r
Editorial
This Saturday's District 22 budget vote must be
passed if the district is to avoid an austerity
budget.
A good portion of the $ 280,000 budget cut came
about not so much by budget slashing as by pure
circumstance.
The sole bus transportation bid figure which
came in much higher than expected, had to be
included in the May 8 defeated budget even though
the board was seeking rebids and asking for
official investigations. After the defeat not only did
this bid rejection result in a $ 94,000 saving, but
additional state aid also contributed to the budget
reduction.
If what we see and hear is correct, many of those
who voted ' No* in the May 8 budget defeat, appear
to accept the new figure.
Although the sound thrashing of May 8 was by a
5- 2 ratio, we just can't fathom anyone saying,' we'll
settle for austerity.'
We urge a Yes vote on Saturday.
Tuesday's surprising primaries results pointed
up several significant factors on how voters are
thinking.
The McCarthy peace platform was the people's
favorite* Party regulars were given a setback.
Was the impact strong enough for the Democratic
Party to take McCarthy more seriously or will
Hubert Humphrey have to adjust his thinking to
fit the occasion.
Then there's Nixon. Will he now be too hawkish
for the Republicans? Tuesday's primaries will keep
the GOP analysts busy for some time trying to
figure out this week's impact.
X
* * . X *
Two church congregations, and the community
will lose two highly regarded clergymen next
week.
The Reverend Bernhardt Bohrer of St. Luke's
Lutheran Church, who spent 31 years in Farming-dale
will retire at the end of the month. He
was active on the Youth Board and is a member of
the Rotary Club. We wish him many years of
happiness.
The Reverend Larry Walker of the Baptist Church
is leaving for bigger responsibilities.
The youthful energetic minister will travel
to many parts of the country, while headquartered
in Madison, New Jersey.
Both clergymen have concluded their local careers
with extensive church expansion programs.
We are sorry to lose them both.
Congratulations to the Farmingdale Board of
Education for endorsing the position paper recommending
greater educational opportunity for children
who are members of minority racial groups.
On Wednesday night, the Nassau Suffolk School
Boards Association went on to make it a policy
of the association.
The Board of Education shows leadership in
this problem and may encourage others to follow.
Published every Thursday by
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Vol. 5 No. 14
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Page 4
letters To
The Editor
Dear Editor,
I have been reading the " As
We See It" column since its
first appearance in your paper.
It has been quite interesting reading
about some of the so called
secret organizations that we have
in town.
After reading the June 13 " As
We See It" column, I have become
enlightened to know we
have a " non- secretive" ( I'm assuming
this - I'm sure die writers
would have mentioned secrecy
- if there was any) organization
now in Farmingdale
called " Fact". Just a few questions
for Mr. * Gerston and Mr.
Boss about tfiis " non- secretive"
organization. When are the
" Fact" meetings held? Where
are the " Fact" meetings held?
How can one attend a " Fact"
meeting?
Gayle Sadler
P. S. Yes, Mr. Gerston and Mr.
Boss, maybe in some respects
we should be our brothers keeper,
but it should be by choice
not by law.
Dear Editor:
Thank you very much for your
fine coverage of the petition that
was presented at the June 10th
meeting of the Village Board.
We the new homeowners in Fairways
Estates, requested that the
requirement for sidewalks in our
development be waived.
In your story and editorial the
question of safety was raised.
While we realize there is involved
a safety problem for young
children we feel that the safety
problem will not be within our
lightly traveled development. The
major safety hazard will be outside
the development for children
above grade 3 who must walk
along Quaker Meeting House Road
to Northside School. This is a
relatively heavily travelled road
with no sidewalks and will certainly
present a hazard to walkers.
In light of this hazard, the builder
has offered to erect sidewalks
along Quaker Meetinghouse
Road from our development to
Thomas Powell Blvd. He has
received tentative permission for
laying such a sidewalk from
Nassay County.
We, the homeowners in the
development, back this proposal
by the builder. We feel that, his
proposal will help to remove a
major safety hazard to our children
and at the sametimeperserve
the natural beauty and character
of our development.
Thomas J. Lavan
Dear Sir:
I want to urge all voters of
school district 22 to vote " yes"
on the proposed school budget
on June 22nd. The Citizens
Finance Advisory Committee, of
which I am a member, very
carefully reviewed this budget and
unanimously endorsed it.
A " yes" vote is a vote for the
continuance of quality education.
A " no" vote is a vote for austerity,
since, if this budget is
defeated, the district must, by
law, automatically go on an austerity
program on July 1st.
Stanley Feigenhaum
Dear Editor:
When I arrived at my car in
the local parking field after completing
work, I found a circular-urging
one to become a member
of the local Republican Club in
Farmingdale. At one time, the
Republican Party held complete
control of Nassau and Suffolk
counties. I cannot explain all
the reasons for the loss of Republican
control but I do know
that I was once a republican but
since the treatment given Barry
Goldwater, I am now a registered
Conservative. Surely, a Conservative
does not belong in the
Democratic Party so the lack of
support in the last presidential
election left me no other choice,
than to select the Party that
represented Conservatism. I
guess that a " Tired American"
is the description of myself. Yes,
The Day The John Birch
Society Ran Out of Demands
The year is 1970. Spurred on
by legions of Birchers sent in
to infiltrate the Farmingdale
community, and coupled by conservatives
who " prefer Birchism
to what's going on in the country
now," and aided by an apathetic
electorate, Carl Gorton succeeds
in getting the Farmingdale School
and Library Boards composed
entirely of members of the John
Birch Society. Those people who
have been horrified by the degradation
of the school and l i brary
systems have moved out
of Farmingdale, leaving the community
entirely to the Birchers
and their fellow travelers. The
scene is a school board meeting
presided over by Sam " Just call
me Uncle " Trueblood. An American
flag, larger than that ever
displayed on any flag pole, has
been draped behind the stage,
and a small American flag is.
prominently displayed in front of
each school board member. Off
to the corner is another American
flag erected in front of a
large fan blowing nobly in the
artificial breeze.
Mr. Trueblood is speaking.
" Well, we've managed to streamline
the social studies curriculum,
and brought in new history
books which eliminate all unnecessary
stories about minority
groups and foreigners, such as
Pulaski, Einstein and Steinmetz.
We've eliminated useless material
about Russian products and
substituted information extolling
the virtues of our " Buy American"
programs. Let's hear it
for our curriculum chairman,
Aaron Aryan, and our dietician,
Amy Rican. As you know, Mrs.
Rican has just formed our latest
front group here in Farmingdale,
to be known as Daughters
of American Farmingdale
True, or DAFT. In addition, the
Farmingdale budget has been reduced
for the second straight
year. Let's hear it for the budget
chairman. Thank you. Of
course, in order to reduce the
budget, we've found it expedient
to eliminate unnecessary frills
such as youth council, music,
art, kindergarten, foreign language
and educational field trips.
Now for a report from our
grounds and building chairman,
Stoney Brook."
" Thank you, Mr. President,"
says Stoney Brook. " lampleased
to announce that there have
been no new building programs
initiated this year. As a matter
of fact, we've done just the
reverse. We've moved all the
children out of the Woodward
Parkway school and distributed
them equally amongst other
schools in the district. This has
cut down on maintenance costs
and cut down on the probability
of children from outlying areas
being bused into our schools.
Of course the classes are slightly
crowded now, but we've made
accommodations for standees.
We're presently planning to rent
the Woodward Parkway school
out to a munitions factory to
raise additional revenue."
" Thank you, Mr. Brook. Now
for a report from our Super-
Americanism and Patriotism
Committee."
' Thank you, Mr. President,"
says the Super- Americanism and
Patriotism Chairman. " Fellows,
I just want to announce that
we've purchased new flag poles
that will raise the flag atop our
school building three inches higher
than any other flag being
flown in Nassau or Suffolk Counties.
We also recommend that
the name of the high school be,
changed to Paul Revere High,
and the name of the junior high
school be changed to the Robert
Welch Junior High School. We
have also managed to determine
that, contrary to the accusations
of members of our community,
Thomas Powell was not a member
of the Communist Party."
" Thank you, gentlemen," says
Mr. Trueblood " I just want to
say that the Super- Americanism
and Patriotism Committee has
managed to come up with all
these wonderful recommendations
which will help make us
better than anyone else, and still
keep within their budgetof$ 250,-
00. Let's hear it for the committee
of SAPs. Board members,
I want to announce that our unanimous
resolution has been sent
to the Congress. As you recall,
we demand that they
change the first few words of
the inscription at the base of
the Statue of Liberty from " Give
Us Your. . . " to ' Take Our. . ."
Now, let's hear a report from our
library liaison chairman.
" Gentlemen, I am pleased to
announce that the library staff
has implemented an unusually
constructive cost- savings program.
To eliminate the need
for a $ 1500 electrically- charged
guardrail around the adult sec-*
tion, the library staff has decided
instead to rid the library
of all books with four letter
words. In addition, the library
openings will be reduced to the
hours between 8: 45 and 11: 00
AM, from 1: 00 to 1: 15 PM, and
in the evening between 7: 00 and
7: 30, Monday through Wednesday.
We have managed to eliminate
43 clerks, 22 pages, and 4 librarians.
We now have the
maintenance man checking out
the books in his spare time and
the window cleaner helps out in
his spare time. Since we no
longer need a library building
tills size, we are planning to sublet
the library building and rent
space in the back of Grand Union.
We are also delighted to announce
that not one member of the professional
staff has been allowed
to attend a professional conference
for the past two years, for
a savings of $ 800 to the taxpayers.
Actually, we have had
no complaint from the professional
staff about this because
most of them are studying for
their finals and wouldn't have
time to go anyway."
' Thank you, Mr. Chairman,"
says Mr. Trueblood. " Unfortunately,
gentlemen, since we are
all of like mind, we have managed
to implement all the changes
we have been demanding for the
past seven or eight years. At
this point we have no place to
direct our demands, and are faced
with the problem of having
nothing to bring forth to the people
of the community. We have
the dilemma of being in control
and having no one to make demands
upon. I think it is incumbent
on the few liberals left
in the community to think up
demands for us."
There arent too many liberals
left in our community," says
Wilhelmina Wasp, " ahdthosethat
are left are passive and apathetic.
At this point they couldnt
care less what we do."
' That's true," says Trueblood.
" I think then, that we
should start a campaign to import
bleeding- heart liberals into
our community, form a Citizens
Advisory Committee of them, and
make demands upon them. Does
everyone approve? Good. Thank
you, gentlemen, for helping to
make this community a model of
Birch republicanism.
I tired of having no choice in
the elections. Tired of rubber
stamped politicians who favor
rioters rather than the hard working
taxpayers who support the
government with their earnings
which are squandered on Federal
Boondoggles which take priorities
while young men are dying in
Vietnam for lack of equipment,
thanks to McNamara. Tired of
paying a high price to lose a
war with a thirty- fifth rate nation
while mealy- mouthed politi-cans
talk " Negotiation" rather
than " Victory". Chicken liv-ered
authorities in various cities
meekly submit to governmental
( Continued on Page 9)
Farmingdale OBSERVER Thursday, June 20, 1968
