2011-05-12

              1 *»?».! mm
Remember to vote on
Tuesday, May 17!
r1p lMjr iAp
76th Year, No. 19 Freeport, N.Y. 11520 The Community Newspaper Thursday, May 12, 2011
Perhaps the
sword is
mightier...
IT'S ALL FOR ONE and one for all at the Chelsea
Mansion Renaissance Faire! Last weekend Phil
Mercurio, 26, of Baldwin, played Jussac, captain of
Cardinal Richelieu's guards, pictured engaged in a duel
with Porthos, one of the famous trio. The fun continues
this weekend, May 14 and 15 at Chelsea Mansion at
the Muttontown Preserve, from noon through 5 p.m.
Parking is off Route 106 in East Norwich. Adult entry
is $7, children ages 4-12 is $4 (under 4 is free.) For
more information, visit www.kingdomofacre.org
New legislative districts draw angry responses
by Laura Schofer
An overflowing crowd of people
turned up at the Nassau -County
Legislature on Monday, May 9, for the
only hearing on the proposed redistrict-ing
plan that will draw new legislative
districts in Nassau County.
Dozens of impassioned speakers had
shown up, many waiting five or six
hours, to ask questions, air concerns and
urge the Legislature to take its time
before instituting any changes.
"One hearing is not enough to under-stand
the impact this will have," said Lisa
Tyson, a North Bellmore resident. "Look
at all the people in this room. This [Nassau
County] is the most segregated place in
the country and this map only makes it
worse," she said. Legislators, on both
sides of the aisle, argued over the need to
redraw legislative lines before the
November 2011 elections.
The Republican Presiding Officer Peter
Schmitt and County Attorney John
Ciampoli say the county is obligated by
its charter to redraw legislative districts
within 6 months of the release of the U.S.
Census data. The Census indicates there
has been a population shift of "22.7%. It
is my understanding that in excess of 10%
you are discriminating and are in viola-tion
of the Constitution," declared Mr.
Ciampoli. "We must protect the one man,
one vote. We must balance the districts."
But many speakers said this new map
diluted the minority vote, was politically
motivated and that too many questions
remained unaddressed. Some said -the
map was a violation of the 1965 Voting
Rights Act; others called it a "mockery,
unacceptable and absurd."
The Democratic minority said the plan
.will move'44% of the'population, about
576,000 people, into new legislative dis-sion
for 2013," said Minority Leader
Diane Yatauro.
The plan does call for a nonpartisan
commission to convene and study the plan,
but the new districts would already be in
effect. The. commission would be charged
with-making these temporary districts per-manent
in time for the 2013 elections.
' Mr. Schmitt added that the Legislature
does not have the "discretion to ignore
WE WANT DAVE! Supporters of David Denenberg make their feelings
known at the hearing. Photo by Ann Parry
tricts. "This is a self-serving Republican
plan. Mr.Schmitt claims to be a great pro-tector
of minorities, but villages are split
in half, diluting minorities. There should
be no misinterpretation of this action.
Use a nonpartisan redistricting commis-the
law" and must put this plan into
effect. The legislature will vote on it next
Monday, May 16. It is slated to go into
effect January 1, 2012.
However, the Nassau County
Democratic Legislative Caucus filed a
Temporary Restraining Order on May 10
before Judge Jaeger, New York State
Supreme Court, asking for a stay for the
May 16 vote.
"When it is adopted next week the leg-islators
will go to the districts and tell
them what happened," said Mr. Schmitt.
Judy Leeman of Great Neck replied,
"So you are telling me this is a fait
accompli!"
.Mr. Schmidt tried to backtrack. "I must
do my job or I'd be in violation of the
law," he repeated.
The plan merges two Democratic dis-tricts
that would eliminate one
Democratic incumbent, splits up the Five
Towns as well as Legislative District
Three in Hempstead Village and creates a
new 19th District on the western border
of Nassau County. No Republican legis-lators
will be forced out of their districts.
Locally, the plan proposes to move the
19th Legislative District from the
Merrick-Bellmore area, where it is cur-rently
held by Democratic Legislator
David Denenberg, to the western border
of the county to create a "new minority
district," said Mr. Ciampoli.
Legislator Denenberg's district
would lose south Wantagh to
Republican Dennis Dunne's district
and North Merrick and North
Bellmore to Republican Norma
Gonsalves' district. This would leave
(continued on page 12)
Freeport Schools
budget hearing
page 2
Meet Freeport
board candidates
page 3
Baldwin school,
library budget info
page 5
Workin' on the
railroad
page 10