Serving New Hyde Park, Floral Park, Garden City Park, North Hills, Manhasset Hills and North New Hyde Park
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Friday, March 8, 2019
Vol. 68, No. 10
N E W H Y D E PA R K
SCHOOLS & EDUCATION
ENG PROMISES LIRR IMPROVEMENTS
NEW IDA CEO
PAGES 37-42 and 47-52
PAGE 11
PAGE 6
LIRR crash sparks safety conversation
MARCH ON
Following Westbury incident that killed 3 men, talks focus on grade crossings BY J E D HENDRIXSON Two weeks ago, an SUV was crushed by two oncoming Long Island Rail Road trains as it swerved around lowered crossbars at a gradecrossing in Westbury, killing three people. Since then talks of safety concerns at grade crossings, the LIRR’s third track expansion project and tragedies of transit past have been revived. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (DNY) held a news conference in Garden City Monday where he called for more safety improvements at LIRR crossings. In an incident at the New Hyde Park Road grade-crossing last Thursday afternoon, a box truck crashed through a downed gate, according to MTA officials. ABC7 reported that the truck was stopped in the crossing when
the gates began to come down, signaling an oncoming train and that the box truck sped and crashed through the gate. No injuries were reported, according to the MTA. The LIRR put a slow-speed order in place at the crossing following the reports of the broken gate and the restriction was lifted an hour and a half later. The New Hyde Park Road crossing is"one of busiest of all 296 crossings in the LIRR system in terms of total vehicles and trains that pass through it, MTA spokesman" Aaron Donovan said." The MTA police recently increased its presence at the crossing, Donovan said. The crossing is nearly identical to the one at School Street in Westbury, where three men in an SUV that swerved around a lowered gate were" killed Feb. 26, struck by two Continued on Page 73
PHOTO BY JED HENDRIXSON
Members of the Sewanhaka Central High School District at the Mineola Irish American Society’s St. Patrick’s Day parade Sunday. See photos on page 25.
Gillen wins lawsuit against town board BY J E D HENDRIXSON
current members of the town board violated the town’s ethics code by voting on and ratiA Nassau County Supreme fying an amendment to a colCourt judge has ruled that lective bargaining agreement. At a press conference former Hempstead" Town Supervisor Anthony Santino and outside the court building
Wednesday morning, Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen announced the results of the lawsuit she filed back in April 2018, aiming to reverse the amendment, which transferred Continued on Page 73
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