Serving Manhasset, Munsey Park, North Hills, Plandome Heights, Plandome Manor, Plandome and Flower Hill
$1
Friday, September 25, 2020
Vol. 8, No. 39
GUIDE TO FALL
WILLISTON PARK SPY ARREST
RUTH BADER GINSBURG MOURNED IN NASSAU
PAGES 25-40
PAGE 10
PAGE 6
State suspends Toku eatery’s liquor license
ROWIN’ ON
Americana restaurant penalized for COVID-19 protocol violations BY R O S E W E L D ON An Asian fusion restaurant in the Americana Manhasset had its liquor license suspended last week following violations relating to COVID-19, according to the State Liquor Authority (SLA). The SLA’s three-person Board of Commissioners voted to suspend the license of Toku Modern Asian at 2014C Northern Blvd. in Manhasset in a special meeting last week. The move came following an investigation at the restaurant on Sept. 11 by SLA and state police investigators, according to a statement from Audrey Ruffinen, deputy director of public affairs for the SLA, to Blank Slate Media. “Investigators with the state’s multi-agency task force observed a long line of patrons not socially distanced waiting to enter the premises, with just a handful wearing face-masks,” Ruffinen said. The investigators documented 118 patrons inside the premises,
while Toku has a maximum occupancy of 90, under the Department of Health’s indoor guidelines. About 67 patrons were in the outside dining area, which has a maximum occupancy of 32. Numerous patrons were also observed buying drinks from the bar without food and taking them outside to consume. Businesses found in violation of COVID-19 regulations face fines up to $10,000 per violation, while egregious violations can result in the immediate suspension of a bar or restaurant’s liquor license. A total of 201 restaurants and bars across the state have had their liquor licenses revoked for similar reasons since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Toku, which opened in 2007, is owned by Poll Restaurants, which is headed by brothers George and Gillis Poll. The company also owns and operates other restaurants on Continued on Page 10
PHOTO VIA INSTAGRAM, COURTESY OF MANHASSET CREW
Manhasset crew team members carry Kaitlyn Clarke, a senior at Manhasset High School who recently committed to Cornell University for rowing.
Port reports elementary students to return Tuesday BY R O S E W E L D ON
nounced last Friday. The news came only days Elementary students in the before the district confirmed Port Washington school district that a case of COVID-19 had will resume full-time in-person been found at Carrie Palmer classes on Tuesday, Superin- Weber Middle School, with the tendent Michael J. Hynes an- school scheduled to shut down
Tuesday for cleaning “out of an abundance of caution” and reopening Wednesday. Regarding the much-discussed phase-in, Hynes said in a letter to the community that Continued on Page 50
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