__________________ Nassau _________________
HERALD All the news of the Five Towns
Supporting Israel and Zionism
Irish dancer kicks up her heels
Community marks Inwood Day
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Vol. 99 No. 35
AUGUST 25 - 31, 2022
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Gillen set to face off against D’Esposito By Kyle ChIN kchin@liherald.com
Lisa Margaria/Herald
RoUGhly 300 ReSIDeNTS of the Five Towns and surrounding communities gathered at the Lawrence Yacht & Country Club to express their opposition to several proposed major developments and to stump for improvement of the Nassau Expressway.
Five Towns registers its anger
Neighbors fed up with proposed developments By lISA MARGARIA lmargaria@liherald.com
Angered by what they consider to be too much proposed development in the Five Towns, roughly 500 area residents voiced their opposition to the projects and emphasized the need to improve Route 878, also known as the Nassau Expressway, at a meeting at the Lawrence Yacht & Country Club on Aug. 16. The gathering was organized by longtime Lawrence residents Judi Bernstein and Jennifer Wallace, after a July 21 Lawrence village board meeting that featured several emotional
public comments, after which Mayor Alex Edelman suggested that residents organize a meeting of their own. “The message from the board of trustees is that the only way to stop this over-development is through civic involvement of all of the citizens who are affected,” Wallace said. More than 320 people signed in at the door last week, where pre-printed letters to elected officials — including County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Hempstead Town Councilman Anthony D’Esposito — and informational packets — titled “Over-Development Projects Continued on page 13
Laura Gillen is a step closer to claiming the open U.S. House seat left vacant by Kathleen Rice. The former Hempstead town supervisor was projected to win the Democratic primary for the 4th Congressional District on Tuesday, with nearly 67 percent of the vote in early returns. “Tonight, voters spoke loud and clear that they want a representative who will fight tooth and nail against GOP politicians in Washington,” Gillen said in a statement following the win. She also decried Re publicans “who want to pass a national a b o r t i o n b a n lAURA without excep- GIlleN tions to rape, woN the incest, or even if Democratic the woman’s life primary for is in danger.” “Health care the 4th d e c i s i o n s — Congressional including basic District. birth control — are between a woman and her doctor, not by Washington politicians trying to score political points with their extremist base.” The 52-year-old Rockville Centre resident had been a favorite to win, endorsed by Rice as well as a number of major Democratic Party figures, including House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
and House Democratic Caucus chair Hakeem Jeffries. She now faces Hempstead town councilman Anthony D’Esposito in the Nov. 8 general election. He ran unopposed on the Republican ticket. Gillen has stated that repealing restrictions to state and local tax deductions passed in 2017 is one of her immediate priorities. She also voiced support for universal background checks on gun purchases to help curb crime and violence, while calling for expanded voting rights. Early results showed Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages in second with 16 percent of votes. Solages advocated for an aggressive foreign policy, tax incentives for small businesses, and expanding protections for women. Keith Corbett had 14 percent of the vote. The Malverne mayor called for expansions to reproductive and voting rights while touting his experience in village planning and infrastructure. Finally, physician Muzib Huq from Elmont captured a little more than 1 percent of the vote. He had campaigned on improving the American health care system, championing racial and religious tolerance, and investing in anemic local and national infrastructure. While the fourth district is forecasted to safely lean Democrat by some, other pollsters — like McLaughlin & Associates — say D’Esposito had the best chance of claiming the seat if Gillen was his opponent.