Long Island Special District Association Holds Public Forum

Consolidation, Dissolution Discussed

On Oct. 28, before a crowded room at the William P. Bennett Community Center in Hicksville, the Long Island Special Districts Association (LISDA) hosted a public forum on the facts on consolidation and dissolution of special districts. Karl M. Schweitzer, president of LISDA and chairman of the Hicksville Water District, spoke residents, public officials and local political candidates about the recently passed New York Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act.

This discussion included the communities of Bethpage, Plainview, Jericho, Westbury and Garden City and the presentation and discussion covered the facts on consolidation and dissolution as it pertains to the local fire and water districts in the communities represented at the meeting.

“During the debate in the state Senate most representatives who spoke supported the bill, but openly admitted that it had flaws and that they would be open to and encouraged amendments before the actual legislation takes effect in March 2010,” said Schweitzer. “LISDA and those I represent have always supported the need of our residents and if it is a streamlined and uniformed consolidation process, then we stand behind that. However, it should not be driven by political debate on what some special interest group thinks would be best, but input from those affected residents.”

Islamic Center Seeking Variance to Expand Mosque

ResidentsOpposed Due to Quality of Life, Not Creed

The Islamic Center of Long Island (ICLI) was incorporated as a nonprofit entity in April 1982. At that time, a small brick home on the Brush Hollow Road property was altered but seven years later more space was needed and, by 1992, construction of a 10,000-square-foot structure featuring a mosque, library, classrooms and offices was completed. Now, 20 years later, ICLI is again seeking to expand.

At an Oct. 19 meeting, ICLI presented the Westbury Zoning Board of Appeals with their application seeking to build a three-story, 19,000 square foot addition somewhat connected to the existing structure via a courtyard. In planning for the expansion, ICLI purchased four homes – three on Jaymie Drive and one on Talbot Drive – over the course of the past 18 years. The plan, currently, is to use the land the homes once sat on for parking and to construct the addition on the current parking area.

While the proposal would significantly increase on-site parking from 35 to 87 spots, current village code requires 308 on-site parking spaces – 1 per 100 square feet. Since ICLI is short 221 spots, and the shape of the parcel cannot accommodate a tiered garage, the center is required to obtain a parking variance from the zoning board.

Three Vie for Nassau County’s 2nd Legislative District

The race for Nassau County’s 2nd Legislative District (L.D.) became a heated one back in May when current legislator Roger Corbin was arrested on charges of alleged federal income tax evasion; Corbin pleaded not guilty and, as of press time, is expected to go to trial later this month. As a result, Westbury residents Gregory Lewis, Pablo Sinclair and North Hempstead Town Councilman Robert Troiano Jr., along with Corbin, all sought to be the Democratic Party’s candidate but, prior to the Sept. 15 election, Lewis withdrew and Sinclair was kicked off the ballot. What looked like a four-way primary soon between a two-way race with Troiano defeating Corbin for the Democratic ticket and the chance to go up against Republican Derek Partee and Sinclair, who is running on the independent People’s First Party. All three candidates were asked the same questions; their responses appear alphabetically below:

Johnson: Public Can Now Comment on MTA Proposal

Hearing Scheduled, Website Established

New York State Senator Craig M. Johnson, the Senate Majority’s representative to the MTA Capital Program Review Board (CPRB), announces two ways that will give the public unprecedented opportunities to comment on the MTA’s proposed 2010-2014 Capital Plan.

A public hearing on the MTA Capital Plan will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29 in the chambers of the Nassau County Legislature, 1550 Franklin Avenue, Mineola.

Announcements on similar hearings in the Hudson Valley and New York City are forthcoming.

Additionally, Senator Johnson has launched a website where residents living in the MTA’s service area can read the proposed Capital Plan and provide their feedback. The website is http://www. nysenate.gov/committee/mta-capital-program-review-board-cprb and a link to the site can also be found at www.craigjohnson.nysenate.gov.

WestburyVillage: Agreement With Theater Developer Reached

Project Progressing

Westbury Village Mayor Peter Cavallaro announced that the Post Avenue movie theater project has progressed with the signing by the village and developer Lowe Properties of a Memorandum of Agreement related to certain matters of concern and the adoption by the village board of its SEQRA determination.

“I am happy to report that the applicant and the village have come to agreement and have signed a Memorandum of Agreement, that covers some of the important issues that the

According to Westbury Village Clerk Ted Blach, the memorandum covers the developer’s obligation to pay for all expenses to build the proposed parking deck (over the village’s existing Madison Street municipal parking lot), in excess of the $1.5 million federal Community Development funds committed by the village and Nassau County to pay for the deck construction.

Dailey Sentenced In Westbury Nightclub Murder

Hempstead Man Receives 100 Years to Life

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced that Dwayne Dailey has been sentenced to 100 years to life in prison for murdering 17-year-old Edwin Mejia Alvarado and shooting three of his friends as they sat in a car behind the La Boom nightclub in Westbury. Dailey mistook Alvarado for a member of a rival gang, murdering him and seriously wounding the three other men in the car.

In June, Dailey, 23, of Hempstead, was convicted of murder – 2nd degree; three counts of attempted murder – 2nd degree; three counts of assault – 1st degree; and four counts of criminal possession of a weapon – 2nd degree.

Westbury Seniors Can Dial 311 for Free Taxi Service

Through Project Independence Initiative, TNH Launches Pilot Program

In an effort to expand its menu of senior support services, North Hempstead Town last week launched a four-month long pilot program through which seniors can receive free taxi rides to run errands.

Through the trial program, which is funded by a grant from the United States Administration on Aging and falls under the umbrella of the town’s Project Independence initiative, North Hempstead seniors age 60 and older living at home will have access to door-to-door taxi service to go shopping.

“Our ultimate goal is to be able to help you get around to do the things that will help you maintain your independence and prolong your stay in the community of your choice,” said Supervisor Jon Kaiman, who was joined by Councilman Robert Troiano, Town Clerk Leslie Gross and New York State Assemblyman Charles Lavine at an Oct. 7 press conference held at the Westbury Senior Center.

Bethel AME Welcomes New Pastor

On June 14, Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church of Westbury welcomed the Rev. Marcus De’Angelo Briddell as pastor. Pastor Briddell replaced Rev. Carlton Gibson, who was elevated by the bishop to a higher position as a presiding elder .

Pastor Briddell was born and raised in Delaware and attended local public schools prior to earning a bachelor of arts degree in social studies education from Delaware State University and a master of divinity degree from Duke University.

Meet the New Principal at Powell’s Lane

Claudia Germain Takes the Helm

As the new school year opened, Powell’s Lane School in Westbury, a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, welcomed Claudia M. Germain as its new principal. Germain has replaced long-time Principal John Olgilvie, who retired, and under whose leadership Powell’s Lane was designated a New York State School of Excellence and National Blue Ribbon School.

Germain comes to Powell’s Lane with 19 years of experience in education. She was a teacher in the New York City Public Schools for approximately 15 years, and then served as an assistant principal in the Copiague School District for four years. In Copiague, she also served at the Copiague Middle School and at Deauville Gardens Elementary School.

Suozzi Proposes ‘90/10 Solution’ for ‘New Suburbia’

Says Targeted Growth Would Preserve Suburbs, Lower Taxes

County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi held a meeting at Nassau Coliseum to present his plan for a “New Suburbia” in Nassau, proposing that strategic development of 10 percent of the county would help preserve in the other 90 percent, “all that is good about suburban life.” He addressed and then took questions from community leaders, government officials, civic groups and business interests, all of whom were called upon to join the “90/10 Coalition,” which will collectively address the four major problems in this county - property taxes, a lack of young people, traffic congestion and pockets of poverty. The group will help maintain things like single family homes, low crime, good schools, parks and open spaces, while also planning “mega projects” - like the redevelopment of Nassau Coliseum and the Glen Cove Waterfront, meant to create industry, jobs and sales tax - and “cool downtowns,” which would bring young people back into Nassau.

“More than 60 years after Levittown, Nassau County has stopped growing. We are suburban sprawled and there is nowhere else to go. We’re seeing an exodus of young people - a brain drain of our next generation, we pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation, our roads are choked with traffic, and pockets of poverty are putting a strain on our economy. We must address these problems,” said Suozzi. “We can do that and still preserve what we love most about living in Nassau County. We have great schools, parks and open spaces, beautiful North Shore waterfronts and South Shore beaches, low crime, and low unemployment, all within a stone’s throw of New York City. New Suburbia won’t change any of that.”