Letter: Leave Levittown Alone

Anton Community Newspapers • 132 East 2nd Street • Mineola, NY 11501 • Phone: 516-747-8282 • FAX: 516-742-5867

Letter: Leave Levittown Alone

Friday, 28 September 2012 00:00

Levittown is under attack.

Highly organized, well-funded groups, such as the Rauch Foundation, International Coalition for Local and Environmental Initiative (ICLEI), and Long Island Vision are trying to destroy our zoning laws.

Presently, our suburban way of life is protected under the Levittown Planned Residential District (LPRD). The LPRD prevents a developer from ripping down a group of houses and putting up mixed-use or multi-family dwellings. Think, four apartments over a pizza parlor, or dry cleaners. Think, stretched-to-the-limit school districts with split-day, double sessions.

This attack on Levittown is being disguised as “improving suburbia.” The Rauch Foundation of Garden City, headed by Nancy Rauch Dousinas (Lloyd Harbor), ran a “Build a Better Burb” contest with a top prize of $10,000. The contest had nothing to do with building a better suburbia—just the opposite. The entries called for eliminating the LPRD, getting rid of fences, and squeezing in thousands of rental units.

What colossal nerve!

Meanwhile, North Shore residents are preserving in perpetuity thousands of acres of open space through the North Shore Land Alliance. Yes, the North Shore of Long Island is beautiful and, yes, it is heartbreaking to see the old estates and bits of farmland bulldozed over for luxury townhouses. Agreed.

But we’re not running $10,000 contests to destroy Lloyd Harbor, so kindly leave Levittown alone.

At the Crocus Lane Estates hearing in Hempstead on Wednesday, Oct. 3, our town supervisor and town council members need to send a strong volley to the elitist “leader makers,” to the traitors operating under ICLEI, and to anyone else dumb enough to believe that higher density is better for our kids. All new construction must conform to the stipulations in the LPRD—no compromises, no exceptions, and no more persecution of the residents in the surrounding homes.

Dale Bertan, acting secretary of Levittown Property Owners Association

News

Father Sommer Coming To St. Bernard’s

Thursday, 13 June 2013 00:00

When Msgr. Ralph Sommer was growing up he found inspiration from the example of his uncle, Father Ralph Besendorfer. “He was a Brooklyn priest,” said Msgr. Sommer, who is known to parishioners as “Father Sommer” or “Father Ralph.”

“My uncle was a most powerful and delightful influence, happy, caring, and helpful,” said Father Sommer, outgoing pastor of St. Brigid’s Church, in Westbury. “I would look at him and say, ‘I could do that.’”

For a number of years, Father Besendorfer would come out to St. Bernard’s in Levittown on weekends to assist.

Now, Father Sommer finds himself about to become pastor of St. Bernard’s on June 26, succeeding Msgr. Gerard Ringenback, pastor of St. Bernard’s since 2001.

He doesn’t know if anyone at St. Bernard’s will remember his uncle, Father Sommer said, but “if I meet people who remember him from that time, it will be a nice thing.”

Born in Flushing, Queens, Father Sommer grew up in Garden City, attending St. Anne’s School. He advanced to St. Pius X Preparatory Seminary, a high school for young men considering the priesthood.

“It was a caring community,” with priest-instructors and students who shared an interest in exploring the priesthood.

For college, he left the seminary system for Adelphi University near his home. “I walked every day. We didn’t have another car.”

Adelphi offered an opportunity to test his vocation. He majored in psychology, “which I thought would help me if I became a priest.”

After Adelphi, he returned to priestly studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington. Upon graduation, he was ordained a priest in 1983.

Sports

Semonella Signs

Thursday, 13 June 2013 00:00

Senior pitcher Anthony Semonella at Division Avenue High School has received a scholarship from the University of Bridgeport and has signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball at the collegiate level. He was joined by parents Donna and Ralph Semonella, Principal Dr. Francesco Ianni, Physical Education Chairperson Mauro Chiti and varsity baseball coach Tom Tuttle as he signed a letter confirming his acceptance to the university’s athletic program.

Photo provided by Syntax

Robert Naughton To Return To Cardinals

Thursday, 13 June 2013 00:00

St. Thomas Aquinas College freshman Robert Naughton, of Levittown, has made his impact known in the NCAA Baseball East Coast Conference. Naughton started out his 2013 campaign not allowing an earned run in the first 19 innings he pitched.

At completion of his first season Naughton pitched 58 innings compiling a record of 6-1, leading the East Coast Athletic Conference with an era of 1.54.