George Pappas defeats Stephen Mahler in Atlantic Beach mayor's race

Sanitary District 1 Superintendent George Pappas defeated longtime incumbent Village of Atlantic Beach Mayor Stephen Mahler 391-325 in Tuesday's election.

Mahler has been the mayor since 1996.

Trustees Edward Sullivan and Linda Baessler, both running unopposed, received 440 and 417 votes, respectively.

According to sitting Hewlett Harbor Trustee Tom Cohen, incumbent Trustee Michael Yohai put up write-in candidate Barry Beshkin to challenge Cohen. Beshkin lost 98-84.

Cohen said that since his appointment to the board in 2009, he has pushed for enforcement of the village code regarding building permits and this has raised the ire of at least one board colleague, he said.

"I was disappointed," Cohen said. I am aware of the democratic process but if you have significant issues to debate I would be more than happy to debate; doing it this way undermines the democratic process."

In Lawrence, Mayor Martin Oliner earned his third and last term as mayor with 254 votes. Trustees C. Simon Felder collected 239 votes and Irving Langer got 238. All three candidates ran unchallenged. There were two write-in votes for mayor and one for trustee, officials said,

Running unchallenged in Hewlett Bay Park were Mayor Steve Kaufman (17), Trustees Joel Schneider (16) and Gail Rubel (17), and Village Justice Stephanie Kaufman(16).

Mayor Ross Epstein (23) and Trustees Steven Hochberg (23) and Bertram Kalisher (20_ran unopposed in Hewlett Neck, and Trustees Carl Payne (13) and Barry Platnick (14) had no opposition in Woodsburgh.

All terms are two years.