Monday, May 21, 2012
Newsday reports improvements are needed on the main branch.
A report in Newsday Sunday indicates the Long Island Rail Road intends to spend some $203 million to renovate its main line, with major improvements planned for Hicksville station. The newspaper said Hicksville station is in need of significant repairs and a bridge in Westbury needs to be replaced. The money was originally targeted for a project that would build a third rail line along the central route that runs from Jamaica east to Hicksville. What do you think of the idea: Money well spent? More delays? Just more problems? Sound off in the comments and take our poll:
40.76819
-73.52772
W Barclay St & Newbridge Rd, Hicksville, NY
/articles/report-lirr-plans-major-renovations-to-hicksville-station
/locations/7062871
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Nassau County Clerk offers skin and sun safety tips.
As a registered nurse and the former ranking member of the New York State Assembly Health Committee, I would like to share with you some important information about skin cancer from the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute. Skin cancer has become the most common form of cancer affecting more than 1 million Americans each year. Most of the time, skin cancer is caused by too much exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, and the risk can be reduced by taking simple protective measures. Types of Skin Cancer There are two main types of skin cancer – non-melanomas and melanomas. Non-melanomas are the most common type and include squamous cell and basal cell cancers. Non-melanomas rarely spread to other parts of the body…
40.73933
-73.637
Nassau County: County Clerk
240 Old Country Rd, Mineola, NY
/articles/may-is-melanoma-skin-cancer-awareness-month
1257980
/locations/7065361
Friday, May 18, 2012
The railroad says the goal is to control unruly passengers.
The Long Island Rail Road is banning alcohol on weekend trains coming out of Penn Station, starting tonight. All trains from midnight to 5 a.m. will be alcohol free. Booze will also be banned on LIRR platforms. The goal is to reduce the number of disorderly passengers and protect train crews from unruly riders, the LIRR said. What do you think of the idea? Is drinking a problem on the LIRR? Or is this just another move to outlaw fun and personal choice from our lives? Tell us in the poll and sound off in the comments.
40.76819
-73.52772
W Barclay St & Newbridge Rd, Hicksville, NY
LIRR station, Hicksville.
/articles/what-s-your-take-on-weekend-lirr-s-booze-ban
/locations/7052532
Thursday, May 17, 2012
That's exactly what our neighbors in Syosset did Tuesday. Could that ever happen here?
On Tuesday, our neighbors to the north decided to elect an 18-year-old Syosset High School senior to their Board of Education. Joshua Lafazan's landslide election, where he outdistanced his closest opponent by more than 2,000 votes, was remarkable even for stormy Syosset. His victory unleashed a frenzied media circus: Ringling Brothers meets William Randolph Hearst. The class president is national news. Could something like that ever happen in Plainview? What would it take for you to vote for a high school senior, no matter what fire storm had erupted on your Board of Ed., no matter how strong a candidate the student was? What's going on in Syosset that such a thing could happen? Take our poll and please sound off in the comments.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Sooner or later, Plainview and other districts are going to need to bust the cap: What then?
About 90 percent of Long Island school budgets passed Tuesday, including Plainview's, but at some point, expenses are going to go up. It's inevitable. The state's so called "budget cap" restricts the amount district's can increase their spending year to year. It was originally heralded by state lawmakers as a 2 percent cap. That's not the whole truth: The actual figure is comprised from a complicated formula, typical of New York State. The actual figure varies from district to district. You need an accountant -- in Plainview's case, Ryan Ruf, the district's assistant superintendent for business and finance, to determine the actual number. Plainview's budget was under the cap figure -- that is, for Plainview. The budget passed easily by a 2…
40.781066
-73.464285
Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District
106 Washington Ave, Plainview, NY
/articles/budget-passed-but-what-s-next-for-school-spending
334874
/locations/7032790
Friday, May 11, 2012
It has been voted "Best in Nassau." How do you rate it?
The water here is simply, well, a winner. We all knew it was. It was just a matter of time before the world found out. And Thursday they did: The Plainview Water District has best tasting water in Nassau County in a contest conducted Thursday by Long Island Water Conference. Plainview now goes on to face The Suffolk County Water Authority to determine Long Island's best in the conference's 27th annual competition. But what challenge could Suffolk County possibly mount to our crystal-clear elixir, the H2O of the gods? Please, take our poll and complete this sentence:
40.777242
-73.467101
Plainview Water District
10 Manetto Hill Rd, Plainview, NY
/articles/how-delicious-is-plainview-s-water-poll
333982
/locations/6989056
Have an opinion? A passion? A hobby? Share it on Plainview Patch!
Calling all those advocates, hand-raisers, soap-box speakers and village meeting attendees. Plainview Patch is seeking new bloggers to add to our site. Are you passionate about government? Participate in village politics? Attend School Board of Education meetings? Sit on a village board, committee or group? Volunteer in town? Have a love of sports, arts or science? Love to write? Then we want you to blog for us! Our bloggers can write daily, weekly or monthly on a topic of choice. Short or long, essay style or a quick how-to. Blogging on Patch is a great way to share your opinions with the community and get your voice out there. Interested? Email Local Editor Joe Dowd at joe.dowd@patch.com and learn more about our Local Voices bloggers. …
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
It has been a fixture of teaching for more than a century. Is it essential or should the system be changed?
Last night, six clearly exceptional Plainview-Old Bethpage educators were granted tenure by the Board of Education. School principals and department heads spoke of these educators’ achievements and contributions to the district. The list was remarkable. But some people take issue with granting tenure, a concept that dates to the late 19th Century to protect academics from random firings and to preserve the principal of academic freedom. Where do you stand? Do you understand why the designation exists? Do you believe it's essential to academic rigor and progressive thinking? Do you think tenure, in general, is granted too easily and is a license for a teacher to be less acountable? Take our poll and sound off in the comments.
40.780987
-73.464365
Howard B. Mattlin Middle School
100 Washington Ave, Plainview, NY
/articles/what-do-you-think-of-tenure-poll
1714884
/locations/6957444
A letter to the editor from the President of the Long Island Federation of Labor.
The following is from John R. Durso, President of the Long Island Federation of Labor: It is the bedrock of American democracy that every citizen's vote carries equal importance. Whether or not one's vote truly finds expression in the final count is largely impacted by redistricting, a process we go through every 10 years. While the subject typically fails to garner much public attention, insiders know there's a lot at stake. The way that voters are segregated into districts has an enormous influence on who our representatives are, and can ultimately shape public policies for the next decade. Historically, the task of redrawing district lines has been left to the hands of the very politicians whose political futures will be impacted. Too …
Friday, May 4, 2012
Now in it's 47th year, is the town's park program still necessary?
The Town of Oyster Bay is again sponsoring its summer recreation program in its community parks, including Plainview-Old Bethpage. It serves kids from 4-12 in different age brackets and provides different levels of activities. What do you think of the program; do you send you kids there? How has changed over the years? Does it meet the needs of the community? Should something be offered in its place for local youngsters? Take our poll and sound off in the comments.
40.783869
-73.461697
Plainview-Old Bethpage Community Park
175 Washington Ave, Plainview, NY
/articles/what-do-you-think-of-the-town-s-summer-rec-program-poll
1828147
/locations/6934853
TheGreek
10:46 pm on Monday, May 21, 2012
My understanding is that the LIRR already owns enough space along the right-of-way to add a third track from Jamacia to Hicksville, and that it is the NIMBYs who bought a house with its back yard along the tracks that are the problem. If the east side access to Grand Central ever gets completed, they're going to need that third track very badly. more ›