Bodkin appointed Manorhaven justice

Vows to be honest and fair in new position

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Port Washington resident William Bodkin has had a full career in the court system fulflling various positions, but his newest career move as village justice for Manorhaven comes with Bodkin’s desire to fulfll the position as a judge who is “honest, compassionate and fair so people have confdence in the justice system.”

On Feb. 22, Bodkin was unanimously appointed by the Manorhaven mayor and Board of Trustees as its newest village justice. His appointment comes in the wake of former Village Justice Christian S. Alfaya’s resignation.

Bodkin said he had found out about the position through some friends. He then spoke to Mayor John Popeleski and ofered his service to fll the position.

The mayor, trustees and village attorney reviewed his resume, interviewed Bodkin and conducted background checks before concluding he was qualifed to be appointed to the position.

“The trustees and I are thrilled to have an attorney of Judge Bodkin’s qualifcations and experience serving as village justice,” Popeleski said in a news release. “We strongly believe that Judge Bodkin has the three years to rezone areas within a half mile of Metropolitan Transportation Authority rail stations, including the Long Island Rail Road, under the proposed housing plan.

“Gov. Hochul’s housing plan will food our communities with thousands of apartments and high-density zoning, turning our neighborhoods into overcrowded urban centers,” DeSena said. “This proposal will negatively impact the environment, trafc, emergency services, utilities, and will result in packed classrooms in our schools.”

If the proposed legislation were to pass, Clavin said, the state would have control of zoning for 29 miles of area in Nassau County within a half mile of its 58 train stations. Recent vil- lages and local municipalities, he said, have approved transit-oriented developments without direct state interference and it should remain that way.

“This is a key example of governing from a distance,” Clavin continued. “Gov. Kathy Hochul does not know what is best for Long Island and is openly infringing on municipal control of zoning regulations. This is an assault on the suburbs.”

Hochul unveiled her plan to build 800,000 new homes over the next decade to address the state’s housing shortage in January. Included in the New York Housing Compact are local participation requirements and Continued on Page 34 temperament and knowledge to be a great Justice for Manorhaven.”

Bodkin began his career in private practice, but after a few years moved to a position as an appellate court attorney for the Appellate Division, First Department. He worked in that position for 10 years before coming to Nassau County to be the principal law clerk for Judge Norman St. George and then for Judge Steven Jaeger.

He currently serves as the chief court attorney for the Nassau County Supreme Court and as a judicial hearing ofcer for the Ofce of Court Administration, where he presides over employee disciplinary hearings.

“Becoming village justice seemed a natural outgrowth of my years serving the public in the court system,” Bodkin said. “It’s the opportunity to continue my public service in a new way.”

Beyond his career, Bodkin, who has been a Port Washington resident for about a decade, is also a passionate family man devoted to his kids. He said he was very active in Science Night at their elementary school, dressing up as characters such as Chewbacca the Wookie and Hagrid from Harry Potter to bring some fun to an educational pro-

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