Resident asks town for change, gets immediate action

BY RIKKI MASSAND

Following a request made at the Oyster Bay Town Board meeting on Tuesday, July 18, the (free) permit stickers for residents’ parking at beaches and adjacent town facilities will no longer carry the word “SENIOR” in print to indicate that a person/driver is age 60 or older. A resident’s concerns aired before the Town Board alluded to dangers of a senior becoming a target if a person intending to steal, attack or do any other harm were to read “SENIOR” on the Town sticker attached to their car.

The Board and Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino welcomed East Norwich resident Michele Drexler to the podium during the public comment period of Tuesday’s meeting. She detailed the process of obtaining her free beach parking permit sticker and that the prior Town practice of having the sticker for senior citizens be a different color was abandoned, with the word “senior ‘’ now all too prominent on her car.

Drexler said she loves her beaches and she is a frequent attendee during summer months, so the permit sticker on her car is important.

“The Town’s beach stickers, although it’s a lovely gesture to give residents 60 and older free beach parking stickers – originally they came as a different color than paid stickers but now it says “senior.” I feel this makes for a target if I am going to the grocery store at night and I come out alone, and it states “senior” on my car. Another issue is if I am going to be the only one home and on the driveway my car states “senior” – recently a person wearing a black baseball hat and hoodie went around to try and open all the cars’ doors on my street, and they came to my driveway and to my car and my son’s car. That sticker will be alerting them that I’m a senior and not a 20-year-old that can fight someone off,” Drexler explained.

Town Supervisor Saladino immediately stated that her request was reasonable and a valid point on the information conveyed by placing the word “senior” on a car. He noted that every year the Town of Oyster Bay redoes its permit stickers. He assured Drexler he will be speaking with TOBAY Parks Department Commissioner Joseph Pinto immediately to change the sticker and considering going back to a system which will not print the word “senior” or indicate that permit differently, “or some other way that does not provide more information than we need to.”

Drexler did not even have to wait until she sat down for a remedy to arise.

Checking his messages, Supervisor Saladino explained, “I just received communication from our Parks Commissioner (Pinto) that the Department staff has initiated their process of cutting the word “senior’ off all residents’ stickers before handing them out. They have heard about this concern within a week and will be taking the portion off the sticker.”

He then commended Drexler on her approach to the Town Board at their meeting and her professionalism in making a suggestion that could result in a solution by the Town.

“This is what representative government is all about. People can come up, talk with us about the needs and concerns and we’ll find solutions. That’s what the Town of Oyster Bay is known for, and we greatly appreciate the point you have made. I am told we are already beginning to cut the word off the stickers so we have been addressing it. We are solving this problem, and we will not put the word on the sticker in the future,” Saladino said. He thanked Drexler for her time in addressing the Town Board.

Drexler commended the Town Board and said she appreciates all the work they do.