Serving Manhasset, Munsey Park, North Hills, Plandome Heights, Plandome Manor, Plandome and Flower Hill
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Friday, May 24, 2024
Vol. 12, No. 21
GUIDE TO SUMMER
CRITICS RALLY AGAINST BLAKEMAN ‘MILITIA’
BLAKEMAN TRANS BAN STRUCK DOWN
PAGES 21-28
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Manhasset passes $111.3M district budget
M U N S E Y PA R K G A R D E N
Newcomers Bruno, Pescatore elected to ed board, defeat Bauer BY C A M E RY N O A K ES
ed for their necessity, but was ultimately approved by a majority of voters. Newcomers Marianna Bruno and Bruno, who has four children in the Maria Pescatore narrowly defeated Ei- school district, is a healthcare profesleen Bauer for seats on the Manhasset sional and patient advocate. She said Board of Education on Tuesday night in this role she oversees a multi-million and residents approved the district’s dollar budget, team management and $111.3 million budget with more than policy oversight. 69% of the vote. She campaigned on academic exBruno received 864 votes, followed cellence, resource transparency and by Pescatore with 912 votes and Bauer budget oversight. with 843 votes. Pescatore previously Bruno and Pescaworked in construction tore will replace Vice See additional school management, where President Jill Pullano she oversaw budgets, elections news and Trustee Erin Royce. bidding processes, and Both did not run for rePAGE 4 business operations. She election. has three children who Bruno and Pescaattend district schools. tore will both serve three-year terms She said her involvement in the ending on June 30, 2027. The $111,286,207 budget, a 3.3% school district so far would allow her increase from the current school year, to bring an “insider perspective” to the includes a 2.68% tax levy increase, school board. Responsibility and acwhich falls within the district’s allow- countability are the values driving her vision as a school board trustee, she able tax levy cap. The budget passed with 1,129 said. At a candidate forum preceding votes in favor and 500 votes against. The budget includes more than a the election, the two elected trustees dozen staff cuts, primarily of teaching stressed the importance of staff retenassistants. This previously garnered tion, greater budget oversight, and pushback from students, parents and expanding alternative post-graduation teaching assistants who have advocat- options.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MANHASSET SCHOOL DISTRICT
Munsey Park Elementary School hosted a ribbon cutting to unveil its new garden. It was established in collaboration with Planet Manhasset and Manhasset School Community Association.
Port passes $194.5M budget, piercing tax cap BY C A M E RY N O A K ES Newcomer Sandra Alvarez defeated Trustee Adam Block, incumbents Nanette Melkonian and Adam Smith were re-elected to the Port Washington Board of Education, the district’s $194.5 million tax-cap piercing budget was approved with more than 70% of the vote on Tuesday. With a 4.55% tax increase that exceeds the tax cap by 1.16%, the budget was approved with 2,932
votes in favor and 1,245 votes against. The budget required a 60% vote in favor since it exceeded the tax cap. Voters also passed a proposition to use $4,055,000 from the district’s capital reserve fund for districtwide improvements to its incoming electrical service. The proposition garnered 3,183 votes of approval, or 79.4% of the total votes, and 826 votes against it. Eight candidates ran in the district’s trustee race. These included
incumbents Smith, Block, and Melkonian and challengers Alvarez, Michael Bitalvo, Teodora Choolfaian, Joseph Delerme, and Beth Weisburd. Alvarez received 1,817 votes, Melkonian received 1,693 votes and Smith received 2,074 votes. Block received 1,591, losing to Melkonian by 102 votes. They were followed by Weisburd with 1,070 votes, Bitalvo with 856, Delerme with 594 votes and Choolfaianreceiving with 434. Continued on Page 38