Page 6 THE FARMINGDALE POST, FARMINGDALE, N. Y. Thursday, August 24, 1967
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Joseph J. Merendino)* Publishers
Ted Julian )
Edith Seaman, Assoc. Editor
Anthony C. Gruskin, News Editor
Florence Girdler, Office Manocjer
Entered as Second- Class Matter at the Post Office at!
Farmingdale, N. Y. under Act of Congress, March 1879
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" YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER"
ESTABLISHED 1920
132 So. Front St., Farmingdale
CH 9- 0131
Member: Nassau County Press Association
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Published Every Thursday By
ISLAND- WIDE PUBLICATIONS INC.
105 Hillside Avenue, Vfilliston Park, N. Y. 11596
COMPOSITION RESPONSIBILITY
This newspaper will not be liable for errors appearing
in any advertising beyond the cost of the
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this paper.
GUEST EDITORIAL EDITORIAL GUEST EDITORIAL
I am pleased to have an opportunity to answer
the charges against the Public Library appearing
in an Ad in your newspaper last week.
I will answer the questions raised as follows:
Question No. 1 regarding the increase of $ 5,000.00
on the third budget vote:
The budget as submitted on the third vote
was returned to the original figure in order
to cover expenses of the vote. This additional
cost was not necessary on the second vote because
the School Board, also having a second
vote on its budget, bore the cost.
Question No. 2 regarding the non- use of the
Library Community Room by local organizations:
The cost of the use of the meeting room is
not nominal. It requires after- hours custodial
care and clean- up. This extra service must be
cut off on a reduced budget.
Question No. 3 regarding the use of the meeting
room by the Friends of the Farmingdale Library:
The Friends of the Farmingdale Library occupy
a position similar to that of the P. T. A.
which is allowed to use school facilities even
under an austerity budget. This organization has
as its sole purpose the support of the Library
program and the encouragement of public interest
in good library service.
Question No. 4 concerning the custodian care of
the Library:
The husband and wife team who clean the
library are not independent contractors but employees.
They are likewise not full- time employees
but part- time; the two working a total
of 40 hours at about $ 2.50 an hour, surely a
moderate rate in today's labor market. It should
be noted that the Library has, in past years,
used independent contractors but has not been
satisfied. The job would be taken by the lowest
bidder and the Library Board would be required
to accept work which did not completely satisfy
the Board. The present system is inexpensive
and produces work of the highest caliber.
Question No. 5 concerning present rental of the
Branch Library and the statement that the Board
could have already purchased the building for
rent already paid:
This question is hard to follow. The Library
has been in the Branch Library for only six
years and has paid a total rent of less than
$ 150,000 whereas the option price is $ 250,000.
It further fails to take into account questions
that must be considered when contemplating
purchase, such as; the desireability of permanent
location in the branch; costs connected with a
bond issue; interest on outstanding indebtedness,
loss of tax revenues and other factors. It is
sufficient to say that the mere accumulation
of total rent paid and the statement that it
exceeds the price of the building represents
bad arithmetic plus an extremely naive view
of the financial factors involved.
Question No. 6 concerning the hiring of a reading
specialist:
A reading program specialist fits in well with
the Library program, which concerns itself with
the reading of books. It was the judgement of the
Board that the program planned for many months
before the vote and promising improvement of
future Library services, should go forward.
( Continued on page iu)
This coming Tuesday,
August 29, Farmingdale citizens
will have their third
opportunity to vote for the
passage of this community's
library budget.
Farmingdale's first budget
vote was defeated by a rather
substantial margin. The second
vote came very close to
being passed, losing by 57
votes.
What will happen to this
town's library service if the
budget is defeated for a third
time? Hours must be curtailed
because there won't
be money to pay enough staff
members to serve the patrons
72 hours a week. Programs
must be discontinued because
there won't be money
to cover even the modest
costs that they involve. The
meeting room will be closed
to such groups as the Camp-fire
Girls, Boy Scouts, Little
League Umpires, Sportman's
Club and others because
there won't be money to pay
for the necessary maintenance.
Is Farmingdale ready to
have one of their most prized
community services sliced
and cut to a point where it
will no longer be functioning
in the manner in which Dist.
22 residents have come to
expect? This publication
does not think so and urges
all its readers to do something
about it by going out
Tuesday, August 29th, and
voting Yes, for passage of
the Farmingdale Library budget.
You will be doing your
community a service by letting
your community serve
you.
POST
SCRIPTS < m*+
The infant son of Dr. and
Mrs. Andrew Manzo of South
Main Street, was baptized Andrew
Karl, Sunday afternoon at
3: 30 at St. Kilian R. C. Church.
Following the church ceremonies
a family party was held at the
Manzo home,
* * *
Philip Goldstein, who has been
enjoying a week's vacation in
South Fallsbury, Catskills, New
York returned to his duties at
the Farmingdale Shoe Store.
* * *
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bal-dassano
and family of Lambert
Avenue, spent the past week- end
in Lancaster, Pennsylvania,
where they visited the Amish section.
* * *
Announcement has been made
that the Villa Sweden will close
on August 26 and re- open again
on September 7.
* * *
Mr. and Mrs. James R. Bol-ing
and family of Topeka, Kansas
are now residents of Farmingdale,
having moved to their
( Continued on page 7)
During the past several weeks Farmingdale
has been bombarded, through the news media,
with endorsements for, and arguments against,
the Library Budget. An editorial in this paper
called for a separation of issues and consideration
of the budget solely on its fiscal merits.
When I attempted to separate the issues at the
July board meeting, by moving that a referendum
question on establishing a book review policy
and ADULT ONLY section in the library be
submitted with the budget resubmission, my motion
was not even seconded. Consequently the issues
remain fused.
But are these still the primary issues? Were
they not settled by the electorate the last time
around? What change has since occurred in library
policy or budget to justify a third vote?
NONE, except an INCREASE in the budget! What
further evidence is needed to prove the audacious
contempt with which the board views the majority
will, and how it caters to the whims of
a minority clique? What is PRIMARILY at stake
in this election is whether the people wish to
retain control of their local government or whether
their " representatives" will control the people.
ARE WE GOING TO RETAIN THE RIGHT TO
VOTE ' NO,' AND BE HEARD, OR RETAIN ONLY
THE " RIGHT" TO VOTE ' YES' AS OUR " LEADERS"
DICTATE?
The fiscal mismanagement of the library has
by now become apparent to those who have taken
a close look and attended the board meetings.
Even though the Library Board and Director
denied me, as a Trustee, access to the Library
files, enough information has been gleaned to
reveal a most unsatisfactory situation, to say
the least!
Why, then, do we have the bland " statements
of support" for the budget from our " community
leaders?" The answer is simple! They have
never examined the record, and they have been
conspicuously absent from Library Board meetings!
Furthermore, they each received a letter
( on LIBRARY stationery) from our SCHOOL BOARD
PRESIDENT with the following request: " I am
asking you, as a civic leader, to join me in
lending support to this effort to pass the Library
budget by sending Mr. Orrin Dow, at the
Farmingdale Public Library a short statement
in favor of the budget which can be released
as a public statement."
If you read the " Letters to the Editor," you
will " see how they run." For example: A statement
supposedly endorsed by the entire Farmingdale
P- T- A ( of which I am a member) and
signed by Rose Foucek as President of the P- T- A
Council, was NOT ENDORSED by the P- T- A.
It's only coincidence, of course, but Mrs. Foucek
is ALSO a library employee!
Most of the other supporters also have a personal
interest in the library, such as Mr. Krasnow,
who is the insurance agent for the library. I
could go on, but I'll leave some fun in the game
and let YOU figure out who is being liberal
with YOUR money, and why.
Of further interest is the manner in which
the news concerning the library issue has been
handled by the local papers, which also support
the budget. For instance; last week, a show- cause
order which I was forced to obtain, was issued
against the Library Board and Director to show
( Continued on page 11)
