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Danielle Fugazy Scagliola: Looking forward to a great 2025 in Glen Cove

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Just like that, we’ve said goodbye to 2024 and hello to 2025. At this time of year, I like to reflect on what went right and not so right this past year. Then I think about what I want to achieve in the new year and what challenges I might encounter.
I thought I’d share what’s on my mind as we head into 2025.

I am so happy that Jazz Hands Children’s Theater signed a lease to make the former Charles Hardware storefront in our downtown its home for the next 10 years. I worked very hard for over nine months to negotiate a deal between the theater and the owner of the Charles Hardware space. The theater, which will program a variety of children’s shows as well as live music and adult shows, is expected to open in the second quarter.

This deal was a success because dedicated Glen Covers — Chris Moll, the owner of Jazz Hands, and Bruce Waller, the property owner — shared a vision for a better Glen Cove. I couldn’t be more excited about this downtown development or prouder to have worked with Moll and Waller on making it come to fruition. I’m confident that the theater will have a positive impact on our downtown.

In other downtown developments, I’m happy to report that after advocating for improvements on lower Glen Street, the city was able to find grant money to redo the sidewalk from Smiros & Smiros to the Sons of Italy. I, along with Jill Nossa, executive director of the Business Improvement District, also met with almost every property owner and business owner to discuss ways to improve the area. Some have agreed to redo their facades and awnings as a result of our efforts. There will be more work to be done, however. I’m hopeful that we can continue to make improvements in that area of the downtown.

In 2024 I was delighted to partner with our Department of Public Works and Beautification Commission to launch a Banner Program celebrating our Glen Cove graduates throughout the downtown. I loved driving to work and seeing the faces of our great kids hanging proudly in the downtown. There’s nothing I like more than celebrating the truly remarkable kids we have in our city. Ralph Comitino and Liz Mestres were amazing to work with, and true advocates for our graduates. I look forward to continuing to work with them on this great program this year.

In addition to the downtown, commuting challenges are always at the forefront of my mind. I was grateful for the chance to partner with Assemblyman Chuck Lavine, Change.org petitioners and the Long Island Rail Road to improve commuting options for westbound riders. The Oyster Bay Line now has two direct trains to Penn Station and an express train that offers a faster commute. In 2025 I look forward to working with the LIRR to improve eastbound service.

'I also spend a lot of time considering the city school district. As a mother of four kids, one of whom is in her first year of college, I am in our schools often for various events, ceremonies, celebrations and games, and I can confidently say we have some of the best and brightest kids in the world. As president of the Glen Cove Education Foundation, which raises money for things outside the school districts budget, I am proud of the programs we were able to fund in 2024, helping our kids and teachers achieve their goals and visions. We were able to give every elementary school teacher in the district $500 — a total of $40,000 — to purchase flexible seating options for their classrooms. The foundation also purchased a beautiful new scoreboard for our new turf field.

This year we will be launching a robotics team, in partnership with the school district. I am super excited to see what our kids accomplish. We are also pleased to be able to contribute $25,000 to a new piano for our music department so we can continue with the tradition of excellence in our music education programs.

There’s no question, there is work to be done in 2025, but I am optimistic that there are more great things to come. Here’s to a bright, prosperous new year to all Glen Covers, and to our city!

Danielle Fugazy Scagliola is a member of the Glen Cove City Council.