The-Leader_2010-02-25

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75th Year, No. 8 Freeport, N.Y. 11520
The Community Newspaper
Thursday, February 25, 2010
ChGerleading More olosuros
Champs
for Jones Beach
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FREEPORT'S VARSITY CHEERLEADING TEAM won the Long Island Cheerleading Championship for the second year in a row. Special honors went to teann captains Anthony Mazzola, who was named an All Star by the Long Island Cheerleading Championship Association, and Chelsea Brown, who took home a $1,000 schol­arship from the LICCA.
by Laura Schofer
The state Office of Parks, Recreatibn and Historic Preservation (OPRHP)
announced on Friday that there will be another reduction of services at Jones Beach State Park this summer. The West Bathhouse swimming pool will be closed and the state will eliminate the July 4 fireworks show in an effort to save an additional $82,000.
Last summer the state closed the East Bathhouse swimming pool as well as the West End Beach (West End 2). Zach's Bay and Field One also suf­fered a reduction in its hours of opera­tion and the length of the season.
"All the changes made in 2009 will remain in place," said Dan Keefe, a spokesperson from the state parks. He added that the fireworks display woiild be eliminated because the state has no money for park police staffing.
Jones Beach is only one casualty in the state's plan to close 41 parks, 14 historic sites and reduce service in 23 other parks and one historic site to help close the state deficit.
"New York faces an historic fiscal crisis of unprecedented magnitude. The unfortunate reality of closing an $8.2 billion deficit is that there is less money available for many worthy services and programs," said Governor David A. Paterson in a prepared state­ment.
"Millions of people depend on Jones Beach as an enjoyable and affordable destination, especially given the cur­rent economy. Governor Paterson should not further cut services for Jones Beach goers at a time when the need for affordable 'stay-cations' is very high. He already reduced services at Jones Beach and other state parks last year, which I and many others adamantly opposed," said state Senator Charles Fuschillo Jr.
"Now he's asking Long Islanders to once again pay more and receive less. Families who use Jones Beach need to let Governor Paterson know how serv-
Memories of Marian
Knoeller
page 2
Mangano seeks to U Do you know what jvoid 1st Precinct lease I your kids are doing? pages I pages
ice cuts would affect them," said Senator Fuschillo.
"We moved here to enjoy the beauti­ful beaches and parks. How can you
justify balancing the budget on our backs?" asked local environmentalist Lisa Schary.
the Executive Budget proposes a reduction to OPRHP totaling $29 mil­lion, a 16 percent reduction over the 2009 fiscal year. OPRHP's operating spending in the coming year is $155 million.
On Long Island 10 parks are slated for closure and four other parks could have partial closings. In Nassau County, Hempstead Lake State Park and Valley Stream State Park may close. At Bethpage State Park, recre­ational programs could be shut down. The total savings to the state would be $1 million.
"That's a savings of about 35 cents per resident [in Nassau and Suffolk Counties]. That makes a lot of sense," said Richard Schary, a local environ­mentalist and park advocate.
A recent study by the University of Massachusetts' Political Economy Research Institute found that New York's state park system generates $1.9 billion in economic activity every year and in 2009 hosted "nearly 56 million visitors, an increase of 1.9 mil­lion visitors over the previous year," said Commissioner Carol Ash.
But the parks will close, said Commissioner Ash. "These actions were not recommended lightly, but they are necessary to address our state's extraordinary fiscal difficul­ties."
Bruce Piel, executive director of PARCnassau, a parks advocacy group, said parks are too important to the health and well-being of our citizenry, especially in bad economic times...
"The miscreants, homeless, feral youth, drug users and other undesir­ables have no problem walking past the 'closed' signs. This turns a commu­nity asset into a community liability."
Long Island Cares
to open in Freeport
page 10