Hammering Out ' A Balanced Transportation Network'
County Executive Eugene Nick-erson
this week announced that
his Administration is hammering
out " a balanced transportation
network" for Nassau County.
Included in ideas and proposals
' under study are express lanes
to speed buses to Queens subways;
multi- purpose transportation
centers; regular and short-runway
airplane commuter
flights to New York; scenic highways;
and depression of railroad
crossings. '' Nassau
County's 1,500,000 residents require
a balanced transportation
network," Nickerson said.
Some of the proposals are
new; others already are going
forward; still others are in
various stages of planning or
consideration. All are designed
to take the frustration out of
traveling.
At the same time, Nickerson
cautioned that " new or expanded
transit facilities must not be
allowed to detract or destroy the
residential character of our
County."
Under review is a plan to put
into operation express bus lanes
down major east- west thoroughfares
during rush hours. This
would separate bus and automobile
traffic, moving both forward
more rapidly. If studies indicate
it is feasible, a pilot " express
bus lane" effort will be inaugurated.
Also under study is a plan
whereby the County might assist
bus operators to help them
finance new rolling stock. Using
its lower interest rates and excellent
credit rating for obtaining
money, the County might purchase
buses from manufacturers,
then lease or sell them back
under contract to the bus firms.
In cooperation with the Bus
Service Council, Nassau officials
have mapped a passenger shelter
program. A list of intersections
where shelters will be built is
under review.
A series of indentations in
sidewalks at bus loading zones,
or " turnouts," will enable buses
to pick up and discharge passengers
safely without holding
up traffic. Three such cut- ins
are planned by the Public Works
Department.
A mini- bus jitney service to
link together County facilities is
under study. Priority would
go to a pilot program linking
up the Meadowbrook Hospital,
County Jail, Family Court and
Children's Shelter facilities. If
this proves successful, the
County- park system and other
County facilities also will be
linked up by the mini- bus service.
High- speed direct rail service
to New York City, without the
Jamaica changeover, and supported
by major terminals at
central geographic locations,
such as Hicksville and Mitchel
Field, is the cornerstone of the
County's proposals for the Long
Island Railroad.
Plans for improving bus service
during peak commuter hours
to railroad stations will be advanced.
Efforts will also be made
to achieve better coordination
of bus and train schedules.
Elimination of railroad grade
crossings by depressing them
continues to receive serious consideration.
Under consideration is the possible
use of short- runway aircraft
for commuter service to
Manhattan and also to the metropolitan
airports: Kennedy,
Newark and La Guardia.
Airlifting of specialty freight
items by aircraft which can take
off and land on short runways is
also under review.
The synchronization of 700
County traffic lights to adjust
the stop- and- go signals to benefit
motorists is expected to become
a reality.
County road signs are being
standardized and made more
readable, with larger letters
wherever practical. New overhead
lane control signs are also
being installed; and scores of
new information and guide signs,
mainly leading to expressways
and parkways, are also to be installed
in the near future.
Performing Arts Festival
Finale This Sunday
The sixth and final performance
in Oyster Bay Town's Performing
Arts Festival series will again
highlight a folk- jazz gala on,
Sunday, August 13, at 8: 30 p. m.
at the State University Agricultural
and Technical College at
Farmingdale. In case of rain
the concert will be moved indoors
to the college auditorium,
near the open air stie.
The final program will feature
Tom Glazer, Folk Singer, and
the Winston Pub Crawlers, a
Jazz Ensemble. Tickets for those
who have not obtained series
stickers will be on sale at the
gate for $ 2 per car, or 50 cents
for those walking. Youngsters 1 §
and younger are admitted free.
Those attending are urged to
bring blankets or folding chairs.
Telephone Solicitors Misusing Name
Of Airline To Sell Subscriptions
Announce Makeup Exams
For Service Academies
The Better Business Bureau
this week warned that the name
of a major national airline is
being misused in telephone solicitations
for magazine subscription
sales.
The telephone solicitors call
secretaries and office workers
and make the statement that they
are calling from National Airlines.
They claim to be conducting
a survey in order to
improve National's on- board
service and want to know what
the average career girl reads
during a flight.
One young lady reported to the
Bette r Business Bureau that when
she told the caller what her
favorite magazines were the caller
told her that she had just won
National Airlines' Career Girl
Contest and would receive the
magazines ' absolutely free.'
Howeve r, she found that she would
be required to pay the postage
for each magazine.
The ' postage' charges were,
in effect, the cost of the magazine
subscriptions.
Congressman James R. Grover
Jr. announced that makeup examinations
for appointments to
federal service academies will be
held on Tuesday August 22.
Grover said: " My appointments
to West Point, the Naval Academy,
the Air Force and Merchant Marine
Academies are based to a
great extent on the results of
these competitive examinations.
I urge all high school graduates
who are interested in these appointments
to contact my office
for the time and place of these
examinations."
The tests are designed for those
who missed an earlier examination.
The appointments are based
on the examination results, previous
academic record and personal
interviews.
Speedy Action For Supplemental
Assessment Requests
Teens To Conduct Public
Opinion Political Survey
Requests by superintendents of
36 Nassau school districts will
be processed immediately for
supplemental assessments on
new construction. County Executive
Eugene Nickerson announced
this week.
The districts applied for the
supplemental roll two weeks ago
after Nickerson suggested the
assessments could bring in a
minimum of $ 1,000,000 in added
revenue. Of 60 districts eligible,
36 applied within a week.
Hopes of obtaining the additional
funds were somewhat dampened
by an opinion sent to Schneider
by the office of New York Attorney
General Louis Lefkowitz.
He said- that the Real Property
Tax Law does not apply to the
county.
Lefkowitz emphasized that his
opinion is " an informal and unofficial
expression of view given
with the desire to be helpful to
you."
Schneider, however, says
Nassau is entitled to proceed
widi the special assessments because
the poWer of the town
assessors was transferred by
the County charter to the County
board of assessors.
Nickerson's letter to die
superintendents read: " You will
be pleased to learn that die
County Attorney has declared that
Section 1335 of the Real Property
Tax Law applies to die Board
of Assessors of die County of
Nassau.
" I shall urge the governing
bodies of the Towns and die
County to direct die Board of Assessors
that a Supplemental
School District Assessment Roll
be processed immediately.
" Since you have requesteddiis
Supplemental Roll, the hard-pressed
taxpayers of your School
District will get whatever tax
relief is available. I will direct
the Board of Assessors to prepare
this Roll at an absolute
minimum cost to die School Districts."
School District 22 was one
of die school districts that applied
for die supplemental assessments
before die August 1 deadline.
Plainedge and Massapequa
did not appear on die list of
schools which applied.
On Wednesday of diis week,
two teams of interviewers from
Teens For Marino, a town- wide
organization of young people
working for Ralph J. Marino,
Republican- Liberal candidate for
Oyster Bay Town Supervisor,
will conduct a public opinion survey
in the Massapequa and Hicksville
areas.
These teen- aged pollsters will
gauge die political temperature
in Hicksville and Massapequa to
determine die impact of Marino's
campaign to date. They will
also poll voters on die Wachtler-
Nickerson race for county executive.
Jim Samuels on, president of
the Hicksville Teen- Age Republicans
and Bill Sanderson, vice-president,
are supervising die
survey in the two areas. Both
were active in die Rockefeller
campaign last year.
The Teens for Marino interviewers
will take a sampling
of at least five hundred citizens
of voting age in both Hicksville
and Massapequa.
Results will be tabulated immediately
and released as soon
after the poll is taken.
Student Killed In Parkway Mishap
Martin F. Rothamel, 21, of 10
Cottage Drive, Massapequa, a
student at Brockport College, was
killed when a car he was driving
veered off Southern State Parkway
near Valley Stream and
struck a tree.
Police claim that Rothamel apparently
fell asleep while driving.
Visit Vets at Hospital
The Massapequas Disabled A-merican
Veterans Ladies Auxiliary
will visit Northport Veterans
Hospital on Sunday, August
13, to entertain the veterans.
Michael \'. Petito, Supervisor of the Town of Oyster Bay, outs
rit carnival held to raise money for Muscular
Dystropln at the residence of Mrs, Jacques Jaeger, 175 Boston Avenue,
Massapequa. Stuart R « Cordon, local civic leader looks on,
OBSERVER Thursday, August 10, 1967
Mark Lehman of Massapequa Park and James Mancuso of Soudi Farmingdale were out to make some
needed funds for community projects last Saturday as they prepared for a car wash with some advance
advertising. Both are Farmingdale High School students and members of the Rotary Club
sponsored Interact Club. pokress HUOIO
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