Board Report 07/16/24

Police Department
As Interim Superintendent of Schools Dr. Thomas Dolan completed his yearlong assignment in the Sewanhaka Central High School District, he took a moment to thank the Floral Park Police Department for its outstanding service to the Floral Park Memorial High School students, staff, PTSA and families. Dr. Dolan commented on the speed of FPPD’s responses to their calls and the services that our Police provide including: School Resource Officer instruction and support, guidance in the development and refinement of school and traffic safety procedures, a daily presence outside FPM, and valuable collaboration in emergencies and investigations. FPM Principal Mrs. Alicia Calabrese has offered similar praise. We thank Dr. Dolan for his important work with the Floral Park community and Sewanhaka Central High School District throughout the 2023-24 school year.

With summertime comes vacation plans. FPPD’s summer plans include keeping us and all of our property safe. 

Featured on the FPPD Facebook page is Vacation Crime Prevention Tips including this very important one:

Notify the Floral Park Police Department by completing the “Vacation Watch” form found at FloralParkPolice.com , then follow the links. There, you may request that our Police conduct periodic property checks while you are on vacation. Simply provide the necessary information on our FPPD “Vacation Watch” online form, and enjoy your vacation worry-free.


Chambers of Commerce and Our Businesses
This year, Blank Slate Media and our Village’s official Herald Courier newspaper sponsored the 10th Annual BEST OF NASSAU COUNTY Contest for 2024. Voters across Nassau County declared their favorites from categories such as: Arts/Entertainment, Food/Restaurants, Retail/Shopping, Sports & Recreation, and others.

Floral Park’s favorite places have always done well in these BEST contests with our Centennial Gardens and Bird Sanctuary and Floral Park Library winning in multiple, consecutive years.

In 2024, Floral Park has three Winners, eight Runner-Ups and two Honorable Mentions, plus a few other favorites close to home.

Congratulations, with our pride, go to our Winners:

  • Centennial Gardens and Bird Sanctuary – BEST PARK 
  • Floral Park Diner – BEST BREAKFAST
  • Pellegrini’s Prime Meats, Fish & Catering, Stewart Manor – BEST BUTCHER 
  • Keats Nationwide Insurance Agencies, Mineola and a longtime Floral Park business owned by Ron Keats – BEST INSURANCE AGENCY 

Our Runner-Up Awards: 

  • Centennial Gardens and Bird Sanctuary – BEST PUBLIC GARDEN 
  • Floral Park Diner – BEST DINER
  • Jameson’s Restaurant of Floral Park – BEST AMERICAN RESTAURANT 
  • Le Chat Noir Wines and Spirits – BEST LIQUOR STORE
  • Nu Natural Cleaners – BEST DRY CLEANERS
  • Tulip Bagels – BEST BAGEL SHOP
  • Tulip Sweet Shop – BEST CANDY STORE

Our Honorable Mention Awards:

  • Crabtree Restaurant – BEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANT 
  • Best Hardware – BEST HARDWARE STORE
  • Tulip Bike Shop, Bellerose Village – BEST BICYCLE STORE
  • Covert Optical, New Hyde Park and a longtime Covert Avenue, Floral Park business owned by Mark Simko – BEST OPTICIAN 

Next, see Trustee Chiara’s report. He will have two more, a Winner and a Runner-Up, to brag about.

Our business community is indeed the BEST OF NASSAU COUNTY. Be sure to SHOP AND DINE LOCAL AT THE BEST, right here in Floral Park and Stewart Manor!


Conservation Society (FPCS)
And, as you just heard, Centennial Gardens and Bird Sanctuary has been honored in two categories this year:  Winner in the BEST PARK category for 2024, and Runner-Up in the BEST PUBLIC GARDEN category for 2024. This year’s honor follows two prior years of winning in the BEST PUBLIC GARDEN category.

Lots of people to thank for our Gardens’ ongoing success stories. First is FPCS with President Dennis McEnery and our talented team of expert, volunteer Gardeners; the many passionate volunteer Gardener groups; Superintendent Kurt Meyfohrt and our on-site, green-thumbed Parks Department; and Superintendent Kevin Ginnane, Supervisor Kevin Pearsall, and the multi-skilled Department of Public Works staff.

Come on down to Floral Parkway, and experience the wonders of our BEST PARK and PUBLIC GARDEN, open 12 to 5 PM daily!