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Friday, March 6, 2020
Vol. 95, No. 10
HOME & DESIGN
PLASTIC BAG BAN GOES INTO EFFECT
NORTH SHORE RESPONDS TO CORONAVIRUS
PAGES 27-38
PAGE 5
PAGE 2
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Petitions denied for Revive G.N. Plaza Party
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Filings listed incorrect, modified election date; village attorney says Katz at fault BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z The Nassau County Board of Elections rejected the petitions of the Revive Great Neck Plaza Party led by mayoral candidate Leonard Katz last week, citing petitions with the wrong election date and changes in the election after the petition was signed. Katz acknowledged the errors, but blamed the wrong date on Village Clerk-Treasurer Patricia O’Byrne, who he said gave him the wrong date “in early January.” “Our party members are extremely unhappy and angry at this outcome. I suspect foul plan here,” Katz said. But Katz acknowledged he did not have any proof of O’Byrne giving him incorrect information. Katz said the Revive Great Neck Plaza Party will continue their campaign against the United Residents Party on a write-in basis. “We want the community to know that despite this setback, we are still here, and our goals remain the same,” Katz said. “If
we are elected, we will work with residents, developers, and store owners to make this village what it once was.” O’Byrne angrily denied she had provided Katz with the wrong date. She said she initially corrected Katz on the date of the election. “When Leonard came into Village Hall and first announced he was running, he was going to run an advertisement with the election date as March 19 and I had to correct him,” O’Byrne said. “I’m pretty offended by all of this. I have done this for 28 years, and I would never give someone the wrong date of an election.” Responding to Katz’s claim, Great Neck Plaza Village Attorney Richard Gabriele said Sunday Katz was fully to blame for filing election petitions with the wrong date of the election, leading to their disqualification. Garbrielle said notice of the election date’s change from Tuesday, March 17, to Wednesday, March 18, was published in a local Continued on Page 19
PHOTO COURTESY OF SARA RIETBROEK
Alert juniors Julia Motchkavitz and Maya Garfinkel earned awards from the Alert Junior Firefighters program for their outstanding work and extraordinary service. See story on page 20.
G.N. residents turn to cops for loitering issues BY R OB E RT PELAEZ Nassau County Police officials said they will increase patrol members around the Village Green in Great Neck in response to residential complaints of loitering, public intoxication, and public urina-
tion. Sixth precinct problem-oriented policing officer Joe Oginski said these problems have been present in the Great Neck community long before February and said it is not solely a Great Neck issue. “I know myself and my colleagues have seen plenty
of instances like this,” Oginski said. “We’ve addressed many residents about this for many years before this complaint. People expect to be safe and comfortable in this village and when they aren’t it’s our job to do more.” The complaint was brought Continued on Page 52
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