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Friday, April 8, 2022
Vol. 71, No. 14
GUIDE TO THE WILLISTONS
NORTHWELL EMPLOYEE SHOT, KILLED
ZIMMERMAN RAISES $900K IN 10 WEEKS
PAGES S1-S40
PAGE 4
PAGE 7
DeSena touts transparency, collaboration
P L AY B A L L !
Supervisor urges board to set aside partisan divisions in State of Town BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y In her first State of the Town address, North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena touted the need for collaboration and transparency in town government. “I want to say we are doing this together,” DeSena said of her fellow Town Board members, four of whom were in attendance. “We are committed to doing the work for the town and we are committed to being collaborative and bipartisan in cooperation.” DeSena’s 30-minute address marked the 35th anniversary of the address and was the first to be delivered by a Republican supervisor since 1989. The early months of DeSena’s tenure have been marked by tension between her and the Democratic majority on the Town Board. And any ideas of bipartisanship seemed to dissipate after a Democratic member of the board, Veronica Lurvey, recorded a response that praised progress under DeSena’s Democratic predecessor and talked of Democrats’ priorities. Lurvey then was attacked by DeSena’s spokesman, who accused her of injecting partisan politics into town government. State, town and village officials from across the county came to Harbor Links Golf Course in Port Washington for DeSena’s address, which was held
in conjunction with a luncheon featuring the League of Women Voters of Port Washington-Manhasset. As she has since beginning her campaign for office, DeSena emphasized her focus on streamlining government operations and making the town more efficient where possible. DeSena announced several proposals aimed at cutting through red tape and showing constituents how their government operates. North Hempstead TV in its decadeplus of running has not featured Town Board meetings. DeSena plans on changing that to make it more accessible to residents who cannot make it to Town Hall in Manhasset on Thursday nights or go to the town’s website, where it is livestreamed and recorded. “I believe residents should have greater access to watch our Town Board meetings,” DeSena said. “Town Board meetings are where the real business of government is conducted.” A second initiative DeSena described was holding town hall meetings in North Hempstead’s six districts accompanied by the council member from that district to “make it easier to hear residents’ concerns.” The supervisor said too many residents feel they aren’t given enough opportunity to ask questions and make Continued on Page 33
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE VILLAGE OF MINEOLA
Little Leaguers gather along the infield of the Willis Avenue field during the Mineola Athletic Association’s opening day ceremony.
Pereira sworn in as new Mineola mayor BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y “If you can dream it, you can achieve it” were the first words Mineola heard from the new mayor, Paul Pereira, after he was sworn
in.
At the reorganization meeting Monday night at the Mineola Community Center, Pereira was officially sworn in alongside Trustees Janine Sartori and Jeffrey Clark.
Sartori recently completed the term of former Trustee Dennis Walsh and Clark was elected to the seat left vacant by Trustee George Durham, who did not seek re-election. Continued on Page 34
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