Board Claims Foresight In Recreation Town Receives Settlement
In Dredging Controversy
The Oyster Bay Town Board's
Town - School Recreation Formula
Aid Plan is already paying
dividends, Councilman Ralph J.
Marino announced this week.
Marino, citing the twice - defeated
budgets in Plainedge and
Oyster Bay - East Norwich School
Districts, as an example of the
Board's foresight in planning its
special formula to help school
districts' implement their recreation
programs, said that all
Town districts except two have
indicated a desire to participate
in the program.
Marino, a former school board
trustee, explained that when
school districts adopt an austerity
budget — as they must if no
budget is approved by the voters
— one of the first programs
dropped is recreation.
" By devising a plan that would
not be contingent on existing
school recreation programs, the
Board was able to overcome the
unfortunate recreation gap which
results when school budgets are
defeated," Marino said. " The
Board anticipated the potential
problem of defeated budgets and
the need for austerity budgets in
designing its formula to help
bring additional recreation to
school districts and town r e s i dents."
Marino said that James C.
Arvanitis, Recreation Director,
reported that nine of the eleven
school districts within the Town
have expressed interest in the
program and have outlined their
proposals. Plainedge is currently
involved in a town - school
program.
He stressed that the recreation
aid formula applies only
when there are new or supplemental
programs or where there
are no recreation programs due
to an austerity budget.
Marino also explained that the
Town does not make an outright
grant to the school districts, but
pays for equipment, supplies and
salaries of personnel involved in
the added recreation activities
up to the maximum each school
is qualified to receive.
The totals vary according to
districts and the stipulations of
the formula. A district with a student
population of over 3,000 not
in a community park district can
receive up to $ 15,000; a district
with a student population
under 3,000, not in a community
park district, is entitled to a
maximum of $ 7,500. Districts
within a community park district
can receive $ 7,500 regardless
of student population.
However, the funds can only
be dispensed after a program
proposal application has been
approved by the Recreation Director,
said Marino. The formula
is in effect during the
calendar year ending December
31, 1967.
The Town Board has provided
recreation funds for the following
school districts, and their
maximum aid is: Farmingdale
($ 15,000); Syosset($ 7,500); Oyster
Bay - East Norwich ($ 7,500);
North Shore ($ 15,000); Locust
Valley ($ 7,500); Plainview ($ 7,-
500); Jericho ($ 15,000); Massa-pequa
($ 7,500); and Hicksville
($ 15,000).
Bethpage's stipend is based
on the current State Division
for Youth Formula which entitles
them to $ 3,200 if they
spend twice that amount ($ 6,-
400) for Recreation.
" We feel that the progressive
thinking of the Town Board will
help stimulate recreation programs
to grow through a cooperative
effort between school
and town officials, despite the
occasional instances where
school budgets are defeated and
austerity budgets dictated," said
Marino.
A check for $ 128,550.71 was
received by the Town of Oyster
Bay from the United States
Dredging Corporation last Friday,
as full payment of a settlement
in the eight- year- old dredging
case. The money represents
payment of a settlement against
the dredging firm approved in
Nassau County Supreme Court
several months ago in the taxpayer's
suit brought by John
Nance against the Towns of Oyster
Bay and Huntington in 1959.
Town Supervisor Michael N. Pe-tito,
who has long been at odds
with the Town Board and the
Town Attorney over the settlement,
said he was gratified that
the money had been received.
" If the Town had taken the
proper stance in this situation
back in 1959," Petito stated,
" it would not have been necessary
for a taxpaper's suit in
the first place. I am most
pleased that the position of this
office has been finally upheld."
Eight years ago, Nance brought
a taxpayer's suit against theU. S.
Dredging Corporation and the
Towns of Oyster Bay and Huntington,
charging that material
taken from Cold Spring Harbor
was largely from waters owned
by Oyster Bay. Nance was winning
his suit when Oyster Bay
Town agreed to settle for a payment
of $ 31,500. Nance refused
to allow for such a settlement
and the dredging firm later
agreed to pay an additional $ 128/
550.
In his 1967 Town Preliminary
Budget, Petito, included about
$ 70,000 from U. S. Dredging as
income and the Board subsequently
added some 1.5 million
dollars to that budget, leaving the
dredging settlement funds untouched.
Concluded Petito: " My position
taken many months ago in this
case has been fully supported
by this payment. The taxpayers
of our Township are the real
winners today."
Woodward Named Maintenance Officer"
John D. Woodward of Massape-qua
has been named chief maintenance
of way officer for the
Long Island Rail Road.
Woodward's promotion coincides
with the start of the Metropolitan
Commuter Transportation
Authority's massive multimillion-
dollar improvement pro-
Award Expressway Contract For
Sunrise To Jerusalem Ave. Link
gram for the Long Island Railroad
which is greatly expanding
the structural and right- of- way
rehabilitation work he will be
directing.
He is secretary of the Massa-pequa
School Board ( District 23),
a former president of the board
of the South Oyster Bay Supplementary
Education Center, former
treasurer of the Massapequa
Students Fund and former Boy
Scout committeeman.
Promise Better Traffic Light
The New York State Department
of Public Works has assured
Councilman Angelo D. Roncallo
that a new traffic signal installation,
including turn arrows,' will
be in position this year at Sunrise
Highway and Unqua Road,
Massapequa.
Engineers in charge said that
while their report referred to
" this year" their efforts are
being aimed at installation as
Governor Rockefeller announced
the award of a contract
for $ 4,197,274.80 to DelBalso
Construction Corporation for
construction of 1.10 miles of
the Wantagh- Oyster Bay Expressway
from just south of Sunrise
Highway ( Route 27) north to
Jerusalem Avenue ( Route 105)
The firm submitted the lowest
of seven bids to the State Department
of Public Works.
The highway will consist of twin
37- foot wide' roadways paved with
asphalt concrete and separated by
a 12- foot wide mall. Included
in the project is relocation of
Seaman Neck Road, relocation
of Sunrise Highway over the expressway
and construction of a
bridge to carry the expressway
over extended Clarke Street.
Two ramps will be added to
the Jerusalem Avenue interchange
will be built at the Sunrise
Highway intersection. The
contract also calls for furnishing
and installing signs, signals
and delineators.
Scheduled for completion by
August 1, 1969, all work will be
under the supervision of Austin
M. Sarr, Engineer in charge
of the Department of Public
Works District Office at Babylon.
Board Mulls Zone Problem
On the recommendation of
Councilman Angelo D. Roncallo
the Town Board reserved decision
on the petition of Big Chief
Lewis to rezone parts of the
property of an automobile showroom
on the south side of Sunrise
Highway between Seaford
and Riverside Avenues, Massapequa.
Richard James Lewis, J r . , appearing
for the petitioner, said
that it was believed for the past
17 years or more that the property
was zoned Business F and
only after it was sold to Norman
Oldsmobile recently was it learned
that parts of some lots were
in Residence D zone. He said
that the property appeared to be
plotted on one map out of scale
and that it had been used for
business for about 40 years.
Councilman Roncallo asked that
a plan of the layout of a proposed
new building be obtained
for the Board to examine,, Existing
buildings will be removed
if the petition is approved.
Walter Hickey, Mrs. Marion
Palmer and Mrs. Marion Casey
spoke in opposition, expressing
fears of safety to the children
and the possibility of having an
auto junkyard just to the rear
of their homes. Robert McCaw,
also a neighbor, urged that consideration
be given to off street
parking and that more attention
be given to traffic patterns which
might endanger lives of children.
About 15 persons in the hearing
room indicated they were present
to object to the zone change.
Town Has Free Bus Service
To Community Park
The Town of Oyster Bay free
bus service to the Marjorie Post
Community Park will leave daily
from the Parkway Oaks School
at 9: 40 a. m. and 11: 40 a. m. and
at 1: 40 p. m. and 3: 40 p. m. En-route
the bus will stop at Our
Lady of Lourdes, Carman Road
School and Westwood Road South.
Return trips are slated for 11: 20
a. m., 1: 20, 3: 20 and 5: 00 p. m.
Another route to be served
begins from the Baldwin Drive
School, Plainedge, with take- offs
at 10: 20 a. m., 12: 20,2: 20 and 4: 20
p. m. Stops include Sylvia Packard
J. H. S., Eastplain School, Albany
Ave and Central Ave., Albany
Ave. School, N. Maple and Summit
Drive, Summit Drive and
N. Suffolk Ave., Broadway and
Massachusetts Ave., and the
Lockhart School.
The bus will return at 11: 59
a. m., 2: 00 p. m. and 4: 00 p. m.
A third local route begins at
Plainedge High School at 11: 00
a. m., 1: 00 p. m. and 3: 00 p. m.
Stops include Schwarting and
Pickens Schools, Hicksville Road
and Clark Ave., Forest Ave. and
Sycamore Street, Fairfield
School, Merrick Hoad and Ocean
Ave. and Merrick Road and Fox
Boulevard.
Return trips are scheduled for
12: 40 p. m. 2: 40p. m. and4: 40p. m.
soon as possible, that plans for it
are now being made.
Councilman Roncallo said,
" This is encouraging to me and
to the many people who are immediately
interested in stopping
the loss of life and property
which has occurred at this unusually
busy intersection. I wrote
to the State Public Works office
in early May and urged that this
light be installed and I have just
now learned that it will be."
ALL REGULAR ACCOUNTS EARN
year
Latest total dividend.
Includes ' / 2%
extra a year in
addition to the regular
4'/ 2% a year.
PAID FROM DAY OF DEPOSIT
COMPOUNDED 4 TIMES A YEAR
FREE PARKING AT OUR CONVENIENTLY LOCATED NEW MASSAPEQUA OFFICE
REGULAR
BANKING HOURS
Friday 10 A. M. to 8 P. M.
Monday thru Thursday 10 A. M. to 4 P. M.
DRIVE- UP and WALK- UP WINDOWS OPEN
Monday thru Friday 9 to 10 A. M.
Hicksville Road near Jerusalem Avenue
( Opposite Holiday Park Shopping Center)
Massapequa, N. Y. 11758
THE
KINGS COUNTY
SAVINGS BANK
For
information
telephone
PYramid 9- 6100
Incorporated 1860
Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Central Office
539 Eastern Parkway at Nostrand Avenue
Brooklyn, N. Y. 11216
PResident 3- 7000
Broadway Office
135 Broadway at Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, N. Y. 11211
STogg 2- 6676
Farmingdale OBSERVER Thursday, June 29, 1967 Page 3
Farmingdale Public Library-The Observer 1967
