Spring 2020 - Social Media
Dear Friends,
Social Media is a great way to communicate and keep in touch with friends and family. It has become a great tool for people to express themselves, give their own opinions, and to be heard. It may not, however, always be the best way to communicate with your local officials.
Formal channels such as phone calls, emails, stopping in to the Village Hall, or actually speaking with your village board members are the best ways to get your questions answered or to make suggestions. We regularly check our own personal social media accounts and official Village media outlets for comments.
Postings on other unrelated sites may go unanswered. Worse yet, they can sometimes get mean spirited or misinformed, and often will elicit incorrect responses from people claiming to have the answers. By all means, participate in these forums if it makes you feel good, and satisfies your need to let the public know of your opinions and situations. But, if your goal is to truly to have your governmental-related problem solved or legitimate questions answered, reach out to us- we are here to help, and we are actually quite happy to assist you! Besides twice monthly village board meetings, you can always find the mayor, trustees, & judge at hundreds of events each year. We are always available to you.
As an added method of keeping lines of communication open, I have created a Citizen’s Advisory Council, made up of community members who can meet on a moment’s notice to hear your concerns.
This newly formed board can listen to any issue, and advise your elected officials on how we might be able to change policy, help a friend or neighbor, improve services- a whole myriad of topics that can improve communication & education. Any resident can request to meet with the Citizens Advisory Council in a very open and non-judge-mental way via a dedicated link on the Village website.
As always, I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you all around Valley Stream!
Mayor Ed Fare
January, 2019 - Road Improvement & Cultural Arts
Here we are, welcoming in a new year with many hopeful, positive plans for the months ahead.
With winter in full swing, we are very conscious of the toll that severe weather takes on our roads. We talk about it a lot because it matters a lot. Potholes are at best inconvenient and at worst dangerous, and that is why we spend so much time and energy doing our best to keep on top of damaged roads as we become aware of them. Our website is always updated with current information regarding road work and repairs as needed, and we encourage our residents to contact the Village through the Mayor’s Helpline at 1-855-99Mayor (1-800-996-2967) to report potholes or other issues that may arise around the village.
Last year our village residents saw the completion of the new courthouse and municipal building at 195 Rockaway Avenue. Aside from all court functions now operating out of that building, we have also successfully transitioned our uniformed Public Safety, Code Enforcement and Auxiliary Police Departments there, signaling a sure sign that our village government has a strong presence within our downtown business district.
Now that our court proceedings no longer take place at the Village Hall, the old courtroom is ready to be “repurposed.” This will come in the form of a cultural arts venue to round out the cultural programming that already exists at our “Village Green Campus,” consisting of the Village Hall, Henry Waldinger Memorial Library, the John Smith Bandshell and our very popular dog park.
Valley Stream is a community rich in diversity and culture. Our residents deserve a state-of-the-art cultural arts center that will provide a home for many and varied performances to satisfy all ages. It is the next step in the ever-evolving growth of our village, and one that I am proud to bring to Valley Stream!
April, 2018 - Spring Improvements & Recreation Fun
Now that it looks like spring has finally sprung, we in Valley Stream are preparing for everything that comes along with the nicer, warmer weather. As we are all aware, the harsh conditions of this past winter took a toll on our roads, and it was a constant effort to keep up with the potholes that seemed to appear overnight all around the village. In fact, so many of these pesky, dangerous craters did actually develop overnight, due to the fluctuations in temperature and the ice and snow that were regular occurrences, especially through the month of March.
Please be assured that Valley Stream’s road crews are out and about, filling potholes just as soon as we are made aware of them. As part of our ongoing road maintenance program, village streets are repaired on a rotational basis, to the tune of $1M per mile for a complete repaving project. This year we have budgeted funds to include, among other repaving jobs, a total resurfacing of Parking Field #1 which is our main resident commuter lot just to the north of the LIRR station. That work will begin later this year. Of course there will be plenty of notification and accommodations for our commuters.
Spring and summer also bring lots of great outdoor recreational activities for young, old and everyone in between. The summer recreational guide will be in mailboxes starting in late April. I hope you will hang onto the guide throughout the summer, as it is full of helpful schedules of the many fitness classes, sporting programs, concerts and pool information that our residents avail themselves of all summer long.
On May 16th we have a very special event planned, as Valley Stream opens its new Municipal Village Courthouse at 195 Rockaway Avenue, and dedicates the courtroom inside for our own former Village Justice Robert G. Bogle. The event will be open to the public and tours of the building will be ongoing in the days to follow.
With so much to do in Valley Stream, I hope to see you around the village often in the weeks and months ahead!
January 2018 - Winter Weather
Many of our village residents have reached out to us with questions, concerns and yes, compliments, regarding Valley Stream's plowing operation. With the winter season just getting underway, I thought this would be a good opportunity to address this timely issue.
The January 4, 2018 storm was a serious “hurricane snowstorm” that cut a 1500 mile swath and brought wind gusts up to 50 mph. The winds made it very difficult for our snow plowing operation since the snow was blown back into the streets, causing repeated plowing of the same roads.
Our crews worked around the clock and over the course of several days to clear the more than 90 miles of village roadways and parking fields. Clearing snow is extremely labor intensive and can be quite hazardous. White-out conditions and extreme cold only compound an already challenging situation.
Crews must be rotated and mechanical teams must be standing by at all times to deal with any issues that arise during and immediately after a storm. As can be imagined, such severe weather puts a great deal of stress on people and equipment! I am extremely proud of the dedication that has been shown by our highway crews. They have a very tough job to do and they take their work very seriously.
Priority must always be given to clearing firehouses, schools, then main roads, secondary roads and parking fields. Dead ends and auxiliary parking fields, as well as park lands, while providing many benefits in good weather, are unfortunately not the high priority we wish they could be in a serious weather event like this.
Snow storms are inconvenient, and sadly, we must expect our normal routines will be disrupted. The best we can do as governmental officials and citizens alike is to plan ahead to limit these disruptions as much as possible, and deal with each storm and its unique set of challenges.
During times like these all citizens can do their part to help by keeping cars off the roads so our plows can clear from curb to curb, shoveling around hydrants for quick access and not throwing snow back in road when shoveling or snow blowing.
In addition, it is simply impossible to prevent snow from being re-deposited on driveway aprons as plows pass. This is not done intentionally or in any way to further inconvenience our residents. As we say in our winter newsletter each year, “please don’t take it personally!”
If you wrote to us or called, we thank you for taking the time to advise us of your particular situation. Rest assured, our staff and village officials understand and sympathize with the difficulties such adverse weather brings. We ask that you continue to remain patient as our crews work through the winter to keep everyone on the roads, safely and as quickly as is humanly possible.
October, 2017 - Fall Update
With the brisk fall weather a perfect backdrop to all that is going on in our beautiful village, I encourage Valley Streamers to get out and enjoy our community.
Halloween is always a fun time for children and adults, and this year will be no exception. Hendrickson Park will once again become the site of a thrilling ghostly experience, and all the “horror and hilarity” that goes with creating a Halloween to remember. Of course our younger ghouls, goblins and tricksters will have the chance to participate in the traditional costume contests and pumpkin painting activities that have been a long-standing tradition here in our village, as well as a safe and fun hayride in the park.
Each November we take time out to honor our service men and women with a rousing Veterans Day salute. It is an opportunity for our residents to come together to say “thank you” to those brave individuals who have worn the uniform of our armed forces in the fight to preserve the liberties we enjoy as Americans. I hope you will join us, this year and always.
As much as we enjoy the crisp colors of autumn, we know winter must always follow. Our village workforce is prepared for the challenges that bad weather brings, and this year will be no different. When ice and snow fall, we will be ready!
I hope that as the holiday season draws nearer, Valley Streamers will take time out to frequent our bustling business districts, enjoying a good meal at any of our fine eateries, and shopping locally to support the many merchants who have invested their own time and money in our village. Valley Stream is home to many great people and services…and we in Village Hall welcome all!