Sound Off: Weekly Recap

Here's the scoop on a couple items that got the Sachem community invested in our coverage. Click on the hyperlink to view the story again, and feel free to keep the comment chain going.

Siena Poll: 84 Percent Pan LIPA's Storm Response

It was to nobody's surprise in the Sachem community that Long Islanders were unhappy with the way LIPA handled the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, as hundreds of thousands of residents went without power for more than a week. What might have been surprising for some is that in the same Siena Poll that showed Long Island's angst with LIPA, it also reflected high ratings for Governor Cuomo and President Obama's response to the disaster. The report set off a healthy debate in the comments.

From Greg Martinez: "The coverage has been LIPA is bad but our government is good. Many will criticize LIPA, yet not realize that LIPA is government. A more accurate reflection of the truth is the failure of government, considering LIPA is a government authority. Rather than just attack LIPA our Governor and state legislature should look into a mirror to see where the real problem lies."

From John Rock: "LIPA and the Goverment both make a tortoise look fast during their response to sandy."

From Scott Model: "Well super disappointed in the fact Cuomo got such a high rating since LIPA answers to him All I saw was him complaining instead of taking action"

Talk Back: Is No Winter Break a Bad Break?

On Wednesday night the Sachem Board of Education voted to adopt Superintendent Nolan's suggestion and remove four days from the upcoming winter break. The cuts essentially gouges what is usually a lengthy vacation for both students and teachers.

Reaction to this decision was fairly split, with some residents supporting the measure as a necessary evil, and others panning it because it essentially wipes out any travel plans.

From John Corbisiero: "okay let's be honest here. You could cut those five days and still be fine in terms of education. It's really Albany that doesn't want to give schools a bit of wiggle room this year with the hurricane. You could miss a bunch of classes and still end up doing really well. I know I personally skipped a few AP English classes in my senior year to work on yearbook and other things and still ended up getting a 94 in the class for the year."

From Kara O'Brien via Facebook: "I saw so many comments yesterday about how "unfair" it is to the "poor kids" who had to suffer in the cold with no electricity and such. Here's my feeling: having that anger about an unavoidable situation just teaches your kids to think they are entitled to what they want, regardless of the circumstances. The days need to be made up, and that's the bottom line. If my kids complained to me the way some of these parents have been they'd get a big, fat, "suck it up, buttercup" from me. Life isn't always fair and we can't control the weather. Education should be top priority and not looked upon as punishment. They get plenty of days off already."

From Dr: "So what happens to teachers/staff and families who stand to lose a lot of $$ caneling planned vacations? will absences be considered illegal if vacation plans were made before the storm? Many of us do not plan vacations during school weeks even though they are less expensive as we do not purposely take our kids out of school. So my sons have 100% attendance. For past 3 years (middle school and HS) Not easy to do! Will they be absent illegally now as we will be away that week."

From P Mary: "It's not about vacations, it's about our kid's education. They missed a week and it should be made up so the teachers aren't doubling homework or skimming through lessons. Our kids take year end exams that are important and should be taken seriously...I think the board made the right decision and the teachers/parents should plan to attend school and deal with it. We can't control natural disasters, but we can what is best for our kids in spite of it."