No Snow Means Fireworks Show For Village

Due to the amount of snow that has fallen locally this winter, or rather the lack thereof, Massapequa Park now has a surplus and some plans to celebrate with it.

"The good Lord has indeed been good to us,” Mayor James Altadonna said at this week's village board meeting. “There hasn’t been any snow so far this winter...so we now have a $35,000 surplus in our budget.”

While $20,000 of that surplus will be carried over to supplement next winter’s snow removal budget (increasing the normal budget from $35,000 to $55,000), Altadonna said that the other $15,000 will be used for something a bit more exciting for Village residents.

“We’re going to pay for the Fourth of July fireworks show this year,” he said. “But to cover ourselves, if there is significant snow between now and April 1st and we feel we can not afford to have the fireworks, we’re able to negate the contract.”

At the meeting, the Village Board authorized the Mayor to sign an agreement with Fay Fireworks for a display on July 3rd, with a rain date of July 5th. The location has yet to be announced.

Nearly cancelled last year due to budget concerns, Nassau County stepped in at the last minute to fund the Village’s fireworks show themselves. However, this year the Village is set light up the July Fourth sky on their own dime.

Altadonna justified the proposed use of the surplus snow removal funds on the fact that the money isn’t currently needed elsewhere in the Village.

“We’re taking care of all the services that we need to take care of,” he said. “So, rather than applying it to somewhere else where we don’t need it, we’re going to pay for the fireworks and roll it over the rest for next year’s snow budget in case winter hits us really badly. We think this is the best use of the money.”

Meanwhile, two members of the Village Board are up for re-election on March 20th, and both spoke with Patch after the meeting on their strong desire to continue serving Massapequa Park and its residents.

Teresa  Spinosa is currently running uncontested for her sixth term as Village Trustee.

“Jeff and I have been in office for five terms, and we both feel like we still have work to do in the Village,” she said. “There are a lot of challenges that face us - keeping out budget balanced, and keeping out taxes low – and we look forward to the next two years of continuing the work that we’ve done for the past ten.”

Village Deputy Mayor Jeffrey Pravato is also running uncontested for a sixth term.

“We look forward to keeping fiscal responsibility in the Village,” he said. “We want to keep that going, along with our beautification, reconstruction of the roads, and a balanced budget. We’ve done it for ten years, and we can do it for another two. Hopefully everyone comes out and votes on March 20th!”