Incumbents running unopposed in village elections

In addition to the contested three-way race for trustee in Woodsburgh and the nominee petition kerfuffle in Lawrence that left two candidates on the ballot, there are 11 incumbents running unchallenged for mayor, trustee and village justice in five villages also on June 20. All trustee terms are two years and the mayor and village justice terms are four years.

Atlantic Beach
Trustees Danae Muddiman and Andrew Rubin and Village Justice Michael Meyerson are up for re-election.

Running for her third full term, Muddiman, who runs Stefan’s Flowers in Lawrence, said her focus continues to be protection of the shoreline, which includes keeping people informed about the marine recreation district that prohibits development of the beach club properties for housing.

“People have to be kept aware, I don’t know if they know it exists,” she said. “With the neighborhood changing, people come and go.” Muddiman said there are less full-time residents and more people living in the village on a seasonal basis. She also noted that Silver Point County Park is considered a significant coastal fish and wildlife habitat that includes piper plovers and ospreys.

Muddiman is proud that the village bonded $3 million to repair and renovate Ocean Boulevard to help mitigate flooding, and aims to complete the boardwalk.
Rubin, a certified public account, served Atlantic Beach as the treasurer for three years — 1987-1990.

For the past 17 he has been a trustee. He and his family have lived in the village for 33 years. “We love this community,” he said. “As aCPA and one who loves the beach, it gives me great pleasure in participating in maintaining and improving the quality of life in our beach community. I enjoy being part of a great team under the leadership of Mayor [George] Pappas.”

Like Muddiman, Rubin believes that protecting the beaches is an ongoing task and looks forward to completing the road project and revitalizing the tennis center to be a recreation and community center.

Meyerson, a personal injury attorney, did not respond by press time.

Voting is from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at village hall at 65 The Plaza in the village.

Hewlett Bay Park
Jay Levy, 61, an insurance agent, has served as trustee for more than a decade. He said he’s proud of helping to establish cost effective solutions to issues such as snow removal.

Levy says that he enjoys that people come to him to help solve the issues they have, and that his main goal is helping to maintain the public parks and ponds. “We’re trying to keep the park in Hewlett Bay Park,” he said.

Alex Salomon could not be reached by press time.

Voting at village hall from noon to 9 p.m. at 30 Piermont Ave, in Hewlett

Hewlett Harbor
Trustees Leonard Oppenheimer and Jonathan Polakoff are running as members of the Residents Party.

Polakoff, 52, is a senior financial advisor for Merrill Lynch and is running for his second term as a trustee. Before becoming a board member, he served as the village’s fire commissioner. “I wanted to get involved with the community,” he said. “It was time to give some of my time and effort back to the community, so when a spot on the board opened up I jumped on it.”

Oppenheimer, 49, owns his own custom packaging company and has served four terms. He is the current deputy mayor. He says he first got involved due to the deterioration of Willow Pond.

“When I was young I would ride up there with my parents to feed the ducks, and when I moved back I couldn’t believe that it had fallen into such disrepair,” Oppenheimer said. Nearly $500,000 was spent to clean the pond. That work was completed in 2012.

Both said they are very proud of the commitment they’ve made to improve Hewlett Harbor in a fiscally responsible manner. The board’s relationship with the utility companies has allowed them to cut through the bureaucracy, and improve the village’s roads and water lines. The trustees have also used the grant money received after Hurricane Sandy to mitigate flooding.

“We did these projects at almost no cost to the residents,” Oppenheimer said. The goal Polakoff said is to, “Keep the momentum we have going, keep upgrading our utilities, continue the beautification process and keep the cost to the tax payers down.”

According to Oppenheimer the village board works with the future in mind. “[We want to] lay the groundwork for Hewlett Harbor’s next 100 years,” he said. “We want to make Hewlett Harbor one of the top places to live on the South Shore. We talk as if we’re big government, but really we’re the best government. We’re not in Albany or D.C.; we’re living among our friends and neighbors who elected us.”

Voting is at village hall from noon to 9 p.m. at 440 Pepperidge Road.

Hewlett Neck
Brett Cooper and Michael Levine could not be reached by press time.

Voting is from noon to 9 p.m. at the Keystone Yacht Club at 190 Woodmere Blvd. S in Woodmere.

Woodsburgh
Though running unopposed for his second term as mayor, Lee Israel wrote a letter which appeared on the village website that included 18 accomplishments in the past four years. Among them are: no residential tax increase; more than $150,000 saved over the next five years of a renegotiated fire contract; upgraded village office operation with an automated tax program; and increased police presence to enhance safety and security.

Israel believes that the board’s actions have enhanced life in the village. “Residents should vote for candidates with specific experience and a proven track record,” he said. “I and my board of trustees have held a vast array of municipal positions and been heavily involved in village operations for many years prior to being elected to our current offices. This experience provides for a multidimensional view of the complex issues that concern governing a village.”

Village Justice Brian Ziegler is also running unchallenged. A lawyer specializing in corporate law, Ziegler is partner-in-charge of Certliman Balin’s  corporate/securities law practice group. He did not respond for comment by press time.

Voting is from noon to 9 p.m. at the Keystone Yacht Club at 190 Woodmere Blvd. S in Woodmere.