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Vol. II No. LXXIV | www.StandardLI.com d d | News@standardli.com d dl | Ph.# h 516-341-0445 4 4
AUG. 31-SEPT. 6, 2012
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HOSPITAL BIDS $12 MILLION FOR NUMBER SIX SCHOOL; BIDDING PROCESS STILL ON By Danielle Puma Another bid was made to buy the property of Lawrence’s Number Six School on Church Avenue in Woodmere by Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. The bid, reportedly over $12 million, includes about $600,000 for cleanup of the former elementary school. If the bid is accepted, the property may potentially be used as a multi-doctor
Crabbing on a Weekday Afternoon (From left) Connor Doyle (5) and Brendan Doyle (7) of Hewlett enjoy catching some crabs at the dock at North Woodmere County Park with their new friend Jovan Rodriguez (7) also from Hewlett. Photo by Raimundo Ortiz
practice. Residents of The Five Towns have mixed feelings about the construction and its lasting effects. Mt. Sinai Hospital and developer Simone Development Companies placed the $12 million bid. Other bids for the school include $9.1 million by the JCC of the Greater Five Towns, $9.2 million by the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, and another bid placed by a de-
veloper. Mt. Sinai outbids the other parties by about $3 million. According to David Sussman, Lawrence Board of Education Trustee and Republican candidate for New York State Assembly, the bidding for the property is still wide open and anyone that has a high bid is asked to contact the school board.
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FIVE TOWNS REAL ESTATE MARKET REBOUNDING SLOWLY; BARGAINS FOR BUYERS, PRICES ARE FALLING By Raimundo Ortiz The Five Towns real estate market is currently very kind to buyers. A combination of depressed prices on homes and historically low interest rates have made the present an excellent time to buy a home. Interest rates are currently at three to four percent according to Marjorie Hausman, who said “these are the lowest interest rates I’ve seen in over 40 years of being in this business in The Five Towns.” Hausman, who recalls points in the 1980s where interest rates skyrocketed to 17 or even 18 percent said these low rates are a tremendous impetus for potential buyers. For sellers, this is not necessarily excellent news, but Lori Schlesinger has seen positive signs in the past few months. “Things are starting to move as of this past winter and it continued through the spring and summer,” said Schlesing-
er. There is a caveat, though. “The sales that are happening are below value,” said Schlesinger. “The buyers are getting houses at prices that are substantially lower.” According to realtors throughout The Five Towns, the severe drop was not a complete shock. “In 2004, 2005 and 2006 anyone with two arms, two legs and a pulse was getting a mortgage, which is totally out of line,” said Larry Chorne, a broker and sales manager at Island Advantage Realty. Schelsinger seconded Chorne when she said, “Although there’s a little improvement it’s not back to where it was. However, we were seeing numbers that probably shouldn’t have existed.” While there has been improvement in the market, Chorne is wary of a looming issue he called a black cloud hovering over the whole market — shadow inventory. According to Chorne, people
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(From left) Kelly Cheng, Sarah Husain, Oren Mizrahi, Louise Levine, Geri Barish, Michael Friedman, Andrew Loh, Licethe Friedman, Guy Friedman. (Front) Zoe Slatest. Michael Friedman and his musical friends with the co-founders of Hewlett House, the parents of Michael Friedman, and the little lemonade saleswoman with a heart of gold. Photo by Raimundo Ortiz
Kids Step Up for Hewlett House By Raimundo Ortiz
The sweet sounds of a harmonica playing Billy Joel’s be-
loved “Piano Man” emanated from the lawn of the 311-yearold Hewlett House, a haven for cancer-stricken people
looking for support which is run by Geri Barish and Louise
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Times Getting Tough for Tiny the Ice Cream Man By Ryan Lavis
kled face. A custodian who stopped to buy a soda called Tiny a fixture of the community – “Everyone knows Tiny,” he said, ordering a diet soda. “No diet today, but I’ll have it next time,” Tiny responded, letting out an old-timers laugh as he said goodbye. But despite his loyal fan base and name recognition, tough times have hit Tiny as a summer of high gas prices, bad business, and repairs have left him wondering how much longer he has left in the ice cream business. “This truck is in bad shape,” he said, removing the oil stick and shaking his head in disappointment. These days, it burns oil constantly and needs a new engine. Chipped, green paint and a musky smell inhabit the interior, where three large coolers and a noisy compressor keep the product cold. “The only thing that works good still is the refrigeration,” Tiny said. And while ensuring that his ice cream doesn’t
As 89-year-old Dominick Magliaro shuffled around his white, rust-covered ice cream truck and lifted its hood to check the oil, one thing was for certain – this 1974 Chevrolet and its owner have seen better days. Known as ‘Tiny’ throughout The Five Towns, he and his truck – called ‘Tiny’s Ice Cream’ – have been a mainstay of the community for over 40 years. He mostly does business in the towns of Lawrence, Inwood and Meadowmere Park, peddling ice pops and beverages for about eight hours a day, sometimes seven days a week. Sitting in the Lawrence Middle School parking lot on a recent Tuesday morning, several people said ‘hello’ as they passed Tiny’s familiar, wrin-
Dominick Magliaro, better known as Tiny, standing outside his ice cream truck.
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Photo by Ryan Lavis
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