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Friday, June 24, 2022
Vol. 10, No. 25
HEALTH, WELLNESS WHEATLEY RUNNER MY FATHER’S PLACE SETS PACE IN GLEN COVE AND BEAUTY PAGES 25-28
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North Hempstead Dems approve new districts Vote reshapes town lines for next 10 years; DeSena claims gerrymandering BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y In a party-line vote, the North Hempstead Town Board approved a redistricting proposal Thursday night that will reshape the town’s six councilmanic districts for the next 10 years during a heated nearly five-hour meeting. The vote came after the four North Hempstead Democrats rejected a request by Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, who was elected as a Republican, to table the proposal. “Looking at the four maps it’s easy to make a compelling argument that it was an attempt to preserve political power for the next decade through gerrymandering,” DeSena said. “We have time to make sure as many of our residents’ voices are heard as possible in this process, as they will be the ones most affected by all this,” DeSena added. “This will decide the future of all residents in our town for the next 10 years. There’s nothing compelling us to put this to a vote tonight since we have two more board meetings and we can call another meeting. It is important to take our time and do this process directly, otherwise we open the town to potential legal challenges.” DeSena noted that the Town Board has meetings on July 7 and Aug. 4 ahead of the Aug. 12 deadline for re-
districting to be finalized. The new maps will officially take place on Jan. 1, 2024, and candidates running for election in Districts 2, 4 and 6 next year will be running on the new maps. The revised map includes splitting the Village of Mineola into two districts, the creation of an Asian plurality district and switching the numbers of District 4, now represented by Town Councilperson Veronica Lurvey, a Democrat, with District 5, now represented PHOTO COURTESY OF @ROSLYNHEIGHTSNY by Town Councilman David Adhami, a Republican. East Williston Mayor Bonnie L.S. On Saturday afternoon, officials responded to a fire at a Roslyn Heights home, which killed two Parente and former state Sen. Jack dogs and injured the homeowner. See story on page 2. Martins voiced their opposition specifically to how Mineola was cut in half, saying they had to go through a thin line, roughly 500 feet at its narrowest point according to Google Maps, between Districts 1 and 3 where Wheatley Hills Golf Club is located in order to split Mineola. The new map will also result in moving the election for the district now represented by Lurvey back by two years and moving up the district B Y S T E V E N K E E H N E R Hills. The hearing focused on an ap- been classified pursuant to the State represented by Adhami two years. plication from the complex to estab- Environmental Quality Review Act, Lurvey said the redistricting was and no determination of significance Ritz-Carlton residents packed lish a residential business center. based on data and considered what the Per Village Code 16-1, the trust- has been made,” the statement read. North Hills’ Village Hall for a public different laws require. The board had reached no reso“I think this process is not about hearing on proposed zoning changes ees have jurisdiction over this application, as explained in a notice sent lution by the end of the discussions any one of us or protecting incum- within the condominium complex. on Wednesday night. However, that The Ritz-Carlton Residences is a out by the village on May 31. Continued on Page 10 “This application has not yet private, gated community in North Continued on Page 43
Zoning debate draws huge crowd in N. Hills meeting
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