28 minute read
TJH Speaks with Mayor Ben Weinstock of Cedarhurst
Corona, Crime, and a Sense of Community TJH Speaks with Cedarhurst Mayor Ben Weinstock
BY SUSAN SCHWAMM
Mayor Weinstock, how many years have you been mayor of the Village of Cedarhurst?
I have been involved with the Village of Cedarhurst for many decades. It began when I served as Deputy Village Attorney from 1989 through 1994. Then I became a Trustee in 1994 and was promoted to Deputy Mayor in 2003. When Mayor Parise passed away in February 2015, I became acting Mayor, and then was elected Mayor in 2015, and re-elected in 2019. All in all, I have been involved with our Village government for more than 30 years.
Over three decades. How many residents are there in Cedarhurst?
About 7,000.
You’re an attorney. What type of law do you practice?
Primarily, real estate law.
How has your experience with real estate law helped you in your role in the Village?
I’ve been very involved with the Village’s zoning, land use and development concepts. There is a very much-needed type of housing that doesn’t presently exist in the Village. Many of our homeowners are middle-aged couples whose elderly parents live in Brooklyn, or in Queens, or in the Bronx. Every time Mom has a pain or Dad’s not feeling well, the children run back home to take care of things.
We would like to develop some housing in the Village that will accommodate these seniors so that they can downsize and be closer to their children and grandchildren. This is better for the parents and better for the as well .
Single family homes are being built and re-built all over Cedarhurst. But if you look up and down Cedarhurst Avenue or Washington Avenue, it’s full of apartment houses. While we have many rental apartments and coops, there is a need for two types of housing that we don’t presently have.
We need high-quality, concierge-type facilities like the Regency, where we can accommodate senior
citizens who no longer need a five-bedroom home. Additionally, I would love to see new two-bedroom rental apartments for young couples just starting out, so they can get comfortable in the community and then move into a larger home when they outgrow the apartment. We’re looking into developing transit-oriented residences near the train station, making sure that we have plenty of on-site parking so we don’t create an additional parking problem.
What is the Village doing to alleviate the traf-
fic problems in Cedarhurst?
The population of the Village has exploded. Ten years ago, our population was estimated at 6,200 people. After the census, we’ll see how many people have moved in since then, but it’s a lot. The volume of cars contributes to the traffic problem, but it’s not the only cause. Oftentimes, the behavior of the drivers exacerbates the problem. I once heard Ben Brafman speaking and he quipped, “You know, I represent a lot of really scary people, but they don’t scare me. You know what scares me? Driving on Central Avenue on Thursday afternoon.” He said, “You see these young mothers in their big SUVs talking on the phone, making a U-turn, and giving the baby in the backseat a bottle at the same time.” Obviously, this is an exaggeration, but the painful truth is that inconsiderate drivers, double parking, illegal left turns and the “I have the right of way” attitude of too many drivers intensifies the problem.
Some people are discourteous. They don’t have a sense of spatial awareness of where they are, or they simply don’t care. Instead of moving their car up half a block to an open parking spot, they’ll stop in middle of even a major street with a hundred cars behind them just because they need to get something from a certain store.
I was on Washington Avenue on a Thursday in September planning the repaving project. The aggressiveness of many drivers and the disregard for traffic rules was astonishing. The number of cars making illegal left turns exiting the parking lot onto
Washington Avenue exceeded the number of those making legal right turns. I saw at least three cars make a mad dash across the railroad tracks nearly being hit by the closing gates. One idiot actually zig-zagged around the gates that were fully closed, outrunning a coming train by 10 seconds. Finally, the incessant horn-honking only adds more stress to the situation and does nothing to calm traffic.
Two years ago, we turned Grove Avenue into a one-way street despite significant objection. It was absolutely the right thing to do and it solved a huge congestion problem.
What about traffic safety? There have been numerous traffic accidents on Broadway
and Peninsula on other major roads.
We do what we can, but our powers limited. We constantly get complaints that drivers speed through the residential areas of the Village. The New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law says that the speed limit on all Village roads is 30 miles per hour. We, as a village, can’t drop it any lower, except in a school zone. Also, the New York State Highway Department takes the position that if we put up too many stop signs, we are actually reducing the speed limit by forcing people to drive more slowly, which is contrary to what the State Vehicle and Traffic Law allows the Village to do.
We put as many stop signs as we can, to promote traffic safety. But all too often we see drivers flying through stop signs, without even slowing down. So putting up more stop signs is not necessarily the answer. What works for short periods is an intensification of traffic enforcement by the Fourth Precinct. We request that when we identify specific problem areas, and the Precinct complies. We also communicate with the County whenever we believe that a traffic light or other traffic control device is needed.
Finally, Peninsula Boulevard, West Broadway and Broadway are Nassau County roads, and we have no jurisdiction to regulate them. As a matter of fact, there are parts of Peninsula Boulevard closer to Hempstead where the speed limit is 50. But Peninsula in our area is 30 miles per hour.
How has the Village fared financially over
the past six months during the coronavirus pandemic?
The lockdowns caused economic hardships for everyone. For many of our residents, the problems range from moderate to severe. Economic problems have a bigger effect than paying the rent/mortgage or putting food on the table. They are a major cause of marital strife, divorce, and contribute to physical and mental illness.
Our business community, principally comprised of small, family-owned stores, was hit very hard. I was excited to see that they did not give up, and almost all of the stores reopened in June. They are struggling, and I encourage everyone to shop locally and support our businesses. The stores have made many changes to facilitate online shopping, home delivery, and curbside pickup.
I want all of our local businesses to stay open and play by the rules. They must make sure that all employees and customers wear masks and social distance. Regardless of one’s personal opinion about such matters, the State is getting tough and will issue fines and even shut down individual businesses that do not comply.
The Village has taken a very large economic hit as well. We lost a large part of our annual parking revenue since March. In addition, our operating expenses have increased sharply to cover the costs of PPE, extra cleaning, and making the physical changes needed to comply with the CDC and New York State guidelines.
Are you concerned about a second wave that will be coming this season?
I am not worried that a second wave is coming; I am concerned that it is already here. The number of positive cases is increasing at a rate that is higher than the New York State average. This means that we have more infections, illness, and spread of the disease in our community compared to some other communities. This hurts our residents and businesses. It has also becoming a disingenuously polite cover for invidious treatment of the Orthodox Jewish population under the guise of “dealing in a non-discriminatory way with a health crisis.”
With Town of Hempstead Supervisor Dan Clavin distributing PPE to local stores
Schools in the County are currently open.
Schools must stay open safely for many reasons. Parents need to work, children need to learn, and life must go on. The claim that shutting schools will prevent the spread of the disease is completely wrong. Shutting schools will do exactly the opposite. The State’s Health Commissioner acknowledged that schools are doing a fantastic, “nearly perfect” job protecting children by enforcing all of the necessary precautions. When kids stay home, they are not careful about social distancing or wearing proper PPE correctly.
Keeping students in school protects them for a major part of the day. Closing schools makes our children more vulnerable, not just to Covid, but to all other forms of personally destructive and dangerous behavior.
So true! Let’s talk crime. Has bail reform affected the Village?
We don’t know how bail reform will affect crime in the post-Covid environment. I think that, even if the intention behind bail reform law was good, its implementation was terrible. The law, as I understand it, doesn’t clearly delineate between different crimes – those that are non-violent crimes or those that are violent and truly should require bail. Just a few months ago, pre-corona, you certainly remember the woman on the subway who was terrorizing Jews. She was taken in, arrested, let out – that happened three times – and she continued to shout anti-Semitic epithets. There are no adverse consequences, so criminals just continue committing crimes.
On the other hand, the concept was potentially good – some social good could be achieved from it. For example, you take a fellow who is a first-time criminal. He hasn’t done anything before. And he decides he’s going to shoplift at the supermarket or in Target. He steals a $50 sweater. If he has no money, he is going to end up in Rikers waiting for a trial for three, four, five months. That could turn him into a hardened criminal. Optimistically, the bail reform law might prevent a situation like this. But that is not what we have seen. The rollout and the implementation of the law was lousy.
It’s very disconcerting when money or items are taken from cars at night. What can be done about that?
No one wants to blame the victim but the police department insists that if people were more conscientious about locking their car doors, that would deter thieves. Don’t leave your pocketbook in the car. Don’t leave your briefcase or laptop in the car. Lock the doors. These are crimes of opportunity. These are not people who are casing the joint and looking
for something. They know that a lot of “rich people” are leaving stuff in their cars because they have three kids and a dozen shopping bags that they have to get into the house.
If something like that happens, though, you must report it. You need to call 911. People are always reluctant to be an annoyance to the police. The truth is that you have to call, otherwise, it doesn’t become a statistic. Don’t call the precinct; call 911 and tell them it’s not an emergency. If you call 911, the event becomes part of a crime statistic that drives the entire enforcement budget and helps the Fourth Precinct allocate resources to preventing more occurrences.
The meters in Cedarhurst can help reduce crime in the neighborhood. We were the first community in New York and the second in the United States to have these sophisticated meters. We were their beta site. The cameras in the meter photograph the streetscape and read your license plate. So, if your car was stolen and your plate has been reported stolen, when your car pulls into meter, the meter reads your plate and interrogates a database which can help recover your stolen car.
We had an episode one time one night when a kitchen employee of a local restaurant went to his car. As he sat in his car reading his messages, a couple of fellows on bicycles came over and robbed him at gunpoint. The police were called. The thugs didn’t realize that their pictures were being taken by the meters. So the police, just a few hours later, were able to arrest them.
Describe some things that you have been working on as mayor.
One of the Village’s toughest problems is its vulnerability to flooding and storm damage because we are surrounded by Jamaica Bay and its tributaries. Our storm drains discharge into Jamaica Bay. Whenever we have a high tide during a rainstorm, the discharge outlets are blocked and the water can’t get out. This causes water to pond on roads, sometimes to the point where homes flood. Before the onset of Covid, this was one of the leading challenges we faced.
This is a problem that only State and Federal funds can solve. It is too large for the Village to handle alone. In March 2015, I met with County and State representatives about using FEMA funding under the New York Rising program that launched after Superstorm Sandy. The solution to our flooding problem should have been obvious to the engineers present in the meeting, but they seem to have missed it. So I said, “Why don’t we simply pump the accumulated surface water into the bay? If you do that, the streets aren’t going to flood.” Judging by the looks on their faces, it was an “Emperor Has No Clothes” moment. Once I pointed it out, they agreed that it was a great idea and agreed to move forward.
Unfortunately, big governments take too long to get things done, especially when measured by the private sector time clock that I am used to. We believed the project would move quickly because the State of New York received federal money for resiliency after Hurricane Sandy that needed to be spent
With local officials and law enforcement in front of the Fourth Precinct
by the end of 2015. It didn’t turn out that way. The design stage of the project is nearly complete – after five and a half years of my persistent nagging. My best guess is that the pump station will be operational in late 2022.
In addition to the pump station, we’ve spent a great deal of money and time giving lots of attention to our storm drains. We are inspecting, cleaning and repairing them, which will help reduce flooding in the Village.
At the same time, we repaved all of Central Avenue and many other streets in the business district and residential areas. We have much more work we will do as soon as funding permits.
Do you feel that it’s hard to advocate for your Village because you’re up against bigger communities or even against New York City?
What you’re asking is very insightful. It’s a real problem. For example, when FEMA funds became available to be used for storm-hardening projects after Hurricane Sandy, there were literally billions of dollars being doled out. The entire western portion of the South Shore of Long Island was given approximately $28 million, compared to New York City, which received billions of dollars. If you look at it on a per capita basis, we got a nickel for every $50 that went to the City.
In addition to suffering from the disproportionate funding allocation, we are treated as step-children, despite the fact that the Village delivers more bang for the buck. Taxpayers get much better value here for less money. For example, the Army Corps of Engineers completed a study to see what they could do to stop flooding in Jamaica Bay and its tributaries. They came up with a plan to build a movable barrier across the entire entrance to Jamaica Bay to protect Kennedy Airport from flooding. There is a barrier like that in Boston. They literally proposed constructing a massive sea-wall that opens and closes in the event of a major storm. The cost was estimated to be billions – and it would take at least a day to close the wall. The wall would be useless unless they managed to get it closed at least a day before the arrival of a storm. The idea was even more ridiculous when you add in maintenance, repair and operating costs. The environmental opposition alone would delay the project at least 15 years.
Finally, the Army Corps realized the folly of the plan so they set out to find smaller projects to prevent flooding. They looked at all the different South Shore villages, and they came to the conclusion that they would rank the projects based on a “cost-benefit ratio.” In other words, for every dollar the Feds spend, how much damage is averted? A simple storm water pumping station at the corner of Peninsula Boulevard and Rockaway Turnpike had the highest cost-benefit ratio score of all of the proposed projects. Our Village is so dense and so vulnerable to storm damage, that we topped the list with an 8:1 ratio. In our case, for every $1 spent, they would save $8 of damage payments on FEMA claims. The Army Corps estimated that the project would cost more than $10 million, and wanted the Village to
pick up a large part of the cost. The project fizzled. The similar pump station we are close to building has a total projected construction cost of $2 million.
You’ve been mayor for more than five
years now. What are some of your biggest achievements?
One of the biggest achievements during my tenure as mayor is the closing of our sewer treatment plant and the transfer of our sewage processing into the Nassau County system. We were treating a million gallons a day of our own sewage next door to Lawrence High School. Because of the age of the treatment plant, it wasn’t as functional and environmentally effective as bigger plants like the County has in Bay Park. We negotiated an agreement with the County, and we are now pumping sewage to the County’s treatment plant in Bay Park.
What is going to happen with the land where the sewage plant used to be in Cedarhurst?
We are working through some zoning and other issues at the moment to try to find a use that doesn’t burden the community and that is compatible with the area.
What’s the most gratifying part of being mayor of the Village of Cedarhurst?
Helping people.
When people have problems that don’t seem to get resolved one way or the other, I find that, if I intercede, very often, I can be helpful. And it goes from very specific problems such as “I have a problem with my water. I don’t have enough pressure” or “the cable company wouldn’t come to my house…” to more general matters, such as “my street has potholes.” You’d be surprised what people ask for, but I love helping them.
There are three things I’d like to point out. First, I grew up in Brooklyn, like you. And sometimes in Brooklyn, you can wait an hour for a response after you call the police. Here, if you call 911, the police respond immediately and a car is there in minutes. After living in Cedarhurst for one year, years ago, I said to my wife, “You know, I really don’t mind paying these taxes. They pick up my garbage. The police come. The streets are lit. The snow is plowed. Wow, this is unbelievable!”
Second, I learned is that there’s a difference between a neighborhood and a community. When you live in Brooklyn, you live in a neighborhood. But when you live in the Five Towns, you live in a community. What’s the difference? A neighborhood is a place where people just happen to live and walk past each other without a second glance. Eye contact is discouraged. A community is different. It’s more than just living in the same place. We share a connection with each other and with our Village. Here, you can’t walk down the street and not say, “hello” or “Good Shabbos” to everyone you pass.
Third, I learned is that Village government is the
Mayor Weinstock with Lawrence Mayor Alex Edelman at the repaving of Washington Avenue
government closest to its constituents. So if somebody wants a tree, they don’t have to call a faceless agency somewhere and get on a waiting list for many years. They pick up the phone or send an email, and generally we respond very quickly. It doesn’t have to be complicated.
That’s what gives me the most joy – being there for people, connecting with people, and helping them in any way I can.
Dating Dialogue
What Would You Do If…
Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters
Dear I recently heard of the engagement of one of my previous students – let’s call her Shani. She is a sweet girl and comes
Navidaters, from a sweet, innocent family. I was very happy to hear about the news but became deeply concerned when I heard about who she is engaged to. Her chosson is the brother of another student of mine – let’s call that other student Adina. Because I also have other positions in the school, I know about problems that arose with Adina. She had been abused by a family member and had developed issues that had to be dealt with. I did not report this to the authorities being that the parents were aware of the abuse and was told that they were handling it. When I heard that Shani was engaged to Adina’s brother, I immediately became concerned. My concerns were multi-faceted.
First of all, Shani’s parents are very sweet and are not the types to have done deep research for her with regards to shidduchim.
Secondly, I don’t know if Adina was hurt by this brother (the one who is engaged to Shani) or by another brother.
Thirdly, if the chosson is not the abuser, I don’t know if Shani’s parents are aware of this and if they are aware that there is a sibling who is hurting another sibling and may be around when grandchildren are in the picture.
As you can see, there are many prongs to this question. Any insight would be helpful.
*Toby
Disclaimer: This column is not intended to diagnose or otherwise conclude resolutions to any questions. Our intention is not to offer any definitive conclusions to any particular question, rather offer areas of exploration for the author and reader. Due to the nature of the column receiving only a short snapshot of an issue, without the benefit of an actual discussion, the panel’s role is to offer a range of possibilities. We hope to open up meaningful dialogue and individual exploration.
The Panel
The Rebbetzin
Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.
Toby, since you are a teacher, you know that you need to handle this with others of authority, sensitivity, and influence. In other words, enlist your principal first of all. S/he surely knows about Adina’s background and what the facts are. If s/he doesn’t, s/he can reach the appropriate rabbi/mentor who was involved with Adina’s situation and determine what went on. Then, s/ he needs to take responsibility and decide what to do next with regard to Shani and her parents. Her family rav must be involved even if it was the other brother who was the perpetrator. There will have to be extensive counseling, of course for Shani’s parents and for Shani, at the very least. The principal will also have to be in touch with the chosson’s mentor and therapist (with permission).
In other words, this is a grave situation with many prongs as you correctly noted. Someone with power and influence who is seasoned, knows halacha, and can work with several players needs to be brought in to help the situation with wisdom and sensitivity. Higher level poskim and therapists will have to be brought in. This is the job of someone with broad shoulders and experience. It is your role to bring it to the attention of the principal who can take it further. It is not your role to handle this yourself, in my opinion.
The Shadchan
Michelle Mond
This is an extremely serious issue that must not be taken lightly. As a teacher, you are in a particularly difficult bind. For the purpose of my answer, I will assume that, as a mandated reporter, you did what was legally needed in order to protect the health and safety of your student and the rest of her family.
You know things about Adina, the chosson’s sister, which will make or break the shidduch. On the one hand, you feel morally responsible to say something to Shani. On the other hand, your information about this boy could be information unrelated to this boy and only connected to his brother. Additionally, there are situations I have heard of where siblings are diagnosed with personality disorders which can include pathological lying and other malicious attention-seeking behaviors. I am not making any judgments about your situation; I just would like to put all the issues on the table. As a shadchan, I have seen it all. You describe Shani as sweet and innocent, with unassuming parents. Could it be they know nothing about this piece of history and their daughter has made a huge mistake? Or could they be aware, have looked into it, and found information stating this is safe for their daughter after all? My advice to you is to put in a call to Shani’s parents rav and explain the circumstance. It is very likely that, if they were aware of the situation, their rav would have been consulted. Discuss the situation with him at length and come up with a course of action prioritizing the safety of everybody involved.
To our readership reading this: parents in the shidduch world must do their due diligence to make sure the singles their children are dating are healthy, worked through people. I cannot overstate the importance of looking into middos and emotional health. So many times, references’ questions are purely materialistic. “What kind of car does the father drive?” “Does the boy wear blue shirts or only white?” “Does he wear a hat to shul during the week? Or only Shabbos?” “Are they well off? How long can they support?” “Does she wear heels during the week or only on Shabbos?” “Is the family baalebatish?” “Do they cover their tablecloth with a plastic?” “Does he wear designer clothing? He must fit in to our circles.” “Where do they go for Pesach?” And the list goes on and on.
None of these outer trappings will matter if your daughter marries a boy who is picture perfect on the outside but broken or emotionally disturbed on the inside. Do your research; ask the right questions from the right people who actually know the boy currently.
May you have much hatzlacha and clarity in this difficult conundrum!
The Zaidy
Dr. Jeffrey Galler
You are guilty of criminal misconduct.
You know, or should know, that
teachers and guidance counselors now alarmed, when you realize that lives, and the church’s reputation are mandated reporters of child one of your own precious students has been ruined. abuse. Along with physicians, den- and her children might be at risk? Now, of course, whether pertists, psychologists, nurses, and What about the rest of our commu- sonally or anonymously, you must social workers, educators who fail nity? immediately inform Shani’s family. to report suspicions of child abuse Witness what has happened (Note to readers: If you suspect can be charged with a crime in New in the Catholic Church. For many a case of child abuse, please call the York State. years, clergymen and lay officials Administration for Child Services
In your misguided attempt to knew about abuses but attempted to (ACS) 800-342-3720. protect the family from embarrass- sweep these reports under the rug Your call, by law, remains anonment, you enabled a predator to pos- and avoid scandal. As a result, thou- ymous and confidential. sibly abuse other young women and sands of victims now live shattered My good friend, Rabbi Yakov children. Why is it that you are only Horowitz, printhat Toby’s letter has afforded us to share the following. While our communities have made tremendous strides to address and stop child abuse, we still have a ways to go. Children must not only be protected from adult predators, they must be protected from minor predators as well. A minor predator may be a friend, a group leader in shul, a mentor or a sibling. Acts perpetrated by minors require as much protection as acts perpetrated by adult predators. All adults, whether mandated reporters or not, have a responsibility to know the signs and symptoms of physical and sexual abuse and take action. Please familiarize yourself with signs and symptoms and if suspicious of abuse, call your local child protection hotline and ask an anonymous question. Here is one helpful website which will allow you to familiarize yourself with the signs of abuse. https://www.enoughabuse.org/gtf/ possible-signs-in-children.html While we should not live in fear that anyone we meet may be a predator, we also cannot stick our heads in the sand and assume every situation we expose our children to is safe. Tell your children when they are very young about the privacy of their bodies and who is and who is not allowed to touch them. The next is that they can always come talk to us...no matter what a grownup or other child tells them. They will never, ever, ever be in trouble for doing so! And anyone who may tell them that is lying to them! are in this situation and my heart cipal of the Darchei Noam Yeshiva in Monsey, has been a
Pulling It All Together leading advo cate in the fight against child The Navidaters abuse in the OrDating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists nity. All parents
and educators should familiarize their children with his book, “Let’s Stay Safe,” published by ArtScroll.)
I’d like to take this opportunity
message to impart to our children
Toby, I am really sorry that you thodox commu-
goes out to you. As a matter of fact, these situations are so painful, complicated, and delicate that I feel for all parties involved. Your role right now is to alert Shani’s family and share with them what you know. If you cannot do this immediately because of fear or anxiety (which many people in your shoes experience), I urge you to get Shani’s family’s rav involved to create a safe and smart game plan for all involved to move forward. If Shani’s chosson was not Adina’s abuser, this is wonderful news, but unfortunately, he may have been abused by his brother as well. Past the point of sharing what you know, you are not responsible for what happens.
I do hope that Adina’s family has dealt with their perpetrator son as well as the other siblings and that they have all received help and that the perpetrator has not violated other minors in the years before and since the offense.
Many times, well-meaning individuals do not make the report to the Child Protective Services because they are worried about hurting the entire family – parnassah is impacted, chances for shidduchim are decreased, and the family does indeed suffer embarrassment and shame. To not report suspected abuse is to knowingly feed a child to alligators. Children are helpless, and the grownups in their lives are obligated to protect them from danger. There is no greater devastation than the destruction of a child’s neshama at the hand of a predator. They are often sworn to secrecy, told it is their fault; their boundaries are deeply violated and they often have tremendous difficulty trusting well into their adult lives. Sexual abuse destroys lives.
Shani’s family may be well aware of the situation. They may be grateful to you or turn on you. They may be enraged with you for “sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.” Regardless, you will sleep well at night knowing that you have done the right thing not only for Shani and her family, but for the children who may be being abused by this man right now.
Sincerely, Jennifer Mann LCSW
Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples, and families in private practice at 123 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. She also teaches a psychology course at Touro College. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516-224-7779, ext. 2. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email thenavidaters@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.
