I was a member of the Clock Tower Party Committee which nominated Louise McCann and Wayne Marr to run for election to the board of trustees this March. As the chair of the Clock Tower Party meeting, which convened to select dues paying members of our party to serve on the nominating committee, I attempted to appoint as diverse a group as possible. In fact, I appointed Marilyn Bernstein - Marshall Bernstein's wife to the committee. I personally asked Guy Frost of the planning board and Mike Viola, chair of the Clock Tower Party when Mayor Pasnik was unseated, to serve on the committee. They declined. Guy Frost, as you know, was instrumental in Craig Westegard's unsuccessful challenge to the re-election of Mayor Janet Galante last year.

In addition to Marilyn Bernstein, Janet Insardi, Esq., chair of the Roslyn Planning Board, Marilyn Richman, Ph.D., one of the original plaintiffs in the successful lawsuit to defeat the Stop & Shop development, and Carolyn Weber, chair of the Roslyn Zoning Board of Appeals and chair of the Clock Tower party, served on the committee. To suggest the process to form this nominating committee was "stacked" with "hand picked disciples" of anyone against Marshall Bernstein is simply without merit and insulting to those members who did serve on the nominating committee.

Marshall Bernstein received one vote in our committee. The one vote for Marshall Bernstein was cast by his wife - who refused to vote for any other candidate. In fact, in our two meetings to select the candidates she could not point to any legitimate verifiable achievement or accomplishment in her husband's three plus years on the board. Mrs. Bernstein said her husband's plans for the future of the village were to maintain a "zero" budget by vetoing "any" spending in the village.

In our committee we felt the interests of the village would be better served by individuals with open minds, constructive and positive ideas, enthusiasm, energy, sense of purpose, the ability to take a hard look at the facts, professionalism, civility, courtesy to others, time to devote to the village activities and the commitment to the quality of life in all the communities of Roslyn. We were looking for a trustee with a sense of fiscal accountability who would listen, consider and reasonably weigh the issues and ensure the appropriate and necessary expenditure of our tax dollars.

We saw those qualities in Wayne Marr and Louise McCann. We did not see them in Marshall Bernstein.

I also serve as vice chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals. I have worked with Wayne Marr who sits on that board. He is totally prepared for the work of the board; he inspects the site up for consideration and intimately knows the issues. Wayne is a fair and decent man who is able to balance the concerns of the applicants who appear before the board with the best interests of the village.

Wayne Marr has a record of accomplishment that is pro-business, creative in solving problems and committed to the protection of the character of Roslyn and its environment. His demeanor on the zoning board and to all who appear before him is that of a responsible public servant committed to this village.

Louise McCann has also shown her dedication to the Village of Roslyn with her tenure on the board of trustees. She has generously given of her time, energy and talent. Louise knows the issues that confront the village. Her voting record as a trustee demonstrates her competent, concerned and thoughtful vision of the future of Roslyn.

Ms. McCann, who is now in her 22nd year of service in the United States Army Reserve, brings tremendous administrative experience to the board and is a powerful asset to our village. Louise deserved the opportunity to continue her tenure on our board of trustees.

We believe the Clock Tower Party of Roslyn nominated the two best candidates to run for election this March to the board of trustees. Our only agenda was for the future of our village.

Milton Grunwald