Deputy Mayor Lynn Pombonyo

Police Department

Our Floral Park Police have a significant impact on people’s lives and property. In the past week, multiple news agencies have publicized reports of a career drug dealer who pleaded guilty to serious felony charges in Brooklyn federal court. In one particularly heinous crime, the male defendant from Queens gave a Fentanyl-laced substance to a female victim, causing her to overdose. The defendant then drove the unconscious female to a street in Floral Park, where he dumped her in a snow bank on a frigid night in February 2022. A good samaritan found her and notified our FPPD.

Among our first responders were FPPD Lieutenant Doherty and Detective King. Multiple doses of Narcan were administered at the scene and the victim’s life was saved.

Immediately, Lieutenant Doherty and Detective King launched an intensive investigation, conducted canvasses and months of interviews, gathered forensics, located videos of the incident (including doorbell cameras), did surveillance work, developed a criminal case, and helped the victim.

When FPPD learned that the suspect in this crime worked at JFK Airport, the Department notified the federal authorities. All of this led to federal charges, guilty pleas, and what will likely be a twenty year sentence in a federal prison for this drug dealer.

Our Floral Park Police consistently show great care, dedication, tenacity and expertise in their daily work. Our Village is grateful.

Conservation Society (FPCS)

This past weekend, from Feb. 16 to the 18, the world celebrated the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). In Floral Park, FPCS volunteers joined with Village Trustees, Parks Department staff, and enthusiastic residents to enjoy Centennial Gardens and Bird Sanctuary in the new fallen snow, as well as the Gardens’ wildlife, especially the beautiful array of birds. Thanks go to Ornithology enthusiasts Harry Taylor, Doug Cioffi and Conservation Society volunteer Marina Horan for contributing their wisdom to the experience, and to Parks Superintendent Kurt Meyfohrt and his staff for their fascinating data and literature collections.

By the end of GBBC 2024, thirty bird lovers visited the Gardens during the three-day event and Superintendent Meyfohrt reported our local sightings of 3014 birds (representing seventeen species) to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology where the worldwide data is collected, studied and published. Floral Park is proud to be part of this very worthwhile research and bird watching experience. We’ve been participating for eleven years with a grand total of 12,689 birds counted, representing 46 different species, an impressive contribution!

Chambers of Commerce and Our Businesses 

The Villages of Floral Park and Stewart Manor are proud to welcome new and exciting businesses to our communities and Chambers of Commerce.

This Saturday, Feb. 24 at 11:30 AM, the two Villages and Chambers will welcome ShipNYC (a US Army Veteran-owned, small shipping business) to 31 Covert Ave. and Nonna’s Italian Deli and Market (with its rave food and cooking reviews) to 27 Covert Ave. Come and cut the red ribbons at the gala openings this Saturday at 11:30 a.m., and then support these two awesome additions to our Covert Avenue small business district treasure.

The next Floral Park Chamber of Commerce networking meeting will be Thursday, March 7, 6:00 PM at Nancy’s Restaurant on Jericho Turnpike. Check out floralparkchamber.org for the meeting registration and more.

We’ll have details about the March Covert Avenue Chamber of Commerce meeting at our next Village Board meeting on March 5.

And, as always, shop and dine local for the very best!

Trustee Jennifer Stewart

DPW

Last Tuesday brought the first significant accumulation of snow to our Village and DPW was there to meet the challenge. Schools, fire houses, and places of worship were the first to be cleared. Village roads, sidewalks and parking lots were also cleared of all snow so residents could go about their daily routines. And, as always, the Sanitation Crew also collected all sanitation scheduled to be picked up.

4VS

This week’s slate of shows feature: Larry Davidson and Davidson & Co. “The New York Long Island Film Festival” featuring Gerry Ferretti, Director and Creator; The Author Corner with Stephanie Larkin presenting Barbara Josselsohn and “The Lost Gift to the Italian Island, Historical Fiction”; Uncorked with Rex Whicker featuring “Tuscan Wines”; and The Antique Road Test with Walter Gosden, “Cars in Song: Motor Car Sheet Music”. There surely is something for everyone. Additionally, if you know someone of high school or college age, who resides in the Four Village area looking for some television experience, please call station manager James Greene to inquire about volunteer opportunities at 516-326-1150.

MTA

Please check LIRR schedules as there have been some changes made to the railroad train times. If you have questions or concerns regarding the LIRR please contact the MTA at MTA.info.

Finally, I would like to wish the Floral Park Memorial Varsity Boys Basketball Team much luck as they face Locust Valley in the second round of the Section VIII playoffs tomorrow Feb. 21 at noon at Locust Valley High School.

Trustee Michael Longobardi

Building Department

In my last board report, I discussed many ongoing projects.  There is one update to report relating to the former Centennial Hall site which is that the equipment has arrived and work has begun today on the new apartment building.  The Architectural Review Board will meet tomorrow night at 8:00 PM at the Recreation/Pool Building and among the applications for review, is a subdivision proposed for 32 Orchid Street.  The applicant is requesting to remove the existing house on that property and construct two houses side by side.

Pool and Recreation

The cold and snow create challenges for certain surfaces in the Recreation Center and, because of the recent weather, the multi-purpose rink and Tiny Town remain closed.  Some early work had begun to prep the fields for the spring and that work will continue when the snow is gone.  Approximately two weeks ago we rolled out our Recreation Center survey requesting feedback on the summer Childrens’ programs.  With the survey ending this past Friday, I would like to thank Superintendent Kurt Meyfohrt and Darlene Lanza for their great work on it. Also, thank you to our residents for the many responses we received and, we look forward to sharing the results with all of you soon.

Town-Village Aircraft Safety & Noise Abatement Committee (TVASNAC)

The next meeting will be at 7:00 PM on Monday, Feb. 26, at Hempstead Town Hall, One Washington Street, Hempstead. Thank you to Floral Park resident Andrew Weiss for his hard work and dedication to this committee. If you want to make a noise complaint regarding air traffic, you can call 1-800-225-1071. You can also go to the Village’s website at fpvillage.org which has the links under the TVASNAC Noise Complaint Contact Information Page on our home page.

Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald

UBS Arena

About a week ago Trustee Chiara and myself, as part of the Belmont Park Local Community Advisory Board met with NYRA where they provided an update on work with the tunnels, which are almost complete, and the current work on resurfacing the three existing tracks and the new track. The most important thing to come out of that meeting was that on Thursday, Feb. 29 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Elmont Public Library there will be a Small Business Informational Meeting. They would like to get the word out to any small businesses in the area and invite them to attend because there will be many jobs and services that will be needed during the construction of the new Grand Stand. They are still hopeful that it will open sometime in 2026. And speaking of 2026, I want to congratulate the Oakview Group and the Islanders to getting the 2026 NHL Allstar Game at UBS Arena.