100 days in the mayor's office

July 12 marked Mayor Ed Fare’s 100th day in office leading the Village of Valley Stream. He was sworn in on April 4, along with trustees Vincent Grasso and Dermond Thomas, and village Justice Bob Bogle.

The Herald sat down with Fare last week to talk about what has been accomplished in his first 100 days as mayor.

Beautification

Twenty-three hanging flower baskets have been installed on Rockaway Avenue, from Merrick Road to Hawthorne Avenue, at a cost of $40 each. Fare said that he has already received numerous compliments from residents about the improvements to the downtown business district.

New wastebaskets have also been ordered for Rockaway Avenue, he said, and the old ones will then be put out in other business areas of the village. Letters have been sent to every business owner asking them to keep the front of their stores clean, as well.

The John Smith Bandshell on the Village Green has been pressure washed, and the ceiling and rafters have been painted. Fare said all the lights are now working, the asphalt in front of it has been re-sealed and the roof repaired above the bathrooms.

With large crowds attending the weekly Community Band, Symphony Orchestra and Wednesday night concerts this summer, Fare said he wants people to enjoy the music at a nice, clean facility. “It’s a little gem,” he said. “I don’t know many villages that have a band shell like that.”

The Department of Public Works is now regularly cleaning up the municipal parking lots, clearing litter and removing weeds.

Roads

Fare has created an Office of Road Management and Improvement. He brought back retired village Engineer Tony Cella on a part-time basis, who will be charged with creating a map outlining road repairs.

The map, Fare said, will identify every street in the village, and when that road was last repaved. Every street will also receive a rating from 1 to 100, with 100 being the best. Fare said residents will be able to come in and see the rating of their road. If it’s low, in the single digits or teens, they should expect it to be repaved within a few years.

He said the village will also be more diligent about ensuring that utility companies maintain their road patches. When a utility company digs up a street to make a repair, they are required to restore the road to its original condition and maintain that patch for five years. Fare said the village is “embarrassingly” behind in its inspections of these patches and that will no longer be the case.

Sept. 11 Memorial

Fare said the village has been granted a relic from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center to be added to the memorial at Hendrickson Park. It will be unveiled at the 10th anniversary commemoration this year.

In a letter to the Port Authority, Fare wrote of the impact the attacks had on the Valley Stream community. Though he doesn’t know what the relic will be, Fare said it will be more than 5,000 pounds. It could be up to a 15-foot steel girder.

Fare, who said he is never without his bracelet dedicated to fallen firefighter Orio Palmer, wanted something special for the community. “I believe it’s going to be very moving to have that there on the 10th anniversary,” he said of the relic.

Downtown

The village has entered into negotiations with the owner of 195 Rockaway Ave., the old municipal building, which is up for sale. Fare said he wants to move the village court there.

He said that will bring 300 to 400 people to the downtown business district on Wednesday nights, when court is held, with the hope that they will eat and shop there. Fare said he is committed to moving the court somewhere along Rockaway Avenue. “If those negotiations fail,” he said, “we’ll find another spot.”

Electronic sign

The village has accepted a bid to install an electronic message sign along Merrick Road in front of Hendrickson Park. The three-sided sign will display messages for drivers heading east and west, as well as people walking in the pool parking lot.

Fare said this will replace the vinyl and wooden signs along the parking lot fence, that can typically only be seen by the first car waiting at the light at Hicks Street. The amber sign, like the message boards on the highways, will announce village programs and events hosted by community organizations. Fare said that it will be controlled by a laptop from Village Hall.

The cost of the sign is $24,000 and is being paid for through a $32,000 grant from Verizon.

Other improvements

New wiring has been installed at Hendrickson Park in anticipation of new lights that will be put up around the basketball courts and tennis courts. Fare said the work will be completed by the end of the summer.

A broken water fountain has been repaired at the park, and one that is missing will soon be replaced.

He also said the skate park, to go at the hockey rink on Sunrise Highway, is a go. Plans for the dog park are still taking shape.

Fare said he is striving to live up to his campaign promises, but his biggest challenge has been getting the word out about the improvements being made. “I’m a transparent guy,” he said. “I want everyone to know what we’re working on.”