"Flooding? What Flooding?"

Noah's Ark Discovered In West Hempstead

Sure, the rain was pouring down with monsoon force, so the flooding of Hempstead Avenue, the back-up of the County's storm sewers, and the overflow from Hall's Pond Park, came as no surprise.

For years, however, residents of West Hempstead who traversed the Hempstead Avenue corridor, were caused to don swim trunks, man canoes, and ride the waves on errant shopping carts, even in wet weather of far less significance than Thursday's storm.

"Plans to reconstruct Hempstead Avenue, and to replace the inadequate storm sewers, have been on the drawing board for more than a decade," bemoaned Michael Uhl, candidate for Nassau County Legislator in the 8th District.

"Unfortunately, all our County Legislator has told us -- year after year -- is 'be patient.' Frankly, our patience has worn thin."

Children crossing to school. Congregants and parishoners to synagogue and church. "About the only ones who haven't complained," chuckled Uhl, with a tad of irony, "are the ducks."

Reconstruction aside [and clearly, it is, having been carried forward on the county's books for years*], how about cleaning out those storm sewers in advance of expected storms? Along Hempstead Avenue, in Vincent Muscarella's District, it just doesn't happen.

Wouldn't you like to see the reconstruction of Hempstead Avenue completed before the decade is out, and the storm sewers and catch basins cleaned and cleared on a regular basis? Michael Uhl would.

*From the Nassau County Legislature Office of Legislative Budget Review
Review of the 2007-2010 Proposed Capital Improvement Plan and 2007 Capital Budget
Hempstead Avenue Drainage Improvements (60040) includes a carry forward budget of $942,470 and requires new debt of $2.2 million in 2007 and $3.0 million in 2008. The Capital Plan details proposed solutions to combat the drainage/runoff problem that is currently causing flooding. The project includes curving (sic) on Hempstead Avenue.

On Tuesday, November 6th, send Michael Uhl to the County Legislature, and tell Vincent Muscarella he's all wet!