By Angela Marshall
The Residents' Voice Party, as it is called, has nominated Jeanne Farnan Mulry and John A. Mirando to challenge candidates from the village's already established political parties, Home Rule and Concerned Citizens. Each party has selected two members to vie for the two open seats in the June 17 election. The seats will go to the top two vote-getters of the six candidates.
In a press release, Mirando and Mulry said they believe a village trustee's first responsibility is to protect residents from unfettered development. Both believe that a village trustee should be immediately and aggressively responsive to residents' concerns.
Wayne Lipton (Home Rule) is the only incumbent seeking re-election. Jack Matthews decided not to run, taking away the Home Rule Party's advantage of running two incumbents. Mayor Eugene Murray (Home Rule) is also up for re-election but, as yet, has no challenger. Jim Sutton, a certified public accountant and chief operating officer of a digital technologies company, rounds out the Home Rule team.
With Matthews out of the way, the Concerned Citizens Party is hoping to win back the majority it lost in 1999, when Lipton defeated longtime trustee Jim Farrell. The party already has two members on the board, Mary Bossart and Greg Rinn. Robert Weaver, an attorney for Roslyn Savings Bank, and Elizabeth Krol, a current Rockville Centre Library Board trustee, are trying to join them. Krol's term expires this summer.
As an already elected official, Lipton has the most name recognition, but Mirando may not be far behind, having served as chief of the Rockville Centre Fire Department. The question remains as to whether firefighters will back Mirando's or Murray's party. Murray is also a former chief.
Mirando, a civil engineer, is a past manager and vice president of Long Island Water and superintendent of Public Works for the Village of Garden City.
Mulry, an attorney, works part-time as a litigator and an editor of legal publications. She first became involved with local zoning and planning issues last year, when she realized that the proposed 211 Lincoln Ave. subdivision would abut the back of her property.
A candidates forum is being planned, but date and location still have to be set.
