Nassau uses Wal-Mart money for summer youth programs

BY SID CASSESE
July 5, 2009

Spreading $1.2 million from a settlement with Wal-Mart among 32 youth agencies in Nassau should save most of their summer programs, county officials say.

"Most such programs can be saved," said Mary Curtis, the deputy county executive for health and social services.

Pat Boyle, the head of Gateway Youth Outreach in Elmont, said: "Parents were thrilled and grateful at our summer registration, which we began as soon we heard about the money's availability." He added that his program is only four weeks - beginning Monday - instead of six because of the money's late arrival.

Although no agency was made whole, 80 percent of 40 youth programs heavily cut by cash-strapped Nassau had some of their annual financing restored from a Wal-Mart settlement negotiated by District Attorney Kathleen Rice.

Wal-Mart avoided criminal prosecution for its role in the fatal post- Thanksgiving Day stampede at its Valley Stream store by agreeing to, among other things, donate $1.2 million to county youth board programs over three years. Rice got the company to pay it now.

The county's Youth Board and Coalition of Youth Service Agencies worked on and agreed to the distribution that funded all but eight programs.

Two of the eight closed their doors for other reasons, and another operates only the last six months of the year. No reason was given for the others.

Peter Levy of the coalition said: "We support the proposed distribution . . . [but] with reluctance and [we] look forward to 2010."

At about the same time Wal-Mart's $1.2 million was approved for distribution this year, the county learned that state funding for youth programs was $225,000 short of what was normal and budgeted by the county.

"As a result, we had to make up for that deficit," Curtis said. "It was easier to make both budget changes at the same time. We also added $67,000 of county money, and the agencies were happy."

By BY SID CASSESE
Posted Monday, July 6, 2009

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