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Light Rain Two challengers win fire district elections
Breslin beats Moleno in Hewlett Bay, Bennett defeats Samuelson in Meadowmere
A pair of challengers in two different fire districts won their respective races in elections held on Tuesday.
In the Hewlett Bay Fire District, incumbent Fire Commissioner Anthony Vacchio defeated challenger Paul Gressin 82-69 for another five-year term.
Joseph Breslin, the 23-year-old son of sitting Commissioner Paul Breslin, won his bid for treasurer beating as incumbent Benjamin Moleno, 91, 86-54 for the three-year term.
Kevin Bennett Sr., 57, a Meadowmere firefighter and EMT for the past nine years narrowly defeated four-term Fire District Commissioner Ruth Samuelson 47-44 for the five-year term.
Unopposed in the Inwood Fire District, Commissioner Thomas Havey gained his first full five-year term by a count of 65-0. Havey, who also serves as the district’s secretary, was appointed last February to complete the term of Christine Dorn Rizzo, who resigned.
Timothy Pastor survived the write-in challenge of Avi Dubin, 148-37, for his fourth full five-year term in the Woodmere Fire District. Pastor, 50, has been a Woodmere volunteer firefighter for 32 years. He was appointed to finish the unexpired one-year term of a retiring commissioner 15 years ago.
Both Andrew Reilly, an incumbent, and Vincent Leone received all 2thea five-year and one-year commissioner terms. Leone is filling the unexpired term of former commissioner Vincent Spinelli.
