Friday, May 5, 2017
THE PULSE OF THE PENINSULA
Vol. 92, No. 18
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Library director fired
CORRECTING THE RECORD
BY JA N E LL E CL AUSEN The Great Neck Library Board of Trustees voted on Monday night to ďŹ re Kathy Giotsas, the executive library director, in a meeting that lasted less than ďŹ ve minutes. Giotsas had been serving since Aug. 3, 2015. The board did not cite a reason for her termination. Previous directors in the last ďŹ ve years, including interim ones, include Jane Marino, who resigned after a $20.8 million bond referendum was defeated, Laura Weir and Chris Johnson. “Those directors did not leave under a cloud of any kind,â€? said Rebecca Gilliar, a 45-year Great Neck resident who has been civically involved for decades. What is unusual about this case is that while others retired or resigned, Giotsis was terminated. Peter Fishbein, legal counsel for the library, said the library could not comment on matters regarding sta or personnel. The board also authorized a search committee to ďŹ nd a replacement. The committee, to be headed Continued on Page 54
PHOTO BY JANELLE CLAUSEN
Nikolas Kron, center, speaks to a crowded room of parents at a ‘Meet the Candidates’ event. He said that he has two missions: keep the public school system strong and to reach out to the entire Great Neck community. See story on page 4.
Asian-American vote seen as vital Turnout in school elections a question for fast-growing ethnic group BY JA N E LL E CL AUSEN Lawrence Gross, a 12-term Board of Education trustee and resident of Great Neck for over four decades, said Great Neck’s population is constantly chang-
ing. But one thing stays the groups that have moved to Great Neck, that they same. are exceptionally “The one supportive of the common deBoard race schools.â€? nominator is narrows to 4 And now, that people move with a $223.3 to Great Neck SEE PAGE 2 million budget, for the services, $68.3 million and the pribond, and two mary service is the school,â€? Gross said. Board of Education (BOE) trust“The latest move-in is the ee seats up for grabs on May 16, Asian population. And we the Asian-American community ďŹ nd, as with so many other may have the most at stake.
“In my opinion, given what’s at stake in terms of the bond, budget and the two BOE seats, I would expect a much higher turnout than the last election we had back in February for the last bond referendum vote,� said Nathan Fong, co-president of the Great Neck Chinese Association. Indeed, in the wake of the February bond failure, the AsianAmerican community has been energized. Since then, Fong said, Continued on Page 61
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