Herald Endorsements

Cast your vote in the village elections

Posted

Village elections in Atlantic Beach, Hewlett Bay Park, Hewlett Harbor, Hewlett Neck and Lawrence are on Tuesday, June 19. All terms are two years. In the contested trustee elections, the two candidates with the most votes win.

Lawrence trustees
Stanley Kopilow is running against encumbent Trustees Syma Diamond and Uri Kaufman. We believe Diamond and Kopilow would serve residents best.

Diamond said she is running independently with her Voice of the People Party. Opposed to the privatization of the country club, she wants to improve Zion Park and mitigate the impact from the potential Woodmere Club development. She coordinated a movie night last summer that will be repeated this year.

Kopilow supports homes on the sewage plant land and wants to continue improving the finances and amenities at the Lawrence Yacht & Country Club. He pointed to the residents who entangled a plan to build a shopping mall on the Cierro Wire plant site in Syosset through 10 years of lawsuits as a way to battle the potential future development of the Woodmere Club.

Kaufman presented the idea of a request for expressions of interest for the sewage plant land. He previously favored a hotel and is now stumping for an assisted-living facility. He supports privatization of the country club. He promoted the idea of the pond for ice skating at the Lawrence Club and the installation of two pickle-ball courts, also at the club.

Atlantic Beach trustees
Kevin Kelley is challenging incumbent Trustees Linda Baessler and Ed Sullivan.
We endorse Baessler and Sullivan.

Baessler and Sullivan have helped maintain the village’s strong financial standing, while adding the Fall Festival, the beach campout, concerts and movies. The board has the proper idea to keep the tennis center open and repair it for the entire community’s use.

Kelley believes the village should support a plastic-bag ban because the bags are choking the waterways around the barrier island. He said village officials should encourage more resident participation. We believe should be invited to serve on the Beautification Committee and be involved in the spring beach cleanup.

Hewlett Harbor trustees
John Novello opposes incumbent Trustees Tom Cohen and Kenneth Kornblau. Vote for Cohen and Kornblau.

Cohen and Kornblau have helped the village maneuver through the federal grant money process for a flood mitigation project. Both helped create a Planning Board to give enforcement of the village’s building code more teeth.

We think a candidate should live in the village before running for office. Novello is not a village resident. He anticipates moving in before July 1, when the term begins. He has been chairman of Cedarhurst’s Zoning Board of Appeals for the past 20 years and is deputy commissioner of the Town of Hempstead’s Building Department.

Unopposed races

Hewlett Bay Park, Hewlett Neck and Woodsburgh candidates are running unopposed.

In Hewlett Bay Park, Mayor Steven Kaufman, Trustees Joel Schinder and Gail Rubel and Village Justice Stephanie Kaufman are up for re-election.

Mayor Ross Epstein and Trustees Steven Hochberg and Aron Schnell are also up for re-election in Hewlett Neck. Mitchell Dix is running for the new position of village justice.

Hewlett Harbor Mayor Mark Weiss is running unopposed.

Woodsburgh Trustees Carl Cayne and Barry Platnick are running for re-election.