On Saturday, Oct. 23 the removal of a black tarp unveiled the renaming of Island Trees Middle School as Richard N. Segerdahl Middle School. School administrators, elected officials, civic organizations and residents all turned out to honor the former superintendent of the district.

Now, over a month later, a group of residents and homeowners have become vocal in their opposition over the school's name change. According to current Island Trees Superintendent Jim Parla, even a November board of education meeting turned into a raucous affair over the issue.

"I guess they have never really had an issue quite this emotionally charged," Parla said.

Island Trees homeowner Kevin Milano said the issue is about one thing.

"It is about honoring the soldiers that were in World War II," Milano said. "The bottom line is that they took a school that was dedicated to the veterans and then changed it. How could they say it was never called the Island Trees Memorial Junior High School, it was carved in stone right there on the side of the building."

The carving Milano is referring to is an engraving in stone on the façade if a building that was dedicated in 1953 to veterans. The issue of the school's official name throughout the year has caused much controversy as well.

At a September board meeting, a member pointed out that the stationeary had always read "Island Trees Middle School" throughout his tenure, and that the words "veterans" and "memorial" were never included. Parla said he has met several people with opposing recollections regarding the school's name.

"The board's feeling was that in the recent past it was always either the Island Trees Junior High School or Island Trees Middle School," Parla said.

Dale Bertan, a 50-year resident of Island Trees, said that the board stated it was never a 'memorial' school, and that 'memorial' was just a way of designating junior and senior high.

"I graduated from the junior high school in 1965 and it was Island Trees Memorial Junior High School," Bertan said.

Island Trees Board of Education President Bob Condela, a Vietnam veteran himself, said he thinks that this is a misunderstanding.

"The board never intended to slight anybody, especially veterans," Condela said. "We did not rename the building, we renamed the school within the building."

Bertan says she is astonished by the actions of the board, as she has a father who served in the Navy for 20 years and a cousin who was killed in World War II.

"We just don't understand," Bertan said. "And Mr. Segerdahl, he lives in Merrick and is not even a member of this community, why does he have such a hold on these people."

Denise Bowen and her husband Martin have lived in Island Trees all of their lives and their children currently attend the high school. While Bowen says she has nothing against Segerdahl, she just doesn't see the point in changing the school's name.

"I can't see taking that away from the veterans; Levittown was built on veterans," Bowen said.

American Legion Post 1711 Post Vice Commander Andy Booth said his organization never wanted to get involved in what they were doing with school. That was until they were made aware that the monument and flagpole might be moved. They met with the superintendent and were assured that they would not be displaced.

"We told him right then and there, 'what you do with the school has nothing to do with us, we can't get involved with that', Booth said. "But as far as the monument goes, we will get involved with that because we paid for it."

The monument and flagpole were paid for by the veterans through a fund-raiser. In fact, Post 1711 even brought their color guard down to the school's dedication ceremony. However, John Lively, a 42-year resident of Island Trees, also a member of Post 1711 and former board of education member said the color guard has nothing to do with the school's name change.

"If they ask us to come, we come out, we don't get involved in the politics of it," Lively said. "But I am dead set against the name change. The school is a memorial and it should stay a memorial."

In response to allegations that the school's name change process was done in secret, Parla said "they [the board] were trying to do something honorable and they wanted to surprise Mr. Segerdahl. That was the only reason why they didn't open it up into a community hearing. There was no malintent here at all."

He went on to explain that the board made this decision thinking they were doing the right thing.

"I think that the board has to realize that we have a voice also," Bowen said. "Just because we elected them doesn't mean that they can go ahead and do whatever they want. It needs to be a community effort."

Condela said that as far as the board is concerned, Island Trees Memorial School is a building that contains many entities. But Milano still wants two things; "Segerdahl's name taken down and getting memorial put on the two signs that are outside of the building."

Parla said that the board met in executive session last week regarding, among other issues, the wishes being expressed upon them by some community members. Parla said the board is taking these concerns into consideration and will continue to do so.

"I am reaching out right now to kind of pull together a community forum, about a dozen people or so, to talk about this issue," Parla said. "I want to do it in a smaller forum so that people can talk face-to-face and in a civil manner."

Parla said he's not looking to set up two opposition groups because he doesn't view it that way.

"I think it is important to get people who are active in our community and active with our schools," Parla said. "I think that if I can do this, it is just a start in reaching out and bringing people together, that something might come of that. The board is listening to the community, they are not driving a stake in the ground. They are going to have to deliberate on this, one way or another."