Serving New Hyde Park, North New Hyde Park, Herricks, Garden City Park, Manhasset Hills, North Hills, Floral Park
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Friday, April 17, 2015
Vol. 64, No. 16
N E W H Y D E PA R K
THIS WEEK’S TOP 7 $700K SETTLEMENT ARREST IN ALLEGED ENTERTAINMENT PICKS AGAINST NHP BOSS MURDER-FOR-HIRE SCHEME PAGE 28
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P L AY B A L L !
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Lt. governor touts teacher evaluations Hochul defends Cuomo education reform proposals B y J ames G allowa y Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul talked up Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to reign in teacher evaluations with a greater focus on standardized test scores — a suggestion that drew the ire of schools, unions and lawmakers — saying the state needs more objective metrics to identify failing schools and teachers. Hochul, who sat down with Blank Slate Media Monday, joined Gov. Andrew Cuo-
mo’s ticket in his re-election bid last year, replacing former Lt. Governor Bob Duffy. She had served in Congress between 2011 and 2013, winning a heavily Republican district in upstate Erie County. Leading up to the passage of the state budget earlier this month, Cuomo had called for significant changes to teacher evaluations, including reducing the importance of evaluations by district administrators and increasing test scores’ importance to comprise 50 percent of the evaluation. “About 60 percent of [a
teacher’s evaluation] was based on observations from people in the same school district where teachers work, so you don’t really have a lot of objectivity there,” Hochul said. “Using standards that were really advocated by the teachers…you have the people being evaluated coming up with the criteria for evaluation. I’m not sure of any other industries where that would be acceptable.” The proposal, however, led to backlash from the legislature, school officials and parContinued on Page 48
Gas station signage plans called too big by residents Photo/Martha Gorfein
One of the hundreds of ball players, friends, family and volunteers who turned out for opening day of the Merillon Little League’s 2015 season. See more photos on Pages 40 and 41.
Other plans welcomed as aesthetic improvement B y J ames G allowa y A New Hyde Park Road gas station’s proposal to undergo major renovations has drawn backlash from nearby residents who started an email campaign to halt plans to install several large signs on the property. Cumberland Farms, at
2201 New Hyde Park Road, has plans to expand a small store there to a 4,650-squarefoot convenience store, install two 84-square-foot freestanding signs and canopy signage above the station’s gas pumps. All three alterations would require variances from the Town of North Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals.
Marianna Wohlgemuth, a nearby resident and the former president of the Lakeville Estates Civic Association, started an email campaign calling the signs “totally oversized” in a form letter she sent to the zoning board. “My concern is with the number of signs and their sizContinued on Page 62
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