Page 4 - OYSTER BAY GUARDIAN - Friday, March 2, 2012
OPINION EDITORIAL LETTER TO THE EDITOR along the west shore of Oyster Bay Harbor We must begin redistricting now, not later Meeting the Mayors from Oyster Bay through Mill Neck, which
‘Kids of Distinction’ scholarship program returns Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto, together with Kids Helping Kids by Kids Way, Inc. co-Founders Robert A.J. Eslick and Philip M. Eslick, announce their cosponsored “Kids of Distinction� Scholarship Program for 2012. “Now in its eighth year, the ‘Kids of Distinction’ Scholarship Program was initiated in an effort to recognize outstanding young people who have been active in exceptional endeavors in their community,� Supervisor Venditto said. “At last year’s ceremony, six exceptional Town of Oyster Bay youngsters were honored for their commitment to their communities.� “The concept of the program is to recognize kids for taking part in activities done on their own initiative,� Philip said. “Last year’s group of winners certainly fit the bill, many going above and beyond the call of duty to help
others in their community.� The Kids of Distinction program focuses on activities participated in outside of school. These activities should have, in some way, benefited the community. Nominees will be placed in two categories, those currently in fifth through eighth grades and those in grades nine through 12. The age groups were established so nominees can be evaluated fairly against their peers. Three winners will be selected in each category by a committee organized by Kids Helping Kids. Anyone who wishes to nominate a student should fill out a nominating form and submit it to Kids Helping Kids by Kids Way, Inc., prior to the April 15th deadline. Nominating forms can be obtained at Town Halls North (Oyster Bay) and South (Massapequa), as well as at local libraries. Nominating forms can also
be found on the Town’s Web site, www.oysterbaytown. com. Winners will be recognized at an upcoming special ceremony held by the Oyster Bay Town Board on May 1 at 7:00 p.m. and will be presented a $500 scholarship from Kids Helping Kids by Kids Way Inc. (courtesy of sponsors: Empire Bakery Equipment-owner Claude Zarate, and NY Auto GiantChief Operating Officer John Pickett) and a Kids Helping Kids commemorative plaque. For more information on the Kids of Distinction Scholarship Program, please call Kids Helping Kids by Kids Way Inc. at 516-249-9449 or e-mail Kids Helping Kids at HappyKidsClub@aol. com. Prospective applicants are also encouraged to visit the Town’s website, www. oysterbaytown.com, to view the video presentation of the 2011 Kids of Distinction ceremony.
OBITUARIES HONOR SUGLIA MELLOR SEAMAN Honor Suglia Mellor Seaman of Upper Brookville and Hobe Sound, FL died on February 7th at age 82. Wife of 35 years to Alfred J. Seaman, she was the mother of Allison Milne (Doug), Susan Turner (Tom) and C.J. Mellor. She is also survived by her step-children Marilyn Hollingsworth and Susan, Barrett and Debbie Seaman; six grandchildren and eight step-grandchildren. A Memorial Mass was held, under the direction of by Dodge-Thomas Funeral Home in Glen Cove, on Thursday, March 1st at St. Dominic’s Chapel in Oyster Bay.
RITA MOHRING Rita Mohring of Locust Valley and Bayville, died on February 19th. Mother of Richard Jr. (Deborah), John (Trisha), Ellen (Robert), Kathy and Robert (Laura), she was the grandmother of Melissa (James) Mulvey, John Jr., Timothy,
Meghan, Logan, Jennifer, Avery and Robert Jr. and great-grandmother to James. A Mass of Christian Burial, under the direction of Oyster Bay Funeral Home, was held at St. Gertrude R.C. Church in Bayville, followed by interment will be at Locust Valley Cemetery. For more information, visit: www.oysterbayfuneralhome.com.
LUIGI MARINGELLI Luigi Maringelli of Bayville died on February 28th. Husband of Lina, he was the father of Nick (Jo-An), Frank (Therese) and Marilena (Cathy), grandfather of seven and greatgrandfather of two. He is also survived by many relatives and friends. A Funeral Mass with be held at St. Gertrude RC Church, Bayville at 10 AM, followed by interment at Locust Valley Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to: UCP of Nassau County, 380 Washington Avenue, Roosevelt, NY 11575. For more information, visit: www.oysterbayfuneralhome.com.
To the Editor: I was very happy to host a breakfast recently with most of the mayors in Nassau County’s 18th Legislative District. In attendance at our offices in the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative building in Mineola were: Glen Cove Mayor Ralph Suozzi, Sea Cliff Mayor Bruce Kennedy, Bayville Mayor Doug Watson, Lattingtown Mayor Clarence Michalis, Upper Brookville Mayor Terry Thielen and Mill Neck Mayor Peter Quick. It was also helpful to be joined by former mayor Warren Tackenberg, who is executive director of the Nassau County Village Officials Association (NCVOA), an organization representing the county’s 64 incorporated villages. We discussed a variety of local issues sharing information on important items ranging from stormwater management to police precinct closings to small and large DPW road repair and renovation projects. One thing I was happy to report is moving forward is the West Shore Road Capital Project, which will dramatically improve the roadway that extends about two miles
also serves Bayville, Centre Island and Lattingtown. The details of this renovation have literally been in the making for decades. At this point, repairs are not elective, but necessary. The improvements will include a new roadway, a walkable shoulder, underground utility lines and the repair of the highly deteriorated sea wall. This month, we will announce a date for a public information session on the specific details of the construction. Many people – residents, officials and government staff – have dedicated a lot of time and thought to this. It will truly improve a beautiful and special part of the North Shore. DELIA DERIGGI-WHITTON NASSAU COUNTY LEGISLATOR (18TH DISTRICT)
About letters The Oyster Bay Guardian welcomes letters to the editor. It is committed to providing an open forum for opinions. You can mail your letter, fax it to 516-922-4227, or send it via e-mail to dcriblez@oysterbayguardian.com.
THINGS TO DO - PLACES TO GO ■The Oyster Bay High School PTSA will hold its 12th annual “A Taste of the Gold Coast� Gala from 7-11 PM at the New York Institute of Technology de Seversky Center in Brookville. Over 40 local restaurants, caterers and sweet shops will provide a wide array of food and drinks. Post Wines & Spirits of Syosset will provide the fine wines. Monies raised from this event will be used for cultural arts programs for students of the Oyster Bay High School and scholarships. For more information, visit: www.obenschools.org.
Saturday, March 3rd
■The Community Methodist Church will hold an old fashion dinner party featuring Richard Murcott’s famous Chicken Pot Pie with a comedy act at 6:30 PM. Tickets are $12 (5 and under free). For more information, call (516) 922-3503.
Sunday, March 4th
■The Oyster Bay Historical Society, located at 20 Summit Street, presents a lecture by Liz Roosevelt entitled, “The War of 1812: What Happened & Why It Matters� will be held at the Angela P. Koenig Center at 3 PM. The event is free. For more information on upcoming Historical Society events, call (516) 922-5032 or visit: www.oysterbayhistorical.org. ■The Oyster Bay Lions Club will host its annual Pancake Breakfast at the Life Enrichment Center, located at 45 East Main Street in Oyster Bay, from 8:30 AM to noon. The cost of the breakfast is $5 per person and kids under 6 are free. The Lions breakfast includes scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage, juice, coffee, tea and more. A bake sale will also be offered for those with a sweet tooth. All proceeds go toward the Lions’ work with the blind.
torical Society, located at 20 Summit Street, presents a lecture by Town of Oyster Bay Historian John Hammond entitled, “Oyster Bay
Beney Funeral Home 79 Berry Hill Road Syosset, NY 11791 (516) 921-2888
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Friday, March 2nd
During The Civil War Years� will be held at the Angela P. Koenig Center at 7 PM. The event is free. For more information on upcoming Historical Society events, call (516) 922-5032 or visit: www.oysterbayhistorical.org.
FINE WINES UnlimiteD Spirits too
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All wines & spirits are tasted prior to our shop’s selection
J. Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon with ad
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Oyster Bay Frame Shop Fine Custom Framing 3 East Main Street Oyster Bay, NY 11771 516-922-5332 Tues thru Sat 10 to 5
Wednesday, March 7th
■Chabad of Oyster Bay & Jericho will hold a Purim celebration at the James Vernon Intermediate School, located at 880 Oyster Bay Road in East Norwich, from 6-8 PM. The event will feature the comedy and magic of “Magic Al� Garber, plus Purim crafts and child-friendly reading of the scroll of Esther, known in Hebrew as the Megillah. In the spirit of Purim, participants are encouraged to come in costume and be included in the competition, which will award prizes to contestants with the most innovative or funny costumes. The event is a communitywide program, and all are welcome to join, regardless of Jewish affiliation or background. Cost:$12 per adult and per $8 per child. For more information, call (516) 922-6489 or email: rabbi@ JewishOBJ.org.
Thursday, March 8th
â– The Oyster Bay His-
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rican-Americans now equaling white voters. To break it apart could violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965. These are but two examples of Republicans’ outlandish attempt to retain power in a Legislature that they control by the slimmest of margins. Now we are awaiting word on when a nonpartisan redistricting commission will hold public hearings to let the people have their say, as required by the county charter. The nonpartisan Nassau County League of Women Voters is speaking out, calling for hearings to begin now, not later, so that whatever redistricting plan the county comes up with is properly vetted before it goes to a vote before the full Legislature in 2013, as mandated by the charter. The league says that redistricting should be “fair and inclusive.� We couldn’t agree more. The league adds that membership on the commission should be “transparent, geographically diverse and representative of the various populations of Nassau County, and that districts should be “contiguous, reasonably compact and fairly representative of identifiable communities of interest. Wherever possible, a concerted effort should be made to keep cities, towns, villages and unincorporated areas intact.� Special consideration should be given to Nassau’s two minority districts, the 1st and 2nd. According to the Voting Rights Act, they should be kept intact. At the same time, the county would be wise to create a third minority district to recognize Nassau’s increasingly diverse population. Additionally, redistricting commission hearings should be held in each of the county’s three towns –– Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay, as well as its two cities, Glen Cove and Long Beach. Residents throughout the county should receive notice by all means possible at least seven days in advance of all hearings. There should be a website where hearing times, locations and dates are posted, committee minutes are recorded in a timely fashion and proposed district maps are published. The League of Women Voters is encouraging residents to get involved in the redistricting process. After all, redistricting will play a part in determining who our legislators are –– and what the county’s policies will be –– for at least a decade. Our hope is that the Legislature will begin anew and consider what the people have to say about redistricting before deciding on a plan. Otherwise, they will have made a sham of the county charter.
" XFFLMZ OFXTQBQFS QVCMJTIFE FWFSZ 'SJEBZ 'PVOEFE JO Editor-in-Chief David J. Criblez Advertising Account Executive Susanne Colten Publisher 1899-1967 The Disbrow Family Publisher 1967-1991 Edwina Snow Publisher 1991-1996 Pamela Howard Gumprecht Publisher 1996-2005 Angela P. Koenig
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ast spring, the Republican-controlled County Legislature attempted to redraw the lines of its 19 electoral districts in an effort to gerrymander at least one Democrat, if not two, out of a job. Peter Schmitt, the Republican presiding officer, claimed that the law required the county to act on redistricting in order to correct discrepancies in the population count of each district. According to the county charter, districts, which must be reconfigured every 10 years following the U.S. census, must have population counts of 70,000 each. A number of districts, Schmitt said, were well over that limit. To comply with the Constitution’s one-person, onevote rule, district lines had to be redrawn sooner rather than later. Democrats cried foul. The county charter, they said, did not mandate that district lines be redrawn immediately, but rather, simply “described.� The charter, they added, requires that the lines be finalized after a series of public meetings in which residents have the opportunity to comment. Residents complained at public meetings and one hearing about the GOP’s redistricting plan. Republican legislators, however, refused to listen. They moved forward with what was clearly an untenable plan, hoping to implement it in time for the November election. So the Democrats took them to court, where the plan was upheld, though it was not allowed to take effect for the 2011 election. It would have to wait. Last August, Schmitt said he believed the courts had validated the GOP’s plan, and simply delayed its implementation. But if, like many residents, you consider it an unfair power grab by the Legislature’s Republican majority, now is the time to speak up and write to your local legislator to say so. The plan would merge the 5th and 19th districts, now represented by Legislators Joseph Scannell, a Democrat from Baldwin, and David Denenberg, a Democrat from Merrick, and move the 19th to the southwestern corner of the county, on the Queens border. That would effectively force a primary between two Democrats, one of whom would lose his seat. The plan would also split the 3rd District, which is now represented by Legislator Carrie Solages, a Democrat from Elmont — but was represented by Republican John Ciotti for years until the 2011 election, when he lost to Solages. Solages’s win represented a sea change in a traditionally GOP district. Over the past decade, the district has grown increasingly diverse, with the number of Af-