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Serving The Willistons, Albertson, Herricks, Mineola, and Searingtown

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Friday, April 1, 2016

Vol. 65, No. 14

GUIDE TO Spring Dining

GUIDE TO mineola facade DISCLOSURE LAW SPRING DINING program begins WAS UNCERTAIN: KAIMAN PAGES 33-48 publications media / litmor a blank slate

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• april 1, 2016 advertising section

MTA reluctant to release 3rd track concepts Mineola mayor expresses frustration over lack of access to proposals By N o a h M a n s k a r As engineers came on board to study Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal for a third track along 9.8 miles of the Long Island Rail Road, state and transit officials met with local leaders to pitch plans for eliminating street-level railroad crossings. Representatives from the state transportation department and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority have presented concepts for eliminating the seven grade crossings along the stretch of the LIRR’s Main Line to officials from villages where the crossings lie. Transportation engineers had about eight proposals to remove Mineola’s grade crossings at Willis Avenue and Main Street, but did not let Mayor Scott Strauss keep copies of the plans, he said. “They wanted me to whittle away in an hour or two hours what is good and what is bad,” Strauss said. “That’s not going to happen.” Cuomo spokeswoman Beth De-

Falco declined to comment on specific meetings. Strauss said officials did not allow him to keep the conceptual plans because they did not want them to become public yet. Village of New Hyde Park Mayor Robert Lofaro said last week that he and Deputy Mayor Lawrence Montreuil were set to discuss grade crossing plans with MTA and state officials Tuesday afternoon. Lofaro could not be reached to discuss the meeting on Tuesday evening, but he previously said he planned to get feedback from residents on the proposals they presented. Strauss said he gives the state “kudos” for reaching out to villages, but the fact that planners are not being “forthcoming with the information” is frustrating. “This is a massive, massive thing that’s going to happen if it happens,” Strauss said. “Why would I not encourage others to give their opinions?” Continued on Page 63

PHOTO BY noah manskar

Remembering the sacrifice Village of Mineola Trustee Dennis Walsh stands in front of the Irish Monument in Mineola during an event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. See story on page 3.

County force to fight quality-of-life issues B y N o a h M a n s k a r Community-Oriented Nassau County’s most popular cops are getting some help. The Nassau County Police Department has established a

Police Enforcement, or COPE, program to tackle quality-of-life crimes and supplement the work of 16 problem-oriented police, or POP, officers. The department has plans

to expand both programs and add at least eight officers between them, Acting Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter said in an interview last week. Continued on Page 63

For the latest news visit us at www.theislandnow.com D on’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Theislandnow and Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow


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