Thomaston Marks Progress in Road Repair

By Avital Louria Hahn

Thomaston Mayor Robert Stern, along with county, state and local officials, cut the ribbon marking the completion of the second phase of the Thomaston roads project.

(l to r) LEONARD SAMANSKY, mayor of Saddle Rock and Nassau County commissioner of accounts, County Executive Tom Gulotta, Thomaston Mayor Robert Stern, State Assemblyman Tom DiNapoli and State Senator Michael Balboni at the Thomaston ribbon cutting.

County Supervisor Tom Gulotta, County Commissioner of Accounts Leonard Samansky, State Assemblyman Tom DiNapoli and State Senator Michael Balboni were among the guests who attended the 11 a.m. ceremony on Dec. 19 that took place behind Great Neck's main post office, where Thomaston streets Shoreward and Gilchrest meet.

"This renewing of Thomaston's roads, which we are witnessing here today, is the project of the will of our residents --the dedication and efforts of all your employees and officials," Mayor Stern told the audience. "I hope it will also mark a renewal in all our efforts to make this village and this county a better place for everyone," he said.

The project, which is expected to be completed this summer, was begun by the previous Thomaston administration and was the subject of many debates among village officials and residents. Renovating old and crumbling roads after decades of disrepair made the work both necessary and costly, and carrying out this project while keeping taxes at bay occupied many public meetings.

To finance the project, the village issued a $2.6 million bond and proceeded to repair and resurface the roads by priority order, with roads in the worst condition first to be paved. Help came from state and county funds, with the help of the officials present, who helped Thomaston receive $305,000 for the project.

Work for phase II lasted about four months. The rest of the roads - close to 40 percent - will be paved this summer, the mayor said.

"We did what we said we were going to do," said Mayor Stern in an interview.

He added that another benefit of the repairs was the opportunity to install underground electric conduits that now enable the illumination of dark areas near Shoreward and Gilchrest where several purse snatchings took place last year. While the offender was caught, residents still voiced discomfort with the dark area. The lights now provide an added layer of security, said the mayor.