Friday, June 30, 2017
Vol. 93, No.41
FOUNDED 1923
n
n
$1
LOCALLY OWNED AND EDITED
Air travel experience PAGE 9 n Awards banquet PAGES 32-33
New turf fields set to open in late July
CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2017
BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
ing to Department of Public Works Superintendent Joe DiFrancisco. Bid specifications will be advertised early this summer and the project, once awarded, will take between six to 12 months to complete, depending upon the design chosen.” At the June 15 Board meeting
At the June 15 meeting Mayor Brian Daughney asked Kevin Ocker, the department head for Recreation and Parks, about progress for the new synthetic turf Multi-Use field (for soccer, lacrosse, football and more). The original date of completion was June 30. Ocker told the Board last week that the progress remained great and the project was 70% complete then, with an early July date for 100% completion. “All the light poles are in and wired and just ready for connection at the power source. Fence posts are installed and the sub-base was rolled and compacted. The geo-grid that goes in is also complete. Over the next two weeks, they will complete permanent turf-nailer, the chain link fencing will be up and the turf will be delivered June 22. If people don’t recall on turf fields 3 and 4 along the perimeter fences of the new field will be a warning track, and that is a nice addition to go with this project,” he explained. Trustee John Delany asked about the timing for the biggest new turf field’s use. Ocker says after the turf settles and maintenance is checked on the first practices on it will be in the last weeks of July. “We are already getting calls and inquiries for renting the field,” he said. Trustee Robert Bolebruch asked about how Recreation would schedule usage of the new field with the anticipated high demand for Garden City’s latest sports asset. Ocker says this was foreseen as the various sport organizations operating in the village had come together in focus groups last fall, and their input is consistent with Recreation’s planning and scheduling. “There is grace period of cooperation and everybody is going to get a piece, a time to use this field. Football, soccer, boys’ and girls’ lacrosse – we will run it similarly to the way we manage the Fieldhouse and it’s proven to be a great system over the years. It will be on great demand,” Ocker said on June 15. Trustee Mark Hyer asked Ocker about the 2017 Pool season for the enterprise fund. Ocker says numbers looked encouraging with the first weekend of summer’s season. “As of Tuesday (June 13) last year, today we have 102 more family memberships this year. Overall numbers counting families, individuals and every category we are up by about 350 more people in memberships. We are on a good trend and we think we can anticipate this to be a good year,” Ocker says. Hyer considered the new indoor seating for food/concessions, and two weeks after the Board of Trustees’ meeting (Thursday, June 29) the Recreation Commission was set to hold its meeting in that section of the village’s pool complex to examine its dynam-
See page 38
See page 38
Members of the Garden City HS Class of 2017:Elizabeth Strysko, Olivia Connors, Meghan Margin, Julia Feron, Hallie Mallozzi, Emily Way and Alexa Gozun. Although the rain prevented the ceremony from being held outdoors, the weather was picture perfect for the graduates when they stepped outside for photos after the ceremony. See pages 40-42
Village to start bids for new water tank BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
At its June 15 meeting, the Garden City Board of Trustees unanimously adopted an $8.7 million bond resolution for the replacement of the water tank on Maria Lane, located off Old Country Road. As part of the village’s weekly press release the water tank’s timeline and project options were explained:
“Although the Board has not decided on a chosen tank, all three styles discussed at recent work sessions with hired consultant H2M will soon go out to bid. The village has not decided how it will pay for the new tank yet but this bond resolution gives the village the flexibility to bond either all or part of the project if it so chooses, accord-
Garden City High School seniors make plans for college PAGE 6 Board considering adding handicapped spaces on 7th PAGE 12