The-Leader_1972-07-06

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FREEPORT
|37fli YEAR, No; 11
iAHDWlN MERRIOC ROOSEVELT
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FREEPORT. NEW VdRK, JULY 6,1972 PRICE: TEN CENTS PER COPY
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nhon Formed
Represeiifa^ves \oF the Ave
Fmeportlageiide^
State's Drtig Abusie Ac! held a
press conference at Maj^r
Robert Sweeney's office Wed­nesday
night (June 2^) to an­nounce
the formation of the
Ffidbration of F^-eeport Drug
Abuse. Representatives of the
agencies: Operation PRIDE, the
South Shore Guild Guidance
Center, the Freeport Public
Schools Drug Coordinator,
Freeport Narcotics Guidance
Council and the Luther E.
Woodward School, had been
meeting since October of last
year to bring about the formation
of the new Federation.
In making the announcement.
Federation Chairman William
Miller who serves as School Drug
Coordinator, pointed out that
with the closing of the schools and
the lack of employment for
teenagers particularly acute this
year, the group felt this was the
time to, let Jresidents know of the
iwime-concern to the group as
"the problems spiilsrover - their
kids hang out ifl Freeport, and
ours in their streets." While
Freeport Narcotics Guidance
Council Director Jaddie Stewart
saidhedOesworkona somewhat
informal basis with the com­munities
and throughout the rest
of the Island, other Federation
members have no such direct
contact as yet.
The fact that Freeport has so
many various funded programs
was seen as a plus by Luther E.
Woodward School Executive
Director Gertrude Herman while
School Superintendent Donald
Costlow and Assistant Robert
Tavis pointed out that the village
is unique with drug education
from Pre-K through high school.
.The groupwas asiied by THE
L£AIJER, why then, according to
statements Issued by -PRIDE,
Freeport accounts for the highest
drug abuse arrests intilie County?
In reply It i5»lis;polhi£M
services,ayaUablei'to theih when that faVlr ciijoiii^fport^
. youths^.U^ dnig abujje Uvlace Nas^^^i^Sowl^lP^liatCoiiis
', ^ of/boredom and .too much Idsure -. -itfei ' -^ - ~ - - ^**!' -'^ JT . , .
. lime. -^' ^usi
Chairman Miller stated out the Village'iltywh|ra
:, that the new^ "Federation would
lei
STOP EVERYTKINd. Traffic was haltsil tt Ilia inteisection of
Sunrise Hl|^way and South Main Street Int Saturday morning
while Village and School Board ceremonies were Md praciaimtng
Freeport the "Math Capital of the United States." The banner
across Main Sttfet and signs in windows sdutii^ the "Mathletei"
who brou^t us the honor, made dl residents aware of the success
of Freeport's mathematics programs. Sfunrni during ceremonies
are (L-R) Freeport Chamber of Commerce President C. William
Gaylor, Superintendent of Schools Donald L. Costlow, Villap
Tnntee Thomas Lovelidp and Board of Education President
Harold Levine.
provide "a" new thrust" which
would be all encompassing,
filling in what ga{» may have
occurred between the groups
previously due to lack of com­munication.
Pointing out that the
Federation was meant as
therapeutic rather than punitive.
Miller did report that a closer
liaison with th6 Freeport Police
Department would be sought
"because it has been realized
they (the Department) must be
part of our body," Teenagers,
too, will be asked to meet with the
Federation.
The lack of similar, com­prehensive
programs in the
neighboring communities of
Roosevelt. Baldwin and Merrick,
was also pointed out as being of
•as.y-high.
Mayor Sweeney Tft(|^
asserted that drug abused
"arrests" only shows I^eeport Jo
more aware of the problem and
reflects the workings of the
Freeport Police in conjunction
with ihe county force. Miller also
stated "when you're dealing with
communities more affluent than
Freeport you'll find less arrests
due lo cover ups."
The services of the five
agencies within the Federation
are as follows:
1> Operation PRIDE, located
a( 16 West Sunrise Highway (546-
2822) is a drug prevention and
treatment agency, PRIDE serves
young people between the ages of
12 to 24 and all services are free
of charge. The drug treatment
component of the program in­cludes
individual counseling,
group therapy, lamily counseling
and vocational counseling.
2) The South Shore Child
Gujdance Center, which is
locaTedat 56 West Merrick Road,
is licensed by the State Depart­ment
of Mental Hygiene to
provide out-patient psychiatric
services to children between the
ages of 4-18, and their parents
residing in Freeport. Valley
Stream, Oceanside. Baldwin,
West Hempstead, Lakeview and
Malverne.
3) William Miller, Drug
Coordinator at the Freeport
Public Schools, described his
program as dealing with drug
education, prevention and
counseling for elementary to high
school students. Using a mental
health approach, crisis in­tervention
and Individual
counseling for parents and
students is offered as well i|a
behavioral and aliltudlnikl
awareness groups.
41 The •Freeport, Narcotics
GiiidBiic^pom is the
r?.-%im^#-rr*»tl^p#JDSwirlt^^ iHy;^tundedt^ ,
$6,000 annually, v^hlle the VftlSgeA^-
|coritnbutes five times as much.
This educatlon»prevention
program relys solely on volun­teers
to implement it's drug
abuse training program for
Freeport residents. It's main
Ihrust is drug abuse awareness
which is delivered in a "living
room school approach" at­mosphere,
i.e., going Into
people's homes and delivering
narcotic presentations.
5) The Luther E. Woodward
School is a non-profit voluntary
agency which serves emotionally
disturbed children and young
adults. The employment
readiness center, which is one
division of the agency, offers
several methods of coping with
Ihe drug problem of teenagers.
.' >^y
• ' - ' - ' * * « «>«Aj^Bh
^,lt •:WASj^='Biis;'i*RTyf 'Sonie'i^lMW JltpyWIcaipp^
Thursday's NanaaCotin^^^ Repul4ic»n Committee's AhiMiid Dinner
held at th(8 N|tt$«i Coll iftinef are'tL-Rj
Committee Chairman Josii]^ horiored guest U ^ Vice
Piesident SfMro T, A.pmWf^^stor Bay Towp' Chairman /tiigdo D.
Roncaiio. North Heiiips^ Town Chairiiian Thomn Waiee Is:
seeii faeliiiHi Mr. Margiotta. iPhoto tv •!• DoSalwo)
GIJ^D TO HAVE THE MONEY. Freeport Deputy Mayor William White reisehres $603,666 check from
State Assistant HousinsGtimmisiibner Albert E. Bjbby (ri||it) during ceremonies Wednesday (June 26) in
which the monies for Freeport's Bennington Patic urban renewd project were turned over. Looking on
are Freeport Urban Renewal Director James R. Duntie (leftl and Village Trustee Uoyd Orr. The totel
grant from the State, represmtlng i/B of the pro|«:t's cost, is $710,196. (Hioto by Oscar)