Great Neck News 05 19 17

Friday, May 19, 2017

THE PULSE OF THE PENINSULA

Vol. 92, No. 20

$1

guide to

LHV HVW DFWLYLW QGLQJ WKH E PHU JXLGH IRU À IHU WKLV VXP <RXU JR WR G KDV WR RI /RQJ ,VODQ D EODQN VODWH PHGLD VSHFLDO

GUIDE TO SUMMER FUN

GILLIAR TO CHALLENGE MARTINS PROPOSES ETHICS REFORMS BRAL IN VGN

PAGES 33-56

PAGE 2

PAGE 6

VHFWLRQ ‡ PD\

Sassouni, Shi win school board seats

WORDS OF WISDOM

In record turnout, Shi defeats Kron 6,055 - 1,908; Sassouni gets 6,884 BY JA N E LL E CL AUSEN Jerey Shi and Rebecca Sassouni won seats on the Great Neck Public Schools’ Board of Education on Tuesday in a heated and sometimes polarizing race that drew more than 8,000 voters — more than twice as many as the last election. Shi defeated Nikolas Kron, 6,055 to 1,908, while Sassouni won 6,884 votes in an uncontested race after Ilya Aronovich dropped out. Sassouni and Shi beneďŹ tted from an energized community that delivered record turnout in favor of the public schools. When a $85.9 million bond, meant to repair schools and upgrade facilities, was defeated in February by 113 votes, it shocked many parents into activism. They campaigned for weeks, handing out postcards at events, talking

with friends and going door-todoor to ensure a “no� vote for a bond or budget could never happen again. Passions were further raised by concerns about whether Kron and Aronovich, who have children attending private religious schools, would support current school policies and be “pro-public education.� While the polls were set to close at 10 p.m. on Tuesday night, a line with well over 100 people circled the E.M. Baker School. “It shows how important the vote is and that people can’t be complacent anymore,� said Matt Klein, 39, who has lived in Great Neck since he was eight years old. Shi and Sassouni also join the board at a time when many residents have pointed to a thread of distrust throughout the community. Both said that their priorities are to maintain the schools’ high Continued on Page 21

PHOTO BY KAREN RUBIN

Former Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Barak speaks before a large crowd in Temple Emanuel. See photos on page 69.

School bond and budget approved by G.N. voters surged to the polls to strongly back the public schools. Voters approved the 2017Great Neck residents ap- 18 budget 6,772 to 1,607 and proved a $223.3 million school the revised bond 6,299 to budget and a $68.3 million 1,925 in what many described bond on Tuesday, as voters as a stunning turnout for public

BY JA N E LL E CL AUSEN

school advocates and strong rebuttal to those who rejected a $85.9 million bond in February. There were 1,677 no votes and 1,564 yes votes cast in that referendum. In this election, Continued on Page 20

For the latest news visit us at www.theislandnow.com D on’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Theislandnow and Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow