2011-08-04

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76th Year, No. 31 Freeport, N.Y. 11520 The Community Newspaper Thursday, August 4, 2011 75$
Buffalo Avenue fundraiser Voters reject Hub plan
BEFFALO AVENUE FUNDRAISER was a successful event to benefit the
Wounded Warrior Project and others in need. Top, Jame Ruocco of Freeport
Auto Wrecking, second left, receives a citation from Hempstead
Councilwoman Angle Cullen flanked by, from left, state Assemblyman Dave
McDonough, Town Clerk Mark Bonilla and state Senator Charles J. Fuschillo
Jr. The SPLASH boat (middle) and a Coast Guard vessel (bottom) gave a nau-tical
feel to the event.
by Laura Schofer
Nassau County residents rejected
on Monday a plan to bond $400 mil-lion
of taxpayer money to rebuild the
Nassau Coliseum and a new minor
league baseball field. The vote -
88,389 to 66,829 or 56.95% to
43.05% - means that the county will
have to go back to the drawing board
and come up with another plan to
redevelop the Hub area.
"The people of Nassau County have
spoken," said County Executive
Edward Mangano. "But this is not the
end of our journey, merely the begin-ning."
At a press conference on
Tuesday, the county executive said he
would be soliciting other proposals
for the Nassau Coliseum site.
"In order to draft an RFP Nassau
County is seeking privately-financed
proposals for the redevelopment of
the coliseum site. I encourage all
those with a plan to contact the coun-ty
immediately," said County
Executive Mangano. Proposals mus
be submitted via registered return
receipt mail by Friday, August 12.
"A privately funded new Coliseum
would be the first phase of an overall
smart growth development plan for
the full 77-acre site," stated Nassau
County Democratic Chairman Jay
Jacobs. The Democrats in the Nassau
County Legislature had opposed the
Hub plan.
The Democrats had their own plan
to develop the Coliseum - called the
Lighthouse Project that called for pri-vate
funding by Charles Wang and
Reckson Associates but was squashed
by the Town of Hempstead because of
zoning and infrastructure concerns.
Islander fans, unions, Sustainable
Long Island, the Nassau County
Chamber of Commerce and many busi-ness
associations endorsed the taxpayer-supported
Hub plan. Hockey fans hoped
their beloved New York Islanders would
have a new Coliseum that would keep
their team in Nassau County.
Islanders owner Charles Wang had
said if the bond was voted down he
would look to move the team in 2015.
"I'm heartbroken," Mr. Wang told the
media after learning about the defeat-ed
referendum.
The trade unions and businesses
thought the proposal would be a sho!
in the arm for a failing local economy
and predicted that approximately
3,000 jobs would be created as well as
generate $1.2 billion for Nassau
County.
Additionally, Sustainable Long
Island supported the measure because
the proposal included a mixed use
development in Mitchel Field that
would create much-needed affordable
housing for young people and seniors.
At the Stop & Shop supermarket in
Merrick, Gerald Solomon expressed
anger at the decision and disappoint-ment
there could be no new arena.
"This will affect the Island - the rev-enue
and the taxes."
Anna Fotinos echoed the sentiment.
"I don't think [the vote's] right. I
don't go [to the Coliseum] but my
grandchildren and children do."
But most residents didn't support
the plan, which would have cost more
than $800 million over 30 years or
$24 million a year in principle and
interest for taxpayers. That represent-ed
between a 4% to 5% raise in taxes
to a county that already pays very
high property taxes.
"I'm okay with the vote," said
Cynthia Sullivan. "The tax raise is the
main concern; everything keeps esca-lating.
Lee Olsan agreed, saying the vote
went "as it should."
"We will survive as a suburban
community," Bruce Piel, wrote in
our sister paper, Merrick Life, last
week. "We just have to get through
the current economic doldrums
using our funds to support our fam-ilies
rather than throwing our
money away on a fantasy Mecca we
don't need."
Sporting Devils
page 2
Dolores Siegel
dies
page 6
Baseball and
Freeport
page 7
Prepare
for a flood
page 3