📢News

🌾Rural New York's Support System: Essential for Long Island Communities

A group of nonprofits is pushing to bring back New York's Office of Rural Affairs. This matters a lot for places like Lynbrook and East Rockaway, since these suburbs get many basic needs from rural areas.

Think about Nassau County's water supply - it comes from groundwater sources in Suffolk County and upstate New York. And that's just the start. Michael J. Borges, who runs the Rural Housing Coalition, points out that rural areas give us our food and water. NYC's water comes from upstate too.

The suburbs need good roads, water systems, and sewers to work with rural areas. Rural communities want the same support for their basic needs that cities get. Right now, the MTA gets lots of money, but rural areas need help with their roads and water systems too.

Governor Kathy Hochul might be just the person to help. She's from upstate New York herself, so she knows what rural areas need. The plan is to get money in her budget to restart the Office of Rural Affairs, which would speak up for rural communities.

By helping rural New York, we help everyone - from farmers to city folks to suburban families. It's all connected.

 🌟 McVey Elementary Shines Among NY's Best Schools

Great news for the East Meadow community! McVey Elementary School just got some well-deserved recognition. The school ranked 51st in New York State and grabbed the 7th spot in Nassau County, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2025 rankings.

Principal Kerry Dunne couldn't be prouder of his team. "Being among the top schools in the state again is quite an honor," he said. The ranking comes from looking at how well students do in reading, math, and other main subjects.

What makes McVey special? It's the teachers and staff who never stop trying to do better. They really believe in their students and help create a warm, fun place to learn. As Principal Dunne likes to say, "excellence has no finish line."

The East Meadow School District is celebrating this big win. It shows just how much McVey Elementary brings to their local community and helps kids succeed.

🎨Cards Bring Mental Health Support to More Hospitals

What started as a small project by high school student Aleena Zeejah has grown into something much bigger. Her "Cards for Mental Health" program now works with four hospitals, double the number since it began. The project brings teens together to make caring cards for people getting mental health care.

The idea came from Zeejah's AP Human Geography class, where she worked on a project sending cards to cancer patients. Though she hasn't faced mental health issues herself, seeing friends and family deal with them moved her to help. "Mental health has always been something close to me and my heart," she says.

At a recent card-making event at Oceanside Library, students shared why they got involved. Madeline Haefner wants people to know they're not alone. Julianna Calabrese sees it as a way to support others, while Danielle Vivona likes doing something nice for the community.

The program has grown from just a few volunteers to many Oceanside High School students taking part. Their teacher Jennifer Wolfe notes how student-led projects like this matter more than ever, as many young people face mental health challenges after the pandemic.

🚂 Long Island Rail Road Sets New Records for Being On Time

The Long Island Rail Road is doing better than ever at getting people where they need to go on time. Their trains hit a 95.6% on-time rate in 2024, the best they've done since they started keeping track (not counting COVID years).

This good news comes just as New York City starts charging cars $9 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street. More people are choosing to take the train instead of driving - weekday train rides are up to 80% of what they were before COVID, compared to 77% last year.

Governor Kathy Hochul recently took a train ride to Syosset to show people how good the service is. She wants folks to know taking the train is a smart choice now that driving into the city costs more.

Not everyone's totally happy though. Some say that just looking at on-time numbers doesn't tell the whole story. Things like how often trains run and how comfortable the ride is matter too. But for now, the numbers show the LIRR is doing a good job getting people to work on schedule.

New York Islanders vs. Carolina Hurricanes
📅 Sunday, January 26, 2025
⏰ 11:30 AM AEDT
📍 UBS Arena, Belmont Park, 2400 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont, NY 11003

New York Islanders vs. Colorado Avalanche
📅 Wednesday, January 29, 2025
⏰ 11:30 AM AEDT
📍 UBS Arena, Belmont Park, 2400 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont, NY 11003

New York Islanders vs. Carolina Hurricanes
📅 Saturday, January 25, 2025
⏰ 11:30 AM AEDT
📍 UBS Arena, Belmont Park, 2400 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont, NY 11003

5th Annual Masquerade Ball
📅 Saturday, January 25, 2025
⏰ 12:00 PM
📍 Cancun Long Island, 206 W Old Country Rd, Hicksville, NY 11801

Winter Pop Up Shop
📅 Sunday, January 26, 2025
⏰ 4:00 AM - 9:00 AM
📍 Long Beach, NY 11561

LIR Masquerade with Andre @ Stereomatic @ Cancun LI
📅 Saturday, January 25, 2025
⏰ 12:00 PM
📍 Cancun Long Island, 206 W Old Country Rd, Hicksville, NY 11801

Seal Watch Sightseeing Brunch Cruise
📅 Monday, January 27, 2025
⏰ 3:00 AM - 6:00 AM
📍 Sapphire Cruises, 28 Woodcleft Ave, Freeport, NY 11520

Sapphire Yacht Charters Comedy Night
📅 Sunday, January 26, 2025
⏰ 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
📍 Sapphire Yacht Charters, 11 Richmond St, Freeport, NY 11520

CRF Annual Gala
📅 Sunday, January 26, 2025
⏰ 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM
📍 Crest Hollow Country Club, 8325 Jericho Turnpike, Woodbury, NY 11797

Saturday Space Lab: Space Telescopes & the Wonders of Lunar New Year
📅  Sunday, January 26, 2025
⏰ 12:00 pm1:00 pm
📍 Cradle of Aviation Museum, Charles Lindbergh Blvd, Garden City, NY 11530

Bouncing for Kindness
📅  Saturday, January 25, 2025
⏰  06:00 PM - 8:00 PM
📍 Bounce Family Entertainment Center, 300 Michael Dr Unit 30, Syosset, NY

GLOW LGBTQ @ Cancun Long Island
📅 Sunday, January 26, 2025
⏰  7:00 PM - 11:00 PM
📍 Cancun Long Island, 206 W Old Country Rd, Hicksville, NY 11801

Live Music by Witches Brew
📅 Sunday, January 26, 2025
⏰ 6:00 AM - 9:00 AM
📍 DOX, 10 Broadway, Island Park, NY 11558

Category Rocks Dox
📅 Monday, January 27, 2025
⏰ 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
📍 DOX, 10 Broadway, Island Park, NY 11558

Track 9 Duo at J. Paul's!
📅 Saturday, January 25, 2025
⏰  7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
📍 J. Paul's Terrace Cafe, 239 Merrick Rd, Oceanside, NY 11572

The Warped Tour Band - LBNY
📅 Sunday, January 26, 2025
⏰ 8:00 PM - 11:45 PM
📍 Minnesota's Long Beach, 959 W Beech St, Long Beach, NY 11561

Live at the Alley
📅 Saturday, January 25, 2025
⏰ 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM
📍 Woodmere Lanes and Backstage, 948 Broadway, Woodmere, NY, United States

Voices of Compassion Tour - Long Island, NY: Nasheed Nights for Orphans
📅 Saturday, January 25, 2025
⏰ 12:00 PM AEDT
📍 Long Island Marriott, 101 James Doolittle Boulevard, Uniondale, NY 11553

Live Music by Echoes of the Eagles
📅 Sunday, January 26, 2025
⏰ 08:00 PM
📍 DOX, 10 Broadway, Island Park, NY, United States

THANKS!

Thanks for reading 516 Update! Stay tuned for the next edition!!