Sump perimeter gets a much-needed trim

I live next door to a sump on Monterey Drive in Manhasset Hills. The sump's perimeter outside of the fence has grass and weeds by the sidewalk at least 21/2 feet high. This attracts insects and mosquitoes. In the past I've called Nassau County and they would send someone to mow it, but it's been six months and no one has come. I have called the Town of North Hempstead as well, only to be told they are not responsible for the sump.

--Carmela DiCostanzo, Manhasset Hills

We called town spokesman Collin Nash who confirmed that the sump was the county's responsibility. Town officials took it a step further and reached out to Rich Millet, the county's deputy commissioner of public works, to request that the area be trimmed, and county workers did the job the next day.

Public works spokesman Michael Martino said the county tries to visit the location, and others like it, every two to three months for maintenance. Nassau residents with concerns involving county property and roads should call 516-571-6900.

--MICHAEL R. EBERT

On July 18, 2008, three years after making his first request for left-turn arrows and turn lanes on Boundary Avenue for cars entering the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway, Nassau County sent Richie Heaning a letter saying his request had been approved. The arrows, the county agreed, were needed to improve the traffic flow for cars entering the expressway, both northbound and southbound, especially during rush hours.

We featured Mr. Heaning, of North Massapequa, in a March 2010 column after he contacted us because the work still hadn't been done. We spoke to one official who pointed out a caveat in the letter the county sent to Mr. Heaning, which hedged the start date for the project. It stated that the county would "proceed with the installation as soon as our workload permits." But officials told us then that they hoped to complete the project by summer last year.

Now, about six years after Mr. Heaning first reached out to the county -- and more than a year after we contacted the county -- the left-turn arrows are in.

Why the delay, even though the project had been approved? Michael Martino, spokesman for the county's Department of Public Works, which oversees traffic signals in the county, answered our question in an email:

"This administration inherited many challenges, including this project," he wrote. "For two years it sat on someone's desk under the prior administration, without being put into action.

"Upon taking office County Executive [Edward] Mangano ordered all such projects to begin." The county started working on the changes from November to April, Martino said. "During this time period, a significant amount of snow prevented the contractor from accessing pullboxes needed to wire signals; the bad weather prevented work in general which caused a slightly extended construction duration."

There must be plenty of vehicles using those turn lanes because the newly painted arrows on the pavement already look a bit worn.

There's a Verizon "vault" on my front lawn -- it's a box in the ground that holds wires and is covered with a rectangular metal plate. The plate has warped in the middle so pressure on any corner will make it stick up. The blade of my power lawn mower was ruined when I was cutting grass around the plate last year. In October, I received a letter from Verizon saying they'll replace the plate, but no one has come to fix it and I don't want to ruin another mower.

-- Nicholas Woelfel, Mount Sinai

A Verizon crew was dispatched to Mr. Woelfel's home shortly after we contacted spokesman John Bonomo. The casing for the vault had to be replaced because it was deteriorated, which is probably why the heavy metal plate that covers it became warped, Bonomo said.

Mr. Woelfel has submitted a claim for his broken lawn mower and Bonomo said it will be handled much like an insurance claim for damages.

Call 800-VERIZON for any problem involving the company's services or equipment.