Best of 2011: Town of Hempstead Stories

6. In September, Hempstead Town unveiled an enormous 60-kilowatt solar field at the town Conservation and Waterways administrative offices in Point Lookout, a project the town called the “solar field of dreams.”

The Conservation and Waterways administration building, which will draw upon the solar field to meet its energy needs, already boasts a 10K, roof-mounted photovoltaic energy system. These two projects will be accompanied by a geothermal system, which will address heating and cooling needs at the administration building. The stated goal of the town is to reach total self-sufficiency with renewable energy systems at the Conservation and Waterways facility, leaving a "zero carbon footprint."

The town used federal stimulus funds to pay for the estimated $240,000 worth of equipment for the solar field.

5. Town Supervisor Kate Murray and Councilman Ed Ambrosino gathered with members of the West Hempstead community back in May as they watched the demolishing of the Courtesy Hotel after years of public outcry to have the seedy hotel torn down.

A 150-unit luxury apartment complex will be erected in the Courtesy's place.

4. A Town of Hempstead Public Safety officer was arrested in July and charged with driving while intoxicated and manslaughter after he allegedly killed a man who was crossing Hempstead Turnpike

According to detectives, Robert Core, 42, of Hempstead, was responding to an emergency call in Levittown just before 11:30 p.m. when he struck a 50-year-old male, identified as Eddie Albert Cotto, of Lindenhurst, who was crossing southbound on Hempstead Turnpike in the vicinity of Franklin Avenue. Core, who was driving a Town of Hempstead Public Safety vehicle, drove 150 feet with the victim on his hood.

Core was fired by the town shortly after the incident.

3. After a year of aggressive campaigning by the Democrats, Kate Murray and her team raised the Republican flag in victory once again as they swept the November elections.

The winners of each position were:

• Town Supervisor: Kate Murray, 66.84 percent
• Town Clerk: Mark Bonilla, 63.12 percent
• Receiver of Taxes: Donald X. Clavin Jr., 66.32 percent
• 2nd Councilmanic District: Ed Ambrosino, 63.17 percent
• 3rd Councilmanic District: James Darcy, 68.74 percent
• 5th Councilmanic District: Angie Cullin, 62.06 percent

2. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced in late October that he would initiate an audit of the Hempstead Town Animal Shelter after several hundred complaints about the shelter's financial management.

“Our goal is to ensure the integrity of financial accountability related to the Hempstead Animal Shelter,” DiNapoli said in a statement.

1. A nearly 20-year-old video surfaced in March depicting Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter employees making obscene gestures, handling a kitten and saying "kill the kitty."

Hempstead Town responded by calling the video "ugly and unacceptable."

Pat Horan, the person allegedly responsible for uttering the phrase "kill the kitty," was reassigned from acting director of the shelter to the Department of General Services shortly after the video was released.

The animal shelter, which has seen its fair share of animal abuse accusations in recent years, was the site of several protests in 2011.