Memorial Day, 2014

On the morning of May 26, 2014, the Seaford American Legion and other organizations honored those who died in combat with a parade to the marker at Seaford Middle School.

Above are the marchers of the American Legion.  Each photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.

School Budget Passed

On May 20, 2014, the proposed 2014-2015 Seaford, New York, school budget passed 1,427-592. 

The repair reserve fund passed, 1,326-425.  Resolved, the Board be authorized to transfer up to 2.5 million dollars from the proceeds from the anticipated sale of the Seaford Avenue School to a repair reserve fund for repairs to the facilities in the Seaford School District, which transfer of funds shall not cause an increase in taxes.
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The Basic Veteran's Exemption advisory passed, 1,280-448.  Resolved, that the Board of Education exercise its discretion and approve the basic veteran's exemption that is permissible under Section 458-a of the Real Property Tax Law.
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Brian Fagan and Stacie Stark were elected as trustees on the school board. 

The Citizen renamed

Above is the masthead of the final edition of The Citizen, a weekly newspaper that was purchased by a larger organization several months ago.  Note that it is issue 17  of Volume 61, dated April 28, 2014.

Above is the masthead of the next edition, the Seaford Herald Citizen, with a spread date of May 1-7, 2014. The masthead appears to lack a Volume and Issue number.

Seaford 7th Precinct Meeting 4.7.2014

Meeting with Seventh Precinct police commander 4.7.2014.

These are merely my notes from the meeting, and errors can be corrected.

County Legislator David Denenberg arranged this meeting at the Seaford Library, for 7:30 p.m.  Dan, a legislative assistant, arrived first.  He said Denenberg was at a special session of the Nassau Legislature (true), but would come.  Inspector Joseph Barbieri of the Seventh Precinct would be late.  Dan said that out the consolidation of the First Precinct into the Seventh Precinct is “off the table.”

At 7:50 p.m. Inspector Joseph Barbieri arrived from a meeting at the Seventh Precinct.  He, instead of POP officers, attended our meeting because the Problem-Oriented-Policing officers are busy with school safety, and the POP staff had been cut.

The inspector was at the Seventh Precinct during Sandy, when a 50’ yacht was on Merrick Road and the precinct house was out of service.  He spoke of the danger of future storms.  That is why they purchased SUV’s, which ride higher than sedans.  He spoke about the burglars captured in Massapequa Park because of their footprints in  snow.
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He spoke of the ways in which thieves scam older people.  Some thieves phone about false IRS bills, or fees for missing jury duty, or a computer virus scam, or a request to call back a certain number.  He mentioned the skimming device found on a Ticket Vending Machine at Baldwin station.  The inspector said we should lock our windows and doors.

He spoke about thieves looking for valuables in cars parked near gymnasiums.

He said that along the park trails, Nassau County Public Safety Officers were patrolling.

8:07 p.m. The Inspector resumed by asking that questions be held until later.

He spoke of strangers and youngsters.

Regarding car break-ins, he said that almost all people caught had an addiction to something stronger than alcohol.  The notion of a drug user as a dirty junkie is passé.  One problem is that heroin has become cheap, $6 to $8 a bag.  He thanked the County Executive and the Legislature for attempting to provide kits to revive people who have overdosed.
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8:16 p.m. Legislator David Denenberg arrived from a session that was featured in Newsday the next day.

Denenberg said the funerals from overdoses tend to be people in their 20’s. High school students attend forums on drugs, but there seems to be little done with the college-age person, where the deaths have spiked.

The Inspector said one problem is the family medicine chest as the source of overdoses.  Denenberg said that problem houses should be reported to 911, so that police can begin some form of observation.

A member of the audience asked Denenberg whether he felt he was getting enough NY State support on blocking the supply chain.  Are both the state and the feds active on the borders?  No, cutting off the drug supply is the task of the federal government.  On other drug-stopping issues, Denenberg  sees no leadership from the state.

He praised the Southeast Nassau Guidance Center, but both the state and the county have cut their budgetary support.  Denenberg pointed out that the red-light camera review was supposed to have funded similar programs, but the funds are being sent to the general fund.
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A member of the audience complained about the lack of enforcement of one-hour parking on Locust Avenue near the car dealers.  Denenberg replied: Phone 911, not the precinct.  We pay a telephone charge for the Enhanced 911.  Not only does the 911 center, rather than the precinct, dispatch sector cars, but it keeps a record of the actions taken.
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A member of the audience complained about drugs and romps at the dead ends of Mermaid Avenue and Wantagh Avenue, north of St. Regis Street. The inspector promised increased visits by patrol cars.

A member of the audience complained about a construction business making excessive noise.  The inspector said that the police department does not have decibel-reading machines.

A member of the audience inquired whether overdoses were followed by inquiries about the source of the drugs.  A user could be offered a plea bargain in return for information, but an arrest could also block the process of getting more information.  The inspector made a reference to arresting those who sell alcohol to minors.  He also said that opiate medicines should be treated like firearms in the house, under lock.
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How large is the police force?  I think I heard Denenberg say it was 2,200 officers, historically quite low.  This drives up the cost of overtime.

A resident complained about the unloading of new cars from automobile delivery trucks when it is done on Seaford Avenue south of Sunrise Highway.

When I praised the diminishing number of obscured license plates, Denenberg and the inspector lauded the use of license-plate scanners atop two of the county’s police cars.

The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m.
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Please note that the April 2, 2014, issue of the Massapequa Post has an article describing Inspector Barbieri’s presentation to the mayor and Board of the Village of Massapequa Park.  They complain that larceny arrests at Sunrise Mall draw sector patrols away from the village.
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For a report on a 2010 meeting, please click here.

Seaford library budget passes 157-22

The Seaford Library budget vote was held on April 2, 2014.  The budget passed, 157-22 (179 votes cast).
James DiPietro won the seat on the Board of Trustees, 135-78 (213 votes cast).

Penultimate snow of March, 2014

The winter of 2013-2014 brought a series of snowfalls and low temperatures to Long Island, but not in such great amounts that the highways were blocked by the snow.  How many Snow Days did Seaford schools experience?  Maybe four.  The above photo of March 3, 2014, shows the accumulation when three inches were predicted.
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A wet snow of about an inch fell during the early hours of March 31, 2014.  By noon, it melted.

Harold Bruechert remembered

On October 22, 2013, Wantagh resident and volunteer fireman (former captain) delivered a informative, interesting history of the Wantagh Fire Department at a meeting of the Wantagh Preservation Society.  Sad to relate, he passed away the last week of January, 2014.  His obituary, published in Newsday 1.29.2014, is linked here.

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After the second snow of 2014

Some scenes from January 22, 2014:

Tackapausha Museum, along Washington Avenue.

A Town of Hempstead plow at work.

After the first snow of 2014

It's noon on Saturday, January 4, 2014, and travelers await a train to New York City.  The roads were cleared overnight, and the train service continued without interruption.
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Clicking on a photo will enlarge it.

Veterans' Day, 2013

 Tyler Donahue, an American Legion Boy Scout of Troop 239, landscaped this plot in front of the memorial of those who served.

 

Charles Wroblewski, at right, led the assembly in prayer, and other post officers continued with reflections on the meaning of Veterans' Day and the goals of peace and freedom.
 

November 7, at Seaford Historical Museum

SWEPT BY OCEAN BREEZES: 

A HISTORY OF CONEY ISLAND 

A presentation by author John Manbeck, made possible through a Grant from the New York Council for the Humanities, details the development of Coney Island from a useless peninsula south of Kings County into a major area attraction.  

Come to hear and see the story of how Coney Island came to be and why it became a summer utopia for the masses! 

Thurs. Nov. 7th, 2013  at  7:30 PM 

Seaford Historical Museum – 3890 Waverly Ave. 

Between Jackson & Southard Aves., Seaford 

Meeting is open to all and admission is FREE. 

Bring Family & Friends 

Refreshments will be served