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M arch 4 ,2 0 1 0 , BEACON NEWSPAPER • 3 Lindenhurst firefighters rescue animals from house fire and the department was assisted by North Lindenhurst. It took the volunteers approximately an hour to get the blaze under control. On the scene were the Lindenhurst and Babylon Fire Marshals. At left, firefighters battle blaze at Albany Avenue home in Lindenhurst. Below, firefighters Stephanie Price, Jean Sxabo and Jennifer Price give oxygen to rabbit that was rescued from the home. P hotos by J oe T urner by Carolyn James A home on Albany Avenue in Lindenhurst sustained major damage following a fire that broke out there shortly before noon, Feb. 21. Lindenhurst Fire Chief Steve Smaldon reports that the cause of fire has not been determined, but that it is not suspicious. The initial report went out at approximately 11:40 a.m. W ithin minutes, first arriving units were at the scene and found the fire emanating from the center o f the two-story home. The fire started on the first floor, but quickly spread to the second floor. “We determined quickly that the two young people who were home at the tim e the fire broke out were safely out o f the house, but were told that there were numerous animals still inside,” said Smaldon. Firefighters laid two lines into the front door and were m et with heavy fire. They continued to push in, but the fire spread quickly and additional lines were laid. W ith additional units arriving, firefighters made an advance and searched the house, pulling out hamsters, a guinea pig and a rabbit. The firefighters administered oxygen to he rabbit, and all o f the animals survived, said Smaldon. “The only loss was a cat, who perished,” he said. Babylon C h ief Fire Marshal Gil Hanse said that the fire started with a space heater that malfunctioned. “The fire got a good start before firefighters arrived so the damage was pretty extensive.” One o f the youths in the home discovered smoke Robber shoots a t m anager as she leaves W endy's restaurant Police are seeking the public’s help in apprehending a man who attempted to rob the manager o f Wendy’s fast food restaurant in Copiague today. Police gave this account: Three employees o f Wendy’s, located at 1255 Sunrise Highway in Copiague, were leaving the restaurant when a man approached the manager after she got into her vehicle at 2:36 a.m. The man, who was armed with a handgun, banged on the car window and demanded she open the door. As the woman drove away from the man, he fired a shot that shattered the window on the driver’s side rear door and lodged in the headrest of the driver’s seat. The victim suffered a m inor head laceration. The man is described as Hispanic and he was wearing dark clothing and a ski mask. Detectives are asking anyone with information on this incident to call the First Squad at 6 3 1 -854-8152 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1 -800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential. conditions on the first floor and led his sister, who was on the second flo o r , to safety, said Smaldon. N o i n j u r i e s to firefighters were reported, Gov looks to link real property tax credit to level of school spending (Continued from cover) lead to difficulties for school districts down the line, especially those who do n o t have enough in reserve. “It could im p act on future budgeting, reduce emergency reserves or reduce bond ratings,” h e said. “T h e d i s t r i c t s w e re p r o m ised tw o y e a r s o f federal stim u lus funding,” said C h a rles Leunig, superintendent, Copiague Schools. “But the Governor has used som e o f that m o n ey to plug a portion o f the State’s budget this year, and that is likely to diminish the amount we have available for next year.” School districts may face other problem s as the G o v e rnor also proposes to shift th e tw o -raonth summer special education costs that districts incur each year. For about as long as anyone can remember, th e State p icked up 80 p e r c e n t o f th o s e costs. Discussions underway in Albany include a change that would have the State give a district the same level o f funding for that program as it does for its regular state aid package, which is m u ch lower. That would result in districts having to pick up an additional, 3 0 ,4 0 or 50 percent o f those sum m er special education costs. In the case o f Massapequa, for example, that would mean the district taxpayers would be shouldering another $502,000 a year. W h ile many local lawmakers support the cap on spending, they point out that even as Gov. Paterson talks about it, the law m akers in Albany bring in whopping increases every year. There is currently an $8.2 billion deficit at the state level this year— a deficit that promises to grow i f the pace o f spending is not abated. “We [Albany Republicans] have passed legislation for a spending cap two tim es, but the D em o crats always defeated it,” said Fuschillo.“ Instead, they approved one o f the largest spending increases— $13 billion— last year. Now the Governor is talking about a spending cap? I am in favor o f it, but it has to start in Albany.” “The Assembly approved a cap on State spending in 1995 and the Senate failed to approve it,” countered Sweeney, who points out that the State’s overall budget has increased only slightly, and that the additional spending Fuschillo and the Republicans talk about was covered by $25 b illio n in fed e ral stim u lus money. According to the New York State’s 2010 budget report, annual growth o f the State-financed portion o f the budget - that is, spending financed directly by Staite residents through State taxes, fees, and other revenues - was alm o s t flat. G e n e ral Fund disbursem ents totalled $54.9 billion , an increase o f $301 m illion (0.6 percent) from 2008-09 results. Projected General Fund spending has been reduced by $8.7 billion com p a red to the cu rrent services forecast. But lawmakers, including Sweeney, note that the State has operated with m o re than $25 billion o f stimulus m oney that will not be available next year. The question is - W h a t is the State going to do? ' “If the econom ic picture does not im prove and turn around, then we are going have serious financial difficulties next year and really tough cuts will have to be considered.” “There’s no doubt that we are in tough times,” said Assemblyman Joseph Saladino (R-Massapequa). “But there are real savings to be realized (at the state level) by making the right cuts and the Governor refuses to identify them . Those include focusing on M edicaid fraud and abuse, which could produce as much as $ 150 m illion in state funds i f a full- court press is made to end this abuse,” h e said. “W hat the State and Long Islanders in particular need is a real com m itm ent to change,” said Assemblyman Andrew Raia (R -9th D istrict). “U n less that takes place we will continue to see the same circum stances play themselves over and over again like Groundhog Day.\
