On May 14, 17 educators in the Amityville School District received tenure during the board of education’s monthly meeting. The board honored the following educators: Keri Alberda, Jessenia Bermudez, Marily Brodack, Alison De Mauro, Lindsey Gordon, Maria Ramirez, Jennifer Rivera, Stephanie M. Sage, Tamia Christopher, Tia Christopher, Kathleen Crowley, Melissa Goodwin, Jacqueline Hyde, Shayla Lewis, Tarazzia Millar, Patricia Monteforte and Kenneth Williams. The recognition was part of the district’s celebration of Teachers Appreciation Week. Photo courtesy of Amityville Union Free School District
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New York Blood Center Issues Urgent Call For Donors As Blood Supply Drops 20% Ahead Of Trauma Season
Two-Day Supply Of Type O Blood Raises Concerns As
New York Blood Center (NYBC) has issued an urgent call for blood donations, especially from those with types O+ and O- blood. The current supply of Oblood, the universal blood type used in emergencies, has dropped to a critically low two-day level, and overall collections are nearly 20% below hospital
demand. NYBC expects to collect only about 6,500 donations this week, falling approximately 1,600 donations short of what is needed to maintain a safe and stable blood supply in New York.
Spring travel, school breaks, and packed calendars have kept regular donors away—leaving
donation levels dangerously low at a time when they should be ramping up. Each year, more than 56,000 traumas are reported in New York State, most occurring between May and September when accidents, car crashes, and violent injuries rise dramatically. Blood transfusions are often needed to treat traumas, and a spike in traumatic accidents can cause a strain on the blood supply.
Type O+ is the most common blood type, representing nearly 40% of the U.S. population. Type O- is the universal blood type and is commonly used in emergency settings. A shortage of both types, both locally and nationally, poses serious concerns for our healthcare system, and the need for donors is critical.
“Spring can be an exciting season with warmer weather on the way and fun holiday
celebrations, but it’s also a critical time of year for the blood supply,” said Andrea Cefarelli, Senior Vice President at New York Blood Center. “As we start to build our inventory ahead of the traumaheavy summer season, the need is more urgent than ever. We’re calling on our community, especially type O donors, to roll up their sleeves and make a donation today. Your blood donation could be the lifeline that ensures our hospitals are ready to face any emergency that comes their way.”
Blood donors can give every 56 days, and platelet donors can give twice per month. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently lifted several blood donor eligibility restrictions. To view current eligibility guidelines, visit nybc.org or call 800.688.0900.
To make an appointment,
donors can call 1-800-9332566 or visit nybc.org. Can’t donate blood? You can still make a lifesaving impact by supporting
NYBC’s mission through financial contributions or volunteering your time.
Insurance Tips And Information
Article provided by Ken Marcus and Mitchell Barber
How Much Dwelling Coverage Should You Really Have?
In a world where home values seem to go up faster than your neighbor’s new auto lease…or a carton of eggs, it’s no surprise homeowners often ask:
“My house is worth way more than this insurance coverage. What if it burns down?!”
It’s a fair question—but let’s unpack the difference between market value and insurance coverage.
Dwelling coverage is designed to rebuild your home with like kind and quality materials—not to hand you a check for what your house might fetch on Zillow. In fact, insurers are legally prohibited from paying more than what it actually costs to rebuild. It’s not a lottery payout—it’s a construction budget. Think about it: If carriers paid out market value, every time someone was ready to move or retire to Florida, they’d just skip the Realtor and grab a matchbook. (Not exactly what you want your neighbor doing on a windy Tuesday.)
Instead, insurance companies calculate what it would cost to rebuild your home from the ground up—labor, materials, and local construction rates included…and yes, debris removal is part of that number. So, before you panic that your $750,000 home is only “insured” for $550,000, ask your agent what went into the replacement cost calculation.
Simple math—no fire required.
If you’re still unsure, ask your agent to review your coverage with you. It’s what they are there for. Because while it’s tempting to equate your home’s Zillow estimate to your insurance needs, the truth is: insurance isn’t meant to sell your house, it’s meant to rebuild it—after something you’d rather not experience.
Festive Spring Concert And Art Show
On April 25, students at Northeast Elementary School in Amityville took a musical journey around the world during the school’s annual Spring Concert and Art Show. Held in the school’s gymnasium, prekindergartners performed
numerous songs under the direction of music teacher Megan Ashe to celebrate different cultures and countries around the world. Additionally, art teacher Nicole Pappas organized artwork from Northeast’s students which were on display in
the school’s gymnasium. Parents, teachers and administrators filled the bleachers and applauded students after each performance.
Photos courtesy of the Amityville Union Free School District
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Babylon And Huntington Spring Senior Advocate Schedules
Suffolk Legislator Tom Donnelly (D-Deer Park) is pleased to inform Babylon and Huntington residents about the local Suffolk County Office for the Aging Spring 2025 Senior Advocate Schedule. Senior advocates are County representatives who come out into the community and assist seniors with information gathering, completion of eligibility or recertification applications and referrals to appropriate community agencies.
“It is so important for us to provide our senior citizens with the assistance and information they need in ways that are most convenient to them. These visits allow our seniors to connect with our County’s senior advocates right in their own communities,” said Legislator Donnelly. “I hope all those interested in the services that the Suffolk County Office for the Aging provides will take advantage of this opportunity.”
This spring, Senior Advocates will be visiting the following locations in the Town of Babylon:
• North Amityville Nutrition Center, 48-C Cedar Road, Amityville: Wednesday, June 18, 10 am – 1 pm
• Rainbow Center, 293 Buffalo Avenue, Lindenhurst: Wednesday, June 4, 8:30 – 11:00 am
• Tanner Park Senior Nutrition, 2 Tanner Park, Copiague: Wednesday, June 11, 8:30 am – 1 pm
• Spangle Drive Center, 4385
Spangle Drive, North Babylon: Tuesday, June 24, 12 – 3:00 pm
• Wyandanch Senior Nutrition, 28 Wyandanch Avenue, Wyandanch: Wednesday, June 11, 10 am – 1 pm
In Huntington, they will be visiting the following:
• Huntington Senior Nutrition Center, 423 Park Avenue, Huntington: Wednesday, June 18, 8:30 am – 2:00 pm
• Paumanack Village 5 & 6, 100 Adriatic Drive, Melville: Thursdays, May 29 & June 26, 8:30 am – 12 pm; residents only Advocates assist with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP – formerly known as food stamps), Medicare Savings Program and Heating Emergency Assistance Program (HEAP) applications. They also can provide information on Medicare, answer questions and make recommendations and referrals. For more information about available services or directions to any of these locations, please call the Suffolk County Office for the Aging at (631) 853-8200.
“For more than three decades, the Suffolk County Office for the Aging has been providing full and troublefree access to critical services,” Donnelly said. “I am glad to see their great professional community outreach program continue and hope that every senior resident will make full use of it.”
South Shore Audubon Society Saving Endangered Birds
Field biologist Tyler Connell will present The Race to Save the World’s Most Endangered Birds, Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 7:30 PM at the Freeport Memorial Library, 144 W. Merrick Road (at S. Ocean Avenue)
The Honeycreepers of Hawai’i are some of the most genetically distinct, but also some of the most endangered bird species in the world.
One species, the Akikiki of Kaua’i, is down to one banded individual in the wild. But there is hope. This year, a new plan to reduce the mosquito population (the main vector of avian malaria, the biggest threat to birds in Hawai’i) will go into effect!
Mr. Conell’s presentation will include his experience last year working for the Kaua’i Forest Bird Recovery Project, the different honeycreepers on Kaua’i, the history of Hawaii’s biodiversity, and what is being done to save these unique and beautiful birds!
He has done field work in nine US states and Australia. A Long Island native, he got his start birding with South Shore Audubon.
This South Shore Audubon Society Meeting is open to the public.
For more info on the program or to contact South Shore Audubon Society, go to www.SSAudubon. org.
