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Vol. 29 No. 39
Fourth Battalion hosts parade
Grand opening of Atria in lynbrook
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Page 17 SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2022
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Superintendent set to retire Melissa Burak to step down after 30 years with the school district By DANiEl oFFNER doffner@liherald.com
LON, VAL
Daniel Offner/Herald
lyNBRook PolicE oFFicER Joshua Crowley was sworn in at the Lynbrook village board meeting on Sept. 12.
Lynbrook’s newest officer
By DANiEl oFFNER doffner@liherald.com
LON, VAL
Decorated New York City Police Officer Joshua Crowley was patient and kept the faith in his quest for a position with the Lynbrook Police Department. Crowley, who grew up in Mastic and graduated from Eastport South Manor High School in 2012, left the NYPD to return to Long Island. Several departments jumped at the opportunity to hire him, including Nassau County and Garden City, who made offers. He held out for the Lynbrook P.D., and his patience paid off.
“Josh said that after interviewing with the Lynbrook Police Department, he knew this is where he wanted to work,” Lynbrook Police Chief Brian Paladino said. “He turned down guaranteed employment by Nassau County and Garden City police departments until we were able to hire him this past July.” Crowley was sworn in by Mayor Alan Beach at the village board meeting on Sept. 12, taking the oath to represent the village with the utmost pride every day, officially making him the newest member of the Lynbrook police force. When the Garden City Police Department Continued on page 19 September 22, 2022
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Lynbrook Schools Superintendent Melissa Burak has set her retirement calendar, and plans to stop down on July 1, 2023, after 30 years of service. It was a bittersweet moment for members of the Board of Education, which voted to accept her resignation letter, expressing their heartfelt gratitude for her many years of service and for helping elevate the district to new heights. Burak’s career with Lynbrook Public Schools started as a second-grade teacher at Marion Street Elementary School, where she initiated a year-long pen pal project with students from East New York, before going on to Lynbrook High School, where she taught computer literacy. She received her administrative certification and was appointed director of communications, technology, and library media services shortly thereafter. Burak went on to help launch one of the first districtwide area networks in Nassau County, helping bring the internet directly into the classroom. She moved up the ranks, becoming the district’s assistant superintendent of business where she oversaw
payroll, benefits, and accounts payable. She helped shore up the district’s long-term financial stability by creating and funding several reserve funds, and helped establish Lynbrook as one of the few districts to receive the Government Finance Officers Association’s Certificate of Achievement in Financial Reporting. Following the unexpected death of Superintendent Santo Barbarino in August 2012, the Board of Education voted to appoint Burak interim superintendent. A few weeks in her new role, communities along the South Shore of Long Island were ravaged by Hurricane Sandy, which swept up the coastline, leaving major flooding and wreckage in its wake. “When you stepped in as interim superintendent, it was a really difficult time,” Vice President Ellen Marcus said. “There was a lot going on, but you didn’t hesitate. You took the helm, and we would not have been able to get through that without you.” Burak’s leadership during this time prompted parents across the district to hang up lawn signs expressing their Continued on page 9