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Friday, August 17, 2018
Vol. 78, No. 33
BASEBALL TROPHY CEREMONY
Legislator wants traffic study for road near school BY GARY SIMEONE
Levittown North Baseball recently held its Trophy Ceremony and Carnival. Pictured: Levittown North Baseball team members; Fred Butts - Levittown North Baseball coach; Ed Mickalowski - Levittown North Baseball coach of Pirates; Maryann Brown – kickball director and Levittown North Baseball secretary; Dennis Dunne – Town of Hempstead councilman; John R. Ferretti, Jr. - Nassau County legislator; Walter Brown – deputy commissioner of Levittown North Baseball, and Shawn Klotz – t-ball director.
Levittown athletic facility to keep name BY GARY SIMEONE
There was a resolution on the table at a Hempstead Town Board meeting earlier this month to rename MacLaren Memorial Stadium in Levittown in honor of former Town Supervisor Joseph Mondello. But that proposal has been rescinded after the former GOP leader asked the Board to reconsider their proposal. In a statement to the Town Board, the 80-year-old Mondello said that while he appreciated the sentiment of the offer, he did not want to take the legacy away
from Ernest Hamilton MacLaren, a World War II veteran and purple heart recipient. “As a veteran myself, I would never want to supplant a veteran of World War II and a Purple Heart recipient from the honor he so richly earned in the service of our country,” said Mondello, who currently serves as a United States ambassador to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. He added that he was not even aware that the resolution was on the table, and that he did not seek to have the facility renamed in his honor.
Town Councilman Dennis Dunne was the one who originally proposed the idea of renaming the facility in honor of the former GOP leader. “I am a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps,” said Dunne. “I also would never wish to diminish the legacy of a brave veteran such as Ernest MacLaren, for whom a Levittown recreation facility has been named.” He said that upon discovering that Ambassador Mondello did not want the name change, he immediately withdrew the proposal.
Nassau County Legislator John Ferretti lives within a mile of one of the most dangerous intersections in his legislative district, Wantagh Avenue and North Jerusalem Road near MacArthur High School. Just recently, he petitioned the county’s Department of Public Works, to do a traffic study at the intersection and consider changing the left turning lane into a green left turning arrow lane only. “I’d say 90% of the traffic accidents I’ve witnessed have occurred at this intersection,” said Ferretti, whose legislative district represents Levittown, Salisbury and Westbury. “It is particularly bad for people making the left turn from Wantagh onto North Jerusalem with the oncoming flow of traffic.” He said that as it currently stands, the green arrow at the light turns into a solid green fairly quickly. “I would like them to put in a left turn arrow only, and do away with the solid green altogether,” said Ferretti. According to an accident survey put together by the county, there were 34 car crashes at the intersection in 2015, 25 crashes in 2016, and a total of 39 accidents last year. “I’ve seen a rash of accidents here in the last couple of weeks, and this is something that needs to be addressed with school starting soon,” said Ferretti. He said that in his time as county legislator, he’s asked for a few traffic studies to be done, but wants this one to be expedited with people going back to school and work in a couple of weeks. “I am just a legislator and an attorney, not a traffic study expert, but from my layman’s observation, there is clearly an issue there.” Ferretti said that since he petitioned the DPW for a traffic study at the intersection, he’s heard through the grapevine that Department of Public Works members have been performing examinations of the intersection. “I am anticipating hearing something about this in this upcoming week.”
Hicksville students get crafty PAGE 8 Learning to code in Levittown PAGE 14