the
administration discussed a creative plan to help flag young
inexperienced kindergarten students through the use of a buddy
system and destination easy- to-understand badges. The badges
are designed to be worn by the children around their neck to
help them with their sense of direction and alert hall monitors
to their destination while away from the classroom.
The serious incident happened and can not be
taken back but the best way to prevent any future incident is to act
quickly and put a plan in place that is continuously reviewed.
The administration and the school principals are planning an
orientation of the new system in the very near future.
The initial system utilizes drawn pictures such as one of a
nurse if the child is heading to the nurse’s office. The
badges are both for the child in need and a hall buddy to
help them with their navigation throughout the school
hallways.
During Tuesday night’s meeting, the parents
of an involved child requested additional measures of safety
involving alarmed doors. This suggestion was explained as
difficult due to a measure of false alarms. The administration
agreed to continue to search for additional safety solutions to
compliment their current plan. While a few ideas were
shared by concerned community members, one parent shared an
excellent suggestion. They discussed having a safety
discussion with their child. The discussion
should be about what a child should do if they suddenly
found themselves alone in a situation?
The excellent suggestion should be shared with
all parents. The problem is that only the few parents
attending the meeting are aware of the situation or heard the
suggestion. If you didn’t attend the meeting, chances
are you are not aware that this incident took place.
Again, one of the most important
preventive solutions is proper communication.
The administration has done a tremendous job
through emails helping to keep parents informed about some of the
potential dangers that could face our children in our
community. Some
email topics have ranged from early alert to suspicious
vehicles to sexual predators potentially moving into the
neighborhood to a growing concern of underage drinking. The
administration has amassed a large enough email list to communicate
with a large number of Plainedge residents and parents. Not
knowing the exact right answer to this situation and having the
advantage of being a “Tuesday Evening” quarterback, I as a parent of
young children would have liked to have received an email from the
administration immediately after the incident. Knowing what I
know now and after getting good advice from a concerned parent to
better prepare a child, I believe that an email alerting parents
would be extremely helpful.
Most would agree that an email or a written letter
communication should be included in a prevention plan.
We are all thankful that the child in question
was found safe. We
should use this example to all put our heads together to help
find full proof prevention solution. As a community, we
should use clear heads and work together to help support the initial
plans of our administration and help with future
solutions.
Plainedge, November
10, 2006
Joe
Pappalardo is his name . . . and Charity is his game!
Joe Pappalardo also makes a great pizza! Mr.
Pappalardo has always found a way to combine both charity and pizza,
and Plainedge's favorite son is at it again.
This Monday night, November 13th from 5PM-8PM,
Pappalardo’s Pizza Cove presents "Score Points for Autism" a
sports memorabilia auction. The Silent auction to benefit
Autism is already being set up at the Pizza Cove through the weekend
giving more community members a chance to bid and donate to the
cause. The auction
features great memorabilia items from the Knicks, Islanders, Jets,
Mets and more! Pappalardo's Pizza Cove is donating $ 1.00 per
Pizza Pie and 10% of all food orders this Monday to the cause.
One Hundred percent of all proceeds from the charity event will
benefit Autism research and the organization Autism Speaks.
The event is also a community service project coordinated by
Plainedge Middle
School students.
For any charity or Plainedge school event, Joe
Pappalardo is always ready to lend a helping hand. Joe, a
friend to the community and its generations of students
probably wouldn't want the recognition that this Flash Photo brings
to him but he deserves to be recognized for his willingness to help,
his constant donations and his support of any cause involving
Plainedge.
This weekend and especially Monday night,
please stop by the Pizza Cove for some delicious food, a donation
and a thank you to a great friend of the community . . . Joe
Pappalardo!
For
more information regarding the Auction or Autism Research, contact
Linda Berman, Long Island Manager, Autism speaks, at 631-521-7853 or
email lberman@autismspeaks.org. Autism
Speaks, It's time to
listen.
 
 
Plainedge, November 05,
2006
Election
Day is only days away . . . Vote on! Two big races of
special interest to the Plainedge community are Assembly and
Congress. In the 12th Assembly District Race,
Republican Joseph Saladino, the incumbent is up against Democrat,
Craig Heller. In the race for Congress in District
3, it’s Republican Peter King, the incumbent against our
Legislator, Democrat Dave Mejias.
In the Assembly Race, challenger Craig
Heller who last co-chaired the Plainedge Tax Relief Association
(PTRA) continues his battle against high property and school
taxes. Both issues are
his number one priority. Heller finds himself up against the
hard working Assemblyman, Joseph Saladino. The
popular Saladino often delivers state grant money to many
of our community organizations and causes.
The race for Congress is exciting as challenger
Dave Mejias has forced incumbent Peter King to spend a good
portion of his campaign "war chest" to help defend his seat.
In the summer of 2005, Mejias was one of the area's Elected
Officials who took time to help the PPAC during their car
wash / fund raisers to help save the sports programs when the
2005 school budget was voted down. As for the incumbent King,
many feel that he has enough supporters to comfortably re-elect
him. Congressman King
has been aggressive spending his campaign funds on signs, TV
commercials and direct mail pieces. Mejias seems to have
Congressman King concerned although he claims that any election is
important enough to be strongly out in front of the
public.
Plainedge
will once again head to polls this Tuesday coming off of a school
budget vote and Board of Education race last May that saw one the
highest turnouts for an election in our community's history.
The Plainedge vote counts and a strong turnout could help shape our
local government for the near
future.
Plainedge, October 22,
2006
To
build or not to build . . . that is the question?
This Wednesday October 25th, the question
regarding the Eastplain addition will go to vote with help from a
few letters like the one pictured above from the Superintendent
of Schools. By now you may have received at least
two letters from the Superintendent in your mailbox. Each
letter is written in classic administration form. They disseminate information
using the same old tactics . . . word play and the big scare “pay
now or pay more even more later, either way you'll pay.” The
same old message takes place with every vote over the last
couple of years and it is happening again.
While building an additional wing on
Eastplain is a good thing . . . be careful, putting the
taxpayers of this community in danger of increased taxation
is not! Talk to members of the community and
they'll share the sentiment, why the vague wording in the
letter? Something must be up. How much will this
eventually cost us?
Could someone simply explain
this properly to the community and protect us? The
bottom-line is if we really need the space and our children
can benefit from it and will not cost our overtaxed
community more money then do it! But why would
a "Lame Duck" soon be be retired Superintendent put
our community at further risk in regards to a possible increase in
tax dollars, especially our Seniors Citizens. Is this vote
being forced to move up the start date for whatever
reason including securing one last major project or could we
simply just wait to see if the "EXCEL" dollars are
officially in our account. Either way, the administration will
continue to play the game their way with their classic communication
skills. Try to get more information from the Board of
Education? Whatever happened to the more community focus
promise of the current Board? Will community members ever have
that community only Board Meeting without administration present
hoping that they could get more sincere answers to questions and
current situations?
So
back to the letters, why the bold letters and then slip in at the
end if the "EXCEL" doesn't go through it will cost you but pay now
or pay much more later. How about this . . . guarantee the
"EXCEL" has gone through, even wait if you have to, so community
taxpayers are not placed in danger. Why is it better to do it
now and take the risk? Again expansion is a good thing, our
children should have a bigger better schools and re-districting
should hopefully be the last choice for a student. Come Wednesday this
community will have to do it again . . . hold your nose and dive in
neighbor . . . your vote counts. Just give us the
straight information the first time and save the postage and the
bold letters . . . for better programs most community members will
do whatever it takes to give our Children of Plainedge the best of
everything but don't add more taxes to this
community.
  
Plainedge, October 14,
2006
Homecoming
. . . a winner for Plainedge! On a crisp
Saturday afternoon in October, the 4-1 Plainedge Red Devils defeated
the West Hempstead Rams 21-7. It was a dominating performance
for Plainedge as they controlled the homecoming game
throughout. The Red Devils clearly played both sides of
the ball well throughout the game. Plainedge used a strong
running game to help use the clock and their performance
delighted the community as they packed the Plainedge
High School
bleachers in Plainedge Red.
Halftime was also a winner as the Plainedge
High School
students crowned a Homecoming King and Queen and performances from
the Band, Kick line Team and Cheerleaders delighted the
community crowd. Homecoming showed the best of
what Plainedge has to offer from all students involved as
they proved to be the heartbeat of the Plainedge
Community.
Plainedge also did well in collecting funds to
better their programs through the $1. admission, 50/50 Raffles and a
strong concession, all headed by the hard working Plainedge
volunteers. The Plainedge football fans hope that
funds could help eventually repair the
scoreboard. Its outage made it tough to know the score
and the game time on the clock. Hopefully the scoreboard could
be fixed in the near future before other projects are
"tackled".
To
see great photos from the Homecoming Football Game click this Link .
. . Game Photos
click
here!
  
Plainedge, August 28, 2006
Will
it be COOL when they head back to Middle
School? The air conditioning situation at
the Plainedge Middle School has been an
issue since the building opened a few years back.
The Plainedge Superintendent of Schools has been working to
correct the situation of a faulty system that has not
being backed by the guarantee from the company that did the
job. Throughout the summer and since the opening of the new
facility, the Superintendent has worked towards obtaining the
necessary repairs with no cooperation.
Earlier in the summer closed bids were taken to
get a new HVAC company to do the repairs to the brand new
system. During a Board of Education meeting in July, the
Superintendent requested that two members of the BOE be present
for a special session of the Board of Education to view the opening
of Bids to make the necessary repairs on the system.
The
Air conditioning in the new Middle School has not worked properly
since it was installed and the company that completed the
installation is not taking responsibility for its failures.
One of the situations the faulty system has caused has been
sweating pipes that have led to wet ceiling tiles. A
large bond was taken out to build the Middle School a few years back
and careful planning took place except for the company that did
the HVAC work and the guarantee of their work. The
question is how much will these repairs cost the community taxpayers
when the job wasn't completed correctly to begin with? Why if
any does the community have to pay again? How did the HVAC
Company get away without properly guaranteeing their
work? This is could be one hot community issue
. . . Could someone turn on the
A.C.!
Plainedge, July 27, 2006
Two
Boards collide in the ongoing TAN battle! As the
School and the Library Boards battle it out over how our tax dollars
will be utilized for the Tax Anticipation Notes (TAN), the
Plainedge taxpayer seems to be the one that gets "sucker
punched".
The battle is based on the Library TAN
dollars. These funds are dollars that are borrowed from a
bank with the anticipation that once the community's tax dollars are
collected these funds are guaranteed to be paid back. Since
the tax dollars are guaranteed the interest on these loans are
usually substantially lower. The need to borrow this money is
caused by the early year expenditures that either a library or
school will incur before receiving their share of the community tax
levy.
At the last Plainedge Board of Education
meeting it was announced by the superintendent of schools that an
agreement was made between the Plainedge Library Board and Two
members of the past Board of Education. After the agreement
was made the Library Board changed their collective minds. The
Superintendent was upset at the decision of the Library Board and he
lobbied for the BOE "to take the high road" on this
topic.
The "high road" comment was challenged by
Library Board member Ed Dowdell in a letter to the
plaintalkonline.com website on July 18, 2006. (Click on the
"Your Opinion" Page to review it) In the letter, Mr. Dowdell
tackled a true and false commentary on the state of
the TAN Discussion. Mr. Dowdell went into detail to
explain what he felt took place and what he feels is fact or
fiction.
In an ongoing theme that keeps popping up, it
is which side is telling more of the truth? Imagine if the two
boards got together to discuss the issue in a community
forum? What a fun night that would be, maybe
Papalardo's could supply some Pizza!
The TAN equation doesn't seem to be so
difficult when figuring out how much and when the dollars would be
needed. This year's school budget had it all figured out when
the TAN line item received a significant increase from last year’s
contingency budget from
$ 283,700. to $ 495,000! A 74.5% increase and almost a
half of a million dollars of the tax payers’ money caught up in
the middle of this dispute.
The
TAN line increase did receive a challenge last
May by then BOE Candidate Felice Cantatore at the PTA
held "Meet the Candidates" night. Mr.
Cantatore stated that some line items on the budget such as the
TAN line would need to be reviewed to find funds that could used for
additional programs for the children. Even with the generous
increase in the budget, the two Boards still can not come
to agreement on the funds utilization even with the confidence
that the large increase was necessary in the budget. It
doesn't matter much which road is taken with this situation, as this
whole TAN discussion can make you real
"Punchy".
Plainedge, July 27, 2006
Assemblyman Saladino's Family Fishing Fun and
Marine Expo is coming August 27th! Recently in the mail, our Assemblyman
Joseph Saladino invited us all to his FREE 2006 Family Fishing Fun
and Marine Recreation Expo at Jones Beach Field 10. You can
always count on Assemblyman Saladino, he is either involved in your
activity or event or he brings the activity or event to
you.
This
year the Assemblyman is joined by an appearance from American Idol
Top 12 finalist and Levittown's own
Kevin Covais. As written in the invitation and pictured
above, Assemblyman Saladino is quoted as saying "this is a great day
for families and children to learn about conservation, our
waters, and participate in fun sports and marine
activities."
The
day is filled with family fun as highlighted in the
invitation. Off of the Jones
Beach docks,
children will learn to Snapper fish. There will be
demonstrations on Fly fishing, Fly tying, lure making, boating
and water safety along with secret tips from the fishing
pros. Additional action will feature live Rock 'n
Roll music, kayaking and sailing demonstrations, and hands on boat
building for the kids, demonstrations from the Power Squadron and
the Coast Guard, marine life lessons from marine biologists, a
children's learning center / Sea Creature demonstration and
refreshments! All this exciting family fun for
FREE!
It's
Assemblyman Joseph Saladino's Family Fun and Marine EXPO, Sunday
August 27th from 11:00am-5:00pm and it features something for
all ages! Assemblyman Saladino will get you "Hooked" with
another great community event. You can always count on your
Assemblyman to care about our community. Be sure to "catch"
this great event coming soon to Jones
Beach! Directions are included in
the above Flash
Photo.
Plainedge, July
27, 2006
No
Photo but a Letter from Publisher of www.plaintalkonline.com
Dear Plainedge Community and Visitors to this
Website,
It is a pleasure to serve our great community
with plaintalkonline.com. Our goal is to provide valuable and
pertinent information about Plainedge Schools, Sports,
Community Calendars, School Board Agendas and more with a
click!
It has been called to my attention at a
recent Plainedge Board of Education Meeting by a member of the
administration that it is important for community websites to
contain the correct facts. The administration member
discredits community websites and the information found on
them.
I strongly agree with this member of the
Plainedge School District Administration that this website should
indeed offer correct facts when giving information to the
community. The only exception being the "Your Opinion" Page
which clearly states, "The opinions and facts on this page are those
of interested parties. Please research all facts for your own
use. The “Your Opinions” Page is designed for public
opinion.
In an effort to make certain that we have
delivered and will continue to deliver the community factual
information, we have created the new "SUPER’S PAGE". This page is designed for
anyone from the administration of the Plainedge
School District
to help us by supplying correct factual information in case of an
error. Just click on
the Super's Page for the right factual information. We always
try our best to take accurate notes and deliver the facts and we
appreciate any and all input.
We thank you for utilizing www.plaintalkonline.com and we look forward to
additional community participation and welcome your
suggestions. Plainedge is a great community and it deserves
the very best. Please
let us know if we can help you in any way.
Best Regards,
Felice Cantatore
Publisher
www.plaintalkonline.com
ourtown@plaintalkonline.com
Plainedge, July 7,
2006
Jim, is that you? Email-gate
and the “Who's Jim?” mystery remains
unanswered! It all started back in April
when the community learned for the first time about Email-gate.
Emails from one Board of Education member's plainedgeschools.org
email address ending up copied and redirected to another BOE
member's home email address (See Flash Photos May 29,
2006) The only answer given to the community
regarding this strange situation was from the Superintendent who
claimed, "it was Jim!", a former Plainedge IT Department employee
who was terminated months earlier. No other explanation has been
given to this mystery.
On
June 27th, BOE member Frank Presuto sent an email to this website
(Click on the Your Opinion page June 27, 2007) in an
attempt to give the community much needed clarification on the
issue. Mr. Presuto was the Board Member whose emails were
copied to the others home email
address.
It's
been more than two months since the original statement was made at a
BOE meeting and the administration has failed to clarify anything to
the community including the actions of Jim. Who is Jim? And Why did he
do it? Mr. Presuto explained in the June 27th
letter that an IT professional investigated the situation and
claimed that it was impossible for it to have been done
by accident.
The
administration has been doing its best housework sweeping Email-gate
under the rug over the last two months. Only the “Jim”
statement at the May BOE meeting was made and to avoid conflict with
the Vote Yes election nothing else was said on the subject.
At
the next BOE meeting in June, the Superintendent and the outgoing
BOE President had an idea; they decided to take “agenda only”
questions from the community in the Tuesday night meeting. Then they proudly announced
that the upcoming Thursday night meeting featured a retirement
ceremony with no questions from the community being taken!
Ahh, lets push it off, say nothing and it will go away and no one
will know any better.
Pushing things off sometimes seems to be “the
norm” at BOE meetings. In the April meeting when Mr. Presuto
first read a statement announcing what was later to be known as
Email-gate, it caused a shouting match between two other BOE
members, the Vice President and Trustee Ralph Raymond. Both were apparently
involved and /or mentioned in the content of the "shared"
emails. After the heated exchange, questions from the
community were being accepted.
One woman, a community member who is a regular at
meetings and often sits in the front row rose to the defense of the
Vice President and the Trustee who was receiving the copied
emails. The woman berated Mr. Raymond and she challenged
the content of the emails in question. She made strong
statements and said things like she was privy to the content of
the emails that up until minutes prior were only discussed in
executive session. She then made a bold statement "I will FOIL
the emails" (A Freedom
of Information Letter requesting access to public
documents). Mr.
Raymond replied, "the emails are right here, you can have
them.” Order was restored and a claim by the Superintendent about an
on going police investigation prevented Mr. Raymond from sharing the
emails that he wanted to share.
It's
been two months since the accusation on record of wrong doing was
made by the woman in the front row and to date nothing has ever been
said about her bold FOIL request, nothing at all. In a public
meeting on record, someone was accused of something and until this
date the record has never been set straight? The question
is why? What was in the content of the emails
in question? Were
they ever Foil-ed? Were
they viewed? What was the conclusion?
“Why?” seems to be a great question for this
whole “Email-gate” situation. Up until now, it all lands on
Jim's shoulders but no one knows “who's Jim.” Ironically Jim's immediate
supervisor and the head of the Plainedge Schools IT department just
received a raise for her efforts of last year. A year that saw the
Plainedge School website attacked and
brought down by "Germans" as explained last September at a BOE
meeting. The website
was also down at key times during the year along with missing
crucial information like meeting minutes that seem to appear and
disappear and no explanation at all about her employee . . .
Jim? All this and a
salary raise to boot . . . it can only happen in
Plainedge!
So
"mums the word" on Email-gate, don't expect to hear anything about
it at the next BOE meeting, where it should just be “business as
usual!”
 
Plainedge, July 3,
2006
Please
take your SEAT! In ten days, on Thursday
night July 13th at the Plainedge Board of Education
Organization meeting, newly elected Trustees Maryanne Capone and
Allan Fox will take their seat on the Board. The official
change of the way the Plainedge School
district handles their business will
begin.
Both
Capone and Fox successfully ran and won their seats on
the Board in one the biggest elections ever held in the
district. Fox edged out incumbent and five year veteran Ralph
Raymond and Capone won a decisive decision over Community
member Felice Cantatore.
The
Capone/Fox team ran a great campaign; they both earned and deserved
their appointment. They ran under a slogan of the "Fresh
Perspective" and now its time to show the community that they have
the ability to police the administration and the budget. This
year's election was unique as all candidates involved targeted the
budget and reducing expenditures as the main part of their
platforms.
The
two new Board Members face a unique situation this year. They
will contend with a Superintendent that has already announced his
retirement and has recommended his assistant Superintendent as his
successor. The new members will be responsible to hold the
Superintendent accountable for some recommendations that he would
like to have in place before he retires. With administration
raises already issued and accepted by the past board, one of the
next topics of conversation amongst the community is who will
receive tenure including the administration and some of the
Directors. The new Board will certainly have to keep a close
eye out this year and the community needs them to police the system
as much as possible. It
should be a difficult task with a Superintendent that has already
announced his retirement for the following year.
Capone
and Fox both have ties into the current Board of Education through
the EastPlain PTA. Capone is a longtime member of the PTA and
she has held various appointments. She has a friendship with
other EastPlain PTA members currently on the Board, current Vice
President Loretta Giardina and Trustees Cathy Flanagan and Patricia
Zinke. Fox also has some ties into the EastPlain PTA as he has
been a long time family member and this year his spouse, Theresa
takes over the President duties from her friend Ms. Flanagan.
Time
will tell if a friendly Board can police the administration but
Capone and Fox seem to be two quality people who can get the job
done. One of their
first tasks will be to elect a new Board of Education
President.
Plainedge, June 23,
2006
School's
out for the summer! The 2005/2006 school year came to
end last Friday morning for most Plainedge students. This year
marked another year of success and learning for our community's
children. Hats off to everybody involved in the Plainedge
school system for one reason, a reason that you
hardly heard when most of the parents were kids . . . the
children enjoyed school, and it was fun. They loved their
teachers, they hugged their principal and they had smiles from ear
to ear. The only people that were a little sad were
the teachers as they watched their little ones move on but they
quickly smiled with every hug and every thank you. It was a
great experience to witness.
Eastplain's
Principal, Mrs. O'Brien stood outside as she was warmly greeted and
hugged by her students for a job well done. She took pictures,
signed autograph books and she shared good wishes for a happy
summer. You saw first hand how her involvement with her
students made a positive lasting impression.
After
a successful last day with report cards in hand the only questions
left were "what do we do this summer and what time is that play
date? As parents and children headed to their cars it was . .
. Happy summer 2006 and we'll see you in
September!
 
Plainedge, June 10, 2006
A
broken promise . . . or to the table they go? Another
issue lost in the excitement of the May 2006 budget vote is the
contract for the Plainedge Educational Secretaries of
the CSEA Union. As the budget vote was being announced in
the Plainedge High
School gymnasium, the Superintendent of
Schools was seen doing the "Charlie Brown" dance across the
gymnasium floor as the budget passed. Life for the Plainedge
School District
in one swoop just got easier for all, well almost all.
The
CSEA/Plainedge Educational Secretaries are still working without a
contract after many years trying to negotiate even with a court
order in hand. At the
April Board of Education meeting, a statement was read by the
President of the Secretaries Union (Click here to
read the letter).
The statement respectfully told an ongoing story of the
administration and Secretaries Union failing to come together to negotiate a
fair and reasonable contract. Last year, while
the district operated under an austerity budget, the
administration found ways to deliver raises to other members of the
Plainedge School
District even while cutting programs for
the children. Salary raises on austerity for
some, while negotiations with the secretaries were
ignored.
Again
at the April BOE meeting, at the conclusion of the statement, the
Superintendent chuckled and agreed to come to the table.
Accompanied by a smirk, he mentioned that they could get to the
table immediately but the Secretaries will not get what they are
asking for setting a tone in public that negotiations would not be
easy.
Is
it the responsibility of either the out-going BOE or the
incoming BOE to remedy this uncomfortable situation?
Should the BOE facilitate the negotiations before any of the newly
passed budget dollars are utilized for raises or bonuses for
others? Could the Superintendent send an email to the
community explaining his position on the subject?
This
newly passed budget gives the Plainedge School
District a real chance to rebuild with
strong growth potential. Can it be done with the elimination
of shirts as pictured above?
It's time to come to the table and negotiate fairly,
reasonably and respectfully so every aspect of the Plainedge
School District
can continue to just keep getting better!
Do you have
an opinion on this situation? Email us at ourtown@plaintalkonline.com and
we'll post it on the "Your Opinion"
Page.
 
Plainedge, June 2,
2006
Leadership is
the word! Last Friday
evening the Plainedge Association of Girl Scouts hosted their annual
Bridging Ceremony. As the recognition of leadership took
center stage amongst the talented young ladies of the Plainedge
Girls Scouts so did our community leaders. Legislator Dave
Mejias was on hand along with Assemblyman Joseph Saladino,
Supervisor John Venditto, Councilwoman Rose Marie Walker and Town
Clerk Steven Labriola.
The community
celebrated the achievement of the Gold Award to Girl Scouts Jeanne
Marie Anderson, Regina Fox, Erin Farrell, Regina Musgrove and
Margret Ann Rusch along with the Silver award to Caitlyn Hernandez
and Alicia Ricciuto. These super Scouts performed various
community services that earned them their awards. These Scouts
are the future leaders of our community and they have set an example
for all of our younger troops to follow.
The girls
have been led by many volunteers, some that were recognized for
their efforts at the ceremony. Receiving the Adult
recognitions award for Outstanding leader Was Cheryl Grace, Liz
Reisert, Aracy Sacks, Christine Marchena, JoAnn Rey, Latasha Waler
and Tricia Walczyk along with outstanding Volunteers Tami Hernandez
and Dana Molloy. The Kathy Mazza Award was given to Troop
3603, Troop 3298 and Troop 3562.
Assemblyman
Joseph S. Saladino,(R) 12th Assembly District received quite an
ovation from the audience when he recognized the great
achievements of the Girl Scouts. His speech was
motivating and was met with enthusiasm. Saladino stressed that
these young ladies are achievers today and our leaders of
tomorrow. The people that run the Plainedge Association of
Girl Scouts like Linda Wargo should be proud of the leadership
skills that they are teaching our children of the
community.
Below is
contact information on the Girls Scouts of Nassau
County:
110 Ring Road
West, Garden City, NY 11530 Telephone:
516-741-2550 Fax 516-741-2207
www.gsnc.org
Plainedge, May 29,
2006
EmailGATE and
Jim . . . who's Jim? Lost in the
anticipation of recent Plainedge School elections was the
outcome of the investigation of EmailGATE. What is
EmailGATE? It is the Plainedge Community's discovery
of a situation involving a BOE Trustee receiving copies of
another BOE Trustee's private emails to their home email
account without permission. The emails were addressed to
a plainedgeschools.org account assigned to one Board Member;
they were mysteriously copied to the home email
address of another Board member. The home email address was
wrongly inserted in the path attended to the original
recipient. For months these emails containing private information
for one Board Member was being viewed by another Board Member.
At a
recent BOE meeting, it was brought to the community's attention
by the Board member whose privacy was invaded. At the time of
the announcement, the Superintendent quickly stated that he
needed to go to his office to get his notes regarding the situation.
It took close to ten minutes for him to retrieve these notes before
coming back to the meeting. He announced that the situation
would have to be placed under investigation. One month later
at the next meeting the mystery was claimed to be solved.
At this meeting, the Superintendent announced that the home email
address was accidentally inserted by JIM . . . yes
JIM. It was explained that Jim is a gentleman
that worked in the Plainedge Schools IT department. It was
also explained that Jim was terminated from his position months
earlier and that the investigation was closed.
Many members of
the community that attended the meetings asked the question
WHO's
JIM? This serious situation has quietly been
circumvented for reasons unknown with many,
many unanswered questions. The administration has not
shared additional information regarding Jim including any Human
Resources records.
Here are just
some unanswered questions . . . Why did Jim do this? Who is
responsible for Jim and what was their role in this situation?
Why did it take so long to be announced to the community? How
long was the BOE member reading another's emails and why wasn't it
reported by that member? Is it safe to send emails to any of
the plainedgeschools.org email addresses? Is this situation
happening to others? Is anyone else reading emails without
permission?
These
questions and many, many more remain unanswered. The
Plainedge community seeks better communication. The simple
explanation of "It was Jim" just isn't enough of an answer to
explain emailGATE.
Any comments or
questions regarding emailGATE? Send them to ourtown@plaintalkonline.com to be posted on
the "your opinions" page.
![parade9[1] (2).png](images/Img95.gif) ![parade4[1] (2)1.png](images/Img98.gif)
Plainedge, May 13,
2006 Photos Provided by Dana
Judge
The Community
Awareness Parade was a great day in Plainedge
history. It was a day
that everyone came together to celebrate all that the Plainedge
community has to offer. The Parade was a highlight of the fun
day that was celebrated at John West Elementary
School. The Parade stretched from
Schwarting to West down Hicksville Road, Route
107.
The
event was met with plenty of enthusiasm. It had it all
from free car washes to food, entertainment, balloons, prizes and
classic cars. Many feel it was a key factor in helping
pass this year's school budget by a large margin. The historic
day was captured in photos sent to this website. They are
posted for all to enjoy.
Click Here for Parade
Photos!
 
Plainedge, April
23, 2006
The Vote Yes
Train is rolling! All aboard the
"Vote Yes" train, it is one the largest community efforts in
Plainedge history. Led by members of the Plainedge Parents
Athletic Club (PPAC), this effort can be seen all over town.
Signs are everywhere to help motivate the "Yes Vote" in the May 16th
school budget community election. The large effort has been
well organized and has included another highly attended community
meeting put together by the PPAC. The organization prides
itself by promoting a team effort and not by signaling out
individuals. The meeting rallied various Plainedge community
organizations.
This year
the PPAC is not taking anything for granted with their
efforts. The Plainedge school district is one that is
fighting off austerity and working to erase the memories of last
year's Board of Education same budget twice decision. There is
plenty of work to be done from now until the 16th but the
community has never had the backing of a "Vote Yes" campaign
like this. The signs are popping up all over the community in
different forms from big to little. The message is direct and
can not be missed . . . "Don't Hurt the Kids, Vote Yes"
and "Save Our Schools" are amongst the many slogans.
Concerned community members are even sharing
the expense to receive and place a lawn sign in front of
their homes.
It has been
concluded that it is difficult to change people’s minds regarding
the budget. The key is to get the community members that
did not vote last year to come out and vote this
year. Members of the PPAC feel that is the best way
to keep our school system strong. They ask everyone to please
motivate their neighbors and friends to get out and vote. They
also request that community members seek information to become
informed. There is plenty of information available including
on websites like plaintalkonline.com.
If
you are interested in more information about the "Vote Yes"
campaign, you can email ourtown@plaintalkonline.com and your
questions will be forwarded to the organizers of the effort. So
climb aboard, the time is now for everyone to get involved and
help promote "Vote
Yes".
  
Plainedge, April 15, 2006
Working together to
bring us together. Board of Education Candidate Felice Cantatore can be seen
around town working hard keeping community members informed about
the School Budget and current issues regarding the Plainedge
Union Free School
District. He speaks to many
community members about the need to continue the fight for increased
State Aid beyond this year to bring the District all the way
back. Mr. Cantatore, a Plainedge Tax Relief Association Member
(PTRA) has been most visible since decisively announcing his
candidacy way back on March 3rd of this year.
He discussed that he was confident in his decision to run
for the BOE seat held by Board President Richard Mallow and believes
that change is a necessity. Last Tuesday night at the BOE
Working Meeting, Mallow informed the community that he will not be
seeking another term on the Board. With that announcement,
Felice Cantatore realized that his work has just begun
to reach the goal of change for the community and he
mentioned that he is now ready to work even
harder.
"Getting out
meeting the community and listening to their thoughts
and ideas have been extremely valuable" stated
Cantatore. He went on to explain the pulse of the community can
only be felt one handshake at a time. "You have to meet the
community to help serve the community and making yourself available
is the key". If he is not out meeting you then he offers the
community opportunities to meet him. Last Tuesday night
Cantatore held "Greet the Candidate Night II" at the local
Carvel across from John West Elementary
School. He also shares his website
and email address with many in an effort to increase communication
with the community, something that he feels is strongly
needed.
In
regards to the education of our children, working together,
communicating and sharing ideas will help us all reach the
ultimate goal of giving the children of Plainedge the best
possible educational
experience.
Plainedge, April 08, 2006
Rain on their
parade, no way! A little rain
did not stop the opening day parade of the Plainedge Baseball
Youth League (PYBL). Seeing the smiles and the excitement on
many of the children's faces as they splish splashed their way down
route 107 to the ball fields at Pickens made the day worth every
moment. Events like these always bring out the best in the
Plainedge community.
The start of the
Baseball and softball season comes at great time. As
athletics and sports programs play a roll in ongoing Plainedge
School District
budget discussions, it is important to see how they play a roll in
community spirit and child development. The PYBL
has given the children of the community opportunities to
play the great game of baseball for years. The administrative
members of the PYBL invest countless hours in the preparation
of not only the opening day parade but of the season and the
maintenance of the community's ball fields. One of their goals
is to give every child an opportunity to do what children should do
throw, catch, and hit a ball while learning to play the
game.
The
parade was terrific despite the weather conditions and the
opening day ceremonies were just as fun. As the teams gathered
at Pickens fields, they were greeted by some of the town's
elected officials and were given the opportunity to win prizes for
the best team banner presentations. Everyone walked a way a
winner at this annual Plainedge community event, especially all of
our young
athletes!
  
Plainedge, April 01, 2006
Vote
YES! Save the
community, save the schools, save the property values, those
were the sentiments at last Thursday night's community leaders
meeting held by The Plainedge Parents Athletic Club
(PPAC) chaired by John Hanrahan. The special community
meeting regarding the May 16, 2006 Plainedge
School District
budget vote was attended by community leaders including sports
and the PTA along with Board of Education Trustees Ralph Raymond and
Frank Presuto and PTRA members including BOE Trustee Candidate Felice
Cantatore. Mr. Cantatore stated "I tip my cap
to all the leaders and people in this room, their show
of community support is outstanding, and this has been one of
the largest attended community meetings of
late."
The special
meeting focused on one issue, community leaders coming together to
spread the word about the importance of a YES vote for
the school budget. They tackled questions on
educating more community members about a YES vote, getting more
people and their family members to the polls and promoting the
community saving YES option with a special parade and free car wash
at Budget Awareness Day, Saturday May 13, 2006 starting at 10:00am.
Many ideas were shared and plans were implemented to help change the
fate of the community. The group is well prepared to do what
it will take to accomplish the goal and mission. Flyers were
handed out to share with other community members to clearly
outline why YES. (Click here to see a
copy of the flyer)
The
Plainedge community has always had a reputation of strong unity and
spirit, especially when difficult situations arise. This
year’s budget vote is of vital importance coming off of last year's
failed budget and the austerity budget that the school is currently
operating with. A failed budget this year would put the
children in danger of losing activities, sports and educational
programs while putting the overall value of the community's
homes in decline. The message in the room was clear that
rebuilding the community starts with a YES
vote.
  
Hofstra University
Uniondale, March 25,
2006
Team
527! Have you been to
a Robotics tournament yet? This weekend, the Plainedge High
School Red Dragons participated in the first Robotics SBPLI Regional
Tournament at Hofstra University. If you
haven't been to a Robotic tournament, then you are missing out
on the exciting action that Robotics has to offer. It's like
watching a real life video game right before your eyes; the robots
are controlled by computers and joysticks. The excitement
features cheering fans, mascots, high School team spirit and a
chance to walk down to get a close up view of the robots. Most
High Schools represented bring their cheering section dressed
in school colors and when the robot battle is on, so is the
cheering in the stands.
The Plainedge
Robotics team is gaining more support each day. On Saturday
morning, Team 527, the Plainedge Red Dragons were visited by
Assemblyman Joseph S. Saladino,(R) 12th Assembly District. The
Assemblyman presented the team with a $ 2,500. grant to start the
day off right. Later in the morning, the team was visited
by Board of Education Trustee Douglas Pascarella pictured
above. Mr. Pascarella said "Robotics is getting bigger and
bigger; more students are finding that it is really cool to be a
part of the action."
The
Tournament was free to all spectators and provided great family
entertainment. The Hofstra University arena is a
beautiful facility to visit and a great place to hold the
tournament. If you haven't been to a Robotics Tournament, then
you are missing out on the action. It's amazing what our High
School students are designing, building and controlling. Go
Team 527, the Plainedge High
School Red Dragon Robotics
Team!
  
Plainedge, March 18, 2006
Play
Ball! Baseball season
is here and the members of the Plainedge Youth Baseball League
(PYBL) are getting the ball fields ready. It's a behind the
scenes look at our community members of the PYBL and an appreciation
of their efforts for the children of Plainedge. At 7:00AM, on a cold
Saturday morning, there was Mike Parisi, Joe Amalfitano, Kevin
Enderly, Larry Jorgenson, Bill Moyer, Ray Flynn, Dennis Quealy, Andy
LoCastro, Pete Sirakowski and Barry Quinn working the fields to
get them ready for opening day.
The early crew
was joined by Board of Education Trustee Frank Presuto and BOE
Candidate Felice Cantatore, pictured above with rake and shovel.
Presuto received some T-Ball managing tutoring as he prepares to
take on his first coaching duties. Felice excitedly
explained "my daughter starts PYBL T-ball today. We really
appreciated the PYBL welcoming both of us and giving us an
opportunity to help." After looking at
the size of the clean up job at hand, Presuto stated "you have to
give these guys a lot of credit; they do it for the love of the game
and the community.
The PYBL has
long been a part of the Plainedge community and a part of the lives
of our children as they developed and learned to play the
game. So, the next time you show up at a game and the fields
are cleaned, maintained, and lined it all comes from the behind
the scenes hard work of the members of the PYBL
above.
The
PYBL welcomes all community members to help on Saturday and Sunday
mornings. To pitch in and/or information on the PYBL go
to www.eteamz.com/pybl.
Click the Picture to view the Preliminary
Draft Budget Document.
Plainedge, March
12, 2006
The Budget . .
. Period. There is nothing
else to discuss at this time of the year, nothing.
This Monday night, March 13th is another Community Coffee Hour
at 7:00PM at the Plainedge Middle School Cafeteria. It's
"Budgeting 101" . . . a must attend for all Plainedge
Community members; but it’s a no question event. Only
information will be provided at this meeting to help
with the understanding of the budget process.
The Preliminary
Draft Budget Document is out and posted on this site. It
represents a starting point of a 13.6 percent increase over the
contingency budget. Budget cuts will have to be made
to present the community with a reasonable number for the May 16,
2006 vote. The most important situation is to protect the
children and give them the programs that they need. The
community will look to the Board of Education to protect their best
interests and hope that the same double failure of last year does
not happen again.
Community participation
is very important to the budget process in any year but especially
in this year. The only way to be heard is to come to the
meetings. This week there are three, Monday night's
Coffee Hour and Tuesday and Thursday nights Board of Education
meetings. The stretch run is here and the Budget takes center
stage. Let the number crunching begin . . . and we hope
to see you at the meetings!
 
Plainedge, March 05, 2006
How about chicken for
dinner tonight? The John West
PTA is now excepting donations to reach a goal of purchasing a new
playground. They have teamed up with Zorn's, one of the
longest running businesses in our area. The folks at Zorn's
have offered to donate 10% of all purchases made from now until
April 28, 2006. Just mention John West Playground when you
visit any of Zorn's three locations. It is great to
see businesses that our community members patronize giving back to
our schools. An updated playground would be perfect for both
the school and our children. Zorn's offer to donate is not
a surprise to Plainedge BOE Trustee Douglas Pascarella who has been
an employee of theirs. While discussing their
generous offer, Mr. Pascarella said "it's no surprise they keep
on helping out; Zorn's has been supportive of the community for over
60 years." They are always willing to pitch in; they
donate yearly to the Knights of Columbus
Thanksgiving events and Youth Baseball, when businesses like
Zorn's help out everybody benefits." Mr. Pascarella's words are
right on, donations from our areas businesses are always welcome and
they do benefit everyone. In this instance Zorn's
donation will benefit everyone who utilizes the Soccer/Football
field at John West. John West PTA member Denise Fischetti
states "The current playground is outdated and becoming
unsafe. A new playground at John West benefits the entire
Plainedge community due to the fact that the West fields are
utilized by various sports organizations. It is our hope that these
organizations, as well as local businesses, join us in this
important endeavor that will benefit all the children of
Plainedge."
The
John West PTA is working hard, they
have
Plainedge, February 26, 2006
Why
the letter? Did you receive the "Letter
To Our Community" from the Plainedge Public Library Board of
Trustees last week? The letter was written to address
questions and concerns regarding the closing of the Plainedge Public
Library. When did these questions arise and who is trying
to close the library and why? The letter stated that
using the newly renovated school libraries as a public library is
not feasible. In questioning community members about the
letter, many were surprised of its content. Some pointed out the
mention of the legal relationship between a school district and a
school public library. Some mentioned that they did not
receive the letter but they did receive monthly newsletters from
neighboring libraries in Farmingdale and Bethpage.
The Plainedge Library usually operates quietly with most of
the taxpayers attention focused on the school district and their
budget. The "Letter To Our Community" would now call to
attention the Plainedge Public Library, their budget and their
situation. Once again the taxpayers will be placed in the
middle of another community tax situation. The Plainedge Public
Library needs to follow up their letter with a full explanation of
its origin and the reasoning behind it. Who wants to
close the Plainedge Public Library? Stay tuned to another
episode of "As Plainedge Turns."
Editor's note: The Letter
has been re-typed and is posted on the "Com. Agenda"
Page.
 
Plainedge, February 19, 2006
Taking
it to the streets! The
community can always count on Plainedge School Board Trustee Ralph
Raymond. Whether he's fighting for a cause, placing a vote
against the majority or reminding fellow Board Members about the
bylaws of meetings, Mr. Raymond always places the best interest of
the community first. His popularity shows as he takes
time to speak with everyone who approaches him to either ask a
question, request an explanation or to just share a laugh. He
is dedicated to community service through his work with various
organizations. Pictured above is Mr. Raymond
(with the American Flag on his sleeve) joined by a member
of the Plainedge Tax Relief Association (PTRA) spreading the word
about the need for the community to help fight for increased state
aid. Going door to door and greeting fellow community members in
front of a popular supermarket, Raymond delivered copies of the
handout from last Monday nights PTRA meeting. "You need to do
whatever you can to get the word out to the community" said Mr.
Raymond. As the State of New York prepares their annual
budget now is the time for our community to write letters
to lobby for increased state aid for tax relief for this
community. The handout, prepared by the PTRA contained
all of the information that is needed to write and send letters
to elected officials that can help our district. The
information on the handout has also been posted on this site
and can be found on the "State Aid Info" page. The community needs
to come together to support this issue. The PTRA has done a
great job putting the information together and arranging community
meetings. Now it’s up to the community to come out and show
its support. The proactive actions of Mr. Raymond this weekend
is exactly what the PTRA has requested of all of the community to
get the word out about the need for increased state
aid.
![dec[1].16.2005cameradownload 041 (2).jpg](images/Img52.gif) ![dec[1].16.2005cameradownload 037 (2).jpg](images/Img54.gif)
Plainedge, February 12, 2006
Pitching in! The snow and cold weather of today allows us to reflect on
the warmth of last summer. A summer filled with a
community coming together to help save Plainedge Sports
programs. Pictured above is our own Legislator, Dave Mejias who
eagerly helped the cause by grabbing a brush and washing cars
himself. Legislator Mejias is joined by parents and
children from The Plainedge Parents Athletic Club (PPAC). In
the upper right hand corner of the second Flash Photo wearing
sunglasses is PPAC member John Hanrahan. Mr. Hanrahan
explained in an earlier email to this site that the community
rallied to raise over $ 575,000 in under twenty weeks to
save ALL High School sports programs. He
wrote that The PPAC was formed by a core group of concerned
families. They organized a community with fund
raisers that included a car wash every weekend throughout
the summer and fall to a night at the races, two car raffles, a golf
outing and a carnival/garage sale. They were all
done with the tenacity and commitment to get every athlete back
playing their sport. He mentioned that it was accomplished by
a cooperative group effort. That effort is evident from
the many smiling faces pictured above. Plainedge is a great
community and when the community comes together, the job
gets
done!
Plainedge, February 05, 2006
It is no secret that the lack of commercial tax
contributions places a tax burden squarely
on the shoulders of Plainedge homeowners. As the community fights
for increased State Aid, it is this lack of business that needs to
be one of the many points made in community letters to our
elected officials. Plainedge is at a disadvantage
from the start and the district competes with others from all
over the State of New York for funding. Without sufficient
State Aid, additional school tax is passed on to homeowners.
After last year's
school budget failed the first time, the same budget was presented
in a second vote without any changes. Lately, in the news
you read about some of the country's largest companies making
necessary cuts to run a leaner business plan. Last
year Plainedge learned the hard way losing their children's
sports programs after a second failed budget vote. If not for
the heroic actions of the PPAC, an organization comprised of
some the community's hard working families, sports would have been
lost. Some of our athletes like Senior Quarterback John
Schaefer would have not been able to showcase themselves to
benefit their college ambitions. With the re-instated
Sports programs thanks to the PPAC, Schaefer recently was able to
sign on with Marist College after a highly successful
season.
What is ahead for
next year's class of Senior athletes, the PPAC and overtaxed
homeowners? State Aid is one the most important issues
for this district. In a year where the economy is tightening
most Long Islander's belts, adding additional tax burdens to
Plainedge homeowners is one "revenue stream"
that does not float.
Please re-read
last year's letter to the community from the
Plainedge BOE recapping the events of last years second budget planning.
Click on this link: http://troutman.plainedgeschools.org/district/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=210
Plainedge, January 26, 2006
Legislator Dave Mejias
(left) greets concerned community members at last Thursday night's seminar on the assessment
process at the Plainedge High School
Auditorium. The seminar was well attended and
informative. Mr. Mejias was joined by Jeff Gold, a
representative of the Nassau County Board of Assessors. They
explained to residents how they can challenge the assessed value of
their property plus methods used in assessing property values,
computing property taxes, available tax exemptions and the
importance of the focus on getting more State Aid to
Plainedge.
Pictured above
with Legislator Mejias is community member Felice Cantatore. Mr.
Cantatore has been asked by the Plainedge Tax Relief Association
(PTRA) to be a part of their Media Committee. "We
need to work together, get the word out and take the fight to
Albany" asserted Mr.
Cantatore. He added that increased State Aid would bring relief
to over taxed homeowners, especially those on fixed
incomes like our community's senior citizens. Legislator
Mejias is planning more seminars to benefit the community.
He has scheduled an afternoon seminar in February to
inform senior citizens regarding Medicare. For more
information, Legislator Mejias' contact information can be
found by clicking on the new Elected Officials page.
  
Plainedge, January 21, 2006
The Packard
School...Sell,
Trade, Rent? At a time when yearly school
budget planning heats up and the fund balance and State Aid take
center stage, the question of what to do with Packard still
looms. A discussion on the topic dominated the new question
and answer session at the January Thursday night regular School
Board meeting.
For months the
Board of Education has presented various scenarios. They
have discussed a Boces rental agreement, the selling of the
property to the Town of Oyster Bay to now trading the
property to the Town for the Pickens Property plus
cash. Each option has pros but they do come with
cons. In the rental option parking and the loss of a ball
field come into question. The sale option faces giving up real
estate and the loss of additional space in case of a need for
expansion. The trade option deals with acquiring a much smaller,
older, non-updated building with potential environmental
concerns. All of the options come with an
additional renovation price tag to have the Packard property
properly prepped for either deal.
The
Board is faced with another
difficult situation. It has been an uncertainty for
both Board members and the community itself. Everybody seems
to have a pro or a con for each situation or a different idea
all together. As the community looks for direction, each Board
member has concerns with only Board President, Richard Mallow
claiming that the swap option "would protect us long term", but even
he never explained how or even what it would protect? If it
sounds confusing, it is! Maybe the age old practice of
folding a piece of paper in half and writing down the pros and cons
of each scenario could bring some clarity to the community to
help make the best decision. A pro and con written
presentation to the community with all of the necessary information,
now there's an
idea!
Plainedge, January 14, 2006
LT. Patrick John Lyons
is a Plainedge Hero. It is only
fitting with the Superbowl just weeks away, that we honor
him. Lt. Lyons is a
firefighter who perished in the September 11th attacks at The
World Trade Center. He was an avid football fan and a former
Plainedge High
School football player. He loved family, life,
fishing and football. It was football that he was watching on
a Monday night when he received a call from his Fire Department,
Squad 252 in Brooklyn asking him to
work overtime the next day September 11, 2001. He was last
seen in a photo taken at 9:28AM arriving at the
Towers.
Lt. Lyon's
honored his father, Firefighter Brian Lyons by following in his
footsteps. He honored his Mother Patricia Lyons with love, laughter
and his commitment to family. Pat was the third of five
children. Having two older brothers and two younger sisters, he
honored them through his friendship and competitive spirit. He
honored his wife Irene with his love and the birth of their
son, less then one month after his passing. Lt. Lyon's
honored his community by association, when he bravely did his job
and sacrificed his life while saving the lives of
others.
Lt. Lyons family
and friends honored him and his memory when
they created The Pat Lyons Foundation. The foundation
follows through on Pat's love of children by granting wishes to the
seriously ill, enhancing a child's hospital stay with fun games,
funding research for childhood leukemia; financially assisting a
children’s cancer center and awarding an athletic scholarship in his
memory. Visit the foundation’s website at www.patlyonsfoundation.org for more
information.
As a product of
his Plainedge upbringing and for his bravery, his life and memory
should set an example to the children of this community. Lt. Patrick John Lyons
is a Plainedge Hero.
Definition of a
Hero: A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose,
especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her
life.
Plainedge, January 09, 2006
Note:
Photo reproduced from Assemblyman Saladino's current
newsletter
The
hot topic in the community is the battle for increased State
Aid. One elected official that is prepared to help the
community is Assemblyman Joseph S. Saladino,(R) 12th Assembly
District. He is a strong community leader. Assemblyman
Saladino works hard to keep our community and our children
safe.
At
the latest town meeting, he urged community members to help him,
help us in the battle for increased State Aid. He
asked Plainedge residents for their support and he is
prepared to take them to Albany to lobby for the
cause.
Plainedge, Happy New Year January 01,
2006
Next
right? The Plainedge School Budget! The New Year is
here and that begins the start of the Plainedge school budget
planning. It is one of most discussed issues in our
town. The austerity budget currently in place has caused
challenges for everyone in the community starting with our
children. This community is currently taxed to the max and
this year's budget plans will be a difficult
task.
In
order to make community involvement easier and effective, Plainedge
Superintendent of Schools, Dr. John Richman and School Board
President Richard Mallow introduced a change to the school
board meeting format. The change was voted on and approved; it
will allow a community discussion to take place at the end of
meetings rather then the step up to the microphone
format.
Now
is the time to be involved by attending community
meetings.
North
Massapequa, December
23, 2005
Season's
Greetings, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year! Plainedge
Residents light up their neighborhood. Every block shines
beautifully with the look the season. 2006 should be a
great year for the Plainedge Community. It's Our Town, let's
work together to make it the nicest, friendliest place to live on
the Island.
May
your family, neighbors, and friends enjoy the
holidays!
  
North
Massapequa, December
14, 2005
Homes
for holidays? or Signs of the times? Pictured above are
for sale signs from three homes in the same vicinity in N.
Massapequa. When you see a home for sale sign in your
neighborhood, you may ask yourself, why would someone move out of
our town? But when you see three signs in the
same vicinity you really want to know what is going on!
just a few short years ago, homes were sold in a day with multiple
offers. Today, homes like these remain on the market for
months. The good news is that homes are available to newcomers
of our great neighborhood!
 
North
Massapequa, December
10, 2005
Seen
these signs around town? Set your alarm! Next Tuesday
December 13, 2005, Ex-Chief Marc Timpano and incumbent Commissioner
Michael Antonucci make a run to be elected Fire Commissioner of
the North Massapequa Fire District. Voting takes place
at the North Massapequa Fire headquarters off of
Broadway and Albany
Avenue. Polls are open from 4:00pm
to 9:00pm. Both men are respected community members who have
devoted their time to the North Massapequa Fire District.
For
more information regarding the North Massapequa Fire District click
on their website link on our links page.
North
Massapequa, December
08, 2005
Turn
up the heat! Next Tuesday December 13, 2005, Ex-Chief Marc
Timpano (above) makes a run to be elected Fire
Commissioner of the North Massapequa Fire District. Timpano
will run against incumbent Commissioner Michael Antonucci.
Voting takes place at the North Massapequa Fire
headquarters off of Broadway and Albany
Avenue. Polls are open from 4:00pm
to 9:00pm. Timpano is a life long resident of the
community with over 26 years of dedicated service to the Volunteer
Fire Department. He is actively involved with managing and
coaching in the intramural sports programs and a supporter of the
community's educational system.
Stony Brook, November 26,
2005
Plainedge Red
Devils win the hearts of the community. Even in defeat our
boys made us proud. The Red Devils, Nassau County
Division III Champions, played hard while dropping the Long Island
Title game to the Huntington Blue Devils
27-14. Pictured above, the Red Devils get on the the board
first in their second drive to take a 6-0 lead. The Game was
tied at 14 late in the fourth quarter adding to an exciting
championship game.
Congratulations
Plainedge Red Devils on a memorable 2005
season!
More exciting
photos from the game click on Sports.
 Plainedge, November 19,
2005
Assemblyman
Joseph S. Saladino (12th Assembly District) (right)
next to Joe Pappalardo and
Parents and friends of SOS Save Our Sports at the "Thank you"
rally for Plainedge Football Saturday November 19, 2005. From
soap suds to a championship, the town rejoiced as they
successfully restored Plainedge School sports. The Plainedge
High School Red Devils football team responded with the schools
first Nassau County football championship since
1988.
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