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Friday, October 21, 2022
Vol. 71, No. 42
N E W H Y D E PA R K
GOLD COAST FILM FESTIVAL PAGE 23
4TH DISTRICT KAPLAN, MARTINS CANDIDATES CLASH SPAR AT DEBATE PAGE 2
PAGE 6
Mineola, GOP on board sue over redistricting Party-line vote in June reshaped N. Hempstead’s districts for next decade BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y Paul Pereira, the mayor of Mineola, and North Hempstead Republicans David Adhami and Dennis Walsh have filed a federal complaint against the Town of North Hempstead to invalidate the newly confirmed redistricting maps as unconstitutional. “The redistricting engaged in by the Democratic-controlled Town of North Hempstead constituted a complete railroading of the process in the favor of one side that prevented the meaningful participation by Republicans or any other parties,” the suit, filed Oct. 14 in the Eastern District Court of New York, said. The Village of Mineola, Pereira, Adhami, Walsh and resident James McHugh, a New Hyde Park resident appointed to the town’s nonpartisan redistricting commission by Adhami that was critical of the redistricting process, are named as plaintiffs. They are represented by Timothy Hill of Messina Perillo & Hill LLP. In a June party-line vote, the North Hempstead Town Board approved a redistricting proposal 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 re-
quest 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 during the June meeting. The new maps will officially take effect on Jan. 1, 2024. 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. The complaint said the constitutional guarantee of voter equity, the “one person, one vote” concept was violated as a result of redistricting. By swapping Adhami and Lurvey’s districts, Adhami would run for re-election in two years after being elected on 2021 and Lurvey would serve until 2026 after last being elected in 2020, the complaint said. “This has been accomplished by the completely unnecessary decision to switch district numbers to effectively extend the term of office of one repreContinued on Page 38
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SEWANHAKA CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Sewanhaka High School hosted the Calhoun High School Colts during their Oct. 8 homecoming game. See story on page 45.
Covert Ave. street fair returns after two years The street fair, hosted by the Cofire tore through the heart of town. Attendees were treated to a vert Avenue Chamber of Commerce, Saturday saw the return of fam- wide array of music, food and games was the first to be held in two years ily and fun to Covert Avenue for the among other amenities after a two- after the 2020 fire. Back then Floral Park police re26th Annual Covert Avenue Street year hiatus put the local block party Fair two years after a devastating on hold. Continued on Page 39
BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y
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