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Parents Request Use of Mattituck Park
for Youth
Reprinted with permission of Liza
Coppolla, Mattituck parent of two
November 8, 2007
To the Mattituck Park District Commissioner:
The following proposal is supported by
individuals ("we") who have signed below and
who live n the Mattituck/Cutchogue//Laurel community:
We request the MPD allow use of the park
building located at Veteran's Beach one designated afternoon/evening
per week between the hours of 3:00pm-9:00pm for the youth
in our community.
We will provide a stereo, board and table
games (pool, ping pong) for use during this time. We request
the following preliminary outline for use of the building:
- Tables and chairs set up.
- Children will sign in upon arriving and out when leaving
the building.
- If children leave the building after entering, they
will not be allowed to re-enter.
- A minimum of two parents/adults will be present throughout
the afternoon/evening. We will provide to MPD a weekly
schedule of names and telephone numbers of adults who
will be present each week.
We will be available to discuss this
outline on 11/8/07, as well as the concerns of the district,
in an effort to secure the MPD building as a safe place
for the youth in our community to congregate.
Thank you for your consideration and
for supporting the youth of our community.
Liza Coppolla
Mattituck
Note: For additional info, please
contact Liza Coppolla
or attend the November 8 meeting.
Can't Believe What I'm Hearing
August 4, 2007
I just read a few of your "letters"
and I can't believe some of the issues
I'm reading.
Cliff, I have no children in school and
I am as furious as you.
I say, 'Whoa! Nellie!' Enough is enough!
Let's put our heads together and
think up a good solution.
Kids need as much fresh air and exercise
as they need brain juice. Brain
juice actually comes from fresh air and exercise, too!
Sincerely,
Linda Seaton
Not Notified of Sexual Predator
July 27, 2007
I just got a notice by watchdog via a
friend regarding a sex offender living at 2150 Bay Ave
in Mattituck... How can this be??? this is near a playground....
Vets park.... can this website be linked to the watch
dog so the community gets notices? This guy is accused
of molesting a 7yr old ... what's up with this town that
we have not been notified and they put him up in the motel
???? Summer people stay there and family guests...
Here's the link to Family
Watchdog. His photo is posted . Click view offender
convictions....I already called the police dept and was
placed on a voice mail to a detective to get questions
and have yet have my phone calls returned... Every parent
should be angry and voice their concerns!!!! Lets all
get on board and make it impossible to have any potential
sex offender think "TWICE" about coming to Southold.......
we must be alert and vocal.
Thanks,
Milta
Editor's Note: There is also a
regional email alert system provided by Parents
for Megan's Law. I'm not sure whether Southold Town
Police participates. Sexual predators are a menace to
the safety and security of all families, and NorthForkParents
is available as a resource to parents in our little region
to help keep our kids safe. Starting in September, there
will be a page on the site with this kind of safety information
for parents. Unfortunately, there are many creeps everywhere,
many of whom haven't been caught... yet. Also beware that
knowing where registered offenders are is only a small
part of our battle as parents since the overwhelming percentage
of offenses are committed by individuals our children
think they know, not "strangers." The sad fact
is that too many children aren't safe even in their own
homes.
Southold Mothers Club Rocks
April 12, 2007
[NorthForkParents received the following
email in response to an enewsletter that complimented
the efforts of the Southold Mothers Club.]
I agree that it is a talented, hardworking
asset to the community. I mentor Tara whose career goal
was established by her very limited Greenport family experience.
She wanted to be a clerk at IGA and to have babies. I
found such minimal aspirations very depressing.
Presto--Southold Mother's Club held a job fair. It was
fabulous! Great variety and hands on experiences. Be an
archeologist...dig up a toy dinosaur from a dirt filled
wading pool; paste wallpaper; put on a stethescope in
the ambulance outside; set hair on a wig; be a baker or
chef. There were 40 some careers on display. I haven't
seen it done in several years. There might be a new crop
of youngsters in need of such inspiration.
Tara is almost 16 now and is thinking of a career in nursing.
Sylvia Pafenyk
Thanks for Summer Camp Guide
March 21, 2007
I just want to thank you for putting
together such a detailed and comprehensive summer camp
guide for us north fork families. what a valuable resource!!!
every year since we moved here, i've pulled pages from
here and there, cross-referenced them this way and that--
and always just a bit later than i should be arranging
it all. it's a wonder my kids ever had anything organized
for them to do.
now i will sit back, peruse your beautiful guide, and
relax as we coordinate summer plans.
thanks so much.
Bridget Rymer, Southold
Editor's Note: I get letters from
time to time from parents and civic leaders who say they
appreciate NorthForkParents. I'm always grateful for feedback--so
thanks so much. Bridget's past experience with planning
the children's summer camp schedule happens to be much
like mine has been. She descibes it well.
What's up with TV at school?
If anyone out there is as furious as
I am about our kids watching High School Musical 5 times
a week, let me know.
Cliff Baldwin
977 Main Road
PO Box 2390
Aquebogue, NY 11931
cliff@lampa.com
Editor's Note: My kids go to the same
school as Cliff's, and I have to say, they hate watching
all the nonsense on the boob tube at recess. I wish they
could use the gym or find a way to let the kids take a
healthy break.
Summer 2007 Update: Hurray! This issue
has been addressed. The school has had a playground asphault
put down in the schoolyard so that children will be able
to go outside in most any weather.
Real World Advice from Bill Gates
January 24, 2007
The following was sent to NorthForkParents
by local parenting expert George Aldcroft:
"Love him or hate him, he sure hits
the nail on the head with this! To anyone
with kids of any age, here's some advice.
Bill Gates recently gave a speech at
a High School about 11 things they did not and will
not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically
correct teachings created a generation of kids with
no concept of reality and how this concept set them
up for failure in the real world.
Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used
to it!
Rule 2 : The world won't care about
your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish
something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000
a year right out of high school. You
won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you
earn both.
Rule 4 : If you think your teacher
is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath
your dignity. Your
Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping:
they called it
opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your
parents' fault, so don't whine about
your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7 : Before you were born, your
parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got
that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes
and listening to you talk about how cool you thought
you were. So before you save the rain forest from the
parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing
the closet in your own room.
Rule 8 : Your school may have done
away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some
schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll
give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right
answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance
to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters.
You don't get summers off and very few employers are
interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on
your own time.
Rule 10 : Television is NOT real life.
In real life people actually
have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances
are you'll end up working for one."
Protecting Children, Helping Children
Protect Themselves
October 17, 2006
Dear Nancy and Fellow North Fork Parents:
I am also a North Fork mom who shares
many of your concerns. One year ago, this October I decided
to make a commitment to ensure that my child had all of
the information he needed to grow up safe and healthy.
And through my research I discovered a wonderful organization
called KIDPOWER International. KIDPOWER is a non-profit
organization founded in California in 1989. They have
over 20 centers world – wide. Their mission is to
empower people of all ages and abilities by helping them
learn how to stay safe, act wisely, and believe in themselves.
They teach KIDS how to use the POWER they already have
to stay safe. They teach children everyday safety skills
that show them how to be aware and confident, how to move
away and check first, how to get help, how to set clear
boundaries, how to deal with strangers, and safety in
emergencies. They do this through interactive, upbeat,
non-scary workshops. They have a website: www.kidpower.org
and a free newsletter that are both packed with wonderful
information.
I was so impressed with this organization
and what they teach that I not only ordered every book
they have, in January I got on a plane, flew to California,
and received my training to become a certified instructor.
Through KIDPOWER, not only was I able to get information
to keep my own child safe, but I am proud to say I am
also certified to teach your children how to be safe.
We are very fortunate to be able to raise our children
in one of the most beautiful parts of New York State.
And although our community is safer that most on Long
Island, do not be fooled into believing that the North
Fork is secluded from the dangers of the big bad world
around us.
This summer, I was given the opportunity
to hold parent-child workshops at one of our local libraries.
During those classes an incident of child molestation
was brought to my attention along with another story of
a child who was approached by a stranger who tried to
get her into his vehicle right in front of her own house
in our safe community. She used the skills she had learned
in class to keep herself safe, and the police were called.
Please understand – I am not sharing these stories
to scare anyone. But I truly believe that awareness is
the key. If we can’t even talk about it, how can
we keep our children safe?
Recently, I was in Queens at a private
school co-teaching safety workshops to children and faculty.
The news of the Amish schoolchildren shooting brought
up many questions for these children ranging in ages from
7 to 13. They wanted to know straight out what to do if
someone came into their school and pointed a gun to their
head. KIDPOWER use to avoid mentioning weapons in classes
because parents felt it would be too upsetting to their
children. But because there has been a series of incidents
involving weapons in the news, these children were frightened.
The goal of KIDPOWER is to be truthful about weapons with
a focus on what you CAN do rather than on what you cannot.
We are very careful to be age- appropriate. We give them
information that is relevant to their different life situations.
I am currently trained to teach workshops
appropriate for children ages preschool through elementary
school, and I am working on fundraising to open a center
on Long Island. My goal is to have all of the children
in our community speaking the same language – KIDPOWER
SAFETY.
If you or anyone you know can help me
to achieve this goal or would be interested in organizing
parent - child workshops in your community or at your
schools, please feel free to contact me through www.kidpower.org
or my personal email: dndskrez@optonline.net.
Thank you, Nancy, for bringing up concerns
that many parents on the North Fork have. And thank you
to NorthForkParents.com for giving us the forum to express
those concerns.
Sincerely,
Donna Skrezec
Note: Donna is referring to a recent
newsletter which referred to the Amish Schoolchildren
shooting. Click here
to read it.
Kids Selling Door-to-Door
September 10, 2006
Dear North Fork Parents:
Although I'm not a full time resident I understand that
the school budgets have been put under fire in recent
years. I wonder if those people who voted "no"
realize that young children are going door to door trying
to raise funds for Southold's school? Even though we're
on the North Fork this is really, really unsafe and I
wouldn't let my child participate in this kind of thing.
This morning two ten or so year old girls rode up to my
house on bicycles ( I didn't see any helmets, BTW) and
knocked on our door selling wrapping paper and candy.
There was no adult with them and our house is far off
the street and somewhat isolated. If I was a pedophile
it would have been my lucky day. Need I say more? I hope
some smart parents will put a stop to this. I can hardly
believe the PTA and the school principal condone this
fundraising method. The dangers associated with this kind
of fund raising - getting hit by a car, meeting up with
a strange person, etc. far outweigh the benefits of a
few bucks. It's not kids' responsibility to raise funds
from soliciting anyway! Hopefully I'm not the only one
who feels this way. I am more than happy to contribute
to meet shortages and I credit the kids for doing the
work but there must be a less dangerous way.
Sincerely,
Barbara McAllister
Note from NorthForkParents.com: She
makes a good point. While children are discouraged from
selling door-to-door, the incrementally wonderful toys
the companies award the children as prizes for selling
may be what makes some children to do it anyway. Maybe
we should re-think the idea of giving children prizes
for selling stuff.
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