By Hector Flores
During her long tenure as a civic activist, Ms. Rosenberg took on myriad projects to benefit South Shore residents, including, most recently, the protracted fight against Freeport's highly polluting diesel Power Plant No. 2, which Merrick residents feared was causing cancer.
Ms. Rosenberg, who also successfully battled construction of potentially dangerous pelletization at Nassau County's Cedar Creek sewage treatment plant in Wantagh, was an advocate for the parks, open spaces, the environment in general and education, particularly special education.
Richard Schary, of North Bellmore, a civic and environmental activist who worked closely with Ms. Rosenberg on many projects, said, "The two words that she absolutely refused to accept concerning any proposed development of our dwindling open spaces and tree removal were 'done deal.'"
Ms. Rosenberg was born April 17, 1937. She came from a family that was heavily involved in the greater Long Island community. Her grandfather, Bruce, who built a home in North Bellmore that still stands, helped construct Jones Beach. Her father, Morris, was comptroller of the Jones Beach Catering Corporation for 30 years.
She also had a brother, Steven, and a sister, Judith Mirabella.
As a child, Ms. Rosenberg attended Wantagh Elementary School (formerly known as Beach Street Elementary) and Amityville High School. After graduating in 1955, she attended the State University College at Geneseo, earning a degree in speech and hearing. She then attended C.W. Post College on Long Island and completed a master's degree in special education in 1960.
After graduation, she became a speech therapist and worked with trainable retarded and brain-damaged children at the Indian Head Cerebral Palsy Center. Through her work as a therapist and educator, she began to fight for people's rights.
"Vicky gave people a lot of confidence to do anything," said Michele Walsh, of Merrick, a friend of Rosenberg's and a fellow activist. "When she was a teacher, she noticed a lot of mistreatment to the children in her care and became their advocate. Apparently, one of the special-education classes was being taught in a boiler room. She was a woman before her time. She cared before anyone else did."
Ms. Rosenberg's efforts to improve the education and treatment of her students led to the formation of the Special Education Parent Teacher Association (SEPTA).
"In New York State, if a pre-schooler isn't speaking properly or is not in the same level as other children, then they are entitled to early intervention," said Ellen Stevens, a co-vice president of the Wantagh-Seaford Homeowners Association. "Vicky was able to create special classes for deaf children who had some perception of hearing."
Over the years, Ms. Rosenberg helped form SEPTA chapters throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Christine Marzigliano, the Homeowners Association's other vice president, said Ms. Rosenberg's zeal for advocacy extended to her community work.
"As president of WSHA, she was instrumental in saving the Seaman Venier House by convincing the developer to preserve and convert the home into two condo units," Marzigliano said. "The developer built the condo complex around the historic home and built it in the same Victorian style." Rosenberg succeeded in having the Town of Hempstead declare the Seaman Venier House a landmark, as well.
Ms. Rosenberg also joined forces with SCARE (Stop Cedar Creek and Recover Our Environment) to fight the Cedar Creek pelletization plant, which was set to be built between two elementary schools. A New York Times article called the project "a done deal," which Ms. Rosenberg and other local civic activists proved was not the case.
Ms. Rosenberg teamed with the Seaford Civic Association to stop a PEP Boys automotive parts store from building over and destroying a protected stream.
She was also instrumental in establishing the Town of Hempstead Cell Phone Technology Task Force, which is charged with finding the best sites for cell-phone towers. "Vicky proposed this task force to address the proliferation of cell towers in the Town of Hempstead," said Marzigliano. "For Vicky, this issue had no boundaries, and she included members from other communities in the task force."
Marzigliano added that Ms. Rosenberg established a precedent that prevents cell-phone towers from being placed on top of schools. In the town, cell-phone providers must look at alternate sites, such as commercial buildings or any other location where children are not around, before they erect a tower.
Ms. Rosenberg reached out to numerous surrounding communities and helped them with their battles: saving a park on Condor Road in Island Trees, working to save the Quaker Meeting House in North Wantagh, negotiating compromises in building disputes between residents and builders, assisting Merrick civic groups with their own cell-phone battles, assisting the Central Bellmore Homeowners in starting their own organization or representing local homeowners with zoning issues. She also worked with Betty Blake to stop the Terra Homes developer from building in Wantagh woods.
Ms. Rosenberg's community service not only brought her the respect of residents and fellow activists, but also the admiration of her opponents. Bill Cohen, an attorney who represented developers of the Seaford Project (who intended to develop a marina with a condominium), said that Rosenberg halted his client's project, which has now been developed into single-family homes.
"Vicky was a worthy adversary and an outstanding individual," Cohen said. "She was someone who was always well prepared and maintained the highest ethical standard -- a tremendous asset to the community and any cause she chose to represent. I admired her greatly, and I will miss her tremendously."
