Uncontested trustee race in Atlantic Beach

The Village of Atlantic Beach will hold elections for two trustee seats on Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in village hall at 65 The Plaza in Atlantic Beach. Running unopposed for re-election for a two-year term is longtime incumbent Andrew J. Rubin. He declined to be interviewed.

Danae Muddiman is also running unchallenged for a two-year term. She was appointed in January to replace Peter Blum, who stepped down from the board in the beginning of the year.

Muddiman, 54, has lived in North Woodmere, Hewlett and Lawrence, and has lived in Atlantic Beach for the past 13 years. She runs her family’s longtime Lawrence business, Stefan’s Flowers.

She had served less than a year on the Zoning Board of Appeals in Atlantic Beach before Mayor Stephen Mahler appointed her to the village board. The past few months has been a learning experience, Muddiman said, as she switches gears from zoning to helping to run the entire village.

“I have been working the last few months to become familiar with how the village works, said Muddiman, who noted that she is impressed with the way the village handles its budget and can keep it balanced with only a 1 percent tax increase. Something that not many municipalities can boast of, she said.

“They run a pretty tight ship here,” Muddiman said, noting that not using outside contractors is a much more efficient way of ensuring the work is done properly. “They do an excellent job of managing their funds.”

As she most likely heads into her first elected term, Muddiman said that working on getting the roads repaired, which the village has a plan for and is doing, is one of her priorities. She will also continue to work with the Beautification Committee to maintain the beaches and the correct marine zoning.

Maintaining the residents safety — Atlantic Beach has 24-hour security — and keeping the village neat and clean is what Muddiman views as her responsibilities. “There is very little crime,” she said, adding she is looking forward to the busy summer season.

Affection for Atlantic Beach and wanting to do her best for its residents is what drives Muddiman to run. “I love this, I want to work hard and learn things I am not familiar with,” she said.