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County Cutting Another 3.5%, More Layoffs Coming BECKER DEFEATS SCATURRO
By Natasha Domanski
Life’s A Beach!
By Deanna Del Ciello
A friendly neighborhood seagull takes a stroll out at Atlantic Beach on Thursday afternoon. A heat wave is expected for this weekend and area beaches will be packed.
In this year’s Republican Primary, Nassau County Legislator Francis Becker defeated Frank Scaturro to win the nomination to challenge Carolyn McCarthy for her congressional seat in the fall. Becker outpolled Scaturro in Tuesday’s Republican Primary 6,357 to 5,175. A tighter
Photo by Natalia Kozikowska
Brushes and Canvases Come to Life at Five Towns Art Galleries Text and Photos By Deanna Del Ciello Francis Becker defeated Frank Scaturro in this week’s Republican Primary 6,357 to 5,175. win for Becker than when he outpolled Scaturro in 2010’s Republican Primary 10,361 to 7,733. While the total votes went down for both candidates, this time around Becker defeated Scaturro 55 percent to 44 percent. Voter turn-out decreased from the 2010 primary, possibly due to the earlier nature of the primary this time around. Even so, both candidates’ percentages grew from two years
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Crammed between glossy store fronts, hidden on side streets and in the depths of office buildings are the artists and art sellers of The Five Towns. Down these hallways and secluded in these corners are colors stretched across canvases from artists around the world and around the corner. There are replicas and there are originals and there is something for everyone. The easiest gallery to find, located on Central Avenue in Cedarhurst, is Central Galleries owned by Jeff Beja, who has been the owner since the gallery started in Brooklyn over 27 years ago. Here, customers can find original work from more than 30 nationally and internationally known artists. “The gallery specializes in five rotating one man exhibits,” Beja said, so there is always a different artist being featured. Currently, the artist is Charles Fazzino who cre-
ates 3-D art that hangs in frames just like a painting. According to Beja, Central Galleries is one of the leading art galleries on Long Island because of its size. While the gallery is not very wide, it is rather deep and this extra space means more room for Beja to bring in paintings and original work that range anywhere from $150 to $25,000 with the majority of paintings falling between $1,000 and $3,000. “We have the absolute biggest selection of artists with the cheapest prices,” Beja said. Beja began selling artwork when he was 13 years old with his brother on the streets of Brooklyn. Since then, his business has expanded to include custom framing.
CONTINUED ON P. A4 David Weingarten’s business PishPoshPaints specializes in transforming photos into oil paintings.
County Executive Edward Mangano has asked county government department heads to cut expenses by another 3.5 percent, five days after the state legislature declined to approve more borrowing, according to a memo distributed by Eric C. Naughton, Director of the Budget. The cuts are to be outlined by all the department heads in the Nassau as directed by Naughton, and sent in by this Friday to be evaluated and altered to meet the budget needs for the 2012 salary line expenses. Department heads were told to select positions that must be cut, as well as detailing how their departments will be affected with increased caseloads, program reductions, decreased hours of operation and increased overtime for the remaining staff. “This will allow the County to plan for the impact and additional costs that may occur as a result of layoffs,” Mangano stated. Precisely how much money will be saved is unclear, along with when the layoffs would begin. “County Executive Mangano spent Wednesday in meetings with County stakeholders,” Deputy County Executive Tim Sullivan said. “This is an internal memo and work in progress as the administration is in the process of modifying Nassau’s fiscal plan.” The Nassau County Press Office confirmed that this will be the third round of layoffs for county employees in the past year. Nearly 130 employees were laid off last June and more than 260 lost their jobs in December. The county’s cuts stem in part from an ongoing deadlock battle between Repub-
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July 4 Means More than just the Beach and Barbeques th
By Deanna Del Ciello
O
nce a year, Americans are given time to think back to our country’s origins. The Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day, honors the birth of the United States and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. It’s a day commonly associated with parades and picnics, fireworks and fairs, cookouts and concerts, family and friends, and a reason to fly the American flag.
History As the majority of Americans spend the day cooking, eating and drinking, it is important to take a moment to pause and remember the history involved with the celebration. The Declaration of Indepen-
dence marks the point in the American Revolution, the political upheaval during the 18th century of the 13 colonies in North America joining together to break free from the British Empire, when the colonies declared independence from Great Britain. This legal separation took place on July 2, 1776 when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. After congress voted for independence, they turned their attention towards the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining their decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4. While the Second Continen-
Fast Fun Facts
The drafting of the Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull (1819) which has been hanging in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda since 1826. tal Congress voted for independence on July 2, Americans have
always celebrated Independence Day as July 4, which is the date
shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence.
When looking to promote national pride and unity, the Continental Congress adopted the national flag on June 14, 1777. “Resolved: that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” The first public Fourth of July even at the White House was held in 1804. The first Independence Day celebration west of the Mississippi occurred at Independence Creek and was celebrated by Lewis and Clark in 1805. Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on Independence Day, July 4, 1826. The names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were withheld from the pub-
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C l a s s i f i e d s B 6 • E d i t o r i a l s A 6 • F i r e w o r k s G u i d e B 4 • G a s T r a c k e r A 2 • M o v i e s B 4 • S p o r t s A 8 • We a t h e r A 2