By Jerry Burke
The guest speakers for the evening, Valley Stream North Principal Thomas J. Troisi and H. Frank Carey Principal Douglas Monaghan, spoke to the Chamber about how each of their respective first years on the jobs were going. Both men spoke highly of the accomplishments of the year to date and thanked the Chamber for their on-going efforts in helping the students of Franklin Square make a better tomorrow. "Communication is the key," said Monaghan, inviting members to keep an active watch on where tomorrow's leaders are coming from.
President Frank Cutolo began the meeting by congratulating Carey graduate Mike Massimino on his successful mission aboard space shuttle Columbia. A parade is currently in the works to honor the Franklin Square native.
Among the updates Cutolo presented to the Chamber were the setting up of meetings with the Town of Hempstead to help relieve the parking problem in Franklin Square. "Bottom line is that there is just not enough," said the president, who hopes to work with the Town in the coming months in expanding accessibility.
Cutolo also announced that the Chamber has talked to the newly revamped Franklin Square Public Library and plans are in the works to set up an employment bulletin board in the building.
The Franklin Square Relief Fund, which has paid out $49,000 to seven families in Franklin Square suffering from the loss of a loved one in the Sept. 11 attacks, currently stands at $20,000, growing only slightly in the last few months.
Cutolo's main focus for the meeting was on more active member participation in helping future project getting off the ground. "We can't have the same five or six people running every event," he said, noting that the Chamber will be involved in and required assistance in planning for the Memorial Day and Little League parades, the upcoming Sidewalk Sale, dinner dance and Fall Festival.
Cutolo announced that, so far, 70 of its 130 members have paid their dues for the year. He also told members that in order to allow more members a chance to attend meetings more regularly, monthly meetings will shift between Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night.
