Orangetown Board Approves Firework Display Measure

The Orangetown Town Board approved a measure Tuesday that will allow the Bureau of Fire Prevention to review all applications for fireworks displays in the town.

Applications will go through Orangetown department heads, then to Mike Bettmann, Chief of the Orangetown Bureau of Fire Prevention.

According to Town Clerk Charlotte Madigan, applicants must submit the application 30 days before a scheduled show, though the further in advance the better.

Councilman Michael Maturo expressed concerns that the measure does not set an amount of time in which the applicant must receive a response.

"I see your point, but I think it behooves an applicant to file early enough in advance," Orangtown Town Attorney John Edwards said. "Applicants who delay in filing until 30 days before the event, he is going to be at the mercy of the officials reviewing it. I think someone planning an event of any magnitude is going to file in advance."

Among other issues the town board addressed were:

• Board members expressed their regrets that Daniel Wilson will be leaving the Orangetown Police Department.
• Approved an emergency procurement of $20,795 to pay to replace the compressor in the air conditioning unit above the police department section of town hall.
• One of the meeting adjournments was in honor of Mae Grace Marino of Pearl River, who passed away at the age of 14 June 10 due to complications of treatment of brain tumors she had since she was two. "She was a very strong little girl who was sick for a long time," Madigan said.