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Friday, October 21, 2022
Vol. 71, No. 42
GOLD COAST FILM FESTIVAL PAGE 23
HARRIS NAMED KIWANIS GOVERNOR
KAPLAN, MARTINS CLASH AT DEBATE
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Mineola, GOP on board sue over redistricting
W I N N I N G W I L D C AT S
Party-line vote in June reshaped N. Hempstead’s districts for next decade BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y Paul Pereira, the mayor of Mineola, and North Hempstead Republicans David Adhami and Dennis Walsh have filed a federal complaint against the Town of North Hempstead to invalidate the newly confirmed redistricting maps as unconstitutional. “The redistricting engaged in by the Democratic-controlled Town of North Hempstead constituted a complete railroading of the process in the favor of one side that prevented the meaningful participation by Republicans or any other parties,” the suit, filed Oct. 14 in the Eastern District Court of New York, said. The Village of Mineola, Pereira, Adhami, Walsh and resident James McHugh, a New Hyde Park resident appointed to the town’s nonpartisan redistricting commission by Adhami that was critical of the redistricting process, are named as plaintiffs. They are represented by Timothy Hill of Messina Perillo & Hill LLP. In a June party-line vote, the North Hempstead Town Board approved a redistricting proposal 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 during the June meeting. The new maps will officially take effect on Jan. 1, 2024. 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 by Town Councilman David Adhami, a Republican. The complaint said the constitutional guarantee of voter equity, the “one person, one vote” concept was violated as a result of redistricting. By swapping Adhami and Lurvey’s districts, Adhami would run for reelection in two years after being elected on 2021 and Lurvey would serve until 2026 after last being elected in 2020, the complaint said. “This has been accomplished by the completely unnecessary decision to switch district numbers to effectively Continued on Page 38
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE EAST WILLISTON SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Wheatley School boys soccer team recently defeated Cold Spring Harbor 3-0.
Gillen, D’Esposito clash on gun-safety legislation BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Former Town of Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen and current Town of Hempstead Councilmember Anthony D’Esposito, candidates for
the state’s 4th Congressional District, argued on gun control laws and what should be done to combat rising crime rates during a Newsday interview on Thursday. D’Esposito, a Republican and re-
tired NYPD detective, said ensuring that individuals with illegal firearms are arrested and establishing task forces on the federal level are the best ways to combat gun violence. Continued on Page 39
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