The Estates POA held is regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, October 14, 2009. Among the topics discussed by residents attending were the proposed School Bond Referendum and the apparent increase in the number of air flights over the Village, the increased noise level of such flights and the lower altitude of the planes.

New York State Senator Kemp Hannon attended the meeting and participated in a question and answer discussion regarding many issues on the Village and state level. “We want to thank Senator Hannon for his input and frank conversation regarding the Lighthouse project, the budget issues facing New York State taxpayers, and many other topics” stated POA President Brian C. Daughney. “Senator Hannon also provided practical advice to residents in organizing in an effective manner to address the Federal Aviation Administration and New York Port Authority to get a favorable resolution to the current aircraft problem”, continued Mr. Daughney.

Residents received further input regarding prior Village efforts to address the aircraft problems from Mayor Rothschild and former Mayor and current Village Justice Alan Mathers, both of whom were involved in earlier Village efforts. “Based on the advice of Senator Hannon and others, we will need a coordinated community wide effort and need to engage the surrounding towns and areas such as Franklin Square and New Hyde Park” urged Mr. Daughney.

The Board of Directors of the Estates POA approved a recommendation to residents that they vote in favor of the proposed School Bond. School Board President Colleen Foley was present at the POA meeting and discussed the need for the funds and how the funds would be utilized.

“We are all taxpayers in the Village and recognize that school related taxes will increase because of the Bond; however, the members of the Estates Board also believe that we need to keep the aging buildings in good repair, we need to reclaim some space for overcrowded conditions and the intended uses are necessary and cannot be avoided any longer”, stated POA President Brian Daughney.

The Garden City Board of Education voted unanimously to hold a public referendum on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 for the purpose of obtaining public approval to issue a bond to cover $36.5 million in renovations to meet safety and code requirements, as well as reclaim learning space for academic program growth. The school investment bond calls for recovering learning space and decreasing instruction-time interruptions by reconfiguring areas within several of the schools.

The Village wide Referendum is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, October 27, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Garden City High School, 170 Rockaway Ave. Additional voting information can be obtained on the School Board’s website at www.gardencity.k12.ny.us/.

The Estates POA website is www.gcestates.org. The next meeting is Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 8:00 pm at Stratford School Cafeteria.