The following are trustee reports from the July 19 Floral Park board meeting.

Deputy Mayor Kevin Greene reported that the department, which responded to more than 100 alarms during June (80 of which were rescue calls), hosted the second annual Keith Fairben Old Fashion Tournament. Mr. Fairben was a lieutenant in Reliance Company and one of the most dedicated members in the department, Deputy Mayor Greene noted.

"Keith was one of the heroes who died September 11, 2001, at the World Trade Center attack while helping to evacuate the towers," he added. Ten fire departments from Nassau County participated in the tournament and the Floral Park Doodlebugs finished third. Deputy Mayor Greene thanked all the members, friends and families who came out to support the event. "Keith would have been proud," he added.

He further congratulated the Doodlebugs for their performance at the Nassau County tournament in Oceanside. They finished second overall in Nassau County points and brought home seven trophies. Moreover, the fire department is preparing to host the Nassau County First Battalion Parade Saturday, Aug. 27. The parade will honor Rescue Company on its 75th anniversary.

Deputy Mayor Greene also reported that the contractor working for the Water Authority has completed the water main installation and concrete work on Stewart Street. As previously stated, the Water Authority is upgrading the water supply systems on Stewart Street. The next phase entails making the final restoration of the street openings. Once the Water Authority has completed its work, the village will proceed with the planned overlay program for all of Stewart Street. The project is expected to begin sometime in September or October.

Further, the contractor is beginning to repair the sidewalks that have been marked on Mayfair Avenue. Moreover, work is progressing on the HVAC system at the Floral Park Library. Greene thanked the residents, and especially the library staff, for putting up with the construction activities.

"It was hoped that the air conditioning would be up and running prior to the hot season but as luck would have it there were some delays," he said. "The unit is now up and running and as time goes on it will get better." He apologized to the library staff and residents who were inconvenienced with the heated conditions. "Hopefully, the project will be completed by the end of August," Greene added.

He also stated that bid plans for the Magnolia Avenue reconstruction project are being finalized and that he would be talking with residents over the next couple of weeks about what they can expect once the project begins.

Also being finalized is the paperwork to be submitted to the State Department of Transportation for securing the traffic-calming grant. The grant money will be used to square off the Woodbine Court parking field, which will make the intersection safer for pedestrian and vehicular traffic and will also add additional parking spots.

Trustee Gerry Bambrick reported that the department continues to be busy. During June, the department issued 30 building permits, 16 plumbing permits, 27 electrical permits, 14 fence permits and 39 miscellaneous permits. "This was the most permits ever issued in one given month," he noted.

At the zoning board meeting last month, they approved a new two-story building at 115 Jericho Turnpike. This property was previously a landscaping nursery. The new building will be a retail store on the first floor and two apartments on the second floor. There will also be on-site parking.

Permits for the two new houses for the Willow Street subdivision were issued recently and the building permits for the Childs Avenue subdivision were filed and are currently being reviewed. The structure on Willow Street has been demolished and the house and garage on Childs Avenue will be demolished this week.

Trustee Bambrick also reported that many residents have noticed the air traffic this summer has been particularly bad at times. One of the reasons for this is construction at Kennedy Airport on Runways 13 and 31. When the winds are out of the south, the arrival traffic is normally spread amongst Runways 22 and 13. Now, with construction on Runway 13, when the winds are out of the south, nearly all of the arrival traffic is coming in on Runway 22. The construction project, which began last fall, is expected to continue through this November.

On a related note, Trustee Bambrick added, "For over the past year, we have been working closely with the Port Authority, the Kennedy Tower manager, the Aviation Development Council and the former director of the air traffic controllers to provide some relief to Floral Park, especially at night. After some study, the Port Authority, the tower manager and the Aviation Development Council all agreed with our suggestions. Unfortunately, we met with some resistance from the FAA regional office. At that point we asked Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy for some assistance."

Congresswoman McCarthy's office arranged for a meeting with representatives of the FAA, the Port Authority, the Aviation Development Council and Floral Park. The initial meeting was held at her office June 27. Representing Floral Park were Mayor Phil Guarnieri, Trustee Bambrick and Joe Reekie and Linda Dersch from the village's Noise Abatement Committee. "The initial meeting was very productive," Trustee Bambrick noted, "and a follow-up meeting was held July 15 at village hall. We are hopeful that we will be able to make a positive announcement shortly."

Trustee Tom Tweedy reported that the Recreation Center continues to be a hub of activity this summer. District 29 championship games were held on Field 1, July 15. The playoffs were hosted the Monday before and the park was as crowded as rush hour in Grand Central.

The Recreation Center continues to hold primary camps, all-day camps, arts and crafts, sports camps and tennis camps. These programs have over 1,200 children involved in recreation offerings this summer.

The adult programs include 25 women's volleyball teams, nine men's volleyball teams and 16 basketball teams. Total registration in these programs exceeds 500 residents. Men's and women's softball continues each Sunday. The Floral Park Little League has begun its summer baseball league.

The pool has been very busy this year. Total membership has reached 6,163, comprising of 4,955 adults, 953 children, 240 seniors and 15 caregiver passes. D&J Refreshments continues to provide a full and healthy menu for patrons at the pool and along the west terrace pavilion service window at Field 6. If residents have any questions regarding the center, they may call 326-6334. For questions regarding the pool, they may call 326-6336.

Trustee James Rhatigan reported that this past week brought the return of air conditioning to the library. After a number of setbacks, the contractor, at the urging of Deputy Mayor Kevin Greene and Village Engineer Ed Palmer, saw to it that relief from the latest hot spell was provided to library staff and residents. The library board has indicated that the library director will be placing notices in the local publications thanking residents for their understanding during this period and welcoming them to come and "enjoy the atmosphere" in the library.

"Library staff is to be commended for maintaining 'their cool' throughout this process in spite of the warm surroundings. The HVAC project continues with the placement of the heating components and it is hoped that we may see completion of this portion of the work in early September," Trustee Rhatigan said.

The library is conducting a number of programs for children and adults throughout the summer. Information about these programs can be obtained by calling the library at 326-6330 or by logging on to www.nassaulibrary.org/fpark.

Trustee Rhatigan also reported that Centennial Gardens is now open Saturday mornings for guided tours at 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Individual visits are also available Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. This area continues to take shape due to the efforts of the volunteers of the Conservation Society. Anyone wishing to join this group or looking for more information should contact former mayor Steve Corbett, at 352-5383.

Mayor Phil Guarnieri thanked the nearly 5,000 residents who have signed petitions and sent letters to elected officials regarding the additional track the MTA is proposing to build on the Main Line. "Efforts from our community are extraordinary in so many different ways and it is nice to hear the voice of the people carry so much power," the mayor said. "The voice of this community has reached the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County and the State of New York. The village board will continue to fight. It is an uphill battle but we will continue to make an impact."

Mayor Guarnieri said the board would be meeting with mayors of various villages to plan strategies that can be implemented in the next few months as "we continue to bring our case to elected officials," he added.

The mayor said he also met with Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy and the FAA regarding increased air traffic over Floral Park. "It was a very encouraging meeting," he said. He personally thanked Trustee Bambrick for all the efforts he has made in this regard.

Mayor Guarnieri reiterated the comments made by Deputy Mayor Greene regarding the state law on the Volunteer Fire Department Service Award program. Residents may vote on the referendum Sept. 27. A letter outlining the new program will be sent to residents in early September.

Moreover, the mayor noted that recently there was water discoloration in many areas of the village and that it made the mayor and board disenchanted with the Water Authority. Complaints have been registered with the Authority by the village on many occasions. Mayor Guarnieri has had discussions with Mr. Schwartz of the Water Authority in which the mayor expressed his displeasure with the Authority not notifying residents of work in the area, which is affecting the quality of water.

A resident commented on the condition of the center island on Hinsdale Avenue. The superintendent of Public Works said they had to trench the center island due to a failure of underground light poles and that new bushes and plants would soon be planted.

On motion by Trustee Tweedy, seconded by Trustee Bambrick and carried unanimously, Mayor Guarnieri recessed the meeting at 8:45 p.m.