‘He made everyone a part of his life’

For the first time in 44 years, the Cedarhurst village board held a public meeting and Andrew J. Parise wasn’t there. The longtime trustee and mayor for nearly 20 years died on Feb. 8.
The agenda for Monday’s meeting was light, but the board did approve a change to the beginning of its meetings: a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. “We’re starting this as our new tradition,” said Mayor Benjamin Weinstock, the former deputy mayor who was appointed by the village’s Vacancy Committee to succeed Parise. “The trustees and I discussed this and approved the idea. It was a smooth transition [Monday] night, business as usual.”
Parise was not far from the trustees’ minds. Weinstock said he would always remember him for his dedication and his wealth of knowledge. “A lot of the other mayors used to come to him for advice, and trusted his expertise,” Weinstock said. “He was a no-nonsense guy, and dedicated. Even when he wasn’t well, he still made it to every meeting. He stayed very vital and active until just a few days before his death.”
Weinstock said his goal was to establish himself as the new leader of the village, while continuing Parise’s legacy of leading a user-friendly village government with an open-door policy: When residents come to Village Hall, they can speak to the mayor directly.
The board, which now includes appointed Trustee Israel Wasser, is addressing several issues, Weinstock added. “We are working on the transfer of our sewer system operation over to the county,” he said. “Our roads and potholes need fixing. We have to find money to fix the roads, whether it’s through bonding or grants. Safety and security is also another issue that concerns our residents.”

Trustee Ari Brown said he would remember Parise’s work ethic. “As many have heard me say over the years, he didn’t just sit in his office every day twiddling his thumbs,” Brown said. “He lived and breathed Cedarhurst. Every thought, idea, plan and project was analyzed to the nth degree.”
When Brown moved to the village 24 years ago, Cedarhurst Park, which is named for the late mayor, had not yet been established. “It was Andy Parise that created the jewel of the Five Towns that is our park,” Brown said. “He dreamed of a gazebo [where] the community would gather in song and prayer, a playground accessible to all and a beautiful ball field. He designed a 9/11 and a veterans memorial that is second to none. He added bathrooms and a concession stand and a water park for the children. Every flower, tree, brick and path is the product of his imagination and controlled execution. All of this work was done without one cent of taxpayer dollars. He fought for every dollar, through grants and donations. I thought that was truly amazing.”
Village Administrator Sal Evola said he thought Parise’s legacy was that he served as the pillar of his community. “There was so much history behind him, between his service on the Cedarhurst board and the Town of Hempstead,” Evola said. “As a leader, he definitely earned a lot of respect because he treated everyone fairly. We’ll miss him for so many reasons. He made everyone a part of his life.”
Evola said he looked forward to keeping the village running smoothly, working collectively with the new mayor and the trustees. “I’m very proud and happy to have such a great board to work with,” he said. “We’ll just continue the good work. We want to keep the village as a great place to live, to shop and to play.”
Village elections will be held on March 18 at Village Hall, 200 Cedarhurst Ave., from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Do you have memories of Andrew Parise you want to share? Send them to jbessen@liherald.com.