Bethpage-Tribune_1984-08-09

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VOL. 19 NO. 19 Week of Aug. 9 - Aug. 15,1984 20 cents per copy
Equipment Donated
To Nassau County
Some $30,000 worth ofelecTrical equipment installed free
by local contractors at Mitchel Field for the recent Interna­tional
Games for the Disabled has been donated to the
county, it was announced by Hempstead Town Presiding
Supervisor Thomas S. Gulotta, vice chairman of the Nassau
Board of Supervisors,
Gulotta had high praise for "the outstanding community
spirit" of the donors — members of the Long Island chapter
of the National Electrical Contractors Association and its
executive director, Barry A. French.
"Their equipment and expertise helped to make the games
a memorable experience for all who attended," Gulotta
declared, "and the Board gratefuly acknowledges the chap­ter's
decision to donate to the county all the electrical mate­rial
installed in preparation for that international
competition."
Most of the equipment involved was used for special
lighting and signaling systems constructed at the Olympic
Plaza. It includes hundreds of feet of cable, assorted
switches, fuse boxes, circuit breakers and related electrical
items.
A spokesperson for the county's. Department of-General
Services said theequipmcnt donated "could not be bought
or replaced for less than $30,000"
Red Lobster
**Ghowder" Funds
For Games
New York chowder lovers and Red Lobster restaurants
joined forces during the month of June to raise more than
$6,000 for the International Games for the Disabled.
At a presentation ceremony today at the Red Lobster
located at 211 Old Country Road in Carle Place, Ed Odom,
regional marketing manager for Red Lobster presented a
check for $6,300 to Michael W. Manzer, co-chairman of
fund raising for the Games.
Between June 11 and July I, Red Lobster contributed 50c
to the Games for every cup of clam chowder purchased in
eight of its New York restaurants (Long.Island and Queen's).
The $6,300 represents 12,600 cups of chowder sold.
"Red Lobster is proud to have been a supporter of such an
important event as the International Games for the Dis­abled,"
said Thomas C. Greene, Red Lobster vice president,
"and we are very _grateful for the overwhelming response
from our guests which made-the Chowder Fund an all-around
success."
Last Call For
*01d Timers Reunion* Tickets
Old Time Bethpagers are planning to get
together for their second *01d Timers' Reunion.
This is not the same as a High School Reunion.-
..because most of these people were in Bethpage
BEFORE there wasa High School. These arc the
*lcids' who grew up in and around Bethpage in the
30'sand 40*s....who walked to Powell Ave. School
through a path in the woods....who played base­ball
in the.field where King Kullen now stands.-
...who had teachers called Mrs. Dunton and Mrs.
Hart, before they went off to secondary school in
Farmingdale or other neighboring towns.
The last reunion (a few years ago)was such a
huge success, that the 'organizers* are planning to
have another one on September 14, 1984 at the
Imperial Manor (formerly Holiday Manor) on
Hicksville Road in Bethpage. If you grew up
around here during the early years of Bethpage,
you'll want to be there. Call your friends and
family, who may have moved away and let them
know about this opportunity to see old friends.
Tickets for the event are limited, at $3()/per
pefson, which includes buffet dinner and drinks
served from 8 PM to 1 AM: Dancing froni 9 PM
to 1 AM, Call the following people
Jo & Frank Mazzara, 935-6220; Tess (Agiesta)
DeLaurentis, 433-0987; Marie (Ratto)Callegari,
938-27SS; Flo (Mancuso) Cochrane, 931-8733.
When it comes to problems, Dan Casey has far more than
his share — and then some.
For 21 years, the Locust Valley resident has been listening
to local business and homeowner problems. In fact, he
listens to such accounts six hours a week. He does it as
chairman of Oyster Bay Town's Zoning Board of Appeals, a
post he has held since 1982.
Casey usually lives up to his reputation as a "tough but
fair" arbitrator. His duties incliide presiding over a seven-member
board, listening to zoning appeals and occasionally
casting the deciding vote in stalemate cases.
The zoning board acts like a mini-court, with neighbors
acting as witnesses, lawyers debating their cases and the
chairman acting as the judge. Recent decisions include
allowing a homeowner to build an addition closer to a
neighbor's property line and permitting a corporation to
construct a building exceeding height regulations.
Casey says that serving on the board is an important civic
duty, one that involves the skills of a judge, detective and
psychologist. "It's a job that grants me the authority to
govern the way a building or plot of land is^developed," he
says. "I have to bialance the rights of a property owner
against how my decision will affect the residents of Oyster
Bay Town."
On weekends, Casey prepares for upcoming cases by
inspecting properties and their surrounding areas. A typical
examination may include measuring the distance between
two houses to see if a planned addition would block sunlight
on an adjacent home or cause a safety hazard by obstructing
a driveway.
The ability to detect possible ulterior motives of a neigh­bor
who testifies against another homeowner is an impor­tant
skill that Casey strives to bring to his job.
"When two neighbors don't get along, they may try to use
the zoning board hearing as a shouting match for insults and
accounts of past squabbles that have nothing to do with the
case," he says. -
. "If the neighbors are involved in a hot-blooded feud that
started Over a barking dog or a child who broke a window,
that's not the board's concern. I want just the facts that relate
to the zoning law appeal; they cna settle those other matters
on their own time."
At each Thursday night session, which may not end until I
AM, about 30 cases are reviewed.
Casey stres.ses that in technical cases the board will ask
experts to testify on safety or environmental factors.
"It's a great feeling to be part of the development of a
township," Casey says. "The decisions the board makes will
have a lasting effect on the character of this community."
But it doesn't stop there. Casey has been a Locust Valley
volunteer fireman for the past 37 years. From 1973 to 1982,
he served as one of the five commissioners of the Locust
Valley. Fire Department, where he has overseen the planning
and budget process, purchasing of riew equipment and
maintenance of firehouses.
Casey even stands out in his regular full-time job as a
Queens-based accounting manager for New York Tele­phone
— where he has had perfect attendance for his entire
36-year career, a remarkable feat. Casey supervises a staff of
69 people which handles service orders, calling cards and
revenue reports.
Dan Casey (left), chairman of the Town of Oyster Bay's
Zoning Appeals Board, confers with Councilman Kenneth
Diamond prior to the board^s weekly meeting. The sessions,
which often run into the wee hours of the morning, usually
handle about 30 cases.