Serving New Hyde Park, North New Hyde Park, Herricks, Garden City Park, Manhasset Hills, North Hills, Floral Park
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Friday, May 6, 2016
Vol. 65, No. 19
N E W H Y D E PA R K
HERRICKS PLAYERS NHP SUBWAY TOWN PROPOSED PRESENT ‘FUNNY THING’ ROBBED, AGAIN ETHICS REFORMS PAGE 25
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Herricks BOE candidates talk budget, ideas
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FURRY FRIENDS
Apicos advocates planning, Chin touts experience at public forum B y N oah M anskar While they agreed the district is in a good financial position now, the two Herricks school board candidates diverged slightly on its outlook at Tuesday’s candidates’ forum. Challenger Andrew Apicos of Williston Park said the district could benefit from long-term planning for how to deal with tighter budgets under the state’s tax levy cap “You’re doing the best you can with the situation and the cards that you’ve been dealt,” said Apicos, a biology teacher at Paul D. Schreiber High School in Port Washington. Incumbent Trustee Juleigh Chin of Manhasset Hills said this year’s $110 million budget with a 0.16-percent tax levy increase indicates a brighter outlook as the district has learned to navigate the cap. It restores cuts she described as painful and adds new pro-
grams, she said. “It’s not that it doesn’t hurt now, but we kind of learned how to live with it and we kind of learned to adjust and roll with those punches, but we don’t have these big reserves that some of our neighboring districts might have,” said Chin, a volunteer coordinator for Northwell Health. This recently adopted budget puts the district in a “state of equilibrium” after major cuts in the tax cap’s first year, Apicos said, but the board should evaluate how to cut spending in the future without compromising programs. He also questioned the use of reserves in the budget, he said. Chin, seeking a second threeyear term, said she was unsure what reserve spending Apicos was citing. She said Herricks already engages in budget planning and has maintained one of the lowest perpupil spending levels among highperforming districts. Continued on Page 47
Photo by Lori Cannava
The North Shore Animal League held its 22nd annual Pet Adoptathon in Port Washington over two days last weekend. See story on page 10.
MTA to hold first hearings on 3rd track: NHP mayor B y N oah M anskar and N eglah S harma
drew Cuomo’s controversial proposal to add a third track to the Long Island Rail Road between Floral Park and HicksVillage of New Hyde Park ville. Project planners told vilofficials announced Tuesday a series of upcoming public lage officials the Metropolitan meetings relating to Gov. An- Transportation Authority will
hold scoping sessions for the $1.5 billion project on May 24 at the Inn at New Hyde Park, Mayor Robert Lofaro said, along with three other sessions at Antun’s catering hall in Hicksville, Hofstra University Continued on Page 47
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