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JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2021 • ANTON MEDIA GROUP
FULL RUN
Village Of Farmingdale Launches Main Street Business Improvement District First BID to be established in Nassau County in two decades
BY DAVE GIL DE RUBIO
dgilderubio@antonmediagroup.com
T
he latest example of municipalities rebounding from the economic wallop of the pandemic is the recent announcement that the Village of Farmingdale is forming the Main Street Business Improvement District (BID). A BID is a commercial district that assembles funds to be used to collectively enhance the area within its boundaries. This new BID allows the merchants to better plan and pay for maintenance and enhancements to the Farmingdale Downtown that may be inadequately handled by government via existing tax revenues. Some examples of what funds can be used for would be street cleaning, snow removal, advertising, special events, security cameras, a directory kiosk, capitol
Main Street Business Improvement District President Nick DeVito
(Photo courtesy of Marketing Masters NY)
improvements, etc. The BID can also apply for grant money from federal, state and local municipalities to promote downtown business. The Main Street BID will encompass the portion of Main Street from
Prospect Street to N Front Street, just past the railroad tracks. This constitutes a major economic milestone as there hasn’t been a new business improvement district in Nassau County in more than 20 years. Farmingdale’s BID Board of Directors is comprised of village business owners Nick DeVito (president), Tony Kathreptis (vice president), Walter Priestley (secretary), Joe Fortuna (treasurer), Maria Josephine Winant, Chris Werle, Christina Bisbee, Bill Carman and Joe Garcia. At the most recent count, 63 businesses are joining the Main Street BID. According to DeVito, the idea came up a few years back and only started to formulate in 2019. “It took some time to coordinate; get everyone on board, establish the Guidelines, select
a board of directors, etc.,” he said. “Also, there was some resistance to the initial proposal, so we worked with the members to find something that was more suitable.” The establishment of a BID in the Village of Farmingdale goes back to an initial attempt roughly 15 to 20 years ago. DeVito explained its failure to take was due to a lack of support from local business owners. It’s a situation that has changed in recent years. “Currently, there seems to be a better spirit of cooperation and enthusiasm to work together, not only for special events, like Music on Main, Parades, Festivals, etc., but for the everyday welfare of the Downtown,” DeVito explained. Among the projects and initiatives the BID has on its wish list are more advertising to promote what’s going on in the
village via signage at the train station and other locations, trolley service, the purchase of security cameras and possibly a marquee. For DeVito and the rest of the board, the establishment of a BID couldn’t have come at a better time. “Without the Business Improvement District, it will be difficult to raise funding for collective advertising, special events, security and snow removal from walkways,” he said. “Many of these things are not the responsibility of the village government to pay for through resident taxes. Since we have had the BID in place, we can also apply for grant money from federal, state and local municipalities for our projects.” To comment on this story, email dgilde rubio@antonnews.com
Breakout Season For MacArthur Lacrosse BY JAMES ROWAN
levittown@antonmediagroup.com
It was a breakout year for the MacArthur boys lacrosse program. Head coach John Nessler led the Generals to the Nassau County Final Four and a 9-5 overall record. “The MacArthur program has many individuals that have gone on to play in college, win National Championships, become All-Americans, but there hasn’t been a team accomplishment like us making the Final Four,” Nessler said. The season started off with an impressive 10-9 win over Massapequa, who were the defending New York State champions and ranked 8th in the country at the time. What followed were a string of highlight reel victories over perennial contenders such as South Side and Roslyn. On four occasions, the Generals rallied in the
The Generals celebrate a goal by James Napoli (number 40). (Photo courtesy of Colleen Napoli)
fourth quarter to win games, including an 11-10 overtime win over Long Beach. “It’s a great group of all-around athletes,” Nessler said. “Many of our players are two or three-sport athletes. That has certainly helped them prepare for the many challenges that this
tough conference presented. We knew every game was going to be a battle, but we also knew that we belonged there and we had something to prove. We played with a little bit of a chip on our shoulders and that was something that helped us in those close ones.”
The Generals were led by All County selections James Napoli, Joey Forchelli, Matt Papach, Vinny Butrico and Michael Cassano. Honorable mention All County picks Luca Runyan and Nick DelGrosso as well as All Conference players Connor Cullen and Brian Connelly. John Rebaudo was the Unsung Hero and Nessler earned Coach of the Year Honors. Additional top performers were Steven Weber, Vincenzo Montefusco, Cian Runyan, Ryan Larkin and Matt Schwann. MacArthur opened the playoffs with a 19-5 win over rival East Meadow before meeting Carey in the county semifinals. While the Generals beat Carey, 14-9 in the regular season, they dropped a close 12-7 rematch in the playoffs. Nessler returns 10 starters from this year’s team and is
very optimistic about next season. “I think every team strives to set a goal of at least a County Championship, but now we can look in the mirror and honestly say, we expect that,” Nessler said. “We have put in the work, gotten the experience, and learned from our losses. We know that it will certainly not be an easy feat, but we’re up to the challenge.” In more lacrosse news, the Division girls lacrosse team wrapped up a terrific season. The Dragons posted a 10-4 record before losing in the playoffs to Friends Academy. Division was led by juniors Juliana Stanley (61 goals, 17 assists) and Maggie McCabe (31 and 23) and senior Katie Stroud (12 and 9). Senior Elizabeth Petrellese anchored the defense with a strong season as goalkeeper. —James Rowan is a Levittown resident