NHP Herald Courier 12.19.14

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Serving New Hyde Park, North New Hyde Park, Herricks, Garden City Park, Manhasset Hills, North Hills

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Friday, december 19, 2014

vol. 63, no. 51

N E W H Y D E PA R K

& Party

HOLIdAY dININg Ed SMOLENSKI, STATE EdUCATION & gIFT gUIdE VETERAN, dIES COMMISH RESIgNS ia special section a blank slate med19, 2014

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December

Legislators vote to repeal speed cameras

reiNdeer GameS

County to fill $30M revenue gap; outstanding tickets must be paid BY B I LL SAN ANTONIO Nassau County lawmakers unanimously voted to repeal the controversial school speed-zonecamera program on Monday, leaving a $30 million revenue gap in the county budget that officials have said could end 2014 with a $76.9 million deficit. The automated cameras, which issued more than 400,000 tickets between early September and mid November, will be taken offline immediately from most of Nassau’s 56 school districts, officials said. Outstanding fines will still need to be paid. Monday’s 19-0 vote came after nearly four hours of public comment, most in support of the repeal, according to published reports. County lawmakers also proposed legislation to make up for a projected $30 million in revenues lost a result of the appeal, which is planned for discussion next

month. Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano said last week the repealed cameras would likely result in spending cuts and not new taxes. Nassau County Legislature Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves (R-East Meadow) supported Mangano’s position on no new taxes while speaking to reporters following the vote. “There will be no raise in taxes. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again,” she said. The school speed-zone-camera program was approved in June with a 19-0 vote from the Legislature but was quickly met with complaints from constituents about inconsistencies with speed limits and its hours of operation. Mangano, a Republican, granted amnesty for more than 40,000 tickets issued over the summer after fines were generated in error from five camera locations. The program was temporarily suspended in late August and put back onContinued on Page 62

Children aged 18 months to four years old paint reindeers as part of Hillside Library’s mom and me event on Dec. 3.

Herricks board names new superintendent of schools BY B R YA N AHRENS The Herricks Board of Education announced Wednesday the selection of the assistant superintendent for personnel in the Garden City School District

as the successor to Superintendent John Bierwirth, who is retiring at the end of June. Fino Celano, who has also served as Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources in the Roslyn School District, was the unanimous choice of the

Herricks Board of Education, said school board President Jim Gounaris. “We all agreed he was the best choice.” Gounaris said. “I am honored and absolutely delighted to have been Continued on Page 61

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