_____________ ROCKVILLE CENTRE ____________
CoMMunity uPdAte infections as of March 12
2,347
infections as of March 7 2,303
HERALD March 18, 2021
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REAL
Restaurateurs look to the future
ESTATE MOVERS and SHAKERS
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Real estate Movers and shakers
Group to plant new trees
See Inside
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MARCH 18 - 24, 2021
Vol. 32 no. 12
The topic was police reform RVC trustees commend community’s exchange of ideas By BRidGet downes bdownes@liherald.com
Village trustees hosted a virtual public hearing March 1 on the Rockville Centre Police Department’s proposed reform plans, created in accordance with the N ew Yo rk S t at e Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative Plan, per Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive order. The gover nor’s guidance, issued last summer, offered topics for consideration by local police departments, elected officials and residents in order to develop plans for police reform, part eMilio of an overall mis- Trustee sion to improve relationships between communities and law enforcement. Every municipality in the state is to adopt a reform plan by April 1 to be eligible for future state funding. “This plan will enable the Rockville Centre Police Department to continue its outstanding service to the community while working towards further reduc-
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Tom Carrozza/Herald
RoCkVille CentRe MAyoR Francis Murray, right, joined dozens of people to send off the Lawrence family, including Chris Lawrence, above, who has owned and operated C.J.’s Coffee Shop for more than 30 years.
‘You always wanted to go back’ Dozens gather to say goodbye to C.J.’s Coffee By toM CARRozzA tcarrozza@liherald.com
Thankful patrons of C.J.’s Coffee Shop marched from Hughes Street to North Long Beach Road on March 6 to celebrate the community fixture and to watch as Mayor Francis Murray presented a proclamation to the Lawrence family, who owned and operated the shop for more than 30 years. On a brisk Saturday morning, village residents arrived
bundled up and masked at the corner of Hughes and Seaman Avenue in a festive, block party-like atmosphere. Dozens marched, some with signs thanking the Lawrence family, and one member of the crowd blasted Elvis Presley on a shoulder-carried stereo. “It was awesome,” Rockville Centre resident and march attendee Carol Ruchalski said. “What a great community we have.” It was the last day for the family — new ownership has
taken over the shop, and it will continue on as a restaurant. “The food and service were always great, but it was Loreen, Chris and John [Lawrence] and all of the workers there that made the difference,” another local, Gerard Baker, said. “It’s why you always wanted to go back.” Around noon, the small crowd gathered to watch Murray’s presentation on behalf of the village. The mayor Continued on page 3
ing racial disparities in policing,” Commissioner James Vafeades said at the hearing. The plan was created by members of the department, along with community members including local elected officials, nonprofit and faithbased group leaders, a member of the Nassau County dist r i c t a t t o r n e y ’s office, a local public defender, residents who have had interactions with the police, local housing advocates, residents w h o h av e b e e n incarcerated and local education officials. “T he ultimate goal of this process GRillo was to foster trust, fairness and legitimacy between police and the community we serve,” Vafeades said. “There was a transparent exchange of ideas that created the foundation for this plan.” The Police Department, he added, plans to create or modify some 30 sections of the existing police manual, more than double
he emphasis that’s placed on de-escalation, I think, is something that’s really significant.
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