Serving New Hyde Park, Floral Park, Garden City Park, North Hills, Manhasset Hills and North New Hyde Park
$1
Friday, September 24, 2021
Vol. 70, No. 39
N E W H Y D E PA R K
GUIDE TO FALL
W.P.-BASED OFFICER RICE VOTES AGAINST DRUG DIES OF COVID PLAN IN COMMITTEE
PAGES 25-32
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NHP Street Fair returns in style Sold-out fair brought family, fun and food all together for the first time since 2018 BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y
PHOTO BY BRANDON DUFFY
The New Hyde Park Street Fair returned to Jericho Turnpike for the first time in two years.
Food, families and fun were spread along Jericho Turnpike Saturday afternoon for the 24th annual New Hyde Park Street Fair. For the whole day residents and attendees gathered under the hot sun to grab a bite or catch up with neighbors after a two-year delay. Last year’s event was canceled due to COVID-19, and the fair in 2019 was not held due to LIRR construction. In conjunction with Craft-A-Fair Long Island, the village put on the event along Jericho Turnpike from New Hyde Park Road to Lakeville Road. Even with all the space, there was not a seat left in the house, thanks to over 120 local businesses, community service organizations and outside vendors, according to Mayor Chris Devane. “We completely sold out as far as vendors go,” the mayor said Saturday evening after his first fair since
being elected. “It’s great to have the fair back. The weather’s perfect as always.” People were treated to a number of activities and options, ranging from a slice of pizza at Gino’s to a cold refreshment at the Angry Gnome Pub. The opportunities, and sometimes lines, were endless. Demonstrations were also provided by the John Chung Tae Kwon Do studio, which showcased students’ martial arts abilities. Also present for the fair was the New Hyde Park Fire Department. The first responders simulated removing a victim from an automobile, using various tools, such as the jaws of life, as the crowd grew. Once the “victim” was saved, the department went ahead and transformed what was an SUV into a convertible. For vendors, the fair was a great opportunity to catch up on lost time. Steve Vallone, who operates “Steve’s Wooden Creations” out of Uniondale, said it was great to be Continued on Page 43
Durst convicted of 1st-degree murder BY B R A N D ON DUFFY
timillion-dollar real estate group based in Manhattan, was convicted of first-degree murder on Robert Durst, the heir to Friday for the execution-style the Durst Organization, a mul- killing of longtime friend Susan
Berman. The decision is the first murder conviction for Durst, whose first wife, from New Hyde Park, disappeared nearly 40 years ago. According to multiple reports, the jury in Los Angeles upheld a special circumstance allegation that Durst killed Berman because she was a witness. Califor-
nia law states that Durst must be sentenced to life in prison without any chance of parole. Berman, a journalist, was found dead in 2000 on Christmas Eve, lying in a pool of blood after being shot in the back of the head in her Los Angeles home. Prosecutors claimed Durst first murdered Kathie McCormack, his first wife and New
Hyde Park resident, who was looking to divorce him, then shot Berman to cover his tracks. Kathie McCormack disappeared on Jan. 31, 1982; her body was never found. Thirty-six years after her disappearance, McCormack was declared dead by a Manhattan court in 2017. Earlier this year, the WestContinued on Page 43
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