Serving New Hyde Park, Floral Park, Garden City Park, North Hills, Manhasset Hills and North New Hyde Park
$1.50
Friday, September 15, 2023
Vol. 72, No. 37
N E W H Y D E PA R K Guide to the
WILLISTON DAY STREET FAIR 17 Sunday, September 11am - 5pm On Hillside Avenue from
A BLANK SLATE MEDIA
Willis Ave. East to LIRR
WILLISTON DAY STREET FAIR GUIDE
MASTERSON GETS 30 YEARS
AIDE URGED SANTOS TO QUIT
PAGES 25-44
PAGE 4
PAGE 8
N • SEPTEMBER 15, 2023
SPECIAL SECTIO
66 bells ring in honor of 9/11 victims Town reflects on light shown through heroism in darkness of tragedy BY C A M E RY N O A K ES Sixty-six bell rings rang out Monday morning over Manhasset Valley Park, signifying the 66 individuals who were once part of the community of North Hempstead before their lives were cut short in the 9/11 attacks 22 years ago. “The ring of the bell feels deep in our heart,” North Hempstead Clerk Ragini Srivastava said. The memorial service included the presentation of the colors, rifle salute and Playing of Taps by Albertson VFW Post 5253, the poem “When Great Trees Fall” by Maya Angelou read by Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips and wreath presentations by local law enforcement officials. The National Anthem was performed by the St. Mary’s chamber choir, which also performed “America the Beautiful” during the memorial service. “Our commemorations is a solemn occasion that calls upon us to remember, to reflect and to honor the memory of those ripped from us on that fateful day,” North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said.
Two moments of silence were held at 8:46 a.m. and 9:03 a.m., the times when Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower and when Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower. DeSena said the ceremony served as a way for everyone to come together as “one town family” to honor the community’s loved ones who died in the attacks. In the Town of North Hempstead, DeSena said 56 community members were “torn from us” on Sept. 11, 2001, “leaving an unimaginable void that can never be filled.” An additional eight individuals who grew up in North Hempstead and two Port Washington firefighters who died from 9/11-related illnesses were honored as well. Each council member read the names of the individuals from their district who died in the Sept. 11 attacks, with DeSena reading for District 3 in Dennis Walsh’s absence. Robert Troiano read the names of four Westbury residents and five individuals who grew up in the area, Peter Zuckerman read nine names, DeSena read 12 names, Veronica Lurvey read Continued on Page 54
PHOTO BY BRANDON DUFFY
The Village of Floral Park held a remembrance ceremony for the Sept. 11 attacks on Monday. See story on page 2.
Belmont Stakes may go to Saratoga temporarily BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y The Belmont Stakes in Elmont could be moved to Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York as soon as next year while Belmont Park undergoes major renovations. The New York Racing Association in June announced its intention to hold the stakes in Saratoga for 2024 and 2025. “As a result of the progress made on important capital projects throughout the summer, NYRA en-
visions holding the Belmont Stakes at historic Saratoga Race Course in both 2024 and 2025 to allow for the uninterrupted construction of a new and completely re-imagined Belmont Park,” Pat McKenna, NYRA’s VP of communications, said in a statement to Blank Slate Media. A final decision on Belmont’s location for the next two years is expected in the coming months and is subject to the approval of the Franchise Oversight Board and New York State Gaming Commission.
Belmont Park will be redeveloped and reconstructed from scratch as part of a multi-year project secured through a $455 million loan included in this year’s state budget. No taxpayer money will be used in the loan, which will be paid back with racing revenue over 20 years, according to the NYRA. The horse racing industry in New York generates $3 billion in annual economic activity while sustaining 19,000 Continued on Page 55