Village Lauds Gannon As Best for Job
At the last meeting of the Village of New Hyde Park, the board announced the appointment of the Superintendent of Building Thomas Gannon to the position of Superintendent of the Department of Public Works. He will be in charge of the men in the department at the facility that abuts Nuzzi Field on Stewart Avenue, in New Hyde Park. He was greeted with a round of applause at the time of the announcement at the meeting in village hall.
After Gannon’s appointment, Deputy Mayor Robert Lofaro, who took over the meeting for Mayor Daniel Petruccio, said, “I think that the message here is we didn’t have to look very far because the most qualified and the best person for the job was right in front of us. We thank Tom for offering his services to the village and we are absolutely delighted that he has accepted the position and the board and his colleagues are anxiously waiting to work with Tom and to continue to provide quality service to the residents of the village.”
Lofaro continued, “I guess what is important to know is that Tom has an experienced staff at DPW that know how to do many of the functions that are required. So Tom will be implementing his own style and his own changes at DPW, but as far as I know our garbage will be picked up and our streets will be cleared. Further, the men at DPW deserve credit for knowing their jobs and responsibilities at DPW. From what I hear, they are delighted that Tom has been appointed as superintendent and they join many other residents in the village in wishing him well. We have received a number of phone calls lauding the board for its appointment of Tom Gannon.”
Trustee Reports
Trustee Richard Coppola
Trustee Coppola announced that the Chamber of Commerce will hold its Annual Holiday Party at Umbertos on Dec. 16 at 6 p.m.
He said, “We would like to thank the auxiliary police for coming to the tree lighting we held last weekend. It was very successful. Memorial Park-construction is underway for a new volleyball and basketball court.”
Coppola also said that the fire department warns residents to be careful with trees and candles during the holidays. He said, “Remember that trees catch fire very fast, so be careful, careful with the extension cords and be especially careful when using candles.” He then wished one and all in the village a very “Happy Holiday.”
Deputy Mayor Robert Lofaro
Lofaro praised Chairman of the Beautification Committee Richard Pallisco for the marvelous job he did in decorating village hall and the outside for the holidays.
Facilities
Lofaro continued, “I think we are getting very close to the completion of the theater upstairs. The plastic is off the door leading up to the theater, here in the boardroom and this is now one of the emergency exits that can lead us out to the side entrance. We have to remember that this building was built in the early 1900s and it will now be safer. The employees that work in the back offices or we, here in village, boardroom, have a second means of egress. It was more than a theatre project, but it was making village hall a safer place to conduct business and to host activities.
“The mayor has said this many times, there is nothing like coming into village hall and seeing every room filled with activities. Now in the theatre and the Little League upstairs and activities in the basement. Really, that is what this building is for, for the use of all the residents.” He also thanked State Bank of Long Island for sponsoring the tree lighting ceremony including the holiday show featuring the Magic of Amore, who has been performing at the village for the past 15 years and is still a delight to all the children. He thanked the Chairperson of the Cultural Commission, Lisa Miranda for all her hard work in putting it all together.
Lofaro also thanked the members of the New Hyde Park Memorial Chamber Choir, under the direction of Robert McKinnon as well as the Memorial Jazz Band, under the direction of Noel Monet. Both did spectacular jobs in rather cramped quarters.
Trustee Lawrence Montreuil
Trustee Montreuil reported that the Building Department issued 37 permits for the month of November which is 33 percent behind last November continuing a trend.
Court Cases-the Building Department collected approximately $12, 000 in fines for various violations including a $7,000 fine for an illegal apartment in a single-family house.
A number of court cases on the docket including a homeowner who replaced a driveway without a permit, an illegal use of a place on Jericho Turnpike for a massage parlor, several violations for realtor posting signs on village property and a homeowner who did work without a permit. A home on 12th Street has been demolished to make way for a new home.
Board of Zoning heard an application for a martial arts studio for a variance for parking. The Architecural Review also heard a case for 1300 Jericho Turnpike for a pizza parlor and they came before the village board for a special use permit. However, the application for some façade work was not approved.
Open to Public Comment
A resident complained that there is still a problem with two businesses on South 5th Street. He said that two businesses are running instead of one and they took the buffer zone on the end of the street between a house on the end as a parking lot. The resident said, “It seems the village makes laws and gives people who own property the right to do certain things. Then after four, five or six years, they do whatever they want to do. What is going to curtail the situation down there? I am calling every day to code enforcement. They are parking all over my block. They were even given a special place to park by the school that is closed. The quality on my block is starting to get really, really bad. I’d like you to do something and keep me informed, because I may start to do something. With the taxes I pay here I want to live like everybody else. I don’t want to live in a ghetto.”
Lofaro said, “We will check the building file and see what is permitted. We often find that new tenants or new owners don’t know what the conditions are for that building. We will have the building department look at the file and we will make sure it will be up to code. People, like yourself, bring this to our attention, which is good.”
Bulk Mail
Deputy Mayor Lofaro, as a point of information, explained the process the post office has with bulk mail. He said, “The post office has changed the way they distribute bulk mail. In the past they used to distribute bulk mail from 2nd Avenue. Now it is taken to Flushing before it is delivered. We used to have pretty close control over the newsletter and we used to ask the postmaster to get it out quickly. Now, however, we no longer have that ability, so when our newsletters get delivered to Flushing we cross our fingers and hope they get delivered in some time. In all fairness to the post office, they do have three weeks, if not longer to deliver bulk mail and we pay postage on newsletters for bulk mail. I’m saying this because I think the newsletter came out a little later than the dates listed in the newsletter and it is not our intention to get things out late, so we will have to figure out what our lead time is to get them to the post office. If anyone had missed a garbage collection, we apologize.”
The board then approved the certiorari on the agenda, but withheld one for $52, 895 until next week.
Communications To the Board
• Rental Renewals for Marcus Christ Hall
• American Legion Post No. 1089 to meet every third Thursday of each month from 7 to 9 p.m.
• VFW G & E Linder Post-the first and third Wednesday of each month except Jan. 19, Feb. 16, June 20, July 17 and substituting May 21, May 28, November 5, November 11 and December 14.
• Landscape Renewal: 22 Greenbelt Lane, Levittown
Renewal of Carters
Jamacia Ash and Rubbish, Jet Sanitation Service, Daniel Finley Allen, Winter Brothers Recycling, National Waste Services.
Restaurant Renewals
Wong’s Garden and Subway
Dry Cleaners
Jericho Hope Cleaners
The board closed the meeting and then there was a brief discussion about how the Downtown Jericho Turnpike Restoration will handle the solid medians. Lofaro said that actually the board is revisiting that subject.
The next board meeting will be held on Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. at New Hyde Park Village Hall, corner of New Hyde Park Road and Jericho Turnpike.
