Serving Manhasset, Munsey Park, North Hills, Plandome Heights, Plandome Manor, Plandome and Flower Hill
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Friday, January 3, 2020
Vol. 8, No. 1
HEALTH & WELLNESS
PORT MOVIE STUDIO GROWING NUMBER OF GETS STATE GRANT ANTI-SEMITIC ATTACKS
PAGES 25-32
PAGE 2
PAGE 6
89
Library director accused of bias in comments
VOICE OF MANHASSET
Calls allegations on recital conduct ‘unfounded’ in wake of petition BY R O S E W E L D ON The director of the Manhasset Public Library is under fire after being accused of making comments perceived as racially insensitive at a recital for students from the North Shore. Margaret “Maggie” Gough, who took office as library director in 2011, is now the subject of a petition on Change.org entitled “Eradicate Racism from the Manhasset Public Library,” which accuses her of dealing in racist stereotypes against Asians in comments made during the recital. Gough said in a call Monday afternoon that the matter is under investigation by the library’s Board of Trustees. In a statement on Tuesday to Blank Slate Media, she called the charges “horrendous, deeply hurtful, and completely unfounded.” “We do not discriminate on any basis, but we will enforce library policy to protect our users,
our staff and our building,” Gough wrote. (See letter on page 18.) Professional violinist Roslyn Huang conducts the Long Island Camerata, which sees students from the Manhasset, Roslyn, Port Washington, Herricks and Great Neck school districts play in string orchestras. Their Dec. 14 recital for an audience of friends and family members began in the library’s community room at 1:30 p.m. and ended at 2:45, after which Huang held separate rehearsals with the Camerata’s two groups. Over 100 people were present, Huang said. It was while working with third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students that she says Gough came down the stairs to the community room with two members of the library’s custodial staff and started “gesturing angrily with her hands.” Those present told Huang that Gough said she doubted the students were from Manhasset, and Continued on Page 43
PHOTO COURTESY OF TWITTER
Manhasset resident and TV personality Carson Daly (right) visited Munsey Park Elementary School before students took their winter break.
County OKs contract with detectives union BY R OB E RT PELAEZ Nassau County has reached a new eight-and-a-half-year contract with the Police Department Detectives’ Associa-
tion, which will raise pay to expand the number of detectives. “This agreement shows that hard work at the bargaining table can produce fair wage increases that don’t burden Nassau’s taxpayers,” County
Executive Laura Curran said. “I commend President John Wighaus for his leadership of the Detectives’ Association and his members for supporting the agreement which provides a Continued on Page 55
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