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VOL. 33 NO. 19
MAY 5 - 11, 2022
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RVC resident is running for State Senate
RVC schools have a new superintendent Rockville Centre school officials announced on Tuesday that Matthew Gaven was set to be appointed the district’s new superintendent at the Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, after the Herald went to press. Story, Page 3.
Aug. 23, and Republicans had not announced an opponent at press time. Over the course of After spending years advo- his career, Pernick has worked cating for others as an attor- for the NAACP Legal Defense ney focused on voting rights, Fund, served on the Nassau Michael Pernick is County ethics seeking to succeed board under forTodd Kaminsky in mer County Executhe State Senate tive Laura Curran, this November. and has focused on Per nick, of voting rights and Rockville Centre, redistricting issues w a s s e l e c t e d by around the country. Democrats to run The 9th District for the seat in the had long been con9th District, which trolled by Republicovers much of the cans until Kaminsouthwestern corsky won a special ner of Nassau election in 2016. He County. announced in Feb“After spending ruary that he my career traveling would not seek rethe country mak- MICHAEL election. ing sure people had Per nick was their voices heard, PERNICK bor n with a rare I realized that what Candidate, heart condition I really wanted to State Senate called tetralogy of do was use my Fa l l o t , wh i ch i s voice for my comcaused by four munity,” Pernick said. “I’ve heart defects that are present been an advocate my whole at birth, and he had to undergo life.” emergency open-heart surgery Pernick, who turned 34 on two hours after he was born. April 26, does not yet have any- He had another procedure at one running against him who age 1 and another when he was would necessitate a Democrat- 22, and he underwent a pulmoic primary, which would be on CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
By MIKE SMOLLINS msmollins@liherald.com
I
’ve been a fighter my whole life, and I’m doing this to fight for my neighbors and fight for my community.
Courtesy Rockville Centre School District
RVC doctor’s charges reduced Accused of recklessness in five opioid deaths By MICHAEL SMOLLINS and ROBERT TRAVERSO msmollins@lliherald.com, rtraverso@liherald.com
A former Rockville Centre physician who is accused of prescribing large amounts of opioids that led to the deaths of five patients has had five counts of murder against him reduced to reckless homicide by a Nassau County judge. “Reckless homicide cannot be elevated into depraved indiffer-
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ence murder merely because the actions of the defendant created a risk of death, however grave or substantial that risk may have been,” Acting State Supreme Court Justice Francis Ricigliano said in his ruling on April 28. Blatti, 76, formerly of Malverne, was initially charged in November 2019 with five counts of second-degree murder and 11 counts of reckless endangerment, as well as 22 counts of criminal sale of prescriptions
for a controlled substance, six counts of second-degree forgery, two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment and 22 counts of fourthdegree criminal diversion of prescription medications. His attorney, Nancy Bartling, said she was pleased that the charges were reduced. “This is very good news,” she said. “We CONTINUED ON PAGE 5