Lawrence’s board will have a fresh look

Three new trustees and mayor elected on June 21; others villages were uncontested

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The Village of Lawrence will have three new trustees and a different mayor following the June 21 election. In five other villages all the incumbents ran unopposed.

Uri Kaufman (380 votes) and Syma Diamond (319) defeated Daniel Goldstein (276) and Rochelle Stern Kevelson (157) for trustee in the at-large election, and Alex Edelman (508), who ran unopposed, will be the new chief executive as the current mayor, Martin Oliner, is term limited after serving the requisite three two-year terms.

Edelman said he will appoint Goldstein to complete his unexpired trustee term. Goldstein could run next year for the complete two-year term. Edelman, Goldstein and Kaufman ran together under the banner of the Unity Party.

“[Winning] means we get a chance to do good things for the village,” said Edelman, who pointed to the possibility of privatizing the Lawrence Yacht & Country Club, which owned and operated by the village, and making what he called “great improvements” to the lighting, sidewalks and curbs throughout Lawrence.

Kaufman who served for nine years on the Board of Education for the Lawrence School District said it was a “great privilege” to win the village board seat and he is “very humbled” and thrilled to serve again.”

“I am going to sit, listen and learn, I’m the new kid on the block, there are people there with a lot more experience than me,” Kaufman said. “My first area of attention is the sewage plant. To see what’s going on and to make sure it’s properly decommissioned and repositioned to serve the community the best.” During the campaign he introduced the idea of building a community center with a swimming pool.

Diamond will be the fifth woman to serve on the village board. In a year when a woman is running for president of the U.S., she said she never thought about the village race as women vs. men as much as it was about bringing diversity to the board regarding representation of the eastern portion of Lawrence and what she skills she can “bring to the table.” A majority of the board live in the western portion of the village.

“It feels good to feel that people have confidence in me to represent them,” Diamond said about winning.

The matrimonial lawyer wants to help solve or at least reduce the mosquito problem that plagues Back Lawrence, create summer activities at the country club for village residents and work on what to do with the sewage plant property.
Goldstein was upbeat about the election defeat. “Running for the first time I did better than I expected and that will give me a chance for the next election to be well known,” he said.

Simplifying the Building Department process by eliminating the denial letter and having residents just apply for the requested variance and then a hearing is on his agenda, along with privatizing the country club.

Village Justice Donald Buchalter (407) who ran unchallenged won re-election, He has served in the post since 1987. It is a four-year term.

Uncontested village races

In Atlantic Beach, Mayor George Pappas (165) and Trustees Linda L. Baessler (139) and Edward A. Sullivan (141) ran unopposed.

Mayor Mark Weiss (82) and Trustees Tom Cohen (82) and Ken Kornblau (77) were re-elected in Hewlett Harbor.

In Hewlett Bay Park, Mayor Steven Kaufman (13) and Trustees Gail Rubel (12) and Joel Schneider (13) retain their board seats.

Mayor Ross Epstein (35) and Trustees Steven Hochberg (34) and Aron Schnell (36) gained re-election.

Woodsburgh Trustees Carl Cayne and Barry Platnick were re-elected with 17 votes each.

All mayoral and trustee terms are two years.