Hewlett Harbor Village election: fresh voices, community priorities

Three Hewlett Harbor village board positions are open in the upcoming June 18 election. The mayoral spot and two trustee spots, all two-year terms are open.

Incumbent Mayor Mark Weiss, is running for re-election as part of the Residents Party.

“I think local government has been the best form of government,” Weiss said. “There’s a real opportunity to work with your neighbors and accomplish great things.”

Some of his greatest accomplishments as mayor, Weiss said, have been establishing a strong and effective security force, which includes a patrol vehicle manned by retired police officers hired by the village, cameras in the village with real time access from the service vehicles, license plate readers and the installation of security gates which are in a testing period.

His plans for next term include licensing contractors, gardeners and landscapers doing work in the village to provide a level of security for residents, maintaining village infrastructure and security measures, if re-elected.

Domenico Calandrella is challenging Weiss, running under the Safer Hewlett Harbor Party.

“Transparency is key and I really want to get all the village residents together as one,” Calandrella said.

If elected, Calandrella’s goals include increased manpower and security using local, state and federal grants, repaving roads, installing streetlights and stop signs and sending out monthly newsletters to residents.

The first-time candidate is an appointed official deputy undersheriff in the Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Calandrella said.

Current deputy mayor, Kenneth Kornblau, is also running as member of Residents Party for re-election as a trustee. Kornblau said he brings unique perspective to the current board, as a lawyer and real estate professional, who has helped the village succeed.

“I’m most proud of our wonderful milestone accomplishments in safety and security; infrastructure improvements and flood mitigation through sizable money-saving grants; substantial computer and I.T. modernization; and the continuous beautification of our Village,” Kornblau wrote in an email.

He said he helped to implement iWorg a digital building department program, insuring transparency and consistency for village resident fees, approvals and code enforcement, he said.

Trustee Thomas Cohen is also running for re-election under the Residents Party banner.

“I think it’s very important as a resident to give back to the community,” Cohen said.

He said he appreciates serving his neighbors when emergencies occur, with the village’s security patrol and as a liaison to the Nassau County Police Department.

Lorie Ruditser is also a trustee candidate with the Safer Hewlett Harbor Party.

“I want to ensure that all residents are well-informed about the decisions that affect our village, and that these decisions reflect the will of the people who live here,” she wrote in an email.

Ruditser, another first-time candidate, said her unique perspective as a woman and mother in the community, could bring a diverse voice to the board.

Igor Noble is also a trustee candidate  with the Safer Hewlett Harbor Party.

Noble too is interested in improving infrastructure, increasing security and hosting open forums with residents to address concerns.

“I have great listening skills, I am open minded, I have been professionally coached for the past eight years, which is why I am very organized: I have systems and processes for everything I need to do in my business that I can implement in my new position,” he wrote in an email, expressing what would make him a strong candidate.

Voting will take place from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Village Hall, 449 Pepperidge Rd. in Hewlett Harbor on June 18.