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Thursday, August 20, 2026 ~ Volume 71 ~ Issue Number 44 ~ $1.00
Siena College Finds Hochul +10 in Shock Poll By Matt Meduri The Siena College has long been considered an A-rated pollster for state and national races. They’ve also tracked consistent and generous leads for Governor Kathy Hochul (D-Hamburg) on her quest for a second full term. Siena College’s latest August poll finds Hochul with her slimmest lead yet in their surveys - a ten-point lead over Blakeman. Among likely voters, Hochul leads Blakeman 49%-39%; among registered voters, 52%-32%. In December, she was found to lead Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R-Atlantic Beach) by +25. In February, that lead grew to +26, followed by +20 in March, +13 in April, +16 in May, and +20 in June. Alongside the fluctuations in her leads over Blakeman, Hochul’s favorability and approval ratings have moved more or less parallel to each other. She’s reached peaks closer to +10, but has also been found treading water on the negative side. Continued on page 4
Bruce Blakeman (Credit - Matt Meduri) and Hochul (Credit - Matt Meduri)
Sayville Middle School Earns Prestigious Honor By Matt Meduri The Sayville Union Free School District announced on Wednesday that Sayville Middle School has been named a 2026 School of Distinction by the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE). It places the school as just one of 39 nationally out of 15 states and 3 countries selected for the honor. According to the district, the AMLE Schools of Distinction program “recognizes schools that exemplify the principles outlined in The Successful Middle School: This We Believe, AMLE’s landmark position paper, fifth edition (2021).” The framework is based in more than half a century in middle-level education research. It “identifies the essential attributes and characteristics of successful middle grades schools.” The application is as rigorous as the honor is prestigious. The district says that recipient schools “demonstrate excellence in implementing middle level best practices and meaningful continuous improvement efforts.” Continued on page 10
School of Distinction
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