MARCH 24TH
Thursday, March 21, 2024 ~ Volume 136 ~ Issue Number 18 ~ $1.00 Credit - Matt Meduri
‘Fund Our Schools, Fund Our Future’ Communities Rally in Protest of Proposed Budget Cuts By Matt Meduri Ever since Governor Kathy Hochul (D) unveiled her recordbreaking $233 billion state budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year in January, the conversation surrounding the state aid cuts to local school districts across New York has been nonstop. Over the last two months, teachers, parents, and elected officials have rallied against the proposed $168 million cut to school districts, affecting 337 districts across the state, and roughly $75 million for Long Island alone. Continued on page 3
Protestors gather at the Dennison Building
Senator Mario Mattera (Credit - Karin Murphy)
Suffolk Marks Red Cross Month with Flag Raising at Dennison Building By Matt Meduri
Elected and Red Cross officials at the Dennison Building (Credit - Matt Meduri)
FULL STORIES ON:
Suffolk Receives Top Financial Award Page 8
Continued on page 10
Commack HS to Start Smithtown Deemed th ‘Tree City’ for 37 Year Financial Literacy Cousins Page 15
The month of March is Red Cross Month, in which the organization honors their volunteers, employees, and donors who proliferate the work of disaster relief, blood services, health and safety training and certification, armed forces services, and international aid and relief. The Red Cross was founded on May 21, 1881, by Clara Barton, a self-taught hospital nurse during the Civil War, earning her the nickname “Angel of the Battlefield.” During an 1869 trip to Switzerland, Barton learned of the Red Cross movement in Europe, a humanitarian effort to render aid to those injured in combat while maintaining neutrality. Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881, which was followed by the 1882 ratification of the Geneva Conventions, laws that protect civilians and war-injured in areas of combat.
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