By:
[Editor's note: John O'Connell, editor of the Valley Stream Herald for the last five years, has been promoted to executive editor of Herald Community Newspapers. He expresses his thanks to the Valley Stream community in his column, which follows.]
Most people I've come to know in Valley Stream in the past five years appreciate the wonderful community they live in and the caring, dedicated leaders they have in Village Hall, the school districts, the Chamber of Commerce, houses of worship and civic, service and veterans associations. It has amazed me that such a huge community is still so homey, so neighborhood-oriented, so generously filled with people who do such mighty good.
Take the zoning board, as just one example. These men get together twice a month, assisted by Frances Russo, the board's secretary, and Mike McKenna, the village attorney, and they discuss applications for variances from the village's codes. That's the way you'd like to spend your time, right? Well, it's the way George Malekian, Ken Bond, Tom Hauk, Jon Brandt and Marvin Ronik spend many nights. Why would they do this? Because the village -- and that means you -- needs them to. Someone must look at how and why some home or business owners want to change the use or structure of their properties with an eye to rules, consistency and the good of the village.
I think people ought to come down to Village Hall some zoning-board night and thank them for their service.
Or come to a village board meeting. Watch Mayor Ed Cahill and trustees Joanne Antun, Joe Zabatta, Guido Cirenza and Richard Coffman do their jobs, assisted by Village Clerk Vinny Ang. They deserve thanks, too.
On any given issue, people may agree or disagree with the decisions leaders make. But what must be lauded is the fact that Valley Stream has leaders, good ones, who are willing to spend the time and energy to make thoughtful decisions. They get little thanks.
The village parks, recreation, roads and sanitation workers earn props for all the good they do every day.
And then there are the Lions and the Elks, the Knights, the Kiwanians, the Masons, the Rotarians, the American Legion and VFW and other service organizations that spend so much effort and time helping others.
The civic associations in Gibson, North Valley Stream, Mill Brook and others that pay attention to the quality-of-life issues that affect their neighborhoods perform a critical role in their communities.
And the list goes on to include school board and PTA members and the religious leaders of Valley Stream, all of whom serve with such deep commitment.
Without the Valley Stream Historical Society, the names and deeds of the best of the past would be lost.
The Valley Stream Fire Department, its Ladies Auxiliary; the Valley Stream Civilian Patrol and the Police Auxiliary; the staff of the senior centers; Sister Margie and the Parish Outreach program; the Friends of Bridge drug and alcohol rehabilitation program; the library staff, the Keynoter Chorale; the Little League and sports club coaches; the post office employees -- all these people are the pumps that help the life blood of the community flow.
And the students! Hardly an issue of the Herald goes by without a story or brief about the good deeds done by Valley Stream students in our public and parochial schools. Their teachers and school administrators merit thanks. Arlene Hinkemeyer, the high school district's information coordinator, deserves so much praise for the fine work she does every week.
Elsewhere in this issue you'll read that I've been promoted to executive editor of the Herald Community Newspapers, an exciting opportunity to lead an extremely talented staff of two dozen community journalists turning out 15 weekly newspapers. I'm thrilled.
And I'm sad. I'll miss you.
Nicole Falco, who's been writing about Valley Stream's people and events for more than two years, has been named editor of the Valley Stream Herald. She's great, and you're lucky. She's lucky, too, to have such a wonderful community to write about.
Thank you, Valley Stream, for letting me into your lives and letting me share your stories with your neighbors.
I feel too much a part of the village not to visit as often as I can in the days ahead. So, God willing, at some zoning board meeting, at the Pagan-Fletcher, at a school board meeting, in a store in town, at a Franklin or firehouse blood drive, a chamber gathering, a church or community festival, or in some of the other old familiar places that my heart has come to embrace, I'll be seeing you.
