Thanks to the community
To the Editor:
This past summer, the Rockville Centre Youth Council and the Rockville Centre Guild for the Arts joined together to sponsor Chalk Talk on the Walk, a creative way for people of Rockville Centre to get involved in public safety through the arts. For Chalk Talk, residents, including teens, kids, parents and other adults, gathered on Saturdays in front of Village Hall to hang out and “chalk.” Over the weeks, dozens of residents and other supporters chalked positive messages, including anti-drugs and alcohol, healthy living, and anti-bullying, on the sidewalks in front of Village Hall.
There is a dangerous traffic problem at the intersection alongside our 84-apartment condo on South Park Avenue. Drivers heedlessly speed around a curve, threatening our residents (many elderly) as well as children heading to and from the Riverside School each day.
Authorized by the condo board, I have, for well over a year, attempted to get the county to remedy the situation. Call after call has been made to the county’s Public Works Department (only rarely does anyone on the other end answer). On those infrequent occasions when I do get through, I am assured that something will be done. The answer seems to be repainting the largely obliterated traffic lines and installing a blinking light or some other attention-getting marker.
Promises have led nowhere. The situation remains as hazardous as ever. The office of State Sen. Dean Skelos has been most supportive, but even its efforts have proven fruitless.
The current county administration and its supporters claim that the people of Nassau have been well served. Nonetheless, on the fundamental measures of responsiveness, service delivery and public safety, it has surely failed the test of good government.
Richard Skolnik
Rockville Centre