Deputy Mayor Lynn Pombonyo
Police Department
Our Police Department was a favorite spot on the Village Hall tour for our Civics For Kids library group. Fifteen young elementary-aged students and their parents enjoyed their time with Sergeant Lauria and Officer Monahan as they learned about the work of the Police, discussed important rules of safety, and took a very interesting tour of our police cars. Stops also included the Fire Department where Chief Lauria, Ex-Chief Fairben, EMT Pepe, and Firefighters Maggio, O’Hagan, Ison and Sangen told FPFD stories and gave tours of our amazing fire engines, inside and out. And, at Village Hall, our students sat in our Board seats to exchange thoughts about the Village and ask questions. Mayor Fitzgerald and I shared fun facts, and our Civics For Kids students now know a lot more about how our Village works.
Thanks to Mrs. Laura Trentacoste and our Library’s very own Mrs. Kathy Guidal for creating this outstanding program which we look forward to again soon.
At 5:57 a.m. on Tuesday, August 29th, three individuals broke into Lee’s Drugs on Tulip Avenue. Significant amounts of narcotics were stolen during the two minutes that the perpetrators were in the store. Video cameras provided important details. In addition to our Floral Park Police Officers and Detectives, the Nassau County Police Third Squad also responded immediately to join the investigation. There have been no arrests yet that we are aware of. The NCPD Burglary Unit has advised us that this crime appears to be part of a pattern. NCPD is taking the investigatory lead.
In the months of July and August, our Police issued 502 summonses. One hundred thirty-six were violations for failures to stop at stop signs. Over fifty were issued for failures to provide proof of insurance, and another seventy were issued for headlight/taillight infractions. In all, the Department received 1452 calls for assistance in July and August.
Meanwhile, our Motor Carrier Unit, dealing with trucks, has issued 243 summonses since April. August’s included forty-six violations cited during seventeen inspections, one driver placed out of service for failure to hold the required commercial driver’s license, and three trucks were placed out of service and one towed, all for mechanical issues. Our Officers are focused on enforcement.
Schools open in this area, starting today. Please pay attention to your speed, which should be 20mph in a school zone, which is within one quarter mile of each school. That means 20mph on Plainfield Avenue from Floral Park Memorial High School to the Our Lady of Victory School. It also means 20mph on Floral Boulevard from the signs near Walnut Avenue to Larch Avenue and the Floral Park-Bellerose School, and 20mph on Elizabeth Street by the John Lewis Childs School.
Many school buses will be transporting students in kindergarten to grade twelve to their public and private schools within and outside Floral Park. Please be extra cautious near the buses and bus stops, and stop for all buses with red lights flashing and extended stop signs when you’re driving on either side of the street. That includes Covert Avenue, where you must stop on both sides of the street when our students are boarding and departing from their buses.
Always, watch for children crossing the streets, and obey the directions given by our FPPD crossing guards. Please keep our children safe.
At the next Village Board meeting, we will report on the recent upgrades to the functions and structure of FPPD’s radio communication system, and the Dispatchers’ area of the FPPD lobby.
Conservation Society
Most Magical, Enchanted Excellence and Fairie Fun are the three themes for our Family Fairie House Challenge, sponsored by our Conservation Society, as our third annual Fairie Forest Festival approaches. Join the challenge and check out the bright forest green flyer on the flower-filled Floral Park Centennial Gardens Facebook page. Then submit your Family Fairie House for judging during the week of October 22nd. All of the Family Fairie Houses will be on display at the Saturday afternoon, October 28th Festival at Centennial Gardens.
Chambers of Commerce and Our Businesses
Floral Park has many coming attractions in October. Saturday, October 14th will bring the Covert Avenue Chamber of Commerce Street Fair to Floral Park and Stewart Manor. One sneak peek at the flyer highlights sales and bargains, an awesome Kids’ Funzone, a Choo-Choo Express, huge inflatables, and lots of food. October 14th, save the date!
And, in the meantime, our Floral Park and Covert Avenue Chambers of Commerce proudly invite you to SHOP AND DINE LOCAL at our extraordinary stores, restaurants and businesses.
Shout-Outs
First, cheers to Recreation Superintendent Kurt Meyfohrt, Pool Director Tom Dillon, Coordinator Gena King, and Trustee Liaison Mike Longobardi for a very best summer at the park and pool. Summer ended with our popular Senior Citizen Picnic, and well over one hundred Seniors, Trustee Frank Chiara and I enjoying a beautiful, sunny day.
Next, we thank our partners in government NYS Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, NYS Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, Nassau County Chief Deputy County Executive Arthur Walsh, and Legislator John Giuffre for their ongoing assistance, support and presence in our Village as we take action with some of today’s serious challenges.
And we salute all of our students who have been steadily returning to their schools for the 2023-24 school year. A shout-out to our great educators, including Trustee Jennifer Stewart, too. Wishing you all amazing success and joy!
Trustee Frank Chiara
Library
September is Library Card sign-up month at the Floral Park Library. If you don’t already have a library card, stop by the library to sign up for your own personalized card. This will enable you to enjoy all that the library has to offer.
The library will have an outdoor big screen movie night on the library lawn on Thursday, September 7th at 7 p.m. The feature movie will be the Super Mario Bothers. No sign up is necessary. Just bring a blanket or chair and a friend to enjoy the movie. Popcorn will be available!!
Interested in Pilates? Pilates on the library lawn will take place on Friday mornings during the month of September. Registration is now open. You must bring your own mat to participate. The dates for September are Friday the 15th, Friday the 22nd and Friday the 29th. Class start time is 11 a.m.
There is a talented group of individuals meeting at the library called “Made with Love Knitting and Crocheting”. This group meets at the library on Monday evenings at 6:30 pm and on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. It’s a wonderful group of knitters and crocheters who come together to share some fun conversations while performing charitable works. All of their projects are donated to local organizations and charities that are in need. There are no instructors just lots of helpful and giving people. Anyone interested in joining this group is welcome to stop by.
The Friends of the Library are having their 4th Annual Lawn sale on the library lawn on Saturday September 23rd from 10 am to 4 pm, with a rain date of Sunday September 24th from 10am to 4pm. A spot can be rented for all your attic treasures. Come by to see what is offered for sale. There are a few remaining spots available to rent. If interested sign up for a spot at the library circulation desk.
For many more upcoming events in the month of September check out the library’s website at www.floralparklibrary.org.
Fire Department
Our Volunteer Fire Department responded to the following alarms during the month of August:
18 general alarms.
2 alarms for gas leaks.
4 alarms for carbon monoxide.
5 mutual aid alarms to assist our neighboring communities.
68 EMS calls handled by NYU Langone.
12 EMS calls handled by our Floral Park Rescue Company.
With a total of 109 alarms.
On Monday, September 11, 2023 the Fire Department will be hosting a 9/11 memorial service at the Reliance Fire House starting at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend. This annual 9/11 service is a great opportunity to honor all who lost their lives while trying to save others, those who lost their lives by just being present and all of those still suffering from the effects of the day. Let us keep them and their families in our thoughts and prayers and never forget all those who have lost their lives on this day.
Durning the month of September the Floral Park Fire Department will be attending fire school on Thursday evenings at the Bethpage Fire training center for live fire training. As part of the training our volunteer firefighters will go thru real fire scenarios utilizing all their equipment. The training will enhance their preparedness for the many emergencies they may come up against. Participation in this training demonstrates the dedication and commitment our volunteers have in keeping our community safe. We can never thank them enough for their volunteer service.
With the heating season quickly approaching, our Fire Departments suggests having your heating systems checked and maintained. Inspections of your house chimneys is also recommended. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should be inspected often. Please pay attention to expiration dates and install a new one if needed.
Trustee Jennifer Stewart
Department of Public Works
Our Department of Public Works crews are out and about the Village all day, every day performing all types of tasks that keep our beautiful Village safe and clean. In recent weeks our Highway Department has striped all school crosswalks and school zones. They replaced aging stop signs on Charles Street section and Southside area. All storm basins have been cleaned and various road repairs have been made throughout the Village. Our Parks Department have cut the lawns and maintained all pocket-parks as well as planted flowers and watered all hanging flower baskets. The Tree Department continues to trim our trees and removing diseased ash trees. All property owners with dead trees for removal are being notified. The Sanitation crew has collected 60 tons of household waste and 11 tons of recyclables this past week. Our Maintenance staff has cleaned and performed maintenance on all Village buildings as well as refurbished and painted the Police Department Dispatch area for the new 911 system.
Four Village Studio (4VS)
This week Four Village Studio will feature several programs dedicated to remembering and honoring the victims of the attacks on our nation on September 11, 2001. One example is Larry Davidson’s Davidson & Co featuring John Feal, the 9/11 Ground Zero First Responder Advocate. Next week, you can catch “John’s Crazy Socks” on Inspiring Stories with Bill Corbett, Jr. Mr. Corbett will talk with John Cronin Jr. and John Cronin Sr., the founders of John’s Crazy Socks, a unique sock business that employs adults with special needs which is also located right here on Long Island. Did you know that we have a Four Village Studio weather station right here at Village Hall? We do, and it has up to the minute weather readings and can be found on the 4VS website www.4vs.org.
MTA/LIRR
The Village Board has been informed that work will take place over the next three weekends on the Main Line, primarily in NHP, but will extend into Floral Park as they build out a switch. When the service plan is shared with us by the MTA, we will disseminate the information to residents.
Village Administrator Bambrick, Deputy Mayor Pombonyo, and myself met with NYS Senator Patricia Canzoneri Fitzpatrick at the dead end of Main Street. We discussed the large fencing project the MTA undertook to secure a new set of stairs that have recently been installed at that location. A large area of land meant to be left for the Village for planting has been fenced in. Senator Canzoneri Fitzpatrick has promised to advocate for the Village to the MTA so the MTA fulfills its end of the MOA.
Trustee Michael Longobardi
Building Department
Centennial Hall demolition has begun with the building substantially torn down as of today. Ongoing clean up and carting will continue for a short period of time. The demolition of the building brought concerns and comments as well as some reminiscing about what this building has meant over the years to so many current and former residents. I would like to note that this was the result of years of discussions, public meetings and planning based on the input of residents and what you wanted to see on this property. It should also be noted the property did not have historic landmark status. Various items and memorabilia were removed from the building and are going to the Floral Park Historical Society as part of our Village history. The Covert Avenue fire property is still awaiting County approval. Once approved we expect foundation work to start. The Building Department is continuing to work with the various new food establishments that are expected to open soon in the Village, as well as some new proposals for currently vacant storefronts. Thank you to Superintendent Renee Marcus and staff for all their hard work and prompt attention to business owners looking to make Floral Park their business home. A reminder to everyone planning any renovations or improvements, please call the Building Department for assistance or information regarding codes and permits so the work is done safely and correctly.
Pool and Recreation:
The summer fun season has unfortunately come to an end. We had our traditional final swim at the pool yesterday-September 4th, at 5 p.m. It was wonderful to see the huge crowd and reminisce with residents about the summer. I received many compliments about what a great time residents had at the pool this season. A huge thank you goes to the Recreation Superintendent Kurt Meyfohrt, Pool Director Tom Dillon and Assistant Pool Director Joe Derby including all the lifeguards and staff that make the pool operate smoothly day to day. Today all seniors who participated in our Annual Senior Day, enjoyed the beautiful warm weather, lunch and the final day of swimming before the water drains for another year. As I mentioned last month, our park is not closing for the winter. Meetings have started and coordination has begun between the various leagues and our fall and winter activities, including football and hockey which will be starting up before we know it. Practice sessions have already begun. The Screaming Eagles Hockey League is open for registration. They are looking forward to breaking in the new rink. In addition to sports, our Recreation Center will once again host the annual Liz’s Day on Saturday, September 30th with a rain date of October 1st. Come out enjoy a great day with family and friends and help support research to find treatments and cure for breast cancer.
Town-Village Aircraft Safety & Noise Abatement Committee (TVASNAC):
TVASNAC, the Town-Village Aircraft Safety & Noise Abatement Committee in the Town of Hempstead is holding its next meeting here at Firefighters’ Hall (in Village Hall) on Monday, September 18th at 7 pm. The Committee works to try and reduce the air traffic noise and disruption to our lives. This committee, on behalf of the residents, advocates its concerns to the FAA, as well as NY and NJ Port Authorities. Floral Park resident Andrew Weiss is a member of this committee and is working hard on these issues. This meeting will help educate our residents on what the committee does, the issues they are fighting for on our behalf, and discuss any questions residents may have. We look forward to seeing everyone at the meeting.
Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald
Before the start of the meeting, Mayor Fitzgerald held a moment of silence in honor of Ex-Chief Mike Ostipwko who served over 50 years in the volunteer Floral Park Fire Department. Mike became a member of Rescue Company in 1971 and rose through the ranks to become a Chief in 1988.
Mayor Fitzgerald then swore in new employee, Lara Verbanac, as Deputy Village Clerk. Congratulations Lara!
Mayor Fitzgerald also expressed his appreciation to Kurt Meyfohrt, Tom Dillon, Joe Derby, Darlene Lanza and Trustee Mike Longobardi for all their hard work this summer at the pool. Alot goes into making the pool run efficiently so that it can be enjoyed by all. Thank you to all that were involved! He then reminded everyone that the fall hockey league, Screaming Eagles, is already taking signups and will be starting shortly.
On Monday, September 11, 2023 is the 22nd Anniversary of 9/11. We will be having our ceremony, which is very poignant and always well attended, at 8:30 a.m. in front of Village Hall. If you’re available, please attend.
Lastly, the Military Tribute Banner Program that we announced six weeks ago has been very well received. We have over 80 banners on order and ready to go. We would like to have the banners displayed no later than November 1st just before Veterans Day and in time for the Veterans Day Parade, November 11th. If you are interested in participating in the banner program you may go to the village website https://fpvillage.org/coming-soon-floral-park-military-tribute-banner-program/
or you may call Village Hall if you need assistance. Orders for banners should be ordered no later than 9/15/23 in order for it to be displayed on time. Mayor Fitzgerald said that he has been to other Villages who have participated in this program and they look really sharp. Thank you to all those who have already sponsored a hero!
The next Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, September 19, 2023.
