By John C. O'Connell
Thanks to a joint town and village effort spearheaded by committed parents and elected officials, some action has been taken that may make a difference and may even save lives.
Two electronic speed-feedback signs have been installed on Mill Road, one block north and one block south of Hungry Harbor Road and the Carbonaro school. The signs have an enclosed radar device that detects and displays the speed of each passing vehicle. Officials hope that drivers, made aware of their rate of speed just before they get to the school zone, will slow down to the limit.
District 24 Superintendent of Schools Edward Fale is delighted the signs are in place. "You know in education, safety and security are so very important. We've had so many safety and security concerns, and speeding traffic along Mill Road is a very immediate and serious one," Fale said last Thursday as officials and students gathered to celebrate the installation of the new devices.
The signs cost $3,500 each. The Town of Hempstead is footing the bill and hopes to be reimbursed by the state. The Village of Valley Stream installed them and will maintain them.
"We've been working on trying to solve this problem of people driving too fast near the school for years, said Town Councilman James Darcy, who, when he was in the state Assembly, was the author of the bill that doubled fines in a school zone. "When I came to the town, I learned of the state Department of Motor Vehicles grant program to reimburse for these speeding-reduction devices, and they seemed to fit the need here. Even though Mill Road is a county road, this has been a joint effort between the mayor of the Village of Valley Stream, Ed Cahill, and myself and the town supervisor."
When asked why he put so much effort into arranging for the devices, Darcy pointed to the many dozens of children outside the school and said, "This is being done for them," he said. "I didn't want to pick up a newspaper someday and see that some kid was killed or seriously injured by someone driving at an excessive speed on this heavily traveled road. I think these signs will slow traffic down and that the average driver will slow down."
School board member Carole Meaney has been a driving force behind getting something done about speeding near the school. She helped organize a meeting four years ago between parents and officials from the village, county and state, as well as Inspector William McHale, who was then the commander of the Fifth Precinct.
"From the time she was on the PTA and now still as a member of the [District 24] Board of Education, Carole Meaney has been spearheading this whole project of a safer Mill Road intersection from the very inception, along with other PTA members," Darcy said.
At the direction of the PTA, member Sharon Lupeke organized a petition that she sent to County Executive Thomas Suozzi, the village mayor and the county's district attorney "to make parents and government officials aware of the situation," Lupeke said.
When Darcy told the new town supervisor about his plans to have the town buy the speed-control devices, he said that Kate Murray responded, "By all means, go for it."
Murray was on hand for the announcement ceremonies Thursday. "Today is a great day for the students at Carbonaro Elementary School," she said. "These speed-control signs are an investment in their safety, and they are an investment that the Town of Hempstead was very pleased to be able to make. It is also a great lesson in intergovernmental cooperation, between the Town of Hempstead, the Village of Valley Stream and the school district. I am delighted that we were all able to coordinate our efforts to ensure the safety of these students."
