Bethpage-Tribune_1979-04-12

              BETHB*GE BT R3
BETHPAGE LIB
47 POWELL AV
BETHPAGE NY I 1714
OLD BETHIKGE
also serving ISLAND TREES
PLAINVIEW PLAINEDGE SEAFORD
VOL. 13 NO. 23 Thursday, April 12,1979 10 cents per copy
Estelle Wenig
In & Around Bethpage
School Closings??
Mare than 315 Bethpage
residents listened attentively last
Thursday evening as Superin­tendent
of Schools, Dr. John
Sommi and our Board of
Education came to grips with
some of the alternatives that our
own school system may face this
fall because of the declining pupil
enrollment that seems to have
affected all of us throughout
Nassau County - that being the
closing of the Pine Avenue
School.
According to information
presented to date, there are only
176 kindergarten students
enrolled in the three elementary
schools in Bethpage. Pine Avenue
School presently has 79 kin­dergarten
students, Central
Boulevard 63 students while
Charles Campagne School only
has 34. The projected amount of
kindergarten age children for the
1980 school year drops to 158 and
the estimated figure for 1981
declines even further to only 144.
These figures were based on an
independent computer study
conducted at Stony Brook
University as well as information
obtained from the Citizens
Advisory Committee (consisting
of a group of teachers and
residents from Bethpage
studying the declining enrollment
problem for the past two years as
well as information obtained
from the Bethpage census
reports.
Whenever talk of a school
closing reaches a community, it
is only natural for mixed opinions
and reactions to occur. This was
the purpose of this open meeting
called by the school board. For
example, one resident seemed to
question whether or not it was
feasible to close a school if only
$166,0000 was saved in doing so.
In dollars and cents the closing of
the Pine Avenue School would
only save Bethpage taxpayers
$1.81 per month or $21.75 per
year.
Most Bethpage residents that I
spoke to seemed to feel that it
was rather obvious that a school
should be closed... However, they
were opposed to the closing of a
school if the educational
programs were affected. Dr.
Sommi explained to the audience
that the only change that would
take place if the Pine Avenue
School was to be closed this fall,
would be the elimination of the
music room at Kramer Lane
School. However, he added that
he felt that this would pose no
great problem as there were at
present nine pianos available for
use at the Pine-Kramer complex.
Most of the residents that
seemed to be opposed to the
closing of Pine Avenue School
came from the parents whose
children would be transferred to
another school within the Beth­page
School district. Children
living in the Hicksville portion of
Bethpage as well as the children
living on the north of Haypath
Ave & those on the east side of the
Seaford-Expressway would be
transferred to the Charles
Campagne School.
Others opposed to the closing of
a school was the representative
from the teachers' union, Louis
Giansante. Giansante is a
teacher at Kramer Lane School
and he seemed to feel that the
closing of a school would be an
attack on the fine educational
system that now exists in Beth­page.
However, it was pointed out
to him by School Board
President, Anthony LoFaso, that
only one librarian position would
be eliminated and v2 kin­dergarten
teacher which would
have no effect on our educational
program.
Some residents seemed to be
quite concerned about the
drainage problem that causes the
flooding along Plainview and
Haypath Roads whenever it rains
(streets necessary to cross if
their children are to be trans­ferred
to Campagne). Mr.
LoFaso reassured them that the
problem would be eliminated
before the 1979-81 school year
approached, as heread statements
from Donald Hutchinson,
Superintendent of Highways and
Drainage Construction from
Nassau County. Hutchinson
promised that this problem would
be eliminated before the 1979 fall
session began.
In trying to better understand
the population projects for Beth-page's
future. Ronald Grimaldi,
chairman for the Bethpage
Advisory Committee studying the
declining population, suggested
our conducting a private door to
door census survey this spring.
Grimaldi indicated that he felt
that the present census report
could not be used as an accurate
indication for the following
reason: Only 41% of the total
5,500 families living in Bethpage
ever responded to the survey and
some indicated that they had
never received information from
the census takers. According to
the present census figures, only
10% of Bethpage's total
population indicated that 'they
were planning to move in the
near future. Fifty per cent of
those responding reported to the
census surveyors that they were
over the age of 50 indicating that
they no longer had children of
school age. Perhaps what was
truly gained from this meeting
was Bethpagers hearing both the
advantages and disadvantages of
a school closing from fellow
(Continued on Pagv 6)
Nassau
Democrats
Raise Voice
A major effort to bring
responsive government to
Nassau County and its three
towns was announced today by
Nassau Democratic County
Chairman Stanley Harwood.
Legislation has already been
introduced in Albany to permit
the voters, by referendum during
the 1980 general elections, to opt
for the members of Town Boards
to be elected from equal
population districts at no ad­ditional
cost to the taxpayers. A
second bill would also enable the
voters in '80 to decide if they wish
to create a County Legislature
with its members each being
elected from equal population
districts.
"Our long time commitment to
bringing to the voters of Nassau
responsive representative
government is reinforced by the
events of the past few weeks,"
said Mr. Harwood. "At the
county level we find a board of
supervisors remiss in collecting
the 'pinball tax' and its vice-chairman,
the Presiding
Supervisor of the Town of
Hempstead, giving away $1.4
million to a private recycling
(Continued on Page 6)
TOB
Surplus Sale
The Oyster Bay Town Board
today (Tuesday, April 3)
authorized the sale of the former
Hicksville Town Hall annex
building but rejected the sole bid
received for the former
Massapequa annex building.
Both buildings had been offered
for sale or lease through public
bidding.
''These buildings became
surplus with the relocation of the
Town services and personnel to
other nearby facilities," Town
Supervisor Joseph Colby ex­plained.
"Their disposal will
produce additional revenue to the
Town as well as return these
properties to the tax rolls."
The former Hicksville annex at
65 Broadway was sold to the
LIRR--MTA Employees' Federal
Credit Union, which was high
bidder, for the sum of $82,250.
The 'single bid received for the
Massapequa building of $50,000
was substantially lower than its
market value and was therefore
rejected. The Town Board
authorized placing the sale or
lease of the property with local
real estate brokers with an upset
sale price of $75,500.
The Hicksville annex had been
relocated to the Town parking
garage at Newbridge Road and
Duffy Avenue last August, and
the Massapequa annex moved to
the administration building at
John J. Burns Park this past
January.
WeNeedYou!
Ducklings and baby chicks do not make appropriate gifts--at Easter
or any other time. As an alternative Bide-A-Wee Home Association
suggests a stuffed toy animal.
Dogs and cats make much better live pets. Bide-A-Wee has a wide
variety of appealing dogs, cats, puppies and kittens awaiting adop­tion
at its shelters in Manhattan. Wantagh and Westhampton.
The Sewers Cometh
Anticipated Street Closings due to Sewer Construction for Week of
April 16,1979 - April 20,1979
Contract 1002-3-P-l (Bethpage, Plainview laterals)
South 1st Street from Grant Ave. to Grant Street.
South 2nd Street from Railroad Ave. to Sherman Ave.
Burkhardt Ave. from South 2nd Street to Stewart Ave.
Broadway from Barbara Street to Plainview Road.
Contract 1002-3-L-5 (Hicksville, Levittown laterals)
4th St., 5th St., 6th St., 7th St., 8th St., 9th St., 10th St., 11th St., Maglie
Drive, Jerusalem Ave. Northbound Restricted, Clotilde Ct., Felice
Crescent
Contract 1002-3-INT-16-2 (Plainview Interceptor)
Broadway from Ellen Street to Linden Ave.
Baldwin Place from Stewart Ave. to Broadway
Broadway from Burkhardt Ave. to Linden Street
Evelyn Drive from Plainview Road to Suzanne Lane
Contract 1002-3-F-4 (Farmingdale laterals)
Franklin Place from Eastern Pkwy to Conklin Street.
South Front Street from Clinton Street to Segatogue Ave.
Clinton Street from Conklin Street to Railroad Tracks
Dale Drive from dead end to Clinton Street
Conklin Street from Merritts Ave. to Clinton Street
Laurelton Street from Prospect Street to Conklin Street.
Prospect Street from Bernard Street to Washington Street
Cobb Place from Prospect Street to Fulton Street.
Segatogue Ave. from Conklin Street to Vancott St.
Columbia Street from South Front Street to Conklin St.
Washington Street from South Front Street to Conklin Street
Elizabeth Street from Railroad to Segatogue Ave.
Division Street from South of Railroad
Contract 1002-3-L-3 (Bethpage, Levittown laterals)
Everything open
NOTE: Subject to change due to weather conditions or other un
foreseen occurrences.