John Ferretti Sworn In As Town Of Hempstead Supervisor

At Tuesday’s Town of Hempstead Board Meeting, Hempstead Town Supervisor Donald X. Clavin Jr. resigned and Nassau County Legislator John Ferretti was sworn in as the interim supervisor. Clavin had announced his plans to not seek a fourth term in April and Ferretti was nominated as the candidate in the November election. The Town of Hempstead has nearly 800,000 residents across 22 villages and 38 hamlets.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Clavin stated, “I want to say what an honor and a privilege and a friendship all of you have been. And to the residents, you have always been very kind to me. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve all of you. Even the critics have been the nicest people in the world to me. And I wish all of you the greatest success, and G-d bless you and G-d bless America.”

Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti commented, “The Town of Hempstead is my home, and I am honored for this opportunity to serve my fellow residents as Supervisor of this beautiful township. As a proven tax cutter, I am committed to delivering real results by budgeting responsibly while investing in infrastructure, prioritizing public safety, and enhancing our parks. By working hard every day, I will reaffirm my pledge of dedication to the residents of Hempstead Town and will continue to lead with transparency, integrity, and a tireless focus on the issues that matter most to our families, seniors, and future generations.”

Having served for four consecutive terms on the Nassau County Legislature, Ferretti has introduced multiple pieces of legislation including a law that requires signage at all red-light camera intersections, a law that protects veterans struggling with addiction, and a law aimed at eliminating dangerous bicycle “ride-outs.” Ferretti also authored “Benny’s Law,” which created an online dangerous dog registry.

Working with Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly, Ferretti has also championed legislation to prevent animal abusers from adopting shelter pets, and further fought to repeal provisions of New York State’s “cashless bail” law regarding animal abusers. Ferretti has proven multiple times his zero-tolerance policy for hatred of any kind, partnering with law enforcement to tackle hateful graffiti and anti-Semitic acts.

Prior to his tenure as an elected official, Ferretti served as the Chief Deputy County Clerk of Nassau County. In that role, he oversaw over 100 staff members with a $6 million budget and annual revenue collection exceeding $240 million dollars for federal, state, and local governments. Ferretti also served as the liaison to the New York State Land Title Association and assisted in drafting legislation to waive clerk recording fees for victims of Super Storm Sandy.

An active member of the community, Ferretti is a regular member of the Levittown Kiwanis, Levittown Chamber of Commerce, Levittown Knights of Columbus, Order Sons of Italy, Columbus Lodge, Levittown Community Council, and an associate member of the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 69. He is a lector at St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Church and was an assistant coach for the Levittown Little League. Ferretti received a bachelor’s degree from Hofstra University and a Juris Doctorate from CUNY School of Law. He currently resides in Levittown—just two doors down from his childhood home—with his wife and their two children.

However, not everyone supported Ferretti’s nomination. Democratic Supervisor candidate Joseph Scianablo unveiled proposed legislation to ban the practice of appointing town supervisors without a public election and claimed the appointment will allow Ferretti to “enjoy the perks of office, cars, gas, glossy mailers, and free publicity, all paid for by taxpayers…”

Nassau County Republican Committee Chairman Joseph G. Cairo Jr. countered, “The Board’s action ensures continuity of representation for residents of America’s largest township. What’s more, both Democrat and Republican majorities in control of local governments have employed this practice. I am confident that Supervisor Ferretti will provide excellent leadership for the town, bringing a solid record of reducing taxes and providing high quality services.” n

{Season Of Progress: Mayor Sam Nahmias Secures $1.4M In Grants For Village of Lawrence

Thanks to the diligent efforts of Mayor Sam Nahmias, in close coordination with the Village of Lawrence Board of Trustees and administration, and unwavering support from partners in government, the Village of Lawrence has secured over $1.4 million in grant funding for vital community improvements.

Mayor Sam Nahmias has made it a priority to build relationships with partners in government to tackle problems that have plagued the village for years. Deputy Mayor Tammy Roz and Trustees Aaron Parnes, Aaron Felder, and Steven Gottesman work together with the Mayor to make the Village the best it can be.

After many years of dark, dangerous roads, now residents can enjoy an evening stroll or ride home from Atlantic Beach in safety. Lighting along 878 leading to the Atlantic Beach bridge has been fixed thanks to $150,000 in NYS funding in coordination with State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick.

Lawrence street lights will also shine brighter. The first set of 100 LED lights are expected to go up in the next 30 days, beginning with Washington Avenue. Plans are to continue to fit all 800 streetlights with LED lights. The Mayor coordinated with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Presiding Officer Howard Kopel to secure $623,000 in funding, which is also going towards security cameras, license plate readers, and fitting Rock Hall Road with a sidewalk and tree plantings.

Safety is a priority for Mayor Sam Nahmias who worked with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Presiding Officer Howard Kopel to secure funding for first responder equipment. A $206,400 grant for First Responder Equipment on behalf of the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department in addition to $411,000 for an ambulance to be leased to Hatzalah for the community allows our first responders to save seconds – save lives, while the village also saves money.

“I want to sincerely thank our partners in government for their continued support and collaboration in securing critical funding for the Village of Lawrence,” said Mayor Sam Nahmias. “These grants allow us to make long-overdue improvements to our street lighting, expand our public safety infrastructure, and ensure a safer, brighter future for our residents. This is what effective partnership in government looks like.”

The mayor and administration look forward to continued collaboration and future developments to improve quality of life in the Village of Lawrence. n

{Cedarhurst Village Board Honors Lawrence-Cedarhurst Firefighters For Heroic Life-Saving Response

{IMG Cedarhurst Village Board Honors Lawrence-Cedarhurst Firefighters for Heroic Life-Saving Response

{Caption Cedarhurst Village Board honors Lawrence-Cedarhurst firefighters

At the August 4, 2025, Village Board Meeting, Mayor Benjamin Weinstock and the Board of Trustees formally recognized the prompt and heroic actions of the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department in response to a medical emergency on June 17, 2025.

After receiving a report from a concerned neighbor about someone possibly in need of assistance, firefighters arrived within minutes and encountered a heavily fortified, triple-locked door. Undeterred, they gained entry in under a minute and discovered a woman in cardiac arrest.

Through skilled and sustained efforts, the team successfully revived and stabilized the patient before transporting her for further care. Thanks to their quick response and professional expertise, the woman went on to make a full recovery.

The Village commends the unwavering commitment and selfless dedication of the Department in protecting the community and aiding those in need. Special recognition was given to Chief Myer Adler, Ex-Chief Michael Beilinson, Ex-Chief David Campbell, Ex-Chief Michael Sasso, Ex-Chief Joseph Montilli, Captain Joshua Kirschner, Lieutenant Melik Mavruk, Lieutenant Shoshana Weiner, Patrick Koehler, Adam Kris, Petros Mestheneas, Nahaniel Platschek, Deon Ray, Jack Richards, and Medic William Capuano.

Their exemplary service is a testament to the values of courage, professionalism, and public service that define the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department.