By JUDY RATTNER
- President Larry Siegel, owner of At Your Service Limousine,Vice President Margarita M. Fox of Mercy Medical Center, Secretary Karen Resnick of Richner Communications and Treasurer Paul Cronen of the State Bank of Long Island. In a brief speech to the group of close to 50 members, Siegel said he was proud of the Chamber's accomplishments last year, the business directory it published, its Taste of Elegance fund raiser and the annual Rockville Centre street fair last June. He said that the Chamber's plans for 2009 include a health fair at the Sandel Center on April 18, the annual street fair scheduled for June 28, a day at the beach for members and their families in August and a second Taste of Elegance event.
The Barbara Klein Award was presented to Edward Oppenheimer who was described as civic-minded and someone who does numerous things for the community and the Chamber. Oppenheimer said he was grateful for the group's recognition and that he plans to be part of the organization for many more years, half joking about his long standing work with the village parking committee on behalf of the business community. "Maybe one day," he said, "we'll get the parking corrected."
Gail Di Sibio was honored next, receiving a bouquet of flowers. She had been slated to hold the position of treasurer on the Chamber's executive board his year, but due to a promotion at Capital One and an impending transfer, she is unable to step into that role.
Before the buffet dinner, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice delivered a keynote speech announcing, for what she said was the first time, her intention to run for re-election. She said she feels she's made changes for a safer, better Nassau County and her priority is to address the "epidemic" of drunk driving. She said she's worked to get better laws to prosecute drunk drivers while continuing to "bang the drum" to bring awareness to the problem. Rice said there have been huge steps on this issue and that it's being heard throughout the state and across the nation. "Someone has to stand up and say enough is enough" she said, later adding that "drunk driving should not be a socially acceptable crime - too many people are dying."
Rice also said she's proud of her record on routing out public corruption and on reducing the number of plea bargains involving violent criminals. "We're not afraid to try cases," she said, adding that because "we've been able to cut down on plea bargains and increase convictions, we are safer."
Rice spoke of a sustained reduction in crime. "That's my job... not just locking them up but preventing recidivism with long term initiatives. If there's one unsafe area of Nassau County, then there's the potential for us all to be unsafe." Containment doesn't work, a comprehensive approach does, she said, adding that a modern DA's office addresses modern issues, one of which is educating and making people aware so they can take control of their own lives and empower themselves.
"I need people to be patient, I'm not putting a Bandaid on a gaping wound. There's a lot more to be done and we will continue," she said. "That's why I'm running again."
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