2011-10-20

              Baldwin students honored
page 5
Freeport's game of the season
page 8
FREEPORT MEMORIAL LIBRARY
144 ff MERRICK RD
FREBPOBT NY 11520 29
76th Year, No. 42 Freeport, N.Y. 11520 The Community Newspaper Thursday, October 20, 2011 750
Grandparents Day at Bayview School
MRS. GOLDSTEIN'S CLASS at Bayview School celebrated Grandparents' Day
by treating their special guests to a presentation of the acrostic "GRANDPAR-ENTS
WE LOVE YOU." Each letter of the phrase represented-a quality or trait
that the children appreciated in their grandparents.
FRANNY MOGLIA, one of the special Grandparents' Day visitors to Bayview School,
was presented with a certificate and flowers by student representative Julie Villatoro.
The school-wide celebration offered those with grandchildren in Bayview the chance
to see live performances and share some of their experiences with the students.
See more on page 3.
Town of Hempstead approves budget
$414.8 million plan includes no tax increases
by Laura Schofer
The Hempstead Town Board unanimous-ly
passed a $414.8 million budget for 2012.
The budget represents a 2.9% increase over
this year's budget of $403 million, and
includes no tax increases to town residents.
"No service cuts," said Town of
Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray.
The town said it will receive about
$263.5 million in property taxes, or about
nine cents of every tax dollar that residents
pay. It will also take $30 million from its
reserve fund to help keep taxes flat. This
represents about 25% of the reserve fund
balance, according to town spokeswoman
Susie Pokalsky.
"It's one of the reasons we have a triple
A credit rating," said Ms. Pokalsky. She
also pointed to a reduction in the debt
service by $6.3 million. The total debt
service for 2012 is $48.9 million, or about
11% of the budget.
"... No service cuts..."
- Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray
The town has set aside $50 million for
capital projects, including a $6 million proj-ect
to refurbish Camp Anchor at Lido
Beach into "a state-of-the-art recreation
center for children with special needs,"
explained Ms. Pokalsky.
Salaries and wages will rise a little less than
1%, by $1.5 million. There will be no increas-es
to fees or services.
However, the Town of Hempstead
Animal Shelter in Wantagh will increase its
budget by 13.7%, for a total allocation of
$7.45 million.
Not everyone agrees with the budget
assessment. "Team Murray's budget is
flawed and leaves more questions than
answers," said Gary Port, Democratic candi-date
for Hempstead Town Supervisor. "An
estimated $30 million in reserves is being
used and there are significant increases in
virtually every department.
"In addition, Murray's budget increases
postage costs over 25% of the 2010 level
and will only expend $10,000 to fund a
study to help Aqua Water customers reduce
their water bill. This is outrageous. Aqua
Water sells water at over four times the
average rate that other residents pay.
Murray is making a public policy decision
to save her political mailers versus helping
those in need."
Wilton Robinson, the Democratic can-didate
for receiver of taxes, also ques-tioned
the budget. "Use the reserve fund to
cut taxes," he said. Mr. Robinson also
pointed to the budget at the animal shelter.
"It is too big. Let the volunteers in there to
do their job. Let them run it and reduce the
expenditures at the shelter."
But Supervisor Murray defended the
budget, saying the spending plan offers
"best budgetary practices and fiscal respon-sibility
at a time when many governments
at all levels are in fiscal free-fall."
State Senator Charles Fuschillo Jr., chair-man
of the Senate Transportation
Committee, said "I spoke with Helena
Williams [president of the LIRR] this morn-ing.
I believe there needs to be an improve-ment
in communications. They need to
work on that." Senator Fuschillo also said
he would support the idea of basic provi-sions
for passengers if the train is extensive-ly
delayed.
NAMES MAKE THE NEWS: Read about your neighbors! 148 local people's names were in your community newspaper this past week. Maybe yours is in this week! See inside.
Freeport's Com- U Home invasion in U County to privatize U Golden Gathering
mended Students I Baldwin I sewage plants I in Freeport
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