Serving Great Neck, G.N. Plaza, G.N. Estates, Kensington, Kings Point, Lake Success, Russell Gardens, Saddle Rock and Thomaston
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Friday, October 29, 2021
Vol. 96, No. 44
, the issues Your guide to the candidates n and local polling informatio
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ELECTION GUIDE
JOHN RYAN DIES
NIFA SAYS BUDGET ‘OUT OF BALANCE’
PAGES 29-52
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October 29, 2021
Curran, Blakeman race headlines Nassau elections
FA L L F R I E N D S
Supervisor seats for N. Hempstead, Hempstead also up for grabs BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z The race for county executive between incumbent Laura Curran and challenger Bruce Blakeman headlines the elections in Nassau County on Tuesday. Nassau County Executive Curran, a Democrat, previously served as a member of the Baldwin Board of Education before being elected as county executive in 2017. Blakeman, a Republican, serves as a council member for the Town of Hempstead. Aside from being Nassau’s liaison between the county’s Republican Party and former President Donald Trump, Blakeman also served as commissioner of the Port Authority and the Town of Hempstead’s deputy supervisor under former Supervisor Laura Gillen. Blakeman has been critical of the county’s reassessment work introduced by Curran after she was elected. Curran has referred to state and independent reports
verifying the accuracy of the reassessment. Blakeman also criticized Curran for a recently passed initiative to provide eligible homeowners with direct payments of $375. The checks were more than half of the $193 million Nassau received as part of the American Rescue Plan. Curran, whose 2022 proposed budget includes a $70 million tax cut, touted the county’s improved financial state as the reason Nassau does not need to hold onto the $100 million in federal funds. Curran and Blakeman both touted their efforts to provide residents with coronavirus testing and vaccination opportunities, along with feeding those who were less fortunate during the coronavirus pandemic. District Attorney After Madeline Singas was appointed to the state’s highest court earlier this year, the race to replace her features Democratic state Sen. Todd Kaminsky and Republican atContinued on Page 13
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GREAT NECK PARK DISTRICT
Members of the Great Neck Park District can make new friends at the Scarecrow Festival.
Panetta, Smith elected to G.N. Library board BY R OB E RT PELAEZ A pair of trustee positions were filled by the candidates endorsed by the Nominating Committee, Donald Panetta
and Barry Smith, during Monday’s Great Neck Library election. Panetta, a former committee member and financial analyst, defeated his opponent, Kim Schader, by 513 votes to
465. “I would like to thank the Great Neck Library community for their trust and support in me and for giving me the opportunity to serve as a Trustee Continued on Page 4
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