Garden City trustees voted 6-2 in favor of laying off six professional firefighters and one fire lieutenant during an emotional standing room only board meeting Thursday. The lieutenant, under civil service law, will actually be demoted to firefighter. Trustees Dennis Donnelly, Nick Episcopia, Laurence Quinn, Brian Daughney and John DeMaro, along with deputy mayor John Watras, voted in favor of the move. Village counsel Gary Fishberg said the cuts will save the village $950,000 per year, citing the cost per firefighter is roughly $154,000 per year.
Marine Police Rescue Fawn from Water
Timing sometimes is everything and for one young Davis Park fawn it might have been the difference between life and death. Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers pulled the fawn out of the icy waters off Davis Park Marina in Fire Island Thursday afternoon after noticing the deer upon coming into the marina. Officers Robert Femia and Peter Bogachunas saw the deer approximately 30 yards from shore and pulled the baby from the water, which was seven to eight feet deep, and onto the boat and covered it with a blanket. She was later reunited with other deer.
Long Beach Councilman to Appeal Conviction
Long Beach City Councilman Michael Fagen will appeal his conviction after a jury on Tuesday found him guilty on charges that he illegally collected unemployment benefits. Marc Gann of Mineola, Fagen’s attorney, said that he would appeal his client’s conviction on charges of petit larceny and 18 counts of offering a false instrument for filing, after the jury deliberated for a week. The jury did not reach a verdict on 20 other counts of offering a false instrument and the top count of grand larceny. Fagen, 56, faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison. Judge Meryl Berkowitz will sentence the councilman on April 8. Corey Klein, the City of Long Beach’s attorney, said that Fagen’s conviction means he is removed from the council.
Ex-Long Islander to Roll Across America in Wheelchair
“There's nothing you can really do that will prepare you,” Suheil Aghabi says of the 3,300 mile trip he will soon embark on in his wheelchair. “All I can do is prepare myself as best as can … and just do it.” Aghabi, 42, (also known as Gabriel Cordell) is planning to roll cross-country from Burbank, Calif., where he currently resides, to his hometown West Hempstead, N.Y., where he was involved in a car accident 20 years ago that left him paralyzed. The 1988 West Hempstead High School graduate will depart on April 1 and expects to complete the trip in 70 days.
New Shopping Center to Open in East Meadow
After being plagued with vacancies for months, a new shopping center is set to open on Hempstead Turnpike this year. Meadow Crossing is well on its way to bringing new businesses to East Meadow. The property, located at 2464 Hempstead Turnpike, was where an Exxon Gas Station once stood.
