ONLINE EDITION FRIDAY NOVEMBER 02, 2001

Opinion

On Sunday, Nov. 4 at 3 p.m., Floral Park's first authentic historical marker, located in the vicinity of the original home of John Lewis Childs and his seed house will be unveiled. The public is invited to the site, located along the sidewalk on Tulip Avenue across from the Floral Park Library.

Following the ceremony, I will host an informal gathering in my office at Village Hall. Historian Walter Gosden, the Historical Society and a $500 contribution from the AARP made this project possible.

Government entities have responded to the threat of bio-terrorism and the possibility of contaminated mail. The village has instituted the mail handling protocol recommended by Nassau County and state government. There is more probability of receiving a hoax letter with talc than one with any bacteria.

Any person who receives suspicious mail should call the Floral Park Police Department. Just leave the mail where it was opened, do not juggle or move it, leave the room, wash your hands and call the police. Stay calm and the matter will be addressed (no pun intended).

This is the perfect time to not only thank Postmaster Anthony Guidice and postal employees for their steadfastness in light of the homeland security situation, but to also comment on the post office building. During the summer, I had discussions about the appearance of the property with our postmaster. The response was positive. In fact, some plans were already being considered. Additional landscaping and the recently painted trim on the building are applauded.

On a recent Sunday, birthday cakes and slide presentations of Our Lady of Victory (OLV) Church celebrated its 80th birthday. Parishioners 80 years and older were included in the birthday festivities. Church groups, such as Catholic Daughters with Regent Bridgette Turadek, hosted the birthday parties after each Mass. Another highlight of the day was the dedication of a new third floor school library.

Next year will be St. Hedwig's 100th birthday. The United Methodist Church was the first church in Floral Park, followed by St. Hedwig's. In the early days, OLV held its services in one of the village's public buildings. Later, the church and school buildings were constructed.

Municipalities no longer pass "ordinances." Local legislation now involves the enactment of local laws by the village board. It takes time to pass a law. The first step is to decide if a law is necessary. Often we contact the NYS Conference of Mayors and other villages for information and sample legislation. I have never received a sample law, which I felt could just be copied and adopted in Floral Park. Our village has a unique character so the appropriate content of any law must be carefully considered. The constitutionality of the law must be solid.

The village board, administration, department managers, legal counsel and the public are a part of this process. After the material is gathered, discussed and weighed, a proposed law is drafted. Sometimes a new law isn't necessary and we decide to just amend an existing law.

Once the first draft is completed, the board studies it, discusses it and changes are likely to be made. Sometimes the board decides that it is in the best interest of the public not to pass the new law. The next step is a resolution by the board indicating the intent to adopt the new law.

A public hearing is scheduled and a public notice is posted and published. At the hearing the proposed law is presented to the public and a stenographer records the proceedings. After listening to the comments, answering the questions and considering all the facts, the village board votes whether or not to adopt the proposed law and its effective date. All new laws must be filed with the state of New York.

A red ribbon was cut to officially welcome Dano's Restaurant. The new pristine eatery opened its Tulip Avenue doors for business just recently. We wish Dano and his family much success. I like corned beef and cabbage on March 17 but spaghetti and meatballs is a year-round favorite dish. The Floral Park Lions Club cooked up a delightful Italian meal at their recent fund-raising event. Xavier, our young waiter, served Bill and I with enthusiasm. It was fun to chat over dinner with Eileen Daly and to visit with other neighbors. Thank you Lions for your good works. Recently, third graders from the John Lewis Childs School visited with me as they toured Village Hall and I visited a fourth grade class at the Floral Park-Bellerose School. The following list represents a smattering of the questions the youngsters asked me: How much money do you make? Did you ever meet any presidents? Mayor Giuliani? What time do you get up? Where do you live? How long have you lived in Floral Park? Are you related to Steve Corbett? How long have you been mayor? Do you like to work in your office? Does anybody help you? How long will you be mayor? Which do you like better - being a nurse or being a mayor?

Imagine going to your 50th grade school reunion? I was curious about what the Floral Park-Bellerose eighth grade class of 1951 reunion would be like. Husband Bill organized the event and welcomed his classmates Phyllis Hayes Kelleher, Frank Riess, Barbara Muhl Wyzykowski, Barbara Mackoviac Fody, Gail Berkes Starkie, Arlene Walenta Jones, Artie Beckel, Robert Boehm, Hank Heidtmann, Joyce Braundorf Blaine and from Kansas, Claudia Wilson Williams.

Together they sang the school song, shared old snapshots and class pictures and other memorabilia, including a school pendant. Stories about Principal "Uncle Bennie" Robinson, Belmont Racetrack, eighth grade dancing classes, school plays and field days were exchanged. The seven hours of laughter, songs and stories were an extraordinary glimpse of childhood memories and lasting friendships. The time spent was too short, even for the spouses.