The campaign is on and it figures to be a heated one. The Hometown Party nominated Trustee Linda Fairgreive to run for mayor and Peggy May to run for trustee. The mayor's and two trustees' positions are up for re-election. Mayor Jack M. Martins and Trustees Larry Werther and John DaVanzo have already announced that will be seeking re-election.

Martins and Fairgrieve will be vying for mayor and Werther, DaVanzo and May will be vying for the two trustee positions with the two candidates receiving the most votes getting the two positions.

Fairgrieve, a current village trustee, said she hadn't planned on running for mayor, but decided to run because, she said, the board needs a new attitude. "I don't think the board is working efficiently and I think we could accomplish more with this new attitude," she said.

May said the tone of the hearings over whether the village should have its own police department was negative and at times disrespectful although she said the process in giving people an opportunity to vote was positive. "It was great to see the Democratic process. It made me feel so good to see Mineola coming out and people were paying attention. They were interested in what was going on in the village in a positive way," she said.

Fairgrieve admits that the job of mayor is more time-consuming than that of trustee, but said she is willing to put in the time necessary to do the job. "That was definitely one of things I considered but I will put in the time. I will get the job done," she said.

During nominations at the Hometown Party convention on Saturday, the subject of the process of Mineola looking into its own police department was brought up by party members. The issue does not figure into the election since it was decided by voters in December. However, Fairgrieve and May believe the police department hearing illustrated how the board is divided and needs to work together.

After that vote, Fairgrieve and fellow Hometown Party member, Trustee Paul Cusato, proposed a five-point safety plan that was adopted unanimously by the board. "I think we have to learn from the process [of looking into a police department]. We've got to learn that if we're looking at a new proposal, the five-point safety plan, that Linda and Paul brought, the board, in order to get something really accomplished, has got to work together, answer all the tough questions, do their job and come up with a wonderful proposal that everybody will agree to and that will be good from Mineola," said May.

Fairgrieve was nominated by her son Ross and May was nominated by Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy since May serves as McCarthy's campaign treasurer.

This election will determine not only who is mayor but also who holds the majority of the board. If Fairgrieve is elected mayor, the Hometown Party would control the majority of the board since Fairgrieve would have to appoint a person to fill her seat as trustee. If May is elected, the Hometown Party would also have the majority of the board since even if Fairgrieve is defeated in her bid for mayor, she retains her seat on the village board.