Bethpage-Tribune_1973-09-13

              BETHMGE
St t BUB - L » B « * R *
,060 H , C K V »y i ^ ' a
ISLAND TREES
OLD BETHPAGE
also serving
PLAINVIEW PLAINEDGE SEAFOOD
v ^ ? ^ » ^ ^ . W ^ ^ ^ » » f a g a » , t e , B a a a : mnl M**?'—>-?»JH*>-
VOL. 7 NO. 43 Thursday, September 13, J 9 73 10 cents per copy
Panthers Kick Off! Bethpage School
By Mary McCutcheon and Lorraine Carley Board Report
Top Picture.:
Bethpage Midget Football "kicked off" the new season on Sunday,
September 9,1973, at the Bethpage High School. Many of their fans
were there to cheer on the team. Giving the boys a few pointers are,
left to right, Vince DeVitor, President (holding ball); John
Wilkerson, Director; Councilman Sal Mosca and Bill Zick, Director'.
Bottom Picture:
Bethpage Midget Football team warm up on the field.
Photos by Jerry, Augusta
The Bethpage Panthers got off
to their most successful start in
their nine-year history on Sunday
as large crowds watched the kick
off parade for the 1973 season.
Officials estimated that 6,000
persons-line the parade route
along Stewart Avenue with
hundreds more crowding into
the Bethpage High School Field
to watch the exhibition
doubleheader. •
All six teams of the Bethpage
Midget Football Association,
with cheerleaders, were joined
by players from Huntington and
color guards from the Bethpage
V-F-W Post, the American
Legion and the Fire Department.
A large float made by the Pan­thers
Ladies Auxiliary was also
in the line of march with band
music provided by the Cavaliers'
of East Northport. A number of
fire engines from the Bethpage
Fire Department in the line of
march had to suddenly race from
the parade terminus on Cherry
Avenue as a full alarm Are was
sounded.
The Grand Marshall for the
Parade was Councilman
Salvatore Mosca and the parade
coordinator was Joseph Carley,
Vice President of B.A.M.F.O.
while the post-parade ceremonies
at the High School Field were
handled by Chuck Johnson.
PANTHEY PEANUTS
ROUT HUNTINGTON,
JflTY VEES LOSE IN EHIBITION
GAMES
Following the gala opening day
parade, the Panthers got into
action on the gridiron and the
opener was a success as the
Peanuts whipped the Huntington
Ravens, 19 to 9. It was a banner
day for Bethpage quarterback
Gary McKay who tallied all three
touchdowns, two of them on runs
of 48 and 54 yards. McKay's
-running to the outside plus the
inside thrusts of Charley
Schiavetta and Dan Boltja kept
the Ravens on the defensive for
most of the game. Huntington
never mounted a serious threat
after being turned back by the
Panther defense inside the
twenty yard line during the first
half. Others who stood out
in the Peanut victory -were Dave
Saloney and Eric Reimertz with a
series of good tackles and Dave
Ferentheil broke up two Hun-
' tington Drives by batting down
and nearly intercepting long
passes thrown by Chris Pujols.
The Peanuts will see if they can
keep the momentum going this
Sunday as they open their season
with a 1-P.M. game against
neighboring Plainedge at Central
Boulevard Field.
The Panther Jay Vees were
not as fortunate in the second
game as they .an into a strong
Huntington Boys Club which
dominated play -for almost the
entire game and rolled to an easy
victory 39-0. The Panthers did
display slight improvement in the
second half defensively but the
offense was marked by indecision
and too many backfield mix-ups.
The Jay Vees, with one of their
(Continued on Page 8)
The regular monthly meeting
of the Bethpage Board of
Education was held on Tuesday,
August 28, 1973, with all Board
members attending except Mr.
Gorman. Approximately 28
taxpayers attended.
Borella Field
Mr. Curtis Sloan, President of
the Bethpage Baseball
Association, appeared before the
Board on behalf of the baseball
and football associations, in­dicating
an interest in playing
fields being built on the Borella
Site. He stated, "...the Town of
Oyster Bay would be willing to
build a sports complex if the
School Board., would donate -the
property to tne Town.'\Also, he
understood the Board Was not
interested in donating the land to
the Town, but at a special
meeting of the School Board,
there was discussion to sell the
parcel of land for private homes.
He continued, "...homeowners
will be on the Board of Education
if they do not want..to build a
complex for kids to play instead
of building houses - children are
more important, the association
will fight and will be militant to
get their point across, something
wrong is being done to kids..." He
concluded the complex should
include football, baseball fields
and possibly something for the
elderly.
Mr. LoFaso assured him the
Board was deeply concerned
about the Bethpage youngsters
and their participation in sports,
stating, "...categorically,
previous Boards of Education
had considered giving the site to
the Town of Oyster Bay but the
Town would not restrict: its
utilization to the Bethpage
community....this Board is
responsible to Bethpage tax­payers
who paid for the land and
it is improper for the Board to
support the citizens of Plainview,
etc.,...It is not proper for the
educational establishment to
engage in the area of recreational
programs the prime respon­sibility
to develop recreational
facilities is with the Town of
Oyster Bay..."
Mrs. Regan referred to a mock
up of a sports complex that was
displayed at a Panther Football
Dinner where, she was told,
Supervisor Burke indicated this
Was what the association was
going to have. She asked where
this mock up came from and was
informed by Mr. Sloan that boys
in their spare time developed the
mock up as they envisioned it --
it's their handy work.
Mr. Slavin s'^d the Board was
concerned about playing fields
and noted that the Board had a
four-page recommendation from
the advisory committee and will
consider additional proposals
which are to be submitted by
October 1. Said proposals will
include the development of areas
at J.F. Kennedy Junior High and
additional space at Champagne
School. He mentioned that Dr.
Larsen has written to the State
inquiring about the availability of
some State property that abuts
the Champagne School. Mr.
Slavin suggested the Association
wait until. October 1st to see the
proposals before suggesting
turning over a million and a half
dollars worth of property for a
sports complex. Mr. Sloan
said...he would like to caution the
Board that the emergency work
being done on the fields now is
inadequate because the fields are
in terrible shape...you need
additional monies because of lack
of personnel and equipment to get
the existing fields into decent
shape...
Mr. Iannello interjected,
''.-the Board had approved funds
for improving the fields - we
have a choice that you must
understand, of either putting the
budget on an educational level or
a recreational level, obviously we
cut on the recreational level..."
Mr. Sloan commented what you
have done is progress but this is
not enough. Mrs. Regan rendered
if some of the'Borella land was
sold, the Board of Education
would have the money to repair
present fields...if there was a
complex to support, we would
have to close the schools and
concentrate on supporting the
complex.
Mr. LoFaso reiterated: if the
complex was restricted to Beth­page,
he would be willing to
discuss donating the land to the
Town of Oyster Bay. Mr. Slavin
thanked Mr. Sloan and the
association for their time and
interest in expressing their point
of view before the Board of.
Education. (A mock up of a
sports complex was displayed.
There are approximately 750
youngsters in the Baseball
Association and approximately
200 in the Football Association).
BOCES
A parent reappeared before the
Board requesting a decision on
granting funds from the School
District to further his child's
education in the Boces art course,
stating the District is responsible
up to age 21. He claimed the
Board was misinformed when it
said it was only responsible to
further the education of the
handicapped. He stated lawyers
informed him students are going
to Boces from other Districts and'
other Districts are allowing 'X'
amount of money to further
education. He continued his
daughter was only informed
about the Boces program in her
last term of high school and then
it was too late. Mrs. Regan said,
"....for the District to consider
educating children after high
school to age 21, the cost would be
astronomical....conceivably you
would be paying for 3 year
courses at Farmingdale or any
other college, I consider this
unfair to the taxpayers of the
District." Mr. Slavin endorsed
Mrs. Regan's statement stating,"
....it is frightening from a
financial point of view." The
parent said...the financial burden
will then be placed on him, yet, in
New York City, a student is given
the opportunity after graduating
to continue their education,...I
have also heard that there are
students from Plainview going to
Boces now....
Mr. Iannello said, "...in Beth- •
page the students are encouraged
to start a two year Boces course
in their junior year so that it
coincides with their formal
education and the course is
finished at the end of their senior
year..;
The decision was held for
further discussion. The parent
was advised he would hear from
Dr. Larsen accordingly.
Regular Agenda
The Board approved the
minutes of July 31, as corrected,
and the minutes of August 14. A
Horan from the youth
organization of the Knights of
Columbus, thanking the Board
and Mr. Lavin for the use of the
gym the past school year. The
Board approved the Travellers
Insurance Co., under the tax
shelter annuity giving teachers
an opportunity to participate at
their option within the
established guidelines. Dr.
Larsen will meet with the ad­ministration
from" Boces
regarding the Bloomingdale
School for special education
program for 1974-75 school year.
The Board approved the
following personnel matters:
accepted resignations from M.
Moliterno, effective 8/73 and S.
Worth, effective 8/27/73; leave
without pay for J. Roberts; ap­pointment
of R. Meyers, Teen
Center Director, (target date for
Teen Center opening, October 15,
1973); also approved, extra
curriculum appointments; junior
high coordinators; teacher
personnel and salaries; part time
monitors and substitutes for the
junior and senior high; custodial
resignations and appointments
were approved. The Board also
approved an increase in the price
of milk to $.10 due to the with­drawal
of State reimbursement
Change of Meeting Date
A motion was made by Mr.
LoFaso that the regular monthly
meeting date be changed from
the last Tuesday to the third
Thursday of the month, effective
September meeting -the purpose
to afford greater participation of
all board members since one:
board member currently,
because of his work com­mittment,
cannot participate
fully on Tuesdays. Further move
this announced change be
desseminated to the community
in the.educational bulletin. The
motion was approved 5-1, with
Mrs. Regan voting nay.
Language Program
Mr. Cotton made a motion that
the Board of Education authorize
the Superintendent to wprk with
(Continued on Page 67