Serving Manhasset, Munsey Park, North Hills, Plandome Heights, Plandome Manor, Plandome and Flower Hill
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Friday, July 16, 2021
Vol. 9, No. 29
SCHOOLS & EDUCATION
TOWN APPLICATIONS DELAYED
50% SUCCEED CHALLENGING ASSESSMENTS
PAGE 21-28
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School board extends virtual meets 6 months Holds 1st in-person session in a year BY S A M PETRUCCELLI Manhasset’s board of education held a swearing-in ceremony for new trustees Jill Pullano and Erin Royce last Wednesday evening, marking their first public meeting and the first meeting open to in-person public attendance since March 2020. Pat Aitken and Christine Monterosso kept their seats as president and vice president of the Board of Education. A major topic of discussion among the board members was how future public meetings would implement virtual conferencing technology, such as livestreams and recordings posted on YouTube. “I think we all know that our numbers, our attendance numbers, went up dramatically,” Trustee Regina Rule said about meetings broadcast online. “Not because we’re rock stars by any stretch of the imagination, but the
public wanted to be able to see what was going on. To be able to participate and understand what was happening.” Under an executive order signed by Gov. Andrews Cuomo, Board of Ed meetings were livestreamed for viewers online as well as posted on the district’s YouTube channel. Trustees and the public could also call in via video conference to participate. That order had expired two days prior, bringing the public and the new board face-to-face in the district’s office. But after the discussion, the board voted to hold the next six months of meetings with both inperson and virtual options. After reviewing attendance data, a decision will be made to continue or end the practice. Rule pointed out the flexibility of participation that was achieved by allowing residents to call in via Zoom video conferencing. She Continued on Page 35
PHOTO COURTESY OF KAREN RUBIN/NEWS-PHOTOS-FEATURES.COM
Northwell Health nurse and Port Washington resident Sandra Lindsay was the grand marshal of a ticker-tape parade honoring New York’s health-care workers on Wednesday. See story on page 2.
Beys, Epstein picked to lead new Port ed board BY R OB E RT PELAEZ
president during its annual reorganizational meeting on July 6. Beys, who has served two The Port Washington Board of Education appointed terms as a board member, was members Emily Beys as presi- first elected in 2016 and redent and Julie Epstein as vice elected in 2019, beating op-
position in both races. Newly elected board member Adam Smith nominated Beys to serve as president, with the rest of the board unanimously agreeing to appoint her to the posiContinued on Page 44
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