_______ Lynbrook/east rockaway ______
HERALD Also serving Bay Park
Kiwanis Club honors women
West Hempstead wins, moves up
Slinging pies at Centre Avenue
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Vol. 32 No. 9
FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 5, 2025
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Board approves stricter rules on illegal housing illegally converted into a threefamily dwelling will face fines, lose its certificate of occupancy At its meeting on Feb. 18, the and be required revert to sinLynbrook village board voted gle-family use. “The loss of a certificate of to increase fines and introduce stricter penalties for illegal occupancy following a convicalterations to one- and two-fam- tion for illegal over-occupancy ily homes, moves aimed at is serious business,” Village curbing illegal Attorney Thomas h o u s i n g c o nve rAtkinson said. s i o n s a n d ove rWithout a certifioccupancy in resicate of occupancy, dential areas. no one can occupy Under the a home, making it revised re guladifficult to sell or tions, proper ty lease the property. owners who violate The new meao c c u p a n cy l aw s sures aim to will face fines address the growranging from $6,000 ing concern over to $12,000 for a first illegal housing offense, an conversions in the increase from the village, particularprevious $4,500 ly b a s e m e n t o r minimum fine. attic apartments Subsequent vio- THoMAS ATKINSoN that have been crelations will be sub- Village attorney ated without propject to fines of er permits. $12,000 to $40,000, After World War depending on the severity of II, the village allowed converthe infraction. In addition to sions of one-family homes to the monetary penalties, the t wo - f a m i l y o c c u p a n c y t o new guidelines include provi- address a housing shortage, sions for revoking a property’s deeming them legal non-conlegal nonconforming use, or forming homes. grandfathered, status. In recent years, Mayor Alan For example, a legal two- Beach said the village has family home found to have been
By AINSlEY MARTINEZ
amartinez@liherald.com
T
Bill Kelly/Herald
Former E.R. fire chief dies at 77
he board feels overwhelmingly that this is a positive step forward to combat illegal over-occupancies within the village.
Easy. Honest. Accurate. Love, Ava Project continues to grow The U.S. Air Force honored Robert Smillie, a veteran and a former East Rockaway fire chief, at a service on Monday, a day after the Fire Department paid tribute to him.
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Twelve years ago, O’Hagan set out to teach her younger siblings the true meaning of the holiday season. Inspired by others who volunteered for What began as a small family tradition over a various causes, she organized a small toy drive, decade ago is now a full-fledged nonprofit, touch- donating gifts to the Cancer Center for Kids at NYU Langone in Mineola. Her goal was to show ing the lives of countless families. East Rockaway native Brianna O’Hagan is the her siblings that the holidays weren’t just about founder of the Love, Ava Project, created to receiving, but also about giving. Over the years, the effort expanded to include athletic programs, memorialize the late Oceanside teen Ava Salonia. “I’ve always wanted to put a name on what I local businesses, and an Adopt-a-Family initiadid and kind of expand it, and to be able to do tive, in several surrounding communities. Each dedicates a day to benefit a some otherApply things with the foundation, not just year, EGP Oceanside online at mptrg.com/heraldwrap or call 516.715.1280 only during the holiday season,” O’Hagan, 32, the local family facing challenges. The event started general manager of the gastro pub EGP Ocean- as a way to bring people together, and evolved into side, said. Continued on page 9
By KEPHERD DANIEl
kdaniel@liherald.com
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