Serving Williston Park, East Williston, Mineola, Albertson and Searingtown
$1.50
Friday, January 6, 2023
Vol. 72, No. 1
SCHOOLS & EDUCATION
RICE GIVES GRANT TO FIRE DEPTS.
PORT’S EISENBERG TO DO ROYALS RADIO
PAGES 23-26
PAGE 2
PAGE 47
GOPers blast Santos as he enters House Join Dems in backing county, state and federal probes of deluge of lies BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z
PHOTO COURTESY OF SEAN COLLINS-SWEENEY
Democratic leaders and Nassau County residents call for an investigation into Congressman-elect George Santos last week.
Local Republicans have pulled their support of Congressman-elect George Santos, though few officials in either political party have called on him to resign from his position as the controversial figure’s inauguration nears. Santos arrived in Congress on Monday but like other members was not sworn in when Republicans were unable to select a House speaker. Santos voted for former House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on all three ballots cast. The congressman-elect posted a press release on the House website saying he was sworn in on Tuesday despite
no officials being sworn in. No House member was sworn in as of Wednesday morning with no speaker elected. Town of North Hempstead Jennifer DeSena, who endorsed Santos ahead of the November election, condemned him for lying about his personal and professional background and said he will not be welcome at any town event she is present at. Other members of the town board, she said, agree with her. “George Santos has admitted he lied and fabricated his education and his employment. He has failed to answer additional questions about his finances,” DeSena said in a statement. Continued on Page 38
Tulum Tacos & Tequila comes to Mineola BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y Nearly one month after its opening, Tulum Tacos & Tequila owner Nicolas Geeraerts said the new restaurant in Mineola already has regulars returning for more. “The welcome from the community has been great so far,” Geeraerts, of Albertson, told Blank Slate Media. “The reviews have been great and we’ve seen
people come back four or five times. The demand is incredible.” The site of the restaurant, located at the former Friendly’s on Jericho Turnpike, stood out to Geeraerts because of both its proximity to his home and the existing foundation the building had. “From a business perspective, the fact that it had parking, was centrally located and the Friendly’s model worked really well for what we were looking for,
that’s why we decided on this,” Geeraerts said. Tulum Tacos & Tequila in Mineola on Jericho Turnpike. (Photo courtesy of Tulum Tacos & Tequila) Tulum is not Geeraerts’ first venture in the industry but is the first he went into on his own alongside a friend. Professionally, Geeraerts is the current VP of operations for hospitality group JF restaurants.
A native of Belgium, Geeraerts moved to New York when he met his wife, an art teacher in Carle Place, 18 years ago before settling in Albertson three years later. When describing the restaurant, which can seat 85 patrons inside and 45 outside, Geeraerts said he wanted to create a bright, colorful and beach-inspired setting, something he said stands in contrast to the darker settings he noticed in
Manhattan. Putting the style together was a family affair, with his wife creating a fourfoot sugar skull made of bottle caps and designing the bathrooms. Owning his own restaurant was something Geeraerts said he had always considered, but the catalyst to put it in motion came from the COVID-19 pandemic and realizing that if his othContinued on Page 39
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