Monday, May 21, 2012
Long Island delis are the best in the country. But which one slings the sandwiches you crave again and again?
A list of sandwiches named for local characters and attractions, gallon-sized cups of iced tea and every type of side salad you can imagine. Sound familiar? It’s the calling card of Long Island’s world-class delis. But the reality is, each have their own specialties that keep people coming back. This week, we want to find out which deli you rely on most. Readers’ Choice is a new weekly feature where we ask you – our readers – to tell us your top picks on the businesses and local attractions that get your loyalty. Each Monday we’ll list our nominees recommendations. Did we leave your go-to spot off the list? Go ahead and add it in comments. On Friday we’ll tabulate all of the poll votes, comments, recent directory reviews and emails and …
Friday, May 18, 2012
Find out what your neighbors thought about two hot topics this week.
Budget Vote Following tuesday's school budget vote, we asked our readers if they were happy with the outcome. The majority of those polled, topping out at sixty percent, said they were happy that the budget passed. Thirty-seven percent said they wished the budget was rejected, as taxes are too high. Two percent of respondents said they didn't vote on the budget. Board of Education Elections During Tuesday's election, voters opted to reelect Steve Gellar and Michael Zotto, both incumbents. We asked residents if they agreed with the majority of voters. Contrary to the actual election, the majority of poll respondents (53 percent) said they would have liked to seen different faces elected to the board of ed. Forty-eight percent said they …
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Weigh in on the outcome of the board of education election.
West Islip residents voted to reelect two incumbents, current President Steve Gellar and Trustee Michael Zotto, to the Board of education Tuesday. Gellar defeated opponent Glenn Montes by a vote of 1998 to 1126, while Zotto won against challenger Kevin O'Connor by a vote of 1720 to 1408. Patch wants your thoughts on the voter decisions made regarding West Islip's board of education this week. Vote in our poll and comment below. We'll compile results on Friday.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Residents approved $110.8M district spending plan Tuesday.
Next year's West Islip school budget easily passed on Tuesday with a voter approval rate of 65 percent. The $110,880,192 spending plan includes the closure of two elementary schools, the loss of 38 district employees and the elimination of the high school dance program, though it preserves the remainder of curriculum and extracurricular programs. The average taxpayer burden, based on a property assessment of $45,00, will be $14.16 more per month. Are you happy that the budget passed? Why or why not? Answer our poll and tell us in the comment section below.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Tell us how you plan to vote today.
While residents across West Islip are heading to the polls today, we'd like to know how you'll vote today. Will you support West Islip's $110.8 million budget, which would raise the tax levy by 2.27 percent? Vote in our poll below. Remember, since the budget is at the designated 2.27 percent cap, the budget only needs a simple majority to pass. If you'd like to tell us why or why not you're supporting the budget, you can log in to Patch and share your thoughts as a comment below. If you still need help deciding how to vote, check out our complete coverage of the 2012-2013 school budget season here.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Board should have exhausted all options before deciding to close two schools, writes a concerned West Islip parent.
This week is Staff Appreciation Week at Westbrook Elementary School, and it holds special meaning now that the school will be closing its doors forever come June. The closing of Westbrook brings mixed feelings. Westbrook is a wonderful school with many wonderful people in it. It holds many great teachers, and a superb support staff. The principal is extraordinary and will be sorely missed by those of us not attending Oquenock with him next year. I am very happy to have had the opportunity to experience the Westbrook community and my children have thoroughly enjoyed their time in attendance there. While the closing of Westbrook brings sadness because of the fond memories and sentiments, it also brings anger and disappointment. The closing …
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
With the election next week, Patch wants to know which qualities top your list when voting for Board of Ed candidates.
The West Islip Board of Education elections are just a week away, and with budgets and campaigns on everyone's minds, we want to know which qualities in candidates are a priority for voters this year. Whether it's fiscal responsibility, a realistic outlook and approach to the budget, independent thinking, community involvement or prior experience, we want to know what tops your list. As you head to the polls next week, what issues will be on your mind? Share them in the comments.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Patch asked readers what they thought of the new elementary school boundaries and the drinking ban on the LIRR. See what your neighbors had to say.
New Elementary School Boundaries On Tuesday Patch asked residents and parents what they thought of the district's new elementary school boundaries. Parents had differing opinions regarding the boundaries and the closing of Kirdahy and Westbrook schools in general. "I just want to understand how things were done. I do believe that this is a burden to be shared by the entire community, not just rest firmly on the shoulders of the children of the schools that are closing," said user W.I. Mom. "I am NOT saying that children can't adapt to these changes or maintain friendships. I just wish it seemed that after waiting to hear answers for months, I could feel that the redistricting was done as fairly as possible for all of our children." Ms. …
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Share your fondest memories of growing up as a student in West Islip.
As another school year winds down, students and parents across the district are getting ready to say goodbye to their favorite teachers. Patch covered a special ceremony held at Manetuck Elementary School earlier this week honoring Principal Mary Anderson, who is retiring this year after working as an educator and administrator in West Islip for more than 40 years. The event left Anderson touched. “Thank you for this wonderful gift," she said. "I hope that in some way I have touched your life in the same way that you have touched mine. Just know that part of me will always be with you and part of you will always be with me.” We thought we'd give our readers the chance to pay homage to those special educators in the district who have left …
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Have you experienced out-of-control behavior on the Babylon line on late-night weekend trains?
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) recently announced that they are starting a pilot program that will ban the consumption of alcohol on overnight weekend trains on the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) out of Penn Station. The ban is an attempt to curb what has been referred to as "rambunctious behavior" by the MTA. The affected trains – commonly known as "drunk trains" – are those that run between midnight and 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The ban begins May 14. "There is rambunctious behavior on these weekend overnight trains, and this is an effort to curb that and set a better tone on those trains," MTA spokesman Sam Zambuto told The Daily News. According to the New York Times, in March, passengers were accused of …
Jean
1:49 pm on Monday, May 21, 2012
Captree....their cole slaw is to die for!!! Still can't find a decent substitute here in AZ. more ›