1972-11-02

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AN OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE VILLAGE OF FARMINGDALE
SERVING THE GREATER FARMINGDALE AREA, BETHPAGE AND MELVILLE
VOL. 10 NO. 11 Second Class Postage has been paid at Fajmingdale, N. Y. 11735
Published by THE OBSERVER, Inc.. Box 146. Farmingdale, N. Y. Thursday, iMovember 2, 1972 » 15c
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Publishing Record By
Observer/ Tribune Group
For the second time in the past three weeks, the five OB­SERVER'TRIBUNE
Community Newspapers set a record of
sorts by publishing a total of 124 pages of news, commentaries,
analyses, and advertising. This was accomplished without any
special sales promotions or other efforts to increase the editorial
and or advertising contents of the newspapers, indicating a high
degree of general public acceptance.
There is, however, a major promotional effort by the OB­SERVER
TRIBUNE Community Newspapers in the works -- a
special Christmas Edition which will be mailed to 50,000
households in Farmingdale, the Massapequas, Seaford, Bellmore,
Wantagh and Levittown.
With 50,000 households as recipients, this special Christmas
edition promises to be an excellent sales instrument for local
merchants as well as a valuable shopping guide for consumers
ready to spend their Christmas Club money. Scheduled
publication date is December 7, advertising deadline November
30.
The five OBSERVER/ TRIBUNE Community Newspapers are
the Farmingdale Observer, Massapequan Observer, Seaford
Wantagh Observer, Bellmore Merrick Observer, and Levittown
Tribune. More information regarding the special Christmas
edition is available by calling 735- 4567 ( from Farmingdale the
Massapequas, Levittown) or 799- 1808 ( from the Seaford Wantagh
Bellmore Merrick area).
School Bus
Local 2 Independent of Far­mingdale
School bus drivers
demonstrated Wednesday before
the school's administration
building on Conklin Street and
later marched on Main Street to
bring their grievances to the
attention of the public. George
Kessler, president of Local 2,
stated the reason for this job
action: " We are protesting,
because retroactive pay has
been withheld from our members
even though the wage
stabilization board approved it."
According to the union, voters
in school district 22 had approved
retroactive pay in June 1971. It
was pointed out by the union that
neither the school administration
nor the bus company has ex­pressed
any willingness to ap­prove
those outstanding
payments which amount to ap­proximately
$ 500.00 per driver.
A spokesman for the school
administration flatly refused to
be drawn into the controversy.
" The bus drivers are not em­ployees
of the school district and
their demonstration is
misdirected." he said. " We have
made a contract with the bus
company. Any problems of that
sort will have to settled between
the employer ( County Bus, Inc.)
HALLOWEEN SURPRISE: Oyster Bay Town Councilman
Gregory W. Carman presents a Halloween surprise package to seven
year old Lydia Rodrieguez of Farmingdale at a Halloween parade
sponsored by the Farmingdale Kiwanis Club at the Main Street
School Lydia s twin sister. Inelissa, and ten year old Frank Koone.
also of Farmingdale. look on.
Two- Sides Parking Returns
To Main Street on Nov. 7
It's back to July 31,1971 on Main Street in Farmingdale. This was the last day
on which simultaneous parking on both sides of the street was permitted. Star­ting
November 7, those old times will return. The alternate- side- of- the- street
parking instituted August 1, 1971 will be rescinded, parking on both sides of the
street every day will be permitted again.
Thus ends an experiment audience was there for was Main
the
an
which, according to the Women's
Club of Farmingdale, had the
blessing and enthusiastic support
of the local lady shoppers but
which also, according to Main
Street merchants, hurt them very
badly and aggravated an already
serious economic situation.
Both of these views were
presented succinctly, and at
times forcefully, at Monday's
village board meeting, which,
among other things, had on the
agenda a hearing dealing with
the village parking ordinance.
The other things on the agenda
were gone through rather
quickly. What the overflow
Cry Foul
and the bus drivers. The bus
company has not requested
additional moneys from us and I
doubt very much whether we
would comply to the request since
retroactive payments have been
overriden by wage price
regulations."
Although the school bus drivers
have been advised by their legal
council to go on strike, the local
has not ( yet) contemplated any
such action. " The buses will keep
" rolling," a spokesman for the
union said, without, however,
specifying how long.
County Bus, Inc. could not be
reached for any comment.
Street parking. And what
village board was faced with was
a situation in which it would be
damned if it did, and damned if it
did not do. Or as mayor John
Hallahan said, " Tonight we can't
win."
Speaking in favor of retention
of the present alternate- side- of-the-
street parking regulation
were Nancy Gillies, Helen
Wagner, whose argument was
made on behalf of the 120
members of the Farmingdale
Women's Club, Louise Stanford,
and Francis van Hassel. The
ladies' view was that the alter­nate
side parking rule accelerated
appreciably the traffic flow on
the relatively narrow street,
made driving through safer and
more convenient and, together
with the recently planted trees,
made Main Street altogether
more of a pleasure place to shop.
The ladies made the point that
the service and merchandise
offered is the determining factor
in the public's patronage or lack
thereof, and not the reduced
availability of front door parking,
especially in view of the fact that
parking behind most of the Main
Street stores is available and the
walk to the stores in no instance
is longer than the distances that
must be covered in most of the
shopping centers.
This view was roundly rejected
by the merchants present. Many
of them pointed out that out- of-town
shoppers, primarily
customers utilizing their lunch
hour, are neither aware of
behind- the- stores parking nor
inclined to either search for side
street parking or risk a five
dollar ticket
Although some of the mer­chants
readily acknowledged
that not all the blame for
declining sales receipts can be
placed on the missing Main
Street parking places, the point
was repeatedly made that in
some instances the loss of
business attributed to alternate
( Continued on Page 9)
Carman Wants Light
For Farmingdale Park
Oyster Bay Town Councilman
Gregory Carman has announced
that he intends to ask the Town
Board to appropriate funds to
obtain four portable lighting units
for the Heisser Lane (" Doc"
Allen) Park in Farmingdale.
Carman said that the lights he
is proposing are transportable
and could be used at other
locations for afterdark Town-sponsored
functions.
" Our primary aim, however, is
to provide lighting at the Far­mingdale
park for such com­munity
activities as midget
football so that greater utilization
can be made of these recreational
facilities," Carman said.
Civic Associations Invite Comments
A
On Alternate Master Plan Proposals
The Dolphin Green, Viceroy and Frances Manor
Civic Associations of Farmingdale, having been
assured an open ear in regards to their objections
to the Town of Oyster Bay Master Plan proposals,
are presently busy formulating alternatives to the
proposed construction of multiple dwellings in
Farmingdale.
In order to express the feelings of the com­munity
as much as possible the Civic Associations
have issued a call to all organizations and
residents to forward their ideas on the Master
Plan proposals. All letters should be addressed to:
Dolphin Green Civic Association, 17 Valpage
Street, Farmingdale, N. Y.
The alternate proposals are expected to be made
publue during a public meeting with Oyster Bay
Supervisor John W. Burke and members of the
town board on November 17 at Farmingdale
Senior High School.
Further commenting on the Master Plan and the
upcoming meeting on November 17, the Dolphin
Green Civic Association has issued the following
statement:
Review of the three pages dedicated to the
zoning problems in Farmingdale ( out of a total
number of 53 pages in the report) indicates that
tiie planning board did not spend too much time
regarding the multiple problems facing our
community today. The recommendation in the
report to construct 120 more apartment units in
Farmingdale is based on the needs of present
residents. The question is raised - what residents?
What effect will the added apartments have on
local property and school taxes and on en­vironmental
problems lacing our area?
" The master plan states that Hempstead
Turnpike in Farmingdale is at present heavily
traveled. Will the additional apartments relieve
this problem? The MTA takeover of Republic
Airport has already created a school tax burden on
the local property owners. Will the additional
apartments help alleviate this burden? Does the
master plan cover the zoning plans tor the Far
mingdale area for the next six months, five years
or ten years?
" The above questions are not answered in the
three page Master Plan for Farmingdale, a
community of 50,000 people. Perhaps they will be
answered on November 17, at 8: 30 p. m. at the
Farmingdale Senior High School.''