The following three candidates were endorsed by the Manorhaven Action Committee (MAC) by declaring confidence in their proven ability to solve everyday, quality-of-life issues, protect the environment and prudently manage village finances: the candidate for mayor: Gary Pagano (Above Board Party); the candidate for trustee: Barbara Ruemenapp (Above Board Party); the candidate for trustee: Ken Kraft (Proactive Party).
The Village of Manorhaven election for mayor and two trustees, to be held on Tuesday, June 21, is important because it will determine the character of the village. The issues are: overcrowding and delivery of services in New York State’s most densely populated village, where most of the homes now hold two families, with as many as four cars per family; preventing the waterfront from being dominated by condos; improving parking in snow emergencies; and providing efficient government. The candidates, all longtime residents of the village, have a wealth of experience between them, and all support protecting the waterfront and slowing over-development. Pagano was a three-term former mayor and planning board chairman, who successfully acquired Morgan’s Dock and the nature preserve for the use of village residents. He established the Code Enforcement Department and Village Court during his tenure. Ruemenapp was a planning board member, successful corporate executive for 25 years and a founding member of MAC. Kraft was a Nassau County police sergeant for 25 years of his 38-year career, is a member of the mayor’s waterfront committee and a founding member of MAC. He has submitted more than a dozen proposals to the trustees for improving our quality of life, which can be found on his website at www.kencaresmanorhaven.com.
The MAC is a local civic organization, which has been meeting monthly for the past 10 months, brainstorming solutions to local issues and passing them along to the trustees of the village. MAC was formed in response to political gridlock. MAC meets at the Port Jewish Center on Manorhaven Boulevard, which generously hosts these open discussions. In addition to addressing quality-of-life topics, MAC formed a Waterfront Subcommittee, which proposed the current six-month Waterfront Building Moratorium, now up for final approval by the Nassau County Planning Commission.
MAC has reached out to partner with other organizations including the NY Department of State Division of Coastal Management and Vision Long Island on long-range planning issues and Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington and Manhasset Bay Protection Committee on water-quality issues. As the owner of the only civic notification database in the village, with a growing email list reaching over 400 residents, MAC performs a valuable real-time public service for the entire community. —Caroline S. DuBois,
acting secretary, MAC
