Residents of Massapequa have likely seen some of the improvements already in the works as the Town of Oyster Bay undertakes major projects at local parks and other facilities throughout the area. Crews have been working for weeks installing a new synthetic turf field at the Field of Dreams in East Massapequa and the Marjorie R. Post Pool is due for a facelift paid for under a $60-million Save Environmental Assets Fund III SEAFund bond.

The project at the Field of Dreams is costing $1,685,306, plus $338,000 in engineering costs. Local soccer, football and lacrosse teams use these fields at Old Sunrise Highway in East Massapequa and they take a lot of wear and tear. Officials hope the turf will hold up better.

Town Supervisor John Venditto was quick to point out that that prior to installing the synthetic grass, the Town completed a $36,628 study to determine if there were any dangers associated with the synthetic grass, but found that they were perfectly safe.

"There have been other studies done but they left me very dissatisfied (with the findings)," said Venditto. "It seems that all of the studies that favor artifical turf were done by the turf companies and those that favor grass were completed by the grass companies. That made me very suspicious," he said.

The Town's study was done by the Liro Group, which has no stake in the process, and is an independent, credible source, said the Supervisor.

The project on the pool will cost $596,552, and the work will be done between the 2008 and 2009 pool and skate season. It will include updating the pool and ice-skating houses and beautifying the area with landscaping.

Although the SEAFund committee is still in the process of looking into park improvements and land acquisitions, it has already acquired a 5.2 acre parcel in East Massapequa that sits on Louden Avenue, Clocks Boulevard, East Pine Street and County Line Road. According to Town spokesperson Phyllis Barry, the area will not be developed.

John J. Burns Park, on Merrick Road, will also be getting playground upgrades, which include plans for new equipment, water fountains and fencing. More synthetic turf is due to be added over a new mini field

(Continued on page 2) there. Lobbying for these projects came from within the Massapequa community under the leadership of two athletic officials, Gary Slavin and John Lynott. The two supported passage of the SEAFund proposal but repeatedly asked the Town to ensure that Massapequa, with limited open space, received its fair share of the funding. They made specific recommendations including asking that the Town put in more turf fields in the area and make improvements at Marjorie Post and John Burns Park.

"The project at the Field of Dreams is coming along beautifully and even though they are soccer fields the town is marking them so that they can be used by other athletic groups," said Slavin. "The Town has really lived up to its promise to the Massapequas."

One of the great things going on is that because of these wonderful fields here in Massapequa, we are building really great relationships with college coaches," said Lynott. "More of our kids are going off to college with scholarships, and in the girls program, two girls ranked top 25 in the country. There is no question these fields really helped."

Lynott said that Massapequa is hosting a game, Cortland vs. Gettysburg and word is getting out that we have wonderful fields here in Massapequa.

In other local news, residents of North Massapequa reported that two homes in their neighborhood were unsafe. After an inspection by Town officials, the one at 83 North Walnut St., was demolished June 13, and the other, at 1131 North Broadway, is undergoing an inspection to help the Town make a final determination on its fate.

According to the Town Code, a building is deemed dangerous if its load-bearing walls buckle or lean, its foundation is deteriorated, its floors or roofs overloaded or the home has insufficient entrances or exits in case of an emergency. After a survey determines the home is more than 50 percent unsalvageable, the homeowner is notified by the Town and told to improve the problems. If they do not do so in a timely manner, the Town demolishes the structure and the costs of that work are placed on the property owner's tax bill.