Home to New York State Assemblywoman Maureen O'Connell and North Hempstead Town Councilwoman Doreen Banks, East Williston is the place to find successful women in government. It is also the only place in the immediate area to find a contested election, featuring, of course, two successful women competing for the seat of mayor.

In one of the few races for public office in this upcoming March 16 village elections, incumbent East Williston Mayor Dolores Sedacca has been challenged by Nancy Zolezzi, in what should be a quiet race, but a race nonetheless.

"I love a challenge," said Sedacca of her current campaign situation, "(Having an opponent) keeps you on your toes."

Sedacca, a 25-year resident of East Williston and mother of sons Paul and Sean, has been a realtor since 1983 and has her own business, operating out of East Williston.

Heritage Party (formerly the Independent Voter's Party) Candidate Sedacca was first elected mayor in 1995 and now defends her seat for the first time.

She credited her past efforts with uniting a previously fragmented community.

To this end she lists among her accomplishments streamlining and updating the village of East Williston office staff, including the implementation of procedures so that the residents are given more freedom in a friendly atmosphere.

For example, Sedacca said what once was a painstaking process of missed phone calls and schedule juggling is now a simple process where residents are trusted to read their own water meters.

Other initiatives Sedacca has overseen are a series of complaint procedures that protects the complainant's anonymity, expanded morning hours for the library, a litter patrol that has helped keep the village clean and her number one priority ¬ traffic safety.

As mayor, Sedacca rose to the rank of executive director of the Village Officials Association which is comprised of the 64 villages of Nassau County.

This participation as well as her visits to Albany for the New York State Conference of Mayors, provides her with an opportunity to lobby on behalf of her village.

"I still have a lot more that I would like to accomplish," stated Sedacca, "I intend to serve (the residents) as well as I have."

One of those things she would like to continue doing is recognizing members of the community, such as when Sedacca's administration recognized Korean and Vietnam veterans alongside their World War brethren.

Last Memorial Day she recognized another resident for her service to the East Williston community giving the Mayor's award to a woman named Nancy Zolezzi, her opponent in this upcoming election.

Zolezzi has been involved in the communities of East Williston and Williston Park, where she has run an auto body business with her husband Joe, for the past 20 years. She is the mother of Joey and Maria.

Zolezzi has been an active member of the Chamber of Commerce of the Willistons, where for 19 years she ran the Williston Day Street Fair, and the East Williston Recreation Committee which was responsible for past Easter egg hunts, Ragamuffin parades and harvest dances.

She is also a past president of the Mercy League of Roslyn and the Willistons which supports Mercy Hospital.

Often attending East Williston Village Board meetings, where according to Zolezzi she was sometimes the only one present in the audience, she was inspired to run for the office of mayor to put something back into the village that she feels is missing.

"I just really want to get the enthusiasm back in the community," stated Zolezzi.

She said she feels that some mainstays of East Williston like some of the recreation events and the once quarterly village newsletter have fallen by the wayside.

"I have no political objectives," said Zolezzi adding her primary focus as mayor would be East Williston. The Community Party candidate said that she has no political ties and no aspirations beyond the office of mayor.

If Zolezzi were to win she said she would encourage involvement in the community through organizations, committees and volunteer groups.

She said she would be accessible and available to her constituents who she offers her years of administrative and business experience as well as her experience helping residents deal with village matters.

"I think people know what I am and what I am about," said Zolezzi.

The mayoral candidates join a contested trustee race with candidates David Tanner, Paula Cuomo and Lisa Feimer all vying for the two four-year term seats open this year.