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Candice Ruud
I cover the Town of Islip, its four villages and nearly two dozen hamlets. You can usually find me tweeting and furiously taking notes at town and village board meetings. I’ll focus part of my attention on local development projects, watching how taxpayer dollars are spent and staying in tune with resident concerns and interests. I also love a good, local human interest story. Got some news to share? I’d love to hear from you.
@candiceruud
Free senior ID program in Wantagh
Photo credit: James Escher
State Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr. (R-Merrick) will partner with Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano to sponsor a free senior ID card program in Wantagh.
The program will be held Friday from noon to 3 p.m. at the Wantagh Public Library, 3285 Park Ave.
All county residents ages 65 and over are eligible to participate and receive a free senior ID card, officials said. No appointments...
Read more »Perfect weather for Calverton mud run
Photo credit: Brittany Wait
Wearing only patriotic “Rocky” trunks, Chris D’Amico crawled through a 40-foot mud pit, inching his way closer and closer to the finish line as sweat, rain and mud dripped down his face.
D’Amico, running alongside his girlfriend, was among the hundreds to try out the Long Island Adventure Race 5K Obstacle/Mud Run at EPCAL in Calverton on Saturday.
“I train six days a week at L.A. Fitness,...
Read more »Students’ performance of 'Change at Jamaica' featured at Penn Station
Photo credit: Howard Schnapp
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Paul Moravec has seen his pieces performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center. Now, he can add Penn Station to that list.
When commuters pass by the video monitor located near the elevators at the station’s 34th Street entrance, they can watch a recording of the world premiere of Moravec’s latest work, “Change at Jamaica,” performed by student...
Read more »North Hempstead fireworks postponed by weather
Photo credit: Newsday, 2008 / J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Due to inclement weather, the Town of North Hempstead Fireworks Commemoration Extravaganza scheduled for today at North Hempstead Beach Park has been canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date. Please call 311 (within town limits) or 516-869-6311 for more information....
Read more »Smithtown approves plan to demolish 'eyesore' abandoned church
Photo credit: Erin Geismar
The Smithtown Town board has approved a plan to demolish an abandoned church that building inspectors said is unsafe.
At a public hearing Thursday, no one appeared on behalf of the Church of the Gospel Ministry, which had been located at 436 Edgewood Ave. in Smithtown. Town attorney John Zollo said attempts to reach church leaders were unsuccessful. Zollo said the church is an “unsafe structure”...
Read more »Long Islanders win big in ‘Wheel of Fortune’ NYC finale
Photo credit: Wheel of Fortune
When she was just learning how to spell, Jessica Stean would call out letters while watching “Wheel of Fortune” with her grandparents in their Westbury home.
As a loyal fan of the show, Stean, 29, of Westbury, has become much better through the years at solving its puzzles, and she was able to prove it during the episode that aired Friday night. Stean won $25,262 in cash and prizes, including...
Read more »No rival for Nissequogue mayor in re-election race
Photo credit: Brittany Wait
Barring a write-in campaign, Nissequogue Mayor Richard B. Smith will run unopposed for re-election next month.
Smith, 58, a banker who is seeking his seventh two-year term in the unpaid position, has served on the village board since becoming a trustee in 1991.
Trustee Lawrence Kenney and newcomer Christa Amato are unopposed for two open seats on the village board. Each seat carries...
Read more »Home repair permit fee waiver extended
Photo credit: Newsday/Audrey C. Tiernan
Hempstead Town is extending until Sept. 1 a program that waives home reconstruction and repair permit fees to help ease rebuilding efforts for homeowners still dealing with superstorm Sandy’s aftermath.
Hempstead Town officials established the temporary program in the wake of the storm for six months, but have since extended the deadline twice. The program allows for all Hempstead Town Building...
Read more »Long Beach voters approve $3M budget for library
Photo credit: Ian J. Stark
Voters passed the Long Beach library district’s nearly $3.4 million budget and re-elected trustee Alan Greenberg in Tuesday night’s election.
The budget did not include money to restock the West End library, which had generated protest from some residents of the West End neighborhood who said they would vote against the budget. The library was destroyed by superstorm Sandy.
The library...
Read more »N. Hempstead supervisors from 1784-2013
Photo credit: Howard Schnapp
The Town of North Hempstead, previously part of Hempstead, was formed in 1784 after a rift between the Patriots in northern section who were sympathetic to Revolutionary War cause and the Tories of southern Hempstead.
The town has since been led by 35 supervisors. The current supervisor, Jon Kaiman, of Great Neck, announced yesterday that he won’t seek re-election after 10 years in the post.
Adrian...
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