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Friday, July 22, 2016
Vol. 76, No. 30
back to school
suozzi, martins clash at forum
hofstra to host 1st presidential debate
PAGEs 33-40
PAGE 12
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• july 22, 2016 tions special section / litmor publica a blank slate media
Done deal: W.P. signs water pact Longstanding dispute with E.W. ends with 25-year agreement By N o a h M a n s k a r Williston Park’s Village Board cemented its 25-year water-service agreement with the Village of East Williston Monday night, bringing a historic end to the neighboring villages’ five-year dispute. “It’s been a long time coming,” Williston Park Mayor Paul Ehrbar said. “I believe the water agreement serves both villages very well, and I think will continue to do so for the next 25 years.” Williston Park trustees unanimously voted Monday to approve a slightly revised pact after East Williston Mayor David Tanner signed it July 11. The final tweak calls it a “water-supply agreement,” which can legally last up to 40 years, rather than an inter-municipal agreement, which can last only five years, Ehrbar said. Under its terms, East Williston must still pay Williston Park $100,000 in penalties and interest
to settle an active lawsuit, which the village will do “as soon as the paperwork’s done,” Tanner said. “I’m pleased and looking forward to a cordial business relationship,” he said. Coming more than four months after trustees agreed to its final terms, the approval of the agreement brings an end to an issue the villages have discussed for decades and allows them to focus on other issues of concern to their residents, the mayors said. The lengthy dispute included two lawsuits, closed-door talks that broke down and sometimes heated exchanges in the pages of the Williston Times. A pair of public negotiation sessions in December and March led to the final agreement, with the possibility of East Williston building its own water supply system looming until May. “I think that the length of time reflected the commitment Continued on Page 59
Photo courtesy of Miao Hou
From China to Williston Park Miao Hou started playing piano as a young girl in China. Now, the Juilliard School graduate runs Williston Park’s Long Island Tutoring Academy, which she hopes will become a local cultural hub. See story on page 3.
Unanswered questions leave residents uneasy By N o a h Manskar
deck, watching their children Other children of varying ages swim and splash in fountains. took turns on a water slide, with trains intermittently passing behind them on the Long Island On a warm summer afterSecond Rail Road tracks about 25 feet noon, dozens of families filled in a away. Slight vibrations from the the Village of Floral Park’s series trains could be felt at the top of swimming pool. Some adults lay on the pool Continued on Page 58
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