Library – Trustee Frank Chiara
At our Library all programs are currently virtual, with the hope to resume programs in person in the near future. Patrons must register for the offered programs by visiting the Library’s homepage or by calling the reference desk.
Here are some of the upcoming offered programs:
On April 7, the Library is offering Spanish for Kids, ages 3 thru preschool. The children will hear stories and sing songs in Spanish and make a craft.
On April 10, a family Trivia Challenge will be held on Superhero’s. Participants will be entered into a raffle to win a $25 gift card.
On April 13, Adults are invited to learn jewelry making from FP resident Cathy Buckley. Cathy will be teaching how to “bejewel” hairpieces.
On April 14, teens and tweens will be honoring Earth Day by making bird feeders, complete with an edible seed roof to learn how to care for wildlife birds.
On April 16, the first of several outdoor teen events to be held on the library lawn will occur. It will be Teen Yoga, a way to de-stress and stretch!
The Library continues to offer chair yoga, cooking classes, story hours and crafts. Check the Library’s website at floralparklibrary.org for a complete list of programs. Once again, THANKS!!! To our library staff for offering so many entertaining programs.
Police Department – Trustee Frank Chiara
At our last Board meeting on March 17, the Board adopted a resolution to increase the traffic school zone on Plainfield Ave. It will now run from Vandewater Avenue to Tulip Ave, both north and south. Once the proper signage is acquired, they will be prominently displayed and traffic enforcement will begin. Residents will be notified of this change. The posted speed will be 20mph during school hours, 7am to 6 p.m.
Our Police Department sponsored by the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), is hosting a drug take back program. It will be on Saturday April 24th from 10 am to 2 pm. With the assistance of the Floral Park CREW committee, the Police Department is planning a drive-thru drop-off at Police headquarters. Any drugs a resident would like to dispose of will be taken and placed in containers provide by the DEA. The DEA will then pick up these containers and the drugs will be destroyed. It is a great opportunity to dispose of any outdated or unused medication that is in your household.
Building Department – Trustee Frank Chiara
The Floral Blvd. reconstruction project is now scheduled to start on April 15th. Prior to the start of the construction, seven concrete catch basins will be placed on the Blvd. in the areas where they will be installed. We have asked the construction crews to place them where they do not obstruct the vision of drivers. Please use caution while driving in the area of this construction project. We anticipate road closures and or detours while this construction is underway. We will keep our residents informed of any changes to the traffic pattern. Once again, please drive carefully, especially in the area. The project should be completed within a two month time period.
The Building Dept. is expediting permits that usually are requested during this time of the year. Permits for fencing and installation of A/C unit should have an approximate turnaround time of one week. It is always recommended to check with the Building Dept. before starting any construction projects. The Building Dept. will be able to advise if any permits are needed, avoiding any delays with your projects. Thank you.
Fire Department – Trustee Archie Cheng
Every April, the Fire Department holds elections for Company Officers and the Chief’s Staff. Tonight, the Company elections are being held. On Thursday, the Chief and Assistant Chiefs will be elected. A little birdie has told me that the new Chief of the Department will be Mike Saville. Mike is a seasoned firefighter who I know will perform his duties with knowledge, experience and professionalism. We all wish Mike well in his new role as Chief.
I also want to thank Chief Pat McAllister for his service to the Department and the Village these past 5 years. Unfortunately for Pat, this year he had to battle 2 major house fires as well as the devastating fire that destroyed the strip of stores on Covert Avenue. Fortunately for us, he was the Chief in charge. His knowledge, expertise and leadership were instrumental in keeping damage confined to the structures involved. We never know when a major fire will break out, but it is comforting to know that the Chiefs, Officers and members of the Department have the tools, training and possess the bravery to face any emergency. Thanks again Pat for a job more than well done. Calls for the month of March: Rescue – 82; Rest of Department – 23.
LIRR Third Track – Trustee Archie Cheng
If you have not heard already, 3TC, the third track contractor, is still shut down from all operations due to two major incidents in Mineola regarding safety.
Recreation and Pool Departments – Trustee Lynn Pombonyo
It’s spring and we’re taking advantage of the outdoor activity opportunities that we enjoy. This past Saturday, about 250 young children and their families enjoyed Easter Bunny Photo Ops on a beautiful sunny afternoon in Centennial Gardens. Easter bags with eggs and toys provided an additional treat. Families visited the Gardens through the afternoon hours, many also playing or exploring the interesting features there. The wearing of masks, the time spread of the visitors throughout the afternoon, the vastness of the Gardens, and social distancing contributed to a delightful, safe afternoon for all. Great appreciation goes to our creative, talented and exuberant Recreation staff members for thinking of this fun-filled idea and planning an event which, as one Dad told me, made his children’s day. Thank you to Rec staff Gena King, Karen Lacey, Kate Raleigh, Kyle Meyfohrt, Jasmine Abel, Sheila McKendry, our star Nicole Milea, and Superintendent Kurt Meyfohrt.
And, our sports update. The baseball and softball fields will open during the week of April 12 with the Floral Park Little League’s auto caravan parade through the Village on Saturday, April 17th at 9am, followed by an exciting pitch, hit and run contest and homerun derby. Come out and cheer on our Floral Park Little Leaguers!
And stay tuned in the coming days and weeks for exciting details about our 2021 pool opening and summer recreation season.
Conservation Society – Trustee Lynn Pombonyo
Centennial Gardens is officially open daily 12-5 p.m. and we’re already seeing lots of enthusiastic visitors.
All who visit or care for areas of the Gardens must refer to the Outer Gardens Guidelines link on the fpgarden.org website homepage. In order to preserve the natural beauty of the Gardens, there are important guidelines relating to Maintenance, Decorations and Signs which must be followed. Please support the work of the Floral Park Conservation Society in ensuring that the Gardens will continue to be a place where flowers, plants, bushes and trees grow and thrive in a completely natural setting, one for all to enjoy.
Department of Public Works – Trustee Lynn Pombonyo
And speaking of the outdoors, our DPW staff is cleaning storm drains, filling potholes, and planting new trees to beautify our streets. If you want a tree for the grassy strip in front of your house, please call DPW at 326-6320 and let them know.
Covert Avenue Chamber of Commerce and Our Businesses – Trustee Lynn Pombonyo
The property owners for the eleven businesses damaged or destroyed by the fire are both working closely with the Village’s Building Department. Renee Marcus, Superintendent, is now reviewing construction drawings, phase two of the rebuilding of some of the interior aspects of the ten businesses south of Park Place. The plans include doors, windows, ADA accessible bathrooms, parts of the foundation, etc. This review will be expedited. With respect to Park Place, the owners and architects are exploring the possibilities for feasible future uses. This includes a code analysis. Again, Ms. Marcus is making herself available to all parties, including the property owners, architects, contractors and business owners, to move the process forward and to share whatever information she has. Thank you, Renee.
With respect to the protective chain-link fencing surrounding the fire site, the Nassau County Department of Transportation, who planned the current fencing, has not offered viable alternatives for the location of the fencing. The Building Department and the Department of Public Works are looking at and considering options to the current chain-link fencing that may be more secure and effective in improving aesthetics as much as possible.
We all look forward to the reopening of our Covert Avenue businesses and are committed to supporting that process. And remember, please SHOP AND DINE LOCAL!
Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald
As Deputy Mayor Pombonyo mentioned about trees, I am happy to report people are calling Public Works to ask for trees, an issue close to my heart as I believe trees are an important aspect of the Village, caring for its trees. Especially, after I think we lost 100 trees due to Storm Isaias this past summer. One important thing coming up, staying with DPW, our street sweeper has been out of service for the past couple of weeks. We are hopeful to get that back running in the next day or two and we are thankful to the residents for their patience on that. Once the sweeper is back in service, it will be working 8 or 9 hours a day. Thanks.
We have an exciting event in the Village this Sunday. Honor Flight Long Island is a group that typically would bring World War II veterans down to Washington DC for the day to visit the Word War II Memorial and unfortunately, due to the pandemic, could not make that happen. We do have a resident, Dominick Critelli who is a World War II veteran and is celebrating his 100th birthday on Sunday. Honor Flight Long Island will be having a caravan parade in the Village and will ultimately be stopping at Mr. Critelli’s house to honor him. I saw his background story and all of the amazing things he did during World War II; they say it is the ‘Greatest Generation’ and it really is when you read his story. You will hear more about Mr. Critelli’s amazing story on Sunday and throughout this week.
Lastly, next Wednesday (April 14) is our annual Budget Hearing. As I have said at many civic association meetings, if you can come to one meeting a year, that might be the meeting to come to; it is informative and we will try to keep it as lively as possible. Thank you.
