Westbury Board Seated Again

Family, friends and Westbury residents came out to celebrate as mayor Peter Cavallaro and trustees Joan Boes and William Wise were sworn in for another term at a recent ceremony at Village Hall. 

A Gift For Westbury

State Senator Jack Martins announced that the Westbury School district will receive an additional $3 million dollars in state aid, which will hopefully help the district meet its tax cap requirements. In a meeting with editors at Anton Community Newspapers in Mineola last week, Martins announced that the high needs district will be receiving over $35 million in state aid, opposed to the $32 million the district was expecting. 

School Board President Rodney Caines said that while the district is doing everything possible to stay under the cap, he is unsure whether the additional funding will be enough to make up for the deficit. 

Westbury Slams Avanti

Post Avenue will be a little quieter on weekends, after the Board of Trustees unanimously voted not to renew a special use permit for Avanti Night Club. The facility will remain open, but can no longer operate as a nightclub or serve alcohol.

Avanti’s last permit was renewed March 2, 2012 with 13 terms and conditions. While George Duffy claimed that his client, owner Barry Ceriano, had adhered to those conditions to the best of his ability, the board had reason to believe otherwise.  

Staying Home In Westbury

PL Developments expands to Cantiague Rock Rd. Facility 

After casting about for a new corporate home elsewhere, pharmaceutical manufacturer PL Developments has decided to remain in Westbury, spending $8.1 million to design and renovate a factory at 609-2 Cantiague Rock Road, which it plans to use as its headquarters and warehouse distribution space. 

The company currently employs about 550 people in its New York office and expects to add 150 more with the expansion.

CHIPS For Better Roads

Swerving to avoid potholes may become less of a problem this year, as Westbury was recently given over $250,000 in funds to maintain roads and highways. Senator Jack Martins recently announced that as lawmakers are finalizing the state budget, the plan includes a significant amount of increased funding for CHIPS (Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program) funding. This funding will allow local governments to support repairs to highways, bridges and roads. 

Bristal Honors Veteran, Young Artists

Peter Cerreta, an 88-year-old veteran and retiree of NASA was recently honored by The Bristal in Westbury and elder law firm Genser Dubow Genser & Cona (GDGC).  A resident of the assisted living facility, Cerreta was joined by his nieces and nephews at the event. 

Cerreta was recognized for his service during World War 2 as well as his thoughtful and generous character. 

Mayor, Again

Cavallaro Looks To Future After Uncontested Victory

Incumbent Peter Cavallaro will serve a second four year term as Westbury’s mayor, after winning an uncontested victory in recent village elections. 

Cavallaro plans to build on his old foundation as well as working toward making Westbury a cultural hub.  

From Ripped Tights To Lincoln Center

Westbury native joins the Paul Taylor Dance Company 

The word “quit” isn’t in Christina Markham’s vocabulary. The Westbury native has pursued her dream of becoming a dancer despite numerous rejections, and that resilience has paid off. Markham, who has been dancing for almost 20 years, was recently appointed to the prestigious Paul Taylor Dance Company, which performs at Lincoln Center every year.

Her interest in dance was first piqued after seeing a ballet on PBS when she was 12 years old. She was immediately captivated. Her parents soon enrolled her at ballet classes at Dancin’ Place in Carle Place. On her first day of class, she remembers ripping her tights.

Weitzman Redux?

Howard Weitzman decided he wasn’t done being Nassau County comptroller. 

Weitzman, who was county comptroller from 2001 to 2009, is running again for the position, saying that he can bring a much-needed transparency and change to Nassau County’s finances. 

Budget Up, Taxes Down

The proposed budget for the Westbury Public Library includes  a $31,000 increase, but taxpayers need not to worry: they will actually be paying less.

“We did really well this past year in terms of carefully saving money so we ended up with a surplus,” said library director Cathleen Towey. “Our board of trustees decided to take a certain amount of money from the surplus, to supplement the needs of the budget and keep costs low.”