Elections in the Incorporated Village of Westbury will take place on Tuesday, March 18.

At this time, residents will have the opportunity to re-elect Action Party member Thomas Liotti, who is running unopposed, for another four-year term as village justice. In addition, three candidates are running for two four-year terms as trustee. Newcomer James Corcoran, a Progressive Party member, is running for one of the seats currently held by incumbents Peter I. Cavallaro and Paul Echausse, both Action Party members. Elections in the Westbury Village are at-large.

Voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at respective polling places throughout the village. To find out where to vote, call village hall at 334-1700.

The following are brief bios on each of the candidates:

Peter I. Cavallaro is seeking his second term as trustee. Currently, Cavallaro serves as the village's Commissioner of Audit and Claims, Commissioner of Personnel and is the Board's liaison to the Building Department. Prior to his election to the Village of Westbury's Board of Trustees in 1998, Cavallaro served as a member of the village's Planning Board from 1986 through 1998.

An attorney in private practice, Cavallaro is a member of numerous professional and legal organizations, including the Nassau County and American Bar Associations, as well as a past commissioner of the Town of North Hempstead's Housing Authority and Landmark Preservation Commission. A lifelong resident of Westbury, Cavallaro is involved in numerous community and civic organizations, including St. Brigid's Parish. He has served on the boards of a number of charitable organizations, including the Education and Assistance Corporation (EAC). He is currently a member of the Board of Trustees (Audit and Finance Committee Chair) of the Henry Viscardi School for the Disabled.

"I have been privileged to serve as a village trustee and I am proud that we have accomplished a great deal in the past four years," said Cavallaro in a previous Westbury Times article. "I look forward to continuing to serve the residents of the village."

Born and raised in Westbury, James Corcoran has been a resident of Westbury Village for 56 years. Growing up, he attended St. Brigid's and Carle Place High School. For the past 23 years, Corcoran has been an equipment operator for the Incorporated Village of Westbury since 1979 and also owns and runs Jim's Fences, a chain link fence company which has been in business for 20 years.

From 1964 to 1967 Corcoran served in the Unites States Navy and served off the coast of Vietnam aboard the USS Constellation before being honorably discharged. Corcoran has been a member of the Westbury VFW for the past 10 years and a member of Vietnam Veterans of America for approximately five years.

Corcoran said the reason he is running for trustee is "simply to give the residents of the Incorporated Village of Westbury a choice for change, and my continued service to the community."

Corcoran and his wife, Susan, have been married for 30 years. They raised two children, Karen and Thomas, in Westbury and have two grandchildren.

Paul H. Echausse has served as trustee for six terms since being elected in 1979. He has served as deputy mayor since 1981 and is currently the village's commissioner of Public Safety, responsible for all aspects of public safety issues in the village and is the village's liaison with the 3rd Precinct of the Nassau County Police Department. Prior to his service on the board, Echausse served on the Village Zoning Board of Appeals from 1972 through 1979.

On a local front, Echausse has been involved in St. Brigid's Parish, serving on the finance committee and as an usher at St. Brigid's chapel in Carle Place. He is a member of the Westbury Republican Club and coached Little League. During World War II, Echausse enlisted in the United States Navy and served during the Korean War.

In seeking re-election as a trustee, Echausse said, "I have always considered the position of village trustee to be one of the most important of elected offices because of its close proximity to the people, my neighbors ... I would be most appreciative of the support that will enable me to continue to address the important tasks ahead."

Echausse and his wife, Joan, raised eight children in Westbury.

Thomas Liotti, first elected village justice in 1991, was re-elected without opposition in 1995 and 1999, and has served for a total of 12 years. He served as chairman of the Village Code Review Commission from 1981 to 1990 and, in 2001, was appointed as a member of the Town of North Hempstead Councilmanic District Commission where he supported the establishment of six councilmanic districts for the town.

A practicing attorney for over 25 years, Liotti is a present and past member of numerous legal and professional associations and organizations. He and his wife, Wendy, served as co-chairs of the village's Golden Jubilee Journal and co-directors of the Frog Hollow Frolics for three consecutive years and he was president of the Westbury/Carle Place/Old Westbury Chapter of Kiwanis Club International. Liotti has published two books, including Practice Guide for Village, Town and District Courts (West Group 1995-present), and has also published over 20 judicial decisions in the New York Law Journal and Miscellaneous Reports.

"I look forward to continuing to serve my community and setting an example for other judges to follow," Justice Liotti stated in a previous Westbury Times article. "The community has honored me by their support and I will continue to strive to make them proud of me."

The Liottis have three children.