Trustee Lynn Pombonyo
Fire Department
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has declared that October 9th to 15th will be National Fire Prevention Week. Do your part to keep your families, friends and co-workers safe, by checking out fpw.org for valuable fire safety information, community education activities, videos, games, apps and tip sheets.
Most important, come to our Floral Park Fire Department’s Open House on Sunday, October 16th from 10 am to 12:30 pm at the Carlton parking lot opposite the Police Department. There, your family will learn about fire prevention and FPFD recruitment opportunities plus enjoy live demonstrations, interactive children’s activities, free barbecue and refreshments.
This year’s theme is FIRE WON’T WAIT. PLAN YOUR ESCAPE AT fpw.org. And, while you’re there, please thank our volunteer firefighters and rescue EMTs for their service to all of us.
That’s our FPFD Open House, Sunday, October 16th, 10am, across from the FPPD, and make sure you have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your own home. Be safe!
Department of Public Works
It’s fall in Floral Park, so we hope you will enjoy all its beauty. As the leaves begin to fall, we ask residents and businesses to gather the leaves, put them in clear plastic bags, and place the bags at the curb on the designated yard waste day (the Sanitation Department’s collection day, opposite the recycling day). Professional landscapers are required to remove the leaves from the properties completely.
Our road program continues. Spooner Street and the Spooner parking lot are being prepared for the asphalt paving, and it is expected that both will be completed in the next few weeks.
Conservation Society
Centennial Gardens continues to remain open for extended weekend hours, 9am to 6pm (or dusk, whichever comes first), Saturdays and Sundays.
Save the date for our magnificent, third annual Fairie Forest Festival on Saturday, October 29th, 1-4pm. Children and adults will be fascinated by this unique Gardens adventure. For the exciting details and photos from our two prior festivals, see Ann Moynagh’s spectacular Floral Park Centennial Gardens Facebook page.
Chambers of Commerce and Our Businesses
Both our Floral Park and Covert Avenue Chambers will be seeing two major building development projects moving forward following a series of comprehensive Architectural Review Board meetings. See Trustee Chiara’s report on the status of the Centennial Hall and Covert Avenue properties.
The Covert Avenue Chamber Street Fair is coming soon. On Saturday, October 15th, the Avenue will be transformed into a fun-filled place for families, featuring our amazing Floral Park and Stewart Manor businesses, family friendly live music, food trucks, mums, a Floral Park Lions Club pumpkin patch, and lots more surprises. Don’t miss the fun SHOPPING AND DINING LOCAL ON COVERT, 11 am to 5 pm on the 15th.
CREW – The Coalition of Resources for Education and Wellness
Floral Park CREW is dedicated to the education and wellness of our residents, especially our youth. On Monday evening, Oct. 17, the Sewanhaka Central Council of PTAs and Pupil Personnel Services Department will partner with CREW to present RAISING RESILIENT AND RESPONSIBLE TEENS, a conversation to assist and support parents and guardians. Facilitating the conversation will be a panel of SCHSD and other professionals including a psychiatrist, school psychologist, counselor and social worker, high school student and LICADD volunteer. This important program will take place at 8 pm in the Sewanhaka High School Board Room. All are welcome.
Homecoming Weekend!
Come out and support our high schools’ Homecoming celebrations, this Saturday, October 8th! Floral Park Memorial’s parade will kick off at 11 am, moving from FPM to Plainfield Avenue, Carnation, Tulip in town, and back to Locust. Sewanhaka High School’s parade will kick off at noon and proceed throughout the neighborhoods surrounding the school. Exciting varsity football games will follow. FPM plays Lynbrook, and SHS will take on Calhoun. Please get out and cheer for our FPM and SHS students and teams!
Trustee Frank Chiara
Building Department
I am happy to report that the proposed buildings at 41-61 Covert Ave and 1 Carnation Ave (Centennial Hall) have been conditionally approved by the Architectural Review Board (ARB). The architects for these projects will now have to complete their construction drawings and submit them to the Building Dept. for building code review and also submit them to the County for site plan approval. Once approvals are received, the construction on both of these projects may begin.
I would like to thank the ARB and all of our residents who participated in the process for sharing their ideas and concerns. I would also like to thank the owners of these properties for listening to the ARB and our residents. Both owners addressed the majority of our concerns by resubmitting plans that addressed them. We are all looking forward to both of these projects getting underway.
Trustee Jennifer Stewart
Recreation Center
I was so happy to attend the annual Liz’ Day on Saturday, September 24th to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research. It is so amazing to see what women with a mission can accomplish. Thank you to all the dedicated volunteers for another great event.
Congratulations to all the Little League award winners, we have District 29 champions in both baseball and softball leagues. Fall baseball and Screaming Eagles hockey keep the Rec Center full and busy during the week. As mentioned earlier, the Village awarded the contract for the reconstruction of the Multi-Purpose Hockey Rink Bid contract to Pioneer and we look forward to another much-needed upgrade to the Rec Center facilities.
LIRR
The Village continues to maintain open lines of communication with 3TC and the MTA regarding the completion of the third track project, particularly the gate at Tunnel Street. The Village Board, along with Village Administrator Gerry Bambrick are in communication with our state elected officials, Assemblywoman Solages, Senator Kaplan and Governor Hochul’s Long Island representative in hopes of stopping the vehicular gate at Tunnel Street.
Trustee Michael Longobardi
Floral Park Library
The Library has launched its new homepage for the website. Visit www.floralparklibrary.org to see the new layout and all the Library has to offer.
This Thursday the Library book club will meet and discuss: The Night Watchman. The Library continues to hold English Language Learner Classes now through December 17th. Contact Literacy Nassau at 516-867-3580. October is National Pizza Month and we are celebrating this Saturday with Zef’s Firetruck Pizza and a Floral Park Fire Department Engine there. Counselor Paul Meyfohrt holds step-by-step workshops for high school students on navigating the college process this month and October 26th is Trivia Night; tickets are available for purchase in advance. Events are listed on the Library website.
(4VS)
The computer upgrade to the studio has begun but has been altered slightly due to some compatibility issues. An upgrade to a more secure infrastructure protection is also part of the project.
The end of October marks the 10th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy. While all our thoughts and prayers are focused on our fellow residents, family and friends in Florida and the Carolinas as they recover from Ian, 4VS has completed a show debuting on October 24th at 9 pm titled “Sandy: 10 Years After!”. It is 30 minutes of photos and videos that captured the initial days after the storm highlighting all the hard work performed by our village departments and residents to restore our great Village. Please visit www.4vs.org for the complete list of shows, dates, and times.
Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald
Regarding the LIRR, Governor Hochul recently announced the completion of the Long Island Rail Road’s historic Third Track project of the new 9.8-mile track that runs from Floral Park to Hicksville. The Village realizes that there are final phases that remain to be completed on the Main Line and a number of issues that affect the residents of Floral Park that still need to be resolved. I assure you that the Village will continue to address all of the issues proactively and as they arise. Thank you to Trustee Stewart and especially, Village Administrator Gerry Bambrick who is handling all railroad issues on a day-to-day basis.
Today, the NYS Gaming Association announced the creation of the Gaming Facility Location Board that will be part of the decision-making process for the granting of the downstate casino license which will probably be awarded sometime late in 2023 at the earliest. Part of the approval process will be the majority vote of the to be created Community Advisory Board which will include elected officials from the community in which a potential bid is located. For more information including details on the format of a CAC you can visit: www.nycasinos.ny.gov. The Village will be monitoring this process very closely.
NYRA is near completion of installing a mini-burm and buffer fence at the UBS Arena Emerald Parking Lot that will help protect the homes in Floral Park located in that area. Thank you to NYRA for their efforts on this important issue.
Thank you to Felix Procaccia, ‘Just the Facts Media’ for being here tonight and to Brandon Duffy, Blank Slate Media.
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