ttfwpg Farmingdale Public Librarv
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Farmingdale , N. Y. 11735 Jfarmtngjbab ( ibBiru^ r
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Vol. 5 No. 22 Second Class Postage has been paid at Farmingdale, N. Y. 11735 Thursday, January 18, 1968
SCHOOL BOARD ACTS
TO PROTECT DISTRICT The Farmingdale Board of Education this week acted to protect
the school district in view of the announced plans by the
State to take over Republic Airport as a rail- bus- air transportation
center.
On motion of Trustee A. Terry Weathers, the Board resolved
to write to the Governor and to Dr. William J. Ronan
of the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Authority urging
that " effective steps be taken by the state and all appropriate
agencies to insure the safety of our school district's residents
and schools and protection of our district's property taxpayers
against loss of tax revenue."
The motion also read that a meeting should be held between
representatives of the school district, the state government
and the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Authority
to discuss this problem at the earliest possible date.
Copies of these communications are to be forwarded to appropriate
legislators, the Supervisor of the Town of Babylon,
the County Executives of Nassau and Suffolk and to any
other units of local government and organizations concerned
with this problem.
Trustee Bernard Lang further moved that legislation be proposed
for Assemblyman Martin Ginsberg and Senator Henry M.
Curran to enact that would give a tax compensation to the district.
This week Babylon Town Supervisor Joseph A. Stabile had
confronted Ronan with the request for tax compensation to the
Town of Babylon. Stabile is reported to say that he would not
recommend that Babylon receive compensation for loss of
tax revenue if the State takes over th Republic airfield.
In the menatime, the Board of Education committees on tax
assessments are meeting to consider the problem.
P. O. Calls Six Cent Stamp ' Best Bargain In The World'
" It's still one of the best bargains
in the world."
That's what Postmaster Leo J.
Morgan said about the six cent
stamp, and he recounted some
interesting facts and figures from
postal history to back up his
claim.
Even though the five- cent letter
rate has suffered the same
fate a » the nickel cigar, first-class
postage is cheaper today
than it was in many bygone eras
when a few pennies meant much
more than they do today, Morgan
said.
In 1816, for instance, a single
sheet letter cost six cents for
delivery up to 30 miles. More
sheets and more miles cost more
money. A letter going 400 miles
cost 25 cents per sheet.
In those days the recipient had
to pay the postage, not the sender.
And if the letterwas actually delivered
to the recipient, rather
than picked up at the Post Office,
there was an extra charge that
was kept by the carrier.
It wasn't until 1855 that the
sender was required to pay in advance
for mail, Morgan said.
Uniform rates regardless of
distance and free city delivery
were written into the postal law
books in 1863. When distance was
dropped as a factor in computing
rates, so was the practice of
charging per sheet. The basic
unit for letter postage became a
half ounce in 1863. The basic
unit of one ounce that still prevails
today went into effect in
1885.
The inc rease in postal charges
that went into effect January 7
will add only $ 2.25 a year to the
$ 16 the average household spent
on postal services under the old
rates.
Despite the great distances
many letters must travel in the
United States, our postal rates
are lower than in most other
major countries, particularly
when based on ability to pay,
Postmaster Morgan declared. He
said the average American
worker earns the price of a six-cent
stamp in 1.3 minutes. It
takes the average British worker
2.5 minutes to earn letter postage,
the West German worker 2.7
and the French worker 5.6 minutes.
Steel Bandits To Appear
Hear Saturday
Despite the below freezing temperatures, Kent Vreeland, Ted Stratigos,
Gregory Spuhler and Robert Panza ( 1 to r), take to indoor swimming pool
instruction offered by the Farmingdale Youth Council on Saturday mornings
in West Islip. Ted Watt, ( foreground) is the instructor.
The Steel Bandits Concert
sponsored by the Farmingdale
Kiwanis Club, will take place
on Saturday, January 20 at8p. m.
at the Farmingdale Senior High
School.
According to Kiwanis Chairman
Ronald C. Shircore, The
group is made up of young American
musicians who have taken
Trinidadian instruments, steel
pans and produced their version
of a steel band. By combining the
rhythmic beat of the Caribbean
with a predominance of melody,
they have blended what is best
in the music of the Islands with
that of the United States.
Much of the style and mood in
the music of the Steel Bandits is
due to twelve- year- old Andy
Narell, who is their primary
melody player.
All the instruments have been
hammered and tuned by Ellie
Mannette, a Trinidad expert, out
of 55 gallon oil drums. The
melody pan has over thirty notes
and is the most complicated instrument
in a steel band. The
versatility of the Steel Bandits
is said to encompass everything
from calypso to rock-' n- roll,
along with waltzes, marches, folk
songs, Latin rythms, romantic
show tunes and major classics.
The Steel Bandits have appeared
at scores of country clubs
and hotels, at the Lambs Club,
the National Press Club in Washington,
D. C., at Madison Square
Garden and Carnegie Hall, and
Philadelphia's Convention Hall.
They have recorded an album
entitled ' The Steel Bandits Play'
and have" recently appeared on
the Ed Sullivan and the Mike
Douglas Shows.
Last summer the Steel Bandits
were honored by an invitation to
Trinidad's classical music festival
for steel bands and appeared
as guest artists.
