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Friday, October 13, 2017
Vol. 77, No. 41
DOGFEST WALK AND ROLL
Petition challenges possible change to Jericho school policy BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino (fourth from right), Town Councilwoman Michele M. Johnson (third from left), Town Councilman Thomas P. Hand (second from left) and Town Clerk James Altadonna Jr. (left) recently joined with Emily Sciaretts (fourth from left), Northeast Regional Director of Canine Companions for Independence and Debra Dougherty (third from right) at the Canine Companions DogFest Walk ‘n Roll held at Marjorie R. Post Community Park. Also on hand was Nassau County Legislator James Kennedy (right) and Capital One National Business Banking Executive Peter Appello (second from right).
At its meeting scheduled for 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday October 17 at the Jericho Middle School’s library, the board of education will evaluate and likely vote on a revision to existing district policy which prohibits exchange students from attending schools in Jericho. But a petition on Change.org opposing the potential for exchange students in the district has garnered over 1500 signatures less than a week before the meeting, and the school board will be faced with divided sentiments from residents for the second straight public meeting. The scrutinized decision ahead for Jericho Schools was picked up late in the 2016-2017 school year when Debra Waller and her family applied for the district to host an exchange student from Spain at Jericho High School this year, or for half of the year. The timing of the fall school board meetings and policy discussion, with a board vote planned for
next week, falls in line with a chance to accommodate Waller’s request for January 2018 until June. The school district’s attorney, Chris Powers, said to do so the board of education must approve a revision of Jericho Schools existing Policy 7132 barring foreign exchange students. The Petition titled “Stop Bringing in Foreign Non-resident student to Jericho School” was started after a discussion and notice of the policy amendment on September 28, Commenters and signees of the petition from Jericho as noted on the Change.org site, included Janet Adler, who wrote: “As a senior I continue to pay a large portion of my yearly taxes to support our schools. I do this happily with the knowledge that the high quality school ranking was a great resource for my own child for eight years of her education. It seems unfair to continue to pay high school taxes to allow non-residents who do not contribute to the tax base to use our From page 22
Oyster Bay Town Board debate highlights puzzle for challengers BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
The League of Women Voters (LWV) of Nassau County hosted a numbers-crunching, policymaking and leadership forum on Tuesday night, October 3 at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library on Old Country Road. The seated multi-candidate debate brought this year’s candidates for the Oyster Bay Town Board in front of an auditorium, with over 60 attendees. However, as pointed out by a Democratic challenger last Tuesday night, none of the councilmembers in the current Town of Oyster Bay administration, including three
newcomers now weeks ahead of their first Town Board election, came and participated in the Nassau County League of Women Voters’ 2017 forum. Norma Schaefer, East Nassau representative from the League of Women Voters, announced just before the forum got underway that Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino “has not responded at all, despite numerous attempts by the League.” She said lifelong Plainview resident and current Oyster Bay Councilman Louis Imbroto had another event to attend but was trying to make it to the October 3 forum.
Meanwhile, as Schaefer and moderator Paula Blum announced that Councilwoman Michelle Johnson and Councilman Tom Hand would not be able to attend. Saladino, Imbroto and Hand are all new to the Oyster Bay Town Board as they were sworn into office in three separate ceremonies in 2017, in January, March and May. Imbroto replaced Councilman Joseph Pinto, who resigned in March to become the new TOBAY parks commissioner, as Supervisor Saladino commented at the time that he and his staff initiated the changeover in the
Parks Department. Councilman Hand replaced Councilman Chris J. Coschignano who resigned on May 23, after spending the last 16 years involved in public service. This year’s Democratic Party slate for Council include Dr. Marc Herman, Robert K. Freier, Eva M. Pearson and James W. Versocki. The candidates for TOBAY Supervisor at the October 3 LWV Forum included Dr. Herman, Jonathan Clarke, John Mangelli and Robert Ripp, an independent from Massapequa. Town Council candidates included Steven A. Abreu, See page 8
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