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.

Five Education Stories To Watch in 2013

Education blogger Meryl Ain counts off the five hottest topics in education that will play out in the new year. From high stakes testing, to teacher evaluations, to school safety in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre, Ain boils down some of the key issues that most certainly will affect Sachem. Are you in favor of all this standardized testing of youths? Do you think it's fair for teachers to be evaluated based on how well their students perform on tests? Take a look at this blog and watch how these stories unfold in 2013.

Disastrous Sandy: The Financial Effects of a Historic Storm

We all know that Superstorm Sandy caused major physical and financial damage, but have you looked at all the numbers? Jon Ten Haagen examines the actual dollars and cents that the superstorm caused on local businesses, insurance companies, government municipalities and homeowners. This blog posts breaks down how devestating the storm was for uninsured or underinsured small business owners, and how those businesses may take years to recover. There is some good news, however, according to the post, some industries may see a boost in its numbers as a result of the storm.

Real Estate Provisions in “Fiscal Cliff” Bill

For those of you involved in real estate, or wondering how the "Fiscal Cliff" agreement is going to affect that sector, Linda L Manning-Koziatek breaks down some of the provisions of the new bill. The agreement reached by congress on January 1 will make new provisions at varying income levels, most affecting families that earn more than $250,000 per year. Read this blog post to find out also about how the Estate Tax will be altered, and other key tax issues that will impact investements and return on those investments.

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