New hyde park 2018 02 16

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Serving New Hyde Park, North New Hyde Park, Herricks, Garden City Park, Manhasset Hills, North Hills, Floral Park

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Friday, February 16, 2018

Vol. 67, No. 7

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Controversy over Belmont advisory picks

TA C K L I N G T I K E S

Empire State Development forms committee, some question members BY R E B ECC A K L A R Community critics of the Belmont arena development project are voicing concern over the! Empire State Development Corp.’s picks for the 15-member Belmont Community Advisory Committee. The group, rolled out on last Tuesday, consists of local elected officials, including Floral Park Mayor Dominick Longobardi, and community members. The committee will ensure that community members have a “seat at the table” as the Belmont arena development takes place, Howard Zemsky, Empire State Development Corp. president, CEO and commissioner,!said in a news release. The committee’s formation follows months of opposition by some community members and local activists to the development, a $1 billion project backed by New York Arena Partners, a joint venture between Sterling Development and Oak View Group.

The plan is to create an 18,000seat arena for the New York Islanders, a multipurpose event center, a retail center and a hotel on 43 acres of state-owned land currently used for parking spaces at Belmont Park. Efforts to reach the Empire State Development Corp. and Longobardi were unavailing. Matthew Sexton, a Floral Park resident who has publicly opposed the development, said the committee is nothing more than a sham. “I don’t understand how a nontransparent committee, that’s not advertised, can work with the community,” Sexton said. The committee is also filled with some controversial members, according to Sexton. Dave Kapell, listed in the Empire State Development news release as associated with Kapell Real Estate Inc., is also a consultant to the Rauch Foundation – a Long Island-based investment foundation. Kapell, who is from the Village Continued on Page 47

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FLORAL PARK-BELLEROSE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Kindergarteners at John Lewis Childs School dressed up for the wedding of Mr. Q and Ms. U, to learn about the alphabet. Zyi’mari Winbush, left, and James Burzynski dressed as quarterbacks for the wedding. See story on page 20.

Nassau County’s largest pot bust in history BY A M E L I A C A M U R AT I

pounds of marijuana in the largest marijuana seizure in Nassau County history, District Attorney An Old Westbury man Madeline Singas said. Micah Raskin, 49, was arwas arrested last Tuesday and charged with four felony counts raigned last Wednesday by for possessing more than 358 Judge William Hohauser on

charges of first- and seconddegree criminal possession of marijuana, fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance as well as third- and fourth-degree criminal possesContinued on Page 47

For the latest news visit us at www.theislandnow.com D on’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Theislandnow and Facebook at facebo ok.com/theislandnow


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