The Village of Mineola held its annual organization night last week as Trustee Paul Cusato and Trustee Tom Kennedy were sworn in. New Trustee Paul Pereira was also sworn in to begin his first term in office.

With the reorganization of the village board and the departure of Linda Fairgrieve, who lost her bid for re-election last month, the senior trustee is Larry Werther, who was first elected in 2003. Mayor Jack M. Martins was elected trustee in 2002 before being elected mayor in 2003.

With two new trustees of the five-member board - Tom Kennedy and Paul Pereira - having joined the board within the last six months - the village board has a new look. However, look for the board to continue to follow the lead of Mayor Martins.

"We stand on the threshold of a great year here in Mineola. There are great things happening here. I've very excited to have the participation of the entire village board as we move forward and address some of the concerns and some of the issues that we have before us," Mayor Martins said.

Kennedy took the oath of office the second time from Nassau County Legislator Richard Nicolello. Kennedy was appointed by Mayor Martins last year after former trustee John DaVanzo retired from the board. Kennedy was elected last month after running unopposed.

"Mineola's a wonderful village. There seems to be a new attitude out there in Mineola. We are less and less accepting of mediocrity as a way of life here. Good enough isn't good enough anymore. We want to be the best and we need to challenge ourselves. We challenge ourselves and you challenge us," said Kennedy is his acceptance speech.

Cusato took the oath of office for the third time, having been elected trustee in 2004 and then re-elected in 2006 and 2008. After being sworn in by Bonnie Parente, who is the daughter of former deputy mayor Lou Santosus, who was in attendance with his wife Pat, Cusato thanked his wife Kathleen for being an inspiration to him. "I married the girl next door and there she is," he said, referring to his wife who was in the audience. "To my wife Kathleen, who, over the past two years, has displayed more courage and more determination than I can ever imagine, she'll always be an inspiration to me."

With Fairgrieve's departure from the board, Cusato stands as the only member of the Hometown Party on the board as the New Line Party holds a 4-1 majority.

"I have and will always give the best and act in a way that I feel best benefits this village," he said. "I truly hope that party affiliations will take the back burner and we can all work together with mutual respect for ideas and suggestions being offered."

Taking Fairgrieve's spot on the board will be Pereira, who emerged victorious in last month's election. Pereira, who was sworn in by Mayor Martins, said he fought an uphill battle in winning the election, having to unseat an incumbent trustee. Now that he has, he vowed to accept the challenge and said he would dedicate himself to the service of the community and its future. "Our future is bright. The revitalization of our downtown is well under way. The implementation of our master plan will continue to shape our village for years to come. We are looking to negotiate a comprehensive plan to upgrade our recreational facilities for our young people and we will continue to develop a plan for much needed infrastructure repairs to our village," Pereira said. "I firmly believe that Mineola will continue to be at the forefront of smart and controlled suburban development."

Over the past few years, the Mineola Village Board had been divided on some critical issues such as a decision to forge ahead with putting a referendum before voters concerning a village police department. Fairgrieve, who did not attend the organization meeting, challenged Martins last year for mayor but was unsuccessful.

"I want to wish Mrs. Fairgrieve all the best in any endeavor she wishes to pursue in the coming months and the coming years," said Martins.

Cusato mentioned Fairgrieve, who was his running mate the past three times he ran for trustee. "Linda Fairgrieve has certainly been a credit to this community. She has given years and years of service and not only as a trustee, but as a volunteer for many of our organizations, most notably the Mustang Run. Her love for this village cannot be disputed," he said.