In the weeks leading up to the village elections on March 20, the Herald will be asking candidates for mayor and trustee their opinions on matters that affect our readers. This week, candidates answer the following basic questions to help the voters get to know them a little better.
1. Why do you think you¹re qualified to run for office?
2. If elected, what are some issues you would have the power to address from your position?
3. The maintenance of a suburban character has been a concern in recent years in Nassau County, including Valley Stream. What is your vision for future development in the village?
Joanne Antun, United Community Party
1. Shirley Chisholm always said that service is the rent we pay for living on this earth and that¹s a guiding principle for me. Valley Stream is my home and public service provides you with an opportunity to give back and I want to make my neighborhood the best it can be.
2. Valley Stream has an A-1 bond rating and is a very diverse community. My goal is to continue to work on improvements that have been made. A diverse community needs change and progress is essential, so my goal has always been to move forward.
3. Because we are a diverse community we need to balance needs. The need to make sure we provide essential services to help families flourish and grow. Parallel to that, we need to help the business community grow as well. It¹s all part of moving forward.
Edward Cahill, United Community Party
1. Being retired I have the time to put in. While being mayor is a part-time job, my experience is that it¹s really a full-time job to be on top of everything that¹s going on in the village. Over the course of my 8 years as mayor and 4 years as deputy mayor under Jim Darcy, I know what¹s going on in all departments of the village.
2. To keep a suburban atmosphere in Valley Stream while building up the business community, which could use a shot in the arm to entice more businesses to come in and bring more shoppers to the area.
3. I think that starting with coordinating efforts with our active chamber and tying that in with the business improvement committee, which will be starting again in the near future, we need to entice the types of businesses that will attract people to the area, like Starbucks or Panera Bread. When you draw more people into the area, more people will see what we have to offer and more people will shop in the area.
Guido Cirenza, United Community Party
1. I take my work very seriously and I make sure that everything is going well. If there is a problem, I bring it to the attention of the rest of the board. I¹m the liaison to public works, liaison to the airport and liaison to the chamber. I put in a lot of effort and make sure to know what¹s going on.
2. My focus is on constituent services. If you want to get something done, you have to be cooperative and see what you can get accomplished. I try to resolve complaints that I get from people and let them know what the facts are.
3. We are an incorporated village and we are a large village. I like to see growth in the village, such as the condos, and I think that will bring more business to the village. What we need is progress, which is my primary objective. I want to make our village better and improve it.
Bill Freda, Valley Residents Party
1. I¹ve had a continuing interest in village affairs and I think it¹s time to put all my experience to good use. It¹s the next logical step. I¹ve lived here for 42 years. I have a degree in finance and I¹ve served the village under two mayors. First, as a member of the Village Planning Board from 1991 to 1995 and as Deputy Village Treasurer from 1995 to 1999. I¹ve participated actively in budget hearings and I have attended board meetings religiously since 1984.
2. We need better fiscal discipline and management ‹ we¹ve had too many tax increases. I want to cut taxes 10 percent over a two-year period, and squeeze some financial excesses out of the budget.
3. I would insist that members of the Board of Zoning Appeals go to classes and get training on zoning law. I want to keep the village suburban and end the use of floating zones. I believe those are usually used for the benefit of the developer and not the village. If the zoning code is not more strictly adhered to, other developers will want to come in and build these huge buildings, and courts don¹t like it if you¹re arbitrary about those projects. We have to stop this now.
Alan Schaechter, Valley Residents Party
1. I like to consider all aspects of an issue before making a judgment. I like to understand all sides and look what is causing a problem before deciding on an action. I have a double major in sociology and philosophy, and I think the fact that I am a thinker makes me well qualified for office.
2. The roads are in terrible shape. Wherever I travel in Valley Stream there are potholes and something needs to be done to fix them. I¹d like to get Valley Stream up and moving again and try to lower village taxes. I¹d like to find the cause of the village¹s debt and try to eliminate it. I¹d also like to see the mayor¹s position budgeted to a full-time position after the next budget, because the mayor is like a CEO and needs to be able to take the time to examine everything properly.
3. Any future development I would like to see according to Village Code ‹ it needs to be followed more rigidly. On rare occasions you might grant variances, but in a situation like with the Gibson condos there should have been an outside engineer to look at those proposals. I would like to keep a suburban feel for the residential part of the village and maintain some serene spots.
Nannette Stanya, Valley Residents Party
1. I¹ve lived in Valley Stream all my life. After so many years here, I want to be more involved in the community and its surroundings.
2. I want to restore the Gibson part of Valley Stream, beautify Gibson Boulevard with either stores or residences. I¹d like to keep it more suburban. I don¹t want it to turn into a city atmosphere. I want to help revitalize Valley Stream by trying to educate the young people moving in or who are already here that it¹s important be more active in the community.
3. I¹d like to keep our parks nice and maintain our facilities, like the roller hockey rink and baseball fields, so that the youth can appreciate Valley Stream the way I appreciate Valley Stream.
Editor¹s note: Nannette Stanya is an employee of Richner Communications, which publishes the Herald.
