By Jerry Burke
The good news, pending a vote this week, is that the three communities will stay together in the new 21st Assembly District, where incumbent Tom Alfano will continue to serve as representative.
"The district is back," said Alfano from Albany Monday night. "The people spoke and the people won."
After holding nine public hearing in various locations in the state, the Redistricting Task Force, co-chaired by state Senator Dean Skelos and Assemblyman William Parment, modified their original plan Monday. Despite losing an assembly seat on Long Island, the public had made it clear, according to the final report, that the proposed shift of Alfano's district south through Valley Stream and east toward Freeport was too radical.
Had the original plan been approved, Alfano would have kept only 15 percent of his current district (North Valley Stream and half of Elmont) while Assemblyman Bob Barra's 21st district would have moved up from its current location toward West Hempstead, Franklin Square and the eastern half of Elmont.
Both houses of the state legislature are expected to vote on and, according to Alfano's office, approve the new bi-partisan plan by week's end.
News of the redistricting process hit many voters, school organizations and civic groups hard when it came out just over a month ago. In an assembly district that had remained unchanged for years, Alfano found support through a series of letters, e-mail, phone calls and live testimony at last month's Long Island task force hearing.
There, over 20 speakers from the area including Elmont Schools Superintendent Dr. Maria Palandra, Cathedral Gardens Civic Association President Scott Jablow, Director of the Gateway Youth Outreach Program Pat Boyle and Parkhurst Civic Association President Cheryl Lee came out against the plan.
"I truly never saw anything like the outpouring of community support I witnessed in this campaign," said Alfano. "I only wish to say thank you to everyone for their efforts and confidence."
At one point during the meeting, Elmont School Board member Aubrey Phillips gave testimony that quieted the room. "This is dangerous and gratuitous to the communities divided," said Phillips, graphically outlining the divisions that would have separated Elmont School District in half. The district has experienced a revitalization while Alfano has been in office, as the Assemblyman has made it his priority to provide as much state aide as possible to the schools in his district.
Some of the most convincing testimony came from the students themselves, who got into the action by writing to the Task Force, asking why they were "taking Mr. Alfano away" from their schools.
In all, the Task Force admitted well over 2,000 statements of support for Alfano into their records. Included in the totals were signed petitions and a successful e-mail writing campaign sponsored by the West Hempstead Civic Association. One after another, residents blasted the Task Force for splitting their communities in half and disenfranchising voters who, living in unincorporated areas, find it difficult to have a representative as active and publicly visible as Alfano.
According to the new maps, both Alfano and Barra's district will, for the most part be exactly the same. Alfano will incorporate another 5,000 voters into his district, mainly from a section of New Hyde Park and from Stewart Manor. Alfano already represented most of Stewart Manor; the new plan has him representing the entire community, thereby incorporating the entire Elmont School District into his coverage area.
Alfano, preparing Monday evening for the rest of this week's
Session, was ecstatic about the success of the grassroots movement. "This was true community outrage at what the Task Force was trying to do; the people knew it and defeated it," said Alfano. "This was true democracy at work."
Alfano, naturally, will be voting yes on the new districts.
