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Friday, July 28, 2023
Vol. 98, No. 30
SUMMER DINING
LIRR SCHEDULE CHANGING
EX-DETECTIVE CHALLENGES SANTOS
PAGES 25-32
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Harmony house a landmark Called historically significant in vote BY K A R I N A KO VA C At 46 South Middle Neck Road sits a nearly 100-year-old building with distinctive colonial and classical revival styles of architecture, possibly designed by master architect Robert Tappen and currently used as the Global Harmony House, the national headquarters of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organization. On July 24, the Village of Thomaston Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously for the structure to be designated a landmark. The determination stems from research into its history, total community support, impact on zoning, property tax basis, impact on religious use and various other factors, such as the technical code definition of a landmark. Their decision does not, however, officially make the spot a landmark until the Great Neck Board of Trustees can also vote and approve the designation. Built around 1926, the building use of colonial revival architecture was very popular from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s. Religious buildings in Great Neck listed in “The Book of Great Neck,” edited by Devah and Gil Spear in 1936, noted the diversity of religions in the area along with their architecture styles, including federal, Tudor and colonial. Continued on Page 46
PHOTO BY KARINA KOVAC
Protestors rallied at Kings Point Park to demand the wetlands not be developed any further by the village and stay protected.
Protests over Kings Point Park work Residents gather Monday over path cleared in wetlands, forested area BY K A R I N A KO VA C Great Neck residents gathered in protest on Monday to speak out against environmental damage they said was taking place in the wetlands and protected forested area of Kings Point Park. They said they believed that workers from the Great Neck Park Dis-
trict, allegedly directed by the Village of Kings Point, cleared a path in the wetlands, including naturally downed trees, using heavy machinery that left the area with wood debris. “This is an ecosystem,” said Daniel Capruso, a resident for over 20 years, “It’s a wetland, you have to protect the wetland and cutting roads in it for heavy machinery to do this
sort of thing just doesn’t make any sense. And also, you know that trees serve an ecological purpose… I think people everybody you know has an obligation to help preserve what little nature we have left and I’m not sure this is preserving nature, doesn’t look that way, I don’t understand why at all.” The Great Neck Park District was
scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss the property. Kings Point Park is considered a protected wetlands under the Freshwater Wetlands Act of 1975, which is overseen by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Residents fear that the protected status of the parkland could be reContinued on Page 55
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