Accomplishments

Accomplishments in Parks & Recreation:

  • Continued improvements at the Valley Stream Pool complex – Shade pavilion added between splash pad for children and swimming pool
  • Improved playgrounds – safe, secure, fun. Additional picnic seating added at Kay Everson Park
  • The Valley Stream Community Center – a wide variety of community programs offered year-round
  • Repaired and beautified entrance gates at Firemen’s Field
  • Brand new indoor space for seeding and growing plants and flowers over the winter
  • Expansion of Camp Barrett and the programming that serves hundreds of kids in our community
  • Family fishing weekend at Hendrickson. Bringing people together on the shores of our pond
  • Replacement of pedestrian bridge at Village Green and Station Plaza
  • Resurfaced tennis and pickleball courts
  • Fun at mini-golf, outdoor mini soccer, bocce, and handball court
  • Valley Stream Dog Park and the end of the Summer pool party for canine family
  • Honoring and remembering all those we lost at our 9/11 memorial in Hendrickson Park
  • Tree City USA – we restored our designation in 2013 and kept improving our Tree City designation as we protect our trees, plant more, and educate our residents on the value and importance of our trees
  • On-going maintenance and improvements to over 100 acres of park space
  • Information and education on important Village events at our electronic message board along Merrick Road at the Valley Stream Pool

  • Repairs made to the gazebo at Hendrickson to host outdoor events
  • Modernization and convenience for residents – dozens of new programs can be registered for online
  • Hendrickson Park vehicle roadway improvements to provide safe access to our community center
  • Silver Threads program and bus service continues to improve the lives of our senior citizens
  • Renovation of tennis courts and inclusion of pickleball courts at Hendrickson Park
  • Winter Fest – our dedicated staff put on an incredible winter light show and festivity in the park
  • Community Fest – a day of community in our downtown, led by volunteers & supported by the UCP and our Village workforce
  • Village concert series at the Village Green. Concerts added to Arlington Park – bringing spectacular entertainment around the community

Accomplishments in Service:

  • All Building Departments services are now online 24/7. Access & submit required forms from home
  • Instituted drop-off option for Village Hall services if our hours of operation do not work for you
  • The largest expansion in volunteer firefighting equipment, training, and protections
  • Expanded parking payment options (by App) and parking locations at the train station
  • Installed modern lighting along Sunrise Highway. New poles, new wiring, increased safety
  • More roads repaired and repaved then any other administration in the history of our Village
  • Removal of incinerator and smoke stack. Dormant for over 40 years and unsafe eyesore
  • Construction of a new transfer station to handle our solid waste. Reduced cost of waste disposal
  • Instituted annual observances of Black History Month at the Library and Village Board meetings. We our proud of community’s diversity
  • Instituted the first Veterans Day ceremony that is now an annual tradition. Complete renovation of Veterans Memorial Plaza
  • Library improvements – outdoor reading area, Sunday hours, indoor eating room, new ADA accessibility, new programs, and bathroom renovations are underway
  • Quarterly Village Green Newsletter is an integral part of communicating with our community. Mailed to every home and loaded with valuable information
  • We are here to help! Your local officials are at dozens of community events, easily accessible at meetings, and closer to our constituents than other municipalities. Updated website and “contact us” options, along with email list and phone directories for important services and requests
  • Instituted free paper shredding and e-waste drop-off events
  • Supporting our volunteers such as the Auxiliary Police, Civilian Patrol, Beautification Committee, Historical Society, and more that help make our community a better place to live
  • Instituted Mayor-for-a-Day essay contest to give our 6th graders a chance at experiencing the work of leading our Village
  • Improvements to our infrastructure – replaced culvert and roadway at Valley Stream Blvd, repairs at our firehouses, reconstruction of drains through-out our community, and upcoming pedestrian improvements between Hendrickson Park and Valley Stream State Park
  • Modernization of our fleet for sanitation services, tree planting & removal, road repairs, snow plowing, street cleaning, and parks maintenance
  • Started the Valley Stream Sewer Lateral Program which assists residents when a sewer lateral fails. This could be a difficult and costly repair that is covered by this program. This program also ensures our commitment to a healthy environment in our community
  • Truck Day – Gives our youngest residents a chance to gain some hands-on experience with some of fire department, DPW, and other heavy equipment. Important community involvement for kids
  • Water quality improvement projects for our streams in Hendrickson Park, Village Green, and Edward Cahill Memorial Park.
  • Beautification in front of Gibson Train Station and police booth. Return of the holiday lighting of the Gibson tree and menorah.
  • Creation of Arlington Park Orchard – Apple and cherry trees, two blueberry plants, & more to come
  • Dedication of Coach Ed Farrelll monument at basketball courts in Hendrickson Park
  • Holiday family fun including Halloween Festival, Easter egg hunt and giveaways , and Fourth of July fireworks
  • Renovation of Village Green band shell bathrooms are underway
  • Volunteer litter cleanups hosted throughout the year by our Beautification Committee
  • Renovation of Sunrise Highway Path near Horton Ave. Design of Welcome to Valley Stream sign underway

Accomplishments in Finances:

  • Stopped paying for all tax certiorari with bonding. Reassessed properties, reduced larger tax challenges, and paid refunds from operating budget
  • Multiple years of balanced budgets that put money back into our fund balance and has brought stability to our finances
  • Utilization of grants and outside funding opportunities to support Village projects and needs
  • One of the lowest tax rates per capita of any surrounding Village
  • Negotiation of financially sound and fair contracts with our workforce

We are proud of the things we have accomplished and the work we continue to do for our community. Please VOTE for the United Community Party candidates this March 21, 2023 so we can continue to move Valley Stream forward.

Mayor Edwin Fare

Trustee Dermond Thomas

Candidate for Trustee Kevin Waszak

Village Justice Melanie Jenkins