A few families braved the frigid temperatures on Saturday morning for what was an intimate and informative inaugural meeting with the Williston Park Welcoming Committee.
The Welcoming Committee, the brainchild of Village of Williston Park Mayor Paul Ehrbar and his wife, former mayor Doreen Ehrbar, aims to provide a basic orientation about the village, and its services and activities, to families who have recently moved into Williston Park.
Over bagels and coffee, the Ehrbars, Trustee Barbara Alagna, the village board liaison to the committee and Welcoming Committee members Rae Carmanica, who formerly served as village clerk, Marilyn Wotruba, former deputy mayor Maryann McDermott and Rose McCarthy chatted with the families in a reception room on the third floor of the Williston Park Village Hall.
They also gave the families attending a booklet of information they prepared about the village, including information about village government, parking regulations, snow etiquette rules, the public library, parks and recreation, village activities and local churches. A folder containing the booklet also included ads and promotions from several local merchants, a map of the Willistons and Albertson and a folder of information from St. Aidan Church.
“We want to welcome you,” Doreen Ehrbar told the assembled residents. “No matter how long you’re in the village, there’s always something you don’t know.”
They were told about the summer concerts at the gazebo, the annual Easter Egg hunt and the April “Make A Difference Day” when student residents of the village pitch in to a clean-up effort that coincides with the Town of North Hempstead’s Earth Day.
For Heather and Jeff Flashner, who had previously lived in Hoboken, N.J., moving to Long Island was something they had been planning for some time.
“We knew we’d want to move to Long Island eventually,” Heather Flashner said, adding that she’s enjoying the change.
“I can walk to everything. I can walk to the train. Pretty much everything you could want is nearby.”
That includes her parents, who live in Rockville Centre.
“It’s a very nice neighborhood. It’s very comfortable,” said Su Lee, who attended the informal breakfast meeting with her husband, Andrew Sul and their two children Alyssa and Aaden “to know this village better and to meet neighbors.”
Christina and Michael Conway, the children of Lisa and Andrew Conway, said they were both enjoying making friends in the village since their family moved into the village several months ago. Both youngsters are baseball players and Michael has already made it onto the roster of a travel team.
All of those attending the welcome breakfast meeting had moved into the village during May or June of last year.
The Welcoming Committee, which plans to make the orientation meetings a bi-annual event in the spring and fall, scheduled the January meeting just to get the initiative started.
“I’m happy anybody came today, with the weather the way it is,” Alagna said.
The event drew a unanimously positive response from all those who attended.
“This is wonderful,” said Andrew Sul, who said he wanted to get involved in helping those less fortunate in the community.
“We’ll get you involved, don’t worry,” Mayor Ehrbar said, smiling.
Those who didn’t make it to the meeting will still receive the information folders presented to those who did attend. Doreen Ehrbar and Alagna said they planned to personally visit each family that couldn’t make it to the meeting and deliver the orientation information to them personally.
Reach reporter Richard Tedesco by e-mail at rtedesco@theislandnow.com or by phone at 516.307.1045 x204
