Janet Sierzant Publishes Second Novel

Books’ content based on growing up on Long Island

Janet (Finno) Sierzant, a hometown girl from North Massapequa, and student from Farmingdale High School, has just released her second novel Searching for the Shire.

In Shire, Amanda Marcella wanted to be a housewife. After 20 years, she finds herself divorced and begins to rebuild her life. But someone is watching. Her life begins to unravel and she is thrust into a world of jealousy, obsession and revenge.  Shire begins in Massapequa and Farmingdale, and then moves to Georgia with frequent return visits to Long Island.

Women’s Club Of Farmingdale News

Now that fall is here it’s time to get back into the swing of things. Hope everyone had an enjoyable summer. The Women’s Club of Farmingdale had their first meeting of the club year on Thursday, Oct. 4 at Allen Park with a new President Maria Ortolani and the new executive board: 1st Vice President Ann Lomonte; 2nd Vice Presidents Anna Ievolo and Lynn Connolly; Recording Secretary Cheryl Parisi; Corresponding Secretary Rosemary Emigholz; Treasurer Dru Brem; Auditor Madeline Bondietti and Immediate Past President Barbara Hoerner.  

This will be an exciting year as our 100th anniversary is fast approaching in March 2013. Many exciting events are being planned. Cookbook chairperson Loda Romanelli and her committee have put together a wonderful cookbook Recipes of Remembrances-The Women’s Club of Farmingdale 100th Anniversary 1913-2013. It contains recipes from club members and friends and also past presidents through the years. It is a treasure to own. If you would like to purchase a cookbook, please contact Barbara Hoerner at (516) 799-6245. The cost is $15.

Hurricane Sandy Brings Devastation To LI

Destroyed homes, power outages, and long gas lines are left in the storm’s wake

“I thought my house was going to blow away,” one local homeowner told Farmingdale Observer. As he was working on the monumental task of cleaning up his home after the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy; he spoke about the frightening feeling that his home would come apart during the storm. Many Farmingdale homes incurred tremendous damage, as did so many homes throughout Long Island, and in particular, Nassau County. As with many Nassau residents, much of residents’ belongings were ruined and they are left with the task of rebuilding a home.

It is a scene that is devastatingly similar throughout Long Island, and particularly in waterfront areas on the north and south shores. Homeowners desperately tried to remove the water that had flooded homes by opening doors, windows, garage doors, and by using generator-powered vacuums, designed to capture water. Along curbsides, carpets, furniture, clothing, toys, and other treasured belongings were left for sanitation crews to take away. Literally, lifetimes of memories had been washed away.

Salvation Army Gears Up For Holiday Season

Volunteers, bell ringers always needed

The holiday season is around the corner and that means that Salvation Army volunteers will be out in force to assist the neediest people in Nassau County.

For Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Nassau County Salvation Army will have four facilities open, located in Freeport, Hempstead and Westbury.

Election Results

(Unofficial Results)
* winner

U.S. President:
* Barack Obama (D)
Mitt Romney (R)

Farmingdale FD Demonstrates Fire Handling

On Friday, Oct. 19, the Farmingdale Fire Department (FFD) held a fire prevention open house at the Main Street headquarters for residents and community members. Members of the department handed out pamphlets, magnets and videos, all with the fire safety message.

In addition, the Bethpage Fire Department shared their safe house, a training and demonstration tool used to teach children about fire safety. The safe house was filled with “training smoke” so children could go inside the house, and crawl on the  floor to get out, as they would in the event of a real fire.

Farmingdale Board Of Ed Adopts Tax Levy

State approves district’s APPR plan

Farmingdale residents had a couple of questions for the Farmingdale Board of Education at this month’s regular meeting at Howitt Middle School on Oct. 10, concerning student assessment and how the district evaluates reading skills.

Also on the agenda, the board adopted the 2012-13 tax levy of $118,703,113, of which $114,539,602 is a school tax levy, with the rest going towards the library and youth council levies.

Assemblyman James Conte Dies

Organ donation advocate loses battle with lymphoma

On Tuesday, Oct. 16 James Conte, Republican assemblyman of the 10th district in Huntington lost his battle with T-cell lymphoma cancer. He was diagnosed last spring, but in May 2012 Conte had learned that the cancer had spread. He began receiving chemotherapy treatment at Mt. Sinai Hospital.

Just three months ago, Conte formally announced that he would not seek re-election as assemblyman “due to his ongoing battle with cancer and his desire to focus all of his energy on recovering and spend more time with his family and friends.”

Sparks Fly In The Debate Arena

Town hall format and Obama’s performance finds president rebounding in the polls

On Tuesday, Oct. 16, Hofstra University was the site for the second of three debates between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney. Hofstra had also hosted a debate between then-Democratic nominee Obama and GOP nominee Sen. John McCain back in 2008, making the school just the second university to host consecutive presidential debates. (St. Louis’ Washington University was the other.)

With Romney scoring what many considered an upset victory over Obama’s decidedly lackluster performance in the first debate, this follow-up was going to be a “deal maker or breaker in this campaign,” according to political pundit Chris Matthews, who spoke at Hofstra the prior week. Shortly after moderator Candy Crowley took the stage at 9 p.m., it was clear both candidates were prepared to come out swinging, making for a lively hour and a half that found roughly 65 million viewers tuning in to the town hall-style debate, according to the Nielsen Ratings.

Farmingdale State College Children’s Center Groundbreaking

Increased capacity responds to needs of parents

Farmingdale State College’s President W. Hubert Keen welcomed approximately 100 guests on Oct. 11 who attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the campus’s Children’s Center, which will be relocated from its existing building. School officials, local politicians, and influential campus and community members gathered at the construction site entrance to symbolically break ground on what will be the new daycare facility.

“The new facility for our Children’s Center will benefit our students, faculty, and staff, and most importantly—the children,” said President Keen.