Board Reports 3/22/23
Congratulations to my colleagues, Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald, Trustee Frank Chiara and Village Justice Douglas Hayden, on your re-elections to Floral Park’s Village government. It is an honor to continue working with you on our Village team. And special thanks to the many residents who came out to vote on Election Day!
Fire Department
Our Fire Department remained very busy during the month of February with a total of ninety-nine calls, eleven mutual aid calls to other communities, and seventy ambulance calls including both the NYU Langone ambulance and Floral Park Rescue (who is second due, but responds to the motor vehicle accidents, fire-related incidents, and mutual aid calls). A number of ambulance calls involve carbon monoxide detectors that have been activated, in some cases indicating very high levels of CO in the homes resulting in the need for medical care for the residents. As we turned our clocks ahead for Daylight Savings time on March 12th, that was also the time to change the batteries in your smoke and CO detectors. Keep your home safe for you and your family!
This coming Sunday, March 26th, our Fire Department will be honoring departed members including Honorary Chief Donald Gorman who passed away in 2022 after serving our Village for over fifty years. Two wreaths will be placed at the Fireman’s Memorial at headquarters at 8:45am. At 9:30am, the Department will march into St. Hedwig’s Church for a Mass to honor all our Department’s extraordinary volunteers, then the vehicles will be blessed. This will truly be a special day.
And, as April approaches, our Fire Department and Companies will be voting on their Chiefs and Officers, and rotating their positions for the coming year.
Department of Public Works
Our DPW continues to work with National Grid on gas line replacements. So far, numerous streets in Hillcrest and South Side have been completed. As each area is completed, National Grid is required to repave the damaged sections of each street, which would leave a patchwork of asphalt. Our DPW Superintendent, Kevin Ginnane, had an ingenious idea to have National Grid forego the patchwork repaving and pay the Village of Floral Park those costs. The Village then uses these funds to do the milling and repaving of every entire, affected street so that all will be totally repaved. This has been completed in Hillcrest and will be done in the Floral Parkway, Birch and Cypress areas next, to be followed by Harvard, Lexington and Nassau Streets. So far, the Village has received $362,000 for the first two projects. Tonight, the Board approved a $33,900 National Grid payment to the Village to go towards the repavement of Harvard, Lexington and Nassau.
Gas line replacement has begun on Verbena Avenue between Carnation and Rose, and Carnation Avenue between Violet and Verbena. Gas service to the homes will begin next week, with completion in one to two months. It is expected that National Grid payments to support this road restoration work will continue. Thank you Superintendent Ginnane for your cost-saving initiatives to advance our roadway improvements.
Chambers of Commerce and Our Businesses
After an exciting Grand Reopening of the K.Hunter Boutique on Covert Avenue, a large crowd of business owners, residents, fans and elected officials (including our entire Village Board and Town, County and National friends) gathered for the Grand Opening of the new Cara Mia Restaurant on Tulip Avenue. Both the Floral Park and Covert Avenue Chambers of Commerce joined in the festive celebration to welcome this popular Queens Village restaurant to our Village. Enjoy DINING LOCAL!
Conservation Society (FPCS)
Very soon, we will all be enjoying a new artistic creation at Centennial Gardens. Following the death of a tree just inside the Floral Parkway entrance, our Tree Department removed all but about twelve feet of the trunk. This trunk will now be transformed into a wood sculpture depicting all the special features of the Gardens. Master Woodcarver Gregg Klewicki of East Meadow will surprise Gardens fans with his fascinating artistic work starting this week. Appreciation goes to FPCS for sponsoring this newest Gardens gem and funding it with proceeds from their fundraising activities. Come and take a peek at the Floral Parkway entrance.
And, finally, Winter has passed and the Gardens will reopen on Saturday, April 1st. Also arriving on that day will be the Easter Bunny for photos. Families may come between 10am and noon, and bring your own cell phones or cameras. Special Easter bag surprises are in store. Ten days and counting until Spring in the Gardens returns!