Republican Legislature Redistricting Map Approved

Story by Andrew Coen

A Nassau County Legislature divided among party lines approved new legislative lines on Tuesday in a 10-9 vote.

Republicans say that their map doesn’t stray too far from the allowed population deviations and follows the letter of the law, but Democrats argue the redistricting plan will dilute minorities’ voting power and hand elections to the GOP for the next 10 years.

Last minute changes were made to the map to place Legis. Dave Denenberg’s Merrick home back into his district and add some areas back to District 2. Many residents who spoke at the hearings expressed anger over the dividing of some communities, including Roslyn, Rockville Centre, Merrick, Hempstead and the Five Towns.

For more on the approved redistricting map, click here.

County Executive Candidate Bashes GOP Redistricting Map

Democratic Nassau County Executive Candidate Adam Haber released a statement following passage of the Republican legislative redistricting map that attacked the plan.

"Nassau's middle class is fed up with a government that lurches from crisis to crisis with no sensible solutions in sight. This redistricting process is more of the same –backroom deals, a lack of transparency and vote rigging that benefits political insiders instead of Nassau families.... Once again, Nassau County political insiders have helped themselves, silenced community voices and ignored the people they are supposed to represent. Nassau families deserves better than this.”

County Helps Commission South Shore Blueway Trail Plan

Months after Hurricane Sandy posed an unprecedented challenge to the villages and towns on Nassau County's South Shore, a collaborative community effort is underway to bring people back to the water.

The South Shore Blueway Trail is aimed at providing a variety of opportunities and experiences for kayakers and canoers to explore the coastline and rich estuarine environment of the Hempstead Bays and South Oyster Bay. An advisory committee of representatives from Nassau County, Village of Freeport, the Towns of Hempstead and Oyster Bay, Operation SPLASH, Empire Kayaks, North Atlantic Canoe and Kayak and numerous community groups recently engaged Going Coastal, Inc. and Cameron Engineering and Associates, LLP to develop the South Shore Blueway Trail Plan in close cooperation with paddlers and local communities.

For more information, visit www.southshoreblueway.com or contact info@southshoreblueway.com.

Tackapausha Museum Bats Exhibit Reopened

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano announced Thursday that the Tackapausha Museum in Seaford has reopened its Bats Exhibit.

The county-run museum, which is located in front of Tackapausha Preserve along the Seaford-Massapequa border, was reopened last April after being closed for renovations.

Mangano said the Bats exhibit features a live family of Egyptian Fruit Bats flying and and resting in the museum's nocturnal area.

For more on the museum and exhibit, click here.

Old Bethpage Village Restoration Holding St. Patrick's Day Fest  

Nassau County's Second Annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration is taking place Saturday, March 9 from noon to 5 p.m.

The festivities include live music, a craft fair and traditional food. Irish entertainment will include the Irish Rock Bands: The Legendary Murphy’s and the Sporting Paddies. There will also be a performance by the Donny Golden School of Irish Dance and bagpipers.

The event, which has free admission, is funded through the sponsorship Coastline International, the Nassau County Hotel/Motel Proceeds Grant and the Friends of Nassau County Recreation.

For more details on the event, click here.