The newly formed Village Party of New Hyde Park strongly urges all village residents to get out and vote in the upcoming March 16 uncontested election in the Village of New Hyde Park for Trustees Rich Coppola and Bob Lofaro and for Village Justice David Sullivan, a member of the Independent Hat Party, endorsed by the Village Party. The election will be held at Marcus Christ Hall, adjacent to the village hall, on the corner of New Hyde Park Road and Jericho Turnpike between noon and 9 p.m.

Rich Coppola has been a resident of the Village of New Hyde Park for more than 20 years and he lives with his wife and two sons who attend Chaminade High School.

Coppola is a graduate of Marquette University and holds a bachelor of science degree in business. He is the president of All Vehicle Leasing Company, Inc. and has a strong working knowledge of how to run a business.

He has always been very active in the community and in the New Hyde Park Fire Department. He is a former captain of the Protection Company and is currently the treasurer of that company. For years he has been tirelessly involved with the New Hyde Park Little League, even though his children are no longer involved. He is also the treasurer of that organization.

Further, he has served as the School Board president of the Holy Spirit School and is currently involved with its Regional Planning Board and coordinates many activities for the Holy Spirit Athletic Association. He also serves as a member of the New Hyde Park Village Parks Commission. Coppola said, "It is important to be involved in your community and help make it a better place to live and raise our children. I hope to bring a business mind-set to the village and to establish a business plan to enable us to meet our collective goals for the present and the future."

Trustee candidate Robert Lofaro has lived in the village for more than 12 years and during that time has been very active in the community.

Lofaro is married and has two daughters; one is a student at the New Hyde Park Road School and the other is at Gloria Dei Nursery School.

He is a St. John's University graduate and also holds a bachelor of science in business management. As a vice president of a bank, Lofaro has solid financial skills and an in-depth understanding of how a business is operated.

Further, he has been a volunteer firefighter for more than 20 years and has served as a line officer. Lofaro is currently both the Budget and Audit Chairman of the New Hyde Park Fire Department. He has been involved in the New Hyde Park Wildcats Soccer Club for the past two years and has been the divisional director for one of the girls programs. Currently he is a soccer coach and has been an assistant New Hyde Park Little League coach.

Besides attending almost all of the New Hyde Park Village Board meetings, in the last two years, he has served as chairman of the Citizens' Budget Advisory Board for the Village of New Hyde Park. In this role he had the opportunity to understand the village budget and was able to recommend changes in spending practices. Lofaro said, "I have decided to run because anyone can make recommendations for change, but as a trustee I will be able to actually effect those changes."

David Sullivan, of New Hyde Park, was appointed the New Hyde Park Associate Village Justice in April of 1997 and held that position until June of 1998 when he was appointed to the position of New Hyde Park Village Justice. He is now running in the March 16 election, unopposed, for that seat.

Judge Sullivan, a longtime New Hyde Park resident, graduated cum laude from Fordham College in 1985 and then from Fordham Law School in 1988 where he was on the dean's list.

He is at present the principal law clerk to the Honorable Justice Donald E. Belfi in Nassau County Court. As a law clerk, Judge Sullivan worked on such high profile cases as the Colin Ferguson Long Island Rail Road massacre case; the Reginald McFadden serial killer case and the Hector Rodriguez First Degree murder trial.

Judge Sullivan is active in numerous civic associations including the New Hyde Park Kiwanis, the New Hyde Park Chapter of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks No. 2107; Third Degree Knights of Columbus, New Hyde Park Council; major degree holder, Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 18; member of the Irish-American Society of Queens, Nassau and Suffolk; member of Irish-Americans in Government; The Society of Friendly Sons of St. Patrick on Long Island; member of Court Officers Benevolent Association of Nassau County. Sullivan is also the 1994 recipient of the COBANC "DA of The Year Award."

Judge Sullivan lives in New Hyde Park with his wife Eileen and their three children Katherine, Davey, Jr. and Megan.