The-Leader_1981-12-24

              #:..
#•
• Ollicial
Newspaper
Village of
Freeport
•
Freeport
School Oistrict
•
Baldwin
School District
Z VEHPICK-P.D
• .O D
FREEPORT. NEW YORK. DECEMBER 24,1981
PRICE 2 5 * PER copy
Up 79« Per^lOO
Freeporters To Be Copies Available, Public
In UNICEFHIm
FILM STAR. Freeport soventh grader Steven Gu'erra'(2nd from I. In
front row of march) of Church Street and the Dodd Junior Hlgli School
Band are featured In a segmenf of a motion picture that was filmed
here in Freeport by UNICEF, the United Nations International
Children's Emergency Fund..The film, which depicts Steven —
who is blind — will be shown throughout the world as an example of
successful malnstreaming of handicapped youngsters.
" (A LEADER photo)
Secondary School Changes
Presented To Baldwin School Board
byJoanDelaiuy
BALDWIN - Recommendations concerning the secondary schools
and presentations by the Chairmen of the mathmematics, foreign
language, social studies, industrial arts and physical education departs
ments highlighted the December 16 Baldwin Board of Education
meeting. The meeting was comprehensive and len^hy and, with
additional business^genda items,
lasted until almost 1 am. to the Board in a month or two,
Donald Holquist. chairman of with recommendations. Hotquist
the mathematics department,— and guidance director Joseph
made recommendations in the , Mercurio expressed concern
FREEPORT - Twelve-and-a-half
year old Steven Guerra tells
the story best and simplest.
Explaining why he and his twin
brother, Frank, were being
followed around by a motion
picture camera crew, the blind
Dodd Junior High School seventh
grader wrote for THE LEADER:
"On Thursday, October first,
three people from UNICEF came
to talk to my brother and me.
They picked us to be in a movie
about programs for the handi­capped
in the [^.S. They are going
to be filming the ways that we.
cope'intlieclasses.''; ^•—*;::-.>~- .
"On October 24th, 4hey,will
take picutes of me playing the
trumpet at half-time in the band.
They will start filming in school
and at home in November."
. The crew did take footage of
Steven and the Dodd band at the
Freeport Municipal Stadium.
Steven, who is "mainstreamed"
in the tegular school program,
plays in the band. He also does a
lot of other things, besides
attending classes vrhh other
seventh grade students. He's a
Junior High School mathlete, for
example. Brother Frank, who is
visually handicapped, is also
mainstreamed and, in fact, has
gone out for trade.
When UNICEF decided to
produce a film on children with
(Cont. onPagelO)
Hearing Set For Jan. 4*^
FREEPORT - Village property ovimers can expect an increase in
vUlage taxes of 79« per $100 assessed valuation next year, if the
proposed 1982-83 municipal operating budget is approved next month
^L ^l Jn^^K ? ° ^ .°^ Trustees. A public hearing on the
$15,476,710.71 budget wUl be held Monday evening, January 4. at
8 pm, m Village HalL
Copies of the tenutree luie-by-
Ime budget are available at the
Office of the Villaige aerk.
Reading copies are also available
at the Freeport Memorial Library.
During the past two months,
the Village Board of Trustees had
met with their department heads
on , the-^budget. 'According, tot-
-vfllsge'spoke^icison, during that
time the Board had "honed
down" what might otherwise bad
t>een an mcrease of S13S per
$100.
The budget shows that munici­pal-
costs have increased $1.1
million from last year. The figures
also indicate some pluses on the
revenue side amounting to $1.4
million, but not all of that
amount will be used in fiscal year
1982-83. The total revenue
amount includes a special one­time
State grant of $898,219.
However, the village plans to
apply only 10% of that figure —
$89,800 — arid the interest
expected to be earned on the
banked balance — some
$90,000 — to budget year 1982-
•83.
The balance of the State grant
might be used in *a similar
manner, according to village
sources. The rem^niuR 90%.
a sum of more than $800,000,
could gb towards cash payments
of capital improvement projects
such as, a village. spokesperson
czpliJned, street Impmvements.
Thevinage's. budget-release ^Isb
noted' ^*-•feducthm "'of . the .
amoiint of bonded indebtedness,
if the rest of the grant was to be
used for that purpose, wmild also
lessen taxes over a 15-20 year
period, due to lower interest
payments over the years.
The one-time grant has. no
strings attached mandating its
use.
The plus side of the budget also,
shows a $100,000 increase
projected for next year's antici­pated
income for the Recreation
Department, due primarily to
increased revenues generated
froih the Recreation Center's
bubble-enclosed ice skating, rink.
The bubble allows for a longer
season and prevents weather-caused
closings.
The sale for $675,000 of the
(Cont. on Page e)
1/
Regents math program con­cerning
a change to an integrated
three year course which is state
approved. Tiis method of teach­ing
math is a correlated method,
unlike the layering method
presently used, whereby algebra
is taught one year, geometry the
next. etc. Holquist pointed out
the benefits of such a change,
citing the value of relating
concepts and information for
better understanding of the total
math process. Upon questioning,
it was noted that follow-up
studies have shown that students
taught in this manner do "as
good, if not better" than other
students. The Board also
approved a basic math survey
course.
Minimum math requirements
for graduation were approved so
that students must take one cTftlit
of math in grades 9-10 and one in
10-11. There was some discussion
about the procedural specifics of
this and Holquist said that they
would be worked out. He was also
directed to look into a three year
math requirement and to return
about such ' a requirement,
particularly as it would affect
lower track students.
Discussion followed on the use
of computers in the math program
and Holquist described the
inadequacy' of the number of
computers and the high rental
costs from BOCES. He indicated
that he would be coming to the
Board with a request for the
purchase of 10 additional com'
puters and it was noted that. «ith
the elimination of rental costs, the
payback would occur in approxi­mately
two-and-one-half years.
The importance of basic computer
literac)' and familiarity, as well as
its value in the job market, were
stressed.
Foreign language chairman.
Joseph Cardillo. presented a
request for a new eighth grade
language course. "Introduction to
Language," which would include
an introdurtion to the four foreign
lu}guages taught in the district
(French. Spanish. Italian and
German) as well as a Latin based
study of English. The value of the
•<Cont.ooPage7)
HORDES OF HAPPY HOLIDAY MERRYMAKERS thronged the Freeport Recreation Center Satur­day,
Decemt>er 19. lor the annual Holiday Festival, sponsored by the Freeport Chamt>er of Commerce
and the Freeport Recreation Department. More than 1.500 t>ags of goodies were given out to children
under ten and a "guess-timate" number of 2,000-plus young people of all ages enjoyed the afternoon
festivities. Music, entertainment, fun. Sarfla and Mrs. Claus and refreshments were all part of the
program