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Vol. II No. XLVI | www.StandardLI.com | News@standardli.com | Ph.# 516-341-0445
FEB. 10-16, 2012
YOUR FIVE TOWNS HOMETOWN PAPER
MCCARTHY DISTRICT MAY BE ELIMINATED IN REDISTRICTING
TEMPLE ISRAEL CATERER SUED OVER KOSHER VIOLATIONS BY JONATHAN WALTER
By Scott P. Moore
Standard Staff Reporter
Employees of Morrell Caterers, the catering company used by Temple Israel of Lawrence, have filed a lawsuit against their employer Scott Morrell, accusing him of storing and cooking non-kosher foods such as pork and shrimp in the same pots used for kosher foods, as well as distributing the kosher food in the same truck used to distribute non-kosher food. “Everything was tainted,” Tom Cataldo, General Manager for Morrell Catering told Newsday in regard to the events held by the company. “Next to kosher meat, you would have a bucket of raw shrimp.” Morrell Catering issued a statement regarding the lawsuit, filed by Cataldo as well as Chef Michael Savitsky, on Wednesday, saying that the allegations are false and a Howard Fensterman, in retaliation over a bad investment, is using the plaintiffs. “His motive is simple,” Morrell said. “Mr. Howard Fensterman is the defendant in a massive $19 million fraud case that poured millions of dollars into a Dubai insurance scam. Many are suing him but I am the only one who is not a powerful figure in the investment community. As a re-
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SYNAGOGUES, INSTITUTIONS PREPARE FOR TERROR RISKS BY SUSAN VARGHESE
Standard Associate Editor
Lawrence Mayor Martin Oliner is currently spearheading an effort to prepare The Five Towns Jewish Community against the possible threat of terrorism. In a last minute meeting on Thursday, January 9th, Oliner brought together various members and representatives of the community including Cedarhurst Mayor Andrew J. Parise, Legislator Howard Kopel, representatives from the Nassau County Police Department, and from Jewish organizations to discuss possible incentives to increase security and awareness. “There’s nothing to panic about, but within our community, we have very specific needs and concerns,” Oliner announced at the start of the meeting. “We are potentially a very targeted community.” Paul Goldenberg, the Nation-
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FREE EVERY FRIDAY
Standard Staff Reporter
Go Big Blue! The No. 5 School in Cedarhurst held an outdoor parade last Friday afternoon to show their support for the New York Giants as the local NFL team faced off against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. Students carried hand-made signs and banners as well as noisemakers while upbeat Photo by Scott P. Moore. music played to ready the little fans for the big game.
Helping Five Towners Find True Love Online BY SUSAN VARGHESE
Standard Associate Editor
By day, Patrick Morales is a partner at Five Towns Pixel, an internet Photo lab based in Hewlett, but in his free-time Morales is on a quest to help Five Towners find true love and romance. His fliers can be found in bagel stores and coffee shops around town, offering to help set up personal profiles on sites like Eharmony.com, Match. com, Jdate.com and Facebook. Born in Chile, Morales grew up in Canada and moved to Hewlett when he was 14. He got a degree from Nassau Community College in photography, from where he attributes learning his skills. He’s been working at the photo company for 12 years, which offers varying services including transferring videos to DVD, photography, transferring photos on to posters, and more. It was at his job at the
Patrick Morales photo service company that he thought of the idea of setting up profiles. “There are a lot of people that walk in and are secretive about it,” Morales said. “These are sometimes older people that ask you subtle questions, like, ‘is it hard to get a picture online?’”
Morales added, “It’s mostly older men and women who are very intimidated by the concept of going online. They’ve worked their whole lives, their partners passed away or they want to connect…that’s where I come in. I try to make it easier for them.” Although his demographic is mostly people over the age of 55, he’s open to helping anyone set up their personal or professional profiles on social media sites. Morales will go to peoples’ homes to set up profiles and help them through the process. “I ask them, ‘what do you want to do? What are you trying to do?’ I set it up for them,” Morales explained. “That’s when it gets personal…you really get to know the people and what they want.” An example, he noted, was about discovering peoples’ true selves, like a seemingly ordinary woman’s love for a little
The Fourth Congressional District, currently represented by Carolyn McCarthy (D), could be merged with a nearby district from Queens in order to help offset the mandatedloss of congressional seats due to the latest U.S. Census data, according to unnamed sources in a report in the New York Daily News. The Daily News report cites unnamed “insiders” who say State Senate and Assembly leaders are looking into potentially merging the Fourth and Fifth Congressional Districts as state leaders have begun to redraw the boundary lines. The Fifth District, which covers parts of Queens and Nassau County, is represented by Gary Ackerman, another Democrat. The report also cites that the lines would be “drawn in a way that favors Ackerman in a potential primary,” although McCarthy has roughly $630,000 cash on hand that she could use in a re-election effort.
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy has been in the House of Representatives since being elected in 1996. Representative McCarthy has downplayed the report and released a statement noting that she would not let the potential merger affect her current work. “I’ll let people in Albany worry about the Congressional lines while I continue pouring everything I’ve got into fighting for my constituents, New Yorkers, and Americans everywhere on issues like gun safety, wom-
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Cedarhurst Axes Parking by Rock Tpke. Starbucks By Scott P. Moore
Standard Staff Reporter
The Cedarhurst Board of Trustees voted unanimously to suspend parking on the south side of Rugby Road from Rockaway Turnpike to Buckingham Road in an effort to allow traffic flow after cars began parking on the side of the street, clogging up the roadway. The move was voted on after the village held a public hearing with concerned residents during the Board of Trustees’ monthly meeting on Monday evening. Village officials say residents on Rugby Road had complained that cars began parking after a nearby lot for the Starbucks Coffee on Rockaway Turnpike
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Lawrence Lawyer Making a Big Name for Himself By JONATHAN WALTER Standard Staff Reporter
Gary Mandel has gone from local attorney to the biggest name in The Five Towns, literally. Mandel now has a large billboard on Rockaway Turnpike for his law practice touting his legal services when it comes to accident, injury, and immigration. The sign is located on Rockaway Turnpike on the way into The Five Towns, by Springfield Gardens, making it an easy to spot ad for locals on their way back into town from their commute into the city. Mandel was born and raised in the Far Rockaway area, graduated from HAFTR, then Queens College before going to Touro Law School. and is currently a Lawrence resident, where he is married and has three boys and a girl. He is following in his father’s footsteps, taking over the family law office in Far Rockaway. “I practice primarily personal injury
law and immigration law,” Mandel said. “I was lucky enough to have a dad in the practice. When I graduated law school I joined him. Unfortunately he passed away seven years ago. But we’re trying to keep the same tradition. My father was a very honest, straightforward lawyer’s lawyer. He loved helping people. That’s pretty much what we like to do: try to help people get their green cards. There’s great satisfaction in reuniting families that haven’t seen each other and bringing people together, letting them become citizens and productive people in the community.” While he wouldn’t go as far as embracing a new celebrity status due to the sign, he has been happy with the results. “I’ve been doing this for 22 years in the same office, same location, same phone number, and most of my practice is through word of mouth,” Mandel said. “I figured after 22 years, I’d try the billboard
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Gary Mandel’s billboard on Rockaway Turnpike
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