As reported in last week's Manhasset Press, the only contested village election in the area this year will be held in Plandome Manor. Last week's story incorrectly stated that Daniel Weil was an incumbent trustee. Mr. Weil is not a trustee. He is currently chairman of the planning board.

The election appears to be shaping up as a choice between experience and the injection of new blood. The candidates agree that the chief issue they would face as members of a new administration would be preservation of a way of life the residents enjoy by preventing destruction of the past and overbuilding in the future.

Running for mayor are Thomas O'Neill and Carlo Manganillo.

Mr. O'Neill and his wife, Pat, and son, William are residents of Circle Drive where they have lived for the past 12 years. Mr. O'Neill has been deputy mayor of Plandome Manor since 1995. He has been a trustee of the village since 1993 and the Plandome Manor budget director for the past five years. He is a co-author of the Design Review Board legislation.

Mr. O'Neill is running for office on a unified ticket with Barbara Simon and Dan Weil. Although there is no political party involved, the three say that they share "many ideas and visions for the future of Plandome Manor, central to which are the maintenance of the spirit and beauty of our growing community."

In a letter to residents, the three state that they believe that this election will determine whether Plandome Manor keeps its special qualities or becomes another "faceless north shore community." In the letter they also say that they are distressed about the fact that the other candidates running have little or no experience with the issues facing the village and have failed to regularly attend monthly village meetings.

Running against Mr. O'Neill for mayor is Carlo Manganillo, a resident of Elm Sea Lane where he and his wife, Kathleen, have lived for 17 years. The couple has three children, one daughter and two sons. Mr. Manganillo said, in a telephone interview, that he believes mistakes have been made in the village in the past but that everyone is trying to correct those mistakes. "All the trustee candidates are good and I could work with any of them," he said. Among past mistakes, he referred to the case of the demolition of the historic Nicholls house by Mr. Ianounou, which he termed "a black eye" for Plandome Manor. That case is presently before Village Justice Ronald LaRocca.

Mr. Manganillo, an attorney, said that he is concerned about the possible relocation of the Village Hall. He would like to see it remain in its present location at the Science Museum of Long Island. Other concerns are possible overbuilding in the area and the condition of the roads. Asked about the possibility of the Greek Orthodox Church buying property in Plandome Manor, Mr. Manganillo said that there is no definite proposal at present. If there were he warned that a village could not block the establishment of a church within its boundaries but it could impose "proper restrictions."

Kevin Connolly, a resident of Heritage Way, grew up in Manhasset. He says that as the father of three children he considers running for office as a trustee to be a civic duty. His father, the late Joseph Connolly, was very active in the community. Mr. Connolly said that Plandome Manor is "very disjointed," within itself with four communities, one around Circle Drive, near the Plandome Long Island Rail Road station, another Plandome Mills, a third, Plandome Park and a fourth, the area beyond Leeds Pond on Plandome Road.

Mr. Connolly said that although he has no pre-conceived stand on the village issues, he sees the protection of its trees, the prevention of overdevelopment and the preservation of its quality of life to be important issues in the campaign. "I'm happy to volunteer my services if elected," he said. Conceding that he has not been active in the village in the past, he said that perhaps it's time for some new blood in village government.

Another candidate for trustee who grew up in Manhasset is Thomas O'Malley. Mr. O'Malley and his wife, Jean, are residents of Papermill Road in Plandome Mills where Mr. O'Malley is the president of the Plandome Mills Property Owners Association. He points with pride to the reconstruction of the Plandome Mills signature white fence, for which the residents raised nearly $90,000. Mr. O'Malley is a member of the Plandome Manor Planning Board and an acting justice of its court. He noted that each of the Plandome Manor communities has its own civic association and that there is good cooperation among them. On the subject of the Greek Church, Mr. O'Malley, an attorney, said that it is important to hear all sides and keep an open mind. "There's a lot of law concerning churches," he said, "and after you study you try to decide what's best for the community." Like the other candidates Mr. O'Malley deplored the destruction of historic houses although he added that the village's degree of control must be weighed against the homeowner's right to protect the value of his property. He said that Plandome Manor has updated its village code so that overbuilding should not be a problem. "If there are loopholes, that should be addressed," he said.

Like Mr. Connolly, candidate for trustee Dr. Dean Pappas is a resident of Heritage Way. He and his wife, Mary, have three children in the Manhasset schools. Dr. Pappas said that he is very upset that the Science Museum is attempting to force the Village Hall to move. He wants to preserve the natural beauty of Plandome Manor and is especially concerned about the cutting down of mature trees, an incidence of which he said happened recently on Heritage Way. "You can't replace a 50-year-old tree," he said. He said that when he saw the historic building demolished he decided it was "time to get involved," despite the demands of a busy life. Dr. Pappas is a gastroenterologist who practices in Manhasset.

Candidate for trustee Barbara Simon and her husband, Dan, have been residents of Lake Road for 21 years. Mrs. Simon has been a trustee of the village since 1995. Prior to that she was a member of the Plandome Manor planning board, of the zoning sub-committee and of the design review board. She was the official representative of Plandome Manor on the Manhasset Bay Protection Committee. She is a retired administrator of the Great Neck Public Schools and has a strong education background with a B.S, M.S. and Ph.D. She is a signatory of the letter referred to above, which says, in part: "We need officials who know the village, its issues and its residents. An effective board is an experienced board, especially when we are faced with critical issues that need timely resolution."

Candidate for trustee Dan Weil is the third signatory of the letter. Mr. Weil lives on Circle Drive with his wife, Linda, and three children. He has his own import-export business in Jericho. Mr. Weil said, in a telephone interview, that Plandome Manor is a unique community with a long history and a great flavor. "It's a real community that people want to maintain," he said. Among the issues he believes that the new administration will have to face are the relocation of the village offices and the possible construction of the Greek Church. "The idea is not to stop progress but to keep the feeling of community that is there," he said. "I favor the changes that have been made in zoning but things still have to be tightened to prevent such outrages (the destruction of the Nicholls house). "I have a lot of experience and I have a lot to contribute," he said.

The election will take place on Tuesday, March 16, from noon to 9 p.m. in the village offices in the Science Museum of Long Island.