Serving New Hyde Park, North New Hyde Park, Herricks, Garden City Park, Manhasset Hills, North Hills, Floral Park
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Friday, August 18, 2017
Vol. 66, No. 33
N E W H Y D E PA R K
GUIDE TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS
NEW SEWANHAKA MARTINS OPPOSES CURRICULUM HEAD ‘SANCTUARY’ LAWS
PAGES 31-42
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Mixed feelings about NHP’s plan for retail
PAGE GE 6
D AY AT T H E C A R N I VA L
Merchants near LIRR station express optimism, skepticism about proposal BY N O A H M A N S K A R Merchants have mixed feelings about whether retail is the right track for the area near New Hyde Park’s Long Island Rail Road station. While some think it could have benefits, business owners and managers said village officials should try to leave room for the existing industrial businesses in their proposed retail district. “I think the retail side would be good for this area, but at the same time hopefully there’ll be a balance of both for folks like us,” said Sean O’Hara, the director of sales and operations for Surya Brasil, an organic cosmetics company that has its U.S. headquarters at 1327 Second Ave. The village wants to use a forthcoming $5 million state grant to transform the area into a commercial plaza centered on the LIRR station, complete with shops, restaurants and possibly housing. The initiative grew out of talks between
village and state officials about the LIRR’s plan to build a third track on its Main Line between Floral Park and Hicksville. Village officials have said this could mean transitioning some industrial businesses out. But Mayor Lawrence Montreuil stressed that the plan is in its infancy — it has not been determined what streets or lots the district would comprise, or how exactly the plan would affect those industrial businesses, he said. “It’s in such an early stage that we don’t know which properties we’re going to look at closely,” Montreuil said. “We’re just framing it out right now.” The village’s law firm, Spellman Rice Gibbons Polizzi & Truncale, and an urban planner, Paul Grygiel, are expected to give the Board of Trustees an initial report on what creating the district might entail in September, Montreuil said. But questions about the effects on industrial businesses will be anContinued on Page 71
PHOTO COURTESY OF LITTLE SPROUTS PRESCHOOL
Children in the summer program at Little Sprouts Preschool in New Hyde Park ended the seven-week camp with an outdoor carnival. See story on page 20.
G.N., Herricks among state’s top 10 districts The Great Neck, East Williston and Herricks school districts respectively ranked second, sevThree North Shore school enth and eighth in New York on districts are among the top 10 the data analysis website’s anin the state and the top 100 na- nual Best School Districts list. Nationwide, Great Neck tionwide on Niche.com’s annual placed 13th, East Williston ranking.
BY N O A H MANSKAR
placed 56th and Herricks placed 63rd. Herricks’ statewide ranking improved nine places from 16th last year, while Great Neck fell one place, losing the top spot to Continued on Page 71
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