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Friday, March 14, 2025
Vol. 2, No. 11
THE GATEWAY TO NASSAU COUNTY SERVING FLORAL PARK, BELLEROSE AND STEWART MANOR
A KNIGHT TO REMEMBER
Village continues work on feral cat, animal feeding regulations BY RIKKI MASSAND
The spirit of unity and diversity shone brightly at Floral Park Memorial High School during this year’s International "Knight", an event that brought together students, families, and community members for an unforgettable evening of cultural exploration on Thursday, March 6th. See page 12.
Unopposed election in FP Village
Floral Park's mayor, Kevin Fitzgerald, Deputy Mayor Dr. Lynn Pombonyo, and Trustee Frank Chiara are all running unopposed in the village election slated for Tuesday, March 18th. Voting will take place between the hours of noon and 9 pm. Registered voters in election district one will cast ballots at the Reliance Firehouse. Those in districts two and three will go to the village pool, and those in
district four will go to the Atlantic Avenue firehouse. The following statements were supplied by the candidates:
Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald
Kevin M. Fitzgerald was born and raised in Brooklyn NY where he attended Xaverian High School. He then went on to Pace UniverSee page 2
The Floral Park Villager Published every Friday by Litmor Publishing Corp. Telephone 931-0012 Postmaster: Send Address Change to: The Floral Park Villager, 821 Franklin Ave., Suite 208 Garden City, N.Y. 11530 • Meg Norris, Publisher
In a February 27 interview with the Floral Park Villager, Deputy Mayor Dr. Lynn Pombonyo discussed her follow-up on concerns about the local law regarding feral cats, which was approved last November.The law prohibited the feeding of stray or feral animals in the Village of Floral Park. Deputy Mayor Pombonyo and Village Trustee Frank Chiara met with a handful of residents, including Jeff Carstens, on January 14th. The deputy mayor has also had extensive phone calls with a number of residents who expressed interest in the matter. As part of her update at the February 4th Board of Trustees’ meeting, she headlined a section, “Neighborhood Animals and Local Law updates.” One of the notes indicated the real impacts to quality of life in Floral Park, which is the feeding of any animals outside without supervision, or leaving food scattered around. The deputy mayor stated the village’s concern that people are “not getting what they asked for” once food is kept outside for a cat or another domesticated animal. Problems can range from attracting rodents or mice to larger, more destructive animals or thousands of insects. “This is not for isolating cats, and there are a few reasons for it. People have asked about the local law and
though many of them understand why it exists and they might live in neighborhoods where there are stray cats, they have observations. One lady I spoke with, who said she’s seen stray cats fed outdoors, explained that the cats often run off because racoons come to take over the dish. Then when she watched for longer, an opossum came to take over the dish,” Dr. Pombonyo said. She also shared experiences within her neighborhood. “I’ve seen and heard about people trying, with good intentions, to feed birds outside or even rabbits – but by leaving food outside you are unintentionally feeding other animals. The other animals might not be as wanted in your backyard, neighborhood or places where little children are playing – so really the village’s focus has to be broader and it is not just telling people not to feed feral cats, it goes way beyond that. We evaluated how people could take care of animals outside, and how you do it – including with cats – it really requires supervised feedings and removing containers and food once they’re not there.” The deputy mayor is hoping for a situation where residents who are very passionate about animal welfare and humane treatment can come together for an informational and educational effort, and synergize the community and its multiple See page 11
Choices for your 401(K) from ex-employer PAGE 4 International Knight celebrates cultures PAGE 12