Referendum on the sale of school

The public referendum on the sale of the Seaford Avenue School passed, 972 to 769, despite a flood of anonymous fliers and posters urging a No vote.

Jones Beach, a month after Sandy

In early December, a friend parked at Jones Beach, Field 6, and hiked west in the sand. Below, I will post some of his photos in westward order and let the readers' knowledge of the landscape make up for my lack of captions. Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.  Some photos appear to have been taken with a strong zoom or telescopic lens. 

The above photo is taken at the beginning of the boardwalk at Field 6.

Note the sea grass caught by the balustrade.

Looking towards the playground and  West Bathhouse.

A letter from the Historical Society

Seaford Historical Society to Aid "Sandy" Victims

In the wake of the recent storms, hundreds of Seaford Harbor residents were driven from their homes; many are as yet unable to return.
While many precious possessions were lost or damaged, it's materials to help make their homes reasonably habitable that are among their immediate needs.
The Seaford Historical Society plans to lend a considerable hand by raising funds to purchase gift cards for home-damaged Seafordites.

Welcome to "Aunt Barbara's Tupperware Party!"

Aunt Barbara's parties always combine "laugh-til-it-hurts" hilarity with a most informative presentation of the latest products from Tupperware.
Since just about everyone could use a Tupperware product now and then (i.e., many Seaford and Wantagh fisherman use their containers to store bait), do plan to attend.

Aunt Barbara's Tupperware Party:
Fundraiser produced by Seaford Historical Society
Wednesday, December 5th, 7:00 PM
Admission fee - $ 15.00
Raffles, 50/50

Refreshments will be served

For details/order tickets thru PayPal:   visit www.seafordhistoricalsociety.org  and click the Events tab.

Or contact us at seafordhistoric@optonline.net

Or call Carla at 826-7642

If you are unable to attend but want to help please consider sending a donation to Seaford Historical Society, PO Box 1254, Seaford  11783   (put “Sandy” on memo line)

Not appropriate for children

On the Bay, part two, after Sandy

This afternoon, 11.25.2012, Newsday's website displayed an article that will probably be in tomorrow's print edition.  The title is "Few bay houses left standing after Sandy."
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A small section of the article reads:

Baymen first built houses out here generations ago, not as primary residences but as bases of operation to harvest salt hay and shellfish. Their descendants battled the insults of nature, municipal ill will and even a spate of arson to keep them. Some were still used by working baymen; some were weekend retreats for families who no longer made a living on the water.

But superstorm Sandy did worse in a matter of hours than had been done in the past century, destroying at least 18 houses, seriously damaging two and leaving 10 intact, according to folklorist Nancy Solomon, who has written about the houses and surveyed them last week. 
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For Nancy Solomon's presentation to the Seaford Historical Society a year ago, please click here.

All Seaford, NY, schools open

On Tuesday, November 13, 2012, all Seaford public schools are open on the usual schedule.  This includes the Seaford Harbor elementary school.  Please see the official notice linked here.

Veterans' Day, 2012

The Seaford American Legion Post deservedly honored veterans today at their post on Penatiquit Avenue. Many thanks and and much honor to those who served their country.  May they be well.

November 12 -- Massapequa Libraries are open

Both Massapequa libraries (Central Avenue and Bar Harbour) will be open on Monday, November 12, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.  Many thanks to the Massapequa taxpayers, the employees, and the library board of trustees!  It is a thoughtful move, as many people still lack electric power.

Presidential election results in Seaford, 2012

Newsday's website published an excellent map of the 2012 presidential results in Nassau and Suffolk counties.  The following analysis of the election districts in Seaford is based on the unofficial totals on that map.  Generally speaking, I used the boundaries of the Seaford post office to decide which ED's were in Seaford. An extra street or two in Wantagh was included, and I omitted the irregularly-shaped wedge of the Seaford post office district north of the Southern State Parkway because that ED included a larger section of Island Trees.  The first column shows the ED number and a hint of its location.  The second column shows the number of votes for Barack Obama, the third column for Mitt Romney.

	Obama	Romney
107 near Seamans Neck Pk	217	445
103 Paddock, Stirrup	163	306
104 Wilbourne, Hickory, Brook La	183	338
105 Our Savior, Pathmark, Librar	154	232
102 Hilaire Way	129	230
101 Maple Ave, Roanoke	161	333
100 Pine, Spruce South of Merrick	213	412
106 Narragansett Ave	72	116
99 Larch, Austin, Spruce	79	112
30 Hudson Ave	234	440
29 east of Washington Ave	162	310
31 near Seaford HS	183	311
32 Roth Road incl. P. King	244	408
25 Arthur Ave	177	232
23 Crestline Place, Daleview Ave	162	229
24 Bernice Rd, Day St	151	221

The total votes cast in Seaford were 7,359.  I have not found the number of eligible voters residing in Seaford, but the resident figure seems to be about 15,200.
Mitt Romney won about 63.5% of the Seaford vote.  Utah, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Idaho gave him higher percents.
Barack Obama won about 36.4% of the Seaford vote.

From David Denenberg

From David Denenberg's office, 4:45 p.m., Wednesday, November 7, 2012.

Areas south of Merrick Road in the Town of Hempstead are being told to evacuate. Please pass this on to your neighbors.

The following locations for residents to take shelter are open:

• Nassau Community College, Building P
• Levittown Memorial High School, 150 Abbey Lane
• Plainview-Old Bethpage Middle School – 121 Central Park Rd in
• Farmingdale High School – 150 Lincoln Street
• Glen Cove High School – 150 Dosoris Lane
• New Hyde Park High School - 500 Leonard Blvd
• North Shore Temple - 83 Muttontown Road in Syosset

Jessica Tauber

Legislative Aide to:

Dave Denenberg

District 19

(516) 571-6219

jtauber@nassaucountyny.gov

http://www.facebook.com/dave.denenberg.3

https://twitter.com/DaveDenenberg

Sandy and Seaford creeks

Hurricane Sandy pummeled the south shore of Long Island with wind, tide, and rain. Damage extended across the island and hurt many people in their lives, with deaths and damaged homes.  In this post, I choose to look at a more limited topic, how the three north-south creeks in Seaford rose with the run-off, tide, and wind. I wish I had more facts to present, but I did not go out exploring during the storm. This narrative will probably contain errors.  I appreciate corrections and further explanations.
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Cedar Creek flows between Fir and Larch Streets.  I am quite certain it forms the western limit of the Seaford School District.  It emerges south of Merrick Road in Cedar Creek Park and flows into East Bay.  The dip in Merrick Road is quite obvious here, and on Tuesday it seemed to have pooled atop Merrick Road. Some residual debris was noticeable on Merrick Road near Willow Street, but I don't know whether it came from Cedar Creek's backup or some other source.
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It seems that a section of Seamans Creek was channeled by the construction of NY 135, as a 1903 map shows it beginning at a pond north of DeMott Avenue, almost at the water company property. Seaman's Creek runs along the west side of NY 134, under the railroad and Sunrise Highway, reappearing northwest of Brook Lane's cul-de-sac.  The creek goes under Alan Path, lingers west and north of Natalie Boulevard (where the 1903 map shows a larger pond), and passes under Woodward Avenue.  Some hours before the storm, the water had already risen to the height of adjacent lawns.  Overnight and later, I am told it closed Waverly Avenue. As far as I can determine, this closure on Waverly Avenue, just east of the NY 135 bridge, was the northernmost flooded road in Seaford, about 5.2 miles from the Atlantic Ocean.  That is, the wind-driven high tide had caused the level of Seamans Creek to cover Waverly Avenue there.
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Seaford Creek, the longest of Seaford's creeks, forms the border between the Town of Hempstead and that of Oyster Bay, a border which dates back to the mid-1600's and the era of Tackapausha.  It seems to form about Jerusalem Avenue and the north end of Tackapausha Preserve, flowing through the preserve to the lake at Merrick Road and then with waterside homes south of Merrick Road.  Early Monday afternoon, it overflowed two eastbound lanes of Merrick  east of Townsend Court.  As the "puddle" grew, police forbade traffic.  I think I can safely say that the puddle increased from south to north, showing that this was the effect of tide, not yet a heavy run-off from the lake.
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A friend pointed out that the height of a wind-driven tidal surge rises in narrow confines. That may explain why the canals of south Seaford rose to cover streets and to damage basements and ground floors of  homes.  

Election Day in Seaford

A few hours before the Election Day voting was scheduled to begin, I checked Newsday's list of changed polling places.  The only change in Seaford is quite inconvenient: from 1100 Crestline Place (the BOCES Seaman Neck School) to St. James church at 80 Hicksville Road, more than two miles north. Both locations have Seaford post office addresses, but the Crestline Place address is near North Wantagh Park and is inside the Levittown school district. St. James church is the northernmost tip of the delivery zone of the Seaford post office.  The extraordinary mileage of this move made me question the report, but the move is also reported on the website of the Nassau County Board of Elections.  To magnify the fine print on that website, one can hold down Control and hit the Plus key.
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At the Seaford Harbor School, auxiliary generators supplied power for a string of lights over the tables and voting booths and for the scanners.  About 11 a.m., many were voting here.  The students, it seems, were attending class at the other elementary school, Seaford Manor.  Trucks from the Town of Hempstead were removing roadside debris, carpets and furniture from homes and businesses near the canals.  Several homes had large dumpsters in the driveways.
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I think most of Seaford is in the 14th Assembly District.  Three election districts of this A.D. vote at the Seaford Fire House.  A friend told me that the line was long at 6:10 a.m.  When I voted about 9:45 a.m., I was the 114th or 115th person in my E.D., which I think counts about 800 registered voters.  The turnout of eligible voters interests me.  In 2008, New York State had a turnout of about 58% of eligible voters, while the national turnout was about 62%.

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Also about  1 p.m. today, 44 cars were lined northbound on Seamans Neck Road for $4.09 gasoline at Citgo, and 34 were lined on Jackson Avenue for $4.49 gasoline at BP.  County police have been present at gas station lines.  The shortage is one effect of hurricane Sandy, as tankers could not enter the harbor.

Tuesday: 3 Seaford schools reopen

Please go to this link for more exact information.  It appears that the Seaford public school staff will meet today, but that the students will return tomorrow, Tuesday, Election Day.  The major problem is the Seaford Harbor School, whose students may be accommodated Tuesday at the Seaford Manor School.  However, please read the link, lest my interpretation is wrong.

Harvest Fair Photos

I arrived about 3 p.m., after many of the festivities had finished.  This view faces south.

This view faces north!  A few minutes later, we had a shower.

To the left is a "working" Seaford skiff, built about 1904, if I recall the sign correctly.  At the right is a recreational skiff built in 1956 by Paul Ketcham of Amityville, recently restored and purchased by a Seaford resident.  For the time being, both skiffs are displayed next to each other.  A skiff is a shallow, flat-bottomed open boat, a design especially helpful when the tide goes out.

Harvest Fair, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012

The Sixth Annual Harvest Fair will take place on Sunday, September 30, 2012, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Seaford Historical Museum located at 3890 Waverly Avenue in Seaford between Jackson Avenue and Southard Avenue.  This event will take place rain or shine.
The Seaford Historical Society Harvest Fair is fun for the entire community.  The "Pumpkin Patch" will have an assortment of pumpkins, mums, hay bales, and cornstalks for sale.  Beautiful autumn crafts also will be for sale.
Come, have lunch at the Food Tent!  Delicious clam chowder, hot dogs, popcorn, soda!  Also, the always popular Bake Sale Table will be filled with scrumptious homemade goodies to tempt you!
Be sure to take a chance on the terrific Grand Prize Raffle -- Apple iPad!
For the kids there will be face-painting, pumpkin decorating, games, prizes, and more.  And, new this year, an entertaining educational show about animals called "Erik's Reptile Edventures!" will take place at noon for both kids and adult enjoyment!
The Seaford Fire Department will display various fire-fighting equipment, along with the E.D.I.T.H. trailer, as part of their effort to teach children about fire safety and home evacuation.  
Thee will be a performance by the Seaford High School Jazz Band at 1:30 p.m. under the direction of Mr. Anthony Romeo.
And there will be a performance by the Seaford High School Barbershop Quartet.
This enjoyable event is an essential fundraiser in an ongoing effort to renovate and update the Seaford Historical Museum.  We need your support to achieve this goal!
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The previous is taken from the September newsletter of the Seaford Historical Society.

Wantagh LIRR escalator closed

At the Wantagh train station, the escalator is closed.  

Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.
As of 9.14.2012, the Seaford escalator and elevator are working.

In memory of those we lost on 9-11-2001

The sun set about the same time as the program was scheduled to begin.  Therefore, I took photos before the ceremony.  Maybe the holes in the flag provide safety lest the wind tug at the entire flag and bring down the supporting ladders and ropes.

Congressman Peter King later presented awards for service.

Also before the ceremony, we see Peter King (facing left), Fr. Robert Hayden (holding a program), and Pastor Ronald Klose (to the right).

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The high school band played the National Anthem with extraordinary clarity and without improvisations.

Harvest Festival at Museum September 30

ANNUAL FALL FAMILY HARVEST FESTIVAL 

Sunday, Sept. 30th, is the date for our 6th Annual Harvest Festival    11 AM – 4 PM 

On the Grounds of the Seaford Historical Museum 

Waverly Ave. between Jackson and Southard Aves. 

There will be Pumpkins, Mums, Hay Bales and Cornstalks. Many vendors will provide varied shopping possibilities.  Enjoy our food selection of Hot Dogs, Popcorn, Pretzels, Soda, Homemade Baked Goods and Coffee. Dig into a cup of our always-in demand Powell Family Chowder! 

The kids can enjoy a large booth of their own with Face Painting, Pumpkin Painting, Games and Arts & Crafts. 

A very special show at 12 noon will be presented by “Erik’s Reptile Edventure” featuring an exciting mix of snakes, lizards and many more animals. 

Afterward, sit with a cup of coffee and a cupcake or slice of cake and enjoy the sounds of the Seaford High School Jazz Band! 

The Museum will be open to all –so stop in and see Seaford History in our 1893 Schoolhouse. The Festival raises funds to help with Restoration and Expansion of the Collections & Displays. 

Help the Historical Society with its work and have a Fun Family Day, too! 

Admission is Free ! 

Regarding the Seaford Avenue school

Again, I missed a Board of Ed meeting.  Patch.com has an excellent report concerning the meeting of August 22, 2012.
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The Board of Education has published this letter concerning the possible sale of the Seaford Avenue school.
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The Board of Education has issued this press release dated September 6, 2012.

Sadly, a loss

Sadly, Senior Special Agent John Capano lost his life on December 31, 2012.  He grew up near this intersection Seamans Neck Road and Waverly Avenue, Seaford.  A clip of Congressman Peter King at the sign dedication is linked here.

A note received

Hi !

   I use to hang out at Runyons of Seaford, Tony Mcginnley's place on Merrick Road, I am now in Florida, but, every time I go "home", I viisit Seaford----what a fantastic town, we lived in Bethpage/Plainview but, use to have our boat at South Sea's-----that was about 20 yrs ago---today, its all homes---but, we have lots of friends there---plus, Massepequa----I can go on and on---great web page :-)

 

 Just wanted to share lol

 

  Lucy

Independence Day Parade, 2012, Wantagh

Appropriately, the veterans' color guard led the parade, July 4, 2012, north on Wantagh Avenue, Wantagh.  These are members of the Wantagh post of the American Legion.  The Wantagh Pipe Band added music, at this point, "America the Beautiful," with its wish, "Crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea."

The Vietnam War Veterans Association marched to applause from the people.

Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.

The Comanche Raiders marched with the numerous volunteers of the Wantagh Fire Department and twenty-three fire trucks and rescue vehicles.

The students of the Wantagh High School Band provided energetic marching tunes.

A "farmers' market" in a parking lot

The Long Island Growers Market will be hosting a weekly Farmers' Market
at the east end of the Seaford Railroad Station every Saturday, from
7:00 a.m. to noon from June 2nd until November 17th!

Local Farmers/vendors will be selling the following home grown/home
made/freshly caught items!

Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, Fresh Seafood, Wine
Soup Stocks, Dog Treats, Pickles, Pretzels, Baked Goods
Artisan Breads, Goat Cheese, Fresh Flowers
Homemade Ravioli/pastas

for more information you can check out their website
www.longislandgrowersmarket.com

Memorial Day, 2012

The Memorial Day Parade begins fittingly with a flag of honor and veterans from the American Legion post in Seaford.  The parade goes north on Washington Avenue and ends with a ceremony at the Four Chaplains memorial in front of the Seaford Middle School.  Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.

Seaford school budget passed

On May 15, 2012, the voters of the Seaford, N.Y., school district approved the 2012-2013 school budget with 1,766 Yes votes to 1,262 No.  The polls were crowded when I went at 9:30 a.m.  The total vote is 3,028, out of perhaps 11,000 registered voters.  Susan Ruona gained a three-year term in the board with 1,578 votes, and Jeannette Wink a one-year term with 1,474 votes.  

Seaford Library budget passes

On April 4, 2012, the Seaford Library budget passed, with a vote of 85 to 40. Patricia Coughlin was reelected, unopposed, with 106 votes.
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Below, I list some results from previous years:
On April 6, 2011, the 2011-2012 budget for the Seaford Library passed, 110-36.  Stephen Gaughran was reelected as trustee, with 129 votes.
In April, 2010, the Seaford library budget passed, 103-29. Eileen Montalbano was reelected as trustee, with 119 votes.
In April, 2009, the Seaford Library budget passed, 98-30. John Rall was reelected as trustee with 115 votes.
In April, 2008, the Seaford Library budget passed, 110-52.  Peter Ruffner was reelected trustee for a five-year term.
The 2007-8 budget of the Seaford Public Library passed, with a vote of 78 "Yes" to 45 "No." Maybe the drenching rain kept the turnout low. Possessing a valid library card is different from registering to vote in a library district or school district, and I do not know the number of registered or eligible voters. About 10,400 Seafordites have Seaford Library cards in a district of approximately 16,000 residents. As library cards must be renewed every three years, the number of card holders may be a little inflated by people moving out of the district. The voting register for school district and library district (a combined list) totals about 10,000 to 12,000 names.

Fewer Merrick Road buses

The bus service cutbacks, effective 4.8.2012, on route N19 along Merrick Road show the following changes in eastbound service:

From Monday to Friday: 20 eastbound trips instead of 31.

On Saturdays: 17 eastbound trips instead of 26.

On Sundays: the same 9 eastbound trips as previously, providing hourly service.

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Westbound cutbacks are similar.

In the 1960's, I recall several trips on the Freeport-Patchogue route through Seaford, as provided by Utility Bus Corporation.  I have been unable to find a bus photo from the Utility era.  
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From about 1930 to about 1973, a North Merrick firm, the Jerusalem Avenue Bus Company, connected Seaford with Hempstead, via Waverly and Seaford Avenues.  When Sunrise Mall opened, the routes were changed.  The new schedules for the N54, which travels on Washington Avenue from Jerusalem Avenue to Sunrise Highway (serving the Seaford railroad station) show a mostly unchanged timetable from the past months: 15 hourly trips Monday to Friday, 13 hourly trips on Saturday, and no service on Sunday.  The N54 connects Sunrise Mall, Seaford, North Wantagh, North Merrick, and Hempstead, much of it via Jerusalem Avenue.

Seaford in the springtime

Five p.m., Thursday, March 29, 2012, as trains arrive from Manhattan and Brooklyn.

About thirty years ago, the Town of Hempstead planted Bradford pear trees along both sides of Merrick Road for more than a mile west of the town line at Tackapausha Park.  They have not fared too well; about half have been lost.  However, those remaining can be beautiful in the spring.

Seaford school board meeting 2.2.2012

    (Mistakes are possible in these notes of mine.)
The Seaford, New York, school board meeting began promptly at 7:30 p.m., February 2, 2012, with the Pledge of Allegiance. Then Kevin Herbst gave a report on the district-wide fire code inspection.  Except for numerous electric extension cords, the buildings were found in good compliance.  He pointed to the cord used for the microphones at this meeting.  Temporary use of extension cords is allowed, but leaving a ordinary  cord permanently extending the reach of a fish tank cord or a computer, for example, is not allowed.  The district has already given directions and has checked on compliance.
    This year's efforts to raise the scores of Harbor pupils with disabilities were discussed, the goals being sought chiefly through professional training, planning, and preparation. Last year, some youngsters there did not meet the New York State goals with regard to Adequate Yearly Progress. The Board accepted the Comprehensive Education Plan for the Harbor School.  It sounded as if the word "academies" is being used for after-school tutoring, and questions were asked about the availability of such academies.
    At the Middle School, asbestos floor tiles were removed from one of the classrooms.
    There are still some unanswered questions of about the calculation of the tax revenue cap.  Thomas DiNapoli's office has promised to place a Webinar on his site.
    The Seaford Avenue property was most recently appraised in 2005.  The District has one offer for purchase, but it needs to know the property's current value.  Therefore, a contract with Breslin Appraisal was approved, cost $3,000.
    There was a discussion about concussion management policies.  Beginning September, 2012, coaches, nurses and some other personnel will need to have passed the certification course yet to be determined by New York State.  Parents will be required to inform the schools of concussion injuries that happen outside of school activities, so that, for example, a student does not play school sports while affected by such an injury in a community league.
    Despite the loss on the 2011 ballot regarding the construction of an emergency exit road from the Harbor school, the need for such a road remains.  At least one resident spoke in favor of again including the issue on this May's ballot.
    The Board accepted $71,000 from Save Seaford Sports for the reinstatement of Middle School athletics for the Winter 1 and 2 seasons.  At the urging of several students and parents, the Board approved the creation of a Gay/Straight alliance Club at Seaford High School and accepted a resident's gift of $683.50 to pay the costs for the remainder of this school year.  An excellent article on this topic appears in patch.com, linked here.
    A resident complained that Seaford is "way behind the times" because the district has not installed wi-fi throughout the schools, allowing the use of tablets instead of heavy textbooks.  I did not understand whether the resident wanted wi-fi in one school or four.  The superintendent pointed out that NY State considers Seaford a low-need district, and the assistance from Albany is limited.  (My opinion: Nobody can spend the same dollar twice.  We have to choose where to spend.)
   I left at 8:55 p.m. as a resident was questioning the circumstances under which the Advisory Committee on Technology  received its instructions from the board.

LIRR Forum, 1.30.2012

LIRR FORUM at Wantagh Library, 1.30.2012.  Warning! These notes may contain errors.

The meeting lasted from 8 p.m. to about 9:20 p.m.

 Nassau county Legislator David Denenberg hosted Bob Brennan, Director, Government and Community Relations, LIRR, and Patrick Gerakaris, Branch Line Manager of some 38 south shore stations in Nassau County.  The email for the Branch Line Manager is pcgerak@lirr.org

 Larry Rubinstein of the LIRR Commuters' Council was present.  Please see http://www.pcac.org

 I note that two Nassau seats on the LIRR Commuters' Council remain vacant.

 As people drifted in and out, the highest attendance was about 35.  However, they were far more outspoken and less polite than the smaller numbers of other meetings.  Chief problem: Some attendees would repeat their complaints several times and not yield the floor.

 Claudia of the North and Central Merrick Civic Association said that the people of Merrick and Bellmore want the Town of Hempstead to require permits for parking at those two stations.  However, some of the lots were developed with federal or New York State aid and cannot be reserved for town residents.

 Station maintenance was a big issue, especially at Freeport.  As Nassau County pays the maintenance bills, it has some say about the level of cleaning.

 Because of the pigeon problem at Merrick and Bellmore, a cleaner wipes the stairway handrails twice each morning.  The same cleaner cleans the toilets there and in Wantagh and Seaford twice also.

 The ripples and deterioration of the platform at Wantagh requires a major overhaul, but the third year of the MTA budget has not yet been appropriated by the NY State Legislature.  There is question whether any funds for Wantagh will be included beyond a design study.

 Bob Brennan said that Wantagh has 5,500 customers daily, and that it ranks #7 or #8 in passenger count.

 Someone inquired about closed circuit camera surveillance preventing suicides.  In the brief discussion, one of the speakers said that the locations of working cameras could not be revealed.  Mention was also made of parking lot and platform security cameras, but there again few answers were forthcoming.  Mention was made of more active CCTV surveillance over the past years at Freeport, including the arrest involving in street crime caught by the station cameras.  Freeport is different village police, in addition to MTA police, watch the station.

 Someone questioned whether N.I.C.E. buses would help in LIRR service suspensions.  The answer differentiated between planned service suspensions and emergencies.  Pat Gerakaris said that the railroad has contracts with forty bus companies across the island to supply emergency help.  No one addressed the impossibility of keeping drivers near on full standby.

 A man from Oceanside and others complained about the relatively-new weekend schedule that has dropped half-hourly service at Rockville Centre, Baldwin, Merrick, Wantagh, Seaford, Massapequa Park, Copiague, and Lindenhurst on four eastbound trains and five westbound trains.

 Someone said that many LIRR stations are not ADA compliant.  Bob Breenan reminded him that the ADA requirements are for new stations and stations that have major renovations.  Although many stations lack elevators, the railroad is fully compliant with the law

 Someone complained that his $600 bicycle was stolen from the rack at Seaford, and he requested more security.  That led to a discussion of the bike lockers that are provided at some stations through a private firm.  They had to be moved further from the trestles because of possible terrorist use.

 A woman complained about the short canopies at Seaford.  Bellmore, Merrick, and Massapequa have canopies protecting the entire platform.  Wantagh and Seaford do not.  She also complained that track workers leave their work debris around.

 A man from Massapequa explained that his father was a LIRR yardmaster.  He complained about problems with defecation and urination in the upstairs waiting room.  He also related how there was once a fire in that room and burned wooden bench was left on the platform.  However, the waiting room now has two metal benches bolted to the floor, and on the morning of 2.1.2012 there was no offensive odor.

 Someone said that the emergency number at elevators was no longer in service.  One of the representatives explained that many numbers were gathered into 511, but the railroad is going to reinstitute the old 8228 number.

 An attorney from Wantagh explained that the rebidding for the coffee truck has endangered the familiar coffee man.  All agreed that it was a question of dealing with MTA Real Estate.  The process includes a Request for Proposal, then bidding.

A man from Seaford complained about graffiti on the bridge over NY state 135.  He said it was an invitation to join a gang.  One of the LIRR representatives explained that it took coordination with the NYS Department of Transportation, police, and the railroad to get the graffiti covered.  The same man complained about the presence of homeless people at the train stations.

 Fortunately, the funding for the East Side Access is still in the pipeline and work continues.  The Wantagh station renovation depends on MTA funding from the New York State Legislature.  The chairman of the New York State Senate Transportation Committee is Charles Fuschillo. 

 There is renewed interest in double-tracking from Farmingdale to Ronkonkoma.  I suspect that the project may draw fewer NIMBY objections than the elevation of three tracks through New Hyde Park.