The-Leader_1974-03-21

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FREEPORT
BALDWIN
ROOSEVELT
MERRICK
/ "IHUJI FREIPORT S
opfiimi
NEWSPAPER
/
38th YEAR No. 47 FREEPORT. NEW YORK, MARCH 21, 1974 PRlLi:: 15^/PER COPY
Storms In!
Board Tables Lexington
Lights, Accepts PBA Pact
by Tom Tuna
FREEPORT. - The Village Board of Trustees held their Monday
night sessions March. 18.and came to terras with two i<ey issues
facing local citizens.
At the 7:30-open trustees ineeting; the members debated the'
Lexington Avenue parking complaints reported -on by Police Chief
Elar. The suggestions seemed to boil down to placing no-parking
signs some 30 feet from the
•corner, but the ruling was put off,
until a later date when the South-*
west Civic Association cbuld
meet with Winmar J. Ford," the
auto dealer near the discussed
area. Complaints have also been
made against the Ford lot's
bright lights during the evening
hours. The trustees will take the_
results of that meeting into ac­count..
Then, al the'very outset of the
open 9 p.m. Village Board
session, Mayor White announced
that the Village police contract
was accepted for 1973-1974. He
told the group that a mediator for
New York State met with the
Village negotiators last Wed­nesday
and they reached a
tentative agreement at that time.
-He then submitted the offer to the
Europa Sales Fined
FREEPORT - Europa Foreign
Aulo Sales, Inc. was found guilty
last Thursday of eight charges of
violating Village ordinances, for
auio wrecking and storing of
dismantled auto parts. Fines of
$250 each were levied, Ihe highest
allowed by law, for a total of
$2,000.. In his decision, Jwige
Mehrmann stipulated that a
cleanup of the 28,000 square foot
.site by March 2i, and the im-mediale
discontinuance of
dismantling of cars, would
reduce the ^ fines to $1,200. In
addilion the firm muslvoperate
solely as a retail auto parts store
in the future. '
Europa, which had been fined
$250 on two previous occasions. Is
located on North Main Street and
Evans Avenue, The area was
rezoned lasl year to allow for
redevelopment by larger
business and residential uses.
The Village Building Department,
began a crack down on the firm
last. March, resulting in some 40
summonses being issued, 18 of
these summonses ar.e,answerable
today (March 21v) Deputy Special
Prosecutor Leonard Siegel is
representing the Village in the
case.
Mayor White, commenting on
the decision, said "Freeport's
northern entrance is on its way to.
rebirth »and we will continue to
vigorously prosecute violators
who would,deter that.growth."
Nassau Supreme Court Judge
Paul Kelly upheld the Village iiii
(Continued on Page 7) \
P.B.A. on Friday and received
their acceptance, followed by the
O.K. of the Board of Trustees.
Mayor White made it clear that
there would now be no need for a
public hearing on the matter. Dorothy storm
7 3 Police Contract OK'd
FREEPORt-The Freeport
Board of Trustees voted
unanimously Monday night to
approve Ihe 1973-74 Freeporl
Police Benevolent Association's
contract with the Village. The
contract had been ratified by the
PBA membership Friday nighl.
The agreement, retroactive to
March l, 1973,. continues pay
'parity with Nassau County PBA's
eonlracl for Ihe same sfjscal
period; Members of the Village
force will receive back pay of 8%
over the 1972-73 pay scale. Funds
for the back pay were provided
for in the 1974-7.5 Village budget's
contingency fund.
In announcing Ihe Board's
action, Freeport Mayor William
While stated that,/'We are all
pleased that after a year of ar­duous
discussions, a setllemenl
has been reached. The fact that
amicable avenues of com-municalions
between the Village
and the PBA remained open
during those many months
portends well for the up-comlng
talks on the 1974-75 contract."
White further slated that, *'the
safely of residents has been, and
we are .sure will continue to be,'of
paramount importance to those
i t : ^*^- '•'L^^L'f-,:'• i^"f '•-•- -••--* :'.E'" " i / •
.on Ijoih sides of the bargaining
table. The diligence and
dedication .of Freep(jrt's ptjiice
force has never wavered as our
lielicf that a common, workable
Kolutitm coyfd be reached never
wavered." ,
As a result of the settlement,
the previously announced open,
hearing on April 8. on a New York
Slate fact finder's report, has
been cancelled.
Benefits won by the PBA under
Ihe retroactive eonlracl include
the raising of nighl differential
from $350 annually per man to
$750; three personal leave day.s;
relroadiveiy paid hospitalization
insurance for all retired mem­bers,
and comprehensive
liability.
PBA President Francis X.
Meizgar pointed out. "This
agreement encompa.sses al! those
areas in. which my members
deserve adjustments," He said
"We will immediately begin
intensive negotiations for a
contract to commence March 1,
1974 and to include the desirable
work schedule presently.enjoyed
by the Nassau County police
officers,"
HONORING A VICTIM- TliaSouth^8f«au \Jnlh Amarican Cancer
Soi^ety, !i honoring the memory of Ron WZB, a Masiapequa actor
and modal whodied of cancer at 26. with their First Annual Cocktail
Buffet Dai^ce on May i . Pictured at a plantiii^ tetiion are un|^
officerf (I. to r j Ctiarteil<'oenig/Affalr Chairman; Fredrick Cole,
Honorary VIce-Preildent; Mn. Ralph A> ManMllll, Pretident; Con­gressman
Norman Lent, Honorary President and Rfcfiiird Overgaard,
Co.-C9iairman. , ^ ' i', • , • , • . j
Racks Up 65 %
Of Votes Cast
FIIEKPOIIT—Eh;cti<m returns on the race between incumbent
Village Tru.slee Diirothy .Storm t^Village-Parly) ami Cjirroll Hell-
(Action, .SuburlKin Parly, VFOi just beeamc. avatlabie as (he
LEADER'S front page was being set in,type. A cditiplefe dislrii-t by
di.slrict vote (ally will be |)riiite<l in the next week'.s issue. The results
as reported are: .
STdHM: 2!H;ti (tJri%of the votes caKt)
BKLT: I;II:J t:tl%of the votes IUHD
HANDAZZf): 121 (l%of the voleK cast!
In a statement lo the LEADER this evening, surrounded by a hug*'
crowd of well-wishers, newly elected Trustee Dcirothy Storm .said; "I
am Iruly civerwheimed by Ihe .sweet feeling of vicjory. I am jubilant,
grateful and humble, all al Ihe same lime. My election is also a voli* of
confidence in the Village adojini.Hlratifm for the past lit years. My
thanks lo my supporters and to the voler.s of f-'reepurl. Now I ean
dedicate all my energies again to being a Trustee."
ifi
m
MINIMAL DAMAGE was reported from the fire at Doctors Hospital
last Friday. The Freeport Fire Department's prompt response con­fined
the damage. Freeport vamps were backed-up. by units from
Merrick, Baldwin, Oceanside and Point Lookout.
(LEADER Photif by Danielle Blanchol
Hospital Blaze
FHEEPOIIT • Two fires,
started in the basement of
Doctors lio.spital, Freep(/rl, al
ab<jut 8:20 pm Friday, March 16,
caused Ihe ovacuatiori of some
100 patients. The blaze was ex­tinguished
within forty minutes
and hospjtal operations returned
to norrnal (he following day.
George Somelofski, of Baldwin, a
former hospital prjrter who had
been discharged on Thursday,
was arraigned Saturday on ar.wn
charges. • ' -
Koberl J. Bornstein,' the
hospital's admlnislrator,
estimated the .fire, which tern-
|)orarily closed the |R'dia(ric.s and
medical-surgical wings- and
destroyed a $20,WiO Image In-lensificr,
caused alKtui $IWJ,WK) in
damages. It was indefinite when
the two wings would reop(,-n, but
new teds had Ijcen found for
tbfisepatients n»l well enr)Ugh to
IM! discharged.
Ho.spilal-.staff meinlx-Ts were
helped by .nurses from
Massapequa (ieneral and Sfjuth
Nassau Communilit^s Hospitals,
as well as former hospital em­ployees
from Freeporl who
voluntarily responded to the
emergency.
Decision On Casino Zoning Reserved
FREEPORT • The fti^ard of
Zoning AppjBals met on lia'rcb 13
to listen *to further'argumenls on
the condnuartoe of the non­conforming
use of the site known
as Casino Street Pool, The
property, for- which a 3-slory
condominium is proposed,. is
owned by Bert Nestler of Hemp*
i^tead, whose attorney presei^led
to the Boary new facts and new
room dimensions.
The area of a one-bedroom
.apartment, which was in question
al the first Zoning Appeal Board
meeting, l|ad been redesigned to
Increase its size. Tentatively
these units were,were priced at
135,000, while two-bedroom ui|ils,
(Continued on I^ag© 8)