Friday, November 15, 2024
Vol. 1, No. 11
THE GATEWAY TO NASSAU COUNTY SERVING FLORAL PARK, BELLEROSE AND STEWART MANOR AN EDITION OF THE GARDEN CITY NEWS
Bond plan to address aging infrastructure
BAND CHAMPIONS
BY KASSARA MCELROY
Congratulations to the Marching Knights of Sewanhaka on their third place finish in the Large School 3 Division of The NYS Field Band Championship at Syracuse University. The Knights set a new program record for a championship performance with a score of 82.65!
New businesses, projects coming soon BY RIKKI MASSAND The Floral Park Chamber of Commerce gathered on November 7 at Stella’s Ristorante, with a strong turnout for updates on the village’s expanding commercial sector. Deputy Mayor Dr. Lynn Pombonyo, the Floral Park Village Board’s liaison to the Chamber of Commerce, announced that a new
fast casual restaurant will open in the former Sterling Bank at 99 Covert Avenue. The menu options are expected to include salads, pizza and sandwiches, opening The interior of the space is being renovated this month. “They will not have a bar but they will have a liquor license and a takeout window you can go to in the back. The project appears to be at least six to eight months
away from completion,” she said. Also on Covert Avenue, the former Fox & Company salon/ spa location will become a tae kwon do and martial arts studio, pending approval of a special use permit at the Village Board of Trustees’ meeting on Tuesday, November 19th. At a nearby Covert Avenue property that was ravaged by a See page 13
The Floral Park-Bellerose School District is preparing for a public referendum on January 28, 2025, to address urgent infrastructure upgrades at Floral Park-Bellerose School and John Lewis Childs School. The proposed $19.7 million bond will fund the replacement of outdated heating systems, enhancements to ventilation, and essential repairs to aging facilities. During last week’s board of education meeting, Dr. Linda Macias, the assistant superintendent for business, along with district fiscal advisors, outlined the now board-adopted bond process, emphasizing the urgent need for upgrades. “We’re at a point where we must invest in an upgraded heating system or risk a complete system failure that is beyond repair,” Dr. Macias explained. A feasibility study conducted in November 2023 identified several critical areas for improvement, including the replacement of the aging steam heating system and the addition of centralized cooling options. The study found that converting the current steam system to a hot water system, combined with the installation of variable refrigerant flow (VRF) condensers, could significantly reduce energy See page 9
Free Sample
We'd like to introduce you to Floral Park's newest newspaper! Over the next few weeks we will be mailing free copies of our print edition to homes in town. We hope you like it! To learn how to subscribe, or to contribute material, please see page 6
Tricia's Kids a part of holiday events PAGE 3 'Made with Love' group brings warmth PAGE 8