Friday, November 15, 2024
Vol. 101, No. 46
Let My 30 Ye ars of Experience Work For You
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School board outraged over state’s regionalization plans
LONG ISLAND CHAMPIONS
BY KASSARA MCELROY The Garden City Board of Education held a special session on Tuesday, November 12th to address the New York State Education Department’s (NYSED) push for regionalization—a controversial initiative that has sparked concerns over local autonomy and the future of district operations.
Understanding regionalization
The NYSED’s new regionalization plan, introduced as
an emergency regulation in September, aims to promote equity and operational efficiency across school districts. Under this plan, districts are at minimum required to complete a “Strengths and Needs” survey to gauge readiness for potential collaborations. There is a quick-turn, early-December deadline for districts to complete. Board President Joseph Sileo questioned the survey’s extensive scope of data collecSee page 29
St. Paul’s survey approval postponed, again Report: Turf fields pose health risks
The Garden City High School Field Hockey team will be heading to the state championships after winning the Long Island Championship. See page 54
BY RIKKI MASSAND The Garden City Environmental Advisory Board (EAB) meeting on Wednesday, November 13th featured two presentations with valuable information and insights into health and public safety concerns on several village playing fields. The topics included Garden City’s pesticide-free field treatment protocol, the first in Nassau County,
and the potential dangers of synthetic turf fields. Following the fall sports season, residents observed poor conditions at the St. Paul’s grass fields, a frequent issue raised by youth sports organizers and the Recreation Department. Trustee Michele Harrington, EAB co-chair, noted that the topic of expanding turf fields has come up in Board of Trustees and Recreation
Commission meetings, driven by the deteriorating grass fields and increased demand for playing surfaces. Jordan Christensen, Program Coordinator for the Farmingdale-based Citizens Campaign for the Environment, presented “Health and Environmental Impacts of Artificial Turf and PFAS Chemicals, and How We Can Protect Our Community.” See page 44
BY RIKKI MASSAND
At the Garden City Village Board meeting on November 7, consultant John Bucher, a senior planner from Brandstetter Carroll Inc. (BCI), presented updates on finalizing a survey for residents to gather input on the historic St. Paul’s building and its potential for community use. However, the board postponed approval of the survey, with six trustees voting to delay, and only Mayor
Carter Flanagan and Deputy Mayor Bruce Chester supporting immediate action. The Board of Trustees hit another wall with its discussion of finalizing the St. Paul’s Survey, as concerns were aired later in the evening. Following a motion from Trustee Ed Finneran to postpone the vote to approve the St. Paul’s Survey contents, the Board voted to push the process back again, with six trustees voting for the See page 51
Veterans Day celebrated in Garden City PAGE 36 Troop 1414 holds Trunk or Treat event PAGE 42