Friday, March 31, 2017
Vol. 93, No.30
FOUNDED 1923
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LOCALLY OWNED AND EDITED
Wine Tasting PAGE 58 n “Singin’ in the Rain” PAGES 56-57
Anti-third track press conference draws crowd
A NEW SEASON
BY RIKKI N. MASSAND They braved the chilly start of spring and raindrops falling on their bright yellow “No Third Track” Signs, held high above their heads and in front of dozens of cameras and microphones. On Friday, March 24 over 60 people attended the anti-LIRR Third Track press conference in front of the New Hyde Park Village Hall just north of Garden City and the Greenridge Avenue inlet that will be most impacted by the new $2 billion project, which has riled up residents and politicians from Nassau County’s westernmost border to Queens. Aside from the message on behalf of residents, the efforts carried significance in history as standing up to the Governor Andrew Cuomo’s plan was heralded by several speakers. Senator Kemp Hannon, a Garden City resident, and Assemblyman Edward Ra took time away from Albany to attend the event. But it was a timely push for three local leaders now exiting the limelight in their See page 27
Village Budget to include water tower, cuts in costs, legal fees BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
Garden City High School girls varsity lacrosse started off the season with two wins last week in their first league games of the 2017 season. See page 66
A new era for the Cathedral’s green spaces? BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
The Tuesday, March 21 CPOA meeting at the Garden City Senior Center provided a first look at the future of the largest piece of open greenspace in the village and iconic architecture surrounding the tomb of the village’s founder, Alexander Turner Stewart. The Cathedral of the Incarnation campus between
Fourth and Sixth Streets and its namesake main road, Cathedral Avenue, was highlighted by special guest speaker The Very Reverend Michael T. Sniffen, who became the Cathedral Church’s dynamic leader in the village 16 months ago after serving as rector of The Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew in Brooklyn. In September 2015 Reverend
Lawrence Provenzano, bishop of Long Island, said Sniffen’s appointment in Garden City “marks the beginning of a new era for the Cathedral and the Diocese of Long Island.” If not prior to now, that became evident with a presentation this week. On Tuesday night he brought with him a team from Beyer, Blinder, Belle (BBB for short) Architects See page 27
The Board of Trustees will meet for the annual re-organization session on Monday, April 3, as the trustees are preparing to adopt the 20172018 Village Budget in its entirety at the meeting. Throughout the course of March’s four budget discussion and presentation sessions, which concluded on Thursday night, March 23, several adjustments were made and scrutiny from all sides came about as expenses fluctuated from last year and anticipated village capital projects carry significant costs. When it came time to review the Water Enterprise Fund and its capital projects for the course of the next five budget years, a glaring figure of $8.7 million in the 2017-2018 budget is set up to fund the village’s water tank replacement on Old Country Road. According to Mayor Nicholas Episcopia the spend estimate in the next two years’ budgets for Water Fund capital projects of $14 million, starting with $11.367 million in 2017-’18, represents a huge amount of money and a big commitment. But Trustee Robert Bolebruch reminded him that due to the Genesco settlement amount of $10 million in the summer of 2015, allocated as revenue into the 2015-’16 budget year, today $16.449 exists in the Water Enterprise Fund. No other lump sum is allocated for the tank between the 208-’19 budget and the 2021-’22 budget, so the big purchase is expected to be the basis of the Village Board’s upcoming decision. Despite the allocated sum, Deputy Mayor Richard Silver told Village Administrator See page 30
Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year PAGE 22 GCHS Boys Varsity LAX begins title defense PAGE 70