1973-04-12

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AN OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE VILLAGE OF FARMINGDALE
SERVING THE GREATER FARMINGDALE AREA, BETHPAGE AND MELVILLE
VOL. 10 NO. 34 Second Class Postage has been paid at Farmingdale, N. Y. 11735
Published by THE OBSERVER. Inc., Box 146, Farmingdale, N. Y. Thursday, April 12, 1973 115c
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LIBRARY'S ANNIVERSARY: The Farmingdale Public Library
celebrated its 50th anniversary last Sunday. Weldon E. Howitt ( left)
received his certificate of appreciation from Irwin Jacovsky of the
library board Howitt served as trustee from 1925 to 1952. Under his
guidance the library was first housed in the Kolkebeck House and
then in the Main Street School Library. Other pictures on page 20.
Trustees Approve Budget
But Not High Voltage Lines
There are not too many people who would attack a
proposal to lower taxes. If there are some, they were
not in evidence Monday night at Farmingdale
village hall, where a public hearing was held to
discuss the village board's proposed 1973 / 74
budget. No one wanted to be heard on this matter
and in the record time of a minute or two the budget
calling for a 2 cents reduction in the village tax rate
from $ 2.77 to $ 2.75 per $ 100 assessed valuation was
adopted.
What led to a discussion,
though, was the plan of the Long
Island Lighting Co. to traverse
Farmingdale along the Long
Island Railroad's right- of- way
with a high voltage line strung on
Sled masts oi 90- 95 ft. height.
These masts would tower even
higher on Farmingdale s horizon,
some 12U it., it and when the
railroad is elevated.
LILCO anticipates eventual
permission to build a nuclear
generating station near Fort
Jeilerson to leed electricity to the
western part of . Nassau County,
lo accomplish this, LILCO plans
new transmission lines to the
Bclhpagc sub- station which lor
Uie must part would be overhead
lines, especially through the
Village of Farmingdale.
Although LiLCO is legally
required only to inlorni the al
lei led communities via a copy of
its application to the 1' ubln
Service Commission, a company
delegation came to Farmingdale
Milage hall lor the second time in
lwo months lo explain this
proposal
Ihe discussion naturally
watered around the proposal for
overhead liues through Far
lmngdale LILCO s decision was
made primarily on economic
grounds since underground lines,
just lor the short stretch through
the village, would increase
construction cost by $ 1.65 mill.
The village board nevertheless
lelt that economic considerations
would have to take second seat to
the debilitating environmental
effect. Mayor John Hallahan,
seconded by village trustee Willis
Carman, who stated that he was
ho m i led at the thought" of such
a power transmission line towe­ring
over Farmingdale made
clear the board's intention to file
petition with the FSC requiring
LILCO to put its lines un­derground.
Representing the Town of
Oyster Bay, councilman Gregory
Carman also left no doubt that
the town board would oppose
LILCO s plans in regard to
overhead power lines.
As they exist now, LILCO plans
to have this transmission line in
operation by 1977 and to start
conslruclion perhaps late 1974
but not later than early 1975.
A plan resulting m a wholly
positive environmental impact
was discussed minimally before
ihe hoard meeting started of-licially.
The Women's Club of
Farmingdale offered its services
to physically enhance and
beautiiy the Fuul Cerngrass
children's park at Staples Street
and lound gracious and up
precialive acceptance of its offer.
School Budget Accepted 5- 1
Tobay Tax Rate at $ 13.68
The budget of the Farmingdale Public Schools for 1973/ 74 was approved
Wednesday night by the board of education by a 5- 1 margin. The lone dissenter,
Frank Ranieri, read a statement explaining his decision. " I can not vote for the
passage of the budget," he said, " because of the high tax rate. Our district's
wealth is at the bottom half in the county, yet our tax rate is the 5th highest.
County and Town are holding the line and we should do it too."
" The future of our district is on
shaky grounds and can only
survive on a give and take basis,
but so far the taxpayer has been
doing all the giving," Ranieri
stated and concluded by saying:
" I have never thought the day
would come that public education
could be just as expensive as
private schools."
Outgoing school board member
Terry Weathers who made the
motion to accept the budget said
that the budget was the best
effort of the board. He called the
salary adjustments reasonable
and pointed to the cost increases
for retirement, BOCES, and
others which have to be met. He
also stated that he had made
some additional proposals for
staff reductions which had been
voted down by the board's
majority.
Weathers pointed out the
unique situation in the district
Still Tickets Left
For Cadet's Concert
Nicholas Aleshin, chairman of
the Committee for this Satur­day's
West Point Glee Club
Concert, sponsored by the Cor­poral
George Benkert Jr. Post
No. 516, has announced that
tickets are still available and
may be purchased at the door this
Saturday evening, April 14.
This concert will be held at the
Farmingdale High School
Auditorium at 8: 30 p. m. Donation
is $ 2.00 per person.
caused by the loss of taxable land
by the takeover of the Republic
airport by the MTA and he
blamed S » ate government for not
recognizing the seriousness of the
situation so far.
" In our nine preliminary
budget hearings,'' Weathers
added " there were no
suggestions made to decrease
spending."
Other school board members
supported the budgei in varying
degrees of enthusiasm.
The meeting was attended by
about 20 residents who did not
offer any major suggestions for
revisions in the budget.
The budget, as it was adopted,
added $ 30,000.00 from last year's
balance to the revenue column,
bringing down the budget in­creases
as proposed in the
preliminary budget by that same
amount to $ 1,312,899.00.
This decrease reduced the
estimated tax rate for residents
living in the Town of Oyster Bay
from $ 15,737 per $ 100 of assessed
valuation to $ 15,683 and for
residents living in the Town of
Babylon from $ 23,081 to $ 23,002.
The increase in the tax rate now
stands at $ 1,396 in Oyster Bay and
at $ 2,832 in Babylon.
It was pointed out by the board,
that the final tax rate would not
be set until September and that
any increases in State Aid would
reduce the tax rate further.
Library Budget Adopted
The preliminary 1973 74 operating budget for the Farmingdale
Public Library which will be up for public approval by vote on May 2
has been adopted by the Library board. According to library director
Orin Dow there has been only one change in the budget as it first
appeared. The change, a $ 10,000 increase, was announced at a
library board meeting held Tuesday, April 10.
Proposition One is a vote on the annual appropriation for Public
Library purposes for 1973 74. Including the additional $ 10,000, the
budget calls for $ 502,255. This figure is a $ 71,220 increase from the net
total of $ 431,035 of 1972 73.
The May 2 voting will also include a second proposition which will
provide library service for five holidays at the cost of $ 9,000. There
will also be a vote on one library board seat since George Fains term
expires on June 30. Fain has already announced that will be a can­didate
for re- election. This seat is held for five years.
In reference to the increase in the budget, the $ 10,000 went to the
retirement system. Dow explained that he did not receive
notification of the actual cost of pension retirement until April 12.
Alter having received such information the previous estimation of
$ 34,000 was raised to $ 44,000. Thus the net is now $ 502,255 from the
original $ 492,000.
Helen Spinetta Running
For Late Husband's Term
Mrs. Helen Spinetta has announced her candidacy to till the one
year unexpired Farmingdale school board term of her late
husband Roy A. Spinetta. In announcing her candidacy, Mrs.
Spinetta stated, ' 1 am running in order to fulfill my late
husband's obligation to the community, for I feel I am the best
qualified person to reflect the views he expressed and for which
he was overwhelmingly elected by the Farmingdale community.'
Mrs. Spinetta is actively engaged in the " Concerned Parents
Committee" who are working to lessen the student tension in the
Farmingdale senior High school. In addition she is on the
executive board of the high school P. T. A. and is a member of St.
Kihans Mother's Club. Mrs. Spinetta has participated in many
civic functions tor the betterment of the Farmingdale com
munity.
Mrs. Spinetta is the mother of six ( 6) children, four of whom
have graduated from Farmingdale public schools and two who
are presently going lo school, one in Farmingdale high and the
other in Woodward Parkway Elementary Joseph A. Molloy is
also running to fill the unexpired term of the late Roy Spinetta.