Bethpage-Tribune_1985-06-13

              BETHJMiE
4 7 POWELL AVE
OCTMPAOC NY M 7 I4
Island Trees Plainedge
also serving
Seaford Old Bethpage Plainview
VOL. 20 NO. 10 Week of June 13-June 19,1985 20 cents per copy
L I.R.R. Employees Court Congestion Examined
Arrested
Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon
has announced the arrest of three Long Island
Railroad employees. As a result of an undercover
operation by the Long Island Railroad Police, in
cooperation with the District Attorney's Office of
Nassau County, Mr. Robert Weatherly of 93
Ocean Avenue, Massapequa, New York, Mr.
Richard Standinger of 32 Robinson Avenue, Glen
Cove, New York and Mr. Joseph Sciallo of 175
Sterling Street, Port Jefferson Station, were
arrested and charged with Grand Larceny in. the
Third Degree and Criminal Possession of Stolen
Property in the Second Degree.
Dillon said, "Mr. Weatherly, a Signal Depart­ment
SuiJervisor for the Long Island Railroad,.,
earning over $42,000 per year, was involved in
stealing Long Island Railroad lumber to build a
pier, deck and other improvements at his home in
Massapequa. Other employees under his supervi­sion,
which included Mr. Standinger and Mr.
Sciallo were involved in assisting him in these
thefts and delivering the wood to Mr. Weatherly's
home using Long Island Railroad equipment and
trucks."
The District Attorney said the investigation was
started aftei; the Special Investigation Bureau was
notified by the Long Island Railroad Police. The
thefts took place between December of 1984 and
June, 1985.
They are scheduled to be arraigned today in
Mineola District Courtv Part A, before the
Honorable Jeffrey O'Connell. Both Grand
Larceny Third Degree and Criminal Possession of
Stolen Property Second Degree are "E" Felonies,
punishable by up to four years in prison.
lent Receives National Security
Leadership Award
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Norman
Lent of New York was presented with the
National Security Leadership Award for the
Coalition for Peace Through Strength in recogni­tion
of the leading role he has taken on a variety of
defense and foreign policy issues before the U.S.
Congress.
The award was presented to Congressman Lent
by Rear Adm. Robert H. Spiro, Jr., (USN Ret.),
the Executive Director of the Reserve Officers'
Association, at an awards reception in the
Longworth House Office Building. Many of
Congressman Lent's colleagues and over 500
members of the U.S. Congressional Advisory
Board from across the country were present at the
reception.
Cramped. Congested. Overburdened. These
were the conditions encountered by Hempstead
Town Presiding Supervisor Tom Gulotta and
Long Beach Supervisor Hannah Komanoff on a
tour taken of the Nasau County Family Court
facility on Old County Road in Westbury.
The supervisors, at the invitation of the Family
Court's Administrative Judge, Ralph Diamond,
took the tour to get a first-hand account of the
overcrowding which Court officials contend has
reached "epidemic proportions."
According to Supervisor Gulotta, "The difficult
conditions existing at the Family Court first came
to the attention of the Board of Supervisors as a
result of testimony offered at a recent public
hearing conducted by the Board which examined,
the extent of child abuse in Nassau County. It
became7eFd'njTf pparent TrPm the testimony
offered that the Nassau County Family Court was
handling far many more cases each day than its
physical space ^yould allow."
"Upon taking the tour today, Supervisor
Komanoff and I received a very clear idea of the
overcrowding resulting in lack of confidentiality
that currently exists at the Family Court. We
observed confidential consultations between
attorneys and clients taking place in the hallway
due to insufficient space. It was very distressing to
witness conferences ~ the outcome of which could
Presiding Supervisor Gulotta (center) and Long Beach
Supervisor Hannah Komanoff (right) listen as Family Court
Judge Ralph Diamond illustrates the tremendous caseload
handled by the Family Court each day.
determine the future life of a youngster ~ being
conducted huddled in a doorway or in some
remote corner because adequate conference
facilities were not available.""
The Nassau County Family Court facility was
constructed 25 years ago. At that time, the
building was designed to accommodate two
judges and an average yearly caseload of 3,000
petitions. Currently, this very same building
accommodates eight judges and nearly 30,000
petitions a year.
Yevoli's "Return $$" Bill A Unanimous Win
. A bill introduced by Assemiblyman Lewis
Yevoli (D-Old Bethpage) mandating that the
Town of Oyster Bay return taxes quickly levied
last fall, supposedly to haul garbage out of the
town to an out of state site, passed the State
Assembly by a vote of 134-0, Yevoli announced
today.
The taxes levied by the Town Board last
October at the request of Town Supervisor Joseph
Colby cost the average Oyster Bay homeowner
$150 per year. No garbage has been removed from
Oyster Bay and the Old Bethpage garbage dump
remains open. '
"I am gratified at the unanimous vote of the
Assemt)ly," Yevoli declared, pointing out that
"this voteincludes the Republican members of the
Assembly from Nassau.
"It now appears that only Joe Colby and State
Sen. Ralph Marino at the request of Colby are in
favor of a bill now in the State Senate that would
only 'permit' Oyster Bay to return the tax money
that should never have been levied in the first
place," Yevoli continued.
"It would seem to me that Joe Colby should be
more than willing to let this whole tax farce
scheme die quietly and let the money be returned
to the taxpayer, but in his arrogance, it seems that
he wished to continue the farce," Yevoli said.
He concluded: "First he levies an unnecessary
tax for political reasons, saying that the taxes are
needed to haul garbage out of state. Now he
admits that it was not necessary to haul the
garbage away and that he never intended to do so.
To compound the farce he had tax bills sent out
that indicated that the increase in taxes was a
State tax, for which he has been chastised by the
State Department of Taxation. Now he opposed a
bill supported by.members of his ownparty that
would mandate the return of the taxes. Does this
elected official have no shame? It appears not."
The bill that was passed mandating the return
of the taxes was Assembly Bill 4234 A.
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Flag
Day
June 14,1985
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