Editorial
Strange
District 22 voters will probably do a double
take when they hear about the Board of Education's
referendum asking for supplementary funds of
$ 988,000 for the already approved additions
and renovations to the Farmingdale Senior High
School and at the same time learning that it will
cost the local taxpayer less money by voting in the
affirmative.
The situation is not easy to explain.
Because of the complexities of the alterations
and additions, as distinguished from a single new
building, it was not until the architect had become
involved in the working drawings and consultation
with the administrators and department
chairmen, that everyone realized that the best
educational needs of the students could only be
met by extensive alterations to the existing high
school building.
When completed, the high school building will
probably be the largest single high school building
in the State of New York, excluding those in New
York City. ' the planning had to consider the
future needs of the district for the next 30 years.
While it would have been pleasant to have the bids
opened for exactly what had been the anticipated
cost, the fact that this cost is greatly increased,
should not dissuade the voters from endorsing the
project. The building will be far more educationally
sound than originally planned.
Improvements will be made in combating the
' house' is to have its own guidance and administration.
The bottleneck in the corridors will
be corrected from the original design. Fire doors
and other safety features will be added throughout
the building. Instead of merely taking care of
additional student enrollment, the renovation will
now affect the entire student population by the newer
planned arrangements of classrooms. This is the
very reason why the State Aid picture has improved.
We urge District 22 taxpayers to take advantage
of forthcoming public meetings so that information
may be obtained first hand for voting slated for
February 10th.
A delay in the construction would be disastrous
as far as the students are concerned as the high
school is already overcrowded. It would also be a
shame to lose the present bids which can be kept
only 60 days from the day they were opened.
Datebook
Saturday, January 6
8: 30 p. m. - Farmingdale Col-umbiettes
meeting at Council
home.
Tuesday, January 9
8: 30 p. m. - Farmingdale Youth
Council annual election of officers
at Village flail.
8: 30 pan. - Library Board meeting
at South Farmingdale library.
Wednesday, January 10
1130 a. m. - " Historic Churches
of Long Island" - topic at
W. S. CJS. luncheon at Farming-dale
Methodist Church.
830 pjn. - Farmingdale Committee
for Exceptional Children
- meeting at ftirkway
Oaks School.
8: 30 p. m. - V. F. W. Post 516-
Open House at V. F. W. Hall,
635 Main St.
830 p. m. - Menorare Council
K of C meeting at KC Hall,
Seaford.
Thursday, January 11
8: 30 p. m. - Vietnam Assistance
Committee meeting at Albany
A venue School.
< 3farmmijiml£ ( LHUUTIUT
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To Hold Services For
Holy Name Departed
Men of St, Kilian's Parish are
invited to attend the Sunday, January
14th, special Mass at 8: 15
ajn. in honor of the departed
membership of the Holy Name
Society. S e p a r a t e seating arrangements
are being made.
The Holy Name Society's regular
monthly meeting on Monday,
January 15th, will feature a tribute
to the Altar Boys and the
winners of the " Keep Christ in
Christmas" poster contest.
Columbiettes To Meet
The Farmingdale Columbiettes
will hold a meeting on Monday,
January 8 at the Council home,
Slate Meeting
THE WASHINGTON
WATCH
By Congressman John W. Wydler
One of the basic problems confronting
America today is that of
housing for those with low income.
Public housing has all
too often bred misery and despair.
The Rent Supplement Program
that has been advanced by
the Johnson Administration is
tremendously costly. K would
kill the incentive for home ownership
and would make many renters
the perpetual wards of the
government.
There is also a danger that it
would provide a substantial subsidy
for individuals who are earning
well above the medium income
level.
The home ownership bill that
has been sponsored by Senator
Percy and Representative Wld-nall,
and introduced by all 36
Republican Senators and 106 Republican
House Members, was
devised to sneourage the provision
of decent housing for inhabitants
of declining urban and
rural areas of the nation. It
would advance and expand the opportunities
for the enjoyment of
home ownership. It would spark
new self- help efforts by individuals
and meaningful involvement
by local neighborhood associations.
The features of the bill
are as follows:
( 1) Establishes a private, nonprofit
National Home Ownership
Foundation with an 18- member
board of directors.
( 2) Founiatlon through the sale
0+
The Farmingdale Committee
for Exceptional Children will hold
a meeting on Wednesday, January
10, at 8: 30 p. m. in the Faculty
Room at Parkway Oaks School.
The guest speaker will be A.
Daiber, Rehabilitation Counselor.
Interested In
Girl Scout Awards?
Girl Scouts interested in working
for Catholic Awards are to
submit their name, address, telephone
number and* age to St.
Kilian Parish Coordinator, Mrs.
Leonard J. Oliveri, 2 Hawthorne
Street, Farmingdale, N. Y. 11735
MY 4- 4825.
II I — • • •• n , . n — ^ 1
Program Aids Persons
With Police Records
Bad Credit Ratings
People who cant get suitable
jobs because police records, unsatisfactory
credit ratings, or
other factors prevent their being
bonded were reminded this week
of a program of the New York
State Employment Service that
can now help them obtain the
required bonding.
Alfred L. Green, Executive
Director of the State labor Department's
Division of Employ-,
meat, pointed out that the New
York State Employment Service
is one of more than a score of
agencies participating across the
country in a bonding assistance
program. Through a special arrangement
made with a commercial
bonding company by the
United States Department of Labor,
as many as 2,000 persons
who need bonding to get jobs
can now be covered for an annual
average bonding protection
of $ 2,500.
So far, 23 ex- offenders have
been so bonded in New York.
Only one of the 23 has forfeited
a bond--$ 500 in his case.
Green asserted that there
probably are many other eligible
jobseekers who need the assistance
offered under this program,
and who ought to take
advantage of it.
of bonds is authorized to raise
$ 2- billion in mortage funds. A
federal guarantee will rest behind
the Foxndation's debentures.
( 3) Loans are made to an eligible
borrower to conduct the rehabilitation
of a house or to purchase
a home only if existing f i nancial
installations are unable to
make the loan.
( 4) The board shall determine
the portion of the interest rate
payable by the borrower and the
portion payable by the Treasury.
( 5) The Treasury would assess
persons whose income shave r i s en
for the purpose of paying back
the amount of interest paid by the
Treasury.
( 6) Requires the establishment
of non- profit neighborhood
corporations, cooperatives or l i mited
dividend corporations, to
oversee the rehabilitation of
housing units, the selection of
potential home owners and the
training and counseling of participating
families.
( 7) Bill contemplates an Initial
outlay of $ 13- million and at
no time exceeds $ 60- million'per
year.
Certainly this type of fresh approach,
which offers ownership
incentives and is more than a
temporary solution, is worth a
try. In this case, the minority
party has pointed the way forward.
It will be interesting to
see if the Administration has the
courage to follow the lead.
Gardening
On Tim Island
By The Long Island Nurserymen s K » O I K ME. Many flowering plants and
some trees and shrubs will survive
the rigors of a Long Island
winter more readily if they are
properly mulched after the,
ground has frozen. Evergreens,
which thrive on moisture stored
around the roots from late autumn
until spring, are in this group.
So too are such biennials aspan-sies,
sweet William, hollyhocks,
Canterbury bells, and foxglove.
And winter mulching for roses'
is a must — not to keep the
roots warm, but to keep them
cold enough to withstand the alternate
freezing and thawing
periods. For the same reason,
spring- blooming bulbs are often
mulched as well.
Since there was no lack of
rainfall in our area this past
fall, there should be plenty of
moisture to make the solidly
frozen soil that protects plant
roots and bulbs from responding
too eagerly to the first warm
day in mid- winter and early
spring. Although too - early
sprouting would not necessarily
mean total loss of bloom, hungry
rabbits and mice, unable to find1
their customary supplies of food,
would prune the tender young
shoots down to the ground.
Consequently, the time to add
a covering of winter mulch is
after the soil has frozen, and
preferably when there is little
or no snow. Snow is an excellent
mulch, but a bit undependahle
in terms of lasting through the
entire winter. So mulches that
will not melt away are recommended.
The gardener who plans ahead
may have carefully stored up the
results of his fall leaf raking,
and leaves do a good job of mulching,
if you can keep them from
Blowing away. Placing the cutoff
boughs of your Christmas
tree over the layer of two or
mree inches of leaves will hold
them down, but one Christmas
tree may not be sufficient for
your entire garden. When the
neighbors discard their trees,
they may be pleased to have you
put them to use in this way.
Soft, loose compost is another
effective mulch that many gardeners
have saved up againstjusc
such a need. And your nurseryman
or garden- center man will
be able to provide you with commercial
materials for mulching.
In choosing a mulch material,
there are several important considerations,
according to the
Long Island Nurserymen's Association.
It must be lightweight
and porous enough to allow for
air circulation and yet sufficiently
able to compact itself so that
it will retain the moisture and
even temperature already in the
soil. Preferably, it should make
a neat covering that is not an
eyesore during the long months
when there is no color in the
garden. And it must be a material
mat will, as it decays, contribute
to the soil character and
nutritional value, or you will have
the added spring chore of removing
and discarding it.
Peat moss is a popular material
for mulching, but the gardener
must remember that peat moss is
on the acid side, and if acidity
is likely to become a problem in
the soil, it must be counteracted
by adding lime. Peat moss must
be applied when the breezes are
quiet, so that it won't blow away.
Another commercial mulch
that has achieved great popularity
in the midwest is pure ground
hardwood tree bark. Almost exactly
neutral in its pH rating,
this entirely organic material
. is a rich brown in color and has
a stay- put texture that makes it
possible to use it on slopes without
fear of its shifting out of
place.
A layer of mulch about three
inches deep, is recommended for
winter protection. At this depth,
a 5- or 6- cub'ic- foot bag of commercial
mulch will cover approximately
20 square feet.
Your Long Island nurseryman
can be your garden's best friend,
so whenever you are in doubt as
to what to do or how to do it, ask
him.
Page 4 Farmingdale OBSERVER, Thursday, January 4, 1968
