Bethpage-Tribune_1974-11-07

              BETHB^GE
UtTHPAGt PUB L«3
47 POVJELL AV
BETHP»0£ NY I l 7 «*
also serving ISLAND TREES
OLD BETHIPGE PLA1NVIEW PLAINEDGE SEAFORD
VOL. 8 NO. 50 Thursday, November 7, 1974 10 cents per copy
Bethpage School
Board Report
By Mary McCutchaon»
The regular monthly meeting
of the Bethpage Board of
Education was held on Tuesday,
October 29th, with all board
members present and nine
taxpayers attending. The
meeting was called to order at
8:22 p.m. and the first order of
business was the approval of the
minutes of September 24th;
October 1st and October 15th.
The Board received a com­munication
regarding the School
Board Forum - 10th Anniversary
Dinner Meeting, to be held on
November 13th, 1974 at Hofstra
University. Stephen Bailey wijl
be the guest speaker.
Superintendent's Report
Mr. Richard Meyers was ap­proved
as Director of the Teen
Recreation Center. Dr. Larsen,
Superintendent of Schools, in­formed
the board that the Teen
Center will be opened on Wed­nesday
evening for 7th graders
and Thursday evening for 8th
graders. This will be a trial
period.
The Board approved Special
Education Diplomas for district
students who are attending
special classes.
Also approved was the Town of
Oyster Bay recreational grant
which helps to defer some of the
district's expenses for the teen
center.
' Personnel appointments ap­proved
were: Elizabeth Sennett
to the substitute list; the
resignation of Eleanor Tar and
Rosetta Azzara, part time
Circus Brings Clown College
Graduates To Coliseum
typists; appointment of Dorothea
Furrey and Theresa Guerino,
part time typists; clerical civil
service retirement of G. Buston
and custodial appointments
Clarence Watters, Peter Maio
and Richard Ruggiero.
BOCES
Board President Anthony
LoFaso, read a letter from
BOCES, thanking the Board of
Education for their hospitality at
a recent meeting. Summarizing
the meeting, Mr. LoFaso in­dicated
areas that had been
discussed: 1) BOCES lack of
adequate student accident in­surance;
2) cost of BOCES
programs, (Board received a
breakdown); 3) excessive at­torneys
leers; - 4* administrative
budget. Mr. LoFaso concluded. .
the meeting had been productive,
but cautioned that BOCES ex­panding
programs are inap­propriate
. . . Many of these
programs could bevprovided
within the school district. . .
BOCES should not b& in com­petition
with the public school
system, but complimenting it. . .
Dr. Larsen noted that the district
was receiving weekly reports on
attendance from BOCES.
VANDALISM
It was brought to the Board of
Education's attention that
vandalism is on the rise, par­ticularly
at Kramer Lane,
Btoomingdale and the junior high
school. Mr. Lavin, Business
Manager, is compiling an up-
(Continued on Page 67
South Shore Federal Opens Branch
South Shore Federal Savings & Loan opened a new office at 205
Stewart Avenue in Plainedge, and Congressman Angelo D. Roncallo
was on hand to start the festivities. William J. Martin, Jr., President
of South Shore Federal 1B on his left, and the manager of the new
office, Margaret Rossomano, rounds out the trio. The special
premium gift promotion for new savings accounts will continue for
one month. There are free souvenirs for all visitors, and everyone
visiting can register for a chance to win two color TV sets, "one for
him and one for her." Other South Shore Federal offices are located
in Freeport, Massapequa, East Meadow and Copiague.
At the college level, dropping
out has become almost as
popular as graduation. But at the
Ringling Bros, and Barnum &
Bailey six-year-old Clown
College, there is a mad scramble
for admissions, with applicants
often numbering thousands of
times the number of places
available. The avarage clown
college class has about fifty
openings.,
Featuring the world's largest
contingent of clowns - many
graduates of the Clown College -
the all new 104th Edition of The
Greatest Show on Earth comes to
Long Island Wednesday, Nov. 17
at the Nassau Veteran's
Memorial Coliseum.
The Clown College - the only
institution of its kind, was con­ceived
and founded in 1968 by
Irvin Feld, President and
Producer of. The Greatest Show
on Earth, who foresaw a need for
a steady supply of clown talent.
For centuries, clowning had been
a professir i that was passed on
from father to son. Not so
anymore. The ranks of clowns
were dwindling, and Irvin Feld
took action to restore interest in
the profession, and develop
young clowns for the two touring
units of The Greatest Show on
Earth. He offered Clown College
training to women as well as
men, opening up a whole new
tradition of female clowns.
Several female graduates are
now performing with both touring
units of Ringling Bros, and
Barnum & Bailey Circuses.
Bill Ballantine, himself a
former Ringling Bros, and
Barnum & Bailey clown, is Dean
of the College, overseeing its
program of training in mime,
tumbling, acrobatics, juggling,
stiltwalking, visual comedy,
'basic make-up and wordrobe,
modern dance, fencing ~ and
elephant riding"
1 Clown College applicants come
from all over the United States.
Most are college graduates, most
others have some college
background. Many have held
colorful jobs ranging from pizza
chef to a Kung Fu instructor. But.
they all have one thing in com­mon
- they love the heritage and
lore of the Circus, and they want
to convert that love to laughter.
In addition to Ballantine, who
conducts classes in clown make­up
and gags and holds weekly
seminars with visiting experts on
the history and art of clowning,
the 1973 faculty consisted of
Professor Hovey Burgess
(master of Circus, N.Y.U.j, who
instructed in the arts of juggling,
stilt walking, unicycle riding
and risley; the world-renown
dance team of Mata and Hari who
conducted daily classes in
modern and interpretive dance,
movements and pantomime;
Victor Gaona, patriarch of The
Greatest Show on Earth's first
family of trapeze, The flying
Gaonas, who taught trampoline
WAGONLOAD OF FUN- - The world's largest contingent of clowns
bring their hilarious antics to the all-new 104th Edition of RINGLING
BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY CIRCUS.
number of clowns now touring
with both units of The Greatest
Show on Earth. This unique in­stitution
has proven to be of the
greatest innovations in Circus
history, and is solely responsible
for saving the art of clowning
from extinction.
and circus gymnastics; Antar
Wazzan, a legendary Circus
performer who coached arena
acrobatics and acrobataleaux -
building of human pyramids.
At the end of the eight-week
course, Clown College students,
like students everywhere, have
commencement' exercises --
though these are quite unlike
commencement exercises
anywhere else. This unique and
colorful graduation serves as a
final audition for the fledgling
clowns, many of whom will be
given one-year contracts with
TheGreatest Show on Earth. The
exercises feature scores of fast-paced
clown gags, colorful
production numbers and zany
skits, performed before Circus
President and Producer Irvin
Feld, co-producer Kenneth Feld,
Clown College Dean Ballantine,
and an audience of several
hundred invited guests.
Today, after six years, the
Clown College has supplied more
than two-thirds uf the total
For the first time, customers
may charge their Circus tickets
by phone with their
Bank Americard, Master Charge,
or American Express cards by
calling (516) 794-9400. Tickets will
be mailed out immediately.
Tickets are also available: at the
Nassau Coliseum and Ticketron.
Ticket prices are $7, $6 $5, and
$4with all seats reserved. Tickets
for children under 12 are $2 less
for weekday and Saturday
morning performances.
Groups of over 25 people can
obtain special discounts by
calling (516) 794-9300. For in­formation
on regular per­formance
times and prices, call
(516) 794-9100.
HERE COME THE CIRCUS! Bringing the largest collection of
performing animals and people of all time, the 104th Edition of
RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY CIRCUS is coming to
town! .