Serving Great Neck, G.N. Plaza, G.N. Estates, Kensington, Kings Point, Lake Success, Russell Gardens, Saddle Rock and Thomaston
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Friday, August 20, 2021
Vol. 96, No. 34
FALL HOME THOMASTON HEARING CUOMO IMPEACH & DESIGN POSTPONED EFFORT SUSPENDED PAGES 19-23, 27-30
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Port schools to enforce mask mandate
S TA R S T R U C K
State Department of Education releases health and safety guide BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z The Port Washington school district’s reopening plan, the first to be publicized in public school districts on the North Shore, features indoor mask mandates for all students and staff, along with following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The guidance, published at the district’s Board of Education meeting on Aug. 10, does not require staff to be vaccinated when school begins on Sept. 2, but all students and staff members who have received the coronavirus inoculation are encouraged to provide their school nurse with a copy of their vaccination card. District Superintendent Michael Hynes, in a forum with Newsday on Tuesday, acknowledged that the guidelines would not appease all stakeholders in the district, but took the guidance from the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention and the county into account while drafting them. “We all know, we’re going to have parents that are happy and some parents who are not happy,” Hynes said. Efforts to reach other North Shore districts were unavailing, but some districts may outline their reopening plans soon as they hold the last board meetings of the summer. According to the guidelines, the Port Washington school district will adhere to the prioritizing of in-person education by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Thus no fully remote or virtual learning program will be offered. Students who are quarantined will be able to livestream their classes. According to CDC guidelines, a close contact is defined as someone who was within six feet of an infected individual for at least 15 Continued on Page 44
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GREAT NECK PARK DISTRICT
Singer Phillip Phillips performed a concert at Steppingstone Park on Aug. 8.
G.N. water district touts efforts to mitigate nitrogen BY R OB E RT PELAEZ
set Bay on Monday. In a news release, district officials said nitrogen removal The Great Neck Water Pol- as a result of its operations, inlution Control District touted vestments and environmental its prevention of excess nitro- consciousness has “far exceedgen from entering the Manhas- ed” the expectations from the
state. Officials said the district has kept more than 217,000 pounds of nitrogen from entering the bay since 2014. The need to avoid excess nitrogen in bodies of water such as Manhasset Bay is due to Continued on Page 35
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