________________ LONG BEACH _______________
CoMMUNity UPDatE infections as of June 2
4,031
infections as of May 26 4,027
$1.00
HERALD Also serving Point Lookout & East Atlantic Beach
Marvel celebrates 70 years
New eco-friendly garden in l.B.
City manager’s annual race
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Vol. 32 No. 23
JUNE 3 - 9, 2021
L.B. sues to recoup payouts Files claims against one current and three former employees that between January 2012 and February 2018, Robinson was Long Beach’s director of commuIn its continuing effort to nity development and deputy city recoup what it calls improper manager. separation payments, the City of A message left for Robinson at Long Beach has filed suit in his home was not returned. HighSupreme Court in t owe r, wh o n ow Mineola against one works for the Town current and three of Southold, declined former employees. to comment WednesA complaint was day. Tangney could filed against Michael not be reached by Tangney, a former press time. city police chief and Rick Ostrove, Tepcity manager. The per’s attorney, said city claims he owes it he believed the lawJohN BENDo $29,708. suits were “baseless” T h e s u i t a l s o President, and would be disnamed Kristie Han- City Council missed. sen-Hightower, who The city’s outside resigned in 2017 as counsel, Ingerman the city comptroller and now Smith, of Hauppauge, is handling lives in Suffolk County. The suit the case. claims that she owes the city According to court docuabout $28,000. ments, on Dec. 15, 2017, Tangney Gordon Tepper, who resigned received a payment of $51,992.67, as director of public relations in representing 70 percent of his September 2018, was also sued. unused sick leave, which amountHe is now working in the same ed to 463.29 hours. Because the position for the Town of North city’s Personnel Code states that Hempstead. The city says Tepper at termination, exempt employowes about $22,000. ees are entitled to just 30 percent A similar complaint was filed of their accrued sick time, and against Michael Robinson, who because Tangney did not leave court papers say is currently the Long Beach’s employ until May director of fleet management for the city. The documents also state Continued on page 11
By JaMEs BErNstEiN jbernstein@liherald.com
i
t was taxpayer money that was improperly paid.
Christina Daly/Herald
Girl sCoUt trooP 2178 made faux flowers to place outside the VFW Hall under the direction of their leader. Anna Ervolina.
Honoring the fallen
Weather clears before Memorial Day events By JaMEs BErNstEiN jbernstein@liheralds.com
At 1 p.m. on Monday, the sun finally sliced through the slate-gray clouds that had poured heavy rain on Long Beach for most of the long holiday weekend. The break in the clouds brought a smile to the face of Dan MacPhee, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1384 in Long Beach. MacPhee took note of the warming sun and then point-
ed to another star of the day — a field of 126 red faux poppies spread out on the lawn across the street from the VFW hall. The poppies were made, and displayed for the first time at a Memorial Day ceremony outside the hall on West Park Avenue, by Girl Scout Troop 2178. They were created from the plastic bottoms of 2-liter soft drink bottles. The scouts spread the plastic into petals, and painted the petals red.
Each poppy displayed the name of a man or woman who had served the country, whether during a war or not. “We’re hoping to do this every year,” said Anna Ervolina of Long Beach, the leader of the scout troop. She said the idea for the poppies was borrowed from a troop in Floral Park. MacPhee had some news for the crowd of over 100 people. He said the post was in Continued on page 3