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Friday, October 20, 2017
Vol. 77, No. 42
NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALIST
Ethics questions raised as town candidates meet communities BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
Hicksville High School Chairperson for Guidance Effie Rafaelides, National Merit Semifinalist Adithya Ajith, Hicksville High School Principal Ray Williams. Photo courtesy of Hicksville Public Schools Hicksville High School senior Adithya Ajith has been named a semifinalist in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Competition. Ajith is one of 16,000 students nationwide, repre-
senting less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors who qualify in the 63rd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. About 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000
high schools entered the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2016 Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which See page 7
BY GARY SIMEONE
it into a haunted house?” said Butch Yamali, Owner and Operating Manager of the Milleridge Inn. He said that the haunted house, which is open now until Halloween, is the biggest and most popular one in the Town of Oyster Bay. “We’re expecting an even bigger turnout to our village than we had last year with over 50,000 people visiting by the end of the month.” Some of the new spooky
attractions this year include a trackless train ride and more ghosts and ghoulies to scare you inside the dimly lit haunted house. Other additions include a pumpkin patch, pumpkin decorating, an in-house magician for kids, jelly apple bobbing, and a scary bouncy house. Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joe Saladino and Town Councilman Lou See page 7
Haunted Village offers scary attractions
This will be the second year in a row that the Milleridge Inn opens its haunted village to the public. Just in time for Halloween, the village has added more ghostly attractions to scare both the little and big ones alike. “Last year, we renovated this closed off portion of the property and wanted to do something creative with it, so we said why not turn
One year ago this week former Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto was arrested on corruption charges for his apparent involvement with businessman, restaurateur and concessionaire for TOBAY facilities Harendra Singh. As candidates for the Town Council hit the campaign trail in October, including Venditto’s successor Joseph Saladino and four challengers for the Supervisor position, the Town Board’s creation of the Oyster Bay Board of Ethics in late 2016 and its relationship to procedures and political agendas was the foremost question addressed at community forums in Plainview and Hicksville. On Thursday, October 12 Supervisor Saladino was joined by Councilman Thomas Hand and Councilman Louis
Imbroto, three Republicans appointed to the Town Board earlier in 2017 and facing the election on November 7 as part of a slate, as the challengers and incumbents gathered in front of the Hicksville Gardens Civic Association. Closing remarks at the event turned into an onslaught of boos and jeers from residents in a packed room as Supervisor Saladino directly commented on his opponents’ campaigns. Four days later, on Monday October 16, WABC-7 Eyewitness News’ reporter Kristin Thorne moderated a formal debate in front of 80 people as the Plainview-Old Bethpage Board of Education and the PTA Council of Plainview-Old Bethpage hosted a forum with Councilman Imbroto, the lone Republican candidate, defending the current Town Board’s financial planSee page 7
Town Parklets to receive upgrades BY GARY SIMEONE
The small parklets located throughout the communities of Syosset and Plainview will get complete makeovers thanks to an initiative from the Town of Oyster Bay. The parklets that are included in the plan are located at Magnolia Lane in Syosset and Acorn Lane and Walnut Drive in Plainview. “Work is underway to improve and replace playground equipment throughout the Town of Oyster Bay,” said Town Supervisor Joe Saladino. “My administration has begun the process of replacing dilapidated playgrounds with all new equipment, bringing brand-new, state-of-the-art playgrounds to parks throughout the Town.” The Supervisor said that as well as
upgrading the parks with new equipment, the flooring surfaces will also be replaced from the current pea gravel to new fibar surfacing. Fibar is a type of engineered wood fibre that offers a softer and safer surface for kids to play on. Syosset and Plainview are not the only communities in the Town that are slated for upgrades and enhancements to their local parks. Massapequa and Farmingdale will also see parks with new equipment and surfacing in the next few weeks. “Residents can see additional playground improvements at communities throughout our Town, including parks in Syosset, Massapequa, Plainview, and Farmingdale,” said Town councilwoman, Michele Johnson. See page 7
New pickleball courts in Bethpage PAGE 4 Elementary students build music skills PAGE 6