Bethpage-Tribune_1981-04-30

              BETHPAGE OLD BET
i rHPAO
ISLAND TREES PLAINEDGE SEAFORD
VOL. 16 NO. 4 The Week of April 30 - May 6, 1981 20 cents per copy
People In The News
20 YEAR'S SERVICE with the Nassau County Depart­ment
of Recreation and Parks is recognized as former
golf greenskeeper Joe Aurelio of Bethpage, center, re­ceives
a certificate of appreciation from Frank Piscetelli,
left, Superintendent of Park Maintenance and Don Alese,
rteht supervisor of Golf Course Maintenance.
~ ~ * ** 4 " • -: •••'->
THIS OIL WON'T TROUBLE THE WATERS: Oyster Bay
Town Councilman Kenneth S. Diamond (center) helps
Scout Robert Monten pour waste oil in a 50-gallon drum
destined for disposal at a recycling plant. Monten devised
the waste oil collection project to complete a requirement
for his Eagle Scout Award, the highest rank in Boy
Scouting. Monten will again be collecting waste oil on
Saturday, May 2nd, in the parking field at the corner of
Stewart Avenue and Baldwin Place, Bethpage. Looking on
is Jeremy Barth, environmental control specialist for the
Town who helped Monten coordinate his project.
V
Members of the Jewish Community Council of Long
Island, Nassau Branch, which sponsors Jewish Heritage
Week in Nassau County, attend an executive ceremonial
to kick off the event. From left to right, [Executive
Director] Tobie Newman of Freeport, [President]
Charles Hoffer, of Bellmore, County Executive Francis
Purcell, [Corresponding Secretary] Phyllis Weiss of Old
Bethpage, who is also President of Nassau ORT Region;
and Jewish Heritage Week chairman, Jo Amer of Hewlett.
Also attending but not shown in the photograph were
I Treasurer J Ruth Goodgold of Woodmere, Sam Hochberg
of Oceanside, and Marlene Post of Manhasset.
"•»" I I • I I I I — . I mi! II .I '• nil Ill .IU I 'l " I
Bon Voyage To Physty
by Ann Gilmore
It's never easy to see an old friend off on a long voyage,
particularly one from which he will probably never return.
But the 5000 people who watched Physty the whale leave his
private swimming pool Marina at Fire Island last Saturday
afternoon cheered him on to freedom as he was herded into
the inlet. "Go, Physty, go," they chanted.
With Suffolk Police boats and small Coast Guard craft
forming a barrier along the Robert Moses bridge to the east,
Physty "followed the channel like a good pilot should" right
out the inlet, guided by several other Coast Guard boats
carrying some of the triumphant marine biologists who had
nursed him back to health. "It was a wonderful sight to see
that great back arching through the water," said Dick
Abrams, superintendent of Robert Moses State Park. "We
thought he might follow the deep water into Sore Thumb on
the north shore of the inlet but he seemed to sense that the sea
was where he wanted to be."
Mr. Abrams said that the people who joined in the 9-day
whale-watch were "beautifully behaved" with little crowd
control measures needed. "We estimate that at least 25,000
people visited the marina to see the whale", Abrams said.
"And with all that huge attendance we never had one inci­dent.
People came from as far Sway as California to see the
sperm whale. We even had a naturalist from Austrailia who
was visiting New York spend several hours here," the super­intendent
said.
When the decision was made by the National Marine Fish­eries
Service to send the whale back to sea, hundreds of
people were on their way to Fire Islandior a last look.
"We had room for more cars in the parking lots. But when
the flashing lights of the boats became visible to people in
cars crossing bridge they just stopped to watch all the excite­ment
and caused a massive traffic jam," Abrams said. "The
only answer was to close the bridge down until the whale was
out the inlet."
Many people who had been at the marina walked along the
inlet to Point Democrat at the east end of Fire Island to say
their farewells. Hundreds of others, caught on the opposite
shore, parked and watched Physty leave through binoculars.
The trip out the inlet took about an hour and after the bridge
opened to traffic hundreds of cars kept crossing during the
afternoon to the marina, unaware that the whale had been re­leased.
Crowds watch Physty the sperm whale on his last day at the
Fire Island Marina.
Photo by LI State Park Comm.
A remarkable chance for people to see the 25-foot, 12 ton
mammal in captivity, the first close-up too for the scieriiisis,
was over. A happy ending seemed impossible on the days
Physty lay quiet and ill in the marina. But the hundreds of
antibiotic pills containing Chloromycetin apparently did the
trick, according to Dr. Jay Hyman,the mammal veterinarian
who made the marina his home during the whale's treat­ment.
He and members of the Okeanos Ocean Research
Foundation boarded the 82-foot Coast Guard cutter at 4 P.M.
and after following Physty for about 5 miles saw him take a
dive. It was the last look they had. The whale had really gone
home.
In the wake of his departure comes the reality of the huge
costs involved in providing food, medication and expenses for
the scientists, divers and doctors who cared for the only
sperm whale ever to survive captivity. People who would like
to contribute to defray these costs can send money to
Okeanos Research Foundation, P.O. Box 361, Jamesport,
N.Y. 11947.
The foundation has been instrumental in the establishing of a
marine mammal stranding program for Long Island, work­ing
with Federal, State and local agencies to assist sick or in­jured
animals. They are supported by contributions from
people interested in protecting whales, dolphins and sea
birds. They also offer cruises to study whales as they feed in
ocean waters off Long Island.
County Hits Four Companies
With License Violation Fines
Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon today an­nounced
that his office has filed violations against four home
improvement companies for doing business in Nassau
County without a license. If convicted, the firms could be
fined $500.00 if it is their first conviction, and a $500.00 fine
and/or 60 days in jail if it is their second conviction.
Dillon said, "The violations were filed against the four
firms after the County Consumer Affairs Office received
complaints from residents about these firms. A check of the
county records revealed that these companies are not li­censed,
as required by a local law."
The four home improvement companies are,the Welbuilt
Construction Company of 3017 Rhode Island Avenue in Med-ford;
Cloonan Painting Company of 11 Knowles Street in
Plainview; Ellis Gordon of 156 Neptune Avenue in North
Babylon; and Michael Mitchell of 82-55 263rd Street in Floral
Park.
In one complaint, a Massapequa Park homeowner says he
contracted with the Welbuilt Construction Company on April
23rd, 1980, to install aluminum siding, storm doors and win­dows.
The cost was $6,050.00 of which $5,775.00 was paid.
While some material has been delivered to the home, no
other work has been done despite numerous calls and prom­ises
to begin work.
In another complaint, another Massapequa Park resident
says he contracted with Ellis Gordon on April 21,1980 to build
a sun deck and wheelchair ramp, the cost was $600.00 of
which $200.00 was paid as a deposit. To date, no work has
been done and despite a Small Claims Court Judgement, the
homeowner has been unable to collect.
Finally, a Great Neck homeowner says she contracted with
the Cloonan Painting Company on April 21,1980 to enlarge a
laundry, room, install a new window, build a closet and raise
a ceiling. The total cost was $1,200.00 of which $920.00 was
given as a deposit. The homeowner says onjy a small part of
the job was completed, and to date the firm has not returned
to complete the job.
In the past year and one half, the District Attorney's Office
has filed similar violations against 42 companies doing busi­ness
in Nassau County without a license. Dillon said he would
continue to pursue such cases in an effort to weed out dis­honest
firms.
In June of last year, the Nassau County Board of Super­visors
enacted local legislation proposed by Dillon which
raises the penalties for doing business without a license.
Under the new law contractors face a one thousand dollar
fine and /or a one year prison term. The four cases filed
today occurred before this new law went into effect
The District Attorney recommends, "Residents
contemplating home repair should first check with the
County Consumer Affairs Office in Mineola to make sure
they are dealing with a licensed contractor. Licensed firms
risk losing their license and being unable to work in Nassau
County if they fail to live up to their contract with the
homeowner. It is the best insurance a homeowner has
against being ripped off."