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Residents register annoyance for inconvenience of festival Dear Editor: Once again, on September 30, the residents of the North Massapequa streets straddling Broadway south of the Southern State Parkway were hostages on their own streets, as the local Sons of Italy Lodge, with the consent and active participation of the Town of Oyster Bay, conducted its Columbus Day Festival (never mind that it wasn't Columbus Day weekend). This entails closing off a large section of North Broadway, placing wooden sawhorses at the end of adjoining side streets (which residents have to move aside to leave their own streets) and clogging the local streets with dozens if not hundreds of additional parked cars. Some of these vehicles illegally obstruct driveways and park illegally close to hydrants and stop signs. These residential streets are too narrow as it is and often do not allow for two way traffic. This creates not only local traffic jams, but creates a dangerous environment should police, fire or emergency vehicles try to navigate the jams. The current venue is inappropriate and the festival should, at the very least, be moved to a location with sufficient public off street parking. But that is only part of what smells about the festival. The event is on a Sunday. The Town supports it with employees (presumably at weekend overtime pay rates), equipment and vehicles. This has to cost a few bucks. Who pays? Also, there is a very obvious political quid pro quo from the Sons of Italy to the Republican dominated Town government. Almost invariably the "Grand Marshal" of this event is a Republican of Italian-American extraction who is running for election or re-election (this year the lucky guy was Town Councilman Anthony Macagnone). The exception that proves the rules was last year when our favorite Irish legislator, Congressman Pete King got the honor. Did I mention that the Congressman's storefront election headquarters was on Broadway, a scant hundred feet from the Town Showmobile? Isn't it just funny that there are no Democrats deserving of this honor? (for the record, I'm a registered Conservative Party member). How about a community or business leader or local clergy member? Several years ago I wrote a letter of complaint to Supervisor John Venditto about the location of this event and its effects on local parking and traffic. His response could have been written by the Sons of Italy public relations committee. Rather than address the safety concerns that I raised, he chose to explain that the festival was to support local merchants and combat the effects of "super malls" (as though I'm going to travel to my nearest super mall to fill up the gas tank or drop off the dry cleaning). Mr. Venditto doesn't seem to mind the malls too much, however, when they contribute to the Town's tax base. We're entitled to answers to a few questions: •How much did it cost the Town to provide employees, vehicles and equipment in support of this event? •Was there any reimbursement by the Sons of Italy? If so, how much? •What profit did the Sons of Italy realize from the event? Since they used government services on closed public streets, I think that the public is entitled to know. •Why did the Town Board approve a permit for this event at a venue where there is clearly inadequate off street parking? •If this is indeed intended to promote local merchants, why is this event not rotated to other local neighborhoods, so that merchants can promote their businesses? The Sons of Italy is headquartered in South Farmingdale. Why not move it there? How about near the Farmingdale or Massapequa train stations? The back scratching between the Sons of Italy and the Town of Oyster Bay (John Venditto is a lodge member) is flagrant. Those of us living in the neighborhood affected by their corelationship in running the festival are entitled to some answers. Edgar D. Smith, Jr. North Massapequa
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