By Angela Marshall
The clergy, Rev. Robert W. Gunn of United Church of Rockville Centre, Rev. Roger Dick Johns of St. Mark's United Methodist Church, Rev. Patrick Duggan of Congregational Church of South Hempstead, Rev Herman Washington of Shiloh Baptist Church, Rev. Tom Turner of St. Matthew AME Zion Church, Fr. James Dalton-Thompson of Church of the Ascension and Rabbi Barry Dov Schwartz of Temple B'nai Sholom, wrote that they detected many disturbing undertones in the objections raised against the childhood center's move.
A statement signed by 138 residents against nursery schools in Residence A zone was sent to Bishop William Murphy on Monday telling him a letter sent by the childhood center and a few members of the clergy asking for support was fundamentally inaccurate. Neither Murphy or Msgr. James Kelly of St. Agnes Cathedral signed the ad.
The childhood center, now located on North Village Avenue, purchased the former Arbor Inn restaurant property on Woods Avenue in July 2001 because it could no longer keep up with the demand for its services in its current location. Rosa Lee Young administrators plan to build a 14,600 square foot private school, for children from infancy to kindergarten. Older children would participate in an after-school program.
Neighbors of the property immediately began to protest the childhood center move, citing fears of increased noise, traffic congestion, overall safety concerns and the potential for reduced property values.
After studying these objections, we believe most are unfounded and others can be ameliorated, the clergy wrote in the ad.
History of the conflict
Building Department Superintendent Steve DeClue denied the childhood center's building permit application in January, saying the village code only allows public schools in Residence A zone. The childhood center sued the village, citing New York State case law showing courts have found in favor of private schools requesting similar zoning treatment to public schools. Village planning consultants said the same thing in 1998.
Soon after the suit was filed, the village board began to work on the changes, but received opposition from a number of residents. They questioned the board's motives behind the proposed changes, saying they believe the board is only making the changes to deflect the lawsuit.
Many of those raising their voices at the public hearings say they are not opposed to the childhood center but to what they believe is poorly-drafted legislation that does not protect Rockville Centre residents. They do not believe Rosa Lee Young is a school and say it should remain in Residence B.
The village board is fighting the suit, echoing those residents' claims that Rosa Lee Young is not a school, despite the village zoning board referring to it as such in previous decisions.
The village's next public hearing on the proposed school-related legislation, which, among other things, define school and allow private schools to open in Residence A zone, will be held at the Rec Center on Monday, Sept. 30 at 8:15 p.m.
Disturbing undertones'
In the ad, the clergy say that based on comments circulated in the community, they believe there are unfortunately grounds to believe that the real objection to the proposed facility is the ethnic makeup of the early childhood students (30 percent African-American, 30 percent Hispanic and 40 percent Caucasian and other).
No one comes out and says, We don't want racial minorities in our neighborhood' anymore. Racism today is more
subtle, obscured by the use of code words. We observe these code words being used
at public meetings, in letters to the editor and newspaper ads, asserting that foot crime,' busing,' and drug treatment centers' follow on the footsteps of a school, and claiming that Rockville Centre should have the same protections' as other communities with negligible minority populations.
Frank Schroeder, a leader in the opposition to the school-related legislation, upon learning of the ad said, This is the most disturbing thing I have heard.
He called the ad, desperate, defamatory and ugly.
He was particularly outraged that religious leaders who have never met him called him racially motivated. They don't know the first thing about me.
Catherine Pucciarelli, co-president of the childhood center board, said Rosa Lee Young is grateful for the clergy support. She said a few members of the clergy in support of the center suggested it write the rest of the village's clergy asking for support, which the center did. The advertisement was then conceived at a meeting with the clergy.
