In a May 31 letter to Farmingdale residents, 8th Precinct Inspector Commanding Officer Michael P. Cronin addressed "ongoing problems" in the vicinity of Massapequa Preserve, Farmingdale High School, Woodward Parkway School and Bethpage State Park.

"Problems in these areas are related to youths congregating and drinking, using and selling drugs, creating loud noise, littering, and damaging property," the letter stated. "On several occasions parents have actually dropped off their own children at these locations. Several complainants have called in disbelief. When the youths are exiting these locations late at night they cause damage to property, break bottles and cause noise disturbance resulting in a negative impact on the quality of life."

Cronin continues to state that Nassau County, State Park and New York State Police will be enforcing state and local laws in their areas and "will maintain a zero tolerance policy in all parks throughout the 8th Precinct."

According to Cronin's letter, some of the laws that will be enforced are: "unlawful possession of marijuana, consumption of alcohol, park closed at dark, no trespassing, littering, disorderly conduct, congregate with other persons and refuse to comply with a lawful order to disperse, property closed to the public, use of established ways (example: beer party pits), alcohol in the park and all-terrain vehicles."

Mike Grello, president of the Concerned Citizens Association of Farmingdale, said his organization has been working with 8th Precinct P.O.P. Officer Paul LaMonica and Inspector Cronin "on getting the bike patrol in there and the P.O.P. unit and working jointly with the State Police in giving appearance tickets in the hope that if we give 50 appearance tickets over the summer, maybe we can stop 10 of those children from going back in there and God knows what was happening."

Crohin's letter was sent to the Farmingdale School District and then mailed to all students' homes.

"Superintendent John Lorentz and I met with State Police a few weeks ago and asked for their help with the woods around the high school, they were very responsive to our concerns," Assistant Superintendent for Administration Barbara Horsley said.

Legislator Dave Mejias, in conjunction with the Viceroy Civic Association, is hosting a town hall meeting on Wednesday, June 20 at 7 p.m. at the Farmingdale Public Library to also address these issues.

"This meeting is really to get everybody in a room together to figure out how we can come up with some ideas to make this area better and eliminate some of the problems that we've had in past summers with vandalism and kids partying in there," Mejias explained. "It's not a meeting to point fingers or place blame, but rather to find solutions to the problems we have. It's beautiful and it's still a great place. We just want to make sure it stays one of the jewels of Nassau County."

Mejias, an avid runner and marathon participant, said he jogs in the area near Viceroy a few times a week.

"I see the problems and I want to make sure it stays a good place to work out or go for a walk," he added.

Friends of the Massapequa Preserve President Rich Schary said there has been much confusion in the past as to which areas are actually part of the Massapequa Preserve.

"The Massapequa Preserve lies south of Southern State Parkway," Schary explained. "[The area north of the parkway] is undesignated parkland and parkway right of way and that is the problem. It is not part of the preserve, it's basically the woods."

Schary said thanks to the Friends of the Massapequa Preserve, CCAF and the 7th Precinct, south of the Southern State Parkway does not have the problems that the areas north of the parkway does.

"Most of this [south of the parkway] property is owned by New York State Parks and we've asked State Parks to step up to the plate," Schary continued. "They have refused to post signs or enforce the law. The only part owned by Nassau County is the 31-acre Viceroy section and that is a lease from the state."

For more information on the Viceroy Civic Association visit www.viceroycivic.com. For more information on the Massapequa Preserve visit www.fdale.com/FMP/. For more information on the Concerned Citizens Association of Farmingdale visit www.ccaf-civic.org. To contact Legislator Mejias call 571-6214.