1971-04-29

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FARMINGD4LE OB^ SVEB M<
WHERE THE HISTORY OF YOUR COMMUNr\*
An Official" N « < wspaprr of Tin- Incorporated Village of Farmingdaie •
T WEEKLY
• rthpago and Melville
VOL. 8 No. 36 Second Class Postage has been paid at Farmingdaie, N. Y. 11735 • Public • * '
rfox 146, Farmingdaie, N. Y. Thursday, April 29, 1971
Mail , eet School Has Now
Become a Surplus Item
Classes 4- 6 Will Be Transferred - Over 30 Teachers Dismissed
In something like 800 letters mailed to parents of
children attending the school, the word has already
gone out. Main Street School will join the baldheaded
eagle on the list of endangered species. As a matter of
fact: Next year it will in all probability become an
educational do- do bird. Meaning it won't exist at all, at
least not as a public school.
DEDICATION: Mrs. Robert Bruce, whose late husband was honored
Sunday by Farmingdaie residents, accepts a proclamation from
Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John W. Burke honoring Mr. Bruce's
efforts for youngsters in the area. Joining in during ceremonies
dedicating a Little League field ( Maple Avenue off Staples Street) in
Bruce's name are: from left to right. Oyster Bay Town Councilman
Warren M. Doolittle, Town Councilman Joseph J. Saladino, Mrs.
Bruce. Burke, Town Councilman Ralph Diamond and Little League
president Paul Zimmerman.
To explain the contemplated
phasing out of Main Street School
and the ramifications thereof the
Board of Education invited the
parents affected by this plan to a
meeting Tuesday night. Ap­proximately
one third of the
parents showed up and let it be
known that they were not overly
enthusiastic at the prospect of
having their children change
Village Board Vows Cleanliness
Garbage Ordinance Will Be Strictly Enforced - Gerngras Park Opens Monday
The Women's Club of Farmingdaie found a potent ally in its effort
to keep Farmingdaie clean: The Village Board at its meeting
Monday night went on record with its determination to energetically
prosecute all violators of the village garbage ordinance. Mayor
Zureck and the trustees stressed the following points:
No garbage or refuse is per­mitted
to be placed either at the
curbside or outside of any
premises on a Saturday night, as
there is no service for pick- up on
Sundays. Outside containers used
for business purposes must have
the covers completely closed and
no evidence of garbage being
exposed.
Residents of the village must
have all garbage containers
covered when placed at curbside
for pick- up, and same shall not be
placed for collection until the
night prior to such schedule. A
reasonable time is permitted to
remove the empty receptacles
after collection. However, by
nightfall of the same day, these
receptacles must be removed
from the curb. No loose boxes are
permitted as well as newspapers
unless tied into a bundle. A total
of five containers or bundles are
permitted each pick- up.
The refuse remaining from any
renovation work being done at
either a residence or a business
establishment must be removed
either by the contractor or at the
Youngsters Wanted
For Summer Work
Recreation and parks com­missioner
Richard A. Fitch
issued a call for youngsters who
will have spare time available
during the summer months to
help out at county parks.
" Boys and girls between 14 and
18", said Fitch, " are needed to
assist our regular recreation
staff at various county facilities.
We are especially interested in
volunteer performers such as
singers, musicians, bands,
dancers and actors who would
like to display their abilities
before the public."
Anyone wishing an application
for the volunteer program should
call 292- 4130 or write to : Summer
Volunteers, Nassau County
Department of Recreation and
Parks. Eisenhower Park, East
Meadow, N. Y, 11554.
personal expense to the residence
or business establishment so
improved.
In the matter of household
goods being removed, such as old
r e f r i g e r a t o r s , mattresses,
stoves, etc., a call should be
placed with the village con­tractor,
Monbro Sanitation
Service, at SU 5- 4044.
Along Main Street, the High­way
Department has placed
receptacles on the meter posts
for disposing of paper bags,
candy wrappers, etc., and the
Board of Trustees request that
such containers be used rather
than dropping such items on the
sidewalk area.
The Nassau County Police
Department is being alerted by
the Board of Trustees of its desire
to " keep Farmingdaie clean",
and violators of the ordinance are
subject to a fine of $ 25.00 if
convicted.
Another matter dealt with was
the Emil Gerngras Park at
Staples Street, which will be
opened to the public on Monday
at 8 a. m. and every day
thereafter. TTie park will cose at
dusk.
A p p r o p r i a t e d e d i c a t i on
ceremonies are expected to be
held within a short time, pending
receipt of a placque to honor the
donor, Mr. Emil Gerngras, a
lifelong resident of the village
and long time active member of
the Farmingdaie Fire Depart­ment.
During his business career
he was associated with the Bank
of Farmingdaie, continuing his
association with the Franklin
National Bank after absorption of
the former.
Mayor Zureck and the Board of
Trustees take this signal ap­proach
in determining the use of
the park as a tribute to the
memory of Mr. Gerngras, who
exhibited a great deal of affection
for children. His deep feeling for
the future of Farmingdaie was
demonstrated by him in deeding
his property to the residents of
the Village of Farmingdaie, for
whatever use the Board of
Trustees would find desirable.
schools next semester. However,
the Board of Education did have
one persuasive argument going
for it, which prevented the
parent's displeasure from ex­panding
into revolutionary
fervor: Money. Leaving things as
they would prevent the Board
from reducing its operating
expenses by at least $ 210,000 for
the upcoming fiscal year. In
terms of the tax rate this means
approx. 20 cents per $ 100
assessed valuation.
But let's start at the beginning.
As an area that has no more room
for a population expansion, the
Farmingdaie school district is
experiencing now what has
already become an established
face in several portions of
western Nassau County. It has
more clat^ rooir. s and staff than is
needed. New school enrollment is
declining at an ever increasing
rate because only a few new and
young families are moving into
our area.
Healey Invites
His Constituents
Residents of the Farmingdaie,
South Farmingdaie and North
Massapequa area will have a
chance to present their problems
and suggestions to their elected
state representative this
Saturday. This is the date set by
Assemblyman Phil Healey, for
another district meeting with his
constituents. The place is
Guilford Hall of Farmingdaie
Senior High and the time 1 - 3
p. m. All residents are cordially
invited to make use of this op­portunity
to establish personal
contact with Assemblyman
Healey.
Teachers: Can Do Without Board
In the tradition of suburban
education there are voters, a
school board, and teachers ( not
to forget also children for whom
the cumbersome apparatus of
school bureaucracy has been
built). Suggestions have been
made - as recently as during the
teachers' protest meeting of the
Farmingdaie school district on
Wednesday afternoon at the Mill
Lane School - that one could do
without the other: the teachers
without the school board and the
school board ultimately without
the voters.
Present at the protest meeting -
called to voice strong objections
to the proposed dismissal of 30
• fulltime teachers and one half-time
teacher - were about 350/
members of the faculty. This was
a very good turnout, according to
teachers union official Terry
Rowan.
He was the one who strongly
denounced the school board for
its failure to meet the crisis. " The
board," said Rowan during his
speech, " has no means to in­fluence
the legislators in Albany
and has no background in
education."
Rowan minced no words, when
he called for a new coalition
between students, parents and
teachers to prepare for a com­plete
takeover of the Far­mingdaie
school system and
abolition of the school board.
Dr. William Kinzler,
superintendent of schools, ex­plained
the necessity of the
teacher cutbacks by showing
several graphs which indicated
the downward trend in the
« Public Budget Meeting
At Howitt Junior High
What everybody in Far­mingdaie
has been waiting for
will take place on Wednesday,
May 5, at 8: 30 P. M. in the
auditorium of the Howitt Junior
High School: the proposed school
budget of the Farmingdaie
School System will lie subject to a
public hearing.
enrollment in the elementary
levels and the tapering off of
attendance in the junior High
School level.
School Board President, Mrs.
Lucille Goulding, introduced as
the Christian among the Lions by
union president Ken Deedy, in­dicated
that ultimately school
budget decisions may have to be
taken away from the voters. She
could, nevertheless, say very
little to calm the apprehension of
the teachers.
To the surprise ol now one, the
meeting ended on a harsh note.
Union officials again charged
that the school board had broken
not only the spirit but also the
letter of a mutual^ igreement not
to decide on any dismissals
without talking matters over with
the teacher first.
At the conclusion of the
meeting a policy statement was
issued which promised decisive
action should one more teacher
be cut without the knowledge of
the union.
Figures compiled by school
superintendent Dr. William
Kinzlerand his staff make this
abundantly clear. The Far­mingdaie
schools reached their
enrollment peak in 19,64 with a
kindergarten class of 1345 pupils.
From then on it went steadily
downhill - down to 832 in 1970.
P r o j e c t i n g k i n d e r g a r t en
enrollment to 1974, based on all
factors known at present brings
this figure down to an estimated
710. Or to put it another way:
Over the span of ten years
enrollment is declining by almost
50 per cent.
From these statistics it
becomes obvious that Far­mingdaie
had to have one day
more school facilities and staff
than children. This day has come
now on the primary level and will
in a few years come also on the
secondary level. As the peak
enrollment of 1964 moves through
the upper grades it will be
followed by smaller and smaller
classes. And as the class of ' 76
casts a final glance at Far­mingdaie
High even the Junior
High Schools, and . . entuwlly
Senior High, will be more than is
needed.
But to return to the present.
With over 500 elementary school
children less than space
available, economies suggested
itself. How to effect these
economies, though, is another
matter. It seems logical that one
looking for savings would search
for the optimum -- which to the
Board of Education was closing
Main Street School. It is the
oldest in the system and con­sequently
the most costly to
maintain. To cite an instance:
The plumbing system is in dire
need of rejuvenation, which
would cost something like
$ 100,000, according to the ad­ministration.
Once it was decided that Main
Street school would be the target
of economies, their extent was to
be decided. It was here that the
School Board was divided, with
some members favoring an
immediate shutdown of Main
Street School and others arguing
for a phasing- out in two steps.
The latter group was in the
majority. It was persuaded by
the argument that time was
needed to study the question of
the eventual disposition of the
school building and Its grounds.
This phase- out will mean the
transfer of grades 4, 5 and 6 to
Northside, East Memorial,
Woodward Parkway and Albany
Avenue schools. Most children
will be transported by bus to their
new schools ( see map on page 12).
The school board underscored
that this will not increase tran­sportation
cost in any way.
The immediate savings
resulting from this proposal, and
to be reflected in the budget that
will be unveiled next Wednesday
at 8: 30 p. m. at Weldon E. Howitt
JHS, amount to $ 210,000, ac­cording
to the figures presented.
The partial closing of Main Street
school will make possible a
reduction in the clerical and
custodial staff as well as in the
cost of utilities amounting to
$ 45,000 per year. Further staff
reductions namely the
( ioiitinued tm I'age 12)