Fire district elections pick new commissioners across LI

Fire district residents voted in commissioner races and on spending referendums across Long Island on Tuesday.

Among the contested races, Kevin Bennett won a five-year term as fire commissioner in the Meadowmere district, while Les Saltzman was elected to a five-year term in Franklin Square and Munson.

In Bethpage, Pat Stramandinoli won a two-year term as fire commissioner; in Bellmore, John Podolski won a five-year term; and in Inwood, Frank Parise won a five-year term.

Former Hicksville Fire District Commissioner Robert Dwyer defeated incumbent Michael A. Azzue. In Bayport, Stanley Gillette defeated Edgar Borrero. Neither were incumbents. In East Islip, Jerry Leigh beat Matthew Maroney, with neither being incumbents.

Keith Miller defeated incumbent Thomas Connors and fellow challenger Matthew Taylor for a five-year seat on the Islip Terrace board of commissioners. In Islip, incumbent Fred E. Herrmann defeated challenger Carmine V. Paolicelli.

In the Riverhead Fire District, Mark Conklin was re-elected to the five-year term over two write-in candidates. Conklin, who serves as vice chairman of the board, was the only candidate officially on the ballot.

In Manorville, Larry Brown Jr. defeated incumbent Thomas Costello for a five-year seat. The Mattituck Fire District election resulted in James Roache defeating Robert Shaw for a five-year term to replace current chairman Greg Dickerson, who did not seek re-election.

In the Southold Fire District race, Ron Butkovich was elected to his first term on the board of commissioners. In Medford, challenger Eric J. Rotermund unseated incumbent Richard J. Piquette for a five-year term.

Sanford Friemann won his fifth five-year term on the Cutchogue Board of Fire Commissioners. Two write-in candidates each won two votes while 29 votes were voided, according to fire district officials.

Mount Sinai Commissioner James Hansen won a new five-year term, defeating challenger Thomas J. O’Brie. District residents also voted, 103-52, to approve a proposition authorizing the installment purchase of a 107-foot aerial pumper truck.

Residents of the Copiague Fire District voted 57-7 to approve a $1.5-million bond issue for facility repairs.

Deer Park Fire District officials did not respond to requests for information Wednesday on the outcome of Tuesday’s vote on a ballot proposition to offer a “length of service” award worth $800 per month to volunteers ages 60 and older who have served 40 years or more in the department. Sean Abrams, a former fire chief, won a commission spot in North Massapequa.

North Patchogue Commissioner John Kirshey was defeated by challenger Thomas Volpe for a five-year term. Ridge Commissioner David Hellberg was elected to a new five-year term, defeating Allan Pearsall.

In Sound Beach, Jeffrey Vlack defeated John Hoffman in a contest to replace commissioner Bob Pulick, and in Terryville, Edward O’Shaughnessy defeated Leonard Spier to replace commissioner Eileen Antignano, who did not seek re-election.

Wading River Commissioner Randy Hintze was unseated by Michael Harrigan for a five-year term.

Challenger William Reynolds defeated incumbent Nicholas Macedonio in the race for a five-year seat in the Northport Fire District.

In the only contested race in North Hempstead Town, challenger Ernest Gentile defeated incumbent John Waldron for a five-year term on the New Hyde Park board of commissioners.

In Farmingville, Sal Russo defeated Alex Wilson for an open five-year seat on the board of commissioners. In Gordon Heights, incumbent Joyce Boyd defeated challengers Ursula Johnson and James Kelly for a five-year term. Joseph Castiglione defeated George Stenby for an open five-year seat in Holtsville. And in Mastic, incumbent Christopher Del Vecchio defeated challenger John Dolezal for a five-year seat.

In Deer Park, Christopher Schiavo was elected commissioner for Fire District 14. A proposition to offer a “length of service” award worth $800 a month to volunteers age 60 and older who have served 40 years or more in the department passed 75-6.