The following is a list of top stories, compiled by the editor, which occurred throughout 2004. Full stories can be obtained by logging onto www.antonnews.com and clicking on the Farmingdale Observer archives. Senator Charles J. Fuschillo Jr. recently announced that almost half a billion dollars in state tax reductions went into effect on Jan. 1, 2004. These tax changes include a reduction in the state Gross Receipts Tax on electricity and natural gas, an increase in the College Tuition Tax Credit/Reduction and a reduction in the personal income tax rate. The Town of Oyster Bay held an induction ceremony on Jan. 5 to swear in the newly elected and incumbent members of the board, on which the Republicans now outnumber the Democrats 6-1. Sworn in were incumbents Supervisor John Venditto, Councilman Joseph Muscarella, Councilman Anthony Macagnone and Receiver of Taxes James Stefanich, the lone Democrat elected in November. Also sworn in were newcomers to the Town of Oyster Bay board Councilwoman Rose Marie Walker and Town Clerk Steven Labriola. They all join Democratic councilwoman Mary McCaffery and Republican Councilmen Chris Coschignano and Angelo Delligatti. The old saying Úquot;time fliesÚquot; surely rings true for the owners of Captain Andy's restaurant, Sven and Boel Brost. After all the ups and downs of the restaurant industry, the couple has sold their business at 196 Main Street and is retiring after 42 years. Last October a group of 32 volunteers - made up of community members and school district faculty members - were brought together with the help of Assistant Superintendent John Lorentz, and teamed up with Thomas Group architects to review the current status of district facilities and buildings and to establish priorities for building renovations and repairs. After over a dozen meetings, Lorentz announced at the Jan. 14 board meeting that the Districtwide Facilities Advisory Committee (DFAC) is preparing to present its recommended plan of action to the board of education for review within the next two months. Just nine days after a man was found dead in his car in a fire in South Farmingdale, another fierce blaze took the life of a man in Farmingdale. It swept through a multi-family home on Conklin Street in the village, right across the street from St. Kilian Church. According to Farmingdale Fire Department Chief John Salerno, firefighters rushed through the blaze with no regard for their own lives when hearing that a victim was trapped on the first floor of the building. Pledging to maintain the village's high quality of life, Farmingdale Mayor Joseph Trudden recently announced his candidacy for a fourth term as mayor. Joining him on the Village Restoration Party line will be incumbent trustees Michael Kelly and Vincent Sotis. Saying that they are committed to improving the quality of life in the Village of Farmingdale by implementing open government, fiscal responsibility, honesty and integrity, George Graf, Thomas Langon and Joseph Rachiele have announced their candidacy for office in the village. Village elections will take place on Tuesday, March 16. On February 16, the Columbus Lodge #2143 will kick off a year long celebration honoring its 40th birthday. On that date, in 1964, the lodge was instituted as a duly constituted lodge of the Order Sons of Italy in America. It was a race until the last moment. The lead team changed seven times during the meet. The top three teams combined for nearly 1900 points with #2 Garden City, #5 Hewlett and #8 Farmingdale. Then, the final event of the meet, the 400-yard Free Relay, ended in a three-way tie for first place. Unfortunately for the Dalers, they didn't come out on top in that relay and fell 10 points short of their first Division title since 1996. On Tuesday, March 9, 2004 residents of the 12th Assembly District elected Republican Joseph Saladino to be their representative in the Assembly. Saladino succeeds former Assemblyman Steve Labriola, who vacated the seat in January after being elected to the town clerk's office in the Town of Oyster Bay. Massapequan Saladino, who received 3,501 votes, defeated William Funk, also of Massapequa, who received 1,689. A typical Friday morning in the Village of Farmingdale suddenly became an emergency scene involving police and fire authorities and local officials when a high-pressure gas main on Conklin Street unexpectedly ruptured on Feb. 27, 2004. Since the main services a majority of residential and commercial properties on Conklin, approximately 300 people had to be evacuated, including 100 homes and businesses and two nearby schools - St. Luke's Nursery School and Pitter Patter Early Childhood Learning Center. Farmingdale carrier Bill Filiberto had just finished delivering one of the loops on his route on Feb. 17, 2004 and was doing a turnaround on another route to get to his next loop. As he did so, he saw a woman on her front lawn on all fours. He was unsure exactly what was happening. Filiberto called 911 and then went up to the house and got rubber gloves, a towel and a blanket from the neighbor. They turned the woman over and discovered a gash across the bridge of her nose. To stop the bleeding they applied pressure with the towel, until the ambulance arrived. Some strange occurrences took place at Farmingdale Village Hall following the March 16 village board elections. After residents elected all three members of the Farmingdale Family Party - candidate for mayor George Graf and trustees Tom Langon and Joseph Rachiele - Village Clerk John Giordano was abruptly terminated and the door to the clerk's office was dead-bolted. Both of these actions were administered by current Mayor Joseph Trudden. The key to the clerk's office was returned to village hall Monday morning. Before a board room filled beyond capacity, the new administration for the Village of Farmingdale was sworn in Monday evening during a special ceremony. Mayor George Graf, together with Trustees Tom Langon and Joseph Rachiele, officially took office at noon on April 5, 2004. The three join trustees Marialyce Denauski and Dr. Benjamin Giminaro on the village board. Before a standing-room only crowd at Farmingdale Village Hall, outgoing Mayor Joseph Trudden presided over his last meeting of the board of trustees last Tuesday. It was also the last meeting for outgoing trustees Michael Kelly and Vince Sotis. After quickly finishing up agenda items, several residents, including organization members, non-village residents, friends and colleagues, stood up to tell Trudden how much he will be missed in the village after 12 years of service as mayor. Some described Trudden's stepping down as an Úquot;end of an era,Úquot; and described both him and his time in office a legacy. Last summer, Farmingdale High School junior Mike Mianulli's life drastically changed after an accident at a friend's party left him paralyzed from the neck down when he fell into a swimming pool. After spending some time in the trauma unit at Nassau University Medical Center, Mianulli was moved to a rehabilitation center in Manhattan and will be returning home within the next few weeks. However, the structure of the family's Farmingdale home would prove to be a problem for Mianulli with regard to accessibility and mobility, until more than 50 union members and volunteers decided to take on the project to help renovate the house. Nearly 400 people turned out in Bethpage on Saturday, April 24, 2004 for a ceremony to dedicate a post office in memory of fallen September 11 fireman, Captain Brian C. Hickey. This effort was initiated by Oyster Bay Town Councilwoman Mary McCaffery, a Bethpage resident and friend of Hickey. US Congressman Peter King also backed the legislation and it was passed on Nov. 11, 2003. A framed photograph of Hickey will hang beside a cast-iron plaque in the lobby of the new Brian C. Hickey Post Office at 339 Hicksville Rd. As the May 18 universal voting day for school budgets and trustee elections approaches, the Farmingdale Council of PTA will be holding their Candidates Forum at the Howitt Middle School auditorium on Wednesday, May 12, 2004 beginning at 7:30 p.m. All three school board members, as well as both library board, candidates are invited to attend. Current School Board Trustee Joy Jorgensen is running for re-election this year. She is opposed by Russ Catanzaro. Current Board Vice President Tina Diamond is also seeking re-election. She is running unopposed. Library Board Trustee Larry Jorgensen is seeking re-election and is being opposed by Matt Probert. After a series of open meetings regarding the village budget for the 2004-2005 fiscal year (June 1, 2004 to May 31, 2005), the Farmingdale Village Board of Trustees adopted its budget last Thursday, reflecting a 9.5 percent increase in the general tax fund rate and a 10 percent decrease in the water rate. The total operating budget for both the general and water fund is $6,359,165. At a budget workshop held April 21, 2004 Village Clerk-Treasurer John Giordano explained that village taxes represent approximately 15 percent of all school, town and county property taxes and are used for essential services such as highway maintenance, building code enforcement and fire protection. Giordano further added that the water fund is supported by user fees. Who says good deeds go unnoticed these days? One past and two current residents were inducted into the Farmingdale High School Wall of Fame on May 3, 2004 for their community service, contribution to society and overall dedication to making the world a better place. Farmingdale High School Assistant Principal and Chairperson of the Wall of Fame Committee, Dr. Donna Stanza told those present in the lecture hall how diligently her committee worked to choose the inductees, David Jaeger, MD, PhD, Robert Mosley, and Rob Bartlett. In 1999, Howitt Middle School won a grant to help create The Place, a multi-recreational evening activity offering members the opportunity to play team sports in the gym. At that time, The Place was offered to seventh and eighth grade students at Howitt. Participants enjoyed a variety of sports, including dodgeball, whiffleball, soccer, basketball and others. The cafeteria was also open to members at The Place to socialize with friends, listen to music, dance and play board games. On some nights, classrooms were converted into movie rooms to watch videos and debate a topic. Craft rooms were available to members to work on various projects. There were also special events planned, such as theme nights, talent show and dances with a DJ. Active trips were also held. To end the profitability and combat the growth of the illegal conversion of single-family homes to multi-family dwellings, Nassau County Assessor Harvey Levinson unveiled an initiative that will reclassify any illegal multi-family dwelling from Class I (residential) to Class 4 (commercial) property for taxation purposes. On average, the commercial property tax rate is 2 1/2 times higher than the residential rate. New York State Senator Kemp Hannon recently selected Dr. Roberta A. Gerold as one of the women to represent the 6th Senate District in the New York State Senate 2004 Úquot;Women of DistinctionÚquot; program. Dr. Gerold, the superintendent of the Farmingdale School District, received the honor with Joanne Meyer-Jendras of Garden City. State Comptroller Alan Hevesi last week released an audit of the Village of Farmingdale, particularly of the practices of former administrators in the village. According to the comptroller, officials enjoyed unnecessary perks and failed to monitor excessive credit card usage, as well as spending on legal matters. The audit reported that seven officials incurred approximately $60,000 in credit card charges, which included at least $17,000 in personal expenses that were later repaid. The report stated that they failed to submit receipts or explanations for much of the remaining $43,000 charged. At its regular board meeting last Wednesday, the Farmingdale Board of Education adopted a revised budget to put back up before voters on June 21, 2004. The original budget, voted on May 18, was defeated by over 700 votes. Trustees met last week to see where they could trim the fat and reduce the budget number from $115,998,426, which represented an 8.53 percent increase over this year's budget, reflecting a tax levy increase of 9.53 percent. The budget adopted last week, which the public will vote on June 21, 2004 totals $114,625,481, a 7.25 percent increase in expenditures over the current budget and increasing the tax levy by 8.8 percent. The board also discussed the possibility of a contingency budget, which would total $113,040,286 and would more than likely result in a 9.28 percent tax levy increase. According to Assistant Superintendent John Lorentz, the tax levy could be higher in the event of a contingency budget due to the fact that the reserve fund balance may not be included. However based on confirmation with the school district, information regarding additional state aid may cause this number to change. Following a May 25, 2004 planning board meeting regarding the possible construction of eight million dollar homes in the Village of Farmingdale, the board of trustees met last Tuesday and invited residents to voice their concerns regarding the possible subdivision of the 4.5 acres known as the Hueppe Property. The property, located northwest of Melville Road and southeast of Jefferson Road in the village presently houses three homes, which the applicant intends to demolish and replace with eight new homes on a cul-de-sac. For those Nassau residents without a medical plan that covers prescription drugs, the cost of prescription drugs can be crippling financially. However, thanks to a discount plan established by Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman, help is on the way. Weitzman, together with Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, unveiled the NassauRx program, which will enable all residents of Nassau County to get a discount on commonly prescribed prescription drugs including brand names and generics. The fastest wheelchair athletes in the world visited Long Island the morning of June 27, 2004 for the 13th annual Nick Katsounis Memorial Wheelchair Championship 10 Kilometer Race. The top three finishers were from three different continents, as New South Wales speedster Kurt Fearnley outpushed Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa and Mexican champion Saul Mendoza to win the top prize of $3,250. Fearnley crossed the finish line outside of Ellsworth Allen Town Park in Farmingdale in 20 minutes, 37.6 seconds, Van Dyk scored in 20:38.5 and Mendoza was timed in 20:38.6. Top United States finisher was Chris Waddell of Park City, Utah in 11th place overall. Farmingdale High School's former principal, Robert Lewis, retired at the end of the school year, leaving newly appointed Allan Bauer to uphold Lewis' high standards. As principal, Bauer said he is prepared to implement his long-term plans to pave the way for Farmingdale's optimistic future.

(Editor's Note: The following letter was addressed to Farmingdale Village Clerk John Giordano who requested that, it be printed here.)

I send greetings to those celebrating the 100th anniversary of Farmingdale, New York. Across America, our cities, towns and communities provide important support as people raise families, immigrants build better lives and countless others pursue their personal and professional goals. By enhancing the values of faith, family and friendship in our neighborhoods, citizens are helping to make our country safer, more prosperous and more compassionate. The success of Farmingdale is a testament to the contributions of your residents and the hope and promise of our great country. Laura joins me in sending best wishes on this special occasion.

George Bush

The Farmingdale Community Summit Council unveiled the Farmingdale Remembers 9/11 auxiliary monuments at the Farmingdale Public Library last week. The ceremony was attended by local residents and dignitaries, including Farmingdale Village officials Mayor George Graf and Trustees Joe Rachiele, Tom Langon and Ted Dorfmeister Sr. The two auxiliary monuments contain the names of 12 Farmingdale residents who perished in the attacks of September 11, 2001 on one stone and a dedicating poem read on the first anniversary of the attack on the other. On August 11, 2004 2 1/2-year-old Robinson Rodriguez arrived at JFK. He came with his mom from the Dominican Republic to receive a life-saving heart operation at Schneider Children's Hospital. The operation was successful, Robinson made a swift recovery, and on Sept. 2, 2004 he was on his way home. The Farmingdale Rotary Lunch Club donated $5,000 to the Gift of Life's Save-A-Child fund to help pay the hospital costs and other expenses of Robinson and his mother while they were here. The surgery is done without charge by doctors participating in the Gift of Life program. Dozens of Farmingdale residents packed the auditorium of the Farmingdale Public Library on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2004 to obtain information about the progress and upcoming cleanup activities planned for the Liberty Site. The EPA issued another cleanup order to the owners of the Liberty Site, requiring them to address below ground features in a number of buildings on the property. Currently there are 14 parties and two government agencies involved in the eastern portion of the Liberty Site. After defeating his opponent in a special election in March to replace Steven Labriola, who vacated the seat to be Oyster Bay town clerk, incumbent Joseph Saladino lobbied for legislation that seven months later has already become a law, an accomplishment he claims Úquot;almost broke recordsÚquot; in the 12th AD. Bill Funk, a Massapequa resident, is making his second run for the 12th Legislative Assembly seat on the Democratic and Working Families party line. The district includes the Massapequas and Plainedge, as well as Farmingdale and South Farmingdale. Elected in 1998 to the New York State Senate, Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. is running for his eighth term in the Eighth Senate District on the Republican, Independence, and Conservative party lines. John R. Lewis, Jr. is the Democratic candidate for the 8th Senate District, which includes the Village of Massapequa Park, as well as parts of Farmingdale, Seaford, Wantagh and Merrick. Lewis said the issues affecting all New Yorkers are the issues that most affect residents of the Village of Massapequa Park. One such issue is a legislative process that Lewis believes needs to be overhauled. On Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2004 a town meeting was held at the Farmingdale Public Library to focus on issues surrounding future expansion plans for Republic Airport. Over 100 local and neighboring community members gathered at the meeting, which was called to order by Legislator David Mejias, who insisted that this will not be the last meeting held by the town on the issue. The overall tone expressed from the community throughout the night was against any expansion on the airport itself or on its grounds and some people asked questions of how to prevent further growth. According to Nassau County Police Officers at the scene, the Secatogue Apartments Complex at 150 Secatogue Ave. in Farmingdale experienced a water main break on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2004. Approximately 150 tenants of the Secatogue Apartments Complex were sent to nearby shelters after the water and electricity was shut off for safety reasons, according to Nassau County Police Officers. The cause was unknown. Earlier this week, on Nov. 19, 2004, a one-car collision on Stewart Avenue in Bethpage claimed the lives of two Bethpage teens. Sho Nakamori, 19, was killed that night and Claudette Mangano, 15, died from her injuries a day later. They came in droves. Supporters. Opponents. Even those who hadn't yet devised an opinion on the proposed Stop & Shop on the corner of Main Street and Motor Avenue in Farmingdale. The Nov. 16, 2004 hearing was held by the Town of Oyster Bay. The hearing came to a close when Town Consultants Hal Mayer and John Ellsworth said the Town of Oyster Bay is still completing environmental studies and that a decision cannot be made for another three to four months. Venditto chimed in that realistically it would probably be closer to six months. The Nov. 23, 2004 bond referendum was defeated by the voters of the Farmingdale School District by an enormous margin. Opponents voted against the bond referendum 1,775 to 592. The total cost of the proposed bond referendum was $49,965,000, plus interest, for the 20-year term of the bond. However, as a result of the district's 47.5 percent state building aid ratio, the state would assume responsibility for approximately $23,733,375 (plus interest) of the cost. The community's share would be approximately $26,231,625 (plus interest). If approved by the community, the annual tax impact of the referendum on a resident currently paying approximately $5,000 in school district taxes was projected to be $115. For a resident with a current school district tax bill of approximately $7,500, the annual tax impact was projected to be $172.50. Mayor George J. Graf opened the Nov. 30, 2004 Farmingdale Village Board meeting announcing the arrival of a new code enforcement vehicle and the hiring of several more code enforcers. Former trustee Mike Kelly addressed the board regarding the fire siren on the roof of the firehouse. The siren is used as a secondary alert for the firefighters, some of which are also equipped with pagers. Many Farmingdale residents think, the siren is very loud and disruptive. A petition of 500 signatures requesting that the siren be turned down was presented the board. Mayor Graf said the administration will do everything we can to work with the fire commissioner to try and silence it, but their ultimate concern is safety. A representative from the LI Yellow Cab Corp. approached the board to notify the community of a 50 cents fare increase in the Village of Farmingdale. This rate change from $3.50 to $4, would be the first fare hike in four years. The senior citizen discount will also be increased to $1.50. The Terry Weathers Board Room at Howitt Middle School was so packed at the Dec. 1, 2004 Farmingdale Board of Education meeting that president Anthony Vitale said, in the future, meetings will likely be held in the cafeteria to accommodate the large turnouts. The public became vocal with the board regarding the bond referendum for Farmingdale schools that was voted down by residents on Nov. 23. After listening to concerns about higher taxes, Vitale assured residents that the board really struggles with taxes and tries to come up with the money while keeping people in the community. The Farmingdale Fire Department responded to a fire at 8:50 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2004 at the Secatogue Apartments Complex, located at 150 Secatogue Ave. According to Assistant Chief Skip Schumeyer, heavy smoke was showing from the first and second floors of building #7. None of the residents sustained any injuries; however, one police officer was taken to New Island Hospital for smoke inhalation. A fire marshal determined the cause to be related to a boiler below the first floor in the basement. Four families have been displaced altogether.