{ title: 'The Farmingdale observer. (Farmingdale, N.Y.) 1963-current, September 15, 1977, Page 4, Image 4', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn95071030/1977-09-15/ed-1/seq-4/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn95071030/1977-09-15/ed-1/seq-4.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn95071030/1977-09-15/ed-1/seq-4/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn95071030/1977-09-15/ed-1/seq-4/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
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<- Edltoriols.Viewpoinls.Commenfs Jit Mini Center? >; Hie Farmingdale Board of Education will meet f tonight in a special meeting in Guilford Hall at Far- mingdale High School and according to the agenda for J= the evening will consider the contract proposals for the ^.sale of Main Street School. There are at least two 3 prospective buyers ready to meet or better the a- minimum sale price of 5750.000 approved by the district •2 voters. All have the same idea in mind, however, the \g tearing down of the old school building and the con- 5 sanction of a mini-shopping center including a super- E market. <s There's a strong possibility that an agreement could * be reached at tonight*s meeting and a contract £ authorized. The winner of the contract would then have to go to the Village of Farmingdale for zoning changes to convert the property to business status. There are many pro and con thoughts being expressed toward the shopping center proposal. These represent two opposing schools of thought. The first, adhered to by most downtown merchants, says a mini-center at that location would draw present shoppers away from the downtown business area and cause more store closings and vacancies in the main village shopping area. The opposing viewpoint, as viewed by \professionals'\ of economic trends, say that this type of attraction to shoppers within the region would attract them to the Main Street area and they would support other local 644/1 leaden*, Dear Editor: Economics and a deep respect for our fine community prompts me to share with you some community improvement suggestions. Consider please the following: First - Converting Main St. for the holiday season (when the parking meters are covered) into the first and only open-air mall in Nassau County: Then advertising it as such on community service TV, radio, etc. via free public service announcements. If the malls are the competition of Farmingdale merchants then let's have a mall!! Honestly, Main St. is too narrow for today's traffic, especially those huge trucks, plus the Fire Dept. could reach a fire easier by not battling the Main St traffic but using an alternate back exit route. Also, picture an aerial view of Main St. as an open-air Holiday Mall. You'll see ample parking space behind the stores and side streets with more relaxed mall walking area for increased numbers of shoppers. It's worth a try for the holidays. Second - A Community Center smartmip\ of the Main Street building testifies for the taste and the economic wisdom of the school board responsible for it. Like human beimts. I bear wit- ness of it, buildings too succumb to the ravages of old age. But my burial will be relatively cheap in comparison to the expensive burden falling on the school board, when the time comes to demolish the building that is prone to dilapidation. We all know how hard hit our residents are by the high school taxes. Many seniors find it difficult to avoid the loss of their property. My own school board plus village taxes amounted to $2,276 last year. Therefore, there is no doubt that the Main Street School building must be used in some way as a taxpayer. But should this be done at the expense of other taxpayers, namely of that of the Far- mingdale merchants? The promoters of the planned mini- shopping center claim that it will bring new customers to the village. Where should they come from? Will other villages' residents take the bus to shop in Farmingdale, when the same bus rtomtf. tog could find the^it«ns they want to purchase £»«£ %£™£ .ttgZtt,™* at competitive pnces. It's obvious that one of the two schools of thought is wrong for Farmingdale. You, our readers, are the shoppers. How do you feel about it? We'd like to know. sfotetHUcf From Assemblyman Philip Healey The \lLove New York\ tourism campaign, seen by many over local television, has also been broadcast in seven neighboring states to encourage vacation travel to New York State. The State Commerce Department has announced that, while the figures will not be available for a short time, reports from tourist centers indicate that the travel.business in our state was extremely \healthy\ mis summer. It is also heartening to learn that related businesses, such as gas stations, motel.s restaurants,, fishing charter boats and pleasure launch rentals also did very well this summer season. Reports so far from the Commerce Department indicate that the $4.3 million tourism promotion campaign authorized by the Legislature this year is reaping sizeable dividends, both in expanded business for the private sector and increased tax revenues for the state, as well as for the county. Long Island is one of the major tourism centers in New York State and, for this reason, 1 am quite pleased that the tourism program which received my full support is showing healthy gains for the economy. In fact, in some cases, business increased by as much as 30 per cent over last year's levels. hi the fall there will be another series of ads to reacquaint citizens with the attractions of New York City area. There will be a continued emphasis on the tourism program and ram pleased to support thiseffort since I have been advocating increased tourism efforts for several years to help the economy in New York State. According to Deputy Commissioner Raymond D. O'CouneU, in charge of tourism development within the Commerce Department, a year ago New York State was 49th among the 50 states in providing hinds for the promotion of tourism Now, we are among the \top 10\ and this should pay off handsomely. C — n L2 U-£-£T—-TTX mm*** AAUW Meeting The American Association of University Women will hold its first fall meeting on Tuesday, 20, at 4 pjn. The meeting will be held in theSt.L^TA^vitie.Hall,t45 Prospect St., Farmingdale. The for discussion will be food will be this building for a major supermarket when we already have one empty building- for- merly Hills - and a new market opening soon at Bohacks, is impractical. Why not seek funding to make Main St. School our much needed community center? A center would economically improve Farmingdale by utilizing the building as follows: roller skating rink (gym); plays, art shows, etc. (theatre); Farmingdale Historical room (large area room); rented meeting rooms (various classrooms). The final chance to convert Main St. School to our Far- mingdale Community Center is now!! C'mon, residents, let's get moving and express that con- cerned community spirit that identifies Farmingdale. Roberta Passarella An Appeal to the Farmingdale School Board. Mr. President, Members of the Board: My name is Dr. Albert Meyerstein. I am a retired physician, a resident of Far- mingdale since 1939.1 am not a co-owner of any Farmingdale store and I possess no real estate except my residence. I worked hard as an old fashioned family physician, I took care of your children as your school physician for many years, and, at financial sacrifices I opened a Medical Building on Main Street. Its specialists treated not only patients who were snared to drive to Hempstead, but also brought patients from other villages to Farmingdale. As a reward for my services Farmingdale was very good to me, among others, I was appointed \Man of the Year\ twice. Tonight I wish to express my tJMiffrf to Farmingdale by your board with the to, please, vote against the sale of the Main Street School to the developers who plan to build a mini shopping center in its place. Everybody will acknowledge that you are confronted with a very difficult decision. The \distinctive style and craft- neighboring maxi-shopping centers, where the choice of merchandise a customer finds in one store surpasses that of all Farmingdale stores together? I was a member of the Far- mingdale Chamber of Commerce for many years. Therefore I can say mat the accusation mat the Farmingdale merchants have not enough enterprising spirit, is just not true. They only have not the necessary capital to compete with the department stores. The developers' other argument that the mini-shopping center would make it easier for our seniors to shop. This is true. But will their restricted buying power be enough to sustain the shopping center. Elderly people don't buy many clothes, new furniture etc. Their main ex- penditure goes for food. Our village fathers had s hard time, after three large supermarkets were unable to make out, to persuade an enterprising firm to try again in Farmingdale. Will it be fair to invite into the mini- shopping center a large com- pany's supermarket as a com- petitor, before they opened shop. Is the Board aware of bow many seniors take advantage of the reduced taxifare to buy at Waldbaums? The mini center would damage the taxi business. What kind of stores would come to the planned mini-shopping center? Mostly those which would compete with the ones still existing comfortably in Far- mingdale at present: a meat market, a pharmacy, a shoe, a hardware, a 5 and 10 cts. store, a florist shop, a restaurant. Is it fair to invite competitors to them. The slices of a cake become thinner, when the number of eaters increases. Did you notice bow many barbers enjoy the sunshine standing in front of their stores due to lack of customers? And.what will happen, if the new mini-shopping center will not be successful? Didn't we learn from the example of the bankrupt Massapequa mini-center? It cost the Massapequa village fathers a lot of headache. The space of the Main Street School complex should remain reserved for future necessities which will also draw customers Continued on page 5] S j?TsEm \COLBY COMMENTS In last week's column, I bad the pleasure of snaring with you a letter from the mother of a handicapped son expressing her gratitude to the Town for its Group Activities Program (GAP), a social, therapeutic recreation program for the handicapped. What some may not realize is that GAP is a year-round program and is available for Town residents between the ages of six and ap- proximately thirty. It deals with the special needs of the educable retarded, trainable retarded, brain injured, emotionally disturbed, learning disabled, physically handicapped or multiple handicapped. The fall-winter-spring program will start October 3, and parents can register their children at any time prior to the start or during the course of the program. There is no registration fee. The program is structured for three age groups; an after-school program for ages six to approximately 21, an evening teen-young adult program for ages 16 through 30, and another\ evening program for adults only, 21 years of age and older. The after-school group meets three days a week at three different sites: East Lake School in Massapequa Park, Pasadena School in Plainview, and Theodore Roosevelt School in Oyster Bay. The ac- tivities are geared to individual strengths while, dealing with specific areas of deficiency or weakness. The two evening programs are held at the SyossetTWoodbury community Park. The teen-young adult session is on Friday evenings from 7 to 10 p.m., and the young adult program is held during the same hours on Tuesdays. Both of these programs provide a club-like at- mosphere and are directed toward the social concerns of these age groups. Abrochure describing these programs in more detail is available from the Town Public Information Office, 922-5800, extension 258, or you may call the Handicapped Services Division, extension 248, at the above number. M J^ mother noted in lasl weed's letter, \Without the GAP, life wouw indeed he very dull for these less fortunate individuals.\
