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Friday, March 29, 2024
Vol. 12, No. 13
BEST OF
2024
10th Annual
NASSAU
COUNTY SPECIAL SECTION LOOK INSIDE FOR THE NOMINEES IN THESE CATEGORIES...
BEST OF NASSAU COUNTY NOMINEES
Arts/Entertainment Automotive Bars/Nightlife Food/Restaurants Health/Wellness/Beauty Home and Design Kids Pets Retail/Shopping Services Sports and Recreations Wedding
A BLANK SLATE MEDIA
SPECIAL SECTION
M/CONT EST2024
PAGES 23-62
| THEISLAN D360.CO | MARCH 29, 2024
CELEBRATED NORTH HILLS TAILOR DIES
HACH BLASTS Li LiPETRI IN CD 4 PRIMARY RACE
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Parents oppose staff cuts
Y O U C A N ’ T TA K E I T W I T H Y O U
School poses 14.5 positions removed BY C A M E RY N O A K ES
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MANHASSET SCHOOL DISTRICT
Manhasset High School performed “You Can’t Take it With You” which had audience members smiling and laughing throughout.
Nassau major crimes drop in 2023 First 11 months show 6.5% decline after 41% spike in all of 2022 BY C A M E RY N O A K ES Nassau County Police reported a nearly 6.5% drop in total major crimes in the first 11 months of 2023, which County Executive Bruce Blakeman is attributing to his administration’s support of the police force. Blakeman ran his 2021 election campaign on a platform that included
calls for addressing the rise in crime in the county. His calls specifically targeted the state’s bail reform laws, which he previously had blamed for the 75% surge in major crime Nassau County saw in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the previous year during an interview with Blank Slate Media. Those same calls for public safety
BEST
10TH ANNUAL
2024
The Manhasset School District is proposing staff reductions to balance its budget amid financial stressors, but many employees and parents are speaking out against the action due to potential impacts on students and staff. “Teachers cannot give their best if they are not supported,” parent Darlene DePietro said. “Our children cannot be their best if they are also not supported.” Multiple people spoke in opposition to the staff cuts at the Manhasset Board of Education meeting Thursday night, including DePietro, who is a mother to kids with special needs. She held back tears as she advocated for the teacher assistants to remain due to the help they provide to students like her own children. Rob Mashburn, a secondary school computer teacher and staff developer, has been an employee of the district for 17 years, starting his career as a teacher’s assistant. He will end his position as a staff developer at the end of the school year. “The plan to completely remove any staff development from our school is a mistake,” Mashburn said, stressing the importance of the role to keep staff up to date with changing technologies and programs. The district is proposing staff reContinued on Page 72
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initiatives in response to rising crimes carried into the 2023 election campaigns, with both Republican and Democratic candidates citing a need to address the safety concerns of residents. A mailer sent by Blakeman’s office touted the county’s reductions in crime “even with Cashless Bail Laws and the National Border Crisis [sic]”
vote
which have been consistently referenced as driving factors for greater crime. Blakeman attributed the drop in crimes to his administration’s financial investments in the county police department and intelligence-led policing strategies in the mailer. The county executive also touted Continued on Page 70
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