Serving Williston Park, East Williston, Mineola, Albertson and Searingtown
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Friday, May 14, 2021
Vol. 70, No. 20
LIVING 50 PLUS
IHOP RESPONDS TO SANDLER
AG DENIES COUNTY REQUEST FOR OVERSIGHT
PAGES 29-36
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Williston area voters go to the polls Tuesday
SENIORITY RULES
DeCillis runs unopposed to replace Napolitano on Mineola school board BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Middle school teacher Stacey DeCillis is running unopposed for the seat on the Mineola Board of Education held by President Christine Napolitano, who announced last month that she will not seek re-election. The school board elections in Mineola and other area districts will be held on Tuesday. Trustee Brian Widman, a Roslyn Heights resident, is also running unopposed for his third term on the board. Napolitano endorsed the candidacy of DeCillis, an eighth-grade social studies teacher at Garden City Middle School. DeCillis said on Facebook that her goal is to prioritize students throughout the district. “My goal is to ensure this district continues to provide high-quality education to all of our district’s children and continues to create a generation of lifelong learners,” she
said in a statement. “As a parent to 3 school aged children and an educator myself, I am hopeful to be a valuable member to this team.” Napolitano, a Williston Park resident for almost 30 years, cited giving more attention to her “growing family and husband” as a reason to step down and said she informed district Superintendent Michael Nagler of her decision in January. “I announced today that after 12 years of serving on Mineola’s BOE, I will not be seeking re-election for a fifth term,” Napolitano said in a tweet. “I will never be able to say thank you enough to my community for letting me share in this amazing journey. It has been the honor of my life.” The district’s election will take place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Voting will occur at the Jackson Avenue School at 300 Jackson Ave. in Mineola and the Meadow Drive School at 25 Meadow Drive in Albertson. Continued on Page 47
PHOTO COURTESY OF MINEOLA HIGH SCHOOL
Mineola High School officials celebrated the 2021 senior class’ decision day on Friday.
Lavine back in spotlight with Cuomo investigation BY N O A H MANSKAR
creepy comments at work, and demanding they wear skirts and high heels on the job. The man was Vito Lopez, Several women had accused one of Albany’s most who spent 28 years in the state powerful men of touching Assembly and six years as the them inappropriately, making Brooklyn Democratic Party
chairman before allegations that he had sexually harassed his staffers forced him to resign from office in 2013. He died in 2015. After state ethics regulators Continued on Page 48
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