Regarding last week’s article by Robert Pelaez, I was astounded, yet not surprised, to see such negative yet wholly untrue assertions coming from the Rosen campaign, quoted as from Mr. Richard Gabriele, the village attorney. I guess they must be running scared to have to do what they did.
I’ve gotten lots of positive press from people who know and support me and the campaign’s vision and even from people I don’t know. I have seen only one letter in support of Ted and it came from his neighbor. That speaks loudly to what the people want and don’t want.
Pertinent village information, when posted online, is hard to find and not necessarily in readily apparent places. There are no board minutes shared with the public or budgetary data. No one seems to returns calls or emails from the public and many have said, if you finally have an opportunity to express a concern, you get answers like “we’ll look into it.” Of course, with no response or outcome. My community is very unhappy and we all share this common thread.
Additionally, people are saddened by the business district and how it has become a ghost town. There is no real effort to properly address the lack of pedestrian safety, or the simple fact that people cannot safely drive or walk through the village. Placing blame on the County is not an acceptable answer.
After 25 years of Jean Celender’s administration, the results show that Great Neck Plaza has lost its appeal, its business environment, and its family-friendly atmosphere. Young families that used to move to the Plaza for all that it offered aren’t coming here anymore because it’s not the draw that it used to be. This must change.
My campaign and I take this personally. There is a need for a change in the administration. We require new lifeblood to be drawn back into this community. That is why, with the support of my committee, I am running for the ability to become Mayor to drive progressive efforts behind the revitalization of our village.
Our plan is to bring together our residents, business interests, local non-profit organizations, and other political leaders to build community insight and intelligence into decisions and continue working together to make our community a place where people want to come and visit, shop, eat, browse, and enjoy the local atmosphere. This includes encouraging younger families to come here to live and begin their new life, raising their children in a clean, fun, safe, community with our outstanding quality school system.
Now my team has to deal with the unfortunate situation of being removed from the ballot, but that is not going to stop us from doing the right thing for Great Neck Plaza. We are running a write-in ballot election campaign and we are confident the polls will reflect what has already been disclosed by residents who share our vision for a better Great Neck Plaza.
Leonard Katz
Village of Great Neck Plaza
