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Image provided by: Suffolk Cooperative Library System
E i l e e n G r u b e r t h o n o r e d b y D e e r P a r k F D by Suffolk County Legislator lou l U m a i o H ) North H u determ ination to establish these critical Babylon) as District 17 s 2010 Woman o f Distinction, services and enhance community safetv is <v> e\ ident The Woman of Distinction is piesenred annually to throughout the proves*, according to hre district one woman m each legislative disti ict in recognition personnel. In 2009, Gi ubei t received the Suffolk of her contributions to the giowth and progress of County EMS Leadership Award, an honor bestowed the community. upon an individual based on his/her longevity. In the 1990s, Grubert, who cuirentlv serves as innovation, dedication, responsibility, executive District Manager, cooperated with the Deei Park Fire and management skills in establishing, maintaining, Distrut Board ot Commissioners to establish one o f niom o tm iior expandma I .\ls operations. to the entire Deer Park com m u n ity has led to Grubert resides m Deer Park with her husband Edten Grubert (third from right) receives a proclamation fo r being nam ed District 17'$ 2 0 1 0 Woman o f Distinction from S C Leg I on DAmaro (D-North Babylon) Also p ictured a re D eer Park Fire Distric t Commissioner Tom Donnelly, Commissioner a nd Chairman Anthony Macaluso, Human Resources Assistant Colleen Keefe a nd Tu Usurer B uddy Gillespie April 2 2 ,2 0 1 0 , BEACON N E W S P A P E R . 3 Fundraiser helps to recreate Babylon Village's history Copiague Schools m aking cuts (Continued from cover) cemed resident “My taxes went up $1,000 since last year. I am dipping into my savings. If 60 percent of our students qualify for low-cost or free meals, that is poverty level Who is paying for the taxes in this community? It’s the other 40 percent” Edleman and his wife, who are both retired and living on a fixed income, decried the huge salaries teachers get and their raises. “Taxpayers pay every time a teacher takes a course (to receive a pay bump); we have to start cap ping salaries,” Edelman said.. “I am sorry if I sound angry but I am. When it comes to economics, if you can’t afford something, then stop it” The Copiague School District employees about 700 people, and will pay almost $50 million in salary costs for the 2010-11 school year. “We are heavily people orient ed,” agreed Leunig. ‘After all, we are not manufacturing widgets; we are teaching, interacting with and supervising children.” The school district plans to cut more than 20 positions (estimated at 25.5) by letting people go, encouraging re tirements and shifting personnel. “We’re not putting 25.5 people on the street,” Leunig said. “Nineteen people are re tiring. Some of those positions will not be replaced. Then there are the typical turnovers in staff who are probation ary and then of course there are positions we are simply eliminating. There are about six to eight teachers who will not be coming back who would have been here in Septem- ber,” said Leunig. The biggest cuts - 10.5 positions - would hit the ele mentary reading program- Leunig said that reductions are due to a successful shift in the elementary school reading model Ten years ago, the district introduced the Literacy Collaborative Model In that model, classroom teachers provide reading instruction as opposed to sending out students to remedial classes. The district also utilizes a re search-based phonics program called Fundations, as well as DIBELS, an assessment that pinpoint areas of weakness. “We have seen the percentage of children reading on grade level rise from fifty percent to eighty percent,” according to Copiague’s website. “Additionally, our elementary ELA results have consistently increased to the point where 85 percent of our students are scoring at a level three or above ... At the same time, we raised our expectations for our kindergarten students and have the goal that they will leave kindergarten reading at a level D - which means they are actually reading.” Other possible cuts m ay include: German (.4), So cial Studies (.4), A rt (.4), Business (.6), ESL Support (.6), Science (1), Physical Education (1), School M e dia Specialist (1), Special Education (1), English (1.6), Staff Development (2), Elementary Classroom (2), Guidance Counselors (2) and the Gifted Program (1). There are also planned administration cuts, totaling - 1.2 positions, including a dean (.5), elementary assistant principal (.5) and coordinator of fine arts (.2). “We tried to be surgical and strategic about how we make reductions,” said Leunig. “We’re not using a machete; we are using a scalpel and microscopes. We are trying hard to not have these reductions impact kids ... because that’s what we do; that’s what were all about” (Continued from cover) and are well on the way to meeting the $150,000 target for the project. Upcoming fundraisers include a family movie day at the Babylon Movie Theatre and a car wash conducted by Babylon High School students. Ideas for an essay contest are also circulating. Proto says connecting threads of history are woven throughout this project. The March fundraiser was held almost 113 years to the day that the Babylon Village board of trustees approved installation of the fountain That date was March 22,1897. And the location o f the March fundraiser lies in the area where horse drawn carriages transported individuals to the pier. The horses would stop for a drink from their side of the fountain on the way. Below the horses’ trough was a basin for thirsty dogs. Humans drank from a fountain on the opposite side. To learn more about the fountain re-construction project and/or to make a donation or to volunteer go www. thevillagefountain.org.
