Friday, July 27, 2018
Vol. 94, No.44
FOUNDED 1923
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Schools upgrade systems, security
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LOCALLY OWNED AND EDITED
Rock solid PAGE 42 n Gold awards PAGE 54
CHRISTMAS IN JULY
Summer has been an opportune time for the Garden City school district to address safety and infrastructure initiatives, that have been planned over several prior school years. After the Board of Education completed the reorganization part of its Tuesday, July 10 meeting, Assistant Superintendent for Business & Finance and District Clerk Dana DiCapua spoke about the ongoing security and capital investment initiatives in Garden City’s public schools. At the end of the school year in June, interim superintendent, Dr. Alan Groveman circulated information on safety and the district has followed up in July by addressing some key infrastructure items.
Projects at GC High School
See page 52
Village Board disbands paid fire department BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
The biggest district project for summer 2018 is the high schools HVAC system. DiCapua said the abatement stage with work above the GCHS auditorium was time-consuming and extensive. She warned the board and community members
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It may have been hot this July, but that didn’t stop the snow from falling and Santa from visiting Seventh Street on July 20th at the Christmas in July Promenade. The next Promenade will be held on Friday night, July 27th, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Seventh Street The theme will be Luau Garden City Style. Wear your best Hawaiian shirt and enjoy limbo contests and tropical favors for the kids.
There were tears on firefighters' faces and television cameras lining the walls of Village Hall as the Board of Trustees voted 6-1 to abolish the jobs of the entire paid firefighting force in the Village of Garden City, effective almost immediately. The village will instead rely on its 102 volunteers for emergency fire responses. During its meeting on July 25, the Board of Trustees voted 6 to 1 in favor of eliminating the jobs of all eleven paid firefighters who serve the village. Prior to the vote, the Board heard pleas from residents and property owners association leaders, firefighters’ family members, members of the FDNY and several of the 11 experienced professionals who are facing their last days of employment. Effective at 7:30 a.m. the morning after the meeting (Thursday July 26) all 11 have been placed on paid administrative leave for at least the next one month. Technically the local law trustees approved means abolishment of the paid staff effective August 27 or until the results of a special referendum in favor of the cuts takes place. Residents complained to the mayor and trustees as the topic was not part of any recent trustees’ discussions or agendas for prior Village Board meetings since the spring of 2016, when two paid firefighter positions were slated to be cut with the 2016-’17 village budget. Ultimately in May 2016 two retirements within the paid “career firefighters” staff saved the jobs of firemen Paul Brower and John Esposito, but this week both men watched in person among friends and family as the Board took away their jobs. The Board of Trustees acknowledged the required legal advertisement of its decision (printed in the July 27 edition of The Garden City News) and Village Attorney and former Mayor Peter Bee summarized the process and potential to hold a special referendum, as a substantial number of Garden City residents would need to sign a petition addressed to the village opposing See page 50
Eagle project benefits Challenger lacrosse Garden City Police bust theft ring PAGE 16
PAGES 36-37