The Hometown Party made the first official announcement concerning the March 18 Village of Mineola election when it nominated Larry Speciner to run for trustee. Speciner will essentially run for fellow Hometown Party member and current village trustee Elizabeth A.J. Conlon, who decided not to run for re-election.

This March, there are two trustee seats, those belonging to Conlon and Deputy Mayor Lou Santosus, up for election as well the mayor's position. The Hometown Party hopes to hold on to the two seats they hold on the board, one belonging to Linda Fairgrieve and Conlon's, and party members believe Speciner is the right man.

"When I first made my decision not to run, I had many things to consider. One of those was who would take my place on the board of trustees. I wanted someone who could work with the board because we have established a good rapport and working relationship and this shows in the great accomplishments of recent years ... I wanted someone who knows this is the job they were elected for and has no personal goal of higher elective office. I wanted someone who cared and we found that someone," said Conlon, who nominated Speciner.

The nominee has been a Mineola resident for over 31 years. He possesses over 20 years experience working with state accounting, finance, municipal and educational laws having served as a program administrator for Eastern Suffolk BOCES, director of administrative services for the City University of New York and deputy treasurer and purchasing agent for the Syosset Central School District. Specincer is also a financial planner and pension/retirement specialist and a registered investment supervisor.

His community involvement includes lifetime membership with the Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps, the Mineola Athletics Booster Club, Mineola Historical Society, Mineola Mustang Run/Walk, Mineola Athletic Association and Mineola PTA.

Linda Fairgrieve in seconding Speciner's nomination said his financial experience in working on budgets will be needed in the village during these economically difficult times.

Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps president and friend Pat Tobin also seconded the nomination. "I know he'll carry out the work so nobly led by Elizabeth Conlon. I know Larry Speciner to be an honest, dedicated public servant who will never mishandle the trust the residents of Mineola will be giving him. He's a dedicated and honorable man," said Tobin.

Hometown Party member Joe Galante said that the nomination of Speciner signified a passing of the torch in the Hometown Party since Speciner hopes to fill her seat occupied by Conlon, who will be ending her eight-year tenure on the board. "That is going to be the theme of this campaign - passing the torch from Betty Conlon to Larry Speciner," Galante said.

Speciner's wife of 36 years, Patricia, was the last to second the motion. The couple raised three children in Mineola who all graduated from the Mineola School District.

"I don't really care who the opponents may be. I think when we run our race, it should be that we're backing the candidate that is best for the job and we should speak very positively about that candidate and about the Hometown Party," said Speciner, who told his fellow Hometown members to run the cleanest campaign that Mineola has ever seen.

Speciner said he hoped to be elected on the board so Fairgrieve would not be the only Hometown Party member on the board. With one member of a party on the board, as was the case for Conlon before Fairgrieve's election in 2000, it is difficult to get things done, he said.

Speciner also emphasized the Hometown Party's policy of not accepting any campaign contributions from businesses and not being affiliated with any major political parties. Speciner was a Democratic committee person and a Democratic deputy town leader for the Town of North Hempstead. He no longer holds those two positions.

The Hometown Party chose not to run anyone against Mayor John P. Colbert and Deputy Mayor Santosus as was the case two years ago when the two ran along with Conlon in an uncontested election. Colbert and Santosus are expected to announce their intentions to run for re-election this week.