_______ Lynbrook/east rockaway ______
HERALD Also serving Bay Park
$1.00
Celebrating diversity, inclusion
LFD, LPD receive Covid test kits
Rocks roll on the basketball court
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VOL. 29 NO. 4
JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022
Residents react to $608 million sale of NYAW York American Water. With the takeover, Liberty agreed to freeze rates through 2023 as part With Liberty Utilities finaliz- of a settlement with the state ing the $608 million purchase of Public Service Commission, New York American Water Jan. which approved the deal last 3, many Lynbrook and East month. Liberty will also keep Ro ck aw ay re s i d e n t s h ave current NYAW employees and expressed hope for managers for at least better service and two years. lower rates. Responding to a Liberty, a subsidHerald Facebook iary of Canadian inquiry, Lynbrook company Algonquin resident Dee FranPower & Utilities, is ces was among a regulated water, many who stressed wastewater, natural that water quality is gas, electric and proan issue, noting they pane utility compahad experienced ny, providing local brown water in their utility management, homes under NYAW. service and support Frances wrote that to small and midshe was concerned sized communities about the price of across North Ameriwater use, but more ca. According to its worried about water website, its goal is quality, saying her “to ensure we com- DEE FRANCES water is often orange ply with all environ- Lynbrook and brown and mental regulations, stains her clothes which is an extenand hardware. sion of our local, responsive and “On top of the high bill, I also caring culture.” pay for a whole house filter and The sale to Liberty came after drinking water filters,” she said. many residents complained over “It’s so expensive having brown the years about what they water. While it would be nice to deemed unfair rate hikes and a lack of quality service from New CONTINUED ON PAGE 13
By MIKE SMOLLINS msmollins@liherald.com
Christina Daly/Herald
New neighbors On Thursday, Lynbrook officials are set to cut the ribbon on the new Cornerstone at Yorkshire apartment complex, which replaces the Capri Lynbrook Motor Inn. Above, Mayor Alan Beach was presented with a golden whistle, which he blew to mark the start of demolition in June 2020, as Nassau County Industrial Development Agency Chairman Richard Kessel cheered.
Lynbrook pizzeria ordered to pay employees $178,000 in damages By MIKE SMOLLINS msmollins@liherald.com
A Lynbrook pizzeria was ordered to pay more than $178,000 in back wages, damages and civil penalties for failing to pay employees overtime after a federal investigation, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Regina’s Pizzeria, also identified as Lynbrook Pizza & Pasta Inc., and its owner Nunzio DiLorenzo were ordered by the
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to pay $84,160 in fines, the same amount in damages to affected workers and more than $9,600 in civil penalties for what the labor department described as “the violation’s willful nature.” Messages for DiLorenzo at the pizzeria were not returned at press time, and his attorney, Jasmine Patel, did not return calls or an email seeking comment. In all, 17 employees were
shortchanged wages. They were to be paid between $57 and $31,821, with most of them to receive hundreds or thousands of dollars each. The court’s action came after a Wage and Hour Division investigation into the eatery, which concluded that DiLorenzo failed to pay certain employees overtime when they worked more than 40 hours per week, as CONTINUED ON PAGE 15
W
hile it would be nice to have a cheaper water bill, I would want Liberty to really tackle getting us cleaner water.