The Village of Mineola ushered in a new era when Mayor Jack M. Martins was sworn in on Monday, April 7 in front of a crowd of community leaders and dignitaries at village hall. The installation of Martins marks the first time since 1994 when John P. Colbert took office as mayor that Mineola will have a new man leading the village.

Although the day was dampened by an unusual April snowfall, there was an air of excitement in village hall. In addition to Martins, trustees Lou Santosus, Larry Werther and Steve Franzini were also sworn in. Santosus and Werther were elected last month and Franzini was appointed by Martins to fill the open trustee seat that was vacated by Martins so he could become mayor.

Beginning April 7, Mineola is under the leadership of a new board. Of the five-person board, only Santosus and trustee Linda Fairgrieve remain from the previous administration. Former trustee Elizabeth Conlon relocated to Ridge and former Mayor Colbert was bid farewell and thanked for his service, which began in 1989 when he became a trustee.

Although the recent campaign for mayor and trustee was heated, both Martins and Colbert appeared gracious as the torch was passed from the former mayor to the current one. In recognition of Colbert's years of service, village clerk Lou DiDomenico presented Colbert with a Lenox clock on behalf of the employees of Mineola.

Martins presented Colbert with a Waterford crystal Mustang, the symbol of Mineola, as he noted the accomplishments of Colbert and Conlon. Mayor Martins pointed out that before Colbert and Conlon became a member of the board, village hall was across the street, the village pool wasn't the same facility as it is today, the facilities at the library weren't what they are today and the park and facilities weren't what they are today.

Colbert graciously congratulated the new board and thanked the village employees. "I want to thank all of the employees. You did so much for me and so much for this village. I would like to thank the citizens of the Village of Mineola for allowing me to be their mayor. I also want to thank my family, especially my wife Eleanor for allowing me to serve."

Conlon, who could not make the trip out from Ridge due to the weather, was presented with a framed insignia of the gazebo in Mineola Memorial Park, the insignia of the community planning committee. Colbert accepted the gift on behalf of Conlon.

In addition, Martins named the intersection of Mineola Boulevard and Jericho Turnpike in honor of Conlon and Colbert. Jericho Turnpike at that intersection will now be called John P. Colbert Turnpike and Mineola Boulevard will be called Elizabeth A.J. Conlon Boulevard in honor of the two former board members.

Although it was appropriate to remember the dedication of two people who made significant contributions to the community, the night belonged to Martins, Santosus, Franzini and Werther.

For Martins, the former library board president, much has changed in the past year. It was only a year ago that he took office as a trustee and now he is looked to as the leader of the village. It is a challenge Martins is looking forward to as he becomes the 20th mayor in the village's 97-year history.

Not only is Martins Mineola's new mayor, but the New Line Party, which he helped form last year, holds a majority on the board. Yet, Martins still stressed working together with Fairgrieve and Santosus to achieve the goals of the board. "I extend my hand to both trustee Santosus and trustee Fairgrieve to put aside our differences and concentrate on doing what's best for Mineola," he said.

The new mayor was sworn in by the Honorable Judge David P. Sullivan. He thanked his wife Paula and daughters Kaitlin and Vanessa. His family, he said, was there by his side throughout the campaign.

In his inaugural address, Martins acknowledged that there are many issues facing Mineola. He vowed that despite the difficult decisions that may lie ahead, he would not take the position that was necessarily the safest, the most popular, nor the most practical, but the one that is right for the village. "We shall meet every issue head on," he said.

Throughout the campaign, Martins and his party promised to conduct the government of the village is an honest and open manner, be accessible and responsive to the residents of Mineola, eliminate the practice of bonding for non-capital improvements and operating expenses, make every effort to eradicate illegal and unsafe housing, keep the village's emergency and volunteer personnel properly equipped, and review the village budget in a fiscally responsible manner to ensure the village gets the most for each tax dollar.

"I stand before you all this evening and reiterate each and every one of these pledges. We will make decisions because they are right, regardless of whether they are popular or convenient," he said.

Among some of his first decisions as mayor was adding a third meeting per month to the calendar. The village board will now hold public meetings on the first and third Wednesdays of the month and public hearings on the second Wednesday of the month.

Martins also plans to have the cable television up and running soon so that the station can televise village board meetings as well as community events.

"We all have a vested interest in the well-being and prosperity of Mineola. We have chosen to raise our families here. We all have our deep roots in this village. Some of us have our businesses here. We must all work together once and for all to address problems facing our village," said Martins. "I assure you that all of our decisions in the end will always be firmly grounded on what is best for Mineola. I want to make it clear that my door is always open. If anyone has an issue and they would like to discuss it, I am here. I live here. I work here and I'm always available to discuss any issue you may have."

A mixture of newcomers and experience on the board could prove to be beneficial to Mineola. The veteran of the board, Lou Santosus, will serve another term as a trustee. Santosus served on the board from 1983 to 1989 and again beginning in 1994. The former Mineola fire chief was sworn in by his daughter Bonnie Parente.

It will be interesting to see how Santosus and Martins will work together after such a heated campaign. "Now the election is over and hopefully, this board will be able to put the village business first," Santosus said. "I feel confident that even though the village board has little experience that our infrastructure is so strong that we can only succeed."

Santosus also vowed to crack down on illegal housing, a burning issue in the village and one Martins also addressed in his speech. "As we campaigned from house to house, the word out there seemed to be the first order of business that we must tackle is illegal and unsafe, multiple dwellings in this village. We must bring to court the landlords who bring this blight upon us and we must correct this situation. This will be my main focus and I will push this administration to take required action," he said.

Werther was sworn in for the first time as a village trustee by Nassau County Legislator Richard Nicolello. Werther said he was humbled that residents called on him on March 18 to serve the village the next two years.

Werther called on the village residents to assist the board in any way they can. "If you come up with something that you think is going to improve this village, come talk to us. We need cooperation, not confrontation. Let us together build a stronger village," he said. "What I'm looking for is involvement not detachment. If you feel that we need another committee to help look at a problem we have in the village or even to come up with solutions, let us know. Get involved in this village. We are looking for and welcome all of you to work with us for a better Mineola. We're about unity. We're not about dissidence."

Also sworn in as a trustee for the first time was Franzini, a retired New York City police officer who will serve the board for the next year. Franzini said it is a privilege and honor to serve the citizens of Mineola and expressed a debt of gratitude to Mayor Martins for his confidence. "Jack has presented me with a tremendous opportunity to give something back to this community, which I have so loved and been an active participant in for the past 14 years. I thank Jack for his decision to appoint me as one of the selected few who can hold the title of trustee," he said.

Franzini said he will listen to the residents of Mineola and present a fair and unbiased view of what the village needs to continue its outstanding reputation as one of the finest places on Long Island to raise a family and live the dream of American prosperity. "As a member in good standing of one of our local religious and fraternal organizations, I act with my conscience and have always been ethical in my judgments and sound in my reasoning in every issue that comes before me," he said. "As a volunteer for various community activities, I conduct myself in a manner which respects the principles of each organization and attempts to better the youth of this community in physical, mental and social actions."

Although Franzini was appointed, he feels voters spoke on his behalf on election day when he finished third behind Santosus and Werther, his running mate. "I finished third behind two individuals who I believe are fully competent and worthy of your support," he said. "I look forward to joining and working closely with Lou [Santosus], Larry [Werther] and Linda [Fairgrieve] on this board. To all the residents of Mineola, you have my conviction to serve out this term in your best interest," he said.

As one of his duties as mayor, Martins appointed each of the trustees to their liaison duties. They are as follows:

Larry Werther - Deputy Mayor, Cable Television, Justice Court, Library, Department of Public Works and Winthrop-University Hospital.

Steve Franzini - Senior Citizens, Community Pool, Youth and Recreation, Youth Board, MAA and PAL.

Linda Fairgrieve - CSEA/Teamsters, Assessors, Auxiliary Police, Chamber of Commerce and Plumbing Board.

Lou Santosus - CSEA/Teamsters, Board of Education, Historical Society, Water and Sewer and Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

Mayor Martins appointed himself to the following liaison duties - Senior Citizens, Building Department, Code Enforcement, Fire Department, Board of Education and Winthrop-University Hospital.

Mineola has a new fire chief. Scott Strauss, the first assistant chief, was sworn in as the new chief of the department. Second assistant chief Jack Gayson became the first assistant chief and Scott Holliday became the 2nd assistant chief. Mike DeStefano leaves the post of chief of the department after putting in many dedicated hours.