Born in El Salvador, Sandra Shanhai came to this country when she was just 7 years old. As an immigrant, she did not know the English language, she said. What she also did not know was that several years later, she would be in the top post at Valley Stream Christian Academy. more

“Words hurt.” That was the message for students at Forest Road School recently, which hosted a “Box Out Bullying” assembly. more

While Valley Stream Lincoln and Bethlehem Assembly of God church may serve two different purposes, they share a commitment to bettering the community. That’s why more than 100 people turned out to honor the two institutions last week at the Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards gala. more

All South Side Middle School students attended the “Challenge to Choose Wisely” assembly on Sept. 7. The purpose of the presentation, in its second year, is to stress the importance of good decision making as well as the dangers of risky behavior. more

When an earthquake struck her Haitian homeland in January 2010, Monique Dorcely had to remain in her new home in Valley Stream to care for her children. She and her four daughters continued to attend services at their new church, Bethlehem Assembly of God, where they could pray for the country. more

My last two columns, “As promised: keeping tabs” (June 30 – July 6) and “Is the bloom off the rose?” (July 21-27) provided information to evaluate the session-ending accomplishments of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Two fundamental questions were raised. Has there been a real transformation in addressing the way the “people’s business” is being managed in Albany? Do our political leaders really understand that the state of New York is still headed down a path of fiscal instability and requires levels of real reform hardly evident to date? more

Long Island employers got a bit of good news earlier this month when the State Senate passed a bill to repeal the MTA payroll tax — shortly after the MTA terminated its contract to operate Long … more

Merokean Michele Witte has fought for more than 13 years to pass a federal ban on drop-side cribs ever since her 10-month-old son, Tyler Jonathan, died in 1997 after his neck became trapped between the side-rail and headboard of his drop-side crib. more

The State Senate and Assembly passed legislation on June 17 to ensure that people with autism receive insurance coverage for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. more

Every year West Hempstead High School gathers the senior class for a pre-prom assembly discussing positive-decision making and responsibility during prom season. This year the high school Students … more