________________ OYSTER BAY _______________
HERALD Town expanding shellfish hatchery
Dark Star plays at Bahr Gallery
locust Valley hosts film festival
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Vol. 128 No. 14
APRIl 3 - 9, 2026
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School district makes a final budget pitch music programs and maintains all athletic and extracurricular activities and protects all the The Oyster Bay-East Nor- academic course offerings.” wich Central School District In addition to the operating presented the final proposed budget, the board reviewed budget for the 2026-27 school planned capital and technology year last week, outinvestments that lining a spending would be funded by plan that district reserve accounts officials said prerather than the genserves core academeral operating budic programs while get. The district is remaining below proposing the use the state tax cap. of $980,000 from the The budget capital reserve and totals roughly $69.4 $495,000 from the million, an technology reserve increase of about for those projects in $1.59 million, or the coming year. 2.34 percent, over They include audithe current spendtorium rigging rening plan. The proovations and the posed tax levy replacement of the increase, 2.58 per- MARyANN SANToS water heater at the cent, is below the Board vice president, high school, new district’s allowable air conditioning for Oyster Bay-East limit. the Vernon ElemenNorwich Central “The ’26-27 budtary School g ym get does maintain School District a n d n ew p l ay the programs and ground equipment opportunities our community designed for younger students. values most,” Maureen Raynor, One of the most discussed assistant superintendent for projects at the meeting was a finance and operations, said at new pre-kindergarten playthe Board of Education meet- ground at the Theodore Roosing on March 24. “It preserves evelt School. Board members small class sizes at the elemen- asked for clarification on the tary level, sustains our arts and Continued on page 7
By WIll SHEElINE
wsheeline@liherald.com
o
Courtesy Rob Rich
oyster Bay town Supervisor Joseph Saladino listened as residents of glen Head and neighboring communities expressed their support for an extension of the moratorium on battery energy storage systems at the town board’s most recent meeting.
Town considers extension of battery storage moratorium By WIll SHEElINE wsheeline@liherald.com
The Town of Oyster Bay is likely to extend its moratorium on battery energy storage systems for a fifth time, with town officials and a string of North Shore residents urging continued restrictions amid ongoing concerns about fire safety, environmental risks and the potential impact on nearby communities. At the March 26 regular meeting, the town board opened a public hearing on a proposed local law that would extend the current moratorium for an additional 12 months, through April 30, 2027, if approved at the board’s next meeting.
The moratorium was originally enacted in February 2024, and effective as of April 2024. It was extended for another six months in October 2024. The board extended the ban for a third consecutive time from April 30 until Oct. 30 in 2025, and for a fourth time last September, to be enforced from October until this April. Michael Montesano, special counsel to Town Attorney Frank Scalera, said the extension is necessary as the town continues reviewing state fire code changes and awaits possible action from Nassau County. “The purpose of this proposed law,” Montesano said, “the reason we proposed to extend this moratorium is to protect our Continued on page 12
ur students still get their entire program, and we’re not faced . . . with the dilemma of our neighboring districts.