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Friday, February 2, 2018
Vol. 78, No. 5
THE GIFT OF LIFE
Left to right: Interpreter; Habebi Rusinovci, Ajam’s mother; Ajam Rusinovci; former Rotary District Governor Dr. Eileen Gentilcore; and Rotary President, Moira Patterson The Gift of Life Program, Inc., established in 1975, has provided heart surgery for children worldwide since 1975. This year, the Mineola-Garden City Rotary Club, the Syosset-Woodberry Rotary Club, and the Gentilcore family are sponsoring a child in memory of the late Dr. James Gentilcore, former superintendent of schools in Central Islip. He and his wife, Dr. Eileen Gentilcore, have
gone on medical missions and sponsored children for more than 28 years. This year, the program is sponsoring a heart operation for Adam Rusinovci, a four and a half year old boy from Kosovo. The operation will take place at St. Francis Hospital in the beginning of February. Ajam will then recuperate at the Ronald Mac Donald House in New Hyde Park.
Syosset CSD facilities improvement vote On Tuesday, Feb. 13, Syosset CSD residents will have an opportunity to vote on two propositions to address the remaining concerns in the District’s Five-Year Buildings Condition Survey and make improvements to academics, athletics, air quality, safety, and energy efficiency. Each proposition requires a separate vote. Syosset’s schools were constructed in the late 1950s and early 1960s. While repairs are done regularly, many of the major systems are approaching 70 years of age. Both Proposition No. 1 and Proposition No. 2 are designed to work together to maximize efficiency and minimize the time needed to complete the work. By voting on both propositions in February, construction could begin as early as July 2019. Proposition No. 1: Facilities Improvement Plan would remedy remaining items identified in the District’s Five-Year Buildings Condition Survey; remodel Syosset High School science classrooms and research labs; renovate Syosset High School athletic field in its current location (replacing the natural field with an artificial turf field and a new eight-lane track); relocate the softball field, and add outdoor bathrooms and two additional tennis courts; improve traffic safety at Baylis, Berry Hill and Walt Whitman Elementary Schools and Syosset High School; enclose walkways at South Grove Annex and Syosset High School for enhanced security; install air conditioning in all classrooms and in the auditoriums at Harry B. Thompson and South
Woods Middle Schools and Syosset High School; and replace the Syosset High School weight room while adding additional bathrooms, locker rooms and a security corridor. Proposition No. 1 would authorize the district to use $11,464,500 in Capital Reserve Funds and borrow (through a bond) $34,345,500. The net change in the tax levy, after state reimbursement and retirement of old debt, would be an estimated $20.65/year for every $10,000 in annual school taxes paid by a homeowner. Proposition No. 2: Enhanced Safety and Energy Efficiency Plan would use an energy performance contract to replace furnaces at Baylis, South Grove, Village and Willits Elementary Schools; install solar panels on five schools for energy efficiency; install energy management systems in all schools; install a cogeneration unit to generate electricity and heat for heating and domestic hot water at Syosset High School; replace lighting fixtures with more efficient LED lighting; and install a cogeneration unit as an emergency backup generator at South Woods Middle School. Proposition No. 2 would have no impact on the tax levy. Voter approval would result in an additional $2.2 million in state aid reimbursement. The project would reduce annual energy consumption by $1.2 million. After installation costs and state aid, this would save the district $7.7 million over 18 years. For more information, including voting locations, please See page 4
Local runners score in 10 mile race PAGE 10 Science on Schedule at LICM PAGE 22