Williston Park Village Denies Willy Parker Application

As the result of a very long Williston Park Village meeting held last week and a follow-up work session by the Williston Park Village Board, the board voted to deny the application by the Willy Parker restaurant at 67, 69 and 71 Hillside Avenue, Williston Park.

Mayor Odierna said he was voting no because there were no residents in support of this application. Deputy Mayor Smith was absent and trustee Swendsen-Dowd and Dunn voted against the application and trustee Darmstadt abstained.

Budget Concerns Discussed At Last New Hyde Park School Board Meeting

The last New Hyde Park/Garden City Park School Board meeting was held at the Hillside Grade School.

However, prior to the regular meeting, the board held a budget meeting at 7:30 p.m. to hear the various requests and suggestions from residents pertaining to the budget.

The first resident requested that no music programs be removed. She said that it has been shown that students who are in music programs also have higher math grades. Another concern she had was the history program. She said that, “it boggles my mind” that the sixth grade students are never taken to Museums to study different civilizations.

New Hyde Park/Floral Park Kiwanis Celebrates 60 Years

The Kiwanis Club of New Hyde Park/Floral Park recently celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the creation of the NHP Club at a gala dinner at Koenig’s in Floral Park. The evening was full of dancing to the great music of the band Out of Touch, fine food and spirits, and the camaraderie that the Kiwanis Club is known for.

The NHP Kiwanis Club was founded in 1950, and was the sponsor of the Floral Park Kiwanis Club. The two clubs recently merged to better serve the community. Kiwanis is an organization dedicated to serving the community. Our local club particularly emphasizes support for young people. It sponsors the Key Club, Builders Club, and K-Kids in local schools, awards scholarships to students each year, and sends needy young people to Kamp Kiwanis. The club actively supports local youth athletic leagues, Salvation Army, food and clothing for the needy and other charitable causes.

The NHP-Floral Park Kiwanis Club welcomes anyone interested in volunteering to serve the Floral Park, NHP and GCP communities. Anyone interested in joining may stop down at a meeting or contact Club President Peter Ferello at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 779-6164.The club meets at Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse located at 2349 Jericho Turnpike, Garden City Park on the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. and at Koenig’s Restaurant located at 86 South Tyson Avenue, Floral Park on the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m.

 

Mangano Declares War on Heroin

At Least Four Die a Month to Use, Officials Say

The last words from a 20-year-old resident came from a text message sent to his dealer. It read, “i’m diggin’ this —my dude, best I had in a while. 4 real. Save my number, peace.” That was sent before he was found by his mother dead in the bathtub.

“That is how his life ended and that must stop,” said Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, who along with Nassau Police Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey, believe that heroin use has become a very serious problem in the county. The county executive and police commissioner declared war on the problem, which they said costs the lives of at least four residents a month due to addiction, on average.

New Hyde Park Village Officials Recognize Ashley Marie Paul

At the beginning of the last New Hyde Park Village meeting, village mayor Daniel Petruccio and the board gave a village proclamation to resident Ashley Marie Paul for rescuing a little dog she found wandering on the street.

A few weeks back she found the dog and brought him to New Hyde Park Village Hall. Both she and the dog were cold and wet. Village clerk Patrick Farrell took Ashley and the dog to the vet in the village and they checked for a chip to see if they could find the owner. Having found none, Ashley then made signs and posted them throughout the village and up and down Jericho Turnpike and before long the owner was located. Farrell said, “I heard, Ashley, that you cried when the owner was finally found because you had fallen in love with the dog and hated to give it up. “Farrell added, “If more people were as sensitive and as caring as Ashley, the world would certainly be a happier place to live.”

Paul Ehrbar Throws Hat in Mayoral Ring as Independent Candidate

The following is a statement by Williston Park resident Paul Ehrbar announcing his intention to run for mayor of Williston Park:

“Approximately four years ago, the Odierna-Reardon campaign took place which brought about change to the government of our great Village of Williston Park.

“Over these past few years, and under their authority, the village has taken a turn for the worse. Under the prior administration of Tom Muldoon, Joe Connelly and Doreen Ehrbar, the village was described as a ‘nice place to visit but a better place to live.’ A ride down Hillside Avenue, with flourishing plants and flowers, gave all a feeling of pride in their warm, small quaint village.

Herricks High School Students Want Hours Changed

At the last Herricks school board meeting, the board met early, finished their routine business and then met with an extremely large number of high school students in the high school cafeteria.

The students assembled in a circle and then proceeded, one by one, to document what they would like to have the school board do for them.

The most requested item on the list, as it has been in previous years, was for the school board, in conjunction with high school principal Dr. Jane Modoono, to change their hours.

Storytelling Festival Held at Hillside Grade School

For the past 15 years, under the direction of Hillside Grade School Librarian Barbara Nelson, all the students at Hillside Grade School have participated in the storytelling competition.

The students are asked to read a poem or a rhyming book, then memorize it and recite it before Ms. Nelson and her judges. Out of that group are chosen the students, some from each grade level, who actually perform at the festival held in the Hillside Grade School gym.

The chosen students must then perform in front of the judges who this year were Mrs. Shelia Bet, Director of Curriculum and Instruction Diane Zirilli-Mares and Professor Nick Petrone who is the Adelphi University director of the Department of Theatre.

Supervisor Kaiman Presents ‘State of the Town’

The League of Woman Voters has been hosting the Supervisor’s State of the Town address for over 20 years; the format is familiar—introduction, speech and questions from the audience. The league, especially Rita and John Tanski, Jane Thomas and Amy Bass, was thanked for its efforts in coordinating the event.

North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman launched his speech citing Barack Obama’s election by a nation yearning for leadership, bold decisions, change. The country faced the greatest financial collapse since the Great Depression, he said, and the continuation of unsolvable problems involving health care; the environment; and education. The economy appears to be coming back, Kaiman noted, but the electorate is angry.

Williston Park Mayor Odierna Honors Peter Andrews

Cablevision Back to Hopefully Renew Its Agreement

Although Peter Andrews was not present at the meeting, Williston Park Mayor Ludwig Odierna gave high praise to Peter Andrews and his unique store, on Hillside Avenue, with a Certificate of Appreciation from the Village of Williston Park. He said, “For many years Peter Andrews’ delightful store has added life to the village. Further, he has been a sponsor for many events to benefit the area.”

Mayor Odierna also issued a Certificate of Appreciation to Whistle Stop, a store that recently opened in Williston Park and owner Mary Ann Fearon who was on hand to accept the certificate.