A program to help Copiague students learn string instruments that was about to fold is instead raising the bar.

The D’Addario Foundation since 2013 has been giving nearly two dozen Copiague elementary and middle school students free lessons on violin, viola and cello. Starting this month, the foundation is intensifying the program by forming the Ascenté Chamber Orchestra. The students will now be practicing in pairs instead of large groups and will perform more difficult pieces as an ensemble.

“It will be highly personalized and I can work toward their individual level,” said read more ››

We need access to a potent tool if Long Island is to protect its future: a simple state designation recognizing the economic power of multifamily rentals.

It has long been established that Long Island is in dire need of more affordable rental housing. Its merits are self-evident. The availability of more multifamily rental housing prevents the loss of young people – the brain drain – whose exodus to other parts of our tri-state region and the country undermines the economy, the viability of local businesses and our very future. Without access to an educated, dynamic workforce, there read more ››