Friday, February 24, 2017
Vol. 93, No.25
FOUNDED 1923
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LOCALLY OWNED AND EDITED
Environmentalist speaks PAGE 14 n Raingutter Regatta PAGE 30
Village begins work on turf field, capital projects
IT’S ALWAYS SUMMER IN GC
BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
The fix is in for problems with the Garden City Public Library’s A/C that amplified difficult, hot summer conditions indoors and the need for fans on the second floor seven months ago. But the aging facility may need to be revisited with more than an interior redesign involving stacks, media layout and community program rooms. As the Board of Trustees reviewed and eventually approved several expense items for village facilities, questions came up and strategies for each was detailed. Resident Steve Ilardi of Meadow Street asked about a transfer of funds for $32,051 to be allocated towards replacement of the library’s HVAC unit compressor. He wanted to know if that would fully address the library second floor’s A/C, and this concern came from firsthand knowledge of conditions. Ilardi works part-time at GCPL and says last summer’s heat made for “a rough 11 weeks.” See page 37
A water tank puzzle for GC Village Board BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
Children at the Cathedral Nursery School drove away the winter when they recently celebrated Beach Day with umbrellas, blankets and shades. See page 36
Board votes down plaque to honor mayors BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
With a vote at its Tuesday, February 21 meeting, Garden City’s Board of Trustees disagreed on a commemorative plaque honoring all former village mayors. A new resolution presented and passed early in the month to prevent the plaque was upheld. Questions on honoring village volunteers and especially mayors took shape for the debate, and either side was represented. However the trustees voted down the initiative, to the displeasure of several residents who attended and spoke up in favor of the plaque idea. A majority of the Board disagrees with the idea first relayed by Mayor Nicholas Episcopia, who
enters his final month at the helm this March, and Trustee John Delany, who requested a week ago that this become an official agenda item for consideration. As residents commented in favor of the plaque, Delany’s basic belief was understood. He clarified before the board’s vote. “On February 2, we voted for any plaques to go up in the village to be approved by the Board of Trustees. I supported the resolution, that law and I feel firmly about it, but I bring it up now because I do think a plaque should be installed in Village Hall – a wooden plaque of some type that would indicate the mayors of this village that have served. I would vote in favor of it and I would See page 46
With a water tank redesign project still in its initial conceptual phase, the village was given a detailed look at two options during a public work session this week, with prices and aesthetics of the designs being the top consideration. The presentation highlighted a more costly pedestal spheroid tank at about $7.5 million versus a revolutionary design of composite glass-fused to steel tank, the latter of which has not yet been built anywhere on Long Island. Joe Todaro, deputy market leader for H2M’s Water division, presented at the Tuesday February 21 Board of Trustees’ meeting. He hinted at some difficulties assuring that Long Island’s construction workforce would be part of the project if the village opts for the compose glass-fused to steel model, and the representative with Aquastore told the trustees’ that Nassau/Suffolk was a new territory for their operation as they have successfully been in the upstate New York and New England region for many years. The village’s water tank was last rehabilitated in 1992, Todaro said. Bids to coat the exterior of Garden City’s existing tank have come in high each of the last 10 years, and Todaro said H2M estimates the cost for reoccurring painting costs for a pedestal spheroid tank would be $1.4 million (once every 20 years). Concrete at See page 38
Garden City HS fencers in Junior Olympics PAGE 51 Boys swimming wins 5th title in stunning upset PAGES 44-45