The-Leader_1972-09-14

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II is apparently not so much a case of "he won't'
is *Tie won't if he can help it."
as it
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Robert Sweeney, Freeport's Mayor for the past 12 yeara,
tpld THE LEADER in an exclush'e interview that he has
no plans to rerun in the March, 1973 mayoralty election
"simply because I've given 23% of niy lifetune to the job."
His resolution to give up his position as the Village's long­est
serving Mayor is highly contingent, however* on the
next move of the local political party ^^pse:|acpn|hb^^
him .towidL.eiectton.--tod^e'poslln ;
Yanover Heads
N. Main St. Committee
Not only a working but a
"walking" group is the way
Stewart "Lwry" Yanover sees
the North BSain Street Ad Hoc
dkimmitt^ he has be^i selected
by Freeport Mayor Bobert
Swe«i^ to head. The Committee,
the planned fwmaUfm of which
was announced late in July
when the renming of the majcn*
portion of the Village's Nirth
Main Street area was approved
by the Village Board, is cteged
with the res^Kuisilrili^ of coming
up with a feaj^Ue plan fw the
unrezoned area vdiidi runs firmn
Seaman Avem^ m the east,
north to the Village line.
Members of the coaunittee who
have verbaUy agieed to serve
are: John Digrazia, Charles
Randall, LesterBos^thal, GO
Werner, Mrs. Mary Wilder,
fianry Bfedeimannj Hiurold Bdd,
Mi^. Martha DtSalyo, Dr^ B.
WeinbeiEililid-Aftlnir Gatzop.:
Yanover, tetter known in
schocd circles as a menbo' of the
iMshict^ SdMol Board than in
Village governmental affairs,
pointedout tbatUie membeni had
been ^selorted'b^ the Biayor
because (s) Vbey represent a
-ftaftfaif«ff||til^bl|!way-S)|t^^
•Iri^Ntliti^tB^yi^iVi^ • fireVdf^rtnirals-/AwnifiiB'
'tar^wMtt'M'flbumli^ BeKcli"aiid':as'far'eaft%ii Siwtboltfi'jparaded
domi Atlantte Avenue tmm Bedell Street to Bayview Avmae to
the mBslcal accompaniment frf 20 smartly nnifomed bands and
the Morions eostames of the U Mnmmers. A display of Are-fighting
eqpipmmt ranging from the" antique to Praeport's new
ttie-gTMo snorkel track, added to the coiorfiilaesB of the llth
Annual Naisao-Suftolk Parade which IntNight crowds of
FVeciMftera and i^ltors to the sidewalks of Atlantic Ave. IMdng
almost two hoars to compile, the marchers and spectatiurs were
iraatcd to a ronsfaig block party at the Intersection of Atlantic and
Bayview which continued into the wee hoars.
While in g«ieral. Freeport Police Chief Anthony Elar praised
both the atUtnde of the crowds and the functioning of his men, three
Freeport youths. Jeffrey Smith. a». John CampbeU, 17. and Stephen
Berthe, 17. were arrested Satuday night on disorderly cmiduct
charges ranging from abusive
language, refusing to move and
Idocking traffic, and drinking
beer while driving a car.
Things got down to serious
business on Sunday afternoon at
Firemen's Field where the fire
(tepartments competed in an Old
Fashioned Drill before a crowd of
some 3,000. Freeport Trucli
Company n was the winner with
19 points. Second place went to
the Hempstead Flultes (18
points); third to Oyster Bay
Company HI (12 points); fourth to
Hewlett (7 points) and fifth to
Amityville (6.5 points). The
Bucket Leg Trophy went to
Freeport Truck Company #1
which {daced furst in Three-Man
Ladder (Time: 6.73 seconds), in
Efficiency (Time:9.67 seconds).
and Buckets (Time: 24. B4
seconds). The Hempstead Flukes
won the Two Into One event
setting the time of 8.34 seconds, a
new state record.
geographical cro^-sectlon of the
Village and (b) they have
demonstrated their interest in
Freeport by either involvement
in their neighborhood civic
associations or had been active
participants at Village Board
hearings or other similar
meetings.
Both the Mayor and Yanwer
were qtndi to point out to THE
LEAOEB that one committee
member, Birs. Blary Wilder, was
a most vocal and articulate ap-ponent
to apartment rezoning
and, indeed, was the first to
propose ttet a onnmunity group
be formed to deal with the
questim.
"I want to make it clear to the
public," Yanover told THE
LEADEB, "that the committee
meitiaetshave been told that we
want to ^oiw what THEY think,
not ttm'iibieiiibers of the civic
assoclauajf ef organization with
whidi .tficy^Boay hav'e worked
with aaf-dlligeoce that the
Mayor choose them to serve cm
this conunittee. We must all
app«»adi;^ttiis -pobloQ. as in-lividuads.*'
fiotidily abeeM ttom
committee membership are
Atlantic South Civic Association
President Jomer Rand and
Immediate Past President Perry
Fi8cher,a former member of the
Village Zomng BoaW of Appeals,
who submitted a Selected Site
Development Plan utilizing
federal monies for North Main
Street.
Yanover points out, however,
that Arthur Catron, a TASCA
CContfaiued on Page 5)
|J.oslttdii»*l wD
much the fdciiji df Sweeney'i fuifiii«. politic^ ho^ as he
points out that he has never, although the Party's stand-bearer
for 12 yeais, been president of the organization.
Asked if the recently-announced Village Board move to
allow a November election referendum on the question as
to whether or not Freeport should have a full-time, $30,000
a year Mayor was a political move to narrow down the
field of rumored candidates, Sweeney stated the opposite
is the case. "We did not want the question of a full-time
Mayor to become a political issue as it has been in past
elections. If the people decide, one way or the other in
November, it should not be an issue in the March contest."
He pointed out, too, that in his opinion, the salaried posi-tion
might attract rather than deter candidates.
Asked if he thought Freeport needed a full-time leader.
Sweeney said, "Do you know any business firm worth
$100 mUlion and employing over 4O0 persons that func
tions with a part-time head?'* He went on to state thai
being Mayor of Freepdrt, however, would always bo a night,
weekend type of position simply because it is a commuting
community. "Upstate, in a self-contained VUlage, if is
possible to meet with your Trustees, civic leaders, etc. dur­ing
the work week. These same people in communities
such as ours are far-flung. There is no question, however,
that a great deal could be accomplishwJ by a full-time
Mayor during the working day." Realistically, however,
Sweeney has little hope that today's economy-minded
voter will approve the salaried position. He points out. too,
that only the Village of Hempstead, with Mayor Dalton
Miller, h^s a sunilar position in the Freeport area.
An attorney with Equitable Life commuting to Manhat­tan
each day, THE LEADER asked Sweeney if he would
want the full-tune position with the Village. "No." he
answered. If a public referenfum should vote in a full-tune
Mayor's post and should the Village Party choose a
candidate not to his liking? *'The candidate will be die
i^iding factor."