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Friday, February 23, 2024
Vol. 12, No. 8
HEALTH, WELLNESS & BEAUTY GUIDE
CHAMINADE GRAD A TIK TOK STAR
GREAT NECK JUDGE FINES TRUMP $355M
PAGES 21-28
PAGE 5
PAGE 6
Suozzi-Mazi tally shows voter shifts
VA L E N T I N E S F O R V E T E R A N S
Portion of G.N. goes ruby red as Dem captures independents, cracks GOP areas BY C A M E RY N O A K ES The once-Democratic bastion of Great Neck has solidified itself as a Republican bastion according to preliminary election data from New York’s 3rd Congressional District special election that shows a deepening GOP majority despite Democrat Tom Suozzi winning the overall vote. Suozzi managed to handily defeat Republican County Legislator Mazi Pilip based on strong support from independents that helped him pick up election districts in traditional GOP strongholds in New Hyde Park and Manhasset. Suozzi stepped into Election Day with an edge in early voting, garnering 4,320 more votes than Pilip in Nassau County and 3,060 more in Queens in the fight to complete former Rep. George Santos’ term after being booted from his seat in December. With 100% of the precincts reporting, Suozzi won 91,338 of the votes to Pilip’s 78,229 – nearly 54% to 46% – in a race with unexpectedly high turnout despite snow early Tuesday. Nearly 85% of the vote came from the Nassau County portion of a district that stretches from Massapequa to the south, up across the North Shore and into eastern Queens.
While Suozzi won by a 23% margin in Queens, the race was closer between the two candidates in Nassau County. According to the New York City Board of Elections’ unofficial Election Night results, Suozzi won with 61.38%, or 15,205 total votes in Queens. Pilip received 38.33%, or 9,495 total votes. In Nassau County, Suozzi secured 52.46% of the votes, or 76,133 in total. Pilip garnered 47.37% of the votes, or 68,734 total votes, according to the Nassau County Board of Elections. Overall, Suozzi secured his congressional win Tuesday night with 53.7% of the total votes vs. Pilip’s 45.99%, according to the New York State Board of Elections. The breakdown of the congressional special election results by area was sourced by Newsday and is based on preliminary vote totals by precincts. Vote totals will be finalized once military and absentee ballots have been certified. While Great Neck has been known as a Democratic stronghold for decades, the special election showed that the northern part of Great Neck has turned ruby red on the heels of Jennifer DeSena’s strong showing there in the Town of North Hempstead supervisor race in November. Continued on Page 38
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HERRICKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Herricks fourth grade students created homemade valentines for veterans that will be shared throughout Nassau County.
Manhasset projects school fund balance growth BY C A M E RY N O A K ES The Manhasset School District is projecting an ending 2023-2024 fund balance of $1,192,213 in unspent appropriations, which the district is considering using more of to help fund the next school year’s budget. Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations Sam Gergis provided a report to the Board of Education Thursday night of the district’s 2023-2024 projected ex-
penses, revenues and fund balance as of Jan. 31. He said this is the seventh-month mark of the school year that will inform projections for the remaining five months and aid in forecasting for the budget next year. The district’s revenues amounted to $63,999,070 as of Jan. 31, with the total projected revenue coming to $108,948,384. As of Jan. 31, the district spent and committed to spend $90,049,534. The remaining expenses for the year are estimated at
$15,693,618, bringing the total expenses for the year to $106,643,152. With a budgeted amount of $107,733,004, Gergis said the district is projecting $1,215,380 in additional revenues for the current school year. With increased budgeted expenses of $102,360, this would bring the projected fund balance to $1,192,213. The district is producing a greater total expenditure and fund balance than the year prior which totaled $972,867. Continued on Page 39