The Freeport Armory and the Freeport Community

Editorial: The Freeport Armory and the

                     Freeport Community

Note: Your opinion matters. You can comment on this post or any post just by clicking on 'comments' at the end of the Post.

UPDATE ON THIS EVENT:  Bill Still Sits On The Governors Desk.

As of 10 December 2013 A00508 is still awaiting Governor Cuomo's Signature.
One of Three Outcomes could happen:
1) If the Governor signs the Bill it becomes Law
2) If the Governor doesn't veto the bill by 18 December 2013 it becomes Law
3) The Governor Veto's the Bill

As Citizens, Veterans and Legionnaires; we must see to it that this Bill never becomes Law!

Please contact Governor Cuomo: phone (518) 474-8390 and (518) 474-1041 or mail: 

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
or via internet at
 http://www.governor.ny.gov/contact/GovernorContactForm.php

Its up to the Citizen!   Its up to the Veteran!

Its up to YOU!

Let the Governor know you are opposed to this Bill becoming law!

Below is the original article published back in August.







As it has now been reported in Newsday and through other media outlets that Assemblywoman Earlene Hooper sponsored and spearheaded a bill, A00508; “AN ACT to authorize the commissioner of general services to transfer and convey certain unappropriated state land to the Cedarmore Corporation for community programs”.  This bill passed the Assembly and the Senate and is awaiting Governor Cuomo's signature.

This bill will effectively give away the Freeport Armory to the Cedarmore Corporation which is the entity that represents or is indeed the Zion Cathedral Church of God in Christ. 

What does concern the American Legion is how this bill got introduced, how it got through the assembly without community support and why was not one, but two Mayor’s of Freeport kept out of the loop when it came to the disposition of this property which was to go to the Village of Freeport for Community Support directed by the Village of Freeport.

Contained in the bill is language that calls for certain ‘provisions’ be followed before the bill was to be enacted.  This includes but is not limited to Section 4 which states  “The office of general services shall not transfer or convey the

    26  aforesaid land unless application in a form acceptable to the office  of

    27  general services is made to the office of general services by the Cedar-

    28  more  Corporation  which  application must be made within one year after

    29  the effective date of this act. As part of that application  the  Cedar-

    30  more  Corporation must submit to the office of general services a report

    31  containing a master plan setting forth a proposed use and  occupancy  of

    32  such  land  pursuant  to an advertised public hearing that conforms with

    33  the public purpose set forth in section  five  of  this  act,  including

    34  letters of commitment from not less than six community organizations not

    35  affiliated  with  the  Cedarmore  Corporation or its parents and subsid-

    36  iaries.”

This bill A00508 went through the New York State Assembly without notice and/or little debate and the New York State Senate passed it without much opposition even though it was reported that Senator Fuschillo and Senator Skelos voted against this bill.

What must concern us as Legionnaires, Veterans and Citizens of Freeport and the State of New York is why the backhandedness and duplicity in passing this bill in secrecy and why a resource such as the Armory should be given to a private sectarian entity when public resources like Armories have been transferred to municipalities for Public use.

The way Assemblywoman Hooper has gone about carrying out the will of a private entity and acting as personal fiduciary for a corporation, seemingly forsaking the public trust of the public who elected her must concern us all.  These actions begs the question “why is a public resource being guided secretively to a private entity?”

This Post has heard the petition of Past Commander Nicolino and has asked permission to respond to Assemblywoman Hooper’s actions. 

Commander Richardson granted Past Commander Nicolino all privileges to respond on behalf of William Clinton Story Post No. 342 of the American Legion.

This post is nearly a century old, serving the Freeport Community as an organization that has supported education, civic projects and civic events. This American Legion Post has been a pillar organization of the Freeport Community.  This post has produced the leadership for the Freeport Community from Police Chief’s, Firemen, Fire Chiefs and no less than two Mayors, including Andrew Hardwick and Robert Kennedy.

Here now is a copy of the letter sent to Governor Cuomo with Post permission by Past Commander Nicolino concerning the passage of Assembly Bill A00508:

Also Included in this post is A00508 sponsored only by Assemblywoman Hooper.   The Bill is Posted below.  You can also find it at http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/menugetf.cgi  search under Bill No. A00508.  The following is what now sits on Governor Cuomo's desk:

UPDATE: As of this Friday, 22 August 2013, the bill that was passed still sits in the Assembly awaiting the Governor to call for the bill.  Time is running out!  We need letters from all of you, Legionnaires, Veterans and Citizens all to implore the Governor to veto this bill.  It now rests on all of us and the Civic Organizations that have built up our Communities to write the Governor's Office.

Please write the Governor, the address posted on his web site is: The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224

If you don't want to write a letter, copy the letter posted by Steve Nicolino and email it to: Assemblyman David G. McDonough at McDonoD@assembly.state.ny.us, Assemblywoman Earlene Hooper at : hoopere@assembly.state.ny.us, and Senator Charles J. Fuschillo at fuschill@nysenate.gov.  

Ask your New York State Representatives to forward you e-mail directly to the Governor to veto this bill and let Freeport Village and its Citizenry decide what is best for our own Community. 

Posted by 1st Vice CMDR D.N. Cockerel, by direction.