Guest Editorial
By Councilman Ralph J. Marino
The growth of our Town, while still continuing,
is considerably less than it was in the Fifties
and early Sixties. The latest figures place our
population at 354,529. This should hold a special
meaning for all of us and should indicate to us that,
while growth slows down or stops at various
stages, concerns and problems do not.
We must remain continually vigilant and responsive
to these concerns and problems and
meet the challenges that come about as a result
of changing times.
At the present time a Constitutional Convention
is in progress in our State capital. Many
proposals are being made at this Convention
that, if adopted, could signal unfavorable changes
in our Town.
Another point to consider in this Convention
is that the chairmen of the various important committees
where this legislation is initiated come
from the big cities across our State. One of the
most recent proposals was made by a member of
the Convention who hails from New York City.
His suggestion, which he is seeking to include in
the Constitution, is a change that would open up
all of the parks in the Town of Oyster Bay and
other suburban towns in Nassau to New York
City residents.
The simple fact is that the residents of the
Town of Oyster Bay have built and paid for these
parks with their tax dollars and are continuing
to maintain them. Certainly we are entitled to
have our own parks when we are paying for
them. This is just one of the many proposals
that will come before the Constitutional Convention,
ultimately to be voted upon.
As part of our plan to remain alert and vigilant,
I and several officials of the other Towns
of Nassau have been joined by other officials
in many Towns across the State in forming the
SUBURBAN CONFERENCE. This organization, of
which**! have been elected Treasurer, has been
founded to make sure that our voices will be
heard at the Constitutional Convention and in the
legislative halls of our State and nation when
legislation is proposed that would be detrimental
to the interests of the residents of suburbia.
Another proposal which hits home is the plan to
establish a ward system of elected councilmen,
similar to the old New York City ward system.
This is being presented to the people in the guise
that they will get better representation. You will
be asked to vote on it this November in the Town
of Oyster Bay. In essence, this proposal means
that the Town would be divided up into wards
and a councilman would run for election to the
Town Board from that ward and that ward only.
Let me point out one of the many shocking
examples of the great change that could occur
should this proposal be approved by the voters
in our Town. If, in your community a request
was made for a zoning change to install or construct
something that was totally undesirable to the
residents, they would have only one representative
on the Town Board to spearhead the opposition
to the proposal. The other members of the Board,
not seeking election in that ward, as they would
be elected from other wards and not responsible
to the voters in the ward where the zoning change
was requested, could not care less. This is true
because they don't run for election in that ward.
History shows that the introduction of the ward
system, which became a fact in Queens County,
ultimately led to the destruction of the local school
districts as one of the results of the ward system.
On the other hand, the present system of electing
Town members on a Town- wide basis assures the
voters of the Town that they can vote for every
member of the Board and consequently every member
of the Board must be responsive to the electors.
This is a good system and it has worked well in
our Town. A proposal to establish a ward system
will not give the voters greater representation.
In fact, the net effect will be that our Town's
residents will lose their voice at Town Hall. This
( Continued in Column* 4 & 5) ( Continued in Column* 4 8* S)
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor:
As President of the Friends of
the Farmingdale Library I feel
called upon to answer the letter
of Mrs. Dorothy Eovieco who
complained that her name and
that of her husbank were used by
us without authorization in our
efforts to seek passage of the
library budget.
The lisht of 1700 names published
as supporters of the library
budget was obtained over a
short weekend period by a large
committee of Friends by telephone
communication using long
lists of names. These dedicated
and devoted workers for the library
spent countless hours at the
telphone. There was bound to be
some human error.
To Mrs. Eovieco and any others
who may or may not have been
called, who may or may not have
given authorization, - we sincerely
apologize if an error has been
made, and regret any inconvenience
or embarrassment that
they feel they may have suffered.
We are not " underhanded" and
certainly have no desire to
" misrepresent". We feel we do
represent the large section of the
community who believes in the
freedom to read, who takes pride
in our fine library system and who
supports our Library Borad and
Library Director.
Lucille Rosen
Armed Forces
Marine Corporal Harry S. Butcher
Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs.
Harry S. Butcher of 19 Walland
Ave., Farmingdale took part in
fighting south of Da Nang, Vietnam,
as part of " Operation
Union", while serving with Headquarters
Company, Fifth Marine
Regiment, a unit of the First Marine
Division.
* * *
Army Private Peter C. Brooks,
18, son of Mr. and Mrs. John W.
Brooks, 10 Cedar Drive, Farmingdale,
completed eight weeks
of advanced training as a combat
engineer June 24 at Ft. Leonard
Wood, Missouri.
* * *
Army Specialist Four William
N. Taussig, 21, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Ben N. Taussig, 137 E.
Zoranne Drive, Farmingdale, recently
returned to the 1st Infantry
Division base camp near Phu Loi,
Vietnam, from " Operation Junction
City," the largest military
operation to date in Vietnam.
During the operation, large
enemy encampments along the
Cambodian border we re found and
controlled. These were considered
to be national Viet Cong
political and military headquarters.
Spec. Taussig is a radar operator
with Headquarters Battery
of the 1st Infantry Division
Artillery.
* * *
Private Walter A. Hess, 21,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter L
Hess, 55 Spielman Ave., South
Farmingdale, completed a 13-
week audio - visual specialist
course at the Army Signal School,
Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey.
Pvt. Hess was trained in the
operation and maintenance of motion
picture and sound recording
equipment and magnetic tape recorders.
Army Private FirstClass Thomas
M. Rossiello, 20, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Don Rossiello,
916 N. Central Ave., North Mas-sapequa,
recently returned to the
1st Infantry Division base camp
near Phu Loi, Vietnam, from
" Operation Junction City," the
largest military operation to date
in Vietnam.
During the operation, large
enemy encampments along the
Cambodian border were found
and controlled. These were considered
to he wtinuaA Viet CQIM;
political and military headquarters.
He is a crew chief in Company
B of the division's 1st Aviation
Battalion.
Formingdale's best $ 4.00 buy
A On* Year Subscription to
The OBSERVER
One of my major rewards in serving as Congressman from
the Second District is die awareness our residents show over
major events which are shaping our destiny and their willingness
to let their Representative know where they stand. A vital
tool in determining district opinion, aside from die mail which
comes into my offices, is the annual questionnaire which we distribute
to all families in die district.
The results of the 1967 questionnaire are in and they are clear-cut.
You will agree, from checking die tabulation of the 7,000 questionnaires
which were returned that this is no wishy- washy district.
The district's position is clear cut. To avoid any charges of " loaded"
questions or neglect of an important issue, I asked this year for
the aid of Suffolk County Community College Prof. Ronald Lesko
and his government students. They framed the questions and did
the tabulating.
Of particular interest to me was the low esteem in which
foreign aid is held, widi our residents urging a decrease. Remember
diat diis questionnaire was returned before Egypt and
Jordan, whom we have helped so much, became involved in die
Mid East conflict. Although China's explosion of an H- bomb
came only last week, our residents strongly back an effective
anti- missile defense system. The draft lottery system is supported,
though not by as wide a margin as certain otiier questions.
By die largest margin on any question, 81 per cent, the district
backed a proposal that Social Security benefits should be geared
to the cost of living. This is at die heart of a Republican plan now
before Congress. Odier high points in die poll were the feeling
mat die federal government is not doing enough in die field of conservation;
diat we cannot, as the administration would have us
believe, provide guns and enjoy butter during the VietNam conflict;
and there is wide agreement mat recent court decisions are
handcuffing law enforcement efforts.
Here are die poll results, in percentages. The answers do not
total 100 per cent because some questions would be left blank by
those returning die questionnaires.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
YES NO NO
OPINION
7
27
55
38
25
15
3
3
3
1. Do you feel that a far- reaching arms control
agreement witii Russia is practical
and wise? 47 47
2. Do you feel diat we have been too restrictive
in terms of our trading policies witii Communist
governed countries to date, and diat we
should expand trade witii Communist countries
now? 33 62
3. Do you feel diat the United States is concerning
itself excessively with problems
in otiier parts of the world? 51 46
4. Is Asia within our range of interests? . 73 20
5. Should the United States lessen its involvement
in Europe? 50 45
6. Do you believe that military victory is
possible for the United States in Viet
Nam? 70 25
7. Do you believe we can win the peace after
a military victory? 49 39
8. In view of your feeling above, should we
halt bombing and further escalation unconditionally?
18 75
9. Should die foreign aid portion of die
budget be:
( a) Increased?
( b) Held at present level?
( c) Decreased?
SPACE AND DEFENSE
10. Do you feel that die cost of our space program
is a deterrent to our national health,
education, and welfare objectives? . . . 34 60 4
11. Should we develop a more effective anti-missle
defense system? 65 22 10
12. Should me draft system be drastically
revised?. 55 34 7
13. Do you feel diat our draft system should:
( a) Use the lottery system? 40 31 8
( b) Consider national intellectual needs
in postwar situations ( educational
deferements) 42 30 6*
is another proposal upon which every resident
should be demanding full information before he
casts his ballot this November.
I am convinced that the adoption of a city- like
ward system of electing Town Board members
would presage a massive undesirable change in
suburbia. On this matter and on the Constitutional
Convention now in session, I urge every resident
to keep alert, to the best of his ability, on the
proposals forthcoming from the city- oriented Convention
delegates who are in the majority.
Page 4
^ armingftale GDbamwr
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Vol. 4 No. 45
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— ^ i ' 1 » 1 » i———^ t m m t m M ^ ^ ^— Farmingdale OBSERVER Thursday, June 29, 1967
