(Ed.'s note: This letter was sent to Assemblyman Thomas P. DiNapoli, Mr. Frank Pearson (regional traffic engineering and safety engineer), NYS DOT Region 10, Senator Michael A. Balboni and to the Manhasset Press for publication.)

The recent accident at the Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan prompted me to write this letter. I would like to make you aware of a hazardous condition which exists on Northern Boulevard (25A) regarding street lighting. The area of concern includes the north side of Northern Boulevard adjacent to Munsey Park (Manhasset Woods Road to Port Washington Boulevard) as well as both sides of the roadway adjacent to Flower Hill and Roslyn Estates (Port Washington Boulevard to Middle Neck Road).

The utility-pole attached street lighting along this stretch is in major disrepair. Not only are a majority of lamps unlit, most are broken or missing. (A quick search of Google revealed that the style of mast and lamps there now dates back decades.) This leaves a heavily traveled roadway dark, including the area directly in front of Munsey Park Elementary School.

At first I contacted the villages, but was told by all three that these lights are not theirs. Trustees from both Flower Hill and Munsey Park even told me that this has been a problem for years. Calls to the Town of North Hempstead, Nassau County, and the state all have led to finger pointing between the three. E-mails to the coalition for a safer Manhasset and Town Councilman Wink have also gotten me no further than where I started.

The bottom line is that since Northern Boulevard is a New York State roadway, the intent of this letter is to put the state on notice of this condition. Regardless whether or not the lighting ultimately can be traced to the state or not, the threat of falling debris from such lighting poses a danger to vehicular traffic on the roadway and to pedestrians in the right of way. It is my hope that this condition is remedied sooner rather than later for the safety of those who use the road.

Joseph N. Evans