Nassau Notebook: Coliseum Clock Ticking, Narcotics Sweep

Islanders Say 'Clock is Ticking' for a New Coliseum

Urgency to build a new Coliseum was conveyed at Tuesday's Nassau Legislature Economic and Community Development and Labor meeting.

"We have to make a decision on the Coliseum," New York Islanders Senior Vice President and Alternate Governor Michael Picker pleaded in front of the legislature.

Picker was joined by local politicians and labor officials who urged redevelopment at Nassau's HUB before time runs out ...

Read the rest of the story on Levittown Patch.

Narcotics Sweep a Success

Mangano and Police Commissioner Thomas Dale announced Thursday the success of a sweep conducted by the Nassau County Police Department’s Narcotics Squad that resulted in the arrest of 17 individuals for forging prescriptions at various pharmacies throughout the county. Additionally, Enhanced Community Watch – a new joint initiative involving Nassau County police officers and probation officers – resulted in the arrest of three probationers: two for illegal possession of prescription drugs without prescriptions and one on a violation of probation warrant for using Heroin.

Eight of the individuals arrested had attempted to fill forged prescriptions to obtain painkillers at CVS in Hicksville. In one of those cases, a woman posed as a doctor or nurse practitioner on seven different occasions and called in prescriptions for patients whose identity she had stolen. The individual then appeared at the pharmacy as the patient and purchased the drugs using the women's stolen medical insurance plan.

Another individual allegedly stole a prescription pad from a doctor and wrote several prescriptions for Promethazine with Codeine. The other arrests were for individuals attempting to fill forged prescriptions at independent pharmacies.

Arrests in Nassau County for forging opiate drug prescriptions have quadrupled this year; from four such arrests in Nassau County at this time last year, to the 17 arrested this year.

Taxpayer Reform Groups Supporting Mangano's Community Policing Plan

Mangano and Thomas Dale received support from local taxpayer reform groups this week for their recently announced Community Policing Plan (COP). According to Mangano, the support comes from groups "that are looking for real reform and change in Nassau that protects its already overburdened residents from another tax hike."

In a joint statement, Anita MacDougall, chairperson of Long Island Tax Reform, Laurann Pandelakis, president of the Manhasset Republican Club, and Frank Russo, member of the Nassau Conservative Party Executive Committee, said that "Long Island seniors and young adults are leaving in droves due to the high costs of government. County Executive Mangano's plan helps reduce the cost of government by millions of dollars and places officers in community policing positions rather than at office desks, thereby improving cost effectiveness."

The trio added: "The County Executive is doing his job in being pro-active, searching for ways to hold the line on taxes without compromising services and implementing improvements in available technologies. This is a win-win for the taxpayer."

Pat Friedman, Founder and Chairperson of the Nassau County Non-Partisan Tax Revolt Coalition, Bob Pendleton of the Nassau County Tea Party Patriots and Andrew Nordquist, Chairman of the Long Island Taxpayer Alliance, were also in support of the COP.

Study Sheds Light on 'Deadly' Hempstead Turnpike

A new study upholds Hempstead Turnpike's ranking as the deadliest road in the tri-state area for pedestrians.

Read the rest of the story on East Meadow Patch.

Nassau County Recruits Local Filmmakers for Film Advisory Board

The Nassau County Film Office recently held the first meeting of the Nassau County Film Advisory Board in Mineola. The board included local independent filmmakers, owners of both Gold Coast and Grumman Film Studios, and community leaders.

See the full video on Mineola Patch.