Friday, May 4, 2018
Vol. 94, No.32
FOUNDED 1923
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LOCALLY OWNED AND EDITED
Best Band PAGE 40 n Flag Day PAGE 25
St. Paul’s inquiries turn into a $100K question
ANOTHER GREAT GAME
BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
The GCHS Girls Lacrosse team beat Farmingdale (17-8) in a non-conference meet this week, before falling to Manhasset. The team travels to Massapequa on Monday for its last regular season game before heading into the playoffs. Above, Junior MaryKate Dolan about to score against Farmingdale.
Garden City Library Director resigns, search consultant hired
BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
At its April meeting the five-member Garden City Public Library Board of Trustees learned of the intentions of the library, director, Lisa Paulo, to resign, effective this week (May 1st). Paulo spent the past four years as director of GCPL, hired in spring 2014 and introduced at the May 15th,
2015 Village Board of Trustees meeting. She came to Garden City after serving as library director in Franklin Square since 2006, and prior to that working in the library of her hometown, Great Neck. “She told us her plan is to pursue other opportunities. We wished her well and agreed on her last day as the end of April (Monday, April 30th). Every
person brings something to the table and she definitely did so, enhancing our GCPL programs and so forth. Lisa was a very helpful person, and a dedicated library director -- we are looking to continue her efforts here and grow upon them,” Colahan said. As of May 1st, the GCPL has See page 53
Mayor Brian Daughney and his fellow trustees faced a challenge over the $100,000 the Village of Garden City spent last year for consultants to study the reuse of the former St. Paul’s school. When residents sought answers about the consultants’ work, including whether an official report will be presented to the public or whether their findings will be discussed at future Board meetings, Mayor Daughney and fellow board members said they aren’t certain that anything will be presented as an action plan. They do expect the consultant’s drafting process, first planned for a initial proposal to the trustees in late December, to wrap up in the next two weeks. But from there, the Board would not promise residents they will see the topic of redeveloping St. Paul’s coming up at one of the Board meetings or another village forum. Brian Pinnola attended the April 26 Board of Trustees’ meeting with his fellow members of the Garden City Historical Society’s Preservation Committee, Gloria Jones and former WPOA president Maureen Dellacona. During public comment, Dellacona wanted to learn when there may be more information provided to residents on what the three consulting firms have in mind after over eight months looking into St. Paul’s. She hopes there will be opportunities for the community to view the option suggested either on the village website or through a public presentation. Mayor Daughney told her in the coming weeks, once the Board receives a report from the three New York architectural firms -Beyer, Blinder,Belle, or “BBB”; Thornton Thomasetti and Eight, Inc. -- the Board will evaluate it and then “hopefully get it out to everybody.” Dellacona sought clarification as to why the whole report would not be made public regardless of how the Board perceived the proposal. Mayor Daughney gave an example of the firms potentially suggesting that a 50-foot high tower be built, which he said would be ludicrous. He said there may be reason for the consultants to “go back to the drawing board” but if something is worthwhile, the consultants will be asked to present at a future Board meeting. “If it is something that is worthwhile and we are going to pursue, as we have said from day one we will put that out for everybody to see. We have hired them to come up with some concepts of what we can do with the building...a combination of a recreation/community center. They are idea people, engineers and architects. Our plan is to come up with something that works, makes sense, that we’re all comfortable with and if they do they will have a big presentation with models and all that they are thinking of doing,” Daughney said. Meadow Street resident Steve Ilardi, the EPOA vice president, See page 53
16th Annual Pineapple Ball dazzles Chamber PAGES 60-61 "GC for a Cure" raises $30K for charity PAGES 62-63