Mostly familiar faces in Great Neck village elections

Janelle Clausen
Ted Rosen. (Photo submitted by the candidate)
Ted Rosen. (Photo submitted by the candidate)

Great Neck’s 16 uncontested village races will mostly feature familiar faces on Tuesday, with 14 incumbents facing no opponents and a Kensington zoning board member running for a trustee position.

Two mayors, 12 trustees and two village justices are on the ballot in six of Great Neck’s nine villages.

In the Village of Kensington, Neil Garfinkel, an attorney and Zoning Board of Appeals member, aims to fill Philip Bornstein’s expiring trustee seat.

Bornstein, a three-term trustee, previously said he wants to give other residents a chance to enjoy public service.

“For much of that time I served as deputy mayor, which was very rewarding as I served as the ‘right hand man’ to Mayor Susan Lopatkin who is an incredibly bright, knowledgeable and thoughtful public servant,” Bornstein said. “However, when it comes to politics, I am in favor of term limits to give new residents a chance to participate in their government and so I have chosen to term limit myself into retirement for now.”

Lopatkin, the mayor of Kensington since 2008 and uncontested in this year’s elections, previously said she has “loved beautifying the village” through landscaping and infrastructure projects.

Garfinkel, a five-year member of the Board of Zoning Appeals, previously said he wanted to get to know the village’s residents better and that Lopatkin had reached out to him to consider running for trustee.

Kensington Trustee Jeffrey Greener, who has served since 2012, is running for re-election uncontested.

Village Justice Richard Dennett is also seeking re-election.

Kensington polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall, located at 2 Nassau Drive.

Ronen Ben-Josef is running for the seat of Manny Alani, a Village of Saddle Rock trustee who did not file papers for re-election, according to the village clerk.

Kamran Barelli is running for re-election as a Saddle Rock trustee.

Saddle Rock residents can vote at Village Hall at 18 Masefield Way from noon to 9 p.m.

Great Neck Plaza Mayor Jean Celender, who has been mayor since 2000 and on the Board of Trustees since 1984, is seeking another term uncontested. Trustees Pam Marksheid, who was first elected in 2008, and Ted Rosen, who serves as a deputy mayor and has been on the board since 1985, also are uncontested in their re-election bids.

“I think the opportunity to serve the public is a very special opportunity,” Rosen, an attorney, said in a previous interview. “And if you feel you’re doing a good job and you could serve the public, I think you should run.”

Great Neck Plaza is the only municipality in Great Neck with elections in March that pays for mayors and trustees, with Celender making $65,000 a year as a full-time mayor, Rosen making $12,500, and Marksheid and other trustees making $10,000.

Great Neck Plaza residents can vote at Village Hall at 2 Gussack Plaza from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Great Neck Estates Trustees Howard Hershenhorn, who has served since 2008, and Lanny Oppenheim, who first began serving in 2011, are seeking re-election and are uncontested.

Polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall at 4 Gateway Drive.

Thomaston Trustees To-on Pang and James Sharkey, who is also deputy mayor, are also in uncontested elections.

This village election will be held from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall at 100 East Shore Road.

Two trustees in Russell Gardens, David Miller and Matthew Ellis, are both running for re-election and began serving in 2012.

Allen Cohen, the village justice for Russell Gardens, is also seeking re-election unopposed.

Russell Gardens residents can vote at Village Hall at 6 Tain Drive from noon to 9 p.m.

The villages of Great Neck, Kings Point and Lake Success will have their elections in June.

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