- Last week we asked residents to help us list the most dangerous cut-through streets in Rockville Centre. In less than three days we got more than 30 responses. Click here for the list and feel free to add your own.
- In case you missed it, last week's "Crimes Nearby" column detailed a recent stabbing and attempted shooting at Baldwin High School after a football game. Police are still investigating the incident.
- The first part of our weekly "Crime Watch" posts today. Come back then for details on a Jefferson Avenue burglary and other incidents within the last week in RVC.
- In case you missed it, the weekly Nassau and Hempstead Town notebooks posted over the weekend. Click here for the Nassau Notebook and click here for the Hempstead Town Notebook.
- The South Side Cyclones girls varsity volleyball team has three games left before playoffs. Catch the Lady Cyclones in action today as they host Kennedy at 4:45 p.m.
Oct. 22: Most Dangerous Roads, Local Crime
Find out what's going on in and around the village today.
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Tony Nobaloney May 20, 2013 at 10:02 am
What a shame!
The Dirtbags of society just keep proliferating.
nora maresca May 16, 2013 at 09:13 pm
Many companies and municipalities are doing the same, as was predicted when the ACA was debated.…Read More Logical business decision.
Janet Shainis Cisario May 20, 2013 at 09:41 am
Hi just wondering, my husband is also a CPA and it is something we talk about all the time, going…Read More around and around in circles because it is not just schools, it is everything. He jokes that soon in some municipalities, everything will have to be cut except the guy who collects money from the tax payers and writes the check to the retirees! Also, for you fixed income retirees reading this, we have 4 elderly parents living thankfully on retirement benefits from one place or another, and I don't begrudge anybody anything that they are contractually entiltled to. I think OUR BOARD OF EDUCATION realized what it all was coming to and have been proactive and worked hard with their bargaining units and adressed it in contracts starting some years ago, and at some point, the growth will slow down by attrition. The economy seems to be doing much better and that will help too because it will be possible for money to earn money to cover some of the new obligations. Truly, keeping all of our programs and meeting retirement obligations and new testing mandates and staying under the tax cap was a huge huge feat! I think there are many districts that did not look ahead and because of the tax cap are now in the position to have to fire so so many teachers. I am hearing numbers in the 70's and and 90's of teachers being layed off in places like Baldwin and Massapequa, just to meet the tax cap, so I have to give a lot of credit to our board, not just the sitting one, but over the last however many years since the recession hit to put us in a good place. Even though I know this is not popular, I will give credit to our employees for being willing to take freezes and or cuts when in many places there was no give and only take. I will also give much credit for this to Dr J by the way because I am certain with his knowledge and experience and network, he was the one who could see it coming, and with his relationships and credibility as an educator within the district he could bring agreements together. Having said that I think our board and administrators need to do everything they can to keep costs as low as possible, while preserving these programs that make our district what it is. I agree with Ms Rubino that we should only add new expenses when we take old expenses away, and to my knowledge (which is probably better than most), the board has done that, with John O'shea leading the charge by the way. As far as how to make more change, that is definitely something we need to talk about and look at, but I for one do not want to say cut something that is part of what makes our kids and schools successful and happy. Nothing is perfect, but I am really grateful for what we have and am willing to support it.
JustWondering May 20, 2013 at 08:37 am
@ Janet " If you want to talk about taxes, that is a valid conversation, but lets remember that…Read More everyone who ever worked in any of our schools and retired with benefits is on the payroll, from janitors to teachers to secretaries to administrators. People are living longer and longer and the number of people on these benefits is going up and will continue to go up exponentially every year." You NAILED it. So how do we begin to START fixing this problem? Any ideas? Or do you think it's just a lost cause with no solution?
Janet Shainis Cisario May 20, 2013 at 08:15 am
Again about the AP number, you really need to talk to the board, I don't know anything about it.…Read More Now, you cannot compare us to Jericho as a rule, but especially for something like SAT's, they have a completely different demographic than us. We are such a diverse community in many ways, especially socio-economically...Jericho is not. SAT's have been shown to be less than effective as a barometer of how kids actually do in college because it is very possible to train kids specifically for them, and plenty of people do. I know people who have hired on long term tutors starting at the beginning of high school at costs of $10-15,000 and more. Also, since the elite colleges often will only take at most two or three kids from a neighborhood school like South Side or Jericho, people who think their kids are destined for the Ivy's start training them early and are having them "compete" academically against other kids in their school. Knowing that a fancy little european car is coming at the end of the road is a great motivator to stay home and study vocab. Nothing wrong with that if it is what you want to do and can afford it, and there in Jericho most people can. And of the people I know of, many do. While many kids here take classes or use tutors, I have not heard the kinds of stories that I have heard from other neighborhoods, like Jericho. I personally have no concerns about our academic performance, it's exactly the opposite. I am proud of the educational opportunities that RVC offers to all of our kids, and pleased that we are able to give so many kids the chance to stretch and excel in their academics where in many other districts they might not get that opportunity for various reasons. I am amazed and pleased every year at the nature, depth and breadth of our college admittances.The vast majority of the kids I have known who came out of South Side have graduated college in 4 years. Isn't that what it is all about? You can talk about this statistic or that but our kids are with very few exceptions, successful in college and beyond, isn't that what we want our schools to do? They are.
Fred Stapleman May 17, 2013 at 10:44 am
Hey Matt Hogan, While I don't buy into posts that you are Johnson's press secretary and him having…Read More a hand in running this publication, I do believe myself and many other readers here would appreciate an in depth, unbiased and objective interview w/ him asking the tuff questions your readers asked here. He always seems available to comment on and inflate the slightest bit of positive news, perhaps he would like the opportunity to comment on and explain his take on the latest rankings, etc. Have you or any member of your staff ever directly interviewed him or requested and interview w/ him and would you consider requesting such an interview?
Fred Stapleman May 17, 2013 at 09:57 am
It is nothing short of amazing that people are still rushing to the defense of Johnson/Burris and…Read More their minions at the PTA. What's wrong w/ you people? When the rankings come out positive they do everything they can to publicise them from plaques on the wall to streaming video on the district website and everything in between. Yet not a peep on the latest rankings. 500+ ranking in NYS, people thats based solely on test scores not the # of kids taking the test and how many free lunches the district provides. Do any of you wonder at all why Johnson encouraged kids to "opt out" of NYS testing? If so let me help you out...The scores are going to be awful and would have been worse had all the kids participated. The quality of life in this town and its education system is circling the bowl, we need positive change not the same old go along to get along mentality. Pls think about voting for Ms Rubino, we need some balance and accountability on that board not a bunch of Johnson puppets. Not sure when Johnson's contract is up but he too has got to go, he is slowly destroying this district. We might try to hire Baldwin's superintendant as he really seems to know what he is doing when it comes to AP.
mb May 15, 2013 at 03:33 pm
This is the funniest blog post ever. Someone thinks Patch is run by Johnson, another should have…Read More used the more appropriate pseudonym "know it all" and the most recent thinks the PTA is ruining our neighborhood. Go to a meeting, get involved, educate yourself. If you can't go to a meeting watch the local government and school channel. Then perhaps you would know that the bulk of the school budget is dictated by NY state.
Allison Ramirez May 8, 2013 at 03:56 pm
Beautiful flowers and plants at a great price! Delicious baked goodies and much more!