Serving Great Neck, G.N. Plaza, G.N. Estates, Kensington, Kings Point, Lake Success, Russell Gardens, Saddle Rock and Thomaston
$1.50
Friday, February 24, 2023
Vol. 98, No. 8
HEALTH AND WELLNESS GUIDE
SCHNEIDER TAKES CHAMBER’S REINS
BLAKEMAN FREEZES ASSESSMENTS
PAGES 21-28
PAGE 2
PAGE 6
Incumbents unopposed in elections
HOOP DREAMS
No challengers file to run in G.N. BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z The incumbents in Great Neck villages facing March 21 elections are running unopposed. Great Neck Plaza Trustees Lawrence Katz and Alex (Siu Long) Au are unopposed in the village’s upcoming election as both seek two-year terms on the board. Au was appointed to the board last year to fill out the term of longtime Trustee Gerry Schneiderman. Schneiderman, who was first elected to the board in 2000, was a member of the Wyngate Civic Association during the 1970s. His involvement in local government spurred him to be appointed to the village’s Zoning Board of Appeals by former Mayor Andrew Wurman. Au has an MBA in finance and accounting and has worked with Fortune 500 companies and large nonprofit organizations. He also served in the U.S. Army as a transportation specialist and as a member of the Great Neck Library’s Nominating Committee. Au lives in the Plaza with his wife, Dorothy Feng, and their two daughters. Katz, a certified public accountant and attorney who previously served three years on the village’s Zoning Appeals Board, has served since December 2012. Continued on Page 39
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GREAT NECK SCHOOL DISTRICT
Great Neck North High School’s basketball team is 14-6 on the year with aspirations of a county championship.
Berkowitz to step down from board Longtime trustee says three decades of service mainly ‘a labor of love’ BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Longtime Great Neck Board of Education Trustee Barbara Berkowitz announced on Wednesday she will be stepping down from the board on June 30. Berkowitz, appointed to the board in 1992, is one of four individuals to serve on the Great Neck Board of Edu-
cation for 20 or more years. With her 31 years of service coming to a close in June, she will have served the third-longest tenure in the history of the board, which has been around since 1894. Serving the Great Neck community for the past three decades has been chiefly “a labor of love,” acknowledging the personal sacrifice and uphill
challenges any volunteer workers face. Berkowitz said the well-being of Great Neck students and promoting the school district remained top priorities throughout her tenure on the board. “I’ve tried to do my very best to treat all members of the public with great respect and exhibit a spirit of
collegiality and kindness toward our staff, as well as my colleagues, while always keeping the needs of our students uppermost in my mind,” Berkowitz said. “But despite my heavy heart, I know the time has come for me to move on and let someone else assume this seat on the board after June 30.” Continued on Page 38
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