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VOL. 74 NO. 41
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MWD dedicates John F. Caruso Education Center By CAROLYN JAMES cjames@liherald.com
Courtesy Town of Oyster Bay
Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino, second from left, joined with Commissioners of the Massapequa Water District to unveil the new ‘John F. Caruso Education Center recently.
The Massapequa Water District and officials from the Town of Oyster Bay recently dedicated the newly named John F. Caruso Education Center, honoring the late water commissioner and longtime public servant. “As water commissioner, John Caruso invited the public to see firsthand the operations of the district and how their water is processed,” said Water Commissioner Ray Averna. “He always wanted residents to feel aware and involved in the operations of the water district. Thanks to his efforts, the district began offering programs to high school students interested in environmental and science studies, as well as scouting and other organizations.” Caruso, a professional engineer and former deputy commissioner of public works, served on the Massapequa Water District Board for 19 years. He was widely respected as an engineer, visionary and public servant, playing a key role in the decades-long effort to contain and remediate the Grumman-Navy Plume — the largest toxic groundwater plume within a sole-source aquifer in the United States. Caruso died in November 2024 at the age of 80. “I was incredibly honored to attend the dedication of the John F. Caruso CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
Massapequa School Board adopts cell phone ban for students By MIKE POLANSKY Senior Correspondent
Following a new state mandate, the Massapequa Board of Education adopted a districtwide ban on student use of cell phones and other internet-enabled devices in school. Under the policy, adopted Sept. 9, students are prohibited from using cell phones, smartwatches, tablets and personal laptops while on school grounds. The ban applies during all instructional periods, lunch, hallway transitions and extracurricular activities. The restriction is in effect only when students are physically inside school buildings. At Mass-
apequa High School, students are permitted to and promoting student success in the digital age.” use devices during off-campus lunch. Massapequa’s new policy extends an existing device ban at BerExceptions to the policy include medical needs ner Middle School, which has been in place for the past two years, (such as glucose monitoring), instructional trans- to students in grades 9–12. lation support, caregiver or emergency contact Superintendent William Brennan said that at the high school responsibilities, or when authorized for a specifCONTINUED ON PAGE 18 ic educational purpose. Requests for exemptions must be submitted in writing to the building principal with supporting documentation and will be reviewed individually. The policy implements Section 2803 of New York State Education Law, signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on May 9. Hochul described the law as a commitment to “protecting youth mental health