Friday, June 9, 2017
Vol. 93, No.38
FOUNDED 1923
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LOCALLY OWNED AND EDITED
Barb’s Beer PAGE 55 n GC stable? PAGE 34
Village cited for racism, police brutality in suit
LONG ISLAND CHAMPS
BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
“Shame on you, Garden City!” was the statement made at a June 1 press conference in Hempstead inside the law offices of Frederick Brewington, who is representing a former corrections officer who claims he was roughed up by Garden City Police Officers. Brewington is also the attorney who won a federal fair housing discrimination case against the Village of Garden City. Brewington represents former (retired) county corrections officer and Army veteran Ronald Lanier, who was detained by GCPD at the Mineola Western Beef supermarket as they searched for a black male suspect who stole handbags from the Lord & Taylor’s on Franklin Avenue. The GCPD officers identified by the alleged victim and named in the federal lawsuit are John Russell, George Byrd, Sargent Mauren (first name not provided) and Lieutenant Gerard Kniesel. To make their identities clear, Brewington distributed a photograph Lanier See page 27
Despite protests, board approves new zoning Garden City High School’s Boys Varsity Lacrosse Team beat Suffolk County champion Eastport South Manor in the Long Island Championship on June 3rd. The boys are headed to the state playoffs. See page 62 for full story and photos.
Interim schools superintendent appointed BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
On an unusually chilly June night this past Tuesday, the Garden City Board of Education and several district faculty members gave a warm welcome to the next superintendent of schools in the district. The board’s monthly work session featured a special vote to confirm the post for 2017-2018, with a midsummer start. The board unanimously approved a one academic
year contract for Dr. Alan Groveman to serve as Interim Superintendent of Schools in Garden City, starting August 1 and running through July 31, 2018, with $240,000 compensation. Dr. Groveman, a resident of East Northport, received his master’s in education and doctorate in educational administration from Teachers College at Colombia University as well as a master’s in school psychology from the University
of Rhode Island. He completed undergraduate studies in both mathematics and psychology at the City University of New York. For ten years Dr. Groveman was superintendent of the Connetquot Central School District of Islip. He is also a past president of the Suffolk County School Superintendent Association. This July Dr. Groveman will be working with Garden See page 26
BY RIKKI N. MASSAND If public hearings on Garden City’s local laws could extend into a sudden-death overtime, the June 1 Board of Trustees meeting featured just that as a furious rally by two unusual allies stirred an audience of 50 residents. Ultimately the flurry of three bold public comments was unsuccessful and the Board of Trustees voted, 8-0, to change certain zoning restrictions within the Village’s “T-Zone” area, specifically making it easier for more restaurants and banks to open in the area. The June 1 vote was immediately preceded by dramatic speeches. First came the signature 7th Street mom and pops as Mary and Norm Zimmer, proprietors of Culinary Heights as well as longtime village residents, urged the board to reconsider the path of the village hub. Second was a return to the podium for the Albanese Organization, represented by Executive Vice President Russell Matthews. He presented the Board of Trustees with a letter from the Albanese Organization representing his company as well as Castagna Realty of Manhasset, owner and operators of The Americana since 1955. He says timing was such with the proposal, the May 18 hearing and a FOIL request he submitted at that time that he didn’t get material on the proposed (now-adopted) law in time for the hearing. See page 27
GCHS Girls lacrosse brings home LI Championship PAGES 60-61 Hearing planned re: handicapped parking spaces PAGE 3