(Editor's note: This letter was sent to Supervisor Jon Kaiman, Town of North Hempstead and to the Manhasset Press for publication.)

I am writing you as the first deputy chief of the Manhasset-Lakeville Volunteer Fire Department on behalf of the chief's office and I would like to request your assistance with improving pedestrian safety on Plandome Road in Manhasset. The early evening of Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008 almost proved fatal to Firefighter Chris Kovalesky, a member of the Manhasset Lakeville Volunteer Fire Department, as he was struck by a car and very seriously injured while attempting to cross Plandome Road in the vicinity of Memorial Place. Chris who was on the night shift as an employee of the Manhasset Lakeville Fire District, was on his meal break when he parked his vehicle on the southbound side of Plandome Road and attempted to cross the road to get dinner at Villa Milano at approximately 7:15 p.m. The poorly illuminated area of Plandome Road and no pedestrian crosswalks were contributing factors to this incident.

This intersection of Plandome Road and Memorial Place is not pedestrian-friendly, but is used very often by everyone in Manhasset, from mothers pushing baby strollers to teenagers crossing for lunch from the nearby junior/senior high school; and from families crossing to pick up pizza to senior citizens visiting the town clerk's office. In fact, during our annual Fire Prevention Day at Mary Jane Davies Park on Oct. 18, our members as well as the numerous elected leaders from the town, county and state that were on hand for this event, witnessed time and time again, these pedestrians I described above attempting to make the hazardous venture across Plandome Road.

While firefighter Kovalesky is in the process of making a full recovery from his injuries which include hip, leg and head injuries, along with a few months of rehabilitation, the looming danger of this intersection still exists. We are hoping that the Town of North Hempstead can take the lead to ensure the safety of future pedestrians crossing this area of Plandome Road.

Though not in the business of traffic assessment, I would like to make a few simple suggestions:

• A painted pedestrian crosswalk across Plandome Road at Memorial Place

• Pedestrian Crossing signs posted as vehicles approach from both northbound and southbound Plandome Road.

• A "NYS Law - Yield to Pedestrians in Crosswalk" sign visible from both directions and installed in the center of double line in the middle of road. A similar sign is presently installed on Main Street, in Port Washington, in the vicinity of the Long Island Rail Road Station.

• A light fixture installed to illuminate the area of the crosswalk

As our town supervisor, you and your staff in the Highway Department have always been there to assist the members of the Manhasset Lakeville Volunteer Fire Department in the past, and we are hoping that with your personal attention the tragedy that struck firefighter Kovalesky will not repeat itself for another resident of Manhasset. Thank you for your anticipated assistance on this matter.

Michael F. Uttaro