Representatives from Hicksville's various civic associations held a forum June 29. Civic leaders and some 30 residents gathered at the library to discuss community-related issues of concern, including illegal housing, water safety, voter participation in local elections and Hicksville's aesthetic appearance, among others.

Attendees of the forum complained that the Town of Oyster Bay's elected officials are not properly handling Hicksville's illegal housing issue. Stanley Kobin, vice president of the Hicksville Gardens Civic Association, said that residents want to find the best way to handle the problem, adding that they were vocal about the issue at a meeting held last month.

Henry Goessmann, the association's president, added, "People who came to the illegal housing meeting did not come down just to complain and shout and scream. They actually came to discuss it to see how we as a community want to address this." According to Goessmann, "the illegal housing problem has gotten out of hand."

Other Hicksville residents expressed frustration surrounding the illegal housing issue and wanted to know the best way to notify authorities when they become aware of an incident. Deirdre Giannoccora, assistant to Oyster Bay Town Councilwoman Rose Marie Walker, said that anyone who has a problem with illegal dwellings should contact the councilwoman's office. "Your name is not put out there. I just take your complaint and I put it in to the building department and I will call you back with their findings," Giannoccora said, adding today's cultures make solving illegal housing very difficult as some cultures value an extended family household rather than the traditional nuclear family. "Certain people just have different cultures than we do," she said.

Another topic discussed in great length was the state of Hicksville's water. Hicksville's Water District Commissioner Karl Schweitzer discussed the measures taken to monitor Hicksville's water. "We test the water every month. We have not had any incorrect readings," he said.

Contaminated water was a problem last week in some areas of Nassau County after levels of the gas additive MTBE found in the water were above the New York State's Drinking Water Standard. "With MTBE, the water is the victim just like everyone else. What happens really is that you have a leaking fuel tank and it takes many years to get 600 feet down below to stop the leak," Schweitzer said.

One Hicksville resident suggested that Hicksville Water District officials notify residents by going door-to-door with fliers if Hicksville's water becomes contaminated with MTBE or any other chemical. "Absolutely," Schweitzer responded. "Any means that we could use to get the news out we will. We hope that nothing like that happens but we will do what we can."

Getting a bigger voter turnout at local elections was another issue at the forum. Terry Tietjen, president of the Briggs Street Committee, spoke on behalf of the newly formed organization Citizens for an Informed Hicksville, which tries to get more residents involved with the local government. "What we found out is that people either don't know about local elections or they don't feel it is important to vote in these local elections," Tietjen said. "We are just trying to gather information for people to give residents a greater voice in the local government by getting them to register to vote and participate in local elections."

Advertisements in local newspapers, voting promotion booths in front of convenience stores and door-to-door voting promotion were a few suggestions made to encourage registered voters to come out to vote in the local elections. "We have almost 25,000 registered voters and yet we have like this really tiny percentage that comes out to vote," Tietjen added. "There are thousands of people who don't vote. I see it as a marketing problem."

As in the past, Hicksville asphalt plants were also a hot topic. "You have to make sure you constantly call and complain if you smell asphalt. You have to call the Department of Health every time," said John Keyer, a member of the Duffy Park Civic Association. "The more complaints is the only time they will come out to take an asphalt sample."

Hicksville Community Council member Joel Burse and Midland Civic Association member Tom Pfeifer announced that the hamlet's former Krispy Kreme is scheduled to be a Mexican restaurant called Chipotle. In addition, there will be a new convenience store built at the HESS gas station on the corner of South Oyster Bay and Old Country roads. Berse informed residents that the store will sell alcohol and Nassau County Police Officer Janice Boyd assured residents that police are continuing strict enforcement of the sale of tobacco and alcohol to minors.

Forum attendees also expressed concerns about keeping Hicksville's streets cleaner. "When we write letters to our assemblymen they cut the grass and they sweep. When you don't write they don't do anything. You have to keep calling and keep complaining," said Valerie Pakaluk, president of Hicksville's Community Council.

Ways to make Hicksville more aesthetically pleasing for both residents and visitors was mentioned by Subodh Batra, who is the chairman of the NorthWest Civic Association's newly formed Incorporation Committee. "Is there anything memorable about Hicksville for anyone driving on [Route] 106 and 107? We need the beautification of that area so that people remember that this is Hicksville," Batra said. "I'm talking more of a long-term plan. Let's think about completely changing the face of 106 and 107."

Goessmann also expressed his frustrations with the appearance of Hicksville especially on Route 107. "You pass the topless bar on 107 and come to that tree that says 'Welcome to Hicksville.' Here you have an abandoned nursery on the left and you have this plant spewing this smoke out. Is this the impression that you really want to have?" Goessmann said, adding that Hicksville residents also need to "make sure that the 'Welcome to Hicksville' signs look like something and not just a sign that says 'This is Hicksville.'"

Civic leaders said they try to have civic forums twice a year; the next forum is scheduled for January 2007.