Freeport Aids Racial Steering Probe
On December 11 a press con-ference
was called by Nassau
County District Attorney Dennis
Dillon to announce that a lawsuit
had been filed in Federal Court
alledging that four Nassau
County real estate agencies
steered black home buyers away
from white communities to inte-grated
ones such as Freeport.
At the same'.time, they steered
white buyers away from inte-grated
communities. Named in..
the lawsuit charging violations of
federal and state civil rights
'and fair housing laws are: Mahler
Realty of Baldwin; LaRosa
Realty of Westbury; Esposito
Realty of East Meadow; and Gaff-ney
Realtors of floral Park.
The suit came about after an 18
month investigation headed up
by the Task Force On Racial
Discrimination In The Nassau
County Real Estate Industry.
The Task Force is made up of
State Attorney General Robert
Abrams, the District Attorney,
State Commissioner of Human
Rights Douglas White, Nassau
County on Human Rights Execu-tive
Director James Rice and
Freeport Director of Human
Relations Michael Kirwan.
The action was the culmination
of some 11 years of- work by
Director Kirwan, the Village's
Human Relations Commission,
the Stabilization and Affirmative
Housing Task Force and scores of
volunteer Freeporters.
At the press conference, Liz
Abzug, Deputy Commissioner of
the State Division of Human
Rights, gave credit to Kirwan for
starting the investigation. For
years he has headed a project
using.resident volunteers, black
couples and white couples, who
visit area real estate offices to de-termine
if the black testers are
treated differently than the white
testers when both have the same
financial profile and express the
same houing requirements.
Working with the Secretary of
State's office, such tests have re-sulted
in the suspension of real
estate licenses.
Some two years ago, Kirwan
went to the District Attorney with
statistics that showed real
estate firms far from Freeport
were selling a substantial num-ber,
of homes in the Village
through the Multiple Listing
Service which provides data on all
available properties for sale on
the Island to the brokers sub-scribing
to the service. It had also
been verified that nine out of
10 homes sold by the out-of-Free-port
brokers had been sold to
minorities. Further study showed
a similar pattern in each of the
County's integrated communi-ties.
That was the beginning of
what Attorney General Abrams
called "one of the most compre-hensive
and systematic probes of
racial steering ever conducted in
the state." Of the 15 black and
15 white couples used as volun-teer
testers, seven were brought
into the program by Kirwan.
During the test, white couples
were shown 61 homes while black
couples were shown 20. Of the 61
MUST HAVE
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DEPENDABLE
TRANSPORTATION.
^ $6.00 per hour
12 - 20 hours per week
Uniform supplied.
Must be a resident
of Freeport.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER .
Apply: Village Hall
Office of the Village Clerk
46 No. Ocean Ave. 9AM - 4PM
no telephone inquiries.
houses shown to whites, each
was in a neighborhood with a
minority population of less than
5%, while 11 of the 20 homes
shown to blacks were in a more
integrated area. Of the 78 homes
shown to the testers overall, only
three were shown to both black
and white. Blacks were fre-quently
told there were no homes
in their price range in white com-munities
while white couples
with the same financial picture
were shown homes in those com-munities
that matched precisely
the description given by the black
couples. Black testers were
brought into Freeport but white
testers were not.
The suit filed seeks cash
damages'from the firms and the
Task Force has recommended
that the Secretary of State's
office revoke their real estate
licenses. In addition, individuals
who feel they were steered by
either of the firms have the right
to join in the suit.
Mayor Dorothy Storm ap-plauded
the action of the Task
Force and congratulated Director
Kirwan and all Freeporters in-volved
in this and past investi-gations.
"We in Freeport work very
hard to maintain a stable, healthy
integrated Village. We have al-ways
recognized that there are
outside forces working against us
by steering away those who may
have wished to buy a home
here and steering others to us
who were made to feel they had
no other option. However,
the people of Freeport, all of us
together, fight back. We believe
everyone has the right to choose
whether or not they wish to live
in Freeport. They must have the
same right in every community
in this County, on Long Island
and in this nation. It is indeed the
law of the land."
Jitney Survey
The Village received 233 re-plies
in a recent "Village News"
survey regarding a proposed jit-ney
in Freeport to be run by a
private operator. The return, out
of a mailing list of some 14,000,
was too scant to justify the large
investment which would have
been required by the operator.
The plan^nas been dropped.
The Village Board of Trustees
continues to solicit and investi-gate
all proposals for additional
taxi service.
Vill
News
JANUARY 1986
REFERENCE ONLY
A Public Information Bulletin
of The Village Of Freeport
46 North Ocean Avenue
Telephone FReeport 8-4000
Dorothy Storm, Mayor
Meet With Mayor: 8:30am - 4:00pm, Every Fri.
Public Meetings: 8:00pm, 1st and 3rd Mondays of the Month
Message From The Mayor
As this is being written, in late December, it comes to mind that it is the time to make predictions for
1986.1 have no crystal ball, but in looking back at what has been accomplished in the months past; with
the knowledge of current plans; and keeping in mind the goals I've set for this administration, I think I
can give a fair picture of the year ahead.
Certainly our Village will be even more pleasing to the eye. The response to our curb and sidewalk
repair program — with the cost to property owners being spread over five yettrs — has been over-whelming.
We've seen an equal reaction to the curbside tree program wherein the Village contributes
up to $75 per tree. At our request the County has accomplished tree plantings on North Main Street,
Broadway, and on Merrick Road. Come spring, you'll see planters on Sunrise Highway. Our Business
Development Committee, made up of successful business people in our Village, has come up with
exciting concepts in new signing at our entranceways and major, arteries that are guaranteed to make
motorists aware that they are in the '' new'' and resurgent Freeport.
Freeport, without a doubt, is in a growth period. I can state that our business growth is now showing all
signs of following the substantial increase we've seen in the past five years in the value of our residential
properties. For every business that leaves, there are five more trying to get in. This means an increase in
job opportunities for our residents.
Growth "must be approached carefully and wisely. A Master Plan for our community was developed
in 1960. It is in dire need of updating. That has begun with the federally funded studies we commissioned
last year for the stadium, industrial park and waterfront areas. I will now recommend to the Board of
Trustees that further planning studies be accomplished for North Main Street, the Mall and railroad area'
so that we will have an amended and more comprehensive Master Plan to guide us in the future.
- _ In the next year I see our new Historical Landmarks Preservation Commission making progress in
preserving Freeport's rich past. Working with the County, we look forward to developing an attractive
use for the famed Water Works building on Brookside Avenue.
A challening year is ahead of us. We will tackle awarding a sanitation collection contract to a private
bidder or reestablishing a Village sanitation department. All of Nassau faces the problem of affordable
housing for the young and elderly. Legalizing additional two-family dwellings is an area we must ex-amine.
Others are the parking crunch at the railroad station and certain other areas where adjacent
residential and business usages results in a parking conflict, and the impact of 1,500 proposed condo/
coop units. • .
This administration shares the concern among residents that we enter the year without an in-the-
Village general care hospital. This is a battle I took on months before but not even the highest elected
federal and state officials could not prevent the final closing of the doors at Lydia Hall Hospital. The fed-eral
Medicare officials demand payment of the $8 million they claim is owed by the private operator and
will listen to no arguments regarding the needs of our community. There are proposals to reopen the
facility from the medical care field and I have been encouraging this use of the site. This will have to
await resolution by the courts, and realistically, we do not expect quick action.
Again, this should be-an exciting year, and important one for the future of Freeport. Thank you for
your past cooperation and we welcome your active participation in the months ahead.
Finally, make ita New Year's resolution — "Freeport Fever: Catch It."
oljorotnu
Trustees: G. James Clark, Vincent DiCostanzo, Ralph Smith, Victor Cohen
Village Clerk: Thomas DeVmcenzo; Counsel: Harrison J. Edwards; Acting Treasurer: Michael Haran
After eight years of turn-downs
by the federal govern-ment,
the Village of Freeport has
finally gotten the go-ahead to
attract developers with special
• federal- funds. Such developers
must offer projects which create
construction jobs and when com-pleted,
permanent jobs.
Mayor Dorothy Storm recently
heard from Senator Alfonse
D'Amato's office that the Village
has now been found eligible for
a federal Urban Development
Action Grant (UDAG). UDAG is
administered by the U.S. Depart-ment
of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD). The pro-gram
provides federal dollars
to complement private invest-ment
and thereby make otherwise
infeasible development projects
occur. The eligibility of Freeport
means the Village is now in a
nationwide competition for
UDAG allocations among com-munities
of the same population.
A criteria for acceptance of an
application is that HUD be con-vinced
that "but for" the UDAG
assistance, a developer's project
wpuld not go forward. Local
UDAG projects in the past, which
have been given credit for the
resurgence of the communities,
include developments in the City
of Long Beach and the villages of
Hempstead and Greenport.
In making the announcement
of UDAG eligibility, Mayor
Storm hailed it as "the brightest
moment of my administration
thus far." The Mayor explained
that UDAG eligibility for the
Village had been repeatedly
rejected by HUD on the grounds
that the makeup of the municipal
workforce did not reflect the ra-cial
diversity of the community.
"While many Long Island com-munities
with no minority popula-tions
received UDAG designa-tions,
we did not. Our protesta-tions
that our hirings were dic-tated
by the mandates of the Nas-sau
County Civil Service Com-mission
fell on deaf ears. They
were not impressed by the fact
that, by local law, we had delibe-rately
limited our municipal labor
pool to Freeporters. They did not
want to hear of our still on-going
outreach efforts to en-courage
our minority residents
to place themselves on Civil
Service's hiring lists."
2 The Mayor stated she believes
the beginning of a change in
HUD's attitude came about short-ly
after she took office in January.
"I was able to point out to HUD
that I was Freeport's first female
Mayor. I was pleased to inform
them that I had appointed this
Village's first black Trustee,
Ralph Smith, who was sub-sequently
elected to the post. I
could point to my appointment of
minorities to the Village's Com-missions
and Committees. I
was proud to report that our out-reach
program was working.
Between 1983 and 1985, our
minority hiring rate of full time
employees was 26.6%. As of
July, 1985, that rate had climbed
to 33% and more- recently,' to
53%."
UDAG assistance is pro-vided
as a grant to the com-munity
which most often uses it
to provide the developer with a
below market rate interest loan.
The UDAG program is highly
competitive, with applications
rated nationwide. The program is
currently over subscribed, and as
a result funding is not provided
for every application submitted
to HUD.
Facts such as jobs, taxes,
leveraging and* the economic
distress of the community are
evaluated by HUD. A typically
successful • UDAG' application
would involve an economic
development project with a pri-vate
to public leverage .ratio of
at least 2.5:1; with at least one
job for each $10,000 in UDAG
funds provided. Projects with
higher ratios are more com-petitive.
The interest rate and
term of the loan are negotiated
among HUD, the developer,
and the applicant community.
The UDAG process involves
an application that is submitted
by the Village'with'project in-formation
and back-up data pro-vided
by the developer. The Vil-lage
must hold two public hear-ings
and complete an environ-mental
review prior to submis-sion.
Applications can be sub-mitted
at the end of January,
May and September. A decision
by HUD (approval, disapproval
or carry-over to another round)
is made within 60 days of applica-tion
submission.
Mayor Dorothy Storm (center) presents gift certificates from Mall
area merchants to Marvin Roberts (right) of Miller Avenue. With over
300 entries in the "Name the Mall".contest, Roberts was the first to
submit "Freeport Village Mall," the winning name. It was selected by
a committee made up of representatives of all civic associations, the
Chamber of Commerce and Mall merchants. The new Mrs. Freeport,
Carol Sparaco (left), was on hand to congratulate Roberts. Donating
the gift certificates were Weber's,Fashion Shop, Fielding's Vogue,
Walter's Footwear, Victor's, Paul's Army and Navy, Leon's Boutique,
Woolworth's, Ragtime, Chubbuck's, Barasch's, Maria's Boutique,
Freeport House of Gifts, Osvaldo's, Fast and Fancy, Dollar Shoes,
Jeans Plus, Jazzy Sportswear and the Makeup Center.
Winter Storms
During snow and ice storms,
motorists are asked to stay off the
roads as. much as possible to
allow for plowing and the passage
of emergency vehicles.
Property owners are asked .to
shovel out any fire hydrant as
first priority. Loss of life and/or
property can result if the Fire
Department -volunteers cannot.
locate and utilize a hydrant
immediately.
Hurricane Gloria weakened
many branches and it is possible
that heavy snow or ice will see
more • come -down. If a wire comes
down, under -no circumstances go
near it and keep children away.
Notify Village Hall, 378-4000,
immediately if it is. a.week day
between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm.
After hours, call the Electric
Department at 378-0.146, or the
Police Department, 378-0700.
When a fallen limb takes away
the electric service -box from the
side of the house, the home-owner
must contact an electrician
to restore service to the bouse
once the Village has completed
repairs.
Residents should have battery-operated
radios and lights in their
•homes. Stored should be canned
••goods, dry milk, a manual can
opener, etc. In the case of loss of
heat, let water trickle from taps to
prevent the freezing of pipes.
Remember that Village law pro-hibits
the use of kerosene heaters.
Telephone numbers to have close
at hand include police, fire dept.,
•doctor, pharmacist, ^electrician
and plumber. ,.. .. ..
If weather conditions warrant,
the Mayor has the power to put
the Village under snow emer-gency
designation.
The Village's -Snow Emergency
Ordinance reads:
When a snow emergency is
declared, the announcement will
be carried by Radio Stations
WGBB and.WHLI.
Until the emergency is ter-minated,
it is unlawful to park 'on
any street in the Village. Any
.vehicles.. impeding. ..emergency
vehicles or snow plowing opera-tions
are subject to removal at the
owner's expense.
It is also illegal to operate a
motor vehicle without snow tires,
radial tires or chains.on designat-ed
snow emergency streets. Any
vehicles thai impede traffic on
those streets are also subject to
removal. Such streets, are posted
as snow emergency routes. The
Village streets Involved (there are
additional arteries posted by the
State and County) are:
Albany Avenue from Merrick
Road to the southern end; Archer
Street; North Bayview Street from
Sunrise to Pennsyvania Avenue;
North Bayview Avenue from
Wilson Place to North Brookside
Avenue; -South Bayview Avenue,
from Meister Boulevard to Sun-rise;
Brooklyn Avenue; North'and
South Brookside Avenue; Buffalo
Avenue from Sunrise Highway to
Mill Road; Casino Street; Cedar
Street; North Columbus Avenue;
: Commercial Street; Doxsee
Drive; Front Street from South
Long Beach Avenue to Guy
Lombardo Avenue; Grand
Avenue from North' Main Street
to North Columbus Avenue;
Guy Lombardo Avenue from
Front Street to Howard Avenue;
Hanse Avenue; Howard Avenue;
Hudson Avenue; Independence
, Avenue; Jefferson.. Street;, Lake-_
view Avenue; Lena Avenue from
North -Long Beach Avenue to
North Main Street; North and
•South Long Beach Avenue;
Meister Boulevard from Westend
Avenue -to South Bayview
Avenue; North and South Ocean
Avenue; Pennsylvania Avenue;
Pine Street; Prince Avenue; Ray
Street from Westend Avenue to
South Main Street; Smith Street
from -South Bayview Avenue to. .'
South Main Street; Southside
Avenue from -South Brookside
Avenue to Westend Avenue;
Suffolk Street; Westend Avenue;
and Wilson Place.
Valentine's Day Dimer-Dance For Village Mural
Freeport's 95th Anniversary
Historical Mural Committee is
sponsoring a Dinner Dance on
Friday, February 14, at the Free-port
Recreation Center beginning
at 8^m. The-donation -bf-$25
per person will go to defray the
costs of a mural to be created by
noted artist Frances Norris
Streit on the walls of the Center's
lobby. Depicting Freeport's
history from the 1600's to the
present, the mural will be un-veiled
in October, 1987, the
95th anniversary of Freeport's
incorporation as a Village.
The February 14 event will be
similar to both the Bicentennial
Ball held in 1976 and the Village's
90th Birthday Dance wherein
hundreds of Freeporters gathered
together at the .Center for an
evening of enjoyment. The orch-estra,
Rhythm, Reeds & Brass,
is the same as played for dancing
on the two previous occasions.
A dee jay will also be on hand.
A buffet dinner will consist of
fried chicken, chicken francese,
sausage and peppers, stuffed
shells and cold roast beef, turkey
and Virginia ham with tossed
salad, vegetables, coffee and
cake.
One highlight of the evening
will be a raffle drawing where
the winners need not be present
to win. First prize will be a
$3,000 Entertainment Center;
second will be a $1,000 individual
oil portrait to be painted by artist
Streit and the third prize will be
13" color TV. The cost of the
raffles is $10 each.
Both dinner tickets and raffles
may be obtained by sending a
check made out to the Committee,
along with a self-addressed
stamped envelope, to P.O. Box
14, Freeport, NY 11520. No
dinner tickets will be sold at the
door.
Honorary Co-Chairpersons of
the dinner are Senator Alfonse
D'Amato and Mayor Dorothy
Storm. Wilma Buchanan serves
as the Committee's Chairwoman
with Michael Ocera as Dinner
Chairman, Angie Cullin as Ticket
Chairwoman ~"" 'and' " Marian
Knoeller as Raffle Chairwoman.
Missing Children
If you have information that
may lead to the recovery of miss-ing
children, call the toll-FREE
National Hotline: 1-800-843-5678.
Nicole
Bryner
DOB: 2-20-79
Pittsburgh, PA
Benjamin
Carmichael
DOB: 5-30-79
Warshtam, TN
