Wiliston times 12717

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Serving The Willistons, Albertson, Herricks, Mineola, Roslyn Heights, and Searingtown

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Friday, January 27, 2017

Vol. 66, No. 4

*XLGH to 0LQHROD Your official go-to guide for ever

ything Mineola

a blank slate media special section

GUIDE TO MINEOLA

W.P. TRUSTEES EYE SMOKING AGE

MAJOR CRIME FALLS IN PCT.

PAGES S1-S36

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• January 27, 2017

NAMASTE

Residents, pols speak against 3rd track plan Local opposition contrasts with overall support BY N O A H MANSKAR Nearly three dozen local residents and public officials spoke out against the Long Island Rail Road’s proposed third track Thursday night at a public hearing in New Hyde Park, maintaining opposition in areas the project would most directly affect. The 35 critics accounted for most of the skeptics at this week’s six hearings in New Hyde Park, Westbury and Uniondale. About 80 of the 112 speakers at the first five

hearings supported the project, while about 30 opposed it. The opponents, nearly all of whom came from New Hyde Park, Floral Park and Garden City, said they remain skeptical of the justification for the $2 billion project and repeated calls for more basic LIRR infrastructure improvements before the third track is built. “Floral Park is a wonderful community. Building this third track could ultimately change the valuable enclave forever,” Michael Jakob, president of the Floral Park Chamber of Commerce, said at the hearing

attended by about 150 people. The LIRR wants to install a third track along a key 9.8-mile stretch of its Main Line between Floral Park and Hicksville, which it estimates would take three to four years. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the project last January and has called it less invasive than a plan proposed in 2005. It would be built entirely within the LIRR’s property lines and would not permanently take any residential property. Continued on Page 65

Herricks adds 4 holidays to 2017-18 school calendar PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HERRICKS SCHOOL DISTRICT

Yoga instructor Sheryl Oleksak led yoga sessions at Herricks High School in January to help students focus and manage stress before midterm exams.

Recognition of district’s changing demographics BY S A M U E L GLASSER The Herricks school board added four holidays last Thursday to its 2017-18 academic calendar, a recognition of demographic change in the district. As discussed at a November

meeting, the calendar closes schools on the Muslim holidays of Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr, the Hindu festival of Diwali and the Chinese Lunar New Year. These holidays represent “the rich diversity of our community. Everyone thought that the time had come” to include them in the calendar, Fino Cel-

ano, the district’s superintendent, said. The adopted calendar keeps the same number of school days but starts classes before Labor Day, which has been done in previous years, Celano said. The first day of school will be Aug. 30. Continued on Page 65

For the latest news visit us at www.theislandnow.com D on’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Theislandnow and Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow


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