Standing Tall After More Than 70 Years

Local VFW Continues to Service Village; New Members Welcome

For many, Memorial Day evokes happy images of cheering citizens and fluttering flags massed along the route of a community parade, followed often by a barbequed meal of classic American fare being shared with family and friends in a sunny backyard setting. The holiday’s very atmosphere invariably seems to reinvigorate entire communities with a healthy dose of patriotism. Yet there is another essential ingredient of this cherished observance, albeit largely as a force that works behind the scenes, which has certainly made its munificent presence felt in Westbury throughout the years: the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).

Lanzilotta Seeks To Have Westbury BOE Candidates Removed from Ballot

A special election for two vacant seats on the Westbury Board of Education was scheduled to take place on June 23 but, at press time Monday, the validity of two candidates was being challenged.

On June 19, Rocco Lanzilotta filed a Notice of Petition against the board and district superintendent Dr. Constance Clark-Snead requesting two of the candidates be removed from the ballot on the grounds that their candidacy is a violation of New York State Education Law.

Federal Grand Jury Indicts Corbin

Legislator Enters Not-Guilty Plea, Will Stand Trial

Nassau County Legislator Roger Corbin entered a plea of “not guilty” before Magistrate Judge William D. Wall of the U.S. District Court in Central Islip on June 9. In doing so, Corbin, who was indicted June 2 by a federal grand jury after turning down a plea deal late last month, will stand a trial by jury. His unsecured personal recognizance bond remains in effect.

According to the indictment, Corbin, 62, is charged with three counts of fraud for allegedly filing false federal income taxes for years 2005, 2006 and 2007 and one count of lying to federal agents. The Westbury legislator was arrested May 6 following a federal complaint that he evaded taxes on some $226,000 received over the aforementioned years from a New Cassel housing project developer and lied to special agents from Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service when questioned about the monies.

Special Election to Fill Westbury BOE Vacancies June 23

The second board of education election in as many months will take place Tuesday, June 23 in the Westbury School District in an effort to fill two vacant seats.

Elections on the Westbury Board of Education are at-large and, in 2008, Adelaide Brinson and Laura Pierce received the two highest vote totals, but candidate Rocco Lanzilotta, who lost by 10 votes waged a lawsuit against the district. In March, New York State Education Commissioner Richard Mills ruled in Lanzilotta’s favor, overturning the 2008 trustee vote. As a result, both Brinson and Pierce were removed as school board trustees.

Handbook Focuses on Church Etiquette

In March, Westbury resident Linda J. Williams, a certified etiquette consultant, published her first book, Church Etiquette: A Handbook for Manners and Appropriate Behavior in Church. According to amazon.com, the 80-page handbook is geared at helping “leaders and members of houses of worship understand and implement appropriate rules of behavior during services and other activities.”

Government Consolidation Bill Passes Assembly, Senate

Law Would Give Residents, County Power To Dissolve

A government consolidation law to streamline the process to dissolve villages, towns and special districts passed overwhelmingly in the New York State Assembly and Senate and now awaits Governor David Paterson’s signature.

The legislation, dubbed the New N.Y. Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act, was introduced by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver at the behest of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and sponsored in the Senate by Majority Leader Malcolm Smith. According to proponents, it is a “bipartisan legislative initiative” aimed at reducing costs for taxpayers by encouraging local government efficiency through consolidation.

Senators Urge Passage of Sex Offender E-Notification Legislation

New York State Senator Craig M. Johnson (D-Nassau) this week called for the passage of important legislation that will enable concerned parents and residents to receive instant email alerts every time a sex offender moves into their ZIP code.

“Every parent would want to know if a danger lurks in their neighborhood,” Senator Johnson said. “This commonsense measure will use existing technology to enhance our current system and proactively alert residents when a dangerous sexual predator moves into their community.”

Corbin Turns Down Plea Offer

Nassau County Legislator Roger Corbin has turned down a plea offer on charges that he allegedly filed false federal tax returns and lied to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) special agents.

On May 6, FBI and IRS agents arrested 62-year-old Corbin after a federal investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office – Eastern District alleged that he received some $226,000 from a New Cassel developer, deposited the money into his personal bank accounts and did not claim the proceeds on his federal income taxes for years 2005, 2006 and 2007. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is also claiming that Corbin lied to FBI and IRS agents about how the money was used during a November 2008 interview.

Village of Westbury Adopts 2009-2010 Spending Plan

The Incorporated Village of Westbury adopted its 2009-2010 budget last month. The $7,182,025 spending plan is $379,303 less than the current year’s budget of $7,561,326.

The budget contains a tax rate of $16.125 per thousand dollars of assessed value as opposed to the $15.074 rate in 2008-2009 for a 6.97 year-to-year increase. As a result, a typical homeowner (with a home assessed at $7,250) will pay an additional $76.19 in village taxes for an average tax bill of $1,169.06; for 2008-2009, the average village tax bill was $1,092.87.

Second Petition Filed Against Superintendent

School District:  Claims are ‘Baseless’ and ‘Frivolous’

A second petition has been filed with the New York State Education Department against Westbury Superintendent of Schools Dr. Constance Clark-Snead.

On May 20, Westbury Board of Education Trustee Larry Wornum filed a petition with State Education Commissioner Richard Mills requesting Clark-Snead be removed from position as superintendent. Wornum, who has been outspoken about district and school board decisions over the past two years, said that several issues over the course of his tenure on the board led him to take the action.