Vol. 79, No. 5
Friday, February 1, 2019
$1
SERVING PLAINVIEW, HICKSVILLE, AND LEVITTOWN
Bethpage ball field will reopen after cleanup
CHESS CHAMPIONS
BY GARY SIMEONE
Fifth graders Meghan Gorey (left) and Phoebe Zivkovich played against each other during a chess tournament at East Broadway School. The students are members of the after school chess club which meets once a week to engage in friendly competition. See page 19. Photo courtesy Levittown Public Schools
Lifeguard employment available at pools, beaches
The Town is accepting applications from qualified, certified individuals interested in working at Town pools and/or beaches this upcoming summer season. “We invite responsible and experienced lifeguards who are up to the challenge of protecting our residents while working at one of our beautiful pools or beaches to apply now for this summer season,” said Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino. “Town lifeguards provide an invaluable service and have helped
save countless lives.” Town lifeguards are hired for the summer season, which runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Positions are available at all Town pools and beaches. “Having a summer lifeguard job and one of our beautiful facilities helps build confidence, self-esteem, and leadership skills,” Councilman Imbroto said. “Our summer lifeguards have a tremendous sense of dedication and understanding of the importance of teamwork.”
Applicants must be a minimum of 16 years old, possess a current Lifeguard Certification, and a current CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer. Qualified applicants may apply in person at the Town of Oyster Bay Parks Department Human Resources Office, located in Town Hall South, 977 Hicksville Road, Massapequa, NY. For more information, please contact the Parks Department at (516) 797-7958.
Town of Oyster Bay officials joined local legislators at Bethpage Community Park last Wednesday to discuss the multi-million dollar contamination plan cleanup. The ball field, located within the park, has been closed for several decades due to contamination in the soil from past Northrop Grumman operations. “This environmental saga has been going on for decades and Bethpage residents have had to bear the brunt of this,” said Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino. “I am happy to announce that a remediation plan is currently underway.” He said that the remediation will consist of a two-part plan including insulating the contaminated area and disposing of the soil to a safer location. “The first phase of the plan will be the insulation of underground wells and new wells and piping installed,” said Saladino. “The second phase will include the excavation and safe disposal of the soil.” Environmental experts will be on-site to oversee and monitor the projects as they are going on. The project is slated to be completed over the course of the next three years. Northrop Grumman has agreed to incur the cost of the cleanup on the 2½ acre property that was once home to many local youth baseball leagues. “I am happy all of this coming to fruition after all of these years,” said Nassau County Legislator Rose Walker. “It will be good to see youth leagues back on the field again and the community using this park once again.” There are already mitigation measures in place including new fencing that has been installed around the perimeter of the park and a private entryway for the use of Town vehicles. “Grumman and the U.S Navy owe a tremendous apology to the community and it is their sole responsibility to get this remediation underway,” said Saladino.
Kindergarteners embrace STEAM snow PAGE 4 Mindfulness at Gardiner’s Ave. School PAGE 6