Political connections -- and feuds--involving Five Towns Community Center

 

                                                                                    

Five Towns Community Center in Lawrence

Newsday today had an interesting story about a fight over the Five Towns Community Center in Lawrence. which serves many low-income, black and brown, native and immigrant families in southwest Nassau.

But it didn't note the behind-the-scenes political connections and feuds involved.

Here is the basic background reported by Newsday.

Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who took office in Jan. 2022 and counts the Five Towns Jewish orthodox community as his base, has said he will not renew the Center's 50-year lease, which expires in July.

The center, which has roots stretching back more than 100 years, deeded its seven-acre sit to the county in 1974  in exchange for the long term lease and construction of a new building.

Blakeman solicited a new operator and received two bids: from the Marion &Aaron Gural JCC, which would allow the center to continue operating with its independent board; and from the Lawrence Union Free School District, which wants to transform the center into a hub for district students and families.

End of Background.

Now for the political connections, which may help in understanding the squabble.

Blakeman is said to be favoring the Lawrence School District bid. No surprise. Longtime president of the Lawrence School Board is Murray Forman, who was a member of Blakeman's transition team when Blakeman was elected county executive in 2021. Last year, Blakeman appointed Forman to the county Planning Commission.

Coincidentally, Forman repeatedly, according to the LIHerald, has been sworn into his continuing terms as school board president by Al D'Agostino, a well-known Republican Valley Stream lawyer who was counsel to the  Planning Commission for 25 years, from 1978 into the early 2000's when the commission was Republican-controlled. Yes, he was there for all of Blakeman's years as the county legislature's first presiding officer from 1996 through 1999.

Then there is the Five Towns Community Center Board President Gwynn Campbell.

Campbell was appointed to the Hempstead Town Sanitary District One board last year, a few months before last July's sanitary commission election. The Five Towns garbage disposal district has been chaired seemingly forever by Republican Inwood leader James Vilardi.

Blakeman, who lives in Atlantic Beach,  appears to have a feud with Vilardi, reportedly over appointments in the village of Atlantic Beach.

Bruce Blakeman

A month after Blakeman took office, he replaced Vilardi as chairman of the Atlantic Beach Bridge Authority, demoting him to board member.  The move by a Republican against a sitting Republican executive leader was almost unheard of in the tight Nassau GOP organization. Vilardi had been chairman for ten years.

In September, Vilardi stepped down from the bridge authority board, allowing Blakeman to appoint a majority of the board, which raised tolls this January.

Meanwhile, Vilardi supported Campbell in her sanitary district one election race against Gabriel Boxer in July. 

Boxer, according to the LIHerald, is the CEO of both Kosher Response and the Leon Mayer Fund, non-profits based in Hewlett, and chairs Young Israel of Hewlett’s board of directors.* See correction below.

But that election has yet to be decided. Campbell still serves on the Sanitary District one board.

James Vilardi

Although Boxer declared victory, Vilardi and the board said some 900 absentee votes still needed to be counted.

Both sides have gone to court. 

Boxer is represented by longtime Republican elections lawyer John Ciampoli. Boxer reportedly is backed by Blakeman.

The District has hired well-known Democratic lawyer Tom Garry to represent it, including Campbell, in the election fight. Yes, Tom Garry! Law Chairman and chief strategist of the state and Nassau Democratic party. Campbell also has hired her own counsel.

The votes are expected to be finally counted this week, theoretically in a match between Tom Garry and Bruce Blakeman.

A very interesting match-up, indeed.

Tom Garry

*CORRECTION:  Gabriel Boxer said Wednesday that he was never chairman of Young Israel of Hewlett's board of Directors. He said he served two terms on the board, but "termed out" in the past few months.