The TIMES
Buying/Se
of Smithtown
Volume 28, No. 47
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.com SERVING SMITHTOWN • ST. JAMES • NESCONSET • COMMACK • HAUPPAUGE • KINGS LPARK FORT SALONGA ongIs• la ndHomeC onnectio January 21, 2016
Blaze burns up early morning
631-941-4 300
n.com
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Celebrating Long Island’s nature Also: ‘In the Heights’ at the CMPAC; winter farmer’s market
PAGE B1
Rotanz carries on
Former Smithtown coach will head new men’s lax program at St. Joe’s
Photos from Jeff Bressler
WEEKEND FIRE REQUIRES MULTIPLE TEAMS: Firefighters from Smithtown, Nesconset, Nissequogue and St. James came to battle the flames
at a residential property in Smithtown on Saturday. Read the full story on page A10.
PAGE A11
Minding the gap Schools applaud move to nix state aid cuts BY PHIL CORSO
File photo
Sen. John Flanagan has put his weight behind a bill to restore state aid to school districts.
For New York schools, cutting the Gap Elimination Adjustment could be an addition by subtraction. The adjustment, a deduction taken out of each New York school district’s state aid, was enacted several years ago to help the state government close a budget deficit. While the amount deducted
has decreased in recent years and there have been efforts to completely restore the funding, state Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport) has recently sponsored legislation that would completely eliminate the system this year, giving more financial help to public schools struggling to make ends meet. The bill passed in the Senate and must make its way through GEA continued on page A10