1970-01-08

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POWELL HOUSE 1700 FARMINGDALE OBSERVER
WHERE THE HISTORY OF YOUR COMMUNITY IS RECORDED WEEKLY
An Official Newspaper of The Incorporated Village of Farmingdale — Serving Greater Farmingdale, Bethpage and Melville
Vol. 7 No. 20 Second Class Postage has been paid at Farmingdale, N. Y. 11735 Thursday, January 8, 1970
BURKE OUTLINES FUTURE
GOALS FOR TOWN
John W. Burke, Oyster Bay Town's new Supervisor, made his first
address as the Town's top public official following installation
ceremonies at Town Hall on New Year's Day.
" I promised the people of Oyster Bay that planning for the future of
our Town would be thorough, thoughtful and coordinated," Burke
said. " Accordingly, I shall submit to our Town Board specific
proposals regarding a comprehensive plan for the Town's growth and
development.
" We need a p- an that respects and regards the interests of Oyster
Bay's more than 365,000 people. At the same time, it must assure to all
residents the proper Town serviceo and environment necessary to the
quality of life we value."
Burke said he would soon appoint a distinguished resident as
chairman of a seven- man, townwide Planning Advisory Board and
thereafter announce its six other members, all of whom will serve
without pay as a matter of civic responsibility.
Burke said he also intended to present additional proposals relative
to the appointment of a professional planning coordinator who will
assist both the Town Board and the Planning AdvisoryBoard in
developing the future of Oyster Bay.
He admitted that Town faces critical problems from the decade of
the 1960' s, but he said " we also inherit from the 1960' s a much better
understanding, greater know- how and new technological tools for
coping with these problems.
" The means for finding and implementing practical, durable
solutions to these problems are available to us. It is up to those who
serve in public life, with the help and support of those they represent,
to utilize these means with thought, care, fairness and sensitivity. We
must avoid the short- sightedness of . acting only for the immediate
future."
The new Supervisor also commented on the progress that has been
made as a result of a number of issues he brought to the attention of
the public during his campaign for election. These include a bill
pending before Congress which would create an interstate compact to
deal with the growing problems of solid waste; the steps that have
been taken to limit the use of DDT in Nassau County and the Federal
government's announcement that it is taking a hard look at the
possibility of controlling the adverse effect of non- soluble synthetic
detergents.
PSC Closes Investigation
Of County School Service
INSTALLED: Marcus G. Christ, left, Administrative Justice of the Nassau
County Supreme Court, swears in Oyster Bay Town's new Supervisor, John W.
Burke, center, and Philip B. Healey, who was re- elected as Councilman. The
ceremony took place during installation of Town officials held at Town Hall on
New Years Day.
The Public Service Com­mission
today closed its in­vestigation
into the adequacy of
the operating practices and
equipment of County School
Service, Inc. with a finding that
during the past three months, the
company " has made diligent
efforts and has largely succeeded
in eliminating unsafe and im­proper
practices."
County School Service last year
provided school bus service to
four Long Island districts,
utilizing 300 buses. This year, it is
serving only the Farmingdale
and Brentwood districts, which
require about 160 vehicles for the
transportation of their pupils.
The Commission instituted an
investigation of the company's
operating practices and equip­ment
last June after its motor
vehicle inspector had reported
that the company was not
carrying out an adequate
maintenance program with a
result that its buses frequently
failed to meet PSC safety stan­dards.
At hearings held last August,
- PSC witnesses testified as to
conditions they had observed and
recommended the adoption of an
eight- point program aimed at
assuring safe and poper main­tenance
of the company's buses.
A further hearing was held last
month to determine the extent of
the company's progress in
overcoming the operating'
problems which had been
discussed at the earlier hearings.
In a report to the Commission,
Examiner Mannie Lieberman
states that testimony made by
PSC inspectors at this most
recent hearing disclosed that
" substantial improvements had
indeed occurred" between
August and November and that
recent inspections of 185 of the
company's 192 vehicles showed
them to be " fit for safe and
adequate service."
He also stated that evidence
disclosed that the company's
maintenance program had im­proved
to such an extent that
inspection stickers are now being
afixed to the buses for a normal
six- month period, whereas, in the
past, many of the vehicles which
were certificated for use were
issued stickers for much shorter
periods.