Great Neck 2022_06_24

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Serving Great Neck, G.N. Plaza, G.N. Estates, Kensington, Kings Point, Lake Success, Russell Gardens, Saddle Rock and Thomaston

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Friday, June 24, 2022

Vol. 97, No. 25

HEALTH, WELLNESS FARMERS MARKET MY FATHER’S PLACE COMES TO G.N. IN GLEN COVE AND BEAUTY PAGES 25-28

Town Democrats approve new election districts

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S TA G E H A N D S

Local officials bash changes to map, inlcuding split of Mineola BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y In a party-line vote, the North Hempstead Town Board approved a redistricting proposal Thursday night that will reshape the town’s six councilmanic districts for the next 10 years during a heated nearly five-hour meeting. The vote came after the four North Hempstead Democrats rejected a request by Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, who was elected as a Republican, to table the proposal. “Looking at the four maps it’s easy to make a compelling argument that it was an attempt to preserve political power for the next decade through gerrymandering,” DeSena said. “We have time to make sure as many of our residents’ voices are heard as possible in this process, as they will be the ones most affected by all this,” DeSena added. “This will decide the future of all residents in our town for the next 10 years. There’s nothing compelling us to put this to a vote tonight since we have two more board meetings and we can call another meeting. It is important to take our time and do this process directly, otherwise we open the town to potential legal challenges.” DeSena noted that the Town Board has meetings on July 7 and Aug. 4 ahead of the Aug. 12 deadline for re-

districting to be finalized. The new maps will officially take place on Jan. 1, 2024, and candidates running for election in Districts 2, 4 and 6 next year will be running on the new maps. The revised map includes splitting the Village of Mineola into two districts, the creation of an Asian plurality district and switching the numbers of District 4, now represented by Town Councilperson Veronica Lurvey, a Democrat, with District 5, now represented by Town Councilman David Adhami, a Republican. East Williston Mayor Bonnie L.S. Parente and former state Sen. Jack Martins voiced their opposition specifically to how Mineola was cut in half, saying they had to go through a thin line, roughly 500 feet at its narrowest point according to Google Maps, between Districts 1 and 3 where Wheatley Hills Golf Club is located in order to split Mineola. The new map will also result in moving the election for the district now represented by Lurvey back by two years and moving up the district represented by Adhami two years. Lurvey said the redistricting was based on data and considered what the different laws require. “I think this process is not about Continued on Page 10

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GREAT NECK SCHOOL DISTRICT

JFK students performed in a variety of musical performances this month.

Sobel, Kashi re-elected to Village of G.N. board BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Village of Great Neck Deputy Mayor Bart Sobel and Trustee Eli Kashi were re-elected to the Board of Trustees on Tuesday night, each

receiving more than 900 votes. The incumbents defeated challenger Sam Yellis, who received 404 votes, in the peninsula’s lone contested election on Tuesday. In the Village of Kings Point,

Trustee Kouros “Kris” Torkan, the founder of the real estate company Villadom Corp., ran unopposed to replace Mayor Michael Kalnick, who did not run for re-election. Continued on Page 42

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