Bethpage-Tribune_1976-08-19

              BETHB»GE
:\ //^i97»3
KWWWMUKlliy
also serving ISLAND TREES
OLD BETHIftGE PLAINVIEW PLAINEDGE SEAFORD
VOL. 10 NO. 39 Thursday, August 19, 1976 10 cents per copy
FRANCIS LOIACONO (L) of Plainview, an employee of Grumman
Aerospace Corp., recently received a diamond pin in recognition of
his reaching the 25 approved suggestions plateau in the employee
suggestion program, Project Sterling. Loiacono, a leadman, already
has 27 approved suggestions to his credit, which have earned him
U.S. Savings Bonds and gift certificates as awards. He received the
pin from William Trillo, general manager, Bethpage Responsibility
Center.
Court Reforms Passed
Conference estimates the current
annual cost to Nassau County for
the court system at $21 million.
State Senator Ralph J. Marino
(R-Syosset),. .while voting for
approval of the state takeover of
county and city court costs, voted
against the court-reform
measure which he characterized
as a "travesty',' Senator Marino,
who is Chairman of the Select
Committee on Crime and the
Committee on Crime and
Correction, has claimed that this
is not the kind of court
reorganization that his con­stituents
want. "According to
polls I have taken in the Fifth
Senate District," stated Mr.
Marino, "a majority of voters do
not want to lose their right to
elect judges to the state's highest
court."
State Senator Owen Johnson
(R-West Babylon), a member of
the Select Task Force on Court
Reorganization, termed the
legislation "a step in the right
direction", although he.would
have preferred to have had the
option to vote on the three issues
contained in the legislation
separately. "The voters
generally are in favor of court
reform," said Mr. Johnson, "and
this is, in some instances, what
the people desire.
Move For L.I.
Federal Court
In a separate action taken in
Washington, Representative
Norman Lent (R-East
Rockaway) has called upon Rep.
Peter Rodino, Chairman of the
House Judiciary Committee, to
commence action on legislation
to establish a separate branch of
the Eastern District Court for
Nassau and Suffolk Counties. A
bill on this matter which Rep.
Lent cosponsored late last year is
now pending before the
Monopolies and Commercial Law
Subcommittee. Long Islanders
must currently travel to
Brooklyn to attend to District
(Continued on Page 6)
Legislation was passed during
a special session of the State
Legislature providing for
sweeping changes in the ap­pointment
and removal of judges
and the administration and
financing of a unified statewide
system. The proposed amend­ment
will now need to pass the
1977 legislature in the exact same
form in order to appear on the
ballot next year. The public will
then be able to decide whether or
not it favors the proposed
amendment to the state's Con­stitution.
Four major areas of court
operations will be affected by the
legislation. Statewide cen­tralization
of court ad­ministration,
aimed at providing
for expeditious and uniform
dispensation-of justice, would go
into effect. State financing of the
courts will be implemented
within a four year period.
Streamlined procedures for
judicial discipline would be
established. Judges on the State's
highest court, the Court of
Appeals, would be appointed
rather than elected, as is the
current practice. The procedure
would be almost identical to the
selection of judges to the United
States Supreme Court. An im­partial
panel, appointed by the
governor, legislative leaders and
the Chief Judge would select
judges on the basis of their merit.
Various local government
officials commented on the
Legislature's action this past
week. Assemblyman Lewis J.
Yevoli (D-lOth A.D.), who voted
in favor of the legislation, noted
that "in addition to insuring the
early consideration of the
proposed amendment.., the
legislation will also bring a
measure of financial relief to the
hardpressed taxpayers of Nassau
and Suffolk. Within a four year
period after adoption of the
amendment, the State will be
picking up the heavy burden of
court financing." The Judicial
Town Board Sets Hearings
On Vegas Night & Wetlands
Public hearings have been set
on two important matters being
considered by the Oyster Bay
Town Board. On August 24 at
10:00 a.m. the Town Board will
consider adoption of a local law
permitting certain games of
chance to be conducted by
qualified organizations as a
means of raising funds for pur­poses
in the general public in­terest.
They will also consider
adoption of provisions designed
to assure local protection of
freshwater wetlands at this time.
Las Vegas Night
The proposed local law per­mitting
games of chance, "to be
considered as a result of
legislation passed during the last
session of the legislature and
signed into law by the Governor,
would permit what are com­monly
referred to as 'Las Vegas
Nights,'1* according to Super­visor
Burke. The local proposal,
modeled after the state law,
incorporates regulations to
protect against infringement by
non-charitable persons or
organizations and to insure the
proper conduct of the games and
authorized disposition of net
profit. Only religious, charitable,
veterans, educational, service
organizations and volunteer fire
companies chartered for at least
three years prior to the time of
application can be licensed to
conduct games of chance. Slot-machines,
bookmaking and the
direct wagering of money bet­ween
players will all be
prohibited. On-site inspections
will be made by the Nassau
County Police Department who
will be authorized, along with the
State Racing and Wagering
Colby Possible Choice
For TOB Supervisor
There is a possibility that Town
Attorney Joseph Colby is among
those being considered to fill the
post of Oyster Bay Supervisor
should John Burke be elected to a
position on the Nassau County
Supreme Court. Mr. Colby has
held the post of Town Attorney
since January 1, 1975. He was
appointed to this post following
the resignation of former Town
Attorney John Conroy.
Mr. Colby has resigned from
his post as a member of the
Nassau County Board of
Assessors to accept • the ap­pointment
as Oyster Bay Town
Attorney last year. He had
previously served as counsel to
the Town's Public Employees
Relation Board, to Assemblyman
Philip B. Healey (R-Massapequa)
and to the State
Assembly Committee on Health.
His experience in local affairs
includes serving as counsel to the
Massapequa Park Zoning Board
of Appeals and to the Village's
Planning Commission. Mr. Colby
is a past chairman of the Village
of Massapequa Park Liaison
Committee. He was originally
recommended for his ap­pointment
as Town Attorney by
Supervisor Burke.
Board, to temporarily suspend
any license. Full disclosure of
receipts and expenses will be
made to the Town Clerk within
seven days.
Supervisor Burke noted that
the Town Board will consider
adoption of the local law after the
hearing in order to meet the time
requirements necessary to place
the proposal on the ballot
November 2. The Town measure
would have to be approved by a
majority of the electors in Oyster
Bay's unincorporated areas in
order to take effect on January 1,
1977.
Wetlands Protection
The wetlands proposal being
considered pursuant to State law
would establish the Town's
Division of Environmental
Control, Department of Public
Works, as the agency responsible
for accepting permit ap­plications,
overseeing sub­mission
of public notices, con­ducting
hearings and issuing
(Continued on Page 3)
Traffic Safety
Fight A Success
BULLETIN
An open forum on the
Plainview Landfill was
sponsored by Assemblyman
Lewis J. Yevoli and the
Protect Our Water Committee
of Long Island on Wednesday,
August 18 at 8:30 p.m. A full
report on the meeting will
appear next week.
Oyster Bay Town Attorney
Joseph Colby
Many residents feel that
elected officials often tend to be
out of touch with community
concerns. Mr. Colby's active
involvement in local concerns
includes being a former president
of both the Brewster Manor and
the Bar Harbour Civic
Associations. During his service
as Town Attorney, Mr. Colby has
made himself available to both
residents and members of the
press for clarification of legal
matters involving the town and is
considered a favorable choice by
many local citizens.
-by Shari Miller
EDITOR'S NOTE: At the time of
publication, we were unable to
obtain additional information on
other possible GOP choices for
Oyster Bay Supervisor. We will
continue to seek this information
for future publication.
Greater Plainview Community
Association Vice President Mike
Polansky and Camp Apollo
President Mrs. Charles Feller
survey the traffic scene beneath
the newly installed overhead red
flashing blinker at the Central
Park Road / Southern Parkway
intersection in Plainview. Nassau
County installed the blinker as a
result of a two year campaign by
GPCA and Camp Apollo for
improved safety measures at the
intersection. Plainview-Old Beth-page
Senior High School is in the
background. GPCA is currently
campaigning for a similar traffic
signal at the Sagamore
Street Sunnyside Boulevard
intersection.