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HERALD
February 10, 2022
2022
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Vol. 25 No. 7
A penguin-packed lesson in Bellmore
Bellmore Barber to open in March
Page 15
Page 16
FEBRUARY 10 - 16, 2022
Officials decry zoning change Hochul’s budget proposal would redo single-family regulations “. . . This is a power grab by New York City politicians, and we’re not going to take it.” Town of Hempstead and NasHempstead Town Supervisor sau County officials — and some Don Clavin said that the proviSouth Shore residents — are up sion was “sneaky” and “a true in arms over a zoning proposal attack on suburbia.” “The goverin Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2022-23 nor is attempting to basically state budget. mandatorily require anybody Dozens of elected officials who wants it to put an accessory gathered outside an unit on their house,” East Meadow home Clavin said. “. . . We on Feb. 3 to voice are not standing for their opposition to it.” “Section AA” of the The officials proposed spending called on residents to plan, which would contact Hochul’s effectively eliminate of fice and make single-family zoning their objections across the state, CHRIS CARINI clear. A Feb. 4 letter allowing single-fami- Town of Hempstead t o t h e g ove r n o r ly homes to be signed by the Hempturned into “accesso- Councilman stead Town Board ry dwelling units” or requested that she apartments by converting base- remove the provision from the ments, garages and attics into spending plan. separate dwellings. “We do not need New York At the news conference, offi- State meddling in the local zoncials detailed what they saw as ing affairs of the Town of Hempthe potentially negative impacts stead, or any community within of the proposal: an increase in Nassau County,” the letter read. traffic, a strain on resources and “Our town Building Departinfrastructure, and overcrowd- ment, Board of Appeals and ing in public schools. Town Board — working with “It’s an attack on the suburbs other municipal departments — — it’s an attack on the suburban have enforced local building way of living,” County Executive Bruce Blakeman said. Continued on page 14
By MAlloRY WIlSoN mwilson@liherald.com
Courtesy Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District
Another New Year In the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, Mandarin students took part in a variety of activities to celebrate Lunar New Year. More photos, Page 3.
State construction aid cut poses concerns for libraries By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
In Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2022-23 state budget proposal, $20 million will be cut from public library construction aid. The budget, announced on Jan. 18, will go into effect April 1 if it is approved by the State Legislature. Under the current spending plan, library construction aid totals $34 million. The planned
reduction could pose issues for public libraries in the future, if not sooner. Dan Chuzmir, the director of the Merrick Library, explained that public libraries have an operational budget, which is voted on by the community each year, as well as state funding, which includes construction aid, that libraries access through the Nassau Library System. “It’s definitely a huge issue,” Chuzmir said of the construc-
tion aid cut. “Any aid we’re not getting from the state we have to turn to the taxpayers for, and we don’t want to do that.” Although the Mer rick Library is a relatively new building by library standards — completed in 2005 — year-to-year upkeep and upgrades have been necessary. Things like roofing and HVAC systems take “a lot of wear a tear,” Chuzmir said. Continued on page 12
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ocal issues should be decided locally.