Seventeenth century English essayist Joseph Addison remarked that “A statue lies hid in a block of marble; and the art of the statuary [sculptor] only clears away the superfluous matter, and removes the rubbish.”

We made the trips out to Bethpage High School last weekend where the Wrestling team was busy mixing it up with Uniondale, Massapequa, Yorktown, Farmingdale, John Glenn, Mineola, Great Neck South, Oyster Bay, Manhasset, Locust Valley and the host Eagles in Bethpage’s Annual Dad’s Club Holiday Tournament. Twenty-six Highlanders entered the competition, and 15 emerged with awards.

On Saturday four varsity Highlanders brought home silver medals; Ryan Singh (sr-125), Carlos Rodriguez (sr-135), Chris Farrell (sr-145), and Tom Gonzalez (sr-152). Gonzalez leads the team in varsity victories so far at 7-1 with Singh (6-1), Rodriguez (6-2), and Kevin Ryersen (6-3) right behind him. Ryersen (sr-160) finished the day in third place, and Andrew Farrell (so-112) and Anthony Rosa (jr-215) both had fourth place finishes in their respective weight classes. Will Dowd (jr-215) was 2-2 and fell one round short of placing.

“We’re starting to get into a good rhythm,” Coach Cliff Forziat noted. “We’ve picked up the tempo in the room, and they’re beginning to jell as a team. Our conditioning and skills are improving every day.”

Herricks second-men placed eight out of 14 on Friday with six Highlanders reaching the finals, four of them winning gold. Matt Grandelli (fr-103) won his second straight tournament and leads the second-men so far in victories at 9-0. He was joined in the winners’ circle by teammates Joe Tadros (fr-125) in his tournament debut. Tadros is now 6-0 on the young season. John Temperino (so-145) and Justin Frangione (fr-96) also brought home individual championships.

Joe DeVito (fr) was 2-1 and brought home silver at 112. Chris Woska (fr) also went 2-1 with a pin and a major decision for his silver medal at 130. Mark Holuka (fr-112) and Mike Vespe (so-135) had third place finishes in their respective weight classes. Dan Akhtar (so-125), John Dunn (fr-125), Samir Licul (fr-135), Paul Tantillo (so-145) and Jason Liarikos (fr-145) also won matches for the lads in blue and gray.

A pattern is developing here that has become all too familiar to the fans of Herricks wrestling over the decades.

The superfluous matter is beginning to fall away. As the chips hit the floor a statue will surely emerge.

How closely it will bear resemblance to the fine works of the past has yet to be fully revealed, but Forziat and his staff is confident that watching this process will be well worth the price of admission.

Decades of former Great Neck Bruin hockey players came out on Saturday, October 30, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., to participate in the Great Neck Bruins Alumni game at the Andrew Stergiopoulos Ice Rink.

The teammates were made up of past Bruins players including six sets of brothers, all of whom played for the Park District back in the day.

It was a spectacular event filled with a mixture of emotions, fond memories and exhilaration.

The greatest eye-opener was taking a look at how many years have past and realizing that everyone still played with the same gusto. All of the players have a love for the game that has not changed with time. Their love for hockey has never died and their fervor for being back on the ice together, as a team, is true unbridled passion.

“I realized after playing in this game that myself, my teammates and coaches are Great Neck Bruins for life,” said Mark Feinsod, one of the alumni players. “It was such a great experience; it’s terrific that a group of guys that grew up together will stick together as teammates for life. That is what Fred Ondris, Gene Bradley and Peter Renick taught us. I am already training for next year’s game! After all of these years there is not a day that goes by where I don’t think about my days at the Parkwood Skating Rink and the Great Neck Bruins organization.”

That says so much about the Great Neck Park District Bruins and how they run their program. Everyone is looking forward to next year’s Bruins alumni game, as it has now become an annual event. All former players are invited to join in the fun!

It is never too late to become a member of the Great Neck Bruins. It is possible that you, too, can one day look back and remember the days with the Bruins as the best of your life.

Decades of former Great Neck Bruin hockey players came out on Saturday, October 30, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., to participate in the Great Neck Bruins Alumni game at the Andrew Stergiopoulos Ice Rink.

The teammates were made up of past Bruins players including six sets of brothers, all of whom played for the Park District back in the day.

It was a spectacular event filled with a mixture of emotions, fond memories and exhilaration.

The greatest eye-opener was taking a look at how many years have past and realizing that everyone still played with the same gusto. All of the players have a love for the game that has not changed with time. Their love for hockey has never died and their fervor for being back on the ice together, as a team, is true unbridled passion.

“I realized after playing in this game that myself, my teammates and coaches are Great Neck Bruins for life,” said Mark Feinsod, one of the alumni players. “It was such a great experience; it’s terrific that a group of guys that grew up together will stick together as teammates for life. That is what Fred Ondris, Gene Bradley and Peter Renick taught us. I am already training for next year’s game! After all of these years there is not a day that goes by where I don’t think about my days at the Parkwood Skating Rink and the Great Neck Bruins organization.”

That says so much about the Great Neck Park District Bruins and how they run their program. Everyone is looking forward to next year’s Bruins alumni game, as it has now become an annual event. All former players are invited to join in the fun!

It is never too late to become a member of the Great Neck Bruins. It is possible that you, too, can one day look back and remember the days with the Bruins as the best of your life.

The meeting may have been short, but the news was positive from the Village of Thomaston on Monday.

At a regular meeting of the village board of trustees, a tentative budget plan which provides for a zero percent tax increase next year was adopted and approved for public hearing.

The plan calls for total appropriations for fiscal year 2011-12 to be $1,862,800, slightly less than last year’s adopted budget of $1,864,738, which should come as good news to local residents.

“Through belt-tightening, including layoffs, total annual appropriations have declined approximately 8 percent over the last three years,” said Village Administrator Barbara Daniels.

To help trim costs, the village closed the Thomaston Village Court and transferred all cases to Nassau County and replaced a retiring full-time employee with a part-timer.

“We’ve had very little increases and they have done the best to keep costs down,” said Daniels, regarding the efforts of the Thomaston board of trustees to cut spending.

The consistent commitment to frugality by village officials is netting long-term results.

Daniels said the average annual village tax rate increase, which includes the proposed 2011-12 budget, is just 0.78 percent over the previous five years.

The average annual village tax rate increase over the previous 10-year period is just 1.9 percent, significantly below the average annual rate of inflation for our area, according to Daniels.

The budget proposal will now move to a public hearing at the village hall during the next regular meeting set for Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

The poetry-friendly Village of Great Neck Plaza is offering yet another outlet for poets to shine and for residents to enjoy.

Sponsored by the village and Long Island Traditions, a poetry contest for Nassau and Suffolk County writers is the first-ever for the village, according to organizers.

Initiated as an appropriate lead up to poetry month, which is celebrated in April, event organizer Carolyn Raphael said she is excited about the ongoing contest and encourages poets of all kinds to postmark up to three entries each by Jan. 4.

“We thought this might be mostly for people who had written before,” said Raphael, the poetry director for the Great Neck Plaza, but apparently that’s not the case. After spreading the word regarding the competition during the past few weeks, Raphael said she has encountered interested writers of all kinds.

“There are many people eager to write,” she said. “We are trying to encourage people who haven’t been published.”

According to event rules, residents 18 years of age and older may submit up to three unpublished poems for a non-refundable $15 fee. The poems may be on any subject, in any style, to a maximum of 30 lines per poem.

Contest judging will be conducted by Susan Astor, an award-winning poet and teacher and author of two books, “Dame” and “Spider Lies.” Astor was named 2008 Poet of the Year by the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association.

“She can definitely look at something and tell you if it has merit,” said Raphael, who is “excited” to have Astor and village officials onboard.

First prize will receive $150 and the opportunity for a 20-minute reading at a Great Neck Plaza Village Hall awards ceremony on April 10 at 2 p.m. Second prize will be $75 and a 10-minute reading. Third place gets $50 and a 5-minute reading. Only one monetary prize will be awarded per poet. There will be two honorable mention awards handed out.

The top five poetry contest winners will be posted on seven village signposts, the bulletin board in Great Neck Plaza and in the waiting room of the Great Neck LIRR train station building as part of the Poems for the Passerby initiative which began earlier this year in the village. The ongoing project displays different poems each month on sign posts throughout Great Neck Plaza.

Winners will be announced March 4 on the Great Neck Plaza website at www.greatneckplaza.com.

According to event organizers, one poem per page must be single-spaced and typed by entrants. A title is required and there should be two copies sent: one anonymous and one with the poet’s name and address written below the poem. There should also be a cover sheet listing the poems, the poet’s name and address, phone number, and e-mail address.

A $15 fee, made payable to Long Island Traditions, is required for all entries. For further details, e-mail craphael6@yahoo.com.

Contest entries fees should be mailed to:

The Village of Great Neck Plaza

2 Gussack Plaza

P.O. Box 440

Great Neck N.Y. 11022-0440

Attn:. Poetry Contest

Sounding uncharacteristically belligerent, especially during his annual holiday party, U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) provided insights into why he stood earlier the same day with the Democratic caucus to oppose Obama on the tax cut plan the president negotiated with Republicans.

“We understand the math, the risk and the challenge…. what will happen Jan. 1,” Ackerman told some 200 supporters at the US Merchant Marine Academy, Thursday, Dec 9.

“There are some good things in the bill, but the list of needs for 98 percent of the people is so long and so great. And there is so much money and the deficit is so deep, it will mean we can’t take care of seniors with COLA, we have to take away health care because will cost too much, we can’t be more generous with veterans, the fighting people who we brag about.”

“What about our obligation to them, whose families are breaking apart because of the mess we’ve gotten ourselves into?” he said.

The “mess” in Iraq and Afghanistan has cost thousands of lives, tens of thousands of veterans whose wounds will require a lifetime of medical care, and has drained the treasury of $2 billion each week since 2003.

The Obama “compromise” – extracted in order to get the Republicans to continue the tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans, and to fund an extension of unemployment benefits to some 2 million families who would otherwise lose them, leaves “no money for the disabled because we want to add to the deficit,” Ackerman said.

Extending the Bush tax cuts to incomes over $250,000 –  a bonus for the top 2 percent since everyone will get the tax cuts extended on the first $250,000 – is unfunded (we don’t have the money to pay for it), so would add $700 billion to the budget deficit, “that will be charged to our children. But they don’t care, they just want it in there.

“The Republicans insist we have to find money to pay for unemployment benefits – who don’t have food, let alone money for Christmas presents – but we don’t have to fund the tax cuts for wealthiest. That to me is a problem,” said Ackerman, who apparently is alone among Long Island representatives in holding firm.

Republicans will further use the explosion in the budget deficit to defeat spending for infrastructure and jobs creation.

Ackerman also explained the House Democrats’ political calculation, recognizing that the Republicans will control the House and there will be only a slim Democratic majority in the Senate.

“More Republicans march to the beat of a single drum,” he said.

But the answer to that predicament, he said, “is that the president in the White House should threaten to veto. They have to bring the bill. Yes, they are more determined to get tax deal for rich. So if they blow up the deal, they can’t get what they want unless we’re on board.

“From where I sit on the floor of House, I saw a deal between the president and the not-yet majority, with a lot of us not at the table, including our [Democratic] leadership. The president was anxious to make a deal.

“I believe in compromise. But it is not a compromise if one side says ‘You have to give half and I get all that I want.’ That’s total capitulation.

“We understand the math, the risk and the challenge…. what will happen on January 1.”

But, he said, “Their side of the aisle will have a problem, because purists who elected the whole class, they don’t want to add to deficit, and will vote ‘no’ also. So will the Democrats.

“My constituents [want me] to get in there and fight. It’s the movie ‘Rocky’ – he knows he can’t win, the odds are against him, but he gets into the ring and fights the fight,” Ackerman said, to applause.  “I’m going to fight.”

Especially in keeping with the theme of the season, he noted, this fight is less about politics than about moral values . “That’s the fight we have to fight.

“So many have the mentality of ‘last one aboard, pull up the ladder’ and ‘I’ve got mine.’ It’s hard for people to even begin climbing the ladder, if the rungs in the middle are missing. That’s what we have today. That’s not a socialist message of redistributing wealth. Instead, it is recognizing that as a tide rises, it should cause all ships to rise, and that’s not happening now.”

But this political battle over tax cuts, he said, it comes down to a belief, “We are our brother’s keeper.

“It’s the message of this season: Moses, Mohammed, Jesus, the same message: You are your brother’s keeper; take care of people who need taking care of. Even the rich. but they don’t need a total free ride.. 

“That’s the holiday message and a political one,” Ackerman said.

In the days since the Democrats showed uncharacteristic spine, the White House has also gone on the offensive to justify the compromise, doing what Obama should have done in conjunction with Democrats, before denigrating them.

• An About 2 percent Employee-Side Payroll Tax Cut: The agreement includes an about 2 percent, employee-side payroll tax cut for over 155 million workers – providing tax relief of about $120 billion next year.

• Extension of Unemployment Benefits:  The framework extends emergency unemployment benefits at their current level for 13 months, preventing an estimated 7 million workers from losing their benefits as they search for jobs.

•The Child Tax Credit: The $3,000 refundability threshold established in the Recovery Act for the Child Tax Credit will be extended under the framework, ensuring an ongoing tax cut to 10.5 million lower-income families with 18 million children.

• The Earned Income Tax Credit:  The framework continues a Recovery Act expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit providing up to $630 for families with 3 or more children, and reduces the “marriage penalty” faced by working married families. Together, these enhancements to the EITC will help 6.5 million working parents with 15 million children.

• The American Opportunity Tax Credit: The new American Opportunity Tax Credit – a partially refundable tax credit that helps more than 8 million students and their families afford the cost of college – would be continued under the framework.

• 100 Percent Expensing: The framework agreement includes the President’s proposal to temporarily allow businesses to expense 100 percent of their investments in 2011, potentially generating about $50 billion in additional investment in 2011.

But is this a Faustian bargain? A poison pill?

The reason Democrats are rebelling is because Republicans will use the $900 billion that will be added to the budget deficit to force cuts in social services, Medicare and Social Security (but heaven forbid, cutting the Defense budget, or ending the $2 billion a week hemorrhage from the Treasury for the unfunded wars in Iraq and Afghanistan).

More troublesome is that if the Republicans are holding 98 percent of Americans hostage in order to extract tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, what will they hold hostage in exchange for increasing the debt ceiling?

That dance is coming up in just a few months, when Republicans will not just hold hostage middle class Americans and the 2 million families facing destitution when their unemployment benefits cut off, but the entire U.S economy, and with it, the rest of the world economy too. 

Here’s what I am willing to give up: Let the Bush tax cuts expire and the Obama Administration instead pursue reform of the tax code that simplifies, lowers tax rates and removes most of the tax deductions andloopholes.

Just putting a few bucks into people’s pockets won’t do anything to increase employment – most of the crap people buy is manufactured in China (thank Republicans for refusing to eliminate the loophole that lets American companies get tax credits for shipping jobs overseas).

Instead, the federal government ought to use the increase in tax receipts to invest in America’s future – in infrastructure, in replacing the obsolete electric grid with a smart grid, in Research & Development, in investing in clean energy and energy independence. These solutions not only will create jobs (generating income tax revenue), but will ultimately lower Americans’ out-of-pocket expenses, providing more discretionary money which will further expand the economy. An expanding economy will be the rising tide that lifts all boats, including giving the wealthiest 2 percent more income and wealth.

Meanwhile, Obama’s bad bargain just sets the stage for a worse one down the road.

Democrats should hold out for true compromise – which actually includes them in the process – and takes the best of both sides’ ideas.

That’s not likely to happen. Then we will see what transpires in the next Congress, and whether Democrats come to rue this day, just as they were made to eat TARP.

Karen Rubin, Columnist

The Great Neck school district named Joseph Hickey as its new superintendent of special education and pupil services at Monday night’s school board meeting.

Hickey, who began teaching when he was 17 years old, is taking over for Dennis Ryan who retired from the position in October.

“I feel honored to be hired by a district with such a fine reputation as Great Neck,” Hickey said. “I am really looking forward to meeting the parents and children in this warm and caring community. I am glad to be part of this district.”

Hickey said he became a teacher to continue his family tradition of educating children. Hickey started his career working with autistic children as a teaching assistant at 17. He then became a special education teacher where he taught at all levels including kindergarten, elementary, middle school and high school. For two years, Hickey worked in the central office administration for the special education department in New York City. For the last 14 years, he was the principal at Tooker Avenue Elementary school in West Babylon.

“Everyone in my family was an educator,” Hickey said. “I am keeping the family business going.”

Hickey, who lives in Merrick with his wife and two daughters, attended Fordham University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Science in education. Hickey also received a professional diploma in administration and supervision at Fordham. Hickey completed his doctoral studies at Dowling College, where he also serves as an adjunct associate professor of educational administration, leadership and technology.

Barbara Berkowitz, president of the Great Neck school board, said she is excited that the district hired Hickey for the vacant job.

“The school board is enthusiastic about Dr. Hickey being appointed to this position,” Berkowitz said. “We can’t wait for Dr. Hickey to join our team because his background, compassion and interest were traits that this district was looking for.”

Tom Dolan, superintendent of schools for the Great Neck school district, said Hickey was the unanimous choice by the selection committee to replace Ryan. The selection committee consisted of district superintendents, the special education department, district administrators and school principals.

“I felt honored to introduce Dr. Hickey to the Great Neck school community tonight,” Dolan said. “I look forward to working with him to meet the needs of our students.”

Hickey will officially join the district as the superintendent of special education and pupil services on Monday, Jan. 31.

Pazit Barayev’s parents own a pizzeria in Israel and for years she and her husband, Mark, dreamed of owning one in the United States.

That dream came true five months ago when they opened Geulah’s in the Village of Great Neck.

“It feels very good to have our own store,” Pazit Barayev said. “My parents owned a pizza place in Israel and I feel lucky to now have a pizzeria here in Great Neck.”

The Barayev’s actually worked their way up in the business, beginning at King Kosher Pizza, Guelah’s predecessor at 605 Middle Neck Road.

Pazit, who has previous experience managing and working at supermarkets in Queens, is the manager of the restaurant with Mark. The Barayev’s three children including their daughters Tami and Rezital and their son Yossi also work at the pizzeria.

“We wanted to open a business that we were familiar with and we know pizza,” Barayev said. “Having a family business is exciting because there are less expenses and it provides us with a fun experience outside the house by working at a store together.”

The Barayev’s, who live in Queens, decided to purchase King Kosh Piazza because they wanted to have a business in the Great Neck community.

“Great Neck is a nice place with sincere people,” Mark Barayev said. “This is also a good location because there is a church, schools and a park. Everybody loves to eat pizza and can now enjoy eating our homemade pizza.”

Geulah’s, which means redemption in Hebrew, is a kosher (cholov yisroel, kemach yashan) pizzeria with recipes that come from Israel. Geulah’s serves brick-oven pizza with a thin crust and also offers spaghetti, falafel, calzone, soup and sushi. The Barayev’s said the Geulah slice is unique because this pizza contains a “special” type of sauce.

Geulah’s offers lunch specials Monday through Friday for students and adults who can eat two regular slices and a drink. The value for the student special is $4 and adults pay $5 for the special. Geulah’s also offers a special featuring soup and four garlic knots for $4, two sicilian slices with a drink for $5.50, and a cheese slice with french fries and a drink is $5.50.

Geulah’s has a Tuesday special to buy an 18 inch pie, which regularly costs $15, for $12.99. Organizations that purchase food and pizza pies from Geulah’s will receive a 10 percent discount.

“We have a new taste, new food and original recipes that anyone can enjoy at a reasonable price,” Barayev said. “There are all types of pizza slices at Geulah’s that are 100 percent kosher. We are not just looking for Jewish customers, but everyone can eat our pizza. We hope people will redeem themselves by making the right choice by eating kosher pizza.”

Geulah’s is open every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. On Friday’s, Geulah’s closes two hours before Shabbat and on Saturday’s, the pizzeria opens after Shabbat until 1 a.m. The pizzeria has free delivery within the Great Neck community.

“We are trying to bring the community kosher pizza that is available at all times,” Barayev said. “My friends have told me pizza is best if the cook is always spinning in dough. I’m not spinning in it yet, but hope to be soon.”

Great Neck-based Community National Bank is expanding to Queens.

With six locations in Nassau County and one in Suffolk County, the opening of the 3,000 square-foot space on Bell Boulevard marks CNB’s first move to Queens since the bank opened in 2005.

With commercial lending and bank assets up about 20 percent for the year, and deposits growing, CNB President and CEO Stuart Lubow said the bank is expanding while others are closing branches and going in the opposite direction.

“We’re kind of bucking the trend. I would say because we were conservative in our lending and careful in the way we did business – yet still providing great service to commercial and residential customers – we kind of stayed away from the problems a lot of institutions had,” said Lubow from the bank’s corporate headquarters on Middle Neck Road.

Lubow said customers can expect the same mix of old-time banking principles and current technology at the new location, which is expected to open in March.

Formerly a Chase Bank branch, Lubow said the renovated Bayside location will have the same look as most Community National Banks and the same 7-day-a-week service-oriented approach which has helped the bank expand.

“The site is a very vibrant commercial strip and we always thought it was a natural jumping off point from here in Great Neck,” said Lubow.

The Bayside location marks the bank’s fifth new branch opening since 2008 and is a good fit for the company and its customers, according to Lubow.

“The reality is we are the No. 2 small business lender in Long Island and No. 5 in the New York district, so I think from the standpoint … we are going to be a significant player in small business lending,” Lubow said.

The Great Neck Water Pollution Control District has received a $5 million grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation towards their planned plant expansion and upgrade.

“It’s what the EPA and the state have decided is important in order to improve water quality standards,” said Commissioner Jane Rebhuhn. “On behalf of the taxpayers, we greatly appreciate receiving this grant from such a highly competitive program.”

The three-year project, which began in June, will redirect water flow from an existing village plant, which will be decommissioned, to upgraded facilities located on the border of the villages of Kensington and Great Neck on East Shore Road.

The grant, under the state’s Water Quality Improvement Program, will assist the district in complying with new DEC regulations intended to lower the total amount of nitrogen that is discharged into Long Island Sound while eliminating chlorine that is currently used for waste treatment at the facility.

Nitrogen is the primary pollutant that causes a low dissolved oxygen condition called hypoxia. The condition fuels the growth of algae, which leads to lower fish populations and other environmental concerns.

“As algae decomposes, it absorbs oxygen from the surrounding water which deprives aquatic life of oxygen,” said Rebhuhn.

A total maximum daily load analysis must be undertaken for water bodies that do not meet state water quality standards, under the Federal Clean Water Act. In 2001, the EPA approved the Long Island Sound for implementation.

In the case of Long Island Sound, TMDL analysis shows a need for a reduction of nitrogen because New York’s dissolved oxygen standard of 5.0 mg/l is violated each summer in the bottom waters of the western half of the Sound.

The capital project being carried out is one of Long Island’s most unique efforts to meet the environmental standards of state and federal governments.

State Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel said the plant will provide financial relief to the Great Neck community, “who have always fought for the right environmental decision when it comes to Manhasset Bay and local government control.”

Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman played a key role in landing the grant, the largest award to any of the applicants in the state, according to the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District.

“The Town of North Hempstead really stepped up to help the district,” said Great Neck Water Pollution Control spokesman David Chauvin.

Village of Great Neck Estates residents who have ignored a violation issued by the village may be in for a rude awakening if they are doing work on their homes or anything else requiring a village permit or license.

The Board of Trustees of Great Neck Estates voted unanimously Tuesday to impose restrictions on residents who fail to respond to violation notices issued by the village.

“We have historically had problems where summonses and violations are issued and people ignore them. They throw them in the garbage, they just don’t want to show up,” said Great Neck Estates Mayor David Fox at a regular board meeting Dec. 13 at the village hall.

The bill, which is effective immediately, requires suspension of permits, licenses and approvals in the event of failure to appear at the village court after 30 days.

“Any permits that you are looking for will be suspended until you can show that you have responded,” said Fox, noting the bill has nothing to do with guilt or innocence.

In an effort to urge residents to take care of outstanding notices which sometimes go unresolved for years, Fox said the bill will make people “more responsive and responsible.”

“I am emphasizing the response, not the guilt or the innocence. Just respond to it,” said the mayor. “I’ve seen cases that are two years old and three years old and then they are expecting officers to come back, sometimes retired, and respond to a violation that took place. It’s ridiculous.”

Also at the meeting, it was reported that heavy rain apparently caused an electrical outage in the Gateway area on North Clover Drive Sunday night which caused 62 homes to loose power for about three hours.

Fox used the incident to stress the importance of proper tree maintenance by area residents. He said line pruning proper limb maintenance are important in keeping lines secure for area residents.

“Sometimes people don’t get it … until they loose power,” said Fox. “It’s our quality of life and I think people should be very much aware of that.”

The board also commended the Great Neck Estates Police Department for a job well done throughout the year.

“Unfortunately one of the only ways people have to gauge the effectiveness of the police department is summonses, and that’s really not fair because there is so much more that’s being done on a daily basis … so, I for one am just very happy at where things are and how they are moving forward,” said Fox.

Regarding the Great Neck Estates Centennial Celebration planned for May 29, Fox said the planning committee needs to address parking needs for seniors and handicapped people who plan to attend. With a minimal amount of parking available, the mayor said now is the time to start thinking about the issue and coming up with answers.

“We are talking about understanding that we have older folks that want to come. They have to get closer,” said Fox.

Also at the meeting:

– The board appointed Susan Stone to the Environmental Committee by a 3-1 vote with Trustee Howard Hershenhorn abstaining. Trustee Sidney Krugman was absent from the meeting.

– The board assigned a $3,900 state-funded Selective Traffic Enforcement Program grant to the Great Neck Estates Police Department for selected traffic enforcement.

– The board added Cedar, Shore, Laurel and Hickory drives to a traffic impact analysis by Robinson Muller and Schiavone Engineering regarding possible construction of an indoor tennis facility on Shore Drive. The board set Feb. 1 as a due date for the study.

By Richard Jacques

Winning over the voters with his financial management background, challenger Donald O’Brien soundly defeated incumbent Rudy Barranco in the Manhasset-Lakeview fire/water commissioner election Tuesday.

Earning 448 votes to Barranco’s 200, O’Brien said he is “happy” that the voters have chosen him to represent them.

Officially named as “water commissioner,” O’Brien will join current commissioners Andrew Martin and Brian Morris beginning Jan. 1 serving dual responsibilities on the district water and fire commissions.

“I think it’s a good balance,” said commissioner-elect O’Brien, who beat an experienced fireman by running by running on a platform of fiscal responsibility.

Currently an independent contractor in commercial real estate finance, O’Brien has 25 years of experience in commercial finance and acquisitions as an employee with both Lehman Brothers and E.F. Hutton.

Now with duel responsibilities and in charge of a $9 million water budget and a $5.7 fire budget, O’Brien said one of the first goals of his three-year term is to improve the budget process and add to reserves.

The reserve funds, needed to buy new equipment, dropped to zero in 2010 and are currently at $400,000, according to O’Brien. He said if there is little or no money reserved it will wind up costing taxpayers more money. He said he hopes to increase reserve levels by at least $100,000.

“Just to replace a truck is $450,000” he said.

O’Brien said he was not satisfied with the job that his opponent was doing so he decided to challenge him and add his expertise to the board.

Elected in 2007, Commissioner Barranco was defeated after one term.

“I really thought that the person that was in office really wasn’t doing a good job,” said O’Brien, a district resident since the age of 10.

With scheduled meetings twice per week, commissioners receive a stipend of $100 per meeting for fire and water responsibilities. O’Brien said it’s not about the money, it’s about helping his neighborhood.

“If you’re really interested in the community, it’s the right thing to do,” said O’Brien.

With a population of 46,000, the fire district is made up of five fire companies; two in Manhasset, two in Great Neck and one in New Hyde Park. The district covers an area of about 10 square miles which includes most of Manhasset except for the Village of Plandome, all of Great Neck south of the railroad tracks and a small portion of New Hyde Park ending before Hillside Avenue.

The water district produces its supply of potable water through the use of 18 separate wells located at 13 different sites throughout the Manhasset-Lakeville area.