Petito Takes Issue With * Political Attack' Of Wegman Report
Town Supervisor Michael N.
Petito has taken issue with the
Town Board on its recent attack
on a* county- sponsored study
to give officials some direction
in the fight against eel grass
and other problems in South Oyster
Bay. The Supervisor e x pressed
concernover the Board's
assault on a comprehensive study
of South Massapequa's off- shore
waters by the engineering firm of
Leonard S. Wegman and Co.,
pointing out that it was the first
such study of its kind ever conducted
for Town waters. Some
of the nation's top experts in
marine biology took part in providing
the details of the report,
including Doctor Paul Burkholder
of the Lamont Geological Observatory
of Columbia University;
Doctor Lionel Walford, Director
of the United States Fish and
Wildlife Laboratory at Sandy
Hook; Robert Cummings, Acting
Chief of the Oceanography Division
of the Federal Coast and
Geodetic Survey and Robert
Wuestefeld of the United States
Army Corps of Engineers.
In discussing the Wegman Report,
Petito said a spirit of cooperation
from the Town Board
would be much more to the advantage
of local residents , plagued
by eel grass; than the ' thinly
veiled political attack on the report
issued last week by the
Board.' Said Petito; " I am told
that not once in two years did
any of the Board members advance
a single suggestion on bay
problems to the firms which
handled the study. Here we have
been provided with the first comprehensive
study ever taken of
Massapequa's bay waters to help
us solve the pollution and eel
grass threats, and instead of
making some constructive suggestions,
the councilmen issue an
irresponsible attack on the report.
We don't have to agree
with every single item contained
in the study, but I feel it can be
most useful to us in any Town
operations in the bay in the
future."
Petito further revealed that
upon his inquiry, the Wegman
firm disclosed that hundreds of
additional maps, studies and analyses
were made in addition to
the material covered in the printed
report which came under Town
Board attack.
" What angers me," Petito added,
" is the fact that this problem
of eel grass and possible
bay pollution went ignored for
years until I made a series of
proposals on the matter in 1964.
We now have progressed somewhat
with the installation of
catch- nets at the mouths of the
canals, a measure I called for
three years ago." The Supervisor
also said he wants to sharply
improve the operations of the
Town- owned scavenger machine
which cuts eel grass and transfers
floating grass to assembly
points at Burns Park.
Petito also pointed out a series
of errors in the Board attack on
the Wegman Report, citing the
firm's confirmation that extensive
samplings of both ocean and
bay water were taken and refuting
the Town Board charee that
such tests were excluded. The
Boards charge that laboratory
tests were inadequate and no
study of the effect of B vitamins
on marine growth were
made were both refuted by Herbert
Mandelbaum of the Wegman
Company. " We have maps,
charts and studies not included
in the bound report but which are
available to Nassau County that
would stretch out 800 feet or
more. If all our studies were
included in the one report, it
would take volumes," Mandelbaum
revealed.
Petito said he found it hard
to believe that the Town Board
is not interested in easing the
problems of the bay. " However,
if they are interested, they have
a funny way of showing it by
attacking the first thorough study
of the area ever undertaken,"
Petito replied. He called on the
Board to set aside secondary differences
and join him in support
of the East- West Channel
in South Oyster Bay. The Supervisor
said he does not share
the view in the report that such
work would cost over 12 million
dollars, and pledged his continued
efforts to have a channel
built for a fraction of that price.
Five Burglaries On Broadway
Several Massapequa robberies
were reported I to the Seventh Precinct
police this week.
Burglaries entered the Proco-tol
Beauty Shop at 840 Broadway,
Massapequa through a rear door
and took brae lets, perfumes and
earrings valued at $ 97.
The post office at 740 Broadway
was burglarized and reported
a loss of keys, currency, parcel
post packages and stamped envelopes.
Entry was made through
a side door.
Burglars who entered the Massapequa
Paint Store at 560 Broadway
were reported to have stolen
$ 35 in currency.
Carvel's stand at 685 Broadway
reported the loss of $ 2 worth of
ice cream.
Thieves also entered the premises
of Stella's Restaurant at
746 Broadway. Entry was gained
through a rear door. Loss was
unknown.
Senior Citizens Get
Recreation Grant
County Executive Eugene H.
Nickerson this week announced
approval of a $ 26,000 grant by
the New York State Department
of Education to Nassau County
for operation of senior citizen
recreation programs. The grant
represents 50 per cent of the
total program costs, and will
cover the period from April 1,
1967 to March 31,1968.
" This is the second grant received
for funding the outstanding
program which our Division of
Parks and Recreation, under supervision
of Commissioner of
Public Works Herbert J. Simins,
has developed for senior citizens,"
Nickerson said.
Programs sponsored by the
Division of Parks and Recreation
for senior citizens include
film presentations, a hobby show,
theatre parties, field trips, a
dramatics program, operation of
a senior citizens recreation area
in Salisbury Park and special
arts and crafts courses.
A Senior Citizen Gazette is
printed monthly and distributed
widely throughout the County.
Programs are conducted both at
Salisbury Park and at the various
senior citizen clubs under the
immediate supervision of Oscar
E s p a r z a, Director for Senior
Citizen* Recreation Activities.
" This is an area where I could
use the Board's support for a
change instead of useless, petty
carping," Petito concluded.
Schulman Elected Head Of
Creep and Crawl Association
Alan Schulman was elected
President of the Creep and Crawl
Association for Brain Damaged
Children at a meeting held last
week in Massapequa Park. Other
officers elected were: Pearl
Davidson, Vice President;
Audrey Schulman, Secretary,
Leonard Weill. Treasurer. E-lected
to the Board of Directors
were: June Rosedale, Bob Davidson,
Mary Desmond and Mildred
Potter.
This non- profit organization
is conducting a drive for new
m embers. The A ssociation he Ips
brain damaged children through
a program which involves the
techniques of patterning, creeping
and crawling.
The next meeting will be held
at Village Hall, Massapequa Park
on Wednesday, October 11 at 8: 15
p. m.
Park Resident Cited For Heroism
A Massapequa Park resident
rescued a baby from a neighbor's
backyard pool has been honored
with the New York Telephone
company's highest award for heroism.
Martin C. Boland, 32, a repairman
on Manhattan's Upper
West Side, received the Theodore
N. Vail bronze medal last
Thursday for the " courage,
initiative and perseverance" he
displayed in the rescue. He also
received a framed citation and a
$ 250 check at a luncheon ceremony.
The incident occurred on August
27, 1966, in Massapequa
Park when Boland hear da woman
scream for help. He ran from his
house and jumped two fences to
reach the rear yard of Mr. and
Mrs. John Moriarty, where he
learned their granddaughter, Jo
Ann Nichols, 22 months, had
fallen into the pool.
Though a non- swimmer, Boland
jumped in fully clothed and
finally found the child lying in
nine feet of water.
Boland brought the seemingly
lifeless body to the pool's edge
with the assistance of neighbors.
He then applied mouth- to- mouth
resuscitation until the child revived.
Later, she was taken to
Meadowbrook Hospital where she
was examined and released.
Boland. a ten- year employee
of New York Telephone, received
instruction in life saving techniques
earlier in 1966 as part
of the company's regular fir staid
training program.
MICHAEL PETITO VOTES IN FAVOR
OF FORCED SCHOOL BUSING
Do you want / our children bussed miles away from home, into strange neighborhoods?
Nassau Count/ Republicans tried to pass a law to prevent this, but Michael Petito helped
to kill that law. On March 14, 1966 the Count/ Board of Supervisors voted on a resolution
supporting the anti- busing bill. Your Representative, Supervisor Petito, joined
with the Democrat forces who favor school busing. Is this the kind of man you want as
your Town's Chief Official?
VOTE REPUBLICAN
ELECT
RALPH J MARINO
SUPERVISOR
0CKER
GRUNEWALD
DIAMOND
COUNCILMEN
NEWBORN
RECEIVER OF TAXES
O'KEEFE
TOWN CLERK
A REPUBLICAN TEAM THAT CARES ABOUT Y O U
Paid foi by Town of Oyste. Mny K » '| m'> l>< an Connniltee, Mit I....- 1 M. D'Auiiu, Chuirmun
Page 2 Farmingdale OBSERVER Thursday, October 5 , 1967
