_________________ BALDWIN ________________
HERALD VoL. 31 No. 27
Relay for Life returns
Uniting LGBTQ+ community
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Page 19
JUNE 27 - JULY 3, 2024
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Griffin, Bynoe both advance Familiar opponent for Brian Curran By DANIEL oFFNER & KEPHERD DANIEL of the Rockville Centre Herald
Maureen Lennon/Herald
‘Music in the Park’ brings the heat Nassau County Legislator Debra Mule rings in the summer with her ‘Music in the Park’ series on June 13. Story, additional photos, Page 10.
Changes to high school graduation Regents may not be required for students, Baldwin reacts By HERNESTo GALDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com
The State Education Department presented a new plan at a June 10 Board of Regents meeting under which students would no longer need to pass Regents exams in order to graduate. Baldwin school district superintendent Shari Camhi wrote in an email to the Herald that she praised the state for rethinking its requirements. “High school graduation criteria have remained largely unchanged since the 1970s,” she wrote. “Thus, I commend the New York State Education Department for making the decision to rethink the current high school graduation
requirements and Regents examinations.” The Regents exams were first given in 1878. Currently, a student must earn 22 credits and pass at least four of the tests to earn a Regents diploma. Students must pass at least seven Regents exams to earn an advanced diploma. Instead, the Education Department is proposing a menu of options it is calling the Portrait of a Graduate, which would give students the chance to demonstrate their proficiency in several areas, including critical thinking; cultural or social-emotional competencies; and innovative program solving. The Regents would still be administered, but Continued on page 5
Judy Griffin is ready to take back her old Assembly seat in November as she’s set to once again face off against Brian Curran in a battle that has volleyed the Albany s e at b a ck and forth between the two for the last several years. She did it with a decisive JudY win over PatrigRiFFin cia Maher in the Democratic primary where Griffin secured nearly 85 percent of the votes, according to early returns. “We took this race seriously,” Griffin told the Herald following her victory. “It’s important, and it’s important to get the right person in office. We had a decisive win, which is great. And now we’re gearing up for the general election.” Griffin has lived in Rockville Centre for more than 30 years, first working in the financial industry before taking on roles as a lifestyle coach and corporate wellness educator. She defeated Curran in 2018 to become the first Democrat to win this particular seat in more
than 40 years. But after two terms, she lost a very narrow race to Curran, letting him get his old job back by a 138-vote margin. Also moving forward to the November election is Nassau County Legislator Siela Bynoe who defeated Assemblywoman Taylor Darling by 800 vo t e s i n t h e contest to see who will succeed Kevin Thomas in the SieLa state senate. “Throughout BYnoe this campaign I have been so blessed and overwhelmed by the support I’ve received,” Bynoe said. “Today alone we’ve had more than a hundred volunteers knocking on doors and calling their neighbors to come and vote. “This victory is only a first step, and there is work to be done. Thank you to everyone who made this possible.” Bynoe has spent the past decade as a county legislator, advocating for mental health services, police reform, affordable housing and education on Long Island. She will now get ready to face off against Republican Thomas Philip Montefinise in November.