Blogger Roundup: The Neighborhood Blogosphere

The Sachem community has no shortage of opinions, and our guest bloggers on Patch regularly contribute to the vibrant conversations that take place in the barber shop, on the street corner or in the parking lot after a school meeting. Patch brings those conversations into one meetinghouse. Here's a roundup of the latest blogs in our community.

Leslie Tayne extends her financial advice to offer some tips on how to get a killer Halloween costume right out of your closet without having to spend a lot of money. From a gypsy, to a pink lady, to Rosie the Riveter, Tayne runs down the ingredients for a whole gamut of costumes that work for both girls and boys.

For some costumes all you need is a button down shirt, a red bandana and some red lipstick! Check out this blog for some great advice on how to get through Halloween without spending a fortune.

Our Education guru Meryl Ain gives us a roundup this week of some news items effecting education around the country. First, she breaks the recent report that New York State will be administering an even tougher standardized test on adolescents this coming spring. The new tests are centered on the recent push to get instruction in line with the "Common Core" standards, a national effort that highlights what experts think students should be able to do and know.

Secondly, she calls out a Seattle-area school district that has banned Halloween costumes from being worn in school during these next couple weeks. The reason, according to the school, was not a case of political correctness, but a case of concern for students' academic success.

Lastly, she links to an interesting review of a play being performed in New York City that highlights the affects and challenges of autism. Click the hyperlink to read this informative roundup.

Looking Back: My Time (1973) as an Intern for a Congressman & This Election

TJ Clemente reflects on his experience as a Congressional intern when he was 20 years old in 1973. Clemente speaks about his role and responsibilities, and the political lessons he was taught by then-Congressman Mario Biaggi, who was later convicted on corruption charges and resigned from Congress in 1987.

Clemente also writes about sitting through the Watergate hearings and relates some of what he learned then, to what we might consider now, just a few weeks away from electing the President of the United States for the next four years. An interesting look at history that might help inform our future. Click the headline to read his blog.

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