News

RoseAnn Vernice, Gerry Kelly, Katharine Jushchenko and Commissioner Jackson

WPOA ANNUAL MEETING FEATURES SPEAKERS POLICE COMMISSIONER JACKSON AND KATHARINE JUSHCHENKO

The Annual Meeting of the Western Property Owners’ Association was held Tuesday night at Homestead School.  Guest speakers included Police Commissioner Kenneth Jackson and Girl Scout Gold Award candidate, Katharine Jushchenko.  Commissioner Jackson spoke on school safety and the excellent coordination between the police department and school administration. Kat Jushchenko provided information on the opioid crisis and the importance of properly disposing of our medicines. One alarming statistic stated 70 percent of users get their most recent opioids from a family member or friend’s leftover prescription supply. Both speakers’ messages were well received and appreciated by WPOA members.

The Annual Meeting also included the election of a new Director Michael Fonseca and Secretary, Joseph Ra. President Gerry Kelly, Vice President RoseAnn Vernice and Treasurer Arnold Finamore were all reelected for another year.

The WPOA’s next event is a Meet and Greet at Repeal Restaurant on New Hyde Park Road on Friday, May 4, from 7 to 10 pm.  50-50 drawings and other raffles will provide an entertaining evening for the WPOA.  Please remember to pay your dues and check out our web site at Gcwpoa.com For any additional information please contact Gerry Kelly at Gerry7th@gmail.com or 302-547-0800

WPOA Nominating Committee Reports Results

The Western Property Owners Association Nominating Committee met on February 26, 2018 and nominated Gerry Kelly for President, RoseAnn Vernice for Vice President, Joe Ra for Secretary, Arnold Finamore for Treasurer, and Nick Vernice and Michael Fonseca for Director positions.

Joe Ra, a resident of the Western Section since 2011, attended St. Anne’s School and St. John’s University, receiving his BA degree in Criminal Justice in 2004, and an M.P.S. in Criminal Justice Leadership in 2008. Mr. Ra works at the Nassau County Board of Elections and also has experience in the Chief Clerk’s Office at the New York State Unified Court System. Joe has also worked part-time for the Franklin Square Water District (2010-15). Joe and his wife, Giovanna, have two young sons and look forward to raising their children in Garden City. Joe has an interest in government, and volunteered to serve as Secretary of the WPOA in 2017.

Mike Fonseca moved to Garden City in 2016 and became immediately involved in their Garden City community when he and his wife, Lauren, saw a need for additional stop signs at Roosevelt Street and Salisbury Drive.   The Fonseca family and their neighbors came to the WPOA for assistance, and the Village Traffic Commission approved the additional stop signs. Joe has a financial background; he attended SUNY Purchase, receiving a BA in Literature with a Minor in Economics, and Columbia University’s post baccalaureate Business Program. He currently works for Virtu Financial in Manhattan, where he is Head of Securities Lending. In addition to finances, Joe, the father of two young daughters, has an interest in libraries and library programming, as well as seeing that the Village of Garden City has safe parks for children.

In 2016, the WPOA passed new procedures to cover the nomination and election of Trustees, School Board representatives as well as Officers and Directors. The rules for the WPOA are as follows:

Any​ ​​fifteen​ ​​(15)​ ​Voting​ ​​member​s​ ​​of​ ​the​ ​​Asso​ciation​ ​​m​ay,​ ​​at​ ​any​ ​time​,​ ​​not​ ​late​r​ ​​than​ ​​twenty​​ ​​(20)​ ​​d​ays pr​i​or​ ​t​o​ ​​the​ ​​s​u​cceeding​ ​​annual​ ​meeting,​ ​nominate​ ​any​ ​person​ ​or​ ​perso​n​s​ ​​i​n​ o​​pposition​ ​​to​ ​any​ ​​of​ ​​th​e ca​ndid​a​t​es​ ​nominated​ ​o​n​ ​​the​ ​​regular​ ​ticket​ ​​by​ ​filing​ ​wit​h​ ​the​ ​​Secretary,​ ​a​ ​petition​ ​​over​ ​​their​ ​​signatures, which​ ​notice​ ​shall​ ​include​ ​the​ ​address​ ​of​ ​each​ ​signatory,​ s​​howing​ ​their​ ​nomination​ ​​of​ ​​such​ ​​o​pposition candidate​​ or ​​candidates ​​with ​​a ​​​brief ​​background​. ​​​It ​​​shall ​​​then ​​be ​​the ​​​duty ​​​of ​​​the ​S​​ecretary ​​to ​​mail ​​each resident​,​ ​​at​ ​least​ ​ten​ ​(10)​ ​​days​ ​​prior​ ​to​ ​said​ ​​succeeding​ ​​annual​ ​meeti​ng​ ​​a​ ​​copy​ ​of​ ​th​e​ ​​nominations​ ​​so mad​e​.​ ​No​ ​additional​ ​nominations​ ​will​ ​be​ ​accepted​ ​at​ ​the​ ​annual​ ​meeting,​ ​at​ ​which​ ​time,​ ​the​ ​vote​ ​for officer​ ​and​ ​directors​ ​will​ ​take​ ​place.

The Annual Meeting for the election of Officers and Directors will be held on Tuesday, April 17, 7:30 PM at Homestead School. The WPOA appreciates the work of our nominating committee: Maureen Dellacona, chair; Rich Vallely, Tommy Rivera, Maureen Lyons, Karen Reiter and JoEllen Flannigan. For any additional information please contact Gerry Kelly at 302-547-0800 or gerry7th@gmail.com

The Western Property Owners Association (WPOA) is offering the opportunity for any High School students to serve as “Student Ambassadors” to the WPOA. The WPOA is an organization based in Garden City, whose purpose is to protect the interests of the residents of the Western Section of Garden City. The Student Ambassador Program is designed to introduce high school students to Garden City’s Village Government through attendance at Village government meetings, participation in WPOA meetings, and the development and coordination of a community service project.

The selected ambassador serves during his or her high school years. Qualifications for candidates include the following:

• Be a resident of Garden City whose parent(s) or guardian(s) are members of a POA;
• Preferred, but not required, resident of the Western section of Garden City;
• Be a high school student during the 2018-19 school year;
• Be available for Village meetings and WPOA meetings;
• Have an interest in learning about and participating in local government.

High School Student Ambassador responsibilities are as follows:

• Attend WPOA meetings (typically the second Wednesday of the month at 7:30 P.M.);
• Attend one or two other monthly Village government meetings and/or School Board meetings and report back to the WPOA on the impact the issues discussed may have on residents of the Western Section and the Village at large. Dates and agendas for Village government meetings can be found on the Village website at http://www.gardencityny.net/
• Completion of the Ambassador’s agreed service project;
• Delivery of a report to the WPOA at the end of the Ambassador’s term outlining his/her accomplishments during the term and thoughts on ways to further improve the program.

Interested students may download the application and mail the application or complete the form below.

Our mailing address is: WPOA, P.O. Box 7976, Garden City, NY 11530. Garden City High School students may also submit their applications on line at gcwpoa.com or to Jeanette Ballantic, the Social Studies curriculum coordinator of Garden City Public Schools. Following submission of an application, representatives of the WPOA may interview candidates before the selection of an Ambassador is made.

Applications may also be emailed to Gerry Kelly at gerry7th@gmail.com

If you need more information please contact Gerry Kelly at 302-547-0800.

We will consider any high school student 2018-19 who has a strong interest.  Our process has a deadline of 4/1 but we may start interviewing early because of the need we have for spring outreach program.