The Finley Middle School library was filled to capacity on Sept. 24 for a regular meeting of the Glen Cove Board of Education. On the top of everyone's mind was the board's recent acceptance of a substantial gift to be used for the renovation of the Gribbin School field as per the donor's request. The gift's acceptance and the ensuing events are apparently worlds apart. The renovation of the field apparently has three different meanings; one for the donor, one for the board and another for Glen Cove residents.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mary Ellen Freeley chronicled the events pertaining to the Gribbin field. On Aug. 28, a use of facilities application was filed and the assistant superintendent for business, Larry Blake, acted on it. On Aug. 31, a letter was received by the board offering a gift, which was accepted, and the renovation of the Gribbin School field began the weekend before the special meeting of the board. On Sept. 13, a letter was sent by the school district to the donor, James Conway, informing him that his permit to use the field was approved beginning Aug. 28 and ending Oct. 31. This was in compliance with district policy. On Sept. 14, the district informed Glen Cove Junior Baseball/Softball regarding the applicant's dates and the league was told it could use all the other fields owned by the district. Dr. Freeley said the league could also use the newly renovated field except on the dates allocated to the Fall Baseball team, with which the donor is affiliated. The superintendent said the renovation of the field is a wonderful gift the cost of which the board couldn't allocate for in times of tight budgets. Dr. Freeley said the gift benefits every child and there is no commitment beyond Oct. 31. "The donor offered in writing to put the field back to its original condition after Oct. 31. I don't think anyone would want the field in its original condition," said Dr. Freeley.

The field has been transformed into a state-of-the-art baseball diamond with batting cage, backstop and all the accoutrements of baseball. Recently it was covered with a tarp anchored by numerous spikes. (At press time on Oct. 3, this newspaper learned that the tarp is coming off immediately and the batting cage is coming down as soon as construction people can get there. In addition, on Oct. 3 Mr. Blake met with representatives of all the sports leagues to hear their concerns).

The meeting transformed into a vociferous debate between members of the board and the audience. Matt Rogers said Mr. Conway told him he couldn't step on the field. "A field I've been mowing for ten years and he's going to throw me off?," said Mr. Rogers. Mar Isaacson asked board president Vito Abbondandolo to recuse himself from this particular matter since Mr. Abbondandolo's brother is employed with the donor's,( Mr. Conway's) company. Mr. Abbondandolo said he didn't see any reason whatsoever to recuse himself. Mr. Isaacson said no one spends the amount of money spent by the donor to bring the field up to snuff unless one intends to continue using the field. "The same person last year offered a half million dollars to the city with the understanding he could rehabilitate the upper and lower fields at city stadium. And unless we met his conditions, he wouldn't keep the deal. He's already told people they have no right to use the field as long as he's there. The kids in Gribbin School don't need a field like the one he's put in," said Mr. Isaacson. Dan Cox, on behalf of Glen Cove Junior Soccer said the league would have been happy with the renovation of Gribbin's field-soccer is played well on lush, green grass. "Spring soccer used to be played on the field at Old Tappen Road and we moved to the Gribbin field for safety. How will the donor respond when I need the field for spring soccer? I need to hear the field is open for everyone this spring," said Mr. Cox. Mr. Abbondandolo said the only thing he could assure the audience was that district policy would be followed. Rich Maccarone, proprietor of Valley Sports, said over the years the fields have always been open to everybody and if one was already in use, a team would simply move on to another. "Glen Cove Junior Baseball fields 70 teams and space is at a premium. Soccer needs fields, too. My concern with what's happened at Gribbin is that our kids are on the outside looking in and there is a loss of practices. Accepting this gift has opened a can of worms. If I paint a school fence, then can I have a field?, asked Mr. Maccarone. One resident asked the board how one can use the batting cage put in place on the field. Angelo DeMeo said the board did the wrong thing, philosophically because people who give gifts shouldn't control what is done with the money. "It's time to get everybody together so everyone knows what's going on," said Mr. DeMeo. Bert Schneider of Glen Cove Junior Lacrosse said the different sports leagues in the city agree to work together regarding practice times.

Dr. Freeley then said that Mr. Blake and she had met with a representative of Junior Baseball for an hour and 15 minutes and assured him that the league wouldn't be shut out of using the Gribbin field in question. The superintendent promised that everyone would have equal access and that a league with 70 teams obviously would get more time than a league with one team. Someone in the audience responded with a shout, "It should be first come, first served." Another shout from the audience was a statement from someone who said he was asked to leave the Gribbin Field. "If someone asked you to leave, why didn't I hear about it before this meeting?," said Mr. Abbondandolo. Kevin Monahan, president of the CSEA said that if Mr. Conway is maintaining the field, which is public property, without union labor does it mean the field is slated for privatization. Mr. Abbondandolo said if that's true, then the district would maintain the field. John Perrone of Glen Cove Junior Football noted that the league had asked for the use of the high school field for its opening day game and was flatly refused by the district. Mr. Abbondandolo responded that everyone is denied access to the varsity field and the denial is the district's prerogative. Mr. Perrone said maybe a moratorium should be imposed on all permit applications until the board meets with the heads of all the sports leagues to figure things out.

Board member Dr. Rodger Silletti said the situation at Gribbin field-the construction of a batting cage-is in violation of what the board originally approved. "Once a gift is accepted then it's the property of the board," said Dr. Silletti. Referring to a locked storage container on the field, Dr. Silletti said, "We shouldn't allow personal property to be stored on public property. The batting cage, backstop and storage container must be removed now." Board member Janet Bates-Wilkins said she voted to accept Mr. Conway's gift because she looked at the long-term benefit of the gift for all the children of Glen Cove. "If we accept gifts and not honor the wishes of the donor we will never get another gift again. And yes, we did not vote on a backstop and batting cage," said Mrs. Bates-Wilkins. As the meeting continued on rough seas, a resident of Kirkwood Drive complained about the noise being emanated from baseball players on the renovated field using aluminum bats to practice hitting at least 250 baseballs at a clip.

When contacted for comment regarding the meeting on Sept. 24, Marc Bresky, Mr. Conway's attorney, expressed Mr. Conway's disappointment with what he says are the false statements and mistaken beliefs which so many people seem to believe to be true. Mr. Conway believes that the false statements were originated by individuals associated with Glen Cove Junior Baseball who, in an attempt to preserve its cloak of secrecy and autonomy, elected to spread rumors. Mr. Bresky said at no time whatsoever did Mr. Conway or the 10-year-old travel team ever enter into an agreement concerning use of the Gribbin field or any other field during the spring. Nor is there any truth to the rumor that Mr. Conway intends to finance the construction of a new field at the middle school, play night games at Gribbin School field with temporary lights or to re-sod the Gribbin School field. Mr. Bresky stated that Mr. Conway's request to use the Gribbin School field was prompted solely as a result of Glen Cove Junior Baseball's refusal to allow the 10-year-old travel team to operate under its auspices and play at City Stadium. As such, he had no alternative but to request permission for the use of a practice and home playing field during a 6-week period which to date, has been used only four times. Mr. Bresky added that contrary to mistaken beliefs, neither Mr. Conway nor Fall Travel Baseball Inc. has ever precluded anyone from use of the Gribbin School field and no organization has ever been instructed by Mr. Conway or his representatives not to use the field. According to Mr. Bresky, it is Mr. Conway's sincere hope and belief that all Glen Cove residents will be able to use and enjoy the newly renovated field and benefit from the improvements.

On Oct. 2, Marv Isaacson received a letter from Mr. Conway's attorney, Marc Bresky, informing him that as a result of Mr. Isaacson's statements at the board meeting and a letter to the editor of this newspaper published on Sept. 27, Mr. Conway has sustained mental anguish and suffering as well as substantial damage to his business and reputation. "Demand is herewith made that you immediately cease and desist from the making of such defamatory statements and that you publicly retract, in a full-page article in the Glen Cove Record Pilot, those statements and information referred to hereinabove," states the letter. If Mr. Isaacson doesn't comply with the letter with the next edition of this newspaper, Mr. Bresky states that his client may commence legal action against him.

Mr. Isaacson said, "I'm shocked to get a letter which I regard as terrorism. I did nothing inflammatory. I stated the facts. I don't understand where Mr. Bresky is coming from. If Mr. Bresky feels that strongly about where he's coming from let him draft a full-page advertisement he'd like me to publish. People attending the meeting said they didn't hear me say what Mr. Bresky is insinuating I said. Whatever happened to free speech. I thought I was protected under the First Amendment."