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  • Gov. Hochul says she's committed to help prevent LIRR strike

    Gov. Hochul says she's committed to help prevent LIRR strike
    2026/05/12
    Every day on average, half a million vehicles cross the Queens-Nassau border on the region's major highways — the Long Island Expressway, the Northern State and Southern State parkways.Peter Gill and Alfonso A. Castillo report in NEWSDAY that shutting down the Long Island Rail Road, if a possible strike becomes a reality this coming Saturday, and sending at least a portion of the 270,000 daily weekday riders to their cars is expected to put a serious strain on roadways connecting Long Island and the city.Robert Sinclair, of AAA Northeast, said the strike has the potential to make roadways between the city and Long Island "extremely crowded.""All the roads going west are [already] jammed during a normal rush hour — and this is going to be extremely abnormal," he said.Commuters and transportation experts see a potential gridlock situation. However, they say, the impact can be difficult to predict and could be less severe if people adjust commute times, to avoid peak rush hour, or work from home.The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s strategy to survive a potential LIRR strike next week relies on most commuters working from home, and those who can’t making do with limited options to get between New York City and Long Island, including buses and their own cars.The MTA will have shuttle buses going from six LIRR stations — including Bay Shore, Huntington, and Ronkonkoma in Suffolk to and from Queens locations.MTA chief financial officer Jai Patel said between 165 and 275 buses could be secured for the contingency plan, costing the MTA $325,000 to $550,000 per day.Still, MTA officials have acknowledged the shuttles won’t be able to accommodate all riders of the busiest commuter railroad in North America, so they have been encouraging employers to allow workers to telecommute.***Gov. Kathy Hochul said yesterday she’s committed to getting LIRR workers a "deal that is going to prevent a strike" just five days away.Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that Governor Hochul, in Manhattan Monday, said she and her team are "immersed in the details" of the ongoing labor negotiations between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and five unions representing nearly 3,500 LIRR workers. If unresolved, the unions have said they will go on strike beginning Saturday, shutting down the nation’s largest commuter railroad and displacing about 270,000 daily riders."I am involved," said Hochul, who oversees the MTA and appoints many of its board members. "We just want to make sure that New York is affordable for everyone and make sure, as they negotiate, that they get the deal that is going to prevent a strike. I’m committed to that."After failing to reach a deal at a pair of negotiating sessions last week, both sides returned to the bargaining table in Bethpage yesterday for negotiations overseen by the National Mediation Board.A union coalition spokesman said Monday's bargaining session ended with no settlement and little progress made. He said both sides are set to meet again Wednesday.In a statement, the MTA said it made "a revised proposal" during yesterday's talks, but offered no details of the latest offer.Yesterday, Michael Sullivan, general chairman of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, said the MTA strategy is to "deflect, distort, dither and denigrate" even as the strike date grows nearer."It’s time for management to get serious about negotiating wages," Sullivan said in a statement.Hochul said among the issues her office is tracking is "what can be afforded" and "what sets the pattern for other unions."***New York Governor Kathy Hochul has endorsed incumbent East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez in her ongoing Democratic primary race with challenger Jerry Larsen, the mayor of East Hampton Village, according to a release sent out by East Hampton Democrats. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that Burke-Gonzalez and Larsen have been locked in a heated contest for the Democratic Party ballot line, the winner of which will be decided in the primary election on June 23. Since the local Republican Party has not put forth a candidate for East Hampton Town supervisor ahead of the filing deadlines for the November election, the winner of this year’s primary will have a straight shot at the town’s top office.Intrigue has surrounded the race from the outset, as Larsen has challenged the established local Democratic Party by backing a separate slate of candidates for seats on the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee and drawn the ire of Suffolk County Democratic Committee officials.Governor Hochul’s announcement yesterday endorsing Kathee Burke-Gonzalez stated in part, “Kathee knows how to work with partners at every level of government and bring resources home for the people she serves…I’m excited to keep working with Kathee to build on that progress and deliver even more for East Hampton and for New York.”***The man who was shot and killed by Southampton Town Police ...
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  • Record-setting retail transaction closes in Water Mill

    Record-setting retail transaction closes in Water Mill
    2026/05/11
    Southampton Town police shot and killed a man armed with a knife on Sunday afternoon after officers responded to a call of a "violent" disturbance in a family home, Suffolk County police said in a statement last night. Peter Gill and Janon Fisher report in NEWSWDAY that Southampton Town police said they received a call at 2:43 p.m. yesterday from a resident on Topping Drive in the hamlet of Northampton about "an escalating violent domestic situation."When officers arrived at the home, they found the son actively stabbing his mother. The unidentified man was shot and killed by officers with the Southampton Town Police Department after he refused to put down the knife, according to sources and police.A woman suffered serious injuries, Suffolk County police said, and she was taken to Stony Brook Hospital. Three Town of Southampton police officers were also taken to a hospital with unspecified injuries, but were treated and released."Officers secured the scene and an investigation is ongoing with the Suffolk County Police Department," Southampton police spokeswoman Det. Sgt. Gina Laferrera said in an earlier statement. "There is currently no danger to the community."State troopers and Southampton police blocked off Topping Drive Sunday afternoon with yellow crime scene tape.Greg Mastronardi, whose parents live across the street, said he and his wife witnessed the shooting.Mastronardi said that he saw a man come out of the house with a knife in his hand."The cop was telling him, 'drop the knife, drop the knife' several times. He didn't comply," he added.The police officer was about 10 feet from the stairs leading up to the porch of the home — where the man was — when the officer opened fire, Mastronardi said.The wounded woman is confined to a wheelchair and was described by neighbors as a quiet woman who suffered years of domestic abuse. She had triplet boys, with at least two of them suffering from mental illness, WABC reported.The woman, who was not identified, made at least one 911 call yesterday, stating she had become afraid of her son, sources added per THE NY POST.The New York State Attorney General's Office of Special Investigation is conducting "a preliminary assessment of the matter," a spokeswoman said.By New York State law, the attorney general's office must investigate all fatal police-involved shootings.***Extensive habitat restoration and trail improvements have been completed at the 100-acre Broad Cove Preserve in Aquebogue. Broad Cove Preserve, one of the largest remaining tracts of open space in the Peconic Estuary, was added to the New York State Birding Trail this spring.Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the site includes more than 8,000 feet of frontage on Terry Creek and Broad Cove in Flanders Bay, an embayment within the Peconic Estuary, an Estuary of National Significance. It is home to a broad array of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, the federally endangered northern long-eared bat, osprey and eastern wild turkey, and it lies within the Atlantic Flyway for migrating birds, officials said. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation this week announced the habitat restoration and trail improvements, which included invasive species removal, restoration of native habitat, trail realignment and expansion, and improvements to waterfront access and wildlife observation areas.A new trail also provides access to a waterfront viewing area overlooking Flanders Bay, where a Chronolog Station — part of a citizen science project led by Peconic Baykeeper — has been installed.Additional benches and observation points were added throughout the preserve to support birdwatching and quiet enjoyment of the property.Representatives from DEC, Peconic Land Trust and conservation organizations, along with local elected officials, gathered at the preserve this past Thursday to celebrate the environmental improvements and the site’s recent addition to the New York State Birding Trail.***Tuesdays with Tom at North Fork Audubon heads to Calverton Ponds Preserve tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. for a chance to spot Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Red-winged Blackbird, Tree Swallow, Osprey, and Red-tailed Hawk, along with a variety of ducks and other migrating songbirds during peak migration.Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that you are invited to join North Fork Audubon for a spring bird walk at Calverton Ponds Preserve, where they will explore freshwater ponds, woodlands, and open habitats during peak migration.Registration is required.To register visit northforkaudubon.org.That’s tomorrow morning - Tuesdays with Tom - from 8:00 AM to 10 AM at Calverton Ponds Preserve, Old River Rd, Manorville, NY 11949***Two cornerstone retail properties in Water Mill have been sold for a combined $39 million, setting a new record for the largest retail transaction in the history of the Hamptons. As reported on 27east.com, the blockbuster sale, which closed last week, ...
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    10 分
  • Trump border czar threatens to "flood the zone" if Hochul passes ICE limitations

    Trump border czar threatens to "flood the zone" if Hochul passes ICE limitations
    2026/05/08
    MTA managers, making their case against Long Island Rail Road unions' demands for 14.5% raises over four years, say LIRR employees threatening to strike are already the highest-paid railroad workers in the nation.But LIRR labor leaders argue both their pay and negotiating position are warranted given the high cost of living in New York and recent raises given at other railroads across the country. And they're prepared to walk off the job May 16 if their terms aren't met.In response to questions from Newsday about how they determined LIRR workers are the highest paid in the United States, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority cited numbers showing wages at four key LIRR positions exceeded the median of the next five largest American commuter railroads.Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that signal inspectors had the biggest difference among the union positions threatening to strike, according to MTA figures. Their $50.89 top hourly pay in 2025 was 20.7% higher than the $42.17 median at the five other railroads — Metro-North, NJ Transit, Boston’s MBTA, Philadelphia’s SEPTA and Chicago’s Metra. The smallest difference was for LIRR locomotive engineers, whose $54.81 top hourly pay was 3.4% above the $53 median earned at the other railroads. The MTA has told mediators that median pay was $131,212 in 2024 for employees in the five unions. When including fringe benefits such as health insurance, the average compensation was $200,427 in 2024. For locomotive engineers, the highest paid, it was $241,397. "They are the highest-paid railroad workers in the nation but have refused the same significant wage increases the vast majority of their colleagues accepted," MTA chief labor and employee relations officer Anita Miller said in a March statement.LIRR union leaders said those figures give an incomplete picture. They noted for one position some other railroads pay more. Locomotive engineers at Metro-North and Amtrak can earn $59 an hour — $4 more than the LIRR, according to information provided by the unions.More broadly, the unions say LIRR workers’ pay reflects the cost of living in the metropolitan area, which is among the highest in the nation.When accounting for cost of living, and for special pay outside of regular wages — including for receiving special training — the unions have said several other railroads pay more. Those include Metro-North, NJ Transit, Baltimore’s MARC, Northern California’s Caltrain and Southern California’s Metrolink, the LIRR unions said.Unions say recent raises given at other railroads were as much as 7%.If no agreement is reached, LIRR unions are threatening to walk off the job Saturday, May 16, at 12:01 a.m.***Employees at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma racked up more than $1 million in overtime in each of the past two years, a Newsday analysis found, costs that climbed amid a struggle to hire and retain security guards. The Town of Islip, which runs the airport, paid more than $1.2 million in overtime for 75 airport employees last year, up from $1.09 million a year earlier. In 2023, the town paid $944,017 in overtime. Sam Kmack reports in NEWSDAY that airport security guard staffing has fallen over the past several years. Islip Town employed 18 security guards at the end of 2019, and by the start of 2025, nine were employed, according to data provided by the town. Islip ended last year with 17 guards, following a mid-year push to boost staffing levels. The average base salary for a security guard last year was $67,469, town payroll records show.Overtime pay in 2025 for a single guard reached a high of $110,154, records show. The airport's top five overtime earners were all within the airport's security division, and two guards more than doubled their salaries through overtime. Newsday obtained Islip's payroll records under the state's Freedom of Information Law. Islip Town officials say federal minimum staffing requirements, and struggles to recruit and retain guards, contributed to the rising overtime expense.***Tomorrow morning, Peconic Landing in Greenport will host its 20th Annual John May Mile and 5K Race to benefit the Greenport Fire Department.The John May Mile and 5K fundraiser is open to runners and walkers of all ages and fitness abilities, offering both a relaxed mile-long walk and a more challenging 3.1-mile run. Registration and stretching begin at 7:30 a.m. at Brecknock Hall with the race and walk to start at 9 a.m. Runners and walkers may register at: www.peconiclanding.org/JMM.The family-friendly event features a barbecue lunch, raffles, and more.Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that since inception in 2005, the annual John May Mile and 5K has raised over $400,000 to support the local first responders. The most recent event in 2025 contributed a total of $28,570, helping to purchase and maintain rescue equipment vital to keeping Greenport Fire Department volunteers safe while responding to emergency calls.Following ...
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  • Town of Southampton in roll out new mass alert system

    Town of Southampton in roll out new mass alert system
    2026/05/07
    Corporal punishment and harsh discipline during toilet training against toddlers and preschool-age children that went unreported to the state.Young children left without competent supervision and staff who failed to immediately inform parents of serious incidents.Day care centers that failed to conduct criminal or sex offender background checks for new hires, in violation of state guidelines.Robert Brodsky reports in NEWSDAY that these are just some of the nearly 100 allegations leveled against seven Long Island day care centers that state officials report are now at risk of losing their license to continue operating.Meanwhile, another four local childcare facilities had their license revoked and were forced to shutter in recent months after serious health or safety violations were documented by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services, a Newsday investigation found.None of the nearly dozen Long Island day cares that have found themselves under scrutiny from the state are on the east end. Overall, the day cares cited represent just a small fraction of the 2,133 childcare providers on Long Island.But to the families of children enrolled in these facilities, typically ranging in age from infants to as old as 12, the alleged violations raise questions about the businesses' safety protocols and offer doubts whether they'll continue to operate moving forward."The safety and well-being of all children in Office of Children and Family Services-licensed childcare programs is our top priority," said Daniel Marans, a spokesman for the agency. "To achieve these standards, we work diligently to ensure enforcement is fair and proportional across the state, creating a pathway back to good standing for childcare providers that fully comply with OCFS’ remediation plans."In Suffolk, five day care businesses are at risk of revocation, records show.They include Dazzling Tots Daycare in Mastic, Kiddie Academy of Farmingdale, The Learning Experience in Northport, Snuggles Day Care in Copiague, and Vanessa Little Blessings Daycare in Coram.***An off-duty Quogue Village police officer who struck and killed a Hampton Bays woman with his personal vehicle will not be charged with a crime following a review of the case by New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation.Robert Brodsky reports in NEWSDAY that Margaret Lucey, 89, was crossing Ponquogue Avenue walking west in Hampton Bays shortly before 11 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2024, when she was struck by officer Jon Stanton’s Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck as Stanton made a left turn from Good Ground Road, authorities said.Stanton remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation, the report said. Lucey was taken by Hampton Bays Volunteer Ambulance to Southampton Hospital where she died from her injuries, Southampton Town police said.Two months after the accident, the AG's office announced that it was launching an investigation of the crash, which is mandated under a 2021 state law for deaths involving on- and off-duty police, peace officers and correction officers. Yesterday, James' office released her 11-page report into the incident which "concludes that a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that Officer Stanton committed a crime when he caused Ms. Lucey’s death."The investigation, the report states, included review of a 911 call, footage from nearby security cameras, an interview with a witness and photographs from the scene. The investigation, the report said, found no evidence that Stanton was speeding, distracted, impaired by drugs or alcohol or driving in a reckless manner.Stanton, who was hired by the Quogue Village P.D. in February 2022 and is a volunteer firefighter and EMT, immediately requested an ambulance, the report states, and began performing life-saving measures.***Suffolk County legislators approved at least $3.9 million to settle police-involved lawsuits so far this year, including $3 million to the estate of an emotionally disturbed man, Walter Kellogg, who was allegedly shot and killed by a police officer outside his Shirley home.Lawmakers also approved $600,000 to settle a lawsuit that claimed the same officer assaulted a Shirley woman in 2012.Internal affairs cleared the officer of wrongdoing in those incidents but he was terminated on other charges in 2022.Michael O'Keeffe reports in NEWSDAY that the Suffolk police Internal Affairs Bureau cleared former Officer Frank Santanello of wrongdoing in the 2018 fatal shooting of Walter Kellogg, but the Suffolk County Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee, which must sign off on large settlements, authorized $3 million to settle the estate's federal lawsuit at its March 3 meeting, according to the panel's minutes. Internal affairs also cleared Santanello in the alleged assault and false arrest of Jessica Roger, also of Shirley, in 2012. But the Ways and Means Committee approved a $600,000 settlement to end her federal lawsuit in ...
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    10 分
  • Price of gas continues to rise for Long Islanders

    Price of gas continues to rise for Long Islanders
    2026/05/06
    On Long Island, the number of households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits…known as SNAP…has grown since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Experts say the spike stems from the region's cost-of-living crisis that has made housing unaffordable and can make food an afterthought. More affluent households seeking food assistance might not meet the lower-income federal eligibility requirements for benefits, and recent changes to SNAP work requirements means thousands of Long Islanders could soon lose access to the program.Tiffany Cusaac-Smith reports in NEWSDAY that SNAP, the nutritional support program formerly known as food stamps, has long served as a financial pulse of sorts that measures economic hard times. Experts say more households are turning to the program. Yet, they are quick to point out that the program is not a panacea for food insecurity in the region.In 2020, on average each month, 59,020 households in Suffolk County used the benefit. By 2025, Suffolk County had a monthly average of 78,923 households using the program, representing a roughly 34% increase, according to state data.SNAP benefits often go to the elderly and children on Long Island. In September, roughly 20% were in that age group in Suffolk, according to data from the state. Children represented about 31% of beneficiaries in Suffolk. For households on SNAP in Suffolk, the median income was $70,330, with a margin of error of about $7,800, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey one-year estimates.Vanessa Baird-Streeter, president and CEO of the Health & Welfare Council of Long Island, which is tasked with helping people sign up for SNAP, said the hunger assistance program today amounts to a subsidy people increasingly depend on — albeit one that many earn too much to tap. A few decades ago, she said, a middle-class family looking to move to Long Island to try and live the suburban dream could afford rent and food costs, likely never thinking they would need financial support."And so those people who may have never thought about a safety net program or a public benefit program before, they are now being faced with having to take advantage of these programs in order to ensure that their family just has…foundational stability," Baird-Streeter told NEWSDAY.***Preservation of a 9.6-acre property adjacent to a town-owned marina and beach in South Jamesport was endorsed by the Riverhead Town Board yesterday. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the board unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday afternoon supporting Suffolk County’s proposed preservation of the Peconic Farms parcel on Peconic Bay Boulevard. The resolution contained a qualifier held out by board members as essential to their assent: “as Open Space without improvement or development.”The vote followed days of public debate and mounting pressure from residents over the future of the property at 1161 Peconic Bay Blvd…which Suffolk County is considering acquiring through its Drinking Water Protection Program. Board members emphasized yesterday’s resolution does not finalize any agreement with Suffolk County but signals willingness to continue discussions over potential management terms.As a condition of the acquisition, the county is asking the Town of Riverhead to partner in the project by assuming management responsibility for the site, including “passive recreation uses” at the property, such as a walking trail and a gravel parking area. That condition triggered opposition from town officials, who said they feared such uses, if allowed, would lead to use of the site by out-of-town residents to gain beach access for fishing, swimming and other activities, with negative impacts on the character of the surrounding residential community.As he introduced the resolution, Riverhead Town Councilman Ken Rothwell acknowledged the board had received “an overabundance of emails and phone calls” about the proposal.“We very much want to protect [the property] from development,” Rothwell said.***ReWild next teams up with Group for the East End for a talk on “The Impact of Lawns” on Thursday, May 7…that’s tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. at Downs Farm Preserve in Cutchogue.A talk on lawns by gardener Corn Schmid will address why these grasses have become ingrained into our collective consciousness, culture, and even laws. Mr. Schmid will discuss the myths, facts, functions, and impact of one of America’s largest crops, as well as alternatives specific to our region.Corn Schmid’s expertise in plant ecology comes from years of experience working in the nursery industry and as a gardener in New York City and on the East End. Registration is required as space is limited.For more information, contact Group director of outreach Taralynn Reynolds at taralynn@thegroup.org.That’s “The Impact of Lawns” at Downs Farm Preserve in Cutchogue tomorrow from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm.*...
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  • Microplastic levels in drinking water not a required test

    Microplastic levels in drinking water not a required test
    2026/05/05
    Microplastics have been found in bodies of water all over the globe, from the Arctic to the Caribbean Sea to Long Island Sound. They can leach into groundwater from those waterways, and from septic systems and cesspools, or from rainwater runoff that collects particles from streets or landfills.And they make their way into our bodies from the food we eat and the water we drink, whether from the tap or bottled in plastic.Tracy Tullis reports in NEWSDAY that it's not clear if microplastics and the even smaller nanoplastics are in Long Island's drinking water, in part because testing is not required, and there's no standardized test.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced last month it will consider regulating microplastics — particles that can be smaller than a grain of sand, or even microscopic — as a contaminant in drinking water.California is the only state that requires testing for microplastics, and had to develop new ways to test for them.“The New York State Department of Health is closely watching the rapidly evolving science on microplastics and supports the addition of microplastics to the sixth candidate contaminant list,” Marissa Crary, spokesperson for the NYS Department of Health, wrote to Newsday in an email. At the moment, however, “no widely available standard method exists for evaluating microplastics in drinking water.”Tests conducted by the Suffolk County Water Authority found no detectable microplastics in its samples, probably because water drawn from an aquifer is somewhat protected from plastic contamination.“I can’t think of an issue that hits closer to home for American families than the safety of their drinking water,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in announcing the move to regulate microplastics as a contaminant in drinking water.Water suppliers in the United States are not required to test or filter for microplastics, "which is why this is important," Judith Enck, president of the nonprofit Beyond Plastics and a former EPA regional administrator, told Newsday.There are no guarantees that this first step will lead to anything. Last month the EPA declined to regulate any of the contaminants from the previous list, issued in 2022. And the administration also is trying to weaken regulations on PFAS in drinking water established by President Joe Biden.The EPA is required to name at least five possible drinking water contaminants every five years and to study their presence in drinking water, their health effects and whether they ultimately should be regulated.***A county effort to preserve a nearly 10-acre parcel of vacant land on the south side of Peconic Bay Boulevard in South Jamesport has run into resistance at Riverhead Town Hall.Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the property, part woodland and part fallow farm field, is located between a residential subdivision and the town boat ramp.Suffolk County Legislator Greg Doroski met with the Town Board at its work session Thursday to discuss preservation of the site as open space. Doroski said the county wanted the town to partner in the acquisition by agreeing to maintain the site for passive recreation use.That got pushback from board members, who said they’d prefer to see a development rights purchase rather than outright acquisition, so the property could be farmed. Some members objected to its conversion to county parkland, expressing concern that the use could be disruptive in a quiet residential area. Others voiced concerns about the cost of establishing and maintaining amenities like the walking trail and gravel parking area suggested by Doroski.An appraisal of the property has been completed, Doroski said. If it moves forward, the county would make an offer to the property owner, which, if accepted, would then require approval by the full Legislature.But the deal would stall without the town’s participation, he told Riverhead officials.The Suffolk County Legislative committee was scheduled to discuss preservation of the site during its executive session yesterday. However, the discussion was postponed.***The Regional Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center at Stony Brook / Southampton Hospital will hold a discussion on all the latest information about tick-borne diseases tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. in the Cutchogue-New Suffolk Free Library.Registration required.Medical Entomologist Dr. Scott Campbell, Chief of the Arthropod-Borne Disease Lab at Suffolk County’s Department of Health Services, and a member of the Scientific Advisory Panel of the Regional Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, will discuss the medically important tick species on Long Island, their biology, habitat, the pathogens they transmit, and the best strategies to prevent tick bites in adults and children. Tomorrow’s program is sponsored jointly by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital, and the Tick Resource Center ...
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    10 分
  • Chronic absenteeism remains high in Long Island schools

    Chronic absenteeism remains high in Long Island schools
    2026/05/04
    Chronic absenteeism in Long Island schools remained stubbornly high in 2024–25, despite efforts to get students back into the classroom following a surge in absences during the pandemic. Lorena Mongelli and Arielle Martinez report in NEWSDAY that in Nassau and Suffolk combined, 17.3% of students in public schools were chronically absent, meaning they missed 18 or more class days during the school year compared to 17.6% the year prior, according to a Newsday analysis of state data. While that is lower than the nearly 20% absenteeism rate in the 2021–22 academic year, when all New York schools reopened for full in-person learning, it still exceeds the 11.4% rate in 2018–19.The figures reflect a nationwide trend, with education experts saying schools throughout the country have struggled to boost attendance rates in recent years.Research has shown that persistent absences can be detrimental for students, leading to gaps in proficiency and increasing the risk they will drop out of high school. Studies have also found that such absences disrupt learning even for students who attend regularly because academic content needs to be reintroduced.Experts say a variety of factors are to blame for the high rate of absenteeism, including a shift in how parents value in-person learning since remote instruction became more commonplace during the pandemic. Local educators also cited student mental health issues, general disengagement with school, work priorities and, in some districts, anxiety about immigration enforcement amid the Trump administration’s crackdown.In 42 states and the District of Columbia, 23% of students were chronically absent in 2024–25 compared to 24% the year prior, according to Nat Malkus, senior fellow and the deputy director of education policy at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based conservative-leaning research organization that tracks chronic absenteeism nationwide.New York’s chronic absenteeism rate was 27% in 2024–25 versus 27.3% the year prior. according to Newsday’s analysis.Twenty-nine of Long Island’s 124 districts had an absenteeism rate higher than 20% in 2024–25. The Hempstead district had the highest rate, at 49%, followed by Central Islip at 39.7%, according to state data.***The chronic absenteeism rate in Long Island public schools dropped slightly in the 2024-25 school year, from 17.6% the year prior to 17.3%, according to a Newsday analysis of state data. The figure was lower than the nearly 20% absenteeism rate seen during the pandemic but still higher than the pre-pandemic rate of 11.4% rate in 2018–19.Lorena Mongelli and Arielle Martinez report in NEWSDAY that a couple of east end school districts showed improvements in their absenteeism rate, which counts students in first grade and older who are enrolled for a minimum of 10 instructional days and attend at least one of those days.Bridgehampton dropped 9.6 percentage points, to 19.5%, in 2024–2025.The district’s interim superintendent, Brigid P. Collins, said, “The decrease in attendance issues is a combined reflection of our strengthened communication efforts and deeper family engagement.”She said the district sends attendance letters and implemented the ParentSquare notification system, which sends immediate alerts about student lateness and absences.The Amagansett school district, which had less than 100 students last school year, lowered its rate by 8.4 percentage points to 21.8%.Superintendent Michael S. Rodgers said the district “has made a strong, collective effort to build a more positive and engaging school culture for the students, staff, and families.”“This includes incorporating more hands-on projects, experiential learning opportunities, and field trips that connect classroom instruction to real world experiences,” Rodgers said. Cecelia Leong, vice president of programs at the national nonprofit Attendance Works, said some schools are having success by building relationships with students and families and ensuring students feel welcome, accepted and safe.“Those consistent things that build a sense of belonging and relationship are really important,” Leong said. ***A coalition of fire response entities and other partners will host an open house at Flanders Community Center, 655 Flanders Road, Flanders on Tuesday, May 5…that’s tomorrow from 6 to 8 p.m. to solicit public input for the Southampton Central Pine Barrens Community Wildfire Protection Plan, a plan that will help residents of western Southampton Town learn how to best protect their families and homes from wildfire hazards.Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that tomorrow’s meeting will provide an opportunity for residents to learn about the Community Wildfire Protection Plan {CWPP} and provide comments to help create the plan. Officials at the beginning of the meeting will offer a brief presentation about the CWPP program. Attendees can then learn more details about the CWPP from ...
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    10 分
  • Southampton Town says Riverside can expect new sewer district to be active by late 2029

    Southampton Town says Riverside can expect new sewer district to be active by late 2029
    2026/05/01
    Long Island business leaders yesterday expressed concern of the potential economic impacts from an LIRR union strike, while also warning that unprecedented raises for railroad workers could be "unsustainable." Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that leaders from seven Long Island business advocacy and economic development groups, in a letter to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, expressed their "deep concern regarding the negative economic impact of a potential strike" by five Long Island Rail Road unions.The leaders noted that the strike, which could begin May 16, would come a week before Memorial Day as Long Island enters its peak tourism season."The railroad takes tens of thousands of New Yorkers each week to Long Island beaches, golf courses, and wineries," they wrote. "Thousands of small businesses rely on summer tourism to survive."The business groups also expressed concern that "unprecedented raises to the minority of the LIRR workforce will be economically unsustainable for a mass transit system with chronic fiscal woes." The labor organizations represent about half the LIRR’s union workforce.The letter was authored by representatives from the Association for a Better Long Island, the Long Island Association, the Hauppauge Industrial Association of LI, the Long Island Builders Institute, the Long Island Contractors' Association, the Commercial Industrial Brokers Society of Long Island and Discover Long Island.Hochul spokesman Sean Butler said the governor's position is that "a strike would hurt LIRR workers and riders alike. It is critical that both sides come to the table and negotiate in good faith."Asked to comment on the letter, MTA officials pointed to remarks made Wednesday by the agency's chief financial officer, Jai Patel. In the event of a strike, Patel said, "Riders will be frustrated, the local economy will struggle and trust in our service will erode."***Just in time for summer, East Quogue got a new Christmas tree last week.Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the blue spruce tree that has served as East Quogue’s public Christmas tree for many years was getting bare and suffering from needlecast and residents had recently begun talking about a replacement after the winter, resident Christine Grant said.The Town of Southampton created a hamlet park district last fall, which directs funds from development project fees to a kitty for beautification projects. But buying a new Christmas tree would have tapped the bulk of the fledgling park district’s funding.Two residents, Cathy Zambetti, and her husband, John Picone, stepped in and instead offered to cover the cost of purchasing a new tree. Grant and her husband, Chris Connolly, who own Aspatuck Gardens, were able to source a 20-foot Norway spruce from a North Fork tree farm and got Southampton Town Parks & Recreation staff to remove the old tree and excavate a hole for the root ball of the new one.That’s when the small town stuff really kicked in.The tree arrived on a rainy morning last week and proved to be so heavy that the equipment the town brought to move it into place couldn’t lift it.“So we did the classic Mayberry, small-town thing: We texted our friend Michelle Meduski, who knows everybody in town,” Connolly said. “She knew a company who had an excavator and they came right over and it turned out that they were East Quogue people, so it was pretty cool how it all worked out.”***The Town of Southold is holding an Environmental Expo and Repair Café with the North Fork Environmental Council (NFEC) tomorrow from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at the town’s Peconic Lane Recreation Center.The public can bring their household items — including small appliances, clothing, toys and bicycles to be repaired, and their knives to be sharpened. “It’s a great community event, with neighbors helping neighbors to make things work again, with the added bonus of keeping those things out of the waste stream,” said Margaret deCruz, the NFEC Repair Café chair.Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that numerous environmental organizations will also have tables at tomorrow’s event. Compost coaches from the Long Island Organics council will give demonstrations and offer tips on how best to compost at home, and organizations ranging from Group for the East End to the Peconic Baykeeper, Peconic Estuary Partnership, ReWild North Fork and UpSculpt will also offere information and inspiration on how to preserve our local natural resources.Tomorrow’s Environmental Expo and Repair Café is from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at Peconic Recreation Center, 920 Peconic Lane, Peconic, NY 11958.***Southampton Town gave residents of Riverside a look at some of the practical aspects of its new $44 million sewer district this week. The town’s consultants say they anticipate the system coming online in late 2029 or early 2030.Funding the Riverside Wastewater Recovery System has been a project in the works for more than a decade, and it has been seen as a...
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