THE SOUTH SHORE STANDARD • JUNE 3 - 9, 2011

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Vol. I No. XI | www.StandardLI.com | News@StandardLI.com | Ph.# 516-341-0445

SERVING THE FIVE TOWNS

JUNE 3 - 9, 2011

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JUDGE BLOCKS REDISTRICTING PLAN FOR NOV ELECTIONS

PROPERTY TAX CAP DEAL HAS SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS

By JONATHAN WALTER

By JONATHAN WALTER

Legislative redistricting appears all but dead for this November’s election as on Tuesday, New York Supreme Court Justice Steven Jaeger rejected Republican requests for him to recuse himself from the case brought by Nassau Democrats regarding the county’s proposed legislative redistricting plan. Jaeger also left a restraining order in effect from two weeks ago on the plan, making it difficult for the county to implement the proposed plan before this November’s election. This second redistricting plan blocked by Jaeger’s decision was unveiled by Republicans in the County Legislature and approved by a 10-8 vote last Monday. The Democrats had asked Jaeger to enjoin the implementation of the plan last week on the grounds that it violates the county charter. Initially, two weeks ago, Jaeger was asked by Democrats to enjoin the vote for the plan, but once the vote took place, they were forced to revise their argument. The vote for the first plan was also blocked by Jaeger a few weeks ago. Republicans then unveiled this new plan and put it to a quick vote last week before a restraining order on the vote could take place. On Thursday of last week, the Republicans then asked Jaeger to remove himself from the case, alleging a conflict of interest based upon Jaeger’s ties to the Democratic Party while working as a lawyer 17 years ago. “I think he should have recused himself,” Nassau County District Seven Legislator Howard Kopel said. “I think he is too heavily invested in doing what the Democrats want. He wants to run for a full term. He wants the nomination from the Democrats and I think he was incorrect. It sounds like he’s doing a solid for the Demo-

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced last week a proposed property tax cap that would limit tax increases to two percent each year and would go into effect during the 2012-13 school year. Cuomo is heralding the proposed cap as “the best in the nation.” In January, the Senate passed a tax cap bill of its own that shares many similarities with the bill proposed in the Assembly by Speaker Sheldon Silver last week. Both plans will feature a two percent cap, with some minor differences that must be resolved before being sent to Cuomo for approval, and lawmakers have said that it isn’t a question of if the bill will get passed, but when. “It changes frequently,” District 20 Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg said. “The assembly has proposed a new tax cap bill. I’m still not committed. I’m still waiting for more of the mandates to be eliminated. It’s not a done deal and it still needs a three-way agreement between the senate, assembly and governor. Education and other things are being impacted on this. We’re not doing anything that’s going to be capable of changing the process. The tax cap has an approval of about 95 percent of the people but it’s only a concept and people don’t fully understand it yet either.” One difference between the two bills is the amount of votes required by school districts to override the cap. The plan proposed in the senate would require a two-thirds majority that would have to be put to a mandatory referendum vote, while the plan proposed in the assembly would require only 60 percent of the vote. The speaker’s bill also includes a provision that would exclude increases in pension costs over two percent from

Standard Staff Reporter

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Standard Staff Reporter

Cows Come Home to Woodmere Drive down Central Avenue in Woodmere and you may suddenly find yourself in front of what looks like a herd of cows and Wild West characters rearing up their horses. You may begin to think you are looking at a Dude Ranch, but upon closer inspection, you’ll find that you are seeing some unusual statues for a residential lawn in Woodmere. “I just happen to like them,” Ronny Harpul, who owns the home and statues, said. “They’re beautiful.” Seven years ago, Harpul purchased several large statues from a now closed antique store on Rockaway Turnpike. His largest items include a pair of cows, one a smaller calf, a large horse with a rider onboard, and two smaller horses, also with riders.

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GOP Incumbents Ready for Re-Election Fight By VANESSA CANNER Standard Staff Reporter

The Town of Hempstead Republican incumbents are ready to run for re-election and to take on the Democratic Party’s candidates in this year’s November election with a platform to keep taxes as low as possible. No candidate has been select-

ed yet to challenge Republican Howard Kopel for Nassau County Legislature. Kopel has been serving his first term as legislator for the Nassau County 7th District which includes The Five Towns, Bay Park, Island Park, North Woodmere, Mill Brook, and parts of Oceanside and East Rockaway.

Kate Murray

Don Clavin

Kopel plans to tackle the high taxes and the sewage problem in the area, but so far he has no one running against him. “They haven’t nominated anyone yet, maybe they’re afraid of me.” Kopel joked. On a more serious note, Kopel asserted that the Democratic candidate has not been named yet either because a lot of people

are looking to take him on or nobody wants to take him on. “When I came in a year and a half ago we had a new Republican majority as a result of my election and I promised that I would oppose any new taxes and that’s exactly what I did,” Kopel said.

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Memorial Day Parade In Lawrence-Cedarhurst Draws Large Crowds By SUSAN VARGHESE

Standard Associate Editor

Five Towners are grateful for their freedom and they demonstrated this by turning out in large numbers at the Lawrence- Cedarhurst Memorial Day Parade on Monday. The parade which started from the Lawrence Village Train Station through Central Avenue into Cedarhurst Park, included opening remarks from Cedarhurst Mayor, Andrew J. Parise, performances by Lawrence High School Students, and tributes to veterans and local victims of 9-11. “I’m elated because I’ve been running this for years and years and it’s the longest parade we’ve ever had. People were still coming

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Kids showing their patriotism at the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Memorial Day Parade.

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