Bethpage-Tribune_1985-12-12

              BETHB*GE 4 COP I t s
BtTHPAGt H B
47 POWELL *V
BLTHPAGt NY II7I4
Island Trees Plainedge
also serving
Seaford Old Bethpage Plainview
VOL. 20 NO. 56 Week of December 1248,1985 20 cents per copy
Health And Air Quality Studies
In Old Bethpage
Oyster Bay Town Super­visor
Joseph Colby has
announced that the Nassau
County and Newjyork State
Health Departments will
conduct a comprehensive
and objective scientific
study in the vicinity of the
Old Bethpage Elementary
School in order to determine
if: residents of the area are
being exposed to possible
health problems.
Colby said that, "I have
been seriously concerned
about health problems
reported by residents of the
community. At a meeting
held in my office on
December 3rd, Dr. John
Dowling, Commissioner of
the Nassau County Depart­ment
of Health and Deputy
County Executive Owen T.
Smith, agreed with my
recommendation that an
immediate and thorough
survey should be under­taken
into all possible sour­ces
of potential threats to the
health of residents in the
area."
The Nassau County
Department of Health had
received complaints about
an episode of smoke and
odor on September 23, 1985
that had allegedly caused
illness among the children
attending the elementary
school. A complete investi­gation
by the County Health
Department determined
that the incident was not
caused by the Town's Solid
Waste Management facili­ties
since they were down­wind
of the school on the
day in question. Meteoro­logical
data supplied by the
Town and the New York
State Department of Envir-onrnental
Conservation
have confirmed' findings
that the wind was blowing
away from the school
toward the landfill and
incinerator.
Commissioner Dowling
indicated that he had dis­cussed
a proposed plan for a
comprehensive study with
the New York State Health
Commissioner, Dr. David
Axelrod, M.D., and has
received assurance of the
State Health Department's
support. The State agency
has also a^greed to conduct,
in close cooperation with the
County, a search of the reg­istries
of cancer, birth
defects and other vital statis­tics,
to determine whether
there is any unusual inci­dence
of chronic diseases-in
the local population in com­parison
with the general
' population.":
The scope of the County's
investigation will include a
comprehensive air quality
survey with continuous
monitoring for six weeks to
determine wind speed and
direction together with spe­cific
air samplings, both
indoor and outdoor, in
accordance with State and
Federal criteria.
Addilionaliy, a sampling
response will be made to any
episode development such
as an odor incident, temper­ature
inversion, and the
presence of unusual medical
symptoms among the school
population.
The Plainview-Old Beth­page
School District has
agreed to proyide the
County Health Department
with a location for placement
of the air quality monitoring
equipment on the school
property.
"i have pledged the full
cooperation of the Town in
working with both the
County and State health
agencies," Colby said, "in
order to expedite initiation
of the survey and comple­tion
of a full report of the
results."
You don't have to be outside looking in at the beautiful
candlelit service at Manetto Hill Church, Old Bethpage
VHIage Restoration. Visitors may enjoy the historical, old-fashioned
celebrations throughout the Village during "Even­ing
Openings", December 26-30.
It'll be more than a trip into an historical past and more
than an old-fashioned yuletide celebration. It will be five
enchanted evenings in a mid-Nineteenth Century village, lit
only by candlelight and camaraderie which will be joined in
preparation for the season. Of course, it will be at Old
Bethpage Village Restoration during its "Evening Open­ings,"
which are scheduled the week between Christmas and
New Years, December 26,27,28,29 and 30, from 4 to 9 P. M.
Visitors will be invited to relive social gatherings which
were prevalent on Long Island during the holiday season.
Sleigh and carriage bells will be heard as lanterns illuminate
the trail to the 1857 Manetto Hill Church. Here participants
will listen to the Old Bethpage Singers perform perform the
choral music of the period. The first concert of the evening
will begin at 1 P.M.
Elsewhere the Village will abound with music from the
candlelit homes. The Layton House will echo parlor music,
the Lawrence House, the reedy tones of the melodeon and
the Noon Inn ballroom will rouse its patrons-with tradi­tional
songs sung by folk singers Jeff and Jeff.
Significantly^, the Layton.House and itsJestiyities, repres­ent
the beginnings of America's expression~of what "has
evolved into traditional Christmas celebrations. Only at
Layton, visitors will see a decorated Christmas tree and a
pair of trousers, in lieu of stockings, hung for gifts.
At the Village crossroads, a hog guessing contest, similar
to those'held in Freeport-and Rockaway, circa 1833, will be
re-enacted. A prize will be awarded to the person who comes
closest to guessing the correct weight of the sow. The conviv­ial
atrnosphere will be augmented by the availability of hot
chocolate and cider which wll be served from nearby kettles
warming over an open fire.
Old Bethpage Village Restoration is operated by the
Museum Division of the Nassau County Department of
Recreation and Parks. It is located on Round Swamp Road,
Old Bethpage, just south of the Long Island Expressway.
The hours are 10 a;m. to 4 p.m. except for the week between
Christmas and New Years when it will be open from 4 to 9
P.M. The Village is closed on Mondays and commencing
January 4, will be closed on Saturdays as well until spring.
Admission to the Village is $3 for non-resident adults, $2.50
for Nassau residents with a Leisure Pass and $1.50 for
children, ages 5-17. Parking is free.
Joseph Golby puts his signature on a proclama­tion
declaring the week of December 15-21
"National Drunk and Drugged Driving Aware­ness
Week" in the Town. With the holidays upon
us, the Supervisor urged residents to use extra
caution and be especially aware of the dangers of
drinking and driving. On hand for the signing
ceremony were officers of the Oyster Bay High
School Chapter of Students Against Drunk Driv­ing
(S.A.D.D.) Kristen Hey, secretary; Jodi
Grant, treasurer; Holly Gould, president; Laura
Williams, vice president; and Angela Inzerillo,
secretary; Clifford Riccio, director of the Nassau
County Traffic Safety Board; and Debra David­son
(right), president of the Long Island Chapter
of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.)
Host Families Sought
Youth for Understanding (YFU), the nation's largest
teenage exchange organization, is seeking host families for
the 1986-87 program year. Students will be arriving in July,
1986 from allover the world and will live with American
families while attending local high schools.
Families choose the sex and nationality of the student and
are carefully matched based on mutual interests.
To ensure the most appropriate match, please apply
early by calling YFU's Boston office at 1-800-872-0200 or