I hope all had a wonderful holiday season.
A belated Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year to all!
As we welcome in 2016 please be mindful of your neighbors as the cold weather moves into Williston Park. It’s neighborly to check in with your neighbors, especially the elderly and those living alone.
If and when snow arrives (remember it is winter!) remind yourself to keep all vehicles off the road.
Continue to drive safely in order to help protect family, friends, neighbors, and visitors. Let us all work hard to help ensure a safe Village.
I write this article having just returned from Weigand’s Funeral Home, after paying my respects to the family of Ed Rummell.
A heartbreaking event with the tragic loss of Ed.
A young man who dedicated his life to the safety of the community. He was a 25 year member of the NYPD, a long time member of the Mineola Ambulance Corp. and a long-time member and Officer of the Albertson Fire Department. He will be missed by many, but not forgotten.
As all may have read in this or other newspapers the Williston Park Village Board met with the East Williston Village Board in hopes of resolving the outstanding water issue.
The villages had been communicating by mail regarding the issue however the Williston Park Board reached out requesting a face to face meeting to bring this matter to an end.
East Williston Board was responsive to this request and the meeting, as reported, took place in the East Williston Village Hall. At the conclusion of this meeting, which lasted close to three hours, both Boards left with an understanding and in agreement that the parameters of a potential settlement were put in place.
The Williston Park Board was committed to submitting a draft agreement to East Williston prior to their January 12, 2016 meeting with the understanding that the document would be reviewed and returned to Williston Park with comments shortly thereafter.
The stated goal at the joint meeting was to have a final agreement in place by mid February 2016.
The agreement was delivered to East Williston on Jan. 6, 2016.
While the Williston Park Village Board remains optimistic, although a week after the meeting, we have been informed that the East Williston Board will continue to explore the possibility of building their own water system.
This was never mentioned during the course of the aforementioned meeting and is somewhat disheartening and disappointing as all felt both villages were moving forward not backwards.
Yet, knowing that the best solution for both villages is to bring this to a resolution quickly (after 10 years of negotiations) as agreed to by both boards at the time of the December meeting.
