1969-05-29

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An Off cial Newspaper Of The Incorporated Village of Farmingdale - F>" ing- Greater Farmingdale, Bethpage and Melville
Vol. 6 No. 39 Second Class Postage has been paid at Parmlagdale. N. Y. 117SS Thursday, May 29, 1969
SPECIAL VOTE SET FOR
LIBRARY BLDG PURCHASE
The Farmingdale School Board has called a special School District
election for Saturday, June 28 to place before the voters a $ 250,000
bond issue referendum for the purchase of the South Farmingdale
Branch Library.
The action came Monday evening on the heels of the Albany
decision by Acting Commissioner of Education Ewald Nyquist last
week that although the school district technically had the right to set
the date of the library's budget and election vote, but that corrective
legislation should be made to allow the library to set its own date.
Library special attorney, Frederic Block had pointed out in Albany
that the school board had not even set a date for granting this pur­chase
option to the electorate which the Library Board of Trustees
had officially requested as a referendum.
The branch library has been renting the building under a fifteen
year lease for $ 25,000 per year. A library consultant had recom­mended
this action to the board and the board had found that a
majority of district voters were in favor of this action, according to a
written survey made this winter.
Library Board President Robert Callahhan said that he was pleased
that the school board had taken this action. He told The Observer that
in case the school budget was defeated, it could be put up for a second
vote on this date, and according to attorney Kendridk Smith, this
might also include the library budget.
Library Director Outlines Cutbacks if Budget Defeated
A Farmingdale Public Library
staff conference was called by
Library Director Orrin B. Dow on
Monday in order to give mem­bers
of the staff notice that if the
library budget is defeated, he
would have to recommend to the
Board of Trustees a curtailment
of servies necessitated by laying
off 29 parttime professional and
non- professional library em­ployees.
The cuts would be made
on the basis of seniority.
Library Director Dow ex­plained
that the Wednesday, June
11 voting date also marked the
end of the last payroll period for
the 196^ 69 fiscal year. Starting
Thursday, June 12, man hours
worked would be paid out of the
1969/ 70 operation budget. If the
library's request for tax ap­propriation
is defeated on the
June 11th, cutbacks of $ 49,000
would be made in services and
personnel of the library.
The Director said that he would
recommend to the Trustees the
abolition of seven librarians, 11
clerks and 11 library pages. Dow
also listed a schedule of shor­tened
hours for the South Far­mingdale
branch on Monday
from 1 to 9 p. m.; Tuesday 12 noon
to6p. m.; Wednesday; 9a. m. to5
p. m. Thursday; 12noon to 6 p. m.
and Friday, 1 to 5 p. m. and at the
main library: Monday: 1 to 9
p. m.; Tuesday, 12 noon to 5 p. m.
Wednesday, closed; Thursday 12
noon to 5 p. m. and Friday 12 noon
to 5 p. m.
Dow stated that due to
vacations in July and August, the
schedule would have to be further
reduced with a bookmobile
shutdown from July 1 to August
15 and the branch library hours
curtailed even more.
Library Trustee Carl E. Gorton
was present at the staff meeting.
He said that he was against the
press being invited to a staff
conference when the trustees had
not as yet taken action. He said
that he questioned why the 50
percent curtailment of services
were necessary with only a 12
percent cutback on the budget.
Members of the staff were
saddened by the thought of the
abolition of the summer reading
club program.
Schools Held Own Student
Exchange Programs
Main Street and Northside
Elementary Schools, recently
held their own " student ex­change"
program, the students
being members of their
respective school bands.
The Northside Band, under the
direction of Mrs. Mary Lou
Fleming, presented a concert in
the Main Street School
Auditorium.
The Main Street School Band
played an outdoor concert on the
Northside School Mall. This'
" concert on the green" is
believed to be the first in the
history of the local elementary
schools' music departments.
Oyster Bay Town Councilman Frank J. Hynes( left) and Ralph
Diamond climb aboard a sanitation vehicle to assist Joan M. Cable
during Bethpage Clean- Up Day. Mrs. Cable , Chairman of the Town
of Oyster Bay Regional Bethpage- Plainedge Beautification Com­mittee,
helped organize local residents to work together in making
May 19th a " Clean- up Day" in the community.
Newly elected officers of the South Farmingdale Fire Department
are: Roy Bazylewicz, first Assistant Chief, William Blekicki, Chief
and Gerard Eich, Second Assistant Chief. Contributions are still
being accepted for the annual fund drive
Photo by Greco