The New Line Party will try to keep the momentum it gained last year when the party was formed. Jack Martins ran successfully in last year's election as he gained the most votes in the three-candidate race. This year, Martins is running for mayor. With him this year are candidates Larry Werther and Stephen Franzini.

The New Line Party's slogan is "Honesty - Integrity - Accountability." The party states it believes in being honest and accountable to the public while maintaining its integrity.

In his first year as trustee, Martins attempted to open communication to the village board. For example, he created open dialogue with the public on the issue of Clarissa Road. He also made his feeling known on certain items in the budget he did not feel were best for the village such as transferring money from the Water Fund to the General Fund after water rates were raised.

Martins is also concerned with the village's bonding debt. "As we move forward, however, there are a number of issues that must be addressed head on. Among these are the tremendous village debt of over $32 million and how the debt is currently structured and the nearly $2 million in backlog in uncollected parking tickets that has lingered for the last 10 years. The Vvillage debt has been incurred, the money has been spent. It must now be repaid. It is, therefore, incumbent on us to address how it is to be repaid and to take steps to do so in such a way as to try and minimize the impact to our neighbors/taxpayers," Martins wrote on the party's website www.thenewline.org.

Here is a look at the New Line Party candidates. The following biographies were submitted by the candidates:

Jack Martins has been a Mineola resident for the past 31 years. He graduated from Corpus Christi Elementary School and Chaminade High School. Martins continued his education at American University in Washington, DC where he earned a degree in political science and interdisciplinary studies. Upon graduating from American, he attended St. John's University School of Law where he received his Juris Doctorate in 1991.

Martins is a homeowner residing at Banbury Rd. with his wife, Paula, and two daughters, Kaitlin, 5, and Vanessa, 3. Kaitlin is in kindergarten at Corpus Christi School. Martins and his family are parishioners of Corpus Christi Church.

In addition to making his home in Mineola, Martins has also built his law practice at 221 Mineola Blvd., where he also owns the building. He is admitted to practice in New York State and Federal Courts and is a member of the Nassau County and New York State Bar Associations.

Martins was elected village trustee in 2002. In his term on the board, he has demonstrated a firm grasp of the issues facing our village having, among other things, vigorously opposed the sale of Clarissa Road, voted against the village budget as fiscally irresponsible and led the questioning on cell tower applications before the board.

Martins voted against the budget on a number of grounds including (1) the inclusion of one shot revenues (the sale of a piece of Village property) to balance the budget; (2) the board's decision to raise water rates in February 2001 and less than three months later raid the water fund for $300,000; and (3) the lack of any meaningful discussions regarding spending cuts before resorting to tax increases. Martins is concerned that these practices will adversely affect the village's bond rating with dire tax consequences to village homeowners when the village begins bonding the over $18 million it owes in bond anticipation notes. The total village debt is over $32 million.

Prior to being elected, Martins was the president of the Mineola Memorial Library Board of Trustees for four years. During his tenure, Martins oversaw the reconstruction and expansion of the village library from the planning and design stages through its re-opening. He is proud of the renaissance at the library and the vast expansion in services during his tenure.

Martins is a former member of the Corpus Christi School Board and has served on various committees at Corpus Christi Church. He is a charter member and former president of the Lions Club as well as a former Zone Chairman for Lions District 20-K2. Through his involvement with Lions, thousands have been raised to aid the visually impaired and those in need.

Martins's other civic activities include being a member of the Board of Directors of the Heart Council of Long Island and a member of the County Seat Kiwanis. He has served as a member of the Mineola High School Site Based Team and is a sponsor of various local civic organizations including the Mineola Mustang Run and the Mineola Junior Fire Department.

In the fall of 2002, Martins received the Ambassador's Award from the Heart Council of Long Island in recognition of "outstanding community service benefiting the people of Long Island."

Larry Werther was born in Flatbush, Brooklyn where he lived with his mother, father and sister Linda. When he was 5, the family moved to Ozone Park, Queens where his brother Jack and sister Mary were born. Werther attended Saint Sylvester grammar school and later Archbishop Molloy High School. Werther met the girl of his dreams, his wife Francine, in the summer of his freshman year of college. Werther worked to put himself through college. He graduated from Queens College with a degree in political science with a minor in economics.

Werther and Fran married in the summer of 1977. They moved to Mineola on a "very temporary" basis 23 years ago. In those years they have raised two sons; Lawrence Jr. who graduated from Chaminade H.S. and is currently in his sophomore year in NYU/Stern School of Business, and Joseph, who is in his freshman year at Chaminade. Lawrence is an Eagle Scout and Joseph is Life Scout and recently completed his Eagle Project.

Werther is currently a Ffirst vice-president and member of the prestigious Directors Council with a major Wall Street firm. For the last 12 years, Werther has specialized in fixed income securities (bonds) and has worked extensively with municipal debt. Even though his firm is on Wall Street, modern communications allow him to work blocks from Mineola Village Hall.

During his career, Werther has held positions of responsibility with major technology and financial firms. He has had experience in finance, management, budgeting and human resources. He has worked on procurement contracts and ran a $21 million branch for a New York Stock Exchange listed company.

Werther and his family are also very community-oriented. Werther has served as Cubmaster for Mineola Pack 246 and is a member of the Troop Committee for Boy Scout Troop 45 in Mineola. He too is a Merit Badge councilor for the Boy Scouts. Werther is also a volunteer photographer for Corpus Christi Church. Werther worked as a former coach with the MAA. Additionally, you might have attended one of his free magic shows where he plays "Grandpa the Magician."

Werther's family is also active in the community. Lawrence participated in MAA sports and Corpus Christi Youth Group. Joseph also participated in MAA and PAL sports and was an altar server and junior lector at Corpus Christi. Fran, his wife, has served on the Site Based Planning Committee for Jackson Ave. School and Mineola Middle School. In addition, she is a Eucharistic Minister for Corpus Christi Church.

Werther wants to be trustee for Mineola to return in some measure what the community and his friends have given him through the years.

Stephen Franzini has been a Mineola resident for the past 14 years. In the fall of 2002 he retired from the New York City police department after over 20 years of service.

Franzini is a homeowner residing on Elderberry Road with his wife, Elvine, and three sons, Nicholas, 10, Anthony 8, and Joseph, 2 weeks. Both Nicholas and Anthony are students at Corpus Christi School. Franzini and his family are parishioners of Corpus Christi Church.

Franzini graduated from the New York City Police Academy in 1982. He did his undergraduate studies at C.W. Post University.

Franzini is a former member of the Corpus Christi School Board and has served on various committees at Corpus Christi School including being chairperson of the Corpus Christi Christmas Tree Sale and co-chairperson of Breakfast with Santa at Corpus Christi.

Franzini's other civic activities include being a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Franzini has been very active with the local sports programs being a manager for both the Mineola Athletic Association's intramural baseball and intramural soccer programs. He was the coach for both programs' travel tournament teams. In addition, he is an assistant coach with the Mineola Police Athletic League (PAL) hockey program.

Franzini is a certified licensed Long Island high school baseball umpire and volunteers as an umpire for MAA baseball.