Celebrate Shinnecock Heritage Day today at Southampton Town Hall

Long Island Morning Edition

As the number of English-language learning students increases across Long Island, education advocates say teachers certified for bilingual-education classes are becoming harder to find. The lack of proper bilingual education could hurt the academic performance of English-language learners, advocates and educators say. Darwin Yanes reports in NEWSDAY that some see a need to provide teachers with incentives to pursue bilingual-education certification.

Newsday reported in July that the number of bilingual-education students in Long Island schools rose about 60% the past decade — to a total of 43,675.

Christa Stevenson, director of the Long Island Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network, said a bilingual-education certification, also known as an extension, is often looked at as "an afterthought" by college students seeking to become teachers.

"If we had [institutions of higher education] taking bilingual education more seriously, we could address all those issues in our teacher prep programs before we get to the point where we’re at a shortage," she said.

Her organization provides technical assistance, professional development and program consultation services to all Long Island school districts regarding the education of English-language learners. The agency is funded through the state Education Department’s Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages and administered by Eastern Suffolk BOCES.

Stevenson noted that having an established bilingual-education program at a school with mentors who help guide younger educators could be part of a solution. A strong support system for bilingual educators is key, she said.

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Today is Shinnecock Heritage Day at Southampton Town Hall in Southampton Village with a celebration of the federally recognized tribe’s 10,000-year history and its impact on Long Island. All are invited to join the commemoration from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM today.

Joe Werkmeister reports in NEWSDAY that earlier this year, the Southampton town board voted to designate every Oct. 1 as Shinnecock Heritage Day. The day marks the 14th anniversary of the federal government's decision to recognize the Shinnecock as the United States' 565th federally recognized tribe.

This afternoon’s event will offer traditional food tastings, ceremonies and a panel discussion. The talk will feature tribal members discussing the nation’s history and current state of affairs.

Bryan Polite, the former chairman of the Shinnecock Indian Nation, is scheduled to speak on the panel along with Lisa Goree, the current chairwoman, as well as Bianca Collins, the council secretary, and others.

"It’s really an event for us to talk about the enormous amount of contributions, the enormous amount of cultural pride the Shinnecock Nation has provided to the Southampton community and also to Long Island as a whole," Polite said.

That’s Shinnecock Heritage Day at Southampton Town Hall today from 4pm to 6pm. It’s free and all are welcome.

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The Town of Southampton Youth Bureau will host an Open Mic Night on Friday, October 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Nice Place Coffee, 41 N. Phillips Avenue, Suite #4 in Remsenburg-Speonk. As reported on 27east.com, performing is free and open to youth in grades five through 12. Acoustic performers and bands, karaoke, spoken word, poetry and comedic acts are all welcome to participate. Another Open Mic Night will be hosted at Hampton Coffee Company, 749 County Road 39A in Southampton on Friday, November 1, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Reserve your performance slot by emailing [e-mail] or call 631-702-2425.

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Seventy-two Long Island high schools have been named 2023-24 Schools of Distinction or Schools of Excellence by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. Michael R. Ebert reports in NEWSDAY that the School of Distinction status requires that 100% of a school’s varsity teams receive the association’s Scholar-Athlete team award, while School of Excellence status requires that 75% of varsity teams receive the award, the association said. To qualify for the Scholar-Athlete award, 75% of a team’s players must have a grade-point average for the season equal to or greater than 90%.

This year, 114 schools statewide were awarded the Schools of Distinction designation and 226 were given the Schools of Excellence designation.

“The efforts made by student-athletes in the classroom are paramount to their success in the athletic arena, and beyond their high school days,” said the association’s executive director, Robert Zayas.

Eastern Suffolk schools named Schools of Distinction are Center Moriches, East Hampton, Greenport, Miller Place, Patchogue-Medford, Pierson in Sag Harbor, Riverhead Charter School, Roslyn, Shelter Island, Shoreham-Wading River, and Westhampton Beach.

Long Island’s high schools named Schools of Excellence include east end schools Hampton Bays, Mattituck, Riverhead, Southampton, and Southold.

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Returning to work after the death of a loved one can cripple employees’ well-being if companies ignore their needs, which may derail the careers of young professionals and spur them to search for more accommodating workplaces, according to a 2023 Bankrate survey.

If employers don't handle the situation well, it can hurt a company's ability to recruit, threaten overall productivity, and deflate the morale of other workers.

As reported in Newsday, the issue is intertwined with a broader struggle that companies face when trying to hire and retain employees younger than 27. That demographic overwhelmingly prefers employers who allow them greater flexibility in general, according to the Bankrate survey…which indicated that 78% of Gen Z workers wanted a new job within a year.

Employers have to pay about twice the cost of a staffer’s salary to replace them, according to Gallup.

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The East Hampton Town Board will hold a public hearing this coming Thursday, October 3, on a proposed change to the town code pertaining to shellfish that would allow it to set the opening and closing dates of town waters to the harvesting of bay scallops to align with those of the Town Trustees, who likewise set the dates for harvesting in waters under their jurisdiction.

Thursday’s public hearing follows the Trustees’ vote last week to open the season for the taking of scallops from Trustee waters at sunrise on November 10 and close it at sunset on March 31, 2025.

Christopher Walsh reports on 27east.com that this year, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has set the opening of scallop season in state waters for November 4. The Trustees have typically waited until the following Sunday to open their waters, both to allow additional time for scallops to spawn and mature and, by opening their waters on a Sunday, allow recreational harvesters the opportunity to dig for scallops.

The East Hampton Town Board has authority to manage the taking of shellfish in Montauk, where the Trustees do not have jurisdiction. Management of the harvesting of shellfish in other town waters is vested in the Trustees. The town code, as presently worded, stipulates that if no resolution is passed for the upcoming season, town waters open on the third Monday of October.

Councilman David Lys said that a vote on the East Hampton Town Board’s resolution could happen as soon as October 8, “which will give us enough time for this to be in effect, hopefully, for the upcoming season, based on the DEC’s calendar.”

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Long Island Morning Edition is part of Your Election 2024, a special collection of programs, series, and resources from The WNET Group to illuminate election issues on-air, online, and on YouTube leading into the November 5th elections. Find more at wliw.org/yourelection2024.