The-Leader_1970-02-19

              T T r*^ r-rr.
v...-.
r,- "ir
ii-y. 1
The LEADER "NASSAU'S LARGEST WEEKLY"
Free^rifs
Official
Newspaper
2Sp000 RIADERS
FREEPORT
Ztp Code 11S20
BALDWIN
Ztp Code USIO
MERRICK
Zip Code 11566
ROOSEVELT
Zip Code HITS
" % •
Ulh Year. No. 44 FREEPOBT. N. Y., THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 19. 1970 PRICEJ FIVE CEHTS PER copf
Inside Freeport
b y J o h 11 M ji c k
The pace of modem living imposes many problems on the in­dividual.
One such problem is "keeping informed." The mind boggles
at the mass of data it is asked to absorb daily. There is nows of Viet
Nam, bulletins from the mid-East, riots in Ireland, inflation, Supreme
Court appointments, campus controversies, LIRR fare increases, land
scandals in Suffolk, stock market gyrations, dope raids, you name
it. Amidst it all, we are somehow supposed to keep informed about
what is going on in Freeport . . . to know about housing, urban re­newal,
recreation programs, sanitation schedules, official Village
action isa a score of fronts. It is accordingly very interesting to note
thai Freeport's citizens are quite well informed. They have exhibited
an awareness of community affairs that has repeatedly confounded
the demagogues, in our midst. How come that in this area of public
information our Village is abue to report substantial accomplishment?
Me«l "Mr. fililonnalion"
Tom DeVtncenzo is his real name, and he has the job of keeping
Freeporters informed about what is going on in their goverrunenL
Tom is neither an old-timer nor a newcomer. He's an "in-between-er,"
having lived here fifteen years. In 1955 Tom and his wife prace
moved into their new home on Martha Street, in a section of Free-port
then being developed on former marsh land. Tom breathed a
sigh of relief on that memorable day. He had, finally made it. His
own home. A pgtch of his own blue sky. Behind him were those
hard years in Brooklyn, years when his father ran an ice business
and Tom himself worked on the ice truck as early as ten years of
age. Then came his marriage to the girl next door, his years in the
Marmes, then back to Brooklyn seeking a place to put down roots.
ButjBty living, towering apartments, encroaching industry, smog . . .
theM'were not for him. "I even liked the name Freeport," he said.
"It suggested open air, the water, the shore. I was hooked on the
place from the slaft, and I decided that I not only would live in
Freeport, but that I would work m any way I could to help my new
home town,"
Joining the newly-formed Harbor Civic Association, Tom became
its Vice President and then its President. Many citizens will remem­ber
his leadership of the victoriouf opposition to a proposed swim
ming pool complex at East Point with its attendant threat of heavy
out-of-town traffic. "When I saw all sections of Freeport joined to
achieve this victory," he said, "I realized the importance of com-mUnity-
wide actian " Soon Tom was meeting with other civic leaders
from all around the Village, planning the formation of the new
Village Parly. He played a major role in the eleetijjn campaign of
1961, in which the Village Party candidates were elected Jo control
of Freeport's government on their pledge to preserve residential
Freeport, and to provide honest, dedicated leadership.
"So The Public May Know"
Tom has devoted his business life to the concept of public in
formation. Even in school he edited the newspaper, and later in the
Marines was ua the staff of that service's prize-winning newspaper.
After the war he jomed Ben Rus, noted manufacturer of watches,
where he worked 9 years and rose to be head of their Customer
Relations Department. The G.I. Bill helped finance night courses in
journalism and Advertising at City College. He served several years
as a N.Y. Times Representative on a part-time basis. "In the mean­time,"
Tom told me, "I found myself thinking more and more about
not only living in Freeport, but also working there." In the early
1960's he acquired control of the L. I. Kernel, publishing it as a
community newspaper for six y^ars. Then in 1969 came the oppor­tunity
to join the Freeport Government as Deputy Village Clerk,
with the accent on public information. Divesting himself of all in­terest
in the newspaper, he accepted the Village job and plunged
into It with his usual vigor.
And so, to make a long story short, you now are receiving a
steady stream of accurate information about the Village, interest­ingly
told. Tom writes the Village News, which comes to you regu­larly.
He prepares news releases, statements, and information pro­grams
on all facets ofi governmental activity. "Public information,"
he states, "is not something the government ^ould ..provide only
when it is requested. Bather it should be the standard policy of our
government to take the initiative in informing the people about each
and every aspect ot governmental .procedures." Tom is the |iian to
call if you have a question, a suggestion, a complaint. Call FR 8-4tOOO
and ask for Tom DeVincenzo. I asked Tom what he saw ahead in this
area of keeping the public informed. "There are more and more
programs, and they get increasingly complex. Population wlU con­tinue
to grow. People .will have less and less time to read reports
and releases. We must And new and better ways to reach the people
and give them the facts. I'm working on it. But iiow I have to go
home to The Harbor. My wife has dinner ready)' "Sea Food?", I
asked. "No". Tom said. "Spaghetti." . ^
Sewing Machine
Winners Aren't
Nassau County residents who
receive a letter notifying them
that they have won "a 1970 de­luxe
sewing machine that does
everything" are not so lucky as
the letter pretends, according to
County Executive Eugene H,
Nickerson.
Investigation by the County's
Office of Consumer Affairs reveals
that the sum of $79,50—which the
"lucky" recipient is charged for
a "ten-year service and instruc­tion
policy"—is the ordinary
selling price of the machine. In­structions
and a warranty are
usually provided free when a
sewing machine is purchased.
The exposure of "lucky num­ber"
schemes is one function of
a new monthly Consumer News­letter
being distributed for the
first time this week. The newslet­ter
is a new educational service
of the Office of Consumer Af­fairs,-
John A. Occhiogrosso, Consum­er
Altairs Commissioner, said that
the newsletter is being sent to
community organizations, li­braries,
schools, clubs and con­sumer
groups.
Also included in the first issue
of the fcur-page publication is ad­vice
on contracting for home im­provements,
tips for economical
shopping, and a progress report
on the efforts of the Office to
have octane ratings posted on gas
pumps,
The newsletter is being edited
by Randall C, Powell, a high
school teacher on sabbatical from
the Freeport school system, who
is servmg as a volunteer in the
Office of Consumer Affairs.
Housing Authority
Raises Income Limits |
John E, Williams, Executive Director of the Freeport Housiiilt^,
Authority announced a new Schedule of Net Annual Income LiOTit|^»l
for Low Rent Housing of Families and Senior Citizens in Freeport. ft-
The Housing Authority Board passed a resolution recently which v.
raises the limits as follows:
No. Of Persons ^ Admission ConHnued Occupanqr
:i^ii ''^^
1
2
3
4
5
6
7 or more
Old
$3800
4200
4,900.
5000
5400
5800
6200
New
$4200
4600
5300
5700
6100
6500
6900
Old
$5000
5400
5800
8200
6600-
7000
Z400
New
$52S0
5750
662§
7125
7625
tfl25
8625
Housing Authority Chairman John B. Mack said, "This raise In,
income limits will permit the Authority to admit tenants with fc
higher income, and as their incomes increase on the job, they will be
able to stay in Public Housing longer." "We try to keep pace with
these inflationary times," he said, "and this is one way of doing it.
If you need information concerning Freeport's Public Housing,"
feel free to come to their modern office at 3 Buffalo Avenue, or
call 623-2508, or 623-2509. There are helpful and friendly people avail­able
to serve you.
LANDLORD TEH ANT RELATIONS
GROUP ADDRESSES CIVICS
Mr. Constantine Cassis and Mr. Mark M. Domowne, who are the
Co-Chairmen of Freeport's Committee on Landlord-Tenant Relations,
spoke before a m(Kt interested group, the North W^est Civic Asso­ciation,
on Monday Evening, February 9, 1970, giving their view
on the present rent control debate.
HONORED BY GRUMMAN
Liquor Authority
Gives Penalties
The New Yurk State Liquor
Authority has announced dis­ciplinary
action against twenty-four
licensees for violations of the
Alcoholic Beverage Control Law.
One license was revoked, one li­cense
was cancelled, seventeen
licensefe^ere suspended, four li­censees
were assessed bond claims
with deferred penalties and one
lincesee elected to take a bond
claim in lieu of a suspension.
Local licensees affected include:
Newmal Corporation. (The
Spouteer Inne), 35 North Main
Street, Freeport, restaurant liquor
license, ten days "beginning Feb­ruary
16, 1970 to February 26,
1970. Violation: permitted al­coholic
beverages to be con­sumed
on the premises later than
one-half hour after the start ol
prohibited hours of sale. (Nassau
RL 7623).
John Albeit, 198 North Grand
Avenue, Baldwin, grocery store
beer license, seven days beghi-ning
February 17, 1970 to Feb­ruary
24, 1970. Violation: sales of
beer to minors. No Contest. (Nas­sau
A 3SS2).
lobert Bomscheln of DawM
Kwn^ RQOsevelL has been wel­comed
into the "Quarter Cen­tury
Club" at Grumman Aero­space
Ck>rp., having celebrated
his 2Sth anniversary with the
Beftpage company earllflr this
month. He will be presented an
•ngravvd watch In recognition
of his long larvice.
Four Churches Join
For Lenten Series .
* inie second in the series^ of
Lenten Services wHl be held at
the Freeport United 'Methodist
(Thiuch on WednradiS^, Feb. 2 | at
a' pjn.
Canning out the thettie of ' ^ e
Gospel and The AvIs," tirsdltibpl
sacred' music will bf. ofleped. iKe-freshments
wil follow tlie sefr
vice.
Mr. Cassis spoke of the anti-progressions
that rent control
brings to both the landlord and
the tenant. His figures were docu­mented
by the Long Island Build­ers
As.sociation and he showed
how economic strains are con­stantly
making business people
rc-cvaluate their estimaliutis. Mr.
Dtimowne, a Consultant to Busi­ness
and Industry, who is the
representative of the Tenants,
spoke on the committee's me­chanics.
He also serves as the
operations officer of the commit­tee
and therefore was able to ex­plain
how the committee has been '
successful. While he approaches
the problem from the conflicting
view of Mr. Cassis, who repre­sents
the apartment- house own­ers,
it is a show In good execu-tiveship
how professional buai-ness
managers practice the craft
of togetherness.
Even though both men pf«->
sented the views in a different:
manner, they do realize that only
the working together of the com-; ^
mittee can bring satisfactoiy
answer to the Freeport Ckun-munity.
Mayor R|) to:t' Sweeney Jceeps •
in close, tqiudi with every sitiu-!
"tion..%thfttN'<!6|ne«5"l»foie:-tiUs
inittee,: wffl!lii-^iSS*M'i;i)ii:ito^^
.age' of:iiey#ifK©m|co^
soblatiw^-audilp^f^llfi^^;^^
alert by^^hl^g^lnieii^'
their "eiq^eriwie^attdr
by' the-;ihtei?e«ti'iWiMwili|ij^
unuous 'wmm^m,mMmMaiW'
the., ewnr " ' - •-'• ^- «•s is^p•'•«•*s^ "-
-'^^'^^^ T^afiV^^rr-if--•:«-•; idig^sMi^^-^^i^^ifmmmhA