February 24, 2011 - ISLIP BULLETIN 5

Showing solidarity against bullying and suicide

WI students spread a message they hope students take to heart
No one laughed at the brave students who shared their feelings and sad experiences. The girls recalled that everyone sat in silence during the presentation. WEST ISLIP Members of the Kids [were] crying, listening to peoples class of 2014 took the bull by the horns, stories, DiPalma said. so to speak, in regard to spreading an The girls think that students in their anti-bullying message that focuses on class related to the stories in some way, love and kindness in their school. The having also experienced some of the project, P.S. I Love You Day, included feelings of the speakers. an awareness week (Feb. 7-11) leading I think that kids realized, after hearing up to a school-wide demonstration stories, what they had to do to be better of solidarity against bullying, suicide people, said DiPalma. and depression. Through their effort, Weve had assemblies before trying to students hoped to spread the message make us all kinder to each other, but when that being nice matters. [the message] comes from somebody else Freshman class president Brooke who you dont know, or an adult, nobody DiPalma faced a devastating personal really listens. Having Brooke, Caitlyn tragedy last year. The experience and other students talk, there was no motivated her to start a kindness disrespect, Gatto said. movement in her school. Following the assembly, purple ribbons Every single high school in America were sold at lunch periods every day for has at least one bullying problem. I just a week as a fundraiser. The students plan wanted kids to be kinder to each other. to donate half of the proceeds from the I came up with this day to [help my sale to Americas Foundation for Suicide class] realize that everyone has issues, Prevention. The rest of the money they whether it is in school with friends or raised will go to support future projects. with family. When you get a bad grade On Feb. 11, everyone was invited to or have a bad day [it would be great if] wear purple to show solidarity against you could have a constant reminder that bullying, depression and suicide. DiPalma someone in this world will always love also spread the word on Facebook, inviting you no matter what. One night, when I community members and West Islip High was thinking about what I went through School alumni to support the event by personally, the name [P.S. I Love You] wearing purple. High School Principal Dr. just came to me, she said. DiPalma explained how powerful kind The freshmen students who started P.S. I Love You project at their high school are seen here Anthony Bridgeman happily encouraged the initiative. messages can be; how they can comfort wearing the signature purple to bring attention to their cause. IB/Christie. Kids need to have a voice and Im glad someone deeply. She proposed the idea to give them that voice, he said. to the other class ofcers, who loved it. At the assembly, Cosentino gave an opening speech. Jennifer Burlandi and Jaclyn Jacobs, Then the students got to work planning She thanked the teachers for helping with the project both English teachers, co-advise the class of 2014. the week, in collaboration with teacher advisors as well and introduced the purpose of the presentation. I asked I am so proud of these guys. I am proud of the heart as the aid of class vice president Caitlin Cosentino, class everyone to be respectful of the speakers because it was and hard work they put into this project, said Burlandi. ofcer Kristin Gatto and other members of the freshman so hard for them to come up in front of the class, she The initiative is amazing. Looking around and seeing class who volunteered to speak publicly. Together, the said. all the purple today brings a tear to my eye, added students created a motto to guide the mission: The freshmen class, which is comprised of Jacobs. Tragedy should not be the force for togetherness. approximately 400 students, appeared to appreciate The girls have a vision for the project. They want it Togetherness should be the force that ends tragedy, the assembly. The girls were oored by their peers to spread beyond the walls of West Islip High School said Cosentino. compassionate response. and into schools all across the country. Some of their The week kicked off with a student-run assembly We were very nervous, being in ninth grade and having friends and relatives have already taken the idea to their exclusively for the class of 2014, where freshmen shared just started high school. At that age, you are immature, schools. stories of bullying and personal loss. whether you want to admit it or not. You have that We dont need a tragedy to have togetherness. We Weve had tragedies in this town and we knew of tendency to laugh at things because you are nervous, should be already there, said Gatto. [students] who were directly affected by them. Everyone DiPalma explained. we asked to speak said yes, said Gatto. By LOREN ELIZABETH CHRISTIE

Legislators respond
Weighing in on the State of the County
By LIZ FINNEGAN SUFFOLK COUNTY At last weeks State of the County speech, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy listed some sobering statistics regarding the scal crisis local taxpayers would be facing this year in light of the cuts in funding promised by Albany. He offered a bevy of plans he hopes to get underway to put the county on track with dealing with that decit. Legislators for Islip Town weighed in on what he had to say. Legislator Bill Lindsay (D-Holbrook), Presiding Ofcer, said he did not attend the speech but listened to it online. He noted, There wasnt anything new said. [Levy spoke] about issues that have been going on for years. Lindsay said during the speech, the Executive took credit for certain items that he didnt initiate, such as the Fourth Precinct building going green. He added that after vetoing the legislatures proposal last year for 200 replacement police ofcers, the Executive has now taken credit for implementing it. Lindsay said he nds the proposed spending cap very confusing. Its not a simple issue. Im not sure we even need it. Even [Levy] said we are spending less this year. Lindsay said that if spending is to be lowered even further, the reasons for doing so need to be much clearer. Well be looking at this as time goes on, he said, adding that the proposal may need to be adjusted with more information. Legislator Tom Cilmi (R-Bay Shore) said he did not attend the speech in person, but after careful review, he noted that some items stood out in his mind, for one, streamlining the permit process for online access to all residents. I talked about it in my 2009 campaign, Cilmi said. I was concerned with the bureaucracy [of the permit process] on all levels of government, he noted. Government gets in the way of getting projects done. Cilmi pointed to the Wolkopf housing and business project in Brentwood and the Nassau County Lighthouse project that have both been buried under bureaucratic red tape for years. People get fed up, he said. Cilmi said the county would ask towns to join their effort to get the permit process online where applicants would be able to not only le a permit but also track its progress. Its common sense and its important to the economic [vitality] on Long Island, he added. This year, Albany will cut more than $40-million of state aide to Suffolk County, the largest cut ever. Taxpayers, already burdened by taxes, are bracing for the worst year yet. Cilmi said that he agrees with Levy on pension and health care reform, which are all mandated costs. The mandated budget is eating away at the non-mandated budget, he said. Regarding the policy of offering free health care in county pensions, he said, We are starving todays workforce to pay for people who used to work. Legislator Lindsay said he is all for pension reform. Ive been saying it for a long time that something has to be done with the pension. Theres a $46 million increase this year. We cant afford it anymore, he said, adding that it has to be further examined, especially since there are $135 billion in the states reserves where only $7.5 billion is paid in benets. It seems the pension fund is very well funded, he noted. Lindsay, who has been a longtime proponent of the Suffolk County-run John J. Foley Skilled Nursing Home in Yaphank, wasnt happy with the recent court ruling to close the facility, which had been a Levy money-saving proposal after the legislators vetoed down a $36 million sale last year to a private operator. The closure displaces the 264 residents and eliminates 250 jobs. The battle isnt totally over, Lindsay said, noting that employees have hired an attorney to block the closure. If they are successful, maybe then [Levy] will open his mind on this issue. The ofce of Legislator Tom Barraga (RWest Islip) was contacted to contribute to this article, but he was away and would not return until after deadline.