By Samuel Glasser
The Williston Park Board of Trustees Monday night approved a new member of the Williston Park Fire Department, an encouraging development given the recruiting slump facing many Long Island departments.
Alejandro Cabrera was accepted into the department, Deputy Mayor Kevin Rynne announced. The problem was highlighted when the Firefighters Association of the State of New York held a meeting at the Albertson Fire Company Saturday to discuss the difficulty in attracting new, particularly young, members. The problem is statewide, and during the upcoming state budget discussions in Albany the association intends to push for improved benefits for volunteer firefighters.
Rynne noted that Cabrera’s mother and brother are also members of the Fire Department.
In another development, the village recently purchased two radar-speed signs, now deployed in each direction on Sheridan Avenue, Trustee Michael Uttaro said.
“It’s a tool to get people to slow down,” he said. “We get speeding complaints so we will move them around” to other locations. The signs record the traffic speeds so the information could lead to tighter enforcement in problem areas, he said.
“It’s a visual deterrent. Anything that makes people slow down,” Uttaro said, noting that the village already had one radar sign before it acquired the new ones.
Resident Mary Ann Zwiebel said there is a lot of chatter on social media about water bills. “Why can’t they be paid on line?” she asked. “It’s the only check I write. It’s now 2024 – it seems so archaic.”
Mayor Paul Ehrbar replied that he current system “works.”
The trustees also noted that residents who have issues or questions about village affairs should approach the board rather than relying on social media. “You don’t have to wait for a [board] meeting” to discuss an issue, Ehrbar said.
He opened the meeting asking for a moment of silence for eight longtime residents who died during the holiday season – from about mid-December into January.
“All were long-time residents involved in various aspects of the Williston Park community,” he said. They were Bert Camarata, 80; Marjorie Mahoney, 99; Anne Previdi, 75; John Randall, 98; Alice Russo, 94; Donato Sassano, 90; Charlie Stanton, 101; Lilian Welsh, 87. In addition, he cited Jimmy Berry, 42, who died unexpectedly and is survived by his wife and three young daughters.
It was also announced that registration for the upcoming Little League season is still open. The Opening Day parade will be held April 6.
