Village elections take place on June 18

Lawrence, Atlantic Beach and Hewlett Harbor village elections are uncontested

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A half dozen Five Towns villages will hold elections on June 18. All the incumbents are running unopposed. All seats are two-year terms except for Lawrence village justice.

Atlantic Beach
Trustees Andrew Rubin and Danae Muddiman are unopposed for re-election. Rubin has served on the board for the past 20 years and Muddiman is seeking her fourth term.

The impact of Hurricane Sandy still resonates with him. “During 2012, for a period of over two weeks, our community had to battle the after effects of Hurricane Sandy,” he said. “So many people came together and stepped forward helping others and sustaining our community.”

Rubin spoke highly of working with Muddiman. “Danae is a smart business person,” he said. “She is a people person and is a dedicated guardian of our beach community and its way of life.” Muddiman did not return comment by press time.

Voting is from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Village Hall at 65 The Plaza in Atlantic Beach.

Hewlett Bay Park
Trustees Jay Levy and Alex Salomon are running uncontested. Levy, 63, an insurance agent, has served as trustee for more than a decade. Salomon serves as the village’s deputy mayor and has served on the board since 2013. Both could not be reached by press time.

Voting is at village hall from noon to 9 p.m. at 30 Piermont Ave. in Hewlett.

Hewlett Harbor
Hewlett Harbor Deputy Mayor Leonard Oppenheimer and Trustee Jonathan Polakoff are not being challenged. Oppenheimer, 51, owns his own custom packaging company and is seeking his sixth term on the board. He highlighted the village’s efforts to clean up Willow Pond. “I’m proud of how we’ve cleaned up the pond over the past few years,” he said. “We’ve been able to beautify the pond while remaining fiscally responsible.” The village spends roughly $30,000 on maintaining the pond.

Polakoff, 54, is a senior financial advisor for Merrill Lynch and is running for his third term. He has lived in the Five Towns since 1978, and in the village since 2007. “I think it’s important to give back to the community you live in,” he said. “That’s why I decided to get involved with the village board.
Voting can be done at village hall from noon to 9 p.m. at 49 Pepperidge Road in Hewlett Harbor.

Hewlett Neck
Sitting Trustees Brett Cooper and Michael Levine are unopposed. Both could not be reached by press time.

Lawrence
Trustees Daniel Goldstein and Deputy Mayor Michael Fragin are running uncontested.

Village Justice Gary Mandel is running for election, uncontested. He was appointed to succeed Donald Buchalter in December. Mandel, would complete Buchalter’s unexpired term, then run for the full four-year term in 2020.

Fragin is seeking his sixth-full term and said he’s looking to keep on improving the village’s infrastructure. “Unfortunately, the last couple of winters have been tough on our roads,” he said. “I want to keep on focusing on improving our village overall since there is a tremendous demand to live in Lawrence.”

Goldstein, a board member for three years, is working on something new for the village. “A couple of years ago, I came up with the idea for a bicycle lane in the village that would start near the golf course,” he said. “Most of the trustees are on board with the idea and more work has to be done on it in the future.” As of January, village officials decided to consult with an external engineer on the matter.

Voting will be held at village hall from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 196 Central Avenue in Lawrence.

Woodsburgh    
Mayor Lee Israel and Trustees Alan Hirmes and Jacob Harman are running unchallenged. Israel, 50, has been mayor since 2013 and is running for his fourth term. Harman has been a trustee since 2013 and declined to comment for the story.

Israel declined to elaborate on his re-election bid, but briefly commented saying, “Since I’m running unopposed, I’m keeping things low-key,” Israel said.

Voting for Hewlett Neck and Woodsburgh will be held from noon to 9 p.m. at the Keystone Yacht Club at 190 Woodmere Blvd. S in Woodmere.