Tina Finocchiaro, student from Massapequa High School and Barry Tech, took first place during the New York State Regional SkillsUSA Conference, held at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Farmingdale in March.

Finocchiaro studies graphic design at Barry Tech and won her award in the Job Interview (CSE) category. She is among the students from the Nassau BOCES Joseph M. Barry Career and Technical Education Center (Barry Tech) who will compete in state championships in Syracuse, New York, in April. SkillsUSA is a national student organization

which promotes professionalism, leadership skills and teamwork. For more information, visit the Barry Tech web site at www.barrytech.org.

Shown in the photo, Assemblyman Joseph Saladino made a generous donation of $5,000 to McKenna Elementary School's Garden of Knowledge. Saladino is a product of the Massapequa Public Schools.