Serving Port Washington, Manorhaven, Flower Hill, Baxter Estates, Port Washington North, Sands Point
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Friday, September 29, 2023
Vol. 9, No. 39
PortWashingtonTimes Washington GUIDE TO MINEOLA STREET FAIR PAGES 21-32
No conflict of interest found with Dalimonte
PRIDE IN PORT CANCELED
CRICKET WORLD CUP COMES TO NASSAU
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P R I D E I N P O R T P E P R A L LY
Ethics complaint fueling inquiry filed by councilwoman’s election opponent BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y The North Hempstead Board of Ethics unanimously determined Wednesday afternoon there is no conflict of interest over Council Member Mariann Dalimonte being a member of the town board and Port Washington Business Improvement District. After convening on the matter in executive session Wednesday afternoon, board Chairman Joseph Sciame read into the record a letter that was sent to Dave Franklin, Dalimonte’s Republican opponent for the town’s Councilmanic District 6, who filed an ethics complaint over Dalimonte’s role in the town’s previous negotiations for the acquisition of Sunset Park in Port Washington. “The board is of the opinion that the situation presented in your letter does not present a conflict of interest,” Sciame read. Franklin accused Dalimonte of making it clear “that she has been taking an active role in the town’s ongoing negotiations for the property” referring to Sunset Park, a 5.2-acre park owned by the Port Washington Water Pollution Control District, during the Sept. 5 North Hempstead Town Board meeting. North Hempstead was previously
in talks with the water pollution control district over transferring the park, which is currently off as of now, Dalimonte told Blank Slate Media. Sciame said Dalimonte’s role with the Business Improvement District, which she was appointed to by the town, is inextricably linked with her role as a council member and her predecessors–Fred Pollack and Dina DiGiorgio–also sat on the Business Improvement District, among other things. Dalimonte is one of 11 officers of the Business Improvement District, which holds a lease for their office with the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce, which is a tenant of the water pollution control district. The Business Improvement District spoke with the town regarding a potential new lease, something Dalimonte said multiple times she recused herself from. The board said Wednesday it is not mandatory for Dalimonte to recuse herself. Dalimonte said in a statement the complaint was a political stunt from Franklin, whom she did not mention by name, and that she is committed to providing transparency. “I’ve always been committed to serving our community with integrity, Continued on Page 46
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PORT WASHINGTON SCHOOL DSITRICT
Schrieber High School students partake in a game during the Pride in Port pep rally Friday.
Louie’s expansion plan splits Port community BY C A M E RY N O A K ES Port Washington’s 120-year-old restaurant, Louie’s Prime Steak and Seafood, is seeking to expand to bolster its business, but many neighboring residents oppose the plan due to what they contend will be negative effects on the surrounding area. Louie’s, which sits on the waterfront, was opened in 1905 by Louis Zwerlein. The Zwerlein family sold the restaurant in 2002 In 2022 Louie’s was bought by
partners Jerry Sbarro, the owner of Rothmann’s Steakhouse in East Norwich and six Matteo’s Italian restaurants, and Jorge Madruga, who are the new owners of the restaurant that will remain as Louie’s. With the restaurant now managed by the Rothman’s Restaurant Group, the owners are looking to expand and have applied for a site plan that requires variances to be granted by the town. The application was reviewed during the Town of North Hemp-
stead’s Board of Zoning Appeals meeting Wednesday afternoon, the second appearance before the board. The board postponed a decision on the application in order to further review comments submitted by the public. The classic steak and seafood restaurant applied for four variances, which would also legalize the restaurant’s filled-in deck. The variances are for the building to exceed the permitted height, construct the Continued on Page 45