Serving Williston Park, East Williston, Mineola, Albertson and Searingtown
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Friday, July 23, 2021
Vol. 70, No. 30
SUMMER DINING GUIDE PAGES 19-22
NHP MAN WILL GET NASSAU TO GET UP TO SAME DEAL IN NASSAU $115M IN OPIOID SETTLEMENT PAGE 3
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W. Park weighs prohibition of marijuana sales Trustees to hold public hearing on Monday to potentially opt out BY S A M U E L E PETRUCCELLI The Williston Park Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing Monday to consider whether it will follow the footsteps of neighboring villages: opting out of allowing the sale of marijuana in the village. Slated for 7 p.m. at Village Hall, residents will have an opportunity to share their opinions on how trustees should vote to interpret the recent statewide legalization of cannabis, signed by Gov. Cuomo. Trustees could take a vote on the matter as early as that night, or schedule for a later date. Localities have till the end of this year to make their choice. Under the new state law, consumption and smoking of cannabis is now legal throughout the state wherever smoking tobacco is legal. Municipalities, however, can refuse to allow the retail sale of the substance, though they will not get to share in any generated tax revenue.
Efforts to reach Williston Park trustees were unavailing. Neighboring villages have already made their choice, though, picking to opt-out of allowing brickand-mortar dispensaries where people could purchase marijuana products. New Hyde Park most recently voted, unanimously, to prohibit such dispensaries or any cannabis consumption establishments at a board of trustees meeting last Thursday. The adjacent village of Floral Park also opted out, though not before hearing concerns from Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald. “I personally don’t think the potential revenue would outweigh any of the social costs,” Fitzgerald said. “Therefore, I vote aye.” The cost-benefit analysis of additional revenue for the village is something to consider, according to DeVaughn Ward, senior legislative counsel at the Marijuana Policy Continued on Page 26
PHOTO COURTESY OF KERRY COLLINS, VILLAGE OF WILLISTON PARK BUILDING INSPECTOR
A driver suffered from a heart attack and crashed into the kitchen of a Williston Park home Monday morning. See story on page 2.
Herricks alum to pitch for Israel’s Olympic team BY R OB E RT PELAEZ From humble beginnings at Herricks High School to joining Israel’s national baseball team in the upcoming Olym-
pics, Alex Katz is accomplishing feats only a handful of people in the world can relate to. The 26-year-old Katz, earlier in July, was named to the final 24-man roster for Israel’s first Olympic baseball roster,
which will be traveling to Tokyo to compete against other nations around the world later this month. Katz is also a dual citizen of the United States and Israel. Continued on Page 27
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