The-Leader_1970-02-26

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Th^ LEADER NASSAU'S LARGEST WEEKLY"
Fretport's
Offrclal
Newspaper
25,000 READERS
FREEPORT
z ip Code 11S20
BALDWIN
Zip Code 11S10
MERRICK
Zip Code 11S66
34th Year, No. 45 FREEPORT. N. Y.. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26. 1970
ROOSEVELT
Zip Cod8 11171
PRICES FIVE CENTS PER^dOPY
Inside Freeport
by John Mack
Freeport has always demonstrated a remarkable capacity for
taking care of its own problenas. Through the years each challenge
. . . crime in our streets . , , sluntis . . . public housing . . . parks- and
recreation . . . education . . . electric power . . . sewerage disposal
and sanitation . . . air and water pollution . . . these and many others
have been met by our citizens with determination. In each crisis, sucn
as the threat of over-apartmentization in the 1960's, citizens of all
beliefs have drawn together and presented a common front. Not
that every problem has been completely solved. But we are at least
working toward solutions. Except in one area. And this is without
doubt the most important and the most baffling challenge we have
ever faced in Freeport.
The Drug Scene
Prior to November 20, 1969, many of us here in our snug little
'community would shake our heads and express our sympathy for
the drug problems people were having "out there." %y "out thera"
we were referring to college campuses, the cities, the ghettos. But
of course here in Freeport it could never really happen. Then came
I he rude awakening with the pre-dawn drug raid in Freeport. Some
forty Freeporters, average age 20, were arrested for selling drugs,
70% of the 150 undercover police purchases being heroin. Gone for­ever
was the complacent belief that "It can't happen here." Instead
we now must live with the realisation that drugs are as plentiful
as popcorn in our community, that drug use is growing at a frighten­ing
pace. But here is the strange part. I have seen screaming multi­tudes
turn out with fire in their eyes when the streets were flooding
in South Freeport, when welfare families were flooding the North­east,
and when apartments were flooding the center. But with drugs
threatening to flood every sector of the Village, the civic silence is
deafening. Do we think the problem will go away ir^we shut our
eyes? Do we believe that the raids put an end to our drug problem?
Wiihlul Thinking
Do we think that the State, Federal, or County drug programs
will take care of our local agonies? If we expect solutions from'out­side
our borders, we are living in a dream world. Life Magazine in
its lead story this week points out that with the "heroin epidemic"
spreading like a plague, with "addiction moving with appalling speed
into new territory" including small towns, suburbs, middle-daiS
liomes, younger and younger age groups, "attempts by the Federal
Government to stem the flow have not worked." Around our State
there is a sense of frustration and defeat. In N.Y.C. three people die
from drug use each day. "This is a horrible and frightening situa­tion
. . . a creeping epidemic which is infecting our society," Justice
Starkey said in Brooklyn this past week. And in Kings, District At­torney
Gold was saying "Narcotic use among young people is increas­ing
at a terrifying rate." Closer to home, L.I. Press and Newsday
were carrying major weekend stories of the exploding narcotic prob­lem
on Long Island, and the failure of all programs to stem the tide.
Newsday points out that Meadowbrook has only 10 beds "for all of
Nassau County's addicts. One addict told the newspaper "Once you
get hooked on heroin on Long Island, you can't get off it unless you
leave."
SeU-Help Needed
We in Freeport nftust waken to stark fact. If drug use in our
Village is to be curbed, it will have to be done through our own
efforts. I'm no expert, simply an observer. But I have certain con­victions
about the nature and quaUty of self help that must be ap­plied
in Freeport to accomplish any good, as follows: (1) There must
be an effective citizen organization, (2) The organization cainnot be
political or factional, (3) The efiforl must be lor Freeporters only;
it would be doomed to certain failure if we tried to serve all m.
kind, (4) The program must avoid fixation on any singlci-track |»!
acea such as "police crack down," "tough court decisions," "lirnler
school policies," "government involvement," "education on drug hor­rors,"
etc., (5) The program must be manysided, to include adult
and youth education, plans to prevent drug use,, police and court co­operation,
counseling by professionals, involvement of youth in th?
effort, and rehabilitation.
Striking A t The Boofs
Thoreau said "Thousands are hackiag at the^ branches of evil
for every one who is striking at the roots." It's an over-simplification
to suggest that we should strike at the roots of the drug problem,
lyfore realistically, we 8hoiild~flrst make an effort to find what and
where the roots are. "Kien, bbing a conununity of ejcpert gardeners,
we no doubt can figure how to attack the blight
5c Parking Meters
To Replace Pennies
The Freeport Village Board on
Monday night decided that the
one-cent parking meter had out­lived
its practical* usefulness. All
meters of that type in the Vil­lage
will be changed to a flat
five-cent per hour charge, in­stead
of the previous type that
took one-cent for twelve minutes,
two-cents for twenty-four min­utes,
etc.
The decision was made after
the Village Board consulted with
the Chamber of Commerce rep­resentatives
who agreed that the
one-cent, short-time meter was
not practical. The change in
meters will be made in stages by
the Parking Meter Department.
CASO T a RUN FOR
COUNTY EXEC. POST
Columbian Bronze
Appoints Bailey VP
The Columbian Bronze Corp.,
a division of Walter Kiddie &
Company, Inc., has announced the
appointment of William J. Bailey
as vice president.
Mr. Bailey, who joined Colum­bian
in 1967 as sales manager,
will continue to be responsible.
for the company's sales and mark­eting
programs. He is a graduate
of the United States Merchant
Marine Academy and Iowa State
College of Engineering,
Bailey is a vice president of
the National Association of En­gine
and Boat Manufacturers and
is a former board member of the
American Boat.& Yacht Council
and the Yacht Safety Bureau.
Columbian Bronze produces a
variety of marine hardware and
electronic equipment, including
propellers, portable automatic di­rection
finders, depth finders and
radio telephones.
S+argazers Meet
Sunday Night
The first 1970 session of the
Jones Beach Stargazers will be
held on Sunday, March 1 at 7
p.m. at West End Beach 2 which
is located west of the Coast Guard
Station. Mr. John Pazmino,' a
member of the American As­tronomers
Assn., will be the guest
lecturer. His topic will be "Ob­serving
the March 7 Solar
Eclipse."
Sunday, March 15 at 7 p.m., Mr.
Donald Livingstone, a member
of the American Assn. of Variable
Star Observers, will discuss "Flair
Stars." ^
At these stargazing programs,
co-sponsored by the Long Isldkid
State Park Comm., and Abraham
& Straus, refractor telescopes and
a 12" reJGtector tdescjope are set
up for oiutdoqr vi«wiiig.'At eadji
se^oh. ^}ecid] attfoitioii is glyelQ
to Boy and Grid ScoiitB working
for Astronomy Mciit Badges.
Information on these sessions
may be obtained by writing ^
the Special Events Dept., Jones
Beach State Fark,^ Wants^, H.iT.
it:
HON. RALPH a. CASO
Citing a "crisis of confidence and credibility," Hempstead Town
Presiding Supervisor Ralph G. Caso, vice chairman of the Nsssau
County Board of Supervisors, has announced he will run for the offi^
of Nassau County Executive.
In a toughly worded statement, Caso declared that the current
county administration, the entire
Democratic governmental philos­ophy,
"is tired and outdated and
no match for the complexities of
a new age."
He added: "Broad new horizons
lie ahead in this pivotal decade
and I believe that my background,
my knowledge of government, my
experience and my accomplish­ments,
qualify me to take the
reins."
Caso said he views town, village,
city and county government as
partners in a mutual enterprise,
not competitors, and pledged to
work closely with other munici­palities
to resolve the county's
problems.
During his nearly 10 years as a
member of the Nassau Board*of
Supervisors, Caso said, he "learned
how different layers of govern-ment
might have cooperated^nd
prospered through the relationship
—and I saw this precious oppor­tunity
squandered."
Caso revealed that he will
recommend that the Nassau Board
of Supervisors not appeal the re­cent
court decision ordering re-apportiaiment
of the board. He
said he is fonnulating a "workable
and acceptable plan" and that he
will divulge that plan in the com­ing
months.
'Turning to" his loogram, he
ticked off the Issues that be wiU
strcM (during the^couhty executive
cattqtalgi^ H^ rev|ew;ed his ac-compUshmalte^
Mi^ 1^^^^^ en-vlriinmOTtoi
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town and piviiiUllj,i!to carry over
his concern for the quality of life
to the county executive's office.
"One at my first mov^ will be
to tap federal funds that become
available as part of President
Nixon's environmental protection
program," he said,
Caso said he will seek a coun^-.
wide housing study to piiq;x>int the
areas where the real need lor pub­lic
housing exists and wher» laaA
is available.
Caso said he favors federal tairo-over
of welfare programs aiul said
he will insist on "stringept but
compassionate administration fA
the welfare system to weed'out
the goldbricks and inlOfilfuf'iF
.Instance gets to those who need it
so badly—the aged, the ittflrm and
the dependent"
On the subject pf Ifitichel jPild;
Caso said: "lliere is much I h i l I
approve and much thj^^^.iliilJttE0
in the plan adval]i(^''^|(^K^i|»
Mitchel Field DevelbiiiniDit^'OKiiI \
In the course of tiie^'c{uaa|pBdtjUi';rJ
will detail my oWfl ^ p 0 ^ i m
Mitchel Held.!! ' '
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