Editorial
Letters To The Editor
The proposed Townwide Youth Activities program
took a long time in coming.
Although School District 23 has a fine year
round program and District 22 has a model year
round Youth Council program, the idea sounds like
a good one.
Among the positive aspects of the proposal
which would benefit everyone is to gain additional
state aid for youth services and a coordination of
activities and an exchange of ideas.
Although the Town announcement stated that
only one village, Farmingdale, was receiving$ 3,000
state aid for Youth Service, the village of Massa-pequa
Park has also been benefiting from state
financing but in the area of recreation, so we are
told.
The Town claims they would match the state
monies received by participating communities.
Purchase pooling and specialized manpower
also pose interesting possibilities.
There would be no infringement, according to the
plan, on the rights, duties and perogatives of local
school boards.
Plainedge would appear to profit most from the
idea.
In any event, it would be an inspiration for all
Town of Oyster Bay communities to take action.
You will no doubt hear rumblings that the
idea is politically inspired. So what? If the
Democrats had the idea first, and they could very
well have had, or if the plan is the inspiration of
pure Republican thinking, does not matter much,
if the youth of the Town are the eventual beneficiaries.
Voting against a federal rat
extermination program might
rank in the minds of some with
a vote against motherhood and
the American flag. This Congressman
stuck his neck out last
month and voted, with the majority
of House members, against
a $ 40,000,000 rat extermination
program which was backed by the
administration. In doing so, he
got an editorial rap across the
knuckles*
A rat bite is a dreadful thing
to contemplate. But ignored
by those who parlayed the vote
into a civil rights issue was the
fact that four federal agencies
already have anti- rat programs
going. Characteristically, the
President was seeking a new
bureaucratic agency to handle already
existing programs. While
I can appreciate the emotional
head of steam generated by those
who favor the program, I am also
concerned over the excessive
cost of the proposal ($ 20,000,000
per year).
As a Congressman representing
Suffolk and Nassau Counties,
I took a ! > ok at the statistics
before voting on this bill. There
were 1,000 rat bites reported last
year in the entire country, none
in Nassau and 14 in Suffolk. Note
that there were 5,779 dog bites
reported in Nassau during the •
same period and more than 1,000
in Suffolk. There were hundreds
of bites by cats, squirrels
and assorted varmints in both
Nassau and Suffolk, with children
the main victims.
For some time, federal programs
aimed at wiping out rats
have been conducted by the Department
of Interior, Department
of Education and Welfare, Department
of Agriculture and the
Office of Economic Opportunity.
A new, separate and expensive
federal effort seemed to me unwarranted.
The proper approach
would be to beef up and consolidate
these existing programs
to encourage and, when necessary,
assist local health authorities
to enforce local ordinances.
If the administration would
bring in such a bill for an admittedly
desirable goal, of course
I will support it.
1 \ W
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Published every Thursday by
THE OBSERVER, INC.
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Prank J » Klesh — Caroline B. Klesh
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Vol. 4 No. 50
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the view of ' Ihe Observer
Dear Editor:
As one who is vitally interested
in young people and in learning,
I will vote in favor of the Library
Budget. Good library systems
like good school systems need
adequate financing to function
properly. I strongly urge all
taxpayers to vote " Yes" on
August 29th.
William A. Kinzler
Superintendent of Schools
On August 29th, 1967 as one of
the interested citizens of our
community, I intend to vote
" Yes " for the Public Library
Budget. I realize that this will
be the third time the Budget has
been presented. So I am hopeful
that the needs of the entire
electorate will be kept in mind.
Our community needs die full
services of our Library for many
reasons. This is the time in this
community when the expanded
services of our Library are
needed. This time is surely not
the judicious time to curtail the
services of a key community resource.
The Farmingdale Post has correctly
called die Public Library
a Treasure - a Treasure of information.
The Public Library well supports
the educational forces of
our forger community. The alert
professionals serving us keep us
aware of how to keep accurate
minds in an era of fuzzy thinking
on the fringes. The ability to recognize
the phony from the real,
the false from the true, the shoddy
from the perfect is in this
community in desperate need of
help. With so many charlatans
parading in pious and patriotic
guise we need all the help we can
get less the unwary be duped.
One of the mistakes of false
economy would be to further curtail
the services of our Public
Library.
The continued well being of the
mental health of this community
demands a full service Public
Library. The Library can only
grow in the services to us all as
we vote " Yes."
Kennetii E. Hoover
To the Editor:
For many years, in common
with numerous other residents
of our area, I have enjoyed the
very fine facilities offered by
the Farmingdale Public Library.
I realize that the approval by
the taxpayers of the budget recently
proposed by you is
essential to the continuance of
the high standard of public service
you have so consistently
maintained.
I will therefore strongly support
its adoption and urge others
to do likewise.
Joseph Stern
Dear Editor:
We are voting for the library
budget and urge all community
minded citizens to do the same.
Mrs, MiriamB. Kiriluk
Mrs. Evelyn Wright
Mrs. Farrand Nidds
Adult Members Girl Scouts U. S. A.
Page 4
Dear Editor:
We are fully aware of how fortunate
the people in our district
are to have for their use the many
services of our public library.
Libraries are a part of the educational
development of children,
but it is at the public library
that the educational opportunity
continues throughout adulthood.
It is under your directorship
that we have seen the Farming-dale
Public Library grow keeping
pace with the growing needs
of our community. PTAers, in
their interest in quality education
for all children, know the importance
of supporting the
library.
The following is a short statement
that you may release publicly
as you see fit.
" We in the PTA are declaring
our support of the Farmingdale
Public Library Budget that Is to
be submitted for vote on August
29. We urge you to vote " yes"
for the continuation of the high
quality of library services that
are available to every child and
adult in this district."
We sincerely hope that this
budget vote will be successfully
passed.
Rose M. Foucek
President
Dear Editor,
The voter- taxpayer has been
asked to condone fiscal mismanagement
and waste on Tuesday,
August 29. The Library Director
and Board of Trustees, after
being defeated twice, have continued
spending with total disregard
for the voter- taxpayer
who pays the bills
In order to publicize the library's
existence, the Library
Director, Orrin B. Dow, purchased
about 500 to 1,000 shopping
bags at a cost of ". 09 1/ 2
to .10 cents each bag." Another
$ 100.00 down the drain. Get your
shopping bag; you already bought
it. This $ 100. waste is insignificant
when compared to many
grandiose extravagances. The
monthly public relations bulletin
costs about $ 300.00 per month
for postage and printing according
to our Director. A total
cost of approximately $ 3,000 per
year is thrown away on an unessential
library service.
The contempt that the
Library Director and Board of
Trustees have for the voter- taxpayer
is illustrated by the hiring
of a reading specialist for six
weeks, starting July 5, 1967, at
a total expense of $ 1,000.00.
The specialist's application for
the position is dated June 5,1967,
one month after the first library
budget's defeat on May 3. Mr.
Dow recommended that the Board
hire the specialist on 6/ 13/ 67,
three days after the budget was
defeated for the second time on
6/ 10/ 67. In recommending the
appointment, Mr. Dow informed
the Board that the specialist's
function was ". . . games, storytelling,
music, dancing, movies
and browsing. . " - all for
$ 1,000.00. The Board approved
after supposedly being on an austerity
budget. Is not remedial
reading a function of the Schools?
The above facts are available
at th Main Branch of the Farmingdale
Library. I strongly urge
each voter- taxpayer to read the
Minutes of the Library Board,
a public document, and form his
own conclusions based on the
facts. Be informed.
Guy Morone
Dear Sirs:
If anyone should doubt that
the age of the totalitarian liberal
has arrived, I would suggest
that they take a good look
at our local library board in
Farmingdale.
After two budget defeats, which
were in no sense of the word
ordinary rejections, the board
has some how justified a third
vote. Their whole attitude seems
to indicate a lack of good judgement
on the part of the voting
public. We really don't know what
we're doing. Like a wise and all
knowing parent they're decided to
give us another chance, after the
proper punishment of course.
This long entrenched clique has
had things their own way for far
too long. They have totally
ignored the obvious difference
of opinion within the community
and have offered no solutions,
no answers, no suggestions.
A good example of this ' ' more
of the same" attitude would be
the last board meeting at which
the library director, thrilled the
audience with a few goodies
gathered at the latest American
Library Association convention
in San Francisco.
Permit me to paraphrase these
great intellectual findings:
1. Parents should exercise no
restraint as to what their children
read, fhey may suggest
or discuss but should not forbid.
2. All adult or young adult
sections within die library should
be abolished with free access to
all reading material regardless
of age.
3. Pornagraphy should be preserved
by our libraries.
He disclaimed any knowledge
of this last gem" Svhen brought
to his attention, although it was
well reported in the New York
Times.
It seems to me the $ 800 of
taxpayers money for convention
expenses was a bit exorbitant
for such dreadful drivel.
It is perfectly apparent that the
board and its director just don't
care about views different from
their own. The sooner the board
realizes that there are other
opinions and acts accordingly
the better it will be for the
library, the community and any
future budgets.
George Usack
Dear Editor:
The past week proved to be
most interesting for me in attempting
to uncover the behind-the-
scenes operation of the public
library. After discovering
the ' Library Friends', at work
in the library at 10: 00 p. m. last
Wednesday, contrary to established
policy, on Thursday,
I requested access to the files
of the library with specific reference
to the correspondencefor
the past year. The library director
refused my request and
suggested that I take the matter
up with the Board. I insisted
that, as a Library Trustee, I
was authorized to examine all
library records and suggested
that we confirm this with
Kendrick Smith, the Board Attorney.
The Library director then
attempted to prevent me from using
the library's telephone, indicating
a pay phone across the
street.
However, I forced my way past
him, called the library attorney
and let him inform the library
director as to my legal authority.
Since it was closing time, I arranged
to examine the files the
following day.
Upon returning, I was refused
direct access to the files. After
much useless debate, I received
a call from Mr. Robert Callahan,
Library Board President,
who told the library director that
I should get a court order to
examine the files.
An executive session was
thereafter scheduled for Tuesday,
August 1. At this meeting the
library director presented a list
of recommended regulations for
public examination of library
records, as determined by previous
court rulings, with respect
to the rights of citizens in
general. These rulings require
that citizens specify exactly what
records they wish to examine.
Each of the other Trustees expressed
the view that this same
limitation should also be placed
on Trustees.
Two questions arise: ( 1) What
do they have to fear from my
direct examination of the files?
( 2) How can items be requested
if their existence is unknownr
For the next exciting episode
in this battle of entrenched power
versus the public interest, I
extend a personal invitation to
those interested in how taxpayer
money is squandered, to attend
the next board meeting.
Library Trustee,
Carl Gorton
VPN Concludes
Lite- A- Bike Program
Commander Fred Wuerth of
Post # 516 Veterans of Foreign
Wars, Farmingdale, announced
the completion of the V. F. W.
Lite- a- Bike program under die
leadership of chairman Charles
Montenaro.
Joseph Goergen, principal of
Weldon E, Howitt Jr. High School
and Don Snyder of the Farming-dale
Youth Council assisted in
the Lite- a- Bike program at the
Summer Recreation Centers.
Farmingdale OBSERVER Thursday, August 3, 1967
