Deputy Mayor Lynn Pombonyo
Police Department
Our Floral Park Police Department started off 2024 with a focus that includes directed patrols and enforcement.
Directed patrols are assignments for which our Officers on patrol regularly monitor locations needing special attention.
Ongoing directed patrols occur at our schools and houses of worship, especially at times when children and families are entering and leaving such important places.
Likewise, when our police hear about particular problematic situations, such as those described at recent civic association and other community meetings (relating to vehicles’ unsafe speeds for the conditions, failures to stop at stop signs, dangerous U-turns, and illegally unleashed dogs on public property), directed patrols are assigned.
In the area of enforcement, 242 traffic summonses were issued in the month of January.
These included such serious infractions as driving without a license, driving an unregistered vehicle including motorcycles, and driving with no insurance; speed that is not reasonable or prudent; disobeying a traffic control device which often results in blocking a box, and failure to stop at a stop sign; an improper or illegal U-turn; a variety of headlight and taillight infractions; and other types of violations.
Our Motor Carrier Detail, charged with truck inspections, conducted nine inspections in January, at which time two trucks were taken out of service for brake defects and improper loading, and summonses for 27 moving violations were issued.
This month’s FPPD reminders to the public include: the always important lock your doors (those on both your vehicles and homes) and keep the outside house lights on at night.
Throughout the month of January, our village experienced the sad passings of many very special people.
Thank you to our Police who have assisted many families at their homes, wakes, religious services and afterwards. We have very special words of gratitude to our Floral Park Fire and Police Departments, as well as neighboring Fire Departments, for their patriotic American flag arch tributes across Floral Boulevard and Jericho Turnpike for FPFD Honorary Chief Richard Kosinski after his 50 years of service and untimely passing.
CREW
CREW stands for the Coalition of Resources for Education and Wellness. It is a Village and community based committee of volunteers who work to provide support for those in need of mental health and substance abuse care and assistance. CREW has gathered literature, books and hotline numbers from New York State, Nassau County, the Drug Enforcement Administration, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Adelphi Center for Psychological Services, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, THRIVE and other local mental health agencies that can provide valuable assistance to those in need. And how and where can you access these valuable resources? Please read Trustee Chiara’s report that follows for more CREW go-to information.
Chambers of Commerce and Our Businesses
Important members of our Floral Park and Covert Avenue Chambers of Commerce include our family, community, civic and service organizations. A longstanding service organization in our Village is the Floral Park Lions Club, led by president Terry Whalen.
On Sunday, a week ago, they sponsored the First Annual Lions Snow Day at the Rec Center. About 170 children and their families, Trustee Chiara and I enjoyed the snowball toss, snow people bowling, games, crafts, face painting and prizes. Thank you, Floral Park Lions, for your service to our children, families and those in need.
And, to all in Floral Park and Stewart Manor, be sure to SHOP, DINE AND CELEBRATE LOCAL for Valentine’s Day, and make it really special!
Centennial Gardens and Bird Sanctuary
The countdown is on until the worldwide Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), sponsored by the Audubon Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Birds Canada and Floral Park’s very own Conservation Society and Parks Department.
This adventure will be taking place all over the world on Friday, Feb. 16 through Monday, Feb. 19.
Join in the great bird count of the species you see, and gather data to get “the big picture” on climate change, bird health, and other fascinating aspects of bird life. You may then submit your counts at Centennial Gardens during the GBBC hours or at the Rec Center before 1 PM on Monday the 19, and Parks Superintendent Kurt Meyfohrt will then forward all our village data to the Cornell Lab.
On Saturday, the 17th, birdwatchers of all ages will enjoy bird fun facts and stories from enthusiasts Harry Taylor, Doug Cioffi and Conservation Society volunteer Marina Horan. You won’t want to miss this!
Check out the Village of Floral Park and Centennial Gardens Facebook pages for the GBBC flyer, and birdcount.org and the Audubon and Cornell websites for lively videos, breathtaking photos and fun-filled GBBC activities and data.
And, maybe this year, our majestic red-tailed hawk will return to our Gardens for another spellbinding GBBC performance right before our eyes!
Trustee Frank Chiara
Library
Here are some upcoming events at our Floral Park Library for February:
- On February 13th, 20th and 27th from 10 AM to 2 PM AARP will be offering assistance to seniors needing assistance with their tax returns.
- On February 27th at 1 PM Nassau County Receiver of Taxes, Jeanine Driscoll will be at the library giving a talk about the process of grieving their home assessment’s and answering other tax related questions.
- On February 11th at 3 PM Niamh and Shu will perform love songs at the library, a perfect way to prepare for Valentine’s Day.
- On February 28th at 1 PM Attorney Kathleen Rose will talk about how to make a will, a trust, and how to prepare other simple legal documents. She will also discuss Medicaid planning.
Currently by the front entrance of the library, the CREW Committee has set up a table with flyers containing information on resources that are available to educate and assist anyone that may be dealing with various life issues. The Committee will also make book recommendations, to be available at the library, on topics that can offer insight when dealing with these issues.  Thank you to our CREW Committee and the library for offering these valuable resources to our residents.
A friendly reminder, the Library will be closed on Monday, February 19th for Presidents’ Day.
Fire Department
Here is the run count for our Volunteer Fire Department for the month of January:
- Active Company: 30
- Alert Company: 30
- Reliance Company: 30
- Hook and Ladder Company: 31
- Total Rescue calls for our Rescue Company: 51
The department responded to:
- 82 NYU Langone Ambulance Calls
- 25 Rescue Calls
- 4 Mutual Aid Calls (to assist our neighboring communities)
With our Fire Department responding to the many calls, I would like to remind our residents that when responding they are focused on the emergency at hand. Please use extreme caution when driving in the area, stay clear of the fire apparatus and follow directions given at the scene. This will prevent any of our first responders in getting injured by unsafe drivers.
Last week our community mourned the loss of a lifelong resident of our Village, Richard (Dick) Kosinski. He was not only a lifelong resident but a committed volunteer in our Fire Department for 50 years. He was an Honorary Chief within the Department from the Hook and Ladder Company. Along with his volunteer service in the Fire Department he was very active as a volunteer in our local sports programs. He worked and retired from our Department of Public Works with over 30 years of service. Four generations of the Kosinski family have lived and continue to live in our Village. Dick was a remarkable man, dedicated to his family, to his friends, and was unselfish with his volunteer service to our Village. We send our condolences to the Kosinski family and a special thanks to the Kosinski family. Dick and his wonderful family are part of the lasting fabric that makes and keeps our Village a great place to live and raise a family.
We also mourn the passing of Father Piotr Rozek, Pastor of St. Hedwigs Church and Chaplin to the Floral Park Fire Department. Father Piotr contributed significantly to our Village life, ministered to his parish with his calm caring demeanor and was very supportive to the Floral Park Fire Department. We send our condolence to his family and to the parishioners of St. Hedwigs. May Father Piotr rest in peace and look over us all.
The Fire Department is always seeking volunteers to join the Department. Volunteers receive a tax reduction on their Village, County and School tax. For those who volunteer, it is a rewarding experience knowing that you are assisting your neighbors in a time of need. Please consider volunteering and joining our Fire Department.
Trustee Jennifer Stewart
4VS
Some highlights of this week’s programming are; Stephanie Larkin’s Author’s Corner with Lisa Pulitzer, Author & Ghostwriter, NY Times Bestseller. Uncorked with Rex Whicker, “Italian Wines” Various Regions & Varieties Are Examined.
DPW
Generally, this time of year is quiet for our Department of Public Works unless a major snow storm comes our way, although all local Groundhogs promised an early Spring. It is the time of year for deep cleaning of our buildings and maintenance of our many Village vehicles. Additionally, we plan for spring time projects to beautify our Village.
There are employment opportunities available, check out the Village website at for employment opportunities at fpvillage.org.
Trustee Michael Longobardi
Building Department
Our Building Department is busy these days with both the day-to-day residential applications, several new business proposals, and those already in development. There has been continued progress on the Hagan Daaz and the Pizza Bar plan for Tulip Avenue. The 100 Jericho Turnpike and 282 Jericho Turnpike proposed Pharmacies are moving forward. The 130A Tulip Avenue storefront, the old Butts and Such business, has a proposed convenience store which includes beer, cigars and candy. A recent stop work order was issued for this location to get the proper paperwork and permits in order so they can continue. The proposed changes to the restaurant plan at 99 Covert Avenue which were discussed during a public hearing last month have been approved tonight and they will be moving to the next step. The structural repairs to 266 Jericho Turnpike fire building are ongoing. Work is expected to start shortly on the new apartment building at the former Centennial Hall site as well as the fire building site on Covert Avenue. Thank you to Building Superintendent Renee Marcus and her staff for all their hard work on these ongoing projects.
As we saw on Friday, the always accurate and never doubted, weather expert Punxsutawney Phil and his tristate cousins all predicted an early spring. So, as we look to the warm weather and plan our renovations and improvements, we remind you that our knowledgeable staff at the Building Department is available to help guide you with codes and safety as well as make sure any necessary permits are properly filed.
Pool and Recreation
At the last Board Meeting I mentioned a meeting was held with the Recreation Committee to plan for 2024. At that time, we also reviewed the summer kids’ programs. For those that may not be aware, these are free programs which include various sports programs, arts and crafts, and more. These programs were developed and have been in place for several decades without much change. We all agree times have changed and the Recreation Committee is looking to make changes to better serve the interests of our kids. We are sending out a survey this week that will ask some basic questions and provide feedback to develop a more updated program that will better serve our children in today’s times and interests. Please take a few minutes to complete and send back; your input is appreciated.
Screaming Eagles Hockey season is coming to the end. Congratulations to all the players and coaches on a great season. The Winter-Spring Session Two programs are underway; limited openings are still available in some adult programs. If interested, please call the Recreation Center, 516-326-6336, Monday-Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM.
Recently, the Recreation Center received its new Smithco field conditioner. This machine is used to groom infields, aerate outfields, and plow snow. It is a much needed and welcomed piece of equipment.
Town-Village Aircraft Safety & Noise Abatement Committee (TVASNAC)
The next meeting will be Monday, February 26th at the 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 website which has the links under the TVASNAC noise complaint contact information page on our home page.
Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald
Moment of Silence
Prior to the start of the meeting a moment of silence was held for three members of our Floral Park community who we recently lost: Richard (Dick) Kosinski who worked for the Department of Public Works for over 30 years and served as a Volunteer Firefighter for over 50 years, Joe Clements who worked for the Department of Public Works for 37 years, and lastly Father Piotr Rozek, pastor of St. Hedwig’s Church, who was the Chaplain of the Floral Park Fire Department.
UBS Arena
Last week the Director of External Affairs at the Oak View Group, which is one of the owners of the UBS Arena, reached out to Deputy Mayor Pombonyo and myself, looking to have a ‘Floral Park Day’ at the new park at the UBS Arena. It’s tentatively scheduled for Saturday, March 2nd in the afternoon. More details should become available later in the week and we will get the information out to the residents as soon as we learn anything further. Look for information in our Newsletter.
