For Immediate Release                                                    Contact: Collin Nash
June 20, 2008                                                                            516-869-7822

Town / County Consolidate Parks
Town Supervisor and County Executive merge Port Washington Beach-Front Parks

Port Washington, NY —A new chapter in the movement toward inter-governmental collaboration to save taxpayer dollars was written recently when North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman joined with County Executive Tom Suozzi in a ceremony to merge the Town’s Bar Beach Park the County’s Hempstead Harbor Park

Manning two pay-loaders, Kaiman and Suozzi demolished a chain link fence that for decades demarcated the boundaries of the two parks, merging them into one beach-front commons now known as North Hempstead Beach Park.

“The merging of these two parks today is a historical move toward achieving fiscal credibility and governmental accountability,” Kaiman said at the June 19, mid-afternoon ceremony, which was attended by Town Councilman Angelo Ferrara and Fred Pollack as well as County Legislator Wayne Wink. “I thank the County Executive for his vision to get this done,” Kaiman said, alluding to an agreement forged a year ago for the town to take over a number of County-owned parks and several miles or roadways.

Pointing to high property taxes as Long Island’s most troubling concern, County Executive Suozzi said Nassau’s multitude of governments is a prime contributor.

“We have to figure out how to consolidate our governments,” he said. “By merging these two facilities, we save money. There is no reason we can’t do this in other places throughout the county.”

Town Councilman Fred Pollack said the road travelled to get to this point was long and arduous at times but was well worth the effort on the part of the town, the county and the residents.

“This is a day we have been working toward for many years,” he said.     “This wonderful waterfront destination is a fine example of the Port Washington visioning process in action.”

North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman and County Executive Tom Souzzi man two pay-loaders
and demolish the chain link fence that demarcated the boundaries of the two parks.

Councilman Angelo Ferrara, Councilman Fred Pollack, Supervisor Jon Kaiman, Country Executive Tom Souzzi, and County Legislator Wayne Wink mark the a new chapter in the movement toward inter-governmental collaboration at the new North Hempstead Beach Park.