Freeport Report 1997-02

              NYPA and Village Plug in New Electric Substation
On January 16, Freeport
Mayor Richard R. Wissler
and New York Power
Authority officials
announced online capacity
of the new Freeport Electric
Power Substation.
"The project took a year
to build and came in under
budget," Electric
Superintendent Hub Bianco
was proud to report.
Freeport's power capa-bility
will nearly triple,
enabling the Village to con-tinue
to provide the lowest
regional electric rates (60%
cheaper than LILCO's) well
into the 21st century.
"Without the skill and
perseverance of our Freeport
Electric employees this pro-ject
would never have taken
place," Wissler said.
Freeport Electric's low-est
power rates are cited as a
big incentive to incoming
businesses.
"The system's capability
will allow the future hi-tech
and computer-driven busi-nesses
of the 21st century to
consider Freeport a first
choice when starting or relo-cating
a business," Wissler
said.
At a recent press conference, Mayor Wissler "plugged in" the
new substation with Electric Superintendent Hub Bianco, and
New York Power Authority heads, Craig Banner and Jim Buff.
Judge Clarke to Head Village Women's History Observance
Mayor Richard Wissler has selected Freeport Village
Judge Cheryl Clarke to head this year's Village observance
of Women's History Month. The special program will be
held at the March 17 Village board meeting. Judge Clarke
said the Village will week to honor women who have distin-
Associate Village Justice Cheryl Clarke and Mayor Wissler
Columbus Pre-K Registration Begins
It's not too soon for parents of three and four-year-olds to
start thinking about pre-kindergarten registration at Columbus
Avenue School's Early Childhood Center for September, 1997.
Those who plan to enroll their children in the Pre-K program will
need to bring the child and bring the following documents: the
child's birth certificate; up-to-date immunization records; a com-pleted
physical by doctor or clinic; name, address, and telephone
number of a babysitter or day-care provider, if applicable; proof
of guardianship,^if applicable; proof of residency. The child can-not
be enrolled without these items. Registration will take place
by appointment on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between .
March 3'and 25 from 8:40 a.m. to 2:20 p.m. After March 5, reg-istration
will be on a first-come, first served basis. Space is limit-ed.
For more information please call 867-5254.
guished themselves by giving the greatest gift of all—the
gift of self. In selecting Judge Clarke to head the obser-vance,
Mayor Wissler chose the highest ranking female
Village official who personifies historical accomplishment.
"She is the Associate Judge of the busiest court in New
York State and considers her job a great accomplishment."
Women of Freeport will be honored in various cate-gories
at the brief ceremony which begins at 7:30 p.m.
Judge Clarke said this year's theme would be Women's
History—Teach it, Learn it, Share it.
"I hope men and women of Freeport will take time in
the month of March to discuss the important role women
have played in American History and look around at those
today who are making history," Clarke said;
For honoree suggestions and more information please
contact the Mayor's office at 377-2252.
Memorial Day Planning Underway
Meetings are underway
for this years annu-al
Memorial Day
Parade themed:
Honoring Those
Who Died While a
P.O.W.
Meetings will be
held the first
Monday of each
month, Feb 3, April 7, and
May 5 at the Freeport
American Legion, 49 West
Sunrise Highway.
"Those participating in the
event are urged to attend the
meetings," Coordinator
Charles Jackson said.
"The Committee is
always looking for
ideas and suggestions
for this wonderful
C- community gather-ing."
Contact Jackson at 868-
5373 for more information.
Volume 4 No. 2
February 1997
0% Ta* Hike Unanimou^J^Adopted
Wissler to Gov: 'Show Me the Money!'
Freeport Mayor Wissler
Backs Governor Pataki's
Tax Cut Plan—$1,150
Freeport Tax Reduction,
$1,910 for Seniors....Mayor
Richard Wissler, who just
successfully passed a no tax
increase for the third year in
a row on January 27, is pur-suing
additional tax relief
for Freeport homeowners
and businesses after meeting
with New York Governor
Pataki and presenting him
with a TAX AXE to cut more
from Freeport's tax burden.
The Mayor, who has been
meeting with many high
level State officials this
month, told the Governor he
was a strong supporter of
Freeport Mayor Richard Wissler presents New York Governor with a TAX AXE after a Long
Island meeting on new Pataki tax cut plan. •?
the new STAR tax relief and local legislators as well Pataki plan,
plan and would urge state as Freeporters to back the (see Pataki's tax relief outline
below)
10 REASONS WHY FREEPORT SHOULD SUPPORT
1. Provides $1.7 billion in
school tax relief by school
year 2000-01 to New York
State homeowners, with
approximately one-third of
the savings, or $550 million,
going to Long Island tax-payers.
2. Homeowners in Nassau
County and across the State
will receive an average 27
percent savings off their
school property taxes;
seniors with household
incomes up to $60,000 will
receive an average 45 per-cent
reduction.
3. For Freeport school dis-trict
homeowners, STAR
provides $1,150 in school
tax savings, and $1,190 for
senior citizen homeowners..
4. School tax savings for
Freeport and Long Island
homeowners are substantial
compared to the rest of the
State because the STAR
plan adjusts for the higher
home values and property
taxes.
5. The STAR Freeport
property tax savings is real;
It comes right off your
school tax bill. The School
GOVERNOR PATAKI'S (STAR) TAX RELIEF PLAN
district cannot spend it. As erty owners within a locality
a consequence, the
Governor's plan will pro-vide
direct and dramatic
savings from your property
tax burden.
6. Lottery proceeds finally
will be used for school tax
relief, as they were original-ly
intended to be. Proceeds
from the State Lottery will
go into the new STAR fund
that will pay school districts
for the STAR school tax
savings.
1. The STAR plan prevents
"tax shifting" to other prop-
- -since the state will make up
the revenue loss accruing to
the school district dollar-for-dollar.
8. The school district prop-erty
tax cap insures that the
district cannot turn around
and tax away your STAR
school tax savings. Rather,
any future increases in local
'school taxes must be capped
at the lesser of inflation or 4
percent (with exceptions for
enrollment growth and a
two-thirds vote-approved
override; property tax rev-
Industrial Park Vacancies Drop in 1996
Flex Master Corp. Relocates to Freeport
jMex Master CdrpT.-pa.
replacement window
manufacturing corporatidnj/v
has purchased the former, ^ ''-].
Shore-Reboul property oric/;-
Hanse Avenue. At 84,000 £•
square feet, Flex Master will
occupy one of Freeport's
largest industrial park prop-erties.
The purchase positively
affects the vacancy rate in
Freeport's Industrial Park.
Last year at this time there
were 11 large properties
vacant. Mayor Wissler is
proud to report that four of
those properties have been
filled and two more busi-nesses
are now in negotia-tions.
Wissler also reports
one business is currently
signing a lease on a large
Mayor Wissler met with owner Ron Handelson and took a tour
of Flex Master's large window manufacturing facility.
North Main Street building.
Since 1953, Flex Master
has been a family-owned
business. Owners Ron and
Howard Handelson and
Gary Mezzarelli say
Freeport's low power rates
were a big relocation incen-tive
for their high utility use
business. They were also
able to consolidate each por-tion
of the business and
keep the corporation under
one roof instead of the sev-eral
smaller buildings they
were occupying. Flex
Master will spend most of
February moving into the
new headquarters.
All 105 employees kept
their jobs and Handelson
anticipates enough growth
this year to create several
new positions.
Wissler: Not In Our Backyard
Anti-Drug Task Force Leads to 62 Arrests
Mayor Wissler
_' joined Nassau County
District Attorney Denis
Dillon in a recent press con-ference
to announce a
record number of arrests by
members of the Multi
Jurisdictional Task Force—
a cooperative enforcement
effort that concentrates on
street level narcotics traf-ficking
throughout the coun-ty.
The task force, formed
in 1994, is funded by a fed-eral
grant which provides
money and equipment for
use by the task force mem-bers
which include the
D.A.'s office/'the Nassau
County Police, the Freeport
Police Department and 6
other municipal police
departments. /
"No community is an
island," Mayor Wissler said.
"This anti-narcotic enforce-ment
cooperation is working
here in Freeport and towards
the war against drugs."
Through use of hidden
video and audio equipment,
undercover police officers
alternate patrol areas and
provide an unfamiliar face
to drug pushers.
During 1996, 62 defen-dants
were arrested in
Freeport and charged with
criminal sale and/or criminal
possession of a' controlled
substance in the third
degree. The sentence for
those with prior felonies
includes mandatory upstate
prison time with minimum
sentences of three to six and
one-half years.
"Nearly half of the indi-viduals
arrested are second
felony offenders, some with
violent backgrounds."
—Taxes from page 1
enue from new construction
also is exempt from the
cap).
9. The cap in school prop-erty
tax growth also ensures
that the substantial tax
increases occurring in the
1980's and early 1990's will
never occur again. Freeport
homeowners, particularly
senior citizens, will have
peace of mind knowing that
school taxes will not only
be going down for the next
four years, but will be stabi-lized
under STAR school
tax cap.
10. Freeport businesses too,
will benefit from the school
property tax cap since they
can also be assured that the
property tax burden will be
stabilized, allowing them to
plan for the future and bring
new opportunities to
Freeport.
Child Care: A Costly Problem to Working Freeporters
Mayor Wissler and Chief Ed Locke join D. A. Denis Dillon at a
recent Multi'Jurisdictional Task Force announcement.
Speaking of
Public Safety....
Mayor Wissler's Public
Safety Committee, meets
on the second Tuesday of
every month to discuss
safety issues of our com-munity.
"Such discussions include
.the conditions around the
Long Island Railroad, safe-ty
near public schools,
dangerous tree conditions,
parking problems, and any
other public safety con-cerns,"
Chairman Bruqe
Newbery said.
Meetings are open to
the public. The committee
urges residents to bring any
problems to their attention
by calling 377-2257 or
writing to the Public Safety
Committee, Village Hall,
46 North Ocean Ave.,
Freeport, NY 11520
More than half of all
women with children
under the age of six have jobs
outside the home. Almost 40
percent of all working moth-ers
are single, widowed,
divorced, or married to men
who make less than $15,000
a year; and the average cost
of day care is $3,000 per
child, nationwide. In Nassau
County, 65.2% of all mothers
with school age children are
in the labor force. Thirty
years ago only 17% of moth-ers
with young children were
working.
"Employers need
to realize their
employees are
more at ease ...if
their children are
in good hands"
—Mayor Wissler
of my children in after school
care, but I was frightened
every time I dropped them
off...the conditions were hor-rible."
Helen did eventually find
quality child care at Hi-Hello
Child Care Center, but the
average fee on her limited
income seemed astronomical.
She now receives Federal
funding to supplement the
child care costs.
"I was lucky...! can now
concentrate on my work," she
ments. The third group rep-resents
families who are
caught somewhere in between
eligibility for government
help and the ability to pay
full costs on then- own.
"These groups of families
are most common to us.
They have successed them-selves,
either through educa-tion
or career promotion, to
the point where government
can no longer help," Sobier
said.
Realizing this, Hi-Hello
"Not only do working par-ents
have to address the qual-ity,
safety and availability of
child care, but the over-whelming
costs can be a seri-ous
detriment," Mayor
Wissler said. "The facts are,
more parents are working to
face their financial needs but,
at the same time,, are faced
//•^'T^**®"^'/-*^^ . Mnvy
Mayor Richard Wissler and Hi-Hello Child Care Center Director
Joann Bousquet met with supermarket managers to discuss the
Center Food Certificate Program and child care in Freeport.
Providing food certificates are Ariel Fuertes, Fine Fare
Supermarket manager, and Frank Lach, Edwards Supermarket
manager. Not pictured, Waldbaums Supermarket Manager Rich
Reed.
with the difficult search for
child and day care centers
that they feel comfortable
leaving their children with."
Helen, a Freeport mother
of three school age children,
was faced with a child care
crisis when she was forced to
re-enter the workforce on a
full-time basis. Never needing
child care before, she was
shocked to discover the
obstacles of her search.
"There were dozens of
places to check, but the wait-ing
lists were incredible," she
said. "I was able to enter two
said. "I hope in time to be
; able,tp1get,pffigovernmenX1.-.
assistance."
Hi-Hello Development
Director Peggy Sobier hears
similar situations every day.
Hi-Hello also has a waiting
list. Teachers and assistants
must be trained or certified
and the teacher/student ratio
is kept small.
In a meeting with Mayor
Wissler, Sobier explained that
there are three types of fami-lies
who come to Hi-Hello—
families who can pay the full
costs of child care, and fami-lies
who receive government
child care assistance pay-raises
nearly $40,000 annual-ly
for a scholarship .fund. to,. .,
supplement costs for these
parents. Each year, as fund-ing
to Hi-Hello declines,
directors are further chal-lenged
with more creative
fundraising to meet their
scholarship fund goals. One
of its most recent activities,
the Food Certificate Program,
involves the cooperation of
three local supermarkets.
Food certificates, redeemable
at Fine Fare and Edwards
supermarkets in Freeport, and
Waldbaums in Baldwin, can
be purchased at Hi-Hello for
the same cost of store prices.
Sold in $10 and $25 denomi-nations,
Hi-Hello earns 5%
on any purchase.
"Residents are still going
to shop at these stores, but if
they purchase our certificates
at no extra cost, we can earn
some money towards our
scholarship fund," Sobier
said.
"Child/day care is a great
concern to Freeport parents,"
Mayor Wissler said. "Hi-
Hello's efforts are a step in
the right direction towards
meeting the financial needs of
Freeport parents and making
its affordability, bearable and
livable."
Some companies, like
Campbell Soup, operate on-site
child care facilities for
employees' children. Others,
subsidize community centers.
"Employers need to real-ize
their employees are more
at ease and are better workers
if their children are in good
hands," Wissler said. "It's my
aim to encourage more
Freeport businesses and
industrial park corporations
with large employee bases to
create this atmosphere among
its workers."
Wissler also made such
suggestions to employers as
giving employees the option
of child care assistance in. .
place of 401K financial plans
or other job incentives.
Helen, in response said,
"Of course I want financial
security in the future...but my
immediate problem is child
care. I know more people
today are more likely to seek
out a company who works
with working mothers and
fathers, and can appreciate
the situations we face every
day."
For more information call
Peggy Sobier, Development
Director at Hi-Hello Child
Care Center, 379-1825.