By:Nicole Falco
It was a tough decision, Zabatta said of his retirement. But the end of his term came at just the right time in his life. Zabatta, 65, remarried in October 2002. His first wife, Cecil, died in June 2001 after a long illness. Cecil-s death and the death of a close friend-s son at an early age made Zabatta realize, It-s time to reap the rewards of the hard work.
On Tuesday, Ed Fare won election to the village board, and he will occupy the seat in the Village Hall courtroom that Zabatta will vacate. Fare and incumbent Richard Coffman sought election uncontested. Fare-s term begins April 1.
Zabatta ran for the board in 1996 because he felt he had done everything else. That was the only way left I felt I could contribute based on my experience, he said.
Zabatta moved to Valley Stream with his family when he was 8. He liked the community so much that he decided to stay here and raise a family with Cecil. The couple celebrated 45 years of marriage before her death. Together they raised three children, Nanci, Joseph Jr. and Michael.
Zabatta made a living as an entrepreneur. His company, American Vinyl Products, on Rockaway Avenue, is still in business after more than 30 years. Zabatta retired about a year ago, and Joseph Jr. now runs the show.
Zabatta began many years of community service in the 1960s. A graduate of Central High School, he returned to education as a trustee of both the District 24 Board of Education and the Central High School District Board of Education. He served as president of both boards during his tenure. He also served on the boards of the Salvation Army-s Wayside School for Girls and the Valley Stream Youth Coalition, and as president of the Friends of Bridge board. He has worked with the Long Island Arthritis Foundation and Holy Name of Mary-s Parish Outreach program. And he has been a member of the Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club of Valley Stream and the local chapters of the Elks and Knights of Columbus. He is a past recipient of the chamber-s Businessperson of the Year award.
Zabatta says he has been fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve his community in many different capacities.
I have served on many boards, and was a member of many organizations since arriving in Valley Stream back in 1947, Zabatta said. I have always tried to leave the organizations in a little bit better condition then when I entered.
Zabatta said he is quite proud of what the village board accomplished during the past eight years, including ridding the village of the RIO Theater on Rockaway Avenue, fixing roads, building the hockey rink near the LIRR station and the new clubhouse at Firemen-s Field, and upgrading the pool in Hendrickson Park.
The thing that makes me most proud is that the people, for the most part, appreciated and supported our efforts, Zabatta said.
He and his wife will move to Myrtle Beach, S.C., on April 2. Zabatta said he looks forward to retirement and doing the things retirees do, including traveling and playing golf. He said he-ll probably look for part-time work to keep his mind active, and public service is not out of the question.
Mayor Edward Cahill, Village Clerk Vinny Ang and Zabatta's fellow trustees, Richard Coffman, Joanne Antun and Deputy Mayor Guido Cirenza, all say he-ll be missed. He always has a bag of jokes to regale you with whenever you see him, Cirenza said. I always enjoy a good joke. I found Joe to be good-natured, friendly and ready to help you if needed.
Antun said, "It's delightful to see him so happy and to watch him follow his dreams. We're all very happy for him."
Cahill called him a great asset to the board. Cahill, Ang and Coffman each noted Zabatta-s history in the village as both a resident and businessman. Being a business owner, he tried to assist the business community any way he could ... but he was also a resident, Cahill said.
Ang shared a similar sentiment. He brought a lot to the table," he said. "Bing a businessman, he understood some of the concerns for local businesses. He was able to be a voice for them. When you have someone who-s both a local businessman and a resident, you have an invaluable source of information there -- that-s what Joe was to the board and to this community.
