TRUE COLORS

Well THAT didn't take long!

We at MNYT are reminded of that classic Cyndi Lauper song as Jack Martins' true colors come shining through.  Despite his chest thumping and drum beating about his goal to reform Albany politics, the freshman senator for the 7th S.D. has apparently reneged on the Ed Koch-initiated pledge he signed to support Independent Redistricting.

To quote Gomer Pyle, USMC, "Well, Su-prise! Su-prise! Su-prise!"

Not surprising at all to those of us who know Jack and how he operates.  He's got double-talking down to an art.  And in true Jack style, when he's questioned regarding his about-face, he gets defensive:

“I was elected to represent the people of Long Island, not Ed Koch or Bill Samuels or any special interest group.”

H-m-m-m.  Interesting.  Somehow "the people of Long Island" are NOT a "special interest group?"  There's that double-talk again. 

According to the Newsday piece Martins claimed "the legislation being pushed by some Democrats was not as 'independent' as it was cracked up to be."  Maybe he should have read the pledge before he signed it.

If you're interested, read the article for yourself.  But if you miss it, don't worry.  Based on Jack's history, there's bound to be more coming.

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/politics/spin-cycle-1.812042/ever-the-7th-sd-sen-martins-draws-heat-1.2772962?showAll=true

So Long, Farewell and Kiss My True Grits!

MNYT wonders if that's what Barbara Bellis-simo Mattina was thinking as she departed 155 Washington Avenue for the last time as a Village employee back in January. 

Mrs. Mattina was raised and educated in the Incorporated Village of Mineola and started working for VOM in 1974.  By all accounts, she was a dedicated employee with a very strong work ethic.  You know the type:  coughing and sneezing, but reporting to work anyway because that is what you do.  (People like that are SO annoying, don'tcha think?)

To quote a recent letter to the Mineola Ame-rican acknowledging her retirement, " . . . she was totally dedicated to her duties and the people of Mineola.  She was someone you could always count on.  She seldom took time off and was always there when you needed her."  (http://www.antonnews.com/mineolaamerican/opinion/5617-letter-enjoy-your-retirement-barbara.html )

Whether her dedication was inherited or learned, there is no doubt the apple didn't fall far from the family tree, because Barbara Mattina's father was the late Anthony Bellissimo, well-known for his community involvement with Kiwanis, the Mineola Republican Club, Mineola's Fire Department and the Board of Trustees - to name a few.  Tony Bellissimo was not a slacker and apparently, neither was his daughter.( http://www.mfdaction.com/news/bellissimo.html )

As a matter of fact, Mrs. Mattina was the subject of a Mineola Ameri-can article back in 1999 entitled "25 Wonderful Years."  At the office she was feted with a tiara, sash and balloons in honor of what was by then 1/4 of a century of civil service with the Village of Mineola. (http://www.antonnews.com/mineolaamerican/1999/07/23/news )

Here are quotes from some of her colleagues that were part of the article:  "You can put her in any department and she's excellent at it.  She is well liked by everyone in the village."  And, "She likes helping senior citizens and those in need.  She really likes what she does."

Most resounding is the subject's own take on the situation:  "This is a wonderful place to work.  It's like working in a little family."

Sounds ducky.  So what happened?  Why would someone who clearly loved the community she grew up in; who enjoyed working with the public (and let's face it - "the public" can be real ball busters); who derived a true sense of pleasure from assisting other people, leave her position the very first day she was able to retire with her full union benefits?  And without any fanfare or retirement luncheon.  Surely somebody who has been a faithful civil servant to VOM for over 35 years deserves some kind of formal recognition.

You'd think.

Let us suppose, gentle reader, that for the last seven years of your tenure with the Incoporated Village of Mineola you'd been subjected to a hostile work environment.  Suppose you were harassed by your boss.  Now suppose you complained to his boss and nothing was done.  Suppose that even after you transferred out of the department, the harassment continued and was extended to your co-workers as well.  Suppose that with only about 6 weeks to go before your retirement date, you were brought up on trumped up charges that were subsequently dropped because they were completely without merit.

Would you want ANYTHING from such people?

Because that's exactly what Mrs. Mattina's work life was like.  And it all began with a slip of the lip. 

UH-OH!

The day she let slip to her Building Department co-worker that she knew she was "doin' the nasty" with their boss was the beginning of the end.  Think about it:  if information like that got out it could cost boss man and his gal pal/secretary their jobs and jettison his marriage.
Bit of a sticky wicket, that.

So what's a "gentleman" to do?  How about embark on a campaign of harassment to make Mrs. Mattina's life miserable?

And when this harassment was brought to the attention of the big guy in charge, what do you suppose he did?  You might expect him to fire the boss and transfer the gal pal because such a relationship is totally
inappropriate in a government agency.  It compromises the integrity of the department and leaves the village open to a possible sexual harassment lawsuit down the line.  Add to that the creation of a hostile work environment towards Mrs. Mattina and the behavior crosses the line from merely inappropriate to COMPLETELY EGREGIOUS.

But the mayor's solution to this problem was to transfer Barbara Mattina from the Building Department where she had already worked for seven years, and send her back to the Justice Court.  No matter that she had done nothing wrong or that she had not violated the trust of the village taxpayers.  It also didn't matter that she had more years in that department than both the supervisor and the other secretary combined, or that she had a wealth of knowledge that neither of them had.  What mattered was keeping Building Superintendent Dan Whalen happy.

Why?

Why would the mayor allow the Building Superintendent to keep his job under such circumstances?  It's not as if he had a long history with the Village as somebody who had worked his way up the ranks.  Whalen was a newcomer with very limited experience in the field and with dubious qualifications.  He exercised extremely poor judgement when he decided to embark on a deeply personal relationship with his subordinate (for whom he managed to obtain a 15.48% pay increase in 2004 that was followed by another 9% at the end of that year).  But his further decision to engage in a campaign of harassment and intimidation against Mrs. Mattina was unconscionable.  And the only other person who holds more accountability than Danny B is the mayor - for allowing it to go on despite the complaints he received from village taxpayers, not to mention the employees union.

What, exactly, does Mr. Whalen bring to the table?  Or maybe it's what's under the table that counts. . .

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The situation got so bad that Mrs. Mattina had to report to work early every day so she could be escorted up to the second floor to punch in her time card, in the event that her former boss was there.  And even though Whalen was instructed to maintain his distance from Mrs. Mattina, he always managed to find a way to cross paths with her when court was in session.  Back and forth through the Justice Court offices he would go.  Back and forth.  To and fro.  Just to make his presence known.

But the lady stuck it out with grit and determination.  What else was there to do?  Give in and throw in the towel?  Should she have caved, quit the Village and lost out on benefits she had worked so long for?  Should she have given in to thuggery?  Because that's what all of this really amounts to.  Thuggery.

Thugs rule by intimidation.  They steal what isn't theirs to have.  And it doesn't have to be something like money or jewels.  They can steal your pride, your sense of self-worth, your sense of safety and security. 

They can try to anyway.  For instance, according to a written complaint filed by Mrs. Mattina and one of her co-workers, as they were heading towards the door at the end of one work day they encountered Whalen coming from the opposite direction.  He then pulled out his cell phone as if he'd gotten a call and made a disparaging remark about them as he passed by, referring to them as "a herd of cows."

Their word against his.  But if you've ever had any dealings with Whalen, you know that (a) he's not a gentleman and (b) he is a coward.  If he called these women "a herd of cows" to their faces, that would have been a direct verbal assault.  But he did it in a sneaky, cowardly way.  And even when these women filed complaints in writing with the village they received no support.  Can you possibly imagine what the response was?  You really can't because nobody is that creative.

Except for the Village's attorney.  Because as usual, John Spellman was there to clean up Danny B's mess.  Attorney Spellman's response?  The reported incident happened after 4:30 - "after working hours" - so there was no action for the Village to take.  It didn't matter that it occured within the confines of Village property and only a few minutes after the official end of the work day.  It didn't matter that a complaint had been filed with the Teamster's Union and that THEY had instructed these women to put the Village on notice.  No siree.

You see, John Spellman is the Teflon® coating to Danny B's frying pan.
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So instead, Mrs. Mattina put in for an early retirement and counted down her days.  Not because she's filthy stinkin' rich and never has to work another day in her life.  Not because she didn't enjoy helping the public any more.  Not because her job was no longer challenging.  But because life is too short to allow people to shit on your head and call it rain any longer than you absolutely have to.

But even then, the harassment didn't stop.

For some reason the Village Clerk decided to get in on the action, grilling the Justice Court supervisor when on the video surveillance system he saw Mrs. Mattina standing in front of the building on one of her union mandated breaks.  Weeks later he filed charges against Mrs. Mattina for leaving her post early and without permission - accusing her of putting the villagers at "jeopardy" by leaving the Justice Court unstaffed.  In the meantime, with her supervisor's prior knowledge and permission, Mrs. Mattina had worked through her lunch so she could keep a medical appointment .  And the office was not left unmanned.  There were two other workers there.

Thankfully, the United Public Service Employees Union stepped in and got these ridiculous charges squashed.   But again, it cost the taxpayers because Spellman had to get involved to represent the Village.  All because the Village Clerk had to try to stick it to Barbara Mattina.  And to what end?  For what purpose?  What was he trying to prove?

And this just a few weeks before Christmas.  Ah, the spirit of giving !! 

So adieu Barbara Bellissimo Mattina.  Stomp the muck off your boots and forget 155 Washington Avenue.  At least forget the last six or seven years.  There's life beyond Mineola.  And if you do decide to return to the workforce, whoever is smart enough to hire you will be greatly rewarded.  And maybe, maybe some day the Village taxpayers will recognize just how reprehensible certain of their civil servants are, and how badly they're being hosed by certain of the people in charge.  Maybe then they'll demand a change.

In the meantime Mrs. Mattina, enjoy your newfound freedom from all things Mineola.  And remember:  Life is a Beach . . .  

NOTHING LIKE A BLIZZARD TO COVER YOUR TRACKS

WOW !!!

W O W  ! ! !

Talk about thieves in the night! 

On January 13, 2009 the Board of Trustees held a hearing about an application by the current owners of Heart of Portugal to open another restaurant at 68/70 Old Country Road between Geranium and Juniper Avenues.  There have been a number of eateries at this location over the years such as the Courtyard Latenite Cafe, and more recently Tucano's Bar & Grill.

One by one, residents of Geranium and Juniper Avenues spoke about the numerous problems they have encountered with the various restaurants that have come and gone.  Garbage on their lawns, drunken arguments, loud music, theft of personal property, and unknown cars blocking their driveways were just some of the complaints that were leveled.

The mayor recused himself from the hearing because he or a member of his family is now the owner of the building where this restaurant space is available.  (The precise ownership issue is a little fuzzy.)  And the petitioners were represented by Jack's former law partner Mr. Selva.  Cozy! 

As one of the complainants stated, this restaurant approval seemed to be a done deal.  The "doneness" test was passed when Trustee Cusato was shut down (as is the norm) when he questioned the plans for smoke ventilation because there didn't appear to be any on the specs the trustees were given to review.  (Imagine the nerve of a veteran volunteer firefighter questioning something like that!)

On the plus side, the new venue will be run by the same people whose Heart of Portugal Restaurant has been a staple on Mineola Boulevard for many years now.  It's a successful business with a good record in the neighborhood.  But this doesn't change the fact that there is limited parking at the proposed location and, based on the miserable history the local residents have experienced through the years, perhaps another restaurant is not the best use of this space on Old Country Road.

In any event, the matter was tabled for further discussion at a later date - presumably with another public hearing to be held before a final decision would be made (as has been the case with every other special use permit application).  Instead, the matter was brought up for a vote at the February 10th Work Session.  That's right.  The night of the most recent snowstorm that dumped 12+ inches on Mineola and environs.

Everybody was being encouraged to stay home.  Nobody would expect that the Board would actually go through with a work session under such circumstances, much less pass a resolution on a special use permit without allowing for more input from the public!  But the world is FULL of surprises and just when you think our Trustees can't sink any lower, they pull another fast one.  Thus, amid blizzard conditions our merry Band of Brothers hitched up their flying reindeer, piled into their magic sleigh and flew over to 155 Washington Avenue so they could approve the permit for Jack's new tenant.  To hell with any additional public commentary!

And so gentle readers, it appears that this was indeed "a done deal."  An open and shut case if you will.  They flew in, executed the deed, and flew out again.  Under cover of darkness and a blanket of snow.

Like thieves in the night.

Can't wait to see what the next storm brings . . . .

SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

It is said that "silence is golden."  In the case of the January 6, 2010 public meeting, the silence emanating from Mineola's Board of Trustees was deafening.  Not one of these elected officials had anything to say as Village resident Jesse Smith questioned Mayor Jack Martins yet again about the architectural albatross that now exists at 217 Horton Highway.  Even Deputy Mayor Larry Werther - notorious for his diarrhea of the mouth - was uncharacteristically silent.

So to what do we owe this dearth of dialogue on the part of our trustees?  Post-Christmas January blues? Sugar-induced comas?  Your basic, run-of-the-mill ennui?

Is it at all possible these men are starting, however slowly, to recognize the facts of the matter?  Maybe they are beginning to realize that if Jack is going to twist the truth like a pretzel, then it's better he bury himself alone without jumping into the grave with him.  Or perhaps that's giving them all too much credit.

It should be fairly obvious to anyone who was at that meeting or who has seen it on Channel 18 that Jack will do anything to defend the behaviour of his Building Superintendent, Daniel B. Whalen and that of the owner of 217 Horton Highway.  How else to justify Mr. Whalen's issuance of a CO to that property in the absence of properly installed leaders and gutters and a final survey?  If Jack is going to employ the same justification Attorney Spellman used when Danny B issued that illegal fence permit on Latham Road (i.e. it was a "mistake") that would then lead one to believe Mr. Whalen is not qualified for his job. 

And by what or whose authority did Whalen issue a CO for a 2 and 1/2 story house when the Architectural Review Board approved a 2 story house?  Martins' spin has been and continues to be that a completely empty, unliveable space constitutes half of a story, when as a real estate attorney he should (and no doubt does) know better.  A 2 story house consists of two liveable floors having either a flat roof, or a gabled roof with unfinished area such as a crawlspace or attic.  If there is now an additional half-story to that house, it means part of the attic has been finished and is liveable.  That is why Mr. Cunha's taxes have now gone up.  Until recently, the tax assessor's rolls showed a 2-story house.  Cunha was not taxed for the attic space because it was assumed to be unfinished, ergo unliveable.  But now his assessment report reflects an additional, taxable 1/2 story which is not what was called for in the original ARB approved plan.  And THAT friends, is what Mr. Smith is questioning.

Martins is trying to turn this whole thing around to make it sound as if Mr. Smith is claiming that the actual structure of the house has changed;  as if there's a mysterious 1/2 floor sticking out somewhere.  How did Martins put it?  "The house that was built is the house that was approved." (Um, NO.  Check the approved plans and then check the roof line and you'll see it doesn't match.  But let's not split hairs.)

Let's go over it again.  The ARB approved a house with 2 LIVEABLE FLOORS, an UNFINISHED BASEMENT and an UNFINISHED ATTIC.  Dan Whalen issued a CO for a house that has 2 and 1/2 floors of liveable space (1) without requiring an additional permit for a revision of plans (2) despite the absence of state-mandated leaders and gutters, and (3) absent a final survey.  Such actions would lead most reasonable people to conclude that Mr. Whalen is either incompetent and needs to go back to collecting coins from parking meters, or something else is going on.

The silence was even more obvious the second time Mr. Smith took to the podium to discuss the damage done to his property when a lightning strike in October splintered Mr. Cunha's chimney, sending bricks flying in all directions including into Mr. Smith's car.  The car that was parked in HIS driveway.  The same driveway that Cunha cut into without any prior notice.

Each of the trustees in turn looked at the pictures Mr. Smith provided and NOT ONE of these sheep made a peep.  NOT ONE had the courage - let alone the basic common courtesy - to extend any sympathy to this taxpayer for his aggravation and financial loss.  And let's not even consider what might have happened to either Mr. Smith or his wife if one of them managed to be out there when this "Act of God" occurred.

Instead, one by one in their zombie-like states, they shuffled through the photographs and passed them on.  And the only thing our illustrious mayor did was to confirm with Mr. Smith that Cunha had been advised by his masoner to install a clay chimney cap and/or a lightning rod (neither of which this professional architect has done).

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Do you know sheep are among the stupidest animals on earth?  They will follow their flock leader straight off a cliff - or straight to their slaughter.  Sheep also have no concept of a moral code.  Of course, that can be attributed to their level of evolution.  What excuse do the ruminants sitting on Mineola's Board of Trustees have to offer?

WHAT'S IN AN ADDRESS ?

Well if you live at 340 Beebe Road at the corner of Florence Road, a $2000 fine is in it when you do what lots of other people in this village have done and you put up a fence in violation of the village code.  If, on the other hand, you own the property at 323  1st Street, you'll only have to pay a $300 fine for putting up an illegal fence.

Now if you live at 223 Wellington Road and if you're a village trustee who has taken an oath to uphold the village code on three different occasions, you can put up an illegal fence AND an illegal pool and never pay a fine.  You see, that's a special address where the Village Code doesn't apply.  It's a magical corner sprinkled with fairy dust.  The people who live there are very, very special and because of their special nature, the rules don't apply to them.

There's another magical house in Mineola at 200 Banbury Road.  It's even more special because a very, very important man lives there - a mystical man.  He lives there even though you never see him there.  He's kind of like God that way.  He's called "Mayor" and he too has taken an oath to uphold and defend the laws of the Village not once, not twice, not thrice.  He has taken this vow four times.  But he can pick and choose the laws he's going to obey because he's a mystical man with magic hedges around his magic house.

He has "magic" hedges that are really only 3 feet tall even though they look 6 feet tall.  Now if they were really six feet tall those hedges would be in violation of the village code that the Mayor has promised to uphold, but because they are "magic" hedges they only give the illusion of being too tall.  Just like the Mayor gives the illusion that he actually lives in his magic house.  And that he's honest.  And law-abiding.  And not at all a hypocrite.

Welcome to Mineola.  It's a Magic Kingdom ~ at least for some.