Nineteen year-old Herricks resident and a product of 13 years of Herricks education Edward Kennedy swept into office to capture the Herricks School Board seat with 1087 votes beating out opponents Richard Buckley who received 883 votes and Gerald Houck who received 496 votes.

The Herricks budget passed with a vote of 1316 to 1236, but the two propositions were defeated. The proposition to purchase additional buses was defeated by a vote of 1253 to 1172. The proposition to extend the mileage at the Middle School was also defeated by a vote of 1382 to 1035.

The polls at the Herricks Community Center closed at 10 p.m. but it was closer to 11 p.m. when the final numbers were announced due to the failure of two voting machines to open.

Thanks, however, to the nimble hands of Herricks Board Trustee Peter Grisafi working with Assistant Superintendent for Business Stephen Golas, guided by directions on a cell phone from someone at the Board of Elections, the frozen machines opened and the counting proceeded.

Kennedy, who is a pre-law student at Hofstra University and on the dean's list, campaigned on the fact that since he is a commuter student he will have a great deal of time to devote to the school board. Further, he feels that because he is such a recent graduate of the Herricks system he will be able to add much to the board.

Kennedy will be sworn into office sometime during the first week of July but in the meantime he will be invited to sit at the school board table as a non-voting member.

The New Hyde Park/Garden City Park budget vote turnout was very low; only about 900 voters came to the polls out of a possible 16, 647 registered voters. The speculation was that it was because many residents felt that they had voted for the budget when they voted in April for the $21 million bond vote.

The school board incumbent candidates, uncontested, racked up the following votes: Martin Cernese 609; James Kane 569 and Curtis Axelsen 557. Library Trustee incumbent candidate was also uncontested and he was re-elected with a vote of 564.