Village of Lawrence aims to combat work noise and engine idling

New public laws and tabling appointments to the Parks Commission were part of the business conducted at the Sept. 12 Lawrence board of trustees meeting.

Adding to an existing law that prohibited construction and/or landscaping on the federal holidays of New Year’s, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, it now includes Saturday and Sunday. The five-member board approved that law unanimously.

“Gardeners are working all weekend, it starts before 8 a.m.,” Lawrence resident Rochelle Kevelson said. Mayor Alex Edelman said that the village would have its enforcement people out on those days. “We are going to do that,” he said.

A new law was approved, also unanimously, that prohibits the idling of passenger and commercial motor vehicle engines to idle for more than 10 minutes. An exception is expected to be added for first-responder vehicles such as ambulances that keep the engines running to recharge equipment batteries.

The CBS television network show “Elementary” shot scenes at the Lawrence Yacht & County Club earlier this year. The village received $8,000, Edelman said, as he reported on several items, including the repavement of Causeway. “We repaved the little ripples in the road, Causeway is now in excellent shape,” he said.

Edelman said that he met with Sanitary District 1 officials on a few problems such as the trucks traveling in the wrong direction on one-way streets and making turns where not allowed. He said that the issues have been ironed out.

Following up on the Aug. 2 meeting the village had with county and state officials concerning the unrepaired streetlights along the Nassau Expressway, Edelman said the village is seeking an engineering firm to study the problem and figure out exactly what is wrong. “[The state] will pay us up to $300,000, and it’s a good chance we’ll get reimbursed for that and get the job done,” he said.

As the High Holidays began on Sept. 29 with Rosh Hashana, municipal officials and rabbis met with Nassau County police officials regarding security in specific communities such as the Five Towns and at area synagogues. “We’ll make sure we have extra police in attendance,” Edelman said. “Also, the auxiliary police here will also cooperate and walk and drive around the area.”

The village’s second annual Movie Night was a “great success,” Edelman noted and thanked Trustee Syma Diamond for her work on that Aug. 28 event at the country club. A $19,500 contract with Ace Designs for a new chain link fence by the marina and the golf course’s 17th hole was placed on hold.

Cory Menking, the club’s general manager, reported that the club has a little more 850 members, the golf course is in good shape as the busy season wound down, the fairways have been aerated and more work was planned for the first week of October. He said the club in collaboration with KemperSports, the company overseeing club operations, is beginning to put together a new marketing campaign.

On Sept. 12, the country club hosted the largest golf outing of the year as 150 golfers and 340 guests attended the Michael Diamond Charitable Foundation fundraiser. It honors Mike “Humpo” Diamond, a retired NYPD officer known as “Uncle Ice POP” to every child coming off the beach in Long Beach. No kid passed Mike’s yard without getting an ice pop. 

The next Lawrence meeting is Thursday, Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. in Village Hall.