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December 16, 2002
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| Refreshments prepared by Marie and Ernie Catanese |
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| Girl scouts delivering donated food items |
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| Rev. Johnson delivering a check from Grace Lutheran Church |
November 17, 2002
At the Inaugural Induction Ceremony and Reception of the Long Island
Volunteer Hall of Fame Honoring Founders of Long Island Organizations, Beverly
Merkinger, Dr. Sherry Radowitz and Arlene Siegelwaks were honored for their work
in UCC in its formative years. Beverly Merkinger was a volunteer at the
Youth Project for many years.
June 17, 2002
Uniondale High School Girls Track Team
has won the the New York State championship 10 years in a row. Wants to
send 8 participants to nationals for high schools. The School District is
not allowed to contribute financially, so fundraising is necessary. The
cost will be approximately $3,000 but only because the coach has paid about $500
in entry fees out of his own pocket. Make checks out to Uniondale Girls
Track Club and send them to the High School at 933 Goodrich Street. These
achievements have been reached while maintaining exceptional academic standards
as well.
Would also like to send two girls to nationals for juniors sponsored by the
US Olympic Committee. These girls have to potential to end up on the US
national team or go to the next Olympics. From these meets, a few of the
best are invited to spend a week at the Olympic Committee's training center in
California. Uniondale students have been invited approximately every other
year.
Strip Malls Requiring Parking Variance
The same builder who owns Union Plaza at the Uniondale Avenue/Nassau Road
intersection also owns Lenox Plaza at the Front Street/Lenox Street intersection
as well as the new 5-store mall at Uniondale Avenue/Hempstead Boulevard formerly
known as the Dairy Barn property. He is also proposing a 6-store mall
across from McDonald's on Front Street as well as a 9-store mall next to the
Bravo auto repair shop also on Front Street. At the latter, off-street
parking requirements are 64 spaces. The owner seeks a variance to provide
only 31. By vote among the participants, development of the property is
being supported provided it can happen within existing rules.
Side yard variances have now also become common. These are variances
that allow two houses to be built on a lot that is really only meant for one
house. The variance will not mean additional tax revenue but will produce
increased need for garbage collection, school services, etc. The UCC has a
standing resolution against such sub-divisions and UNITE will oppose them at
Zoning Board meetings.
Library Expansion
has been put on a fast track. The necessary variance has been approved and
building plans submitted. It has not been possible to find a way to move
the existing house to another location.
School District
Because the community comes out and approves the budget every year, the
Uniondale School District is among the top 425 minority districts in the
US. It has allowed for hiring a Director of Research. It has meant
that a 9th graders project won 3rd prize in the Intel competition, an
international competition with participation from around the world.
Beginning in September, school uniforms will be required for K-8; 9-12 will
follow next year. There is an opt-out clause but it is not expected to be
used very often. NYC schools' exemption to allow for the uniform
requirement does not have a similar opt-out clause
Project Save allows a teacher to remove disruptive students. It also
allows a District to implement special measures in the case of issues with a
negative impact. The presence of gangs and their use of clothing as gang
identifiers is just such an issue and it is under this provision, the school
uniform policy has been implemented.
The Alternative Suspension School at Cornelius Court with participation of
UCC staff has succeeded in turning at least one student around to pass regents
testing, a major achievement. Advantage After School is another
collaboration with non-profit organization. Possibilities for
collaboration with faith-based organizations are also being explored.
Clean Streets
The National Appliance property is in a deplorable condition as it has been for
about 40 years. Garbage is also strewn at the post office. To deal
with this, residents must gather some neighbors, write letters to the Town
Building Department and send pictures along. They will investigate and
take appropriate action but it is important to do something. Don't expect
someone else to do it for you.
Cradle of Aviation
The museum is within the Uniondale School District but does not pay property
taxes because it is a County facility. The kids don't even get discount
tickets.
Free Park Concerts
There will be free concerts both in Uniondale and Smith Street parks.
Watch the calendar for announcements.
April 15, 2002
Candidates for School Board:
Ricky LaRosa
Neville George
Police Report:
73 summonses issued in March in front of Turtle Hook
Most categories are either level or lower except criminal mischief which is up
and so are robberies
Problems with bars are being addressed
Precinct is being reorganized and the gang unit at the schools has been lost
Coliseum Towers Associates (otherwise known as EAB Plaza)
A hearing will be held on April 23 at Town Hall to formalize what has been in
effect since 1982. Town code requires 4 parking spaces per 1,000 square
feet. Currently, there are approximately 3,300 or 700 less than
required. A study shows that despite an occupancy rate of 94%, even at
peak hours, 25% of the parking spaces remain empty. Adding the 700 spaces
will not only be unnecessary but also aesthetically detrimental because it would
mean some kind of parking garage.
Youth Project:
Dance recital on May 11, 2002 at the High School
Music in the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's
Summer camp is full - 2 on waiting list
Still a couple of spots available in the elementary camp (grades 2 - 6)
The community is encouraged to support School Superintendent Mary Cannie's
effort to prevent police from recruiting students for police line-ups without
their parents' consent.
Funds are finally being released to pay staff.
Gasoline Spill:
Follow-up presentation regarding gasoline spills at the former Getty station,
now Delta and at the King Bear and Mobil stations on Uniondale Avenue. The
concern is the threat to drinking water wells located in Roosevelt. For
further information, please see www.dec.state.ny.us/website/reg1/spills.html.
School Budget:
The school budget is being increased from $103 million to $108.5 million
primarily due to increases in health insurance, retirement and additional staff.
Spending per student is between $13,500 and $17,000 depending on who you ask.
February 25, 2002
Youth Project:
The project still has a
serious cash flow problem and staff members aren't being paid on time.
Nevertheless, all programs are going well.
Everyone is encouraged to use the form letter to
County Executive Tom Suozzi requesting that the Police Department's Community
Resource Unit be reinstated. It is important in our fight against gang
violence in our community, particularly in the schools.
Fire Department:
The Department gained 8 new members in January and 2 in February.
Fundraising will begin a little earlier this year so the fire fighters can spend
more of the spring with their families. Envelopes will be mailed out
shortly. Be aware of scammers pretending to raise funds for the
Department. Make checks out to Uniondale Fire Department, not to anyone
else.
Police Report:
Most crime categories have decreased from 2000 to 2001 except for a 26% increase
in larcenies. Commercial overnight street parking continues to be a
problem as is debris from bar guests leaving early in the morning. Alarm
permits are available at the precinct.
Guest Speaker: Postmaster Capozzi
Until now the Uniondale post office along with the West Hempstead and the East
Meadow post offices have been branches of the Hempstead post office. All
will now have their own postmasters. Mr. Capozzi has actually been in the
community for three years as the branch manager. The advantage to having
our own postmaster lies mainly in responsibility.
One of the main issues at the new post office is parking. There is just
not enough and solutions are being pursued.
There was much discussion about post office boundaries which do not coincide
with historical boundaries, school district or fire department boundaries.
Historically, Uniondale is bordered to the north by Old Country Road which is
also the school district border. The fire district's northern border is at
Stewart Avenue and the post office's border is even further to the south so that
the Community College and many other important buildings within historic
Uniondale are serviced by the Garden City post office and consequently have
Garden City addresses. Will the new Children's Museum, the Fire Museum and
the Cradle of Aviation have Uniondale addresses?
Mail volume has dropped significantly since the September 11 terror
attack. Rates will go up in June by 3¢. The anthrax clean-up of
several large mail facilities is at least partially to blame.
U.N.I.T.E.:
The speed limit on Jerusalem Avenue will be dropped to 30MPH in front of Turtle
Hook.
Parking spaces for the six new stores in the old Chase bank parking lot on
Front Street has been increased from 8 to 11, but it is still far from the
required 33. Parking is already a problem in the area as it is. With
the experience from Lenox Plaza in mind, garbage collection is also expected to
be a problem. U.N.I.T.E. is collecting signatures
in opposition to this development.
In the same area, a laundromat is being expanded. In addition to
washing machines and driers, there are also game machines, telephones and
restrooms. The facility is open 24/7 and is already a hangout.
Expanding it will only make that worse.
January 28, 2002
Police:
Officer Maloney from the 1st precinct. TNT, the unlicensed auto repair
shop on Jerusalem Avenue has been closed. Some cell phone calls regarding
stabbing or domestic dispute turned out to not be real or the wrong information
was given. Cell phone calls cannot be traced back to the origin.
When you call 911, you may choose to be anonymous, but it helps the
investigation if you do allow the police to contact you. You can ask them
to be discreet.
Closing in on the anniversary of the death of two young boys, the traffic
survey on Jerusalem Avenue indicates and it is the recommendation of the Police
Department that a speed reduction is unnecessary. It is difficult for the
community to understand why this decision should not be made by the people who
live here and not by some bureaucrat somewhere else. Join U.N.I.T.E.
and all other Uniondale Organizations in this important effort.
Youth Project:
Pay checks for the staff could be delayed for as long as six weeks because the
State funding has not arrived.
Annual Trustee Dinner Dance:
The most successful Dinner Dance ever. Approximately $3,000 was raised.
Guest Speaker:
Honorary Trustee Darrell Broach, Co-President of Nostrand
Gardens Civic Association:
In 1996 a gasoline leak was discovered at the then Getty Station, now Delta
Station on Uniondale Avenue at the corner of Hempstead Boulevard.
Recently, JNM Environmental Corp., a company hired by the New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation, held a public information meeting at
the High School.
The plume of contamination has been joined by contamination from both the
Mobil and the Empire stations at the intersection of Uniondale and Jerusalem
Avenues. It is about to reach Southern State Parkway and threaten the
water wells supplying residents in Roosevelt. Nothing is know about its
impact on health for residents along Uniondale Avenue.
There are several possible solutions. Generally, the quicker the
cleanup, the more severe the disruption. JNM recommends building a cleanup
facility near Southern State Parkway in which case the cleanup would take 10 -
14 years. Another approach would be to dig up all the contaminated soil
and replace it with fresh soil. That could be done in as little as six
months. The question is, how does this community want the problem solved?
There is also the more political aspect to consider, will property values
fall all over Uniondale if you make too much noise about this problem?
The Town has promised to help getting a list of old and existing gasoline
stations in Uniondale, so all the abandoned tanks can be removed.
Fire Department:
Check your carbon monoxide detectors. For faster response, call the Fire
Department, not 911, for fire and medical emergencies. Always looking for
new members.
U.N.I.T.E.
Six new stores, each 20 ft. wide, may be built on the site where Chase
bank used to be on Front Street. There will only be 8 off-street parking
spaces. The Chamber of Commerce is supporting the project, but is this
really what we need here?
A laundromat on Front street is expanding to 120 washers and 130 dryers.
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