Only a year ago, the New York State Legislature was wrangling behind closed doors over a deal to bail out the fiscally troubled Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The agreement, which imposed a commuter payroll tax on counties served by the MTA, including Nassau County, was supposed to put the authority on a sound financial footing. more

Dylan Gross, a junior at East Rockaway Jr/Sr High School, has been elected Lieutenant Governor to Division 7 of the New York District of Key Club International, a Kiwanis International Service Leadership Program for high school students, for the 2010-2011 academic year. more

Embattled New York Gov. David Paterson announced last week that he was ending his bid for re-election, just days after kicking off his campaign. While many of his colleagues in government are urging him to step down, Paterson said he has no plans to leave office. Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) said he thought Paterson's decision to not run for re-election was the right one. "I told [Paterson] that Senate Republicans were prepared to move forward on a bipartisan basis to address the budget and other pressing matter," Skelos said, "...and that hopefully the Senate and Assembly Democrats, unlike last year, would do so as well." more

Calling for legislative relief, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli has said that many Long Island school districts — including Rockville Centre — have “overfunded” their Employee Benefits and Accrued Liability Reserve funds. He says districts should be able to use that extra money that they can’t now touch, for tax relief. The EBALR is used to pay eligible school district employees for accrued sick and leave time when they retire. DiNapoli has said that Rockville Centre is overfunded by $1,669, 278. But Robert Bartels, Rockville Centre’s assistant superintendent for business, along with the district’s external auditors, might beg to differ. more

Long Island may lose 10 state parks this summer as a result of a proposed $29 million budget cut facing the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. more

Valley Stream State Park is among 10 state parks on Long Island that could be closed this summer as a result of a proposed $29 million budget cut facing the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. more

Last week, the biggest loser wasn’t Massachusetts Senate candidate Martha Coakley or the Democratic Party or President Obama. The biggest losers were New York schoolchildren, who were sold out by the state Legislature in favor of the tremendously powerful teachers unions. more

According to the results of a statewide youth survey that tracked adolescent substance abuse trends, East Rockaway students have experimented more with smoking and drinking, on average, than those in other parts of the county and state. more

A survey conducted by the state Environmental Conservation and Health departments of the former Darby Drug/Signature Place site in Rockville Centre has determined that contaminants there pose a significant health threat. more

Fifty-one Long Beach students in grades four through 12 qualified to perform in the New York State Music Association’s (NYSMA) All-County Festival in January. They will join a select group of … more