Where there’s smoke, there’s a fine

Effective immediately, the Lynbrook Board of Trustees adopted a law to ban smoking at all parks throughout the village.

The Nov. 21 hearing was open to the public, but no one came to speak out against the measure, which outlaws the smoking of cigarettes, pipes, cigars, hookah and electronic cigarettes of any kind within any of the village parks.

Village attorney Peter Ledwith said the law has a provision that allows Greis Park to designate a specific area for smoking, but as of press time, the Recreation Commission had not decided on this.

Anyone who violates the law is subject to a ticket and a maximum fine of $250. Ledwith said he wasn’t surprised that no one came to the hearing to appeal the new ordinance.

“This isn’t the kind of law where anyone would really come and say don’t pass this law, it’s not a good law,” he said.

Mayor Bill Hendrick said the new law was a necessary addition to the village’s guidelines.

“You shouldn’t be smoking anywhere,” he said during the meeting, “Especially not the park.”