|
|
From The Mayor's Desk
January 7, 2008
Dear Chief Walters:
On behalf of the residents of Manorhaven and myself, I want to tell you how much we appreciate the great work the men and women of the Port Washington Fire Department did on December 17, 2007 while responding to the water main break on Cambridge Avenue. Your professionalism and expertise was of the highest quality.
Chief Cole and his firefighters could not have done a better job dealing with the cold, ice and the volume of water that was on the roads that 23-degree morning. Your Department's cooperation with the Nassau County Police, The Port Washington Water Department and the Village staff was nothing more then remarkable.
Each year that I have been Mayor, I have set aside a week each fall to recognize the Department's great work for the community. Of course I intend to do so again. If I can be of any help to you or the Department at any time please do not hesitate to call on me.
Please wish each and every member of the Department a Happy and Healthy New Year for me.
If you want to discuss this or any other issue, I am at your disposal.
Respectfully, Nicholas B. Capozzi
October 30, 2007
Last week I was awoken by the sound of banging and hammering. What I thought might have been the street sweeper or construction from Manorhaven Blvd. in fact was not. I got out of bed and looked out my window. To my surprise I saw about ten or twelve men walking in and out of a house that is directly across the street from mine. The sawing and hammering was coming from the basement and main floor of the house. I immediately made a call to the Village Hall and asked our building department to investigate.
They found a group of people knocking down staircases and walls. The house was sold about two weeks ago and the new owner was doing work without any architectural drawings, permits or any kind of notification to anyone in the Village. Who knows if there was structural damage? Of course we found out who the owner is…they live in Manhasset, not Manorhaven. They told us they were repairing the house for their mother and father to live in. The two-family home was being altered by separating the basement, the main floor and the top floor into three apartments had we not stopped the construction. Summonses were issued that day. A stop work order was issued. No orders to remedy, in this case these people knew better. Two mornings later my neighbor called to tell me there were workers in the house again. As it was Saturday and no code enforcer was on duty that day, I went across the street this time. Two vans were parked in the driveway of the home, one with a Flushing address on the side another with no markings. I asked the men what was going on as I saw them going in and out, no one claimed they spoke English until I showed them my mayors badge. Then one man spoke English and told me they were there because the owner told them to do some work. A stop work order was put on the house. I guess two tickets were not enough. I'm telling you this story because in the course of putting together the new property maintenance law, a letter was circulated among the Trustees stating, "We have too many ridiculous and un-needed laws. The Mayor has made Manorhaven like a prison camp, and acts like the Gestapo." References were also made to communist prison camps. After I was given a copy of this letter I passed it along to a local newspaper person. They had no reaction much to my surprise.
The rental codes have improved this village and its quality of life. I ask that you log on to our web site www.manorhaven.org, click on news from the mayor's desk above my photo, and read the newspaper article about rental registration codes in another village. We have found illegal apartments, cleaned them up and made the quality of life in Manorhaven better. So to the author of that memo calling me a Nazi, (can you believe it in this day and age?) SHAME ON YOU!!! As long as we can clean up these apartments that almost always belong to absentee landlords, and who only care about their cash cows, you can call me any name you want. We're doing the right thing and I hope the rest of you all agree. Please go to our web site and read the article.
December 6, 2007
|
|
