Mother Nature Rocks Mineola With Storm

Roslyn Road home pummeled by trees, high winds

Michelle Dos Santos wanted to go to the bank. The Roslyn Road resident got just halfway down the street when a rogue storm wrung out a sopping wet towel in Mineola to the tune of heavily flooded streets, downed power lines and uprooted trees on Wednesday, Aug. 15. She was with her two children when the storm hit.

Dos Santos made it home just in time when the booms began. What started out as light rain continued with thunderous roars from the skies above, lightning strikes and treacherous roads not easily navigated. Second Street, just east of Roslyn Road, went from street to sea in a matter of minutes.

New Town Initiative In Pool, Tennis Court Saga

Special Improvement District status being discussed for country club neighborhood

The ongoing debate over the reopening of a pool and tennis club at the Roslyn Country Club has taken a new turn.

Last Thursday, Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman and Councilman Thomas Dwyer met with an audience of up to 40 Roslyn Heights residents to introduce a new idea for getting the long-dormant pool and tennis courts open.

Mineola Properties Seeking Agencies Approval

Developers present yet another round of changes to proposed rental dwelling

If this keeps up, Mineola Properties LLC (MP) will have set, reset and then unset the proposed apartment complex at 250 Old Country Road so much, people will begin to think the Winston Manor saga from a few years ago was a three-page short story compared to this tale. In what has spanned three years of meetings, letters and configuration changes, this project may finally get legs but needs to get approvals by local agencies to get going…and the legend continues.

Representatives from MP presented new changes to its 315-unit apartment complex to the Mineola Village Board on Aug. 8. The board reserved its decision on the project with developer Ken Lalezarian looking for approval from the Nassau County Planning Commission (NCPC) and some tax help via the Nassau Industrial Development Agency (IDA).

MHS To Offer Portuguese As A Class

High school to become first in New York State to offer the class

Mineola High School (MHS) currently offers Spanish, French, Italian and Latin as foreign languages. Come this September, it will add a fifth option, one Mineola is very familiar with.

With the help of 7th Senate District Senator Jack Martins, MHS will offer Portuguese to incoming eighth-grade students starting with the 2012-13 school year. Martins attained a waiver from the state education department (SED) to grant the high school permission to offer the class. The program will grow to ninth-through 12th grades over the next five years.

Scaturro Won’t Endorse Becker, Will Run On Conservative Line

Becker says a vote for Scaturro is a vote for McCarthy

Frank Scaturro had been mum on whether he’d pursue another run for Congress after winning the Conservative Party primary as a write-in candidate over Nassau County Legislator Francis X. Becker by a 259-213 vote margin on June 26. Becker took the Republican primary 6,836 to 5,531 over Scaturro.

The New Hyde Park resident put the speculation to bed on Aug. 1. Standing on the steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court Building in Mineola, Scaturro, 40, announced his intention to run on the Conservative Party line against incumbent Democrat Rep. Carolyn McCarthy.

IDA Announces Development Of Winston, Churchill

Mangano: ‘Mineola complex to provide much-needed housing for young professionals, senior residents’

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano and the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) announced the approval of an economic development compact for a proposed $93 million complex in downtown Mineola that will provide much needed housing for working young professionals and affordable housing for seniors on Aug. 1.

The compact, approved by the IDA board on July 23, will allow Mill Creek Residential Trust (MCRT) to construct a five-story, 275-unit, apartment building at Old Country Road and Willis Avenue in Mineola known as “The Winston.” In addition, Mill Creek will build a four-story, 36-unit, building on Front Street and Roslyn Road in Mineola known as “The Churchill” with 36-unit senior affordable apartments. These projects, close to the Mineola LIRR Station and bus terminal, will replace several functionally obsolete office buildings and vacant land.

Martins Holds Roundtable, Press Conference

Discusses budget, MTA, I-STOP and unfunded mandates

Coming into the final four months of his current term as senator of the 7th Senate District, Jack Martins sat down with Anton Community Newspapers editors on Wednesday, July 25. He will seek re-election in November, facing off against Manhasset Democrat Daniel Ross.

Martins “tipped his hat” to Governor Andrew Cuomo concerning initiatives including the new 2 percent tax cap, a timely budget process, the states dealings concerning the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and state school district issues, most notably unfunded mandates.

County Executive Edward Mangano Outlines Budget Reductions

Claims to balance budget without property tax increase

Recently, Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos announced that the county’s unaudited 2011 budget deficit would reach $50.4 million. Maragos blamed the gap on failures to approve pending bonding legislation.

Maragos also said that County Executive Edward P. Mangano would be announcing a fresh round of budget reductions. And that is what happened at a press conference on Monday, July 23. There, Mangano, along with Maragos and Presiding Officer Peter J. Schmitt (R – Massapequa) outlined a $45 million deficit reduction plan, one that the county executive said would balance the budget without raising property taxes.

Mineola School District Adopts APPR Plan

Teacher contract negotiations still ongoing

The Mineola School District adopted its Annual Professional Performance Review Plan (APPR) last week. The APPR has been the subject of much scrutiny and is still in its infancy of being utilized across New York State.

The state requires that every school district and BOCES negotiate and adopt an annual review plan that evaluates teachers and principals. District Superintendent Michael Nagler said it has to be negotiated in “good faith” and all parties have to sign off on a plan and submit their review through an online portal dubbed the “Review Room.”

New Commander Welcomed At Post No. 349

Carl Marchese notes a particular history-making goal he wants to achieve during his tenure

Carl Marchese is the new commander of the American Legion Post No. 349; but he doesn’t want the focus on him…he wants to focus on making history.

As part of his tenure, Marchese said that he is looking to expand the membership, including bringing women into No. 349, a first since the chapter was founded in 1922.