GCFD cautions residents about 4th of July fireworks

From page 1 porting the GCFD activities. Torino was once an active volunteer fireman in the village, and in his first year back on the board, 2022-2023, he served as the designated fire commissioner.

Trustee Torino reported on a meeting he attended, along with Mayor Mary Carter Flanagan and Fire Chief Pearn, with Adelphi University leadership.

Torino also brought up a unique opportunity at Adelphi that some Garden City residents may be able to take advantage of.

For any volunteer GCFD firefighters or police officers there is a 25% reduction of tuition available at Adelphi.

“One of the programs I am trying to pass along, for all the junior firefighters and firefighters who may have interest, is that there is a tuition reduction schedule – 25% – for those members that are in the emergency services to attend the university. If that is of interest to any of our GCFD personnel, or personnel-to-be, please pass this information on to them,” Trustee Torino shared with Chief Pearn, as well as Police Commissioner Kenneth Jackson.

The Board of Trustees’ discussion briefly centered on the law enforcement activity in Garden City, with Commissioner Jackson providing details of the GCPD activities for May 2023 in his report.

Jackson relayed that there were responses to 1,808 incidents resulting in 74 case investigations and 20 arrests. There were 14 vehicle impounds and 122 medical service calls during May in Garden City, as well as 85 automobile accidents.

During May the GCPD traffic enforcement issued 2,119 parking tickets; police issued 1,114 traffic tickets and nine required court appearances.

As Jackson finished his updates for the June 15 meeting, Deputy Mayor Lawrence Marciano explained how concerns existed over the crowd control and rowdiness during portions of the Belmont Festival, held on Seventh Street on Friday, June 9. Some of the issues cited the 2022 Festival, and problems observed there.

Commissioner Jackson explained the police presence at the Belmont Festival, as he noted minor issues with children at the well-attended event.

According to Deputy Mayor Bruce Chester, there were “a hundred” teens congregating at the Dunkin Donuts/ Key Food side near the driveway to parking field 7N, late in the evening. He says the GCPD was able to have the kids disperse.

“I talked with John Wilton (head of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce

Merchants’ group) and in the future maybe we can come up with more activities for children to engage in – we lost the Islanders’ participation and lacrosse program, which were helpful, but we are in communication. We will make a couple of changes in the coming weeks, though bike use was very low,” Jackson explained.

The Friday Night Promenades’ season began on Friday June 23, with the festivities taking place once every two weeks on Friday nights and not every Friday.

Commissioner Jackson reported that there were minor issues at the end of the Belmont Festival, but “under most circumstances everything was under control.” He also cited the new signage that the Department of Public Works has as an asset in helping manage people along Seventh and over by Franklin Avenue.