Deputy Mayor Lynn Pombonyo
The Park at UBS Arena at Belmont
Yes, there’s now an open-air park at the UBS Arena. Last Friday evening, The Park had its official “puck drop” and grand opening ceremony attended by Islanders fans, alumni stars and personnel, NYS Senators and Assembly Members, other legislators, and Mayors/Deputy Mayors.
The showpieces of The Park are two outdoor rinks called UBS Pond and Northwell Pond. Surrounding these beautiful rinks is a brightly lit arcade featuring fun-filled carnival and lawn games, food trucks, grab-and-go snacks, fire pits, igloos, an Islanders “Swag Shack,” and a beer garden with picnic tables.
Check out the very inviting website: theparkatubsarena.com for exciting info about the outdoor pond hockey rinks, skating, public skating, learning to skate, trying hockey for free, group skating, pond hockey tournaments, renting the ice, Isles group offers, special events, and all the other awesome activities and possibilities at The Park. We’re even working on a Floral Park Day or Night at The Park for the future. Watch for coming attractions!
Police Department
Our Police Department continues its focus on safety in the New Year with important reminders regarding areas needing improvement.
First, there is no parking in the fire zones on the intersecting corners at Tulip Avenue, and on Verbena Avenue between Tulip Avenue and Floral Boulevard (across from Swing the Teapot). Our fire trucks need the space to negotiate the turns in those areas in emergencies. Delaying responding fire trucks in an emergency is dangerous and illegal.
There is also a focus on safety on Jericho Turnpike in front of the restaurants and stores where drivers often double park for their own convenience. Again, it’s unsafe and illegal.
Contributing to accidents is the excessive use of high beam headlights. When one drives continually with the high beams on, it blinds drivers coming in the opposite direction, setting up dangerous conditions for serious accidents.
Finally, again and again, please lock your vehicles when parked, especially overnight. Protect your property, your home and your family.
Visit our FPPD Facebook page for important and interesting information, anecdotes and safety tips. And help our FPPD help and protect us.
Conservation Society
Celebrate the New Year with a 2024 Centennial Gardens and Bird Sanctuary calendar. It’s filled with authentic photos of the Gardens’ flowers, plants, trees and birds throughout each month of the year. You may purchase yours by visiting the delightful Swing the Teapot Restaurant, or going online to: ChristineKozak.com , click on Menu, then Store. Profits from the calendar sale will go to the Floral Park Conservation Society, a volunteer, not-for-profit organization. This funding will be used for Gardens enhancements that we will all enjoy.
Chambers of Commerce and Our Businesses
After an exciting year for our businesses, when we welcomed a large number of new and successful shops and restaurants in Floral Park and Stewart Manor, our two Chambers of Commerce begin 2024 with great enthusiasm and new ideas.
Now is the time to become a Floral Park and/or a Covert Avenue Chamber of Commerce member or to renew your memberships. Memberships in both Chambers will allow you to join in the celebrations such as the street fairs and holiday tree lightings and festivals, and give you maximum networking opportunities at the many breakfast, lunch and dinner meetings held throughout the year.
Get all the details, including membership info, and explore the websites at:
All are welcome at the Floral Park Chamber’s January luncheon meeting, to be held on Thursday, January 11th, noon at ¡Uptown Taco! on Tulip Avenue. Visit the website for the required luncheon registration.
And make your New Year’s resolution now to SHOP AND DINE LOCAL in Floral Park and Stewart Manor!
We wish you all the Happiest of New Years, filled with loving moments, good health, and peace near and far.
Trustee Frank Chiara
Library
Happy New Year from the Library Staff! The library is off and running with their new programs for the 2024 year.
For those of us that make the annual resolutions to get back in shape, the library offers a good way to start, Chair-Yoga with Micheline. Enjoy breathing exercises, gentle chair and standing stretches followed by guided meditation. Registration is required to receive the zoom link to participate on Wednesdays during the month scheduled at 10:15 am.
On Monday, January 8th, at 1:30 pm the library will have a movie matinee. The movie will be BARBIE, starring Maro Robbie as Barbie. Barbie travels to the human world to understand herself and her true purpose. Ryan Gossling, as Ken, goes along hoping that Barbie acknowledges him. The movie is rated PG 13 and runs 114 minutes.
On Thursday, January 11th, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm the Empire Safety Council is offering a 6-hour Defensive Driving course at the library. There is a $35 fee to take the course and registration is required.
And then on Saturday, January 13th from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm the library is having a family fun event featuring Diana Frohman and her dancing dogs! The show will feature tricks and free style dancing. It is for families with children up to Grade 5. Registration is required.
These are just a few of the events offered for the month of January. Check the library’s website at https://www.floralparklibrary.org/ for this month’s calendar events and details on all the offered programs.
Fire Department
The Fire Dept responded to a total of 154 calls for the month of December. There were 47 calls for a general alarm, 88 ambulance calls for NYU Langone and 19 ambulance calls for our Floral Park Recue Company.
For this past year, 2023, the all-volunteer fire department responded to a total of 1389 calls, 7 calls higher than the previous year.
Especially during this past holiday season, we can never THANK our Volunteers enough for leaving their families to respond to an emergency to help a neighbor in need. All our Volunteers contribute to making our Village a great place to live and raise a family. Please consider volunteering and THANK YOU to all our current volunteers.
On behalf of my family and myself, I would like to wish all a Healthy, Happy and Safe New Year! All the best in 2024!!
Trustee Jennifer Stewart
Four Village Studio – 4VS
Beginning next week, January 8th, viewers will be treated to our Nor’easter Alliance for Community Media, Northeast Regional Video Festival award-winning episodes such as third place award winner, FPFD: Red Alert with Larry King, AEMT, “Civilian Responses to Medical Emergencies” with Ed Rothenberg EMT-CC. Also, viewers will be treated to second place winner Inspiring Stories with Bill Corbett Jr., John’s Crazy Socks with founders John Cronin and Mark X. Cronin. Finally, viewers can watch two first place winners, Uncorked with Rex Whicker, “Disney World Wines: V” – Restaurant and Wine options at Disney World Resorts and Wes Houston presents, “Wes and Friends The 200th Show”, The 6 Piece Group Helps Wes Celebrate. We are incredibly proud of the shows 4VS produces and congratulate the winners.
Department of Public Works
First, thank you to the Sanitation Department and DPW Superintendent Ginnane for responding to residents’ needs and adjusting the end of the year schedule to pick up all recycling during the last week of 2023.
DPW is monitoring the potential storm with a chance of snow for this weekend, salt is well-stocked, plows have been prepared and crews are ready to respond to any weather-related events that may happen this weekend as well as this winter.
Sanitation collected 160 tons of household waste, 16 tons of paper and cardboard, 8 tons of plastics and glass.
On Thursday December 21st, DPW received a call from the Village of New Hyde Park DPW requesting assistance rescuing a homeowner’s cat stuck in a tree. Our Floral Park tree crew responded with a 70-foot bucket truck and rescued the terrified cat from high up in an oak tree. The New Hyde Park resident was very thankful to our DPW tree crew and it certainly ended 2023 on a kind, neighborly note.
MTA
As we begin 2024, please be reminded that new commuter parking permits for under the LIRR are required, as well as all other Village issued parking permits. Permits can be purchased for under the LIRR in the amount of $100 in Village Hall from 8:30-4:30 Monday through Friday except for holidays.
If you have concerns regarding the LIRR, please reach out to me at jstewart@FPVillage.org or leave a message for me at Village Hall by calling 516-326-6300. In addition, please alert the MTA at MTA.info.
My family and I wish all of the residents a very happy and healthy 2024.
Trustee Michael Longobardi
Building Department
Permits have been issued for the former Centennial Hall property and work is expected to start this month on the new apartment building. Plans have been submitted for Special Use Permit public hearings for a proposed pharmaceutical lab located at 100 Jericho Turnpike and a proposed restaurant with outdoor dining and drive-thru at 99 Covert Avenue. These hearings are scheduled on Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at 8:00 pm in Village Hall Courtroom. The Covert Avenue fire property has received approval from Nassau County.
As you start to plan projects on your homes this year, many renovations and repairs require permits or are subject to code requirements. Our Building Department offers a wealth of knowledge and assistance to help complete these projects safely and in compliance. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Superintendent Renee Marcus and her dedicated staff to assist you.
Recreation and Pool
Session II Winter/Spring 2024 Registration will open on Tuesday, January 9th at the Pool Building. Senior program registration only will be on January 9th from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. Open registration for everyone else will be from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm that day. Open registrations will continue each day from 9:30 am to 7:00 pm. Details and applications are available in the lobby at the information table and online at the village website. There are a few days left for the Floral Park Little League registration for the 2024 season. Registration closes this Sunday, January 7th. Details and registration information is available on the Floral Park Little League website. The 2023 Leisure Passes have expired. It is time to renew and get your 2024 Leisure Pass which is required to use our park facilities. However, if you have a resident pool pass from 2023, you may use that as your leisure pass through June.
Town-Village Aircraft Safety & Noise Abatement Committee (TVASNAC):
The next meeting will be held on Monday, January 22nd at Hempstead Town Hall, One Washington Street, Hempstead. If you want to make a noise complaint regarding air traffic, you can call 1-800-225-1071. You can also go to the village website which has the links under the TVASNAC Noise Complaint Contact Information Page on our home page.
I wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!
Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald
At tonight’s meeting the Northend Civic Association was approved for their monthly meetings for the 2024 calendar year. Civic meetings are a great resource for residents to share thoughts and ideas and discuss issues and concerns that may impact you or the area you reside in. Civic meetings are held monthly on Thursday evenings at the Recreation/Pool Building. Check the village website at fpvillage.org for the monthly dates and times on the calendar for each civic association’s meeting.
Trustee Stewart previously announced that there were 700 days since our last snowstorm. As a reminder, please keep your cars off the street until after the snowplows are finished plowing and not shovel the snow into the street. It makes it more difficult for the trucks to plow the street and it will only push the snow further down in front of your neighbor’s house. It’s best to place the shoveled snow on your front lawn. Thank you for your cooperation.
Mayor Fitzgerald then asked if there were any comments or questions from the audience or on zoom. He also thanked Brandon Duffy of Herald Courier for logging on zoom and wished the residents a Happy and Healthy New Year.