Bethpage-Tribune_1994-09-02

              i COPIES
Bethpage Lib
•17 Powell Ave
Bethpage 117H
YOUR OFFICIAL HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER
Serving Bethpage, Island Trees. Plainedge, Seaford, Old Bethpage & Plainview
VOL 27 NO. 35 SEPTEMBER 2-8, 1994 25 CENTS
No Baseball Strike At
The Long Island Fair
"October Madness," a term
normally reserved for baseball's.
World Series, will take on a new
meaning this year at the 153rd
Long Island Fair, according to
Nassau County Executive Thomas
S. Gulotta. Whether the strike is -
still on or not, baseball fans will
be able to witness "Championship
Base Ball Matches" the way they
were played in the 19th Century,
long before .labor problems
plagued the sport.
The Fair will be held this year
from October 7th-1 Oth and 13th-
16th, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Old
Bethpage Village Restoration.
Baseball games will be held on
Saturday, Oct. 8th and 15th, Sun­day,
Oct. 9th and 16th and Mon­day,
Oct. 10th, beginning at 2 p.m.
each of those days in a field near
the Hewlett farm. (Overanxious
fans who would like a preview of
the championships can attend the
games at the Village at 2 p.m. each
day of the Labor Day weekend.)
Players will wear the uniforms
of the 19th Century and play by
the rules of either 1860's or 1880's
Hicksville Ozones as they complete
the Mineola Washingtons or the
Hempstead Eurekas as they play
in 1860's style with underhand
pitching and one-bounce catches.
Or they can cheer on the Freeport
Athletics, the Westburys or the
Hickville Ozones as they compete
in 1880's style with overhand
pitching and one-bounce strikes. _
This year's fair will also feature
the finest in 19th Century enter­tainment
set against the backdrop
of a restored pre-Civil War village
typical of rural Long Island. It will
include jugglers, elephant rides,
magic shows, square dancing,
concerts, stilt walkers, a menag­erie,
puppet shows and much
more. Traditional competitions
such as cross cut sawing and corn
husking contests will also be held.
In addition, on Saturday, October
8th at 11:15 a.m., a parade and
official ceremonies will take place
on the Fairgrounds. Visitors will
also see the timber framework of
the main Exhibition Hall originally
built in the 1860s on the old
Queens County Fairgrounds and
now being reconstructured at Old
Bethpage. Completion is expected
in time for next year's fair.
The Fair, which has been held
almost every year since its incep­tion,
was originally called the
"Queens County Fair and Cattle
£hbw;," reflecting the fact:that
Nassau was then part of Queens
County. In those days, there was
no permanent fairground. For the
first 20 years of its existence, the
Fair was more Hke a road show,
hopping around from year to year
between Hempstead, Jamaica and
Flushing. If finally found a home
in 1866 in Mineola, where it stayed
for over 70 years before it was
moved to make way for the county
office complex on Old Country
Road. Until 1969, the fair was
housed at Roosevelt Raceway in
Westbury, where its rural flavor
was severely compromised by the
infusion of industrial exhibits and
a honky-tonk midway that
included freak shows.
The fair returned to its roots in
1970 when it was moved to the
newly-opened. Old Bethpage Vil­lage
Restoration. The Midway was
eliminated and the emphasis again
was on agriculture and livestock.
Still at its heart today are thou­sands
of agricultural and craft
displays, including needlework,
livestock, vegetables, flowers and
baked goods, all contained under
colorful tents. Jelly apples, cider,
doughnuts, peanuts, pumpkins,
apples and gifts will be available
for purchase. A cafeteria is located
in the Restoration's modern recep­tion
center.
Admission is $6 for adults and
$3 for children ages 5-12 and
senior citizens 60 and over. Park­ing
is free. Shuttle buses will take
visitors from auxiliary parking
areas to the Village entrance.
Disabled patrons and senior citi-
'; (Continued on Page 5)
Hannon Honors
Law Contest Winner
Senator Kemp Hannon (R-Nassau) congratulates Jill Bader of
Plainview/Old Bethpage Middle School, who is thewinner of his annual
"There Ought To Be A Law" contest for that school. Senator Hannon
presented Jill with a certificate honoring the achievement at an awards
ceremony attended by the winners from each school, their families,
teachers and school administrators.
This year, almost 1,500 sixth-grade students from 31 public and
private elementary schools participated in the contest, which required
each participant to submit one suggestion for a new law in New York
State. Jill's winning entry proposed that automobiles be equipped with
a mechanism to determine a drivers' blood alcohol content, and to
prevent the operation of the vehicle, if necessary.
Senator Hannon (I) is pictured with contest winner Jill Bader (third
from left), as well as (l-r) Jill's father Lew, mother Meryl, brother Scott,
brother Eric, and teacher Emily O'Brien.
Bethpage Day Celebration
The Bethpage Central Park Histor­ical
Society cordially invites your
organization to participate in the
5th Annual Bethpage Day to be
held on October 1st 1994 in the
Bethpage Community Park.
AS IN YEARS PAST, YOUR PAR­TICIPATION
IS ONE OF THE KEY
INGREDIENTS THAT HAS MADE
BETHPAGE DAY SO
SUCCESSFUL.
Please contact Len Mulqueen (Pres­ident
of the Central Park Historical
Society) on or before September
9th by phone ctt 935*2674 any day
offer 4 p.m. to reserve a prime
space for your organization. . >• •