 Dozens of villages across Long Island are holding elections on March 19. 

News

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Freeport's controversial Mayor Andrew Hardwick was ousted Tuesday night by his former running mate, trustee Robert Kennedy, capping a heated and dramatic campaign that veered into court at one point and invoked the president of the United States at another. 
 The highlight of a slate of village elections across <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a> Tuesday, the Freeport race included a challenge in <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> County Supreme Court to Kennedy's eligibility to run for office -- he was cleared -- and charges that a campaign flier distributed by Hardwick's team incorrectly claimed he had the "support" of <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">President Barack Obama</a>. <a href="/topics//Democratic_National_Committee">Democratic National Committee</a> officials said <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">Obama</a> had not endorsed Hardwick. 
 Kennedy said Tuesday night he's looking forward to putting the brutal campaign behind him and getting to work. 
 "We're going to turn the village around, and move forward in a positive direction," he said. 
 Kennedy's running mates -- sitting trustee Carmen Piñeyro, another former Hardwick running mate, and Ron Ellerbe -- also won two trustee seats. They defeated Annette Dennis and James Caracciolo, on Hardwick's line. 
 "Our community is going to begin to heal after a brutal election fight, that at the end brought our community together," Piñeyro said, adding, "I'm just glad it's over." 
 Caracciolo said, "It was a fair race and that's the way it goes in this business. They got more voters than we did." 
 Hardwick was not immediately available for comment. 
 Ten other villages had contested elections. All results are unofficial. 
 &nbsp; 
 <a href="/topics//Munsey_Park,_NY">MUNSEY PARK</a> 
 Challenger defeats 17-year mayor 
 The longtime mayor of <a href="/topics//Munsey_Park,_NY">Munsey Park</a> was also toppled by a newcomer in a rare contested election, where a slate of newcomers upset incumbents including 17-year mayor Harry Nicolaides, who lost to challenger Frank DeMento. 
 In the race for two trustee seats, challengers Sean Haggerty and Patrick Hance defeated incumbents Albert Jaronczyk and Sheila Brennan. 
 "Sean, Patrick and I were all very satisfied that we won tonight," DeMento said. "The other side ran a great campaign . . . I think they should be thanked for their service," he said. 
 &nbsp; 
 <a href="/topics//Amityville,_NY">AMITYVILLE</a> 
 Ex-zoning official wins mayoral race 
 Former zoning board of appeals chairman James P. Wandell won the mayor's seat, after running on a platform charging that the current administration has raised taxes too high because of unwise spending. 
 He defeated two trustees, Edward C. Johnson and Peter M. Casserly, who argued the village's roughly $700,000 budget deficit would be closed or diminished if the village is paid money they say it is owed by <a href="/topics//Suffolk_County,_NY">Suffolk</a> County and the developer of an unfinished condominium project. 
 Kevin P. Smith and Jessica T. Bernius won two trustee seats, defeating Joseph G. Morin, Bruce Jenney, Charles A. Walters, and Peter G. Himmelmann. 
 "We've got a lot of work ahead of us and we're going to start digging in immediately," Wandell said. 
 Casserly, who said he will serve out the two years remaining in his term as trustee, praised Wandell for running an effective campaign but said incumbents had been hurt by the poor economy. 
 Smith said, "People were looking for some sort of a change and I'm going to be a part of it." 
 &nbsp; 
 HEMPSTEAD 
 Mayor Hall, trustee running mates win 
 Incumbent Mayor Wayne J. Hall Sr. won his third term, defeating six challengers, including trustee Perry M. Pettus, deputy mayor Henry Conyers and former Mayor James A. Garner, who finished second. 
 Hall's running mates -- Luis Figueroa and Waylyn Hobbs -- also emerged with victories in a 10-way race for two trustee seats. Ayesha Brantley, also on Hall's slate, was elected village justice. 
 "We did it again," Hall said. "After all this stuff that was put out about us, the people voted us in . . . The Village of <a href="/topics//Hempstead,_NY">Hempstead</a> is moving forward. We will focus on the downtown redevelopment." 
 Garner, the former 16-year mayor, said, "I congratulate Mayor Hall for doing a good job. The people have spoken. I wish him well on the redevelopment of the village." 
 &nbsp; 
 <a href="/topics//Stewart_Manor,_NY">STEWART MANOR</a> 
 <a href="/topics//John_Egan">Egan</a>, Onorato win; Schafenberg loses 
 The mayor's seat was uncontested. Incumbent <a href="/topics//John_Egan">John Egan</a> and challenger Michael Onorato defeated Mary Carole Schafenberg for two trustee seats. 
 &nbsp; 
 <a href="/topics//Mastic_Beach,_NY">MASTIC BEACH</a> 
 Bissonette loses 
 trustee seat 
 Longtime resident Nicholas Busa, who ran on an anti-<a href="/topics//Absentee_(musician)">absentee</a> landlord platform and helped persuade residents to vote to incorporate the village in 2010, and incumbent trustee Gary Stiriz edged out incumbent trustee Carol Bissonette for two board seats. The mayor's seat held by Bill Biondi was uncontested. 
 &nbsp; 
 <a href="/topics//Head_of_the_Harbor,_NY">HEAD OF THE HARBOR</a> 
 White, Dahlgard 
 defeat Naughton 
 Newcomer Daniel White and incumbent trustee Douglas Dahlgard defeated incumbent J. Ted Naughton for two open seats on the village board. 
 &nbsp; 
 FLOWER HILL 
 Two incumbents, newcomer win 
 Longtime resident Dr. Roy Nelson lost to incumbents Tab Hauser and Robert McNamara and their running mate, newcomer Eileen Mills, for three trustee seats. 
 &nbsp; 
 SADDLE ROCK 
 Incumbents top 
 two challengers 
 While the mayor's seat was uncontested, incumbents David Schwartz and Mark Collins beat challengers Hamid Sharifiazad and Shlomo Zenou for two trustee seats. 
 &nbsp; 
 GREENPORT 
 Phillips, Robins win, 
 Swiskey beaten 
 Incumbent Mary Bess Phillips and Julia Robins beat challenger Bill Swiskey for two trustee seats. 
 &nbsp; 
 MINEOLA 
 Veteran trustee Werther defeated 
 Longtime trustee Larry Werther was ousted from his seat, as incumbent trustee George Durham and newcomer Dennis <a href="/topics//Dennis_Walsh">Walsh</a> claimed the two trustee positions. 
 Werther, the longtime New Line Party member and trustee -- and briefly, mayor -- was dropped from his party's ticket. The party named Walsh, a retired New York City police officer, as his replacement in December, after which Werther mounted an independent bid. 
 Durham said the vote signaled that residents "want a board that can work together. That's a decisive factor in the village, that the board has to be able to work together. They didn't want an indecisive board," he said. 
 The campaign involved spirited exchanges between Werther and the mayor, Scott Strauss, who was uncontested. "Larry Werther's done a lot of good things for the village," Durham said. "He had a long run, and I wish him all the best." 
 With Aisha Al-Muslim, Jennifer Barrios, Scott Eidler, Mackenzie Issler, Nicholas Spangler and Patrick Whittle

TOELEX20

Local elections: a mayoral upset in Freeport

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Voters across <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a> are heading to the polls Tuesday to elect village officials -- mayors, members of boards of trustees and village justices. 
 Eleven villages have contested elections, highlighted by fiercely contentious races in <a href="/topics//Hempstead,_NY">Hempstead</a> and <a href="/topics//Freeport,_NY">Freeport</a>, the two most populous villages in the state. More than 30 additional villages have uncontested elections. 
 Other villages with contested elections are Flower Hill, <a href="/topics//Mineola,_NY">Mineola</a>, <a href="/topics//Munsey_Park,_NY">Munsey Park</a>, Saddle Rock and <a href="/topics//Stewart_Manor,_NY">Stewart Manor</a> in <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> County and <a href="/topics//Amityville,_NY">Amityville</a>, <a href="/topics//Greenport,_NY">Greenport</a>, <a href="/topics//Head_of_the_Harbor,_NY">Head of the Harbor</a> and <a href="/topics//Mastic_Beach,_NY">Mastic Beach</a> in <a href="/topics//Suffolk_County,_NY">Suffolk</a>. 
 In <a href="/topics//Freeport,_NY">Freeport</a>, incumbent Mayor Andrew Hardwick is defending his seat against trustee Robert Kennedy, a former running mate. There also are two trustee seats open. Annette Dennis and James Caracciolo are running with Hardwick on the <a href="/topics//Freeport,_NY">Freeport</a> First Party line, while sitting trustee Carmen Piñeyro and Ron Ellerbe are on Kennedy's Unity Home Rule Party slate. 
 The election in <a href="/topics//Hempstead,_NY">Hempstead</a> features seven candidates for mayor, 10 candidates for two trustee positions and five candidates for the village justice position. The mayoral race includes incumbent Wayne J. Hall Sr. on the Moving Forward Party line, trustee Perry M. Pettus on the Pettus Team Party line, Deputy Mayor Henry Conyers on the Village First Party slate, former Mayor James A. Garner on the Unity Party line, former village justice Lance D. Clarke on the Good Government Party ticket, businesswoman and community activist Theresa A. Drye on the Change Now Party line and village employee and former high school star athlete Warren Stith Jr. on the Community Party line. 
 Polling hours vary by village but most polls close at 9 p.m.

TOELEX19.WEB

Polls opening across LI in village elections

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After months of contentious campaigning, Freeport's mayoral candidates finally reached agreement: The village's priority is rebuilding from superstorm Sandy.
The rare accord between Mayor Andrew Hardwick and his challenger, trustee Robert Kennedy, came during a candidate forum Thursday night.
Kennedy, 58, opened the forum by saying the village must "resolve the flooding issue down south," which has plagued Freeport since before flooding and wind from Sandy damaged hundreds of homes and businesses in the South Shore village.
Hardwick, 55, followed by concurring that recovering from Sandy and protecting against future disasters is the village's prime task.
" 'Post-Sandy' has become our way of life," he said. "We're going to have to address it because it's never going away."
The forum, during which the candidates made statements and took questions from the crowd, was not without quarrel.
Hardwick, first elected in 2009, trumpeted his plan for a forensic audit of village finances -- something he has repeatedly called for and village trustees have consistently shot down.
"It's your money," he told the crowd.
Kennedy, who is giving up his trustee seat to run for mayor, said state auditors have made clear that a forensic audit is unnecessary.
"If you want to go on another witch hunt, have at it," Kennedy said, adding that the audit would cost thousands of dollars.
The forum was the candidates' last public debate before Tuesday's election. It occurred near the end of a heated campaign that began in December, several weeks earlier than a typical village election campaign, and pitted former allies of Hardwick and Kennedy against each other.
The forum also took place a day after Hardwick's opponents criticized him for a flier that claimed he had the support of <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">President Barack Obama</a>. <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">Obama</a> has not endorsed Hardwick, a spokesman for the <a href="/topics//Democratic_National_Committee">Democratic National Committee</a> said Wednesday.
Hardwick and Kennedy are each running with two trustee candidates, who are competing for two seats on the board. The trustees also participated in the forum.
Hardwick is running with trustee candidates James Caracciolo, a former deputy commissioner of <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> County parks, and Annette Dennis, a <a href="/topics//National_Grid">National Grid</a> employee. 
Kennedy is running with Carmen Pineyro, a sitting trustee, and Ron Ellerbe, a retired <a href="/topics//New_York_Police_Department">New York Police Department</a> officer.
"We should try to unite, not divide," Pineyro said during the forum.
Freeport <a href="/topics//Roosevelt,_NY">Roosevelt</a> NAACP hosted the forum, which was held at Freeport Memorial Library and attended by about 300 people.

Long Island

Nassau

TOFREE15

Freeport mayor candidates face off in forum

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This year's contest for Hempstead Village mayor, two trustee seats and the village justice position has resulted in a heavily contested election, with 22 candidates on eight party tickets on the ballot. 
 Seven candidates are running for mayor in Tuesday's elections, including the current mayor, a former mayor, a former village judge and two incumbent trustees -- both of whom previously had been running mates of the current mayor. Ten candidates are vying for two trustee seats, while five candidates are challenging each other for one village justice seat. 
 &nbsp; 
 MAYORAL CANDIDATES 
 Incumbent Mayor Wayne J. Hall Sr., 66, who has served on the village board for 14 years, including two terms as mayor, is running for re-election on the Moving Forward Party line. Hall, who has lived in the village for 35 years, said he would continue to focus on improving the village's fiscal stability, transforming Hempstead into a thriving commercial and residential hub through the downtown revitalization project and attracting development that will create permanent jobs, mixed-income housing and cultural amenities. He also wants to improve public safety and increase services for youth and seniors, he said. 
 "The village has been fiscally solvent for the last six years," Hall said. "We've had no deficits. We're looking to continue having the Village of Hempstead being financially stable and we want to continue to move the village forward." 
 Deputy Mayor Henry Conyers, 61, who has served on the village board for eight years, is challenging Hall on the Village First Party line. Conyers, a retired state correction officer who has lived in the village for 40 years, said he would work to create jobs, direct the police department to do more foot patrols, provide more street lighting to help deter crime and get more involved in what he said was the low-performing Hempstead school district. 
 "A mayor, if he truly understands his obligation, would automatically realize anything negatively impacting the taxpayer's quality of life also impacts the mayor," Conyers said. 
 Trustee Perry M. Pettus, 56, who owns several local repair and collision businesses, including a towing company in the village, is running on the Pettus Team Party line. The 49-year village resident, who has served on the village board since 2002, said he will work to stabilize taxes, bring jobs to the village, provide a safer community for residents and improve the quality of life in Hempstead. 
 "It's time for a change," Pettus said. "We need to improve the village. The quality of life has went down and the crime is just out of control right now." 
 Longtime former Mayor James A. Garner, 67, who is a <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> County deputy comptroller, is running on the Unity Party line. Garner, who has lived in the village since 1969, said he would focus on economic development, job creation, youth investment, tax relief and making the community safer. He said crime has risen during Hall's tenure, citing <a href="/topics//Federal_Bureau_of_Investigation">FBI</a> statistics that show a 31 percent increase in the total number of violent crimes committed in Hall's second term compared with his first. 
 "Hempstead is going in the wrong directions. The team that I have chosen will reset the compass to put it on course for the right direction," said Garner, adding that he was mayor for 16 years and a trustee for four years. 
 Hall cited village police department statistics that show overall crime in the village is down more than 12 percent from 2010, which had 1,104 incidents, to 965 incidents in 2012. 
 "They are doing selective statistics and they are trying to skew the truth," Hall said. 
 Former village justice and 15-year trustee Lance D. Clarke, 60, who is an attorney with his own firm in the village, is running for the second time for mayor, on the Good Government Party line. Clarke, who has lived in the village for 31 years, said he would fight to change the state sales tax revenue-sharing formula so that Hempstead would receive a "fair" share. He also would seek to amend the payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) law so that the Town of Hempstead and <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> County industrial development agencies cannot award a PILOT agreement within the village's borders without authorization from the village board, he said. 
 Clarke, a volunteer with the local fire department for 22 years, said he would work to reduce crime through development of a walk-and-ride patrol program and increase the number of village police officers. He also would develop capital improvement plans, improve street cleaning, create a resident permit-parking program and advocate for more after-school and youth programs. 
 Theresa A. Drye, 51, chief operations officer of her family's independent senior living home business, is running on the Change Now Party line. The lifelong village resident, who is running for the first time, has been a community activist for 25 years and served as past president of Democracy Inspiring Voter Awareness, a women's group dedicated to increasing community activism. Drye said she would work to establish fiscal accountability, improve the quality of life, make streets safer and create affordable housing, economic opportunity and jobs. 
 Warren Stith Jr., 44, a maintenance worker for 20 years with the village parks and recreation department, is running for the first time, by himself on the Community Party line. The village native and former star quarterback for Hempstead High School in the 1980s said he wants to keep streets clean, make village workers accountable to residents and improve youth and senior programs, as well as build more youth facilities. 
 "We have a lot of situations with kids on the streets with no place to go, and seniors need to feel safe inside our community," Stith said. "I grew up through these programs and the population of the village is growing." 
 &nbsp; 
 TRUSTEES 
 Incumbent trustee Livio Rosario, 60, a <a href="/topics//Metropolitan_Transportation_Authority">Metropolitan Transportation Authority</a> bus driver, is a former running mate of Hall now running on the opposing Village First Party line. The 15-year resident, who has been a trustee for four years, said he would address public safety and quality-of-life issues and would make sure that the village uses electronic scanners and electronic identification cards that track employees' hours and work schedules; the scanners, he said, are in place but not employed. 
 "I want to get a grasp on our policing proactive approach and ensure that our public safety and enforcement agencies develop an affinity with our residents," said Rosario, citing the same statistics referenced by Garner. 
 Tia Morris, 43, an import specialist for a contractor of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, also is running on Conyers' Village First Party line. The 15-year village resident said she would increase the police presence in local business and residential areas, provide job opportunities for residents, create more recreational activities and youth programs, install brighter lights and beautify the village with more trees and flowers and cleaner streets. 
 Luis Figueroa, 58, owner of a local travel agency and a retired Con Edison employee, is running for the first time, on Hall's Moving Forward Party line. The 29-year resident, who is vice chairman of the Hempstead Hispanic Civic Association, said he would target wasteful spending, improve village finances, see the downtown revitalization project through to completion and promote a more transparent government. 
 Waylyn Hobbs, 50, senior pastor of <a href="/topics//Coney_Island,_NY">Coney Island</a> Cathedral Church in Brooklyn, is also running on the Moving Forward Party line. The 40-year village resident, who is vice president of the local board of education and a lieutenant with the volunteer fire department, said he would strive to reduce crime, taxes and <a href="/topics//Unemployment">unemployment</a> rates. 
 Sally A. Thompson, 67, a retired Hempstead school district administrator and a consultant with the <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> State Education Department, is running with Garner on the Unity Party line. The 21-year resident said she would help promote economic development, jobs for village residents and safer streets by targeting drug dealers, and would provide more after-school activities, tutoring services and cultural programs. She said she would also work to provide tax relief for residents so they can maintain their homes, saying she deplores the sight of neighbors being foreclosed and boarded-up homes on many blocks in the village. 
 Kenneth Arroyo Roldan, 48, chief executive and managing partner of an executive search firm that looks for minority candidates to fill corporate jobs, is running on the Unity Party line. The eight-year resident said he would focus on spurring new commercial development projects that would reduce the burden on homeowners who pay property taxes and create new jobs for village residents. He also would create more children's programs and institute measures to fight crime, address gang violence and get drugs off the streets. 
 Iris D. Atkinson-Kirkland, 62, an emergency and financial management expert, is running on the Pettus Team Party line. The 20-year resident said she would use her business and accounting experience in reviewing the village budget to better use tax dollars, and would be accessible to residents and work with the county to develop youth and training programs. 
 George Knight, 64, a financial services representative, is running on the Pettus Team Party line. Knight, who has lived in the village since 1988, said he would address crime, provide more after-school programs, target <a href="/topics//Unemployment">unemployment</a>, hold down taxes, repair streets and enforce village codes. 
 CathyJo Hunt-Edmonston, 53, a registered nurse and nursing administrator at a rehabilitation facility in <a href="/topics//Far_Rockaway,_NY">Far Rockaway</a>, is running on Drye's Change Now Party line. Hunt-Edmonston, who has been a resident of Hempstead since 1977, has served on the board of Hempstead Dale House Community Center. Hunt-Edmonston said she would address <a href="/topics//Unemployment">unemployment</a>, which she said is the root of the village's high crime rate. She also would investigate the community benefits agreement with the master developer of the downtown redevelopment project and make sure that 25 percent of the jobs promised will go to village residents. She also would take a closer look at the current budget and cut unnecessary expenses, she said. 
 Guillermo Calle, 50, a former engineering consultant who supervises a project designed to increase awareness of local environmental issues among residents, is also running on the Change Now Party line. Calle, who has lived in the village since 1981, is a veteran of the U.S. <a href="/topics//United_States_Military_Academy">Army</a> <a href="/topics//National_Guard">National Guard</a> and a community activist focusing on commerce and social and environmental issues. Calle's campaign provided biographical information, but he did not return calls seeking details about his campaign platform. 
 &nbsp; 
 VILLAGE JUSTICE 
 Ayesha Brantley, 33, works in New <a href="/topics//York,_PA">York</a> City Family Court as a child protection court attorney and as a prosecutor in Hempstead Village Court. A Bronx native, she has lived in the village for eight years and is on the Moving Forward Party slate. She has a bachelor's degree from <a href="/topics//Cornell_University">Cornell University</a> and a law degree from the <a href="/topics//Pennsylvania_Quakers_(basketball)">University of Pennsylvania</a>. Brantley serves on the executive boards of the New Hempstead Democratic Club and of Jack and Jill of <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> County. 
 Paul R. Delle, 61, is an attorney in private practice running on the Unity Party line. He grew up in <a href="/topics//Levittown,_NY">Levittown</a> and Garden City and has lived in Hempstead Village for 37 years. He has a bachelor's degree and a law degree, both from <a href="/topics//Hofstra_University">Hofstra University</a>. Delle served as an assistant district attorney in <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> County from 1987 to 1996. He has also served as counsel to the <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> City Police Benevolent Assocation and as a deputy village attorney in Sea Cliff. He owned a delicatessen in the village from 1976 to 1991. 
 Lawrence Goldstein, 88, is a lawyer with his own practice in Hempstead who had a previous stint as Hempstead village justice that ended in 2001. A former resident of the Bronx and Brooklyn, he has lived in Hempstead for 40 years and is running on the Justice Party line. He received a bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College and a law degree from Brooklyn Law School. An <a href="/topics//United_States_Military_Academy">Army</a> combat veteran who served in World War II, he helped found the Little League in Hempstead; a field in Kennedy Park is named for him. He formerly chaired the Hempstead Cancer Society and is a member of the NAACP. 
 Vernadette Horne is director of career and professional development at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at <a href="/topics//Hofstra_University">Hofstra University</a>. Horne, 52, has lived in Hempstead for 15 years. She previously served as associate director of career services at Brooklyn Law School. Before that, she was an attorney specializing in asbestos litigation. She received a bachelor's degree from Hunter College and a law degree from the University of Maryland. Horne is a member of the <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> County Bar Association, the <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> County Women's Bar Association and the Amistad Long Island Black Bar Association. She also serves as a mentor at Alverta B.G. Schultz Middle School in Hempstead. 
 Casilda E. Roper-Simpson, 50, is an attorney and adjunct professor at Molloy College. She graduated from Baruch College and received a law degree from Brooklyn Law School. She is running on the Perry Pettus line. A Brooklyn native, she has lived in Hempstead for 18 years. She is a former president and board member of the Hempstead Boys and Girls Club, former president and trustee of the Uniondale board of education and also has served as president of the Duncan Estate Civic Association. She ran unsuccessfully for the State Senate in 2011. 
 &nbsp; 
 Voting will be Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at&nbsp;12 polling locations throughout the village. 
 - With Nicole Fuller

TOHEMP15

Hempstead elections: 22 candidates, eight tickets

Longtime Mastic Beach resident and political newcomer Nicholas Busa helped persuade residents to vote to incorporate the village in 2010. Now he wants to assist in leading it. 
 The 24-year resident is running against incumbent trustees Gary Stiriz and Carol Bissonette for two seats in Tuesday's election. 
 Busa, 60, said his top priority is cracking down on <a href="/topics//Absentee_(musician)">absentee</a> landlords who haven't taken care of their tenants or properties. 
 "Everyone should have a nice house to live in whether you're on public assistance or not," said Busa, who spent eight years as a <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> State marshal and nearly 30 years as a <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> County Court officer. "Landlords aren't taking care of their homes and tenants and some of these houses seem disgraceful." 
 Stiriz said helping Sandy victims get federal funds to rebuild and lift homes above flood levels are his most pressing issues. 
 "We want to help the residents who had their homes damaged in Sandy," especially along the waterfront, said Stiriz, whose own home was flooded in the storm. "There are an awful lot of frustrated residents and so far, not much has come forth for them." 
 Bissonette spent two years on the <a href="/topics//Brookhaven,_NY">Brookhaven</a> Town Council and was appointed to the Mastic Beach trustee board by Mayor Bill Biondi in 2011. 
 She's pushing for a long-term plan addressing revitalization and quality of life. 
 "We have yet to put out a plan to address basic issues such as paving roads, replacing missing street signs and attracting new businesses with incentives," she said. 
 In an interview, Busa said Bissonette does not work hard and is not visible in the community. 
 "In order for the village to move forward, we need people who are going to be in the game. You have to be around," said Busa, adding he has visited Village Hall every day for several months and has seen every trustee of the five-member board except her. 
 "I don't go around patting myself on my back," Bissonette responded. "People will know that I did something good for them and that's all that counts." 
 The two incumbents touted their work on the board. 
 As liaison to the department of public works, Stiriz praised the village's quick snowplow response to last month's blizzard. 
 "We had a definite plan, we followed the plan and it worked beautiful," Stiriz said. 
 He also takes credit for spearheading the village's five-year, $1.2 million <a href="/topics//Garbage_(band)">garbage</a> contract he said saved taxpayers $800,000. 
 Bissonette cited her more than two decades in government and said she is the lone trustee willing to say something when "it is not good for the people to hear." She cited her failed attempts to get anti-nepotism rules adopted to stop awarding contracts to family members of elected officials. 
 Voting is from noon to 9 p.m. at Mastic Beach Fire Department, 265 Neighborhood Rd.

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Busa running for Mastic Beach trustee seat

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<a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">President Barack Obama</a> has become an unlikely issue in next week's Freeport Village mayoral election. 
 At the center of the debate is a campaign flier put out by incumbent Mayor Andrew Hardwick that superimposes his photo on a larger image of Obama, with the headline: "<a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">President Obama</a> supports Mayor Hardwick." 
 The White House referred questions about the flier's claim of support to the <a href="/topics//Democratic_National_Committee">Democratic National Committee</a>. <a href="/topics//Democratic_National_Convention">DNC</a> spokesman Patrick Burgwinkle responded emphatically yesterday: "Mayor Hardwick has not been endorsed by the president." 
 Dan Taylor, a Hardwick spokesman, initially told Newsday that Obama had "endorsed" the mayor, but later said he meant to say "supports" as stated on the flier. "The flier says everything," he said. 
 Hardwick said in a statement that he had called the White House for help at some point after superstorm Sandy devastated Freeport and talked to one of Obama's aides. 
 Later that day, Hardwick said, he received a call back from an unnamed presidential aide "who advised that <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">President Obama</a> supports the mayor and with that would send the head administrator of FEMA to Freeport to meet with him." 
 A day later, Hardwick said, he met with <a href="/topics//William_Craig_(politician)">William Craig</a> Fugate, the head of the <a href="/topics//Federal_Emergency_Management_Agency">Federal Emergency Management Agency</a>. 
 Hardwick, a registered <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a>, is being challenged by trustee Robert Kennedy, also a registered <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a>, who was a member of Hardwick's slate four years ago. Kennedy is running on the "Unity Home Rule" coalition ticket. 
 Kennedy and other Hardwick critics complain the mayor misused the president's name and assistance for his own political ends. 
 "The president is supporting everybody who is affected by Sandy, not specifically supporting Andrew Hardwick," Kennedy said. "This is a political ad, not a public service announcement for people who were affected by Sandy." 
 Robert Zimmerman, <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a>'s only Democratic national committeeman, said, "It is absurd to think that President Obama has taken sides in the Village of Freeport mayoral election. It's disgraceful and dishonest for Andrew Hardwick to misuse President Obama's name."Dewey Smalls, who ran against Kennedy in the past but supports him this year, said, "We have a great president. [Hardwick] . . . disrespected the man by saying something like that."

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Freeport mayor claims Obama 'supports' him

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Munsey Park doesn't often have contested elections. 
 But Harry Nicolaides, who has served as mayor for 17 years, is facing a challenge next Tuesday from political newcomer Frank DeMento. And incumbent trustees Albert T. Jaronczyk and Sheila Brennan face challenges from Patrick Hance and Sean Haggerty in a race that pits claims of experience against calls for change. 
 In addition to serving as mayor, Nicolaides, 60, has served on the building advisory committee and as a trustee. Nicolaides, an architect, received two degrees in architecture from the <a href="/topics//City_University_of_New_York">City University of New York</a>, and has lived in the village for 28 years. 
 "It's the continuity of the things I have been doing for the village on behalf of our residents," Nicolaides said of his reason for running again. "We have a lot of things in play, from our post-Sandy recovery to ambitious road programs, revisiting some of our codes, and mentoring some of our trustees and appointees." 
 DeMento, 44, is an attorney who has lived in Munsey Park since 2005. He has a bachelor's degree from Washington and Lee University, and a law degree from St. John's University. 
 DeMento said he was driven to run after finding the village's bureaucracy difficult to navigate while restoring his home. 
 "The village has become just a place that's very adversarial for the residents," DeMento said, "rather than trying to help the residents beautify their own homes and properties and raise the values." 
 He said that as mayor he would work to rewrite village code "to make it more user-friendly." He criticized the village's tree regulations before Sandy, which he said contributed to the storm's destruction. 
 Chiefly, however, DeMento said the mayor has been in office too long, and said he supported the idea of term limits. 
 Jaronczyk, 61, is chief financial officer of CardWorks, Inc. in <a href="/topics//Woodbury,_NY">Woodbury</a>. He has a bachelor's degree from <a href="/topics//St._Francis_College">St. Francis College</a> and an MBA in finance from <a href="/topics//Adelphi_University">Adelphi University</a>. Jaronczyk has lived in Munsey Park since 1980, and has been a village trustee for 14 years. 
 He said his goal is to maintain the look and feel of the village and says Munsey Park is a model of how a village should be run. He said he wants to search for more grant money for projects, and said his financial background has helped in running the village and putting together annual budgets. 
 "We just hope people come out and vote, and I feel fairly strongly if they do come out to vote, they will vote for the maintenance of the village board," Jaronczyk said. 
 Haggerty, 43, is a salesman and manager in investment banking who has lived in the village for 12 years. He holds a bachelor's degree from Villanova University. 
 "I decided to run because I just feel that we need a change in leadership in village hall," Haggerty said. As trustee, he said he would create an updated policies-and-procedures manual for the village, and said Munsey Park also needs to create long-term and capital-improvement plans. 
 Haggerty also said he would try to get more residents involved in village government. "If we can get more people involved, it makes for a healthier village," he said. 
 Patrick Hance, 44, is chief financial officer of corporate lending at <a href="/topics//Citigroup">Citigroup</a> and has lived in the village for a total of 15 years. He holds a bachelor's degree from <a href="/topics//Boston_University">Boston University</a>. 
 He said he decided to join DeMento and Haggerty in seeking office after sensing "a certain amount of dissatisfaction with the way things were run" among village residents. "We thought this was the time for a bit of a change." 
 He said the current administration has become out of touch with village residents, and information is not readily accessible or transparent. "Currently there's a view that nothing should be done, no matter what you try to do, it's going to downgrade the look of the village," he said. "I don't believe that's true." 
 Brennan, 77, is a retired schoolteacher and has lived in Munsey Park for 35 years. She has been a trustee for eight years. She received a bachelor's degree from <a href="/topics//Queens_College">Queens College</a> and a master's in education from SUNY Cortland. 
 In a statement, Brennan said she wanted to continue her ongoing work as trustee. "There is still much work to do cleaning up after <a href="/topics//Hurricane_Sandy">Hurricane Sandy</a>," she wrote. "We need to take down the trees that still pose a risk to houses in the community while replacing those that are removed so we can maintain the beauty and the landscape that embodies our village." 
 She said the tree laws of the village need to be examined, and she plans to seek to "improve, maintain and upkeep the roads," as well as keep the budget below the state-mandated tax cap.

TOMUNS13

Vying for Munsey Park mayor, trustees races

toMUNS13

Three “Meet the Candidates Night” will take place this week in Hempstead Village before the March 19 election, which features candidates running for mayor, two trustee seats and village court justice. 
 The Hempstead NAACP, the Hempstead Coordination Council of Civics and the League of Women Voters will host a trustee candidates night Wednesday at 7 in A.B.G.S. Middle School, 70 Greenwich St., and a mayoral forum Friday at 7 p.m. in Kennedy Park, 270 Greenwich St. 
 The Hempstead Chamber of Commerce will host a mayoral candidate’s forum on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the African American Museum, 110 N. Franklin St. 
 The seven candidates for mayor include incumbent, Wayne J. Hall Sr., trustee Perry M. Pettus, deputy mayor Henry Conyers, former Mayor James A. Garner, former village justice Lance D. Clarke, Theresa A. Drye and Warren Stith Jr. 
 The 10 trustee candidates include trustee Livio Rosario, Luis Figueroa, Waylyn Hobbs Jr., Iris D. Atkinson-Kirkland, George Knight, Sally A. Thompson, Kenneth Arroyo Roldan, Tia Morris, Guillermo Calle and Vernadette Horne. 
 For more information about the forums, call the chamber at 516-476-2901 or the council’s office at 516-414-4595. &nbsp;

Hempstead meet-the-candidates nights

Meet-the-candidates nights scheduled in Hempstead Village 

hlHEMP29/jz -- cropped - DO NOT USE

The bitter race for mayor of Freeport is the culmination of four years of infighting between former political allies, and likely will reshape the political landscape in <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a>'s second largest village. 
 Mayor Andrew Hardwick, elected in 2009, faces his former running mate, trustee Robert Kennedy, for the top elected position, which carries a $124,989 annual salary. 
 The trustees race, in which four candidates are vying for two seats, has Kennedy's Unity Home Rule Party allies Carmen Piñeyro and Ron Ellerbe pitted against Hardwick's Freeport First Party members Annette Dennis and James Caracciolo. Piñeyro, a sitting trustee, also ran on Hardwick's 2009 ticket. The salary for a trustee is $19,000. 
 Kennedy and Piñeyro began turning away from Hardwick shortly after taking office, when they disagreed angrily over aspects of the village budget. The other two trustees, <a href="/topics//Jorge_Martinez">Jorge Martinez</a> and William White, are also Hardwick foes, which means Hardwick has no reliable votes on the trustee board. 
 Hardwick could regain control if his slate wins. But his opponents say a Hardwick loss would restore civility to the tone of village government. Board meetings often become raucous and run past midnight. 
 "I'm embarrassed. It's embarrassing what's going on here," Ellerbe said. 
 &nbsp; 
 Post-Sandy work toutedHardwick, 55, is a former <a href="/topics//United_States_Military_Academy">Army</a> staff sergeant who has worked in county and state government as well as for the village of Freeport, where he was an assistant to the mayor's office for community affairs in the 1990s. He has lived in Freeport for 50 years. 
 He said he deserves to be re-elected because of his work to revitalize village infrastructure and his swift response to superstorm Sandy, which hit the village hard. 
 "I want to get this real economic development going on here, so we don't have this tax burden," Hardwick said. 
 Kennedy, 58, has owned a heating and air-conditioning business, Queens-based Winston Mechanical, for 27 years. He has lived in Freeport for 12 years and is originally from Staten Island. 
 Kennedy said his goals are to lower taxes and restore order to oft-contentious village meetings, which frequently feature animated arguments between the mayor and trustees and sometimes stretch from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. The sessions, shown later on cable TV, are a poor reflection on the community, Kennedy said. 
 "We will not have this display, this reflection of this village, if I become mayor," he said. "We will show positive things." 
 &nbsp; 
 Aiming to boost tax basePiñeyro, 37, is the chief of staff for state Assemb. Phil Ramos (D-<a href="/topics//Brentwood,_NY">Brentwood</a>). She has lived in Freeport for 28 years since moving from the <a href="/topics//Dominican_Republic">Dominican Republic</a>. She said the village needs to attract new businesses to its industrial corridor, which she said is 40 percent vacant, to increase the local tax base. 
 She said she believes Hardwick "lost his vision" and became more interested in petty infighting than village issues. 
 "Unfortunately, tensions have been very high," Piñeyro said. 
 Ellerbe, 74, is a retired <a href="/topics//New_York_Police_Department">New York Police Department</a> officer who now sells real estate. He has served on the Freeport school board for 17 years. 
 Ellerbe has lived in Freeport for 22 years and is originally from <a href="/topics//Bedford-Stuyvesant,_Brooklyn">Bedford-Stuyvesant</a> in Brooklyn. He said Hardwick's repeated call for a forensic audit of village finances is "a signal of poor leadership," given opposition to the call from the four trustees. 
 Caracciolo, 56, is a retired former contractor who planted trees for the <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> City parks department for 23 years. 
 He also served as deputy commissioner of <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> County parks from 2002 to 2011. He worked with Hardwick while serving in that position; Hardwick held a similar post until 2009. 
 Caracciolo is originally from <a href="/topics//Hempstead,_NY">Hempstead</a> Village and has lived in Freeport for 26 years. He said the village board needs to focus on economic development and quality-of-life issues, rather than engaging in bickering. 
 "They don't understand what the word 'team' means," Caracciolo said of his opponents. 
 Dennis, 53, has worked for 21 years at <a href="/topics//National_Grid">National Grid</a>, where she is a lead analyst in the division of customer markets, metrics, and reporting. She has lived in Freeport for 16 years. 
 Dennis occasionally speaks at Freeport public meetings, where she has accused the trustees of obstructionism and said Hardwick is fighting for the village's financial interests. 
 "He's right for the village," she said. 
 Voting is next Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 14 polling places: 
 Freeport Recreation Center, 130 East <a href="/topics//Merrick,_NY">Merrick</a> Rd. 
 senior housing facility, 100 North Main St. 
 Atkinson School, 58 West Seaman Ave. 
 Hose Company No. 5, 47 Leonard Ave. 
 Exempt Firehouse, 9 North <a href="/topics//Long_Beach,_NY">Long Beach</a> Ave. 
 Peternana Terrace, 45 Wallace St. 
 Columbus Avenue School, 150 North Columbus Ave. 
 Hose Company No. 2, 15 Broadway 
 Bayview Avenue School, 325 West <a href="/topics//Merrick,_NY">Merrick</a> Rd. 
 Hose Company No. 1, 22 Southside Ave. 
 Giblyn School, 450 South Ocean Ave. 
 Archer Elementary School, 255 Archer St. 
 Bayview Ave. Hose Company No. 3, 375 South Bayview Ave. 
 Freeport Memorial Library, 144 West <a href="/topics//Merrick,_NY">Merrick</a> Rd.

TOFREE12

Freeport mayor faces ex-ally in race

Bill Swiskey is making Greenport politics lively again. 
 One of three candidates for two open seats on the village board, Swiskey -- gadfly to some, whistle-blower to others -- is charging that the village has been neglecting its roads, that one of the other candidates improperly filed nominating petitions, and that the first thing he would do if elected is propose a resolution cutting the pay of village trustees by 25 percent. Then, he said, he would look at eliminating village trustee health benefits. 
 The village clerk, who runs the election, ruled Swiskey's complaint about nominating petitions was not filed on time, and dismissed it without reaching a conclusion on his allegations. 
 The other two candidates, incumbent Mary Bess Phillips and village planning board member Julia Robins, say the village generally is in good shape and getting better, and that they want to keep it going in the right direction. 
 Trustee Chris Kempner decided not to run for re-election. 
 Swiskey, 65, has been a controversial figure in Greenport for years, both as a former village board member and now as a private citizen who regularly attends village board meetings. A stickler for details, he has argued over how repairs are being made to the village's electric system and how much debt the village has assumed. Once, when on the village board, he introduced a resolution to outlaw the use of Roberts Rules of Order, saying Mayor David Nyce was using it to stifle public comment. <a href="/topics//The_Move_(musician)">The move</a> failed, but did lead Nyce to say that perhaps he had gone too far in limiting public debate. 
 Nothing Phillips or Robins have said so far in the campaign would lead to a major change in direction in village operations. There are no traditional political parties in Greenport, and each candidate runs on his or her own line. 
 Robins says it is important to carry out the village's waterfront revitalization plan and that she always would be accessible to village residents. "We've seen a wonderful transformation from an economically depressed area to a desirable tourist attraction," she said of Greenport. "It's got a wonderful community sense to it. We have a maritime history. You can walk around and see neighbors." 
 A real estate agent making her first run for public office, Robins declined to give her age. 
 Phillips, 58, is finishing her first four-year term as a trustee. She says Greenport's decision to refinance and stretch out its bond payments over an additional 10 years means that nearly $200,000 that would have been used for interest now can be used for other purposes. The refinancing lowered the interest rates from 4.5 percent to 1.81 percent. 
 She also said she expects the village's draft waterfront revitalization plan -- likely to go to public hearings later this year -- will become a blueprint for expanding Greenport's marinas and boat construction and renovation businesses. The plan, which deals with runoff and pollution, has been broadened to include Moore's Woods and Silver Lake. 
 Village residents can see all three candidates Monday night at the village's only debate. It will begin at 7 p.m. in the Greenport United Methodist Church, 621 Main St. 
 Voting is March 19 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Third Street Fire House.

TOGREE11

3-way race for 2 Greenport trustee seats

Greenport candidates -- cropped

A rare contested election in Head of the Harbor was prompted by the small village's struggles to clear roads following last month's blizzard. 
 Box Party candidate Daniel White said the village's response to the Feb. 8 storm led him to challenge incumbent Village Party trustees Douglas Dahlgard and J. Ted Naughton for one of two open seats on the village board. The top two vote-getters will win seats that carry two-year terms. 
 "The last storm got a number of village residents very upset," said White, 58, an attorney making his first run for elected office. "Let's examine the highway department. Let's see if we can do better." 
 Naughton, 79, a trustee since 2005 who is the village highway commissioner, said a plow broke down in the first hour of the storm. He added that the highway department workforce had been reduced to three workers from four. 
 "It was an extraordinary storm, and like almost everyone else we suffered for it," he said. 
 Dahlgard, 68, a financial manager who was appointed to the village board on Jan. 16, acknowledged that the storm response was "less than satisfactory." He blamed recent belt-tightening. 
 "As a small village, we are struggling, similar to a small church or a not-for-profit art gallery, with costs rising faster than revenue," he said in an email. "At the same time, we have to be able to respond to overwhelming situations like the Sandy and Nemo storms." 
 Contested elections are rare in Head of the Harbor, a village of about 2,500 people in the Town of Smithtown. The last ballot with more candidates than open seats was in 2001, said Village Clerk Margaret O'Keefe. In that campaign, Glenn D. Williams and Natale Tartamella defeated Vincent Pizzulli and Kathleen Diana for two open trustee seats. Tartamella is now the mayor. 
 Write-in trustee candidate Judith C. Ogden won in 2010. She was re-elected last year. 
 The village has a $1.63 million annual budget and employs about 30 people. The village board in December approved an 18 percent tax increase. 
 Naughton said the tax hike was necessary because reserves were depleted, "and yet our expenses are up from salaries and benefits and so forth." 
 White said the tax hikes also led him to run. 
 "I felt that with taxes going up and with roads being in poor shape, I felt something wasn't right," he said. 
 Dahlgard, who previously had served on the village's planning board and its Joint Coastal Commission, said village officials "are focused on improving emergency planning as well as communication with residents and services [and developing] more involvement and resource sharing with the county, town and other villages." 
 Voting is March 19 from noon to 9:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 500 N. Country Rd.

TOHEAD07

Head of the Harbor to have rare contested election

Preserving quality of life in Stewart Manor has emerged as a major issue in the upcoming village election, where an incumbent and two first-time candidates will vie for two trustee seats. 
 Incumbent <a href="/topics//John_Egan">John Egan</a> and challengers Michael Onorato and Mary Carole Schafenberg are running for the four-year seats on March 19. 
 <a href="/topics//John_Egan">Egan</a>, 74, a father of three, has served on the board for 12 years. He is also police commissioner and is in charge of code enforcement. He said he has lived in the village for 27 years and is running on the Unity Party line. 
 <a href="/topics//John_Egan">Egan</a> said he decided to run again because "I love my village and I wanted to see it run properly and do the right things for the people." He owns and runs a butcher business and is also a volunteer firefighter and Navy veteran. 
 He said one issue the board will face is how to pay for new equipment needed by the village. Stewart Manor is buying a new garbage truck and is due for a new fire truck, he said. 
 When he took office, he said there was one code enforcement officer and now there are five. He said he has been working to toughen village code and he hopes to continue to do so. 
 Onorato, 64, moved to the village in 2006 to be closer to his daughter, who lives in Stewart Manor with her husband and three children. Onorato has three other children. 
 "I want to preserve the beauty and uniqueness of the village," he said. "I want to provide superior quality of life to all the residents." 
 He said he wants to keep tax rates "as low as possible" and that "sensible spending is crucial." He said he also wants to make sure "seniors are well provided for," noting that they are concerned about the cumulative impact of taxes levied by the village, schools and <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> County. 
 "The village is run fine . . . I just want to continue in that frame," he said. 
 Onorato, retired from Con Edison, is running on the Village Party of Stewart Manor line. After retirement, he worked as an energy consultant and was a general manger at a local contracting firm. Since 1998, he has been an adjunct professor of management and marketing at St. John's and Pace universities. He became a full-time professor in the School of Business at <a href="/topics//SUNY_Old_Westbury">SUNY Old Westbury</a> in 2007. 
 Schafenberg, 63, a principal at an elementary school in <a href="/topics//Long_Island_City,_NY">Long Island City</a> in Queens, said she is running because "I just thought it would be a great opportunity to work for the good of this village because it is a delightful village." She is running on the Village Party line and has lived in Stewart Manor for eight years. 
 She said a "few big-ticket items that need discussing" are a new fire truck, garbage truck and ambulance. 
 "These are major things for the good of the village residents," she said. "You need to address these things now before they completely fall apart" and cost more money. 
 She also said activities at the village country club should be enhanced to increase resident participation. 
 Voting is from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall, 120 Covert Ave.

TOSTEW06

3 vie for 2 trustee seats in Stewart Manor

Saddle Rock, a bucolic North Shore village of about 300 families, found itself helmed by a new mayor two years ago when former leader J. Leonard Samansky died after 22 years as mayor. 
 Mayor Dan Levy is running unopposed March 19 for his first full mayoral term. 
 But two trustee seats are at stake with two challengers saying that, though Levy has brought a breath of fresh air to village leadership, they could add to the wave of change with backing by a contingent of residents who feel underrepresented. 
 "We were approached by about 100 to 150 people asking us to run," challenger Hamid "Ben" Sharifiazad said. "They wanted to be represented at the board . . . We're running to make sure people are encouraged to get involved." 
 Sharifiazad, 57, and Shlomo "Mony" Zenou, 49, are running on the <a href="/topics//Independent_Party">Independent Party</a> of the Village of Saddle Rock line. Incumbents David Schwartz, 56, and Mark Collins are running on the Saddle Rock Village Party line. Levy, 58, is also a member of the party. 
 Schwartz said he and the board have worked hard on behalf of all Saddle Rock residents, "reducing the overhead by fairly dramatic numbers." Snow removal and landscaping costs, as examples, are down 50 percent, he said. 
 "We've put together a pretty good team," said Schwartz, who runs a financial consulting firm and is vying for his first full term after two years as trustee. "The new mayor, he puts in an immense amount of time." 
 No task is too small, Schwartz said. "We fix pool pumps," he said. "I was salting a road when somebody's sprinkler system broke on a cold night." 
 And no task is too big, either. Schwartz, a married father of two, said his background in finance has been useful, particularly in fighting the tax certiorari in <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> County and trying to reduce taxes on the village's homes. 
 Schwartz said he also looks forward to further implementing Saddle Rock's five-year roads improvement program. 
 Collins, a trustee since 2005, did not reply to repeated requests for comment left at Village Hall and with running mates Schwartz and Levy. 
 Sharifiazad, a mechanical engineer and married father of three, and Zenou, who owns a technology business and is a married father of four, applauded village officials' work but said there is always room for improvement. 
 Sharifiazad, who ran unsuccessfully for trustee in 2005, said he'd like to upgrade Saddle Rock's recreational area, try to reduce taxes, and make information more readily available to residents to increase interest in and attendance at village board meetings. 
 "The mayor is doing really well," Zenou said, "and the people are starting to see that if they get involved, they can influence what's going on." 
 Levy and Schwartz said they have never seen the challengers at village board meetings; Sharifiazad described his attendance as "not that often." 
 Voting is March 19 from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall, 18 Masefield Way.

TOSADD05

In Saddle Rock, 4 running for trustee seats

For the first time in 10 years, Larry Werther was a man without a party. 
 Mineola's New Line Party, his longtime political home, selected in December a slate of candidates for this month's village elections that did not include him. Now the Mineola trustee is waging an independent bid of his own. He's created a new party and a website, and is going door-to-door, even setting up coffee meetings with residents. He promises to make chocolate cake. 
 Werther, 60, a vice president at financial services firm J.P. Morgan, is running for one of two open seats against his former party mates: George Durham, 49, a data communications manager for the <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> Regional <a href="/topics//Off-Track_Betting_Corp">Off-Track Betting Corp</a>., who is running for his second term; and newcomer Dennis <a href="/topics//Dennis_Walsh">Walsh</a>, 62, a retired New York City police officer. 
 Village officials say a rift between Werther and Mayor Scott Strauss, who is unopposed for his second term, began shortly after Strauss took office two years ago. 
 After former Mayor Jack Martins was elected to the State <a href="/topics//U.S._Senate">Senate</a> and stepped down, Werther filled in for several months. One of his first acts was to appoint Strauss as a trustee. 
 Strauss ran uncontested for mayor in the next election. Werther said he did not challenge Strauss because of the demands of his job. 
 One spat revolved around Werther's opposition to what he termed "massive" tax breaks given to two apartment buildings to be added to the downtown corridor. 
 Werther criticized Strauss for conducting "backroom" deals and said, "I wouldn't rubber-stamp what the mayor did." 
 Strauss said he briefed trustees about conversations with prospective developers and gave trustees contact information. He said he did not resort to "backroom meetings." 
 "I meet with people all the time," he said. "Everyone wants to talk to the mayor. No one wants to talk to the trustee." 
 After Werther was removed from the New Line slate, Strauss said the party looked to Walsh, a party volunteer and active participant at village board meetings. 
 "Dennis has been a member of the New Line Party for a while, and he's always coming down to meetings. He wanted to take a different role," Strauss said. 
 "To be a candidate and not a campaign worker is quite different," Walsh said. "I feel different, people walk around with me and for me. It's kind of humbling that people do that." 
 Of Werther, Walsh said, "These jobs are not meant for these people to keep forever." 
 Each of the three trustee contenders acknowledges the importance of drawing new businesses to Mineola's downtown. 
 Werther said he would challenge developers to agree to five-year payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreements instead of longer deals that mean reduced tax revenue for the village. 
 Walsh noted that approving tax breaks is often up to the county development agency, but in some cases he would favor them depending on what the developer was offering in return. 
 Durham said he did not favor tax breaks for all businesses, but said they are vital to drawing in large, multimillion-dollar companies that will increase foot traffic and provide stable tax revenue. 
 Voting is March 19 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Mineola Village Hall Community Center, 155 Washington Ave.

TOMINE04

Three-way race for Mineola trustee seats

Mineola trustee -- cropped

With the election for village officers looming later this month, Amityville's current financial predicament has been as fiercely debated as competing plans for its future over weeks of robocalls and at a meet-the-candidates event earlier this week that drew hundreds. 
 In the mayoral race, James P. Wandell, an accountant and former Zoning Board of Appeals chairman, says the current administration has raised taxes too high while spending unwisely and that a wholesale leadership change is needed. 
 He faces two long-serving trustees, Edward C. Johnson and Peter M. Casserly, who both say fiscal health should be a priority but that the roughly $700,000 budget deficit would be closed or greatly diminished if the village is paid money they say it is owed by <a href="/topics//Suffolk_County,_NY">Suffolk</a> County and the developer of an unfinished condominium project. Their government experience is valuable, the two trustees say, and will help them continue to assist residents still reeling from superstorm Sandy. 
 The trustees race features six candidates vying for two seats: Joseph G. Morin, Kevin P. Smith, Bruce Jenney, and Charles A. Walters, along with Jessica T. Bernius and Peter G. Himmelmann, who are running on a ticket with Wandell. 
 At the candidates' event, everyone agreed on the need to develop the property of the now-demolished Brunswick Hospital. Once a major source of property tax revenue for the village, it will generate much less until improvements are made. Many agreed on the need to spur investment downtown, slow traffic and beautify Broadway, and many praised the police department. 
 Consensus ended there, for the most part. The platform outlined by Wandell -- who is 68 according to public records -- and his running mates includes proposals to end health benefits for sitting elected officials and to cut salaries for the mayor and trustees by 20 percent. The three also committed to remaining inside the 2 percent tax levy cap. 
 They say cutting benefits would save the village more than $100,000 a year, a claim confirmed by the village clerk. 
 The village already has eliminated benefits for incoming elected officials, but village attorney Bruce Kennedy has said such benefits cannot be removed for those already in office when the measure passed. 
 Other proposals include changing the term for trustees from four years to two, limiting office holders to four terms, and updating regularly the village website. 
 &nbsp; 
 2 trustees in 3-way race for mayor 
 Johnson, 58, who owns Johnson's Florist in Amityville and has been a trustee since 1997, said much of the village's spending in recent years has been non-discretionary -- e.g., employee health care and retirement benefits. He said he would work to balance the budget through zero-base budgeting, restructuring village debt, and hiring outside counsel to negotiate employee contracts on a flat-rate rather than hourly basis. He would delay large purchases until the village has a final accounting of money to be received from FEMA and its insurance companies. 
 As part of a downtown redevelopment plan, he would seek to reduce Broadway's four lanes to two, and add a center median and more stoplights. Starting with Brunswick Hospital, he would mandate that developers of major projects use a minimum of 25 percent local labor. 
 Casserly, 64, the deputy mayor for 25 years, is a former <a href="/topics//Babylon,_NY">Babylon</a> Town commissioner of planning and of general services and is now director of government relations for Progressive Waste Solutions of <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a>. He said he has talked with <a href="/topics//Suffolk_County,_NY">Suffolk</a> Executive Steve Bellone about collecting promised county funds and with the developer of Wellington Park Villas, the unfinished condo project, about unpaid fees. 
 Casserly said one of his top priorities is the prompt redevelopment of the Brunswick Hospital property, which he said would be "key for the fiscal health of the village." Squabbles between the property's current ownership interests have forestalled any redevelopment there, village officials said. 
 Casserly said he also is working to bring more businesses into the downtown, and is in talks with the owner of the Vittorio's and Vero restaurants about opening a steakhouse on Broadway. 
 &nbsp; 
 6 candidates vie for 2 trustee seats 
 In the trustees race, Morin, 56, a house painter who worked in New York City's garment industry, said he would focus on balancing the village budget. "Until you have financial stability, you're not going to get respect from <a href="/topics//Wall_Street">Wall Street</a>, homeowners or business owners who want to come into the community and invest," said Morin, who received a business degree from LIU Post in 1981. 
 He would seek savings by converting some village vehicles and streetlights to "green" technology. Conversion of streetlights alone, he said, could save the village $80,000 a year. 
 Bernius, who declined to give her age, retired from teaching health and physical education in the <a href="/topics//South_Huntington,_NY">South Huntington</a> and Amityville school districts in 2011. She earned a master's degree in health education from <a href="/topics//Adelphi_University">Adelphi University</a> in 1969. 
 She said she and her ticket-mates would do a line-by-line reading of the village budget to identify possible cuts. Revitalization of the village beach is among her other priorities. She would push for free access to the beach and free swimming lessons for village residents, calling swimming lessons a "safety issue" for village children. 
 Himmelmann, 57, who retired from the beverage industry in 2008, attended <a href="/topics//Farmingdale_State_College">Farmingdale State College</a>. He said his background as a union delegate in contract negotiations prepared him to bargain with unions representing the village police and public works departments. He said he would draw on contacts in the national restaurant industry to attract a midmarket family-style restaurant to the Brunswick Hospital site, and would push for a restaurant at the village beach to attract more visitors and provide additional revenue for the village. 
 Smith, 55, a building inspector who attended LIU Post, said he would focus on Amityville's budget ills and on strengthening its tax base. One of his first initiatives would be to organize an independent board of local businesspeople to make recommendations on Brunswick Hospital, the waterfront, and a possible community cultural center. 
 Jenney, 67, a musician who attended Berklee College of Music in <a href="/topics//Boston,_MA">Boston</a>, said he would focus on civic involvement and government transparency, regularly updating the village website. Development of the Brunswick Hospital site is key to the village's financial health, he said. "This could be drawing traffic to downtown. There should be more than one business there," he said. Supermarkets such as Whole Foods and <a href="/topics//TRADER_JOE's">Trader Joe's</a> could anchor other businesses, he said. 
 Walters, 57, is administrative director of <a href="/topics//Suffolk_County,_NY">Suffolk</a> Surgery Center in <a href="/topics//Shirley,_NY">Shirley</a> and graduated from <a href="/topics//St._Joseph's_College">St. Joseph's College</a> with a bachelor's degree in health administration. He served nine years as an Amityville school board trustee and has been a volunteer firefighter for 34 years. 
 Walters said he would focus on "frugal and wise spending, effective budgeting practices . . . and wise handling of new development." He said he would push for a medical facility or chain restaurant at the Brunswick Hospital property and develop a long-term plan to revitalize business areas in the village, possibly offering tax incentives to attract new businesses. 
 Voting is March 19 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., with voting locations available from Village Hall.

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Race for Amityville mayor, 2 trustee seats

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