Editorial
Important Issues
Several important events are taking place this
WCCK. ,
School board members and school officials are
in Albany making urgent pleas for an increase
in state aid on a per pupil basis.
The School District 22 bus strike is expected to
come to a head. The bus drivers have come up
with a proposal and are ready to offer it at any
minute.
On Saturday, an unusual $ 988,000 referendum is
being voted on by District 22 taxpayers.
It is worth repeating that a ' Yes' vote would lower
the tax rate from a 23£ to 2 l r . The voters already
approved a $ 4.5 million high school expansion program.
The bids came in higher than expected.
It was then a case of cutting back nearly a million
dollars and resubmitting the bids. The state was to
pay 50% of the cost.
When the $ 988,000 figure was added to meet the
shortage, and a realignment of the original plan,
the State aid share rose to 62% of the cost and a
reduction of 2£ for the district taxpayer.
It is our contention that a YES vote is very
important.
- So far as we could discover no veterans group
in Farmingdale inverted the American Flag as
did a group in Rockville Centre and in Massa-pequa
to show that the men of the Pueblo were
in distress. We think Farmingdale showed good
sense.
Jack Kluger, Assistant Director of the Veterans
Affairs in Nassau County told The Observer
that he echoed the statement of Lt. Commander
Robert Stadelhofer, Director of the Defense Information
for the Office of the Secretary of
Defense. " Inverting the American Flag has gone
beyond the bounds of good taste and veterans
groups ought to be reminded that at the height
of our darkest hours in 1941 and 1942 when
most of our Pacific Fleet had been sunk, that
not one patriotic organization had inverted the
flag, in fact it was flown higher." He added
perhaps some at the VFW in Massapequa were
well intentioned, but they were misinformed."
THE WASHINGTON
WATCH
By Congressman John W. Wydler
ff
This Congress has a golden opportunity
to do more for the
American consumer. I will doall
in my power to see that legislation
designed to protect and help the
consumer is acted on and passed
in this session of Congress.
The " Truth- in- Lending" bill
was passed early in the session.
It sets certain minimum standards
to require lenders and sellers
to state the real and true
interest rates involved in a transaction.
Such basic protection is
justified and there is little opposition
from reputable lenders.
Certainly the legislation should
apply equally and not be unnecessarily
restrictive.
The last session of Congress
passed a good version of the
" clean meat" bill which will see
that many locally- runmeatpack-ing
plants are run in a sanitary
manner. We also passed the
Flammable Fabrics Act to protect
the consumer.
What is left to be done is to
establish the necessary protection
for consumers from the
harmful effects of modern technology.
A clear and present need
is protection from television
tubes that emit dangerous and
harmful X- rays.
Page 4
The public should be made
aware of this danger at once and
steps taken to protect the consumer
- viewer.
A recent report from Florida,
made only a few months ago, indicates
a potential health hazard
posed by possible excessive radiation
from color television
tubes. Investigations in Suffolk
County reveal the same conditions.
There is a clear indication
that this is an industrywide
problems. Side radiation
emissions are present in a large
number of sets.
Action of a crash nature is required
to protect consumers. The
Surgeon General answered my
call for action by informing me
of additional tests being made in
Washington, D. C. The situation
is more urgent and calls for
action, not consultation and investigation.
It is my intention to prepare
legislation to protect consumers
from the dangerous emission
of X- rays from color television
sets and other electronic devices.
The Congress should represent
the consumer. The consumer may
have no lobby in Washington but
the voice of the c onsume r i s hea rd
loud and clear by me.
Letters to the
Editor
Dear Editor:
District # 22 Newsletter, referring
to the Special High School
Referendum on February 10th,
states " Approval would result in
Tax Reduction for Construction
Cost".
Now, compare this with the
following taken from the Conservative
Party of New York
State 1968 Legislative Program.
" At the same time, spending by
local units of government,
spurred by expenditures mandated
upon them by State Legislation,
has soared. Many of the
State's 62 counties have been
brought to the verge of bankruptcy
by the mandated cost of medicaid,
and have had to resort to
heavy borrowing and or new
sales taxes to meet these costs.
It is painfully clear that they
cannot continue to bear them,
and plainfully clear equally that
more State aid to pay the cost of
local programs is a mythical
solution since the only known
source of government money,
whether State or local, is the
same overburdened taxpayer."
To the above, the following
adage is most appropriate - " A
fool and his gold are soon parted."
Francis A. Collins
* * *
To the Editor:
After very careful consideration
of all aspects of the Special
High School Referendum to be
submitted to voters of U. F. S. D.
# 22 on Saturday, February 10,
the Social Action Committee of
the Farmingdale Jewish Center
unanimously voted to urge everyone
to vote Yes.
Lee Goldberg, Chairman
Social Action Committee
Farmingdale Jewish Center
* * *
Dear Editor:
Thank you for the notice of the
Friends of the Library meeting,
' February 9, at the Bethpage Library.
You are always mostgen-erous
and cooperative in publicizing
worthwhile community
events in both your publications.
Younghill Kang, whom U. N.
WORLD called " perhaps the most
famous Korean alive," will speak
on his friendship with Thomas
Wolfe, the great American novelist.
Wolfe and Kang were instructors
at N. Y. U. at the same time.
Their desks were side by side in
the faculty room and a deep
friendship developed between the
two authors. Wolfe, a brilliant
conversationalist, was most articulate
about the subjects of
writing and teaching— Mr. Kang
plans to share with us his experiences
with Tom Wolfe and with
other writers of the period, including
F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Rarely do we have an opportunity
to hear a speaker of Mr.
Kang's caliber. I hope many of
your readers will attend the
meeting which is free and open
to the public.
s/ Iris Gibbs
Mrs. Alonzo Gibbs'
College News
Bernard Richard Iantosca, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard J.
Iantosca of 126 E. Carmans Road,
Farmingdale, graduated last
week from Harpur College, State
University of New York at Bing-hamton.
He majored in English
and General Literature ana received
a Bachelor of Arts degree.
He was selected for Who's
Who Among Students in American
Universities and Colleges.
He returns to Harpur College
on February 5th to continue studies
for a Master of Arts degree.
Iantosca is a 1964 graduate
of Farmingdale Senior High,
Roy G. Kirsehenbaum, a senior
at the Farmingdale Senior High
School earned a scholarship from
the State Education Department
for children of Armed Forces
veterans.
The scholarship will entitle
him to $ 450 a year for the next
four or five years to attend an
approved college or university
in New York State.
Capitol Report
By Rep James Grover
Most Americans were shaken
last week by the daring attacks
by VietCong guerillas deep within
South VietNam, attacks which
included the invasion > f the U. S.
embassy in Saigon. What we were
seeing was another link in the
chain of misrepresentation which
the administration has forged
around the VietNam situation.
Coming next, no doubt, will be
assurances from the President
or one of his aides that we are
getting over the hump in VietNam,
that we are beginning to see daylight
and are wearing down the
enemy. Then, very likely, there
will be another phase of the studied
escalation which was carried
on under the Supervision of former
Defense Secretary McNa-mara.
When an American embassy in
the heart of a supposedly friendly
capital can be taken over by
enemy troops, after fouryearsof
an all- out war effort and commitment
of half- a- million American
troops, serious questions are
raised. Is this a last straw or
dying gasp effort on the part of
the VietCong or a continuing show
of strength? It raises the further
question of the ability of the South
Vietnamese government to protect
itself if and when " peace"
is achieved.
Congressional investigators
have reported shocking corruption
in South VietNam. There are
indications that American supplies
and American aid funds are
enriching corrupt officials rather
than helping press the war or
aiding the South Vietnamese people.
I've been a vocal critic of our
own draft system but American
soldiers serving in VietNam have
every reason to complain about
the corruption- ridden Vietnamese
draft which allows service-age
youths to flood the streets of
Saigon. President Johnson said
not too many years ago that
American boys would not be sent
to fight a war which Asian boys
should be fighting. American boys
are doing just that.
It's time we forcefully told the
South Vietnamese that they had
better start doing their share. If
they are unable, or unwilling, to
carry their portion of this grim
load, a rather uncomfortable fate
may await them. If Uncle Sam
should leave, Uncle Ho will come
visiting. And if Uncle Ho is The
Man Who Comes to Dinner, he's
likely to consume the host.
ARMED FORCES
Coast Guard Reserve Ensign
David L. Benze, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Frederick W. Benze, Jr.
of 3 Edward Court, Farmingdale,
was commissioned to his present
rank in the United States Coast
Guard Reserve.
He received his commission
upon graduation from the Officer
Candidate School at the U. S.
Coast Guard Reserve Training
Center, Yorktown Virginia.
The graduation completed 17
weeks of specialized and rigorous
training. It prepared the new
Ensigns for assignments throughout
the country in the many areas
of Coast Guard responsibility.
These responsibilities include
search and rescue, maritime
safety, aids to navigation, port
security and law enforcement,
and weather patrol duty.
* * *
Engineering Aid Third Class
Ed Otton, USN, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Edward Otton of 9 Pine
Tree Drive, Farmingdale, was
advanced to his present rate while
serving with Naval Mobile Construction
Battalion Fifty- eight,
Vietnam.
A graduate of Chaminade High
School in Mineola, N. Y., Petty
Officer Otton entered the service
in February 1966.
* * *
Seaman Apprentice Duff G.
Maynard, USN, 18, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Duff G. Maynard of 4
Birch Court, Famingdale, has
been graduated from nine weeks
of Navy basic training at the Naval
Training Center at Great Lakes,
Illinois.
* * *
Electronics Technician Seaman
Anthony Grande, USN, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Grande of 5
Lillian Place, Farmingdale, is
participating in the annual Caribbean
training exercise, " Operation
Springboard," aboard the
submarine tender USS Howard
W. Gilmore.
Datebook
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9
8: 30 p. m. Younghill Kang, Korean
author, cosponsored by the
Friends of the Farmingdale
Library and Friends of the
Bethpage Library, Powell Avenue,
Bethpage.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10
7 a. m. to 10 p. m. Voting on referendum
additions to Farmingdale
High School at Weldon
E. Howitt.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12
Lincoln's Birthday Schools
closed.
8: 30 p. m. Father and Daughter
Night of the St. Kilian Holy
Name Society, School Auditorium.
TUESDAY, FEBURARY 13
8: 30 p. m. Farmingdale Youth
Council meeting, budget discussion,
Village Hall, Farmingdale.
8: 30 p. m. Sisterhood of the Farmingdale
Jewish Center Inter-faith
Meeting for Brotherhood
Month, Farmingdale Jewish
Center, Prospect Street.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14
8: 30 p. m. Military Bridge, Vietnam
Assistance Committee,
Knights of Columbus Hall, Farmingdale
8: 45 p. m. Farmingdale Youth
Board meeting, Village Hall,
Farmingdale.
11: 30 a. m. WSCS film program
and lunch, Farmingdale Methodist
Church.
Published every Thursday by
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Vol. 5 No. 25
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Farmingdale OBSERVER, Thursday, February 8, 1968
Farmingdale Public Library-The Observer 1968
