The-Leader_2005-02-03

              m THIS ISSUE
• The gin of song
- page 2
• Community inpnl lacldng
- pages
M look for Bridal and Scout features!
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70th Year, No. 5 Freeport, N.Y. 11520
The Community Newspaper
Thursday, Februairy 3, 2005
CONTEST WINNER: Al and Shea First Baby of The Year Conest.
rizarry enjoy the company of little sister JVIadison Rose, Winner of the Leader's
New weapon for foul weather!
Freeport's Emergency Management Team has a new weapon in its arsenal of tools to help residents cope with foul weather.
During the snowstorm of January 22, the "Reverse 911" system enabled EMT coordinator Rick Holdener to alert vil­lage residents of the pending blizzard and to ask people to move their vehicles off the streets and park them in driveways in order to facilitate plowing the streets and roads in the village.
The "Reverse 911" system involves a computer program with the necessary hardware to place calls to over 10,000 homes in Freeport.
In anticipation of the storm, a message was sent out by the Emergency Management Coordinator Ex-Fire Chief Holdener, on Friday evening, January 21, arid again on Saturday morning, January 22, which reached over 10,000 homes automatically within an hour. The mes­sage warned people that the storm was
expected to drop from 12 to 18 inches of snow on Long Island and recommended that everyone park their cars off the street and in driveways if possible to help the Department of Public Works employees in plowing the roads.
The message was very effective, according to DPW Superintendent Lou DiGrazia, who said that there was a noticeable difference this year in the number of vehicles on the streets. "We were able to get to more streets and plow them more efficiently thanks to the reduced number of cars parked on the streets."
Mr. DiGrazia continued, "We had more than 30 trucks out from Saturday evening through Sunday afternoon and we made considerable progress in getting all the streets and roads in Freeport cleared."
The snow plows were out again late Sunday evening, plowing and sanding all the streets to help make the Monday morning commute as easy as possible for
everyone. '
Freeport received a $50,000 grant through state Senator Charles Fuschillo to pay for the Reverse 911 system. "This was an excellent first run of our newly installed 'Reverse 911' system," said Mayor Bill Glacken.
"We were very pleased at how the noti­fication went out to every reachable home and within an hour, 10,000 Freeporters received a warning about the storm and the advice about moving their vehicle," he added. The system cannot dial phones that have a block on them or where the number is unlisted.
"We expect to use this system again," added the mayor, "in the event of another storm, severe high tides or any other information we need to get out to our res­idents in a timely manner." The system can be programmed to dial just a particu­lar neighborhood affected by a problem, such as the low-lying areas in the south-em section of the village.
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by Laura Schofer
Madison Rose Irizarry is The Leader's First Baby of tlie Year, bom • January 10 at 3:52 a.ni at Mercy Medical Center in RockviUe Centre. She weighed five pounds, three ounces - a tiny bundle of joy!
And what will her life hold in the future, we wonder. Will it be full of pansies, fragile lilies-of-the-vailey, or like a red red rose? Will she one day be compared to a sununer's day or shake the darling buds of May?
Madison Rose has blue eyes and a head full of dark hair. She is the third child of Al and Denise Irizarry. She has a brother, also named Al, who is six years old and a sister Sl|i«a, Uwee , years old. The Irizarry family lives in Freeport
"They just love her," said Mrs. Irizarry. 'Shea's great and so is Al. When the baby cries, Shea runs to get the bottle and Al gets a diaper."
The day The Leader called, Mrs. Irizarry was on her own for the first • time since the baby was born. Mrs. . Irizarrj' had her mother and husband . helping her out. "My mother stayed with us during the [snowj storm and helped me with the food shopping. My husband has been great about • taking care of the kids," she said. ; "But. I'm doing okay. My son is at . school. Shea is watching television and Madison Rose is sleeping."
It seems little Madison has her days . and nights mixed up, but Mom is unfazed. "By the third baby, you feel like a pro," she said. Madison is still : feeding every three hours and at her last check-up was up to six pounds and five ounces.
Any more babies planned for the ^ Irizarry family?
"My husband wants an even num­ber," said Mrs. Irizarry. "My mother-', in-law had eight girls before she had my husband and than another son. That's his role model."
The lucky parents are entitled to a bottle of champagne from Atlantic Bayview Wines & Liquor; a $20 gift • certificate from Aileen's Kids in Merrick; an 8 x 10 photo of the baby (valued at $175) from Fontana Studios in Merrick; a gift certificate , for Mom from June Peters Casual . Sportswear in Bellmore Village and a .one-year gift subscription to The -Freeport-Baldwin Leader.