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February 10, 2022
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Vol. 33 No. 7
City credit outlook improves Page 5
18/21 itc FG Demi Condensed Page xx
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Former city manager sues L.B. over pay his resignation had nothing to do with the state’s report, and that he had been in discussion Rob Agostisi, the former Long for months about a job with the Beach acting city manager, has LGBT Network. He currently filed suit against the city, claim- works for the Long Island rights ing that it refuses to pay him organization as an attorney. money he is owed for unused Last July, Long Beach filed vacation and other time, and suit against Agostisi and Schnirthat he does not owe any money man, saying the payout scheme from an alleged payout scandal. cost the city hunAgostisi’s suit, dreds of thousands filed in December of dollars. The city and discussed at a said at the time it recent City Council was seeking $1.5 milmeeting, comes lion from Schnirseven months after man and $889,985 the city filed suit from Agostisi, as RiCk ostRow ag ainst him and well as punitive Jack Schnir man, Attorney, damages from both. who was the city Leeds Brown Firm The Herald manager before uncovered overpaybecoming Nassau ments in 2018 that County comptroller. Schnirman Long Beach employees had did not seek re-election for that received upon their departure post last November. from the city. Schnir man Agostisi was Long Beach’s returned roughly half of his sepcity manager from January 2019 aration payment, more than until he resigned that September. $50,000. Then Nassau County His resignation came less than District Attorney Madeline Sintwo weeks after New York State gas investigated possible wrongComptroller Tom DiNapoli doing in the case. There was not released a draft audit report that enough evidence to charge concluded that Long Beach over- Schnirman criminally, but Sinpaid current and former employ- gas did rebuke his conduct. ees $500,000 in retirement payOn Dec. 30, Agostisi filed suit outs. in U.S. District Court in Central Agostisi said at the time that Continued on page 7
By JAmEs BERNstEiN jbernstein@liherald.com
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Joe Abate/Herald
loNG BEACH REsiDENt Chuck Carr had some help from his friends to get in and out of the frigid Atlantic in style.
Polar bears take the plunge once again after Covid pause By BRENDAN CARpENtER bcarpenter@liherald.com
The air was chilly and the sky partly sunny last Sunday as thousands gathered for the annual Long Beach Polar Bear Splash, defying the elements while testing their fortitude and raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The event was virtual last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of ocean bathing, people took “splashes from home,” post-
ing videos of themselves with water falling over their heads. It may have been fun, but nothing can replace the sharp tingle of a cold winter wave against the arms and chest. “All my friends do this,” said Jimmy Karl as he prepared to take the plunge for the first time. “It’s a lot of fun and it’s for a great cause.” Last weekend’s Splash saw some changes as well. It usually takes place on Riverside Boulevard on Super Bowl Sunday, but this year the
crowd gathered on Laurelton Boulevard the week before the big game. The location change was necessitated by construction on Riverside, and the date change was a result of the NFL’s lengthened schedule, according to Matt Goldweber, manager of community fundraising for Make-A-Wish. “The community is unreal,” Goldweber said of Long Beach. “It’s the definition of a Continued on page 3
t’s a political stunt.