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Friday, January 12, 2024
Vol. 12, No. 2
SCHOOLS & EDUCATION
SUOZZI TOUTS RECORD, HITS PILIP ON DEBATES
SOUTH SHORE’S KOPEL NEW PRESIDING OFFICER
PAGES 19-26
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PAGE 6
Adhami not listed on permit as home owner
SWEARING-IN CEREMONY
Signed affadavit only includes mother for Great Neck Estates residence BY C A M E RY N O A K ES North Hempstead Town Councilman David Adhami’s mother was recently the sole signer of a Village of Great Neck Estates building permit that asked for the signatures of all owners of a home in which he has said he resides. When reached by phone, Adhami told Blank Slate Media that he owns two homes – one in Merrick and one in Great Neck – but that the Merrick home is not his “primary residence.” He said the Great Neck home he owns is his domicile. A town councilman in North Hempstead is required to reside in the town. If Adhami was not eligible to serve under the requirement the Republican party’s current 4-3 majority would be threatened. Blank Slate Media reported in November that Adhami, a lawyer with a Great Neck practice, signed a notarized Town of Hempstead Buildings Department document that said “David Adhami, being duly sworn, deposes and says: that he or she resides” at the address in Merrick. The notarized application signed by Adhami goes on to say that the applications and plansand “all the statements herein contained are true to deponent’s own knowledge.” When asked by Blank Slate Me-
dia why he signed the affidavit for the Town of Hempstead Building Department in October 2021 stating that he lived in Merrick and did not sign the building permit application for his home in Great Neck despite the forms requiring all owners to sign, Adhami responded by saying that he lives in Great Neck. Adhami referred the reporter to his comments in a story from the North Shore Leader, which called the questions about where Adhami lives a “misfired smear campaign’ by North Hempstead Democrats.” Maureen Daly, the author of the article, was previously Adhami’s campaign treasurer in 2017 when he ran for the Nassau County Legislature in 2017, according to her LinkedIn profile. “I mean there’s nothing more to say,” Adhami said to Blank Slate Media Friday afternoon. “What you’re writing is a political hit job, why don’t you put that in your paper?” In an affidavit of property ownership signed and notarized in September 2023 at a home on Ash Drive in Great Neck, Mitra Mirjani – Adhami’s mother – is the only name listed and the only person to sign the application. The affidavit states “All owners must sign either as owner or applicant.” Continued on Page 34
PHOTO COURTESY OF KAREN RUBIN
The Town of North Hempstead held an inauguration ceremony for its newly-elected officials on Wednesday, Jan. 3.
Beloved ‘Mr. V’ leaves lasting impact on students BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” Those are the words of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, some of which were shared many times by Mark van Schenkhof with his students throughout his 20-year career in Manhasset. However, the fruit for van Schenkhof was more than just sweet, it gave him a lifetime’s worth of love from those he taught and
those who knew him. The Manhasset High School choir director and teacher died earlier this month on New Year’s Day. The 68-year-old had a six-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a nervous system disease also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease that weakens muscles and impairs physical function. He died at his Port Washington home comforted by his wife of 29 years, Carol, while in hospice care. Van Schenkhof, otherwise
known as “Mr. V” to his students, leaves behind a lasting legacy to the hundreds of students he taught throughout his career, many of whom have shared personal memories of the beloved teacher online. Born in Patterson, N.J., on March 10, 1955, Mark van Schoenkhof attended both Ridgefield and West Milford High Schools, according to his obituary. His journey into formal training began when he was offered a full-voice scholarship to Julliard in Continued on Page 35