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Friday, March 1, 2024
Vol. 99, No. 9
HOME & DESIGN
PARKVILLE BRANCH COUNTY FREEZES RENOVATION COSTS RISE ASSESSMENTS AGAIN
PAGES 23-30
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Dems blast Blakeman trans ban Question legality of executive order BY C A M E RY N O A K ES Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed an executive order Thursday morning barring transgender girls and women from competing on female sports teams that play at county facilities. “It’s very important to me as county executive that we set a tone and tenor of respect for all people,” Blakeman said. “However, what we are finding PHOTO BY KAREN RUBIN out in the last few months is that there is a movement for biological males to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed an executive order Thursday that bars transgendergirls bully their way into competing in sports or leagues or teams that identity themand women from competing on female sports teams at county facilities.
selves or advertise themselves as girls or female or women’s teams or leagues. We find that unacceptable.” Surrounded by young girls holding signs reading “protect women’s sports,” some wearing athletic attire and most elementary school-aged, Blakeman announced and signed his executive order Thursday morning. The county executive said all sports teams using Nassau County facilities have to register under three categories, men’s and boys’, women’s and girls’ and co-ed. Blakeman said that he is not aware Continued on Page 42
Library director gets sweeter contract BY C A M E RY N O A K ES Great Neck Library Director Denise Corcoran was awarded a new five-year contract in November that grants her a year’s severance pay if she were to resign due to harassment, according to a copy of the contract recently obtained by Blank Slate Media. The contract came two months af-
ter a trustee raised his voice at Corcoran during a public board meeting and was later found to have violated the library’s harassment policy. The agreement was approved at the same meeting where the board accepted the trustee’s resignation from the board. Blank Slate Media received a copy of Corcoran’s new contract through a records request which the library
fulfilled after two months. Efforts to reach Corcoran for comment were unavailing. Corcoran was hired as the library’s new director in August 2021. She originally assumed the director role in January 2018 but resigned a year later in 2019. The contract for Corcoran’s 2021 hiring was through September 2026 but the new contract approved in November now extends her employment to Sept. 12, 2028. Corcoran’s contract outlines that if her resignation is due to misconduct related to harassment, workplace violence or sexual harassment, and determined by a neutral attorney mutually agreed upon
by the director and the board at the expense of the library, Corcoran’s resignation is effective within one year of severance pay and payment of any COBRA payments by the library. A source close to the library told Blank Slate that the ability for the director to receive a year’s severance, if it is determined her resignation is related to harassment, was in response to the incident where former Trustee Donald Panetta yelled at Corcoran during a board meeting. Panetta was found to have violated the library’s harassment policy, which was read at an October board meeting where Panetta resigned. The source said Corcoran resigned after the incident with Panetta,
and later rescinded her resignation under the terms of receiving a new contract – which the source referred to as “blackmail” and “strong-arming.” The source said the board never approved or declined her resignation despite board procedures. The source said the contract is a misappropriation of taxpayer money, calling the board’s actions to approve it “irresponsible to the public.” They said Corcoran’s contract is not comparable to any other library director’s in the past. “I’m not saying she should be run out of town,” the source said. “I’m saying, why? Why was it necessary to give [Corcoran] such a contract?.. Continued on Page 43