Secretary of State Mario
Cuomo's office notified the
Village's Stabilization and Affir-mative
Housing Task Force last
month that Kranzler Realty, Inc.,
1875 Grand Avenue, Baldwin, has
been found guilty of racial steer-big.
The Broker, Bennett
Josephs, has had his real estate
license revoked as has Helen
Blumer, a salesperson with the
firm. Three other salespersons,
Vi Rowe, Susan Beaudette and
JJnda payis, have _hajd_ tiieir
licenses suspended for a period of
three months.
The legal action was taken by
the Secretary of State following
hearings during which black and
white members of the Baldwin
Oaks Civic Association testified
as to incidents of racial steering
on the part of Kranzler employees
during the civic group's real
estate testing program in the
summer of 1977. Freeport volun-teer
testers had met with the
Baldwin group prior to the pro-gram's
start to relay the Village's
testing experiences which led to
punitive action against five real
. estate offices. Freeport's testing
is on-going and while four
testers, two white and two black,
did visit the Kranzler office and
determine that racial steering was
being practiced, supportative
evidence for a legal hearing could
not be obtained.
Baldwin Oaks is an integrated
area in the northern end of the
community bounded by the
Southern State Parkway on the
north and 'Grand Avenue on the
west. It consists predominantly of
all-brick ranch homes. According
to hearing testimony, the majority
The Committee on Landlord-
Tenant Relations was established
by the Village Board of Trustees
in a attempt to keep rent increas-es
at an acceptable level and at
the same time avoid rent control.
For the current year, 1978-79,
the Committee has adopted the
guidelines for rent increases set
by tiie State Office of Rent Ad-ministration
for those communi-ties
in Nassau County who are
under the Emergency Tenant
of white testers were not shown
Baldwin Oaks by Kranzler repre-sentatives
although they request-ed
all-brick houses. They were
shown instead houses in southern
Baldwin and Oceanside which
were not brick. A black testing
couple were shown houses in
Baldwin Oaks exclusively.
In reaching his decision the
hearing officer noted that in
direct testimony a Kranzler sales-person
had stated that her office
"would like to do our best to
maintain the status qiio"'in North"
Baldwin. The officer determined
that in this instance "status quo
is code terminology for the prac-tice
of racial discrimination in the
sale and showing of housing. It
implies that the broker will
attempt to maintain the presently
existing racial patterns in hous-ing.
Such practice is clearly illegal
under state and federal law.
Maintaining the status quo in this
case would be sending blacks to
Baldwin Oaks while discouraging
whites from entering that com-munity."
The officer also stated,
"In today's society, rampant
racial steering is ultimately as
damaging to communities as any
conceivable practice of a broker."
In congratulating the Baldwin
volunteers, Freeport Task Force
Chairwoman Ellen Extract stress-ed
the importance of individual
residents in the combatting of
racial steering, block busting and
other illegal real estate practices.
"We urge any Freeport resident
who has reason to believe that
they have knowledge of such
practices being conducted in the
Village1 to contact Task'Force Co-ordinator
Ramona Crook at Vil-lage
Hall."
Protection Act. These guidelines
are a 6% increase on a one-year
lease; 8% for two years and 10%
for three years.
/These figures merely deter-mine
whether or not the Commit-tee
will accept a given complaint.
Once accepted, each complaint is
decided on its merits by the
Committee. For further informa-tion,
please call the Coordinator
Michael E. Kirwan, at FR 8-4000,
ex. 293.
The Board of Trustees will hold ((
a public meeting on Monday,
January 8, 8 pm, Village Hall.
The subject will be the adoption
of the 1979-80 municipal budget.
Copies of a tentative, line-by-line
budget are scheduled to be
available for residents, several
days before the meeting, at the
Village Clerk's office. The tenta-tive
budget is compiled following
extensive meetings between the
Board of Trustees and the various
department heads which are open
to the public.
Those wishing to speak at the
January 8 meeting will be asked
to fill out a slip when entering the
meeting room so all can be heard
in turn. Speakers are limited to
residents and taxpayers of
Freeport.
Applications are now being
accepted for summer employment
with the Village of Freeport.
Positions include laborer, recrea-tion
attendant and life guard: All
except lifeguards must be resi-dents
of Freeport. In the case of
lifeguards, preference will be
given to residents. Nassau
County certification is necessary
for employment as a lifeguard.
Persons interested in summer
employment should apply in
person at the Office of the Village
Clerk, 8:30 am .to 4 pm, work
days. Applications for the life-guard
certification test are avail-able
at that office.
Freeport Mall, Merrick Road,
Woodcleft Avenue, South
Grove Street, Atlantic Ave.,
all around town
DECEMBER 1978
A PUBLIC INFORMATION BULLETIN OF THE VILLAGE OF FREEPOBT
46 NORTH OCEAN AVENUE TELEPHONE FReeport 8-4000 WILLIAM H. WHITE. MAYOR
Public Mcdlngo On Tho lot and 3rd Mawfcjyo Of The Month. At 8:00 P.M.
With an exhibit created to herald the opening of the Recreation Center's tee skating rink, a cross
section of Freeporters grabbed their skates and gathered to form a "greeting card" for their fellow
residents. Front, (l.-r.) are Troy and Chad Holly, Theresa and Ann Cantanno, Albert Fox, Ronald
Extract and Todd Holly. Back, (l.-r.) are Sara Holly, Marllynne Moynlhan, Roger Marks, holding
Amanda, Marge Cantanno, Martin Fox and Ellen Extract. Standing at right are Recreation Depart-ment
staffers Ricky Lehman and Phyllis Pullman who created the exhibit.
Trustees: Thomas J. Lovelldge, Dorothy Storm, Wayne Jordan, Alfred Slrlin
Village Clerk: Thomas DeVlncenzo -Treasurer: James J. Lyons - Counsel: Michael Solomon
Frank and RonnlG Abarnothy visited Freaport for the
first time In August when they went on the Open House
Tour "and fell in love with the Recreation Center and
all the Village." They and their five children have since
moved from Brooklyn to a Pine Street house purchased
through the Homefinders Service. Ronnie Abernathy
(left) is shown with Homefinders volunteer Nancy
Lamb.
Pictured are just five of the 31 families who have purchased a house in
Freeport through the Village's free Homefinders Service which has been in
existence as a goverment function for a little over a year. It is an expansion
of a program first developed by Congregation B'nai Israel and then taken
over by the Freeport Association.
The Service-is a-function of the Villagers-Affirmative Housing and Stabil-ization
Committee chaired by Mrs. Ellen Extract with Mrs. Ramona Crook
serving as coordinator. Funds come from the Village's Community Devel-opment
grant. Homefinders relies on many dedicated volunteers who meet
with prospective homebuyers to show and tell them about the Village and
arrange-for them-to- see-.the-available.houses of.the,type, and price..they.,.
desire. There is no fee for this service—either to buyer or seller.
Prospective buyers are attracted through advertising, mailings and
special projects such as exhibits at fairs, boat shows, etc. and House Tours.
Buyers have included Freeport apartment dwellers, residents looking for
smaller or larger houses and many out-of-towners.
The Homefinders office, located in Village Hall, maintains an up-to-date
list of available houses throughout the Village with purchase prices from
$30,000 to $100,000.
Anyone interested in buying a house, or having a friend or relative in the
market, is invited to call the Homefinders office at Fr &4000, ext. 296.
Judl and Thomas Connors sold their house in St. Jamco
in Suffolk County to buy another in Freeport because
it's a lovely, old village...its closeness for commuting to
Manhattan...academically excellent schools...we came
away impressed with the marvelous community spirit."
Homefinders Coordinator Ramona Crook Is at left.
A relative of Joe and Rose Matrons, a Fresport resi-dent,
told them of the excellent values available
through the Homefinders Service when the couple
decided to leave their Merrlck apartment and purchase
a house. Mrs. Matrone (left) visits with volunteer
Joanne Paradine outside the South Brookslde Avenue
house she found for the Mat rones. When they first saw
it they "fell in love."
John and Ellcan Marlowo move fholr belongings Into the Bedell Streat house found by the
Homefinders for them. Mrs. Marlowe Is the fourth generation of her family to be raised In
Freeport while Mr. Marlowe's mother was born In the Village. Both felt that they wanted a
change when they married and looked all over Nassau County for & house only to return be-cause
' 'as an incorporated Village, Freaport offers so much more.''
Steve and Fran Sonkln, former residents of New Jersey,
found their Delaware Avenue house "on the Job." Mr.
Sonkin works with the husband of Anita Landau (right),
a Homefinders volunteer. She showed them four Free-port
houses in one day and two weeks later, after
checking out neighboring communities, they returned
to buy "after finding out Freeport offers the bast value
In homes and facilities."
