Buffalo Bob Casale's Corner

HICKSVILLE TIDBITS JANUARY 2009

O'Brien Elected Fire Commissioner

Gerard "Jerry" O'Brien defeated seated Fire Commissioner Charles Hearon in an election held on December 9th. Votes polled for O'Brien, 670. Votes for Hearon, 618.

Jerry O'Brien will be sworn in at the fire district's reorganization meeting on January 6th, 2009.
Hicksville School District Audit
Results of a Hicksville School District audit found no violations or illegal activity. During a 22 month period that started in July of 2006 and ended in April of 2008, it was determined that procurement of goods and services was handled in a stellar manner.

Additionally, it verified that purchases were made, goods were received and claims were processed as authorized. It was also determined that Requests For Proposal (RFPs) were solicited by the district and that payments were made according to contractual terms.

The Controller's audit maintained the district, however, did not use "prudent business practices" when they paid over 2.7 million for services without using a competitive bidding process.

Oyster Bay Town Mulling Over Parking Garage Options

It has been recommended that the site where the Oyster Bay parking garage was demolished over the summer on Newbridge Road, on the corner of Duffy Avenue, near to the Hicksville train station, should be used. You may remember the garage was closed in June when cracks were found in structural support "T" beams.

The proposed structure would cost $40 million. The structure would have a brick face with a 10 foot ceiling that would accommodate 1,400 vehicles. Additionally, the proposal calls for the construction of a solid south side wall and a screened top level along with a pedestrian bridge over Duffy Avenue.

Many Hicksville residents do not support the proposal. One resident suggested building a parking garage in Syosset or Woodbury. "There are train stations there," the resident suggested.

Hicksville Firefighter Dies Helping Friend

FDNY firefighter Thomas Orlando, 45, of Hicksville narrowly escaped death while rescuing people on 9/11 only to die seven years later while helping a friend. Orlando died after a fall while installing solar panels on his friend's Hicksville home.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy, and two children, Meghan and Thomas.

A funeral mass was held at St Ignatius in Hicksville and internment was at Holy Rood in Westbury.

False Alarm At Red Lobster

On November 26th, the Hicksville Fire Department responded to a report of an explosion on the roof of the Red Lobster on North Broadway, adjacent to the Sears parking lot.

Upon arrival, Ladder #931 set up in the parking lot. Two firefighters checked the roof area while others checked inside. No fire was found.

A problem with the alarm system may have caused the alarm to go off.

County Law Prohibits Texting, Emailing While Driving

Last month, the 19 member Nassau County Legislature unanimously passed Local Law No. 11-2008 prohibiting text messaging and/or emailing while driving within the county.

Studies have shown that texting while driving is extremely dangerous and that motorists who engage in this activity are a danger to themselves and everyone else on the road.

This ruling takes effect December 27th. A similar law was passed in Suffolk in May of 2008.

According to a Liberty Mutual Insurance Group study, instant and text messaging while driving leads the list as the biggest distraction while driving amongst teens. The test was conducted using 900 teens from 26 high schools nationwide.

1st Lieutenant Voley Martin Deployed To Iraq

Hicksville High School graduate Voley John Martin left the states on November 22nd to join his unit in Iraq. Martin attended Stetson University in Florida for two years before returning to New York and earning a degree from Cortland.

Martin completed flight training in the Blackhawk Helicopter at Fort Rucker, Alabama and is a member of the 42nd Aviation Battalion which is based out of Macarthur Airport.

Family, friends and fellow neighbors are proud of Voley's many accomplishments, including his band, Bulletproof Messenger, which recently began working on their second album.

Please keep him in your prayers.

Neighbor Rescues Woman From Burning Home

The upstairs tenant in a home located on Wishing Lane escaped the burning house and ran to the house next door. Michael Muth was asleep and the pounding on his door awakened him. This was at about 6am in the morning. The tenant said the house next door was on fire.

According to Muth, the home was engulfed in flames and smoke and he was told the elderly owner was still inside. Muth rushed toward the burning structure. He kicked in the front door and entered the burning house all the while fighting back severe smoke. Muth found the woman lying unconscious on the kitchen floor. With the assistance of off-duty correction officer Kevin Imm, the pair was able to get the woman safely out of the burning structure.

She was transported to Nassau County Medical Center by the Hicksville Fire Department Ambulance. She was treated for smoke inhalation and released.

The fire was contained by the Hicksville Fire Department with assistance from Bethpage.

THIS MONTH'S HUMOR FROM PAT KOZIUK DRISCOLL

TRIVIAL PURSUIT

1. Who cast himself as the lead in Deconstructing Harry after Robert DeNiro and Dustin Hoffman rejected the role?
2. What type of reaction results from heating hydrogen to 180 million degrees Fahrenheit in a tokamak?
3. What nasty nickname did NFL tackle Anthony McFarland get stuck with?
4. What art-rich Russian city saw a tenfold increase in art thefts from 1992 to 1997?
5. What Las Vegas entrepreneur woke up safe in the knowledge that Mike Tyson lived in the estate next door, in 2001?
6. What U.S. state has nature areas named Gumbo Limbo, Blowing Rocks and Ding Darling?
7. What European golfer became the LPGA's all-time career money leader in 2001?
8. What restaurant chain was sued in 2001 for promising a contest-winner a Toyota but delivered a "toy Yoda"?
9. What Harry Potter arch enemy is often referred to as "you know who"?
10. What formula one driver made $59 million in 2000...$6 million more than Tiger Woods?

I would like to start a Recipe of the Month Column for several reasons.

Beginning next April, Ted Swedalla (class of '64) and me, Buffalo Bob Casale, are planning a bike trip from Florida to Maine. Ted is going to do the hard part...the pedaling. I am going to stay ahead of him in my motor home and set up camp. When he arrives, I will have prepared dinner.

So, it will be nice for me to have lotsa recipes sent to me by our alumni so I can be prepared.

Thanks

Love Yah