North Hempstead Notebook: Home Help, Aquatic Tickets and Recycled Art

Beginning in January, the Help at Home program will be expanded into the Westbury area, and then to the Roslyn area, Manhasset and the Great Necks.  The program previously ran as a pilot in New Hyde Park and Port Washington.

“The need for this program, which has been so heavily utilized and enthusiastically reviewed by residents who used it during the pilot phase, has been clearly established,” Supervisor Kaiman said.  “So that none of our senior residents are left out, we plan to make it available town-wide by the middle of next year.” 

The Help at Home program is made possible through a partnership between Project Independence, the Town’s ground-breaking “aging in place” initiative, and The Rehabilitation Institute (TRI) of Westbury, an affiliate agency of FREE (Family Residences and Essential Enterprises).  FREE and TRI are local not-for-profit agencies.

The most requested services were small repair jobs and gutter cleaning.  Many seniors needed general cleaning, garbage removal and window cleaning (main level only). Ninety six percent of respondents said they would recommend the service.  One hundred percent said the quality of supervision was very good to excellent.

The service, which is scheduled via the Town’s 311 consumer response telephone line, is now available in Mineola, as well as the pilot areas.

Half Price at Aquatic Center

Daily entry fees to North Hempstead Aquatic Activity Center (AAC) at will reduced by half for a week.

The 50 percent holiday discount will be effective from Dec. 26 to Jan. 2, 2012. The facility will be closed Jan. 1, 2012, New Year’s Day.

Residents are also reminded that the 2012 membership registration period is effective beginning immediately.

Following are the discounted holiday rates:

• Adult $5.50
• Teen $4.00
• Child $3.50
• Senior $3.00
• Disabled $3.00
• Veteran $3.00
• Guests (Non-Resident)  $7.00

For residents, identification (a Driver’s License ) is required. Guests must be accompanied by a town resident.

Recycled Art Contest

In addition to a month-long showing at the Great Neck Arts Center, this year’s third annual Recycled Artwork Contest will likely be showcased, as it was last year, at the NYC Capital Building in Albany.

The use of recycled materials in the 1,350 works submitted from close to 2,000 students made the task of choosing the 16 winning entries from four grade groups, K-5 individual & group, middle school and high school difficult.

The eight judges evaluated the artwork in four categories: first place overall, best use of recycled materials, best environmental message and creativity.

All 2,000 entries will be displayed December 12 through Jan. 6, 2012 at The Great Neck Arts Center, 113 Middle Neck Rd., Great Neck. A reception honoring the student artists, their parents and teachers will be held at the Great Neck Arts Center on December 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.