April 29: School Budget Views, Wine Tasting, New Policy and Weekend Planner

Yes, Friday has arrived and we do have some exciting events in store, but first we take today to go more in depth with our look at the local school budgets, hearing from residents in West Hempstead about their stance on the issue.

We also introduce you to a new school food policy, celebrate an Olympic champ from Malverne and much more.

Here's a list of the top stories for April 29:

1. Residents React to School Budget: Patch continues its Community Voices series today in which we give local residents a platform for expressing their views on the proposed school budgets in Malverne and West Hempstead. Click here to find out what this local mom had to say about keeping extra-curriculars off the chopping block. Also, take a look at how senior citizens in the neighborhood are coping with the rising school taxes by clicking here.
2. Raise Your Glass: Join your neighbors in Malverne tonight for the Civic Association's Evening of Good Taste. The wine tasting event will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the American Legion Post 44, featuring Long Island wines, food and entertainment. For a sneak peak at what to expect
3. New School Food Policy: Following in the footsteps of local public schools, St. Thomas the Apostle School in West Hempstead adopted a Health and Wellness Policy earlier this month to address the quality of the food served to students. See what the new guidelines will entail later today.
4. Olympic Inspiration: The members of the Malverne track team received extra motivation to run their hearts out during a recent track meet. They were in the presence of former Olympic gold medalist Derrick Adkins, who also happens to be a graduate of Malverne High School. The star athlete made an appearance at a track meet held in his name on Tuesday. Check out the photos this afternoon.
5. Weekend Plans: At noon today, visit Patch to get the scoop on the top local events happening this weekend, including an Easter Egg Hunt in Malverne (It was rescheduled due to last Saturday's rain.) and some fun things for the adults too. Plus, later today find out what homes in Malverne and West Hempstead will be holding open houses this weekend.

Patch is still recruiting bloggers to take part in an exciting new feature coming to Patch in May. Whether you have previous blogging experience or you just love to write about topics that interest you, send an email to Tara.Conry@Patch.com to learn more.