Gazette Tastes of Summer Reading Celebrating Summer Begins with a Jam ‘One Small Step’ Page 12 Page 9 Page 5 VOL

HERALD________________ GLEN COVE _______________ Gazette Tastes of Summer reading Celebrating summer begins with a jam ‘one small step’ Page 12 Page 9 Page 5 VOL. 28 NO. 29 JULY 18-24, 2019 $1.00 Residents react to state’s new Green Light Bill By NADYA NATALY and MIKE CONN important piece of legislation [email protected], [email protected] for immigrant communities in the state of New York in recent Ever since Nelson Melgar times.” Driving without docu- came to Glen Cove from Hondu- mentation, he explained, is one ras as a 13-year-old undocument- of the most common legal issues ed immigrant, he has worked to that arise in immigrant commu- assimilate into American soci- nities. Immigrants face far more ety, and to help oth- severe consequenc- ers like him. As an es for infractions active member of or accidents than several immigrant- y allowing other drivers, he advocacy groups, said, so many of he says that there Bthese them are simply are many difficul- afraid to drive, Alyssa Seidman/Herald Gazette people to drive ties that immi- despite the reality grants face, but the with proper that driving is all They’ll keep Long Island on their left inability to drive but a basic necessi- Next week, the 43rd annual Around Long Island Regatta will begin in New York Harbor and wend legally is one of documentation, ty on Long Island. its way counterclockwise to the North Shore, where the three-day-long race will end in Glen the biggest. you are in “By allowing Cove’s Hempstead Harbor. Above, Jordan Kramer, 13, sounded an air horn after a vessel crossed E a rl i e r t h i s these people to the finish line in last year’s event. Story, Page 7. m o n t h , G o v. essence allowing drive with proper Andrew Cuomo documentation,” signed the Green them to live Melgar said, “you Light Bill into law, without fear. are in essence allowing undocu- allowing them to mented immi- NELSON MELGAR live without fear.” Jim Phegley, Glen Cove pastor, grants to obtain According to New York state Glen Cove state Attor ney driver’s licenses. General Letitia retires after 30 years of service The Assembly and Senate James, the law is not new. Until approved the measure in June. 2001, undocumented immigrants New York joins 12 other states, were permitted to have driver’s adjoining house where the Rev. Phegley was born on Aug. 31, By MIKE CONN along with Washington, D.C., licenses if they proved their resi- Jim Phegley lived with his wife, [email protected] 1953, to James and Norma Phegley and Puerto Rico, in passing such dency and passed the required Sarah Ann. Phegley served the in Flint, Mich., and had two broth- legislation. tests. That year, however, Gov. Glen Cove has more than a church and the community for ers and a sister. He described Flint The Green Light Bill, Melgar George Pataki reversed the mea- dozen places of worship, reflect- more than 30 years, retiring at age as a great place to grow up, with said, is “quite possibly the most CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 ing the rich diversity of the city’s 65 earlier this month. He gave his General Motors flourishing population. In a place with large final sermon on July 7, and he and through the late 1950s and ’60s, churches such as St. Patrick’s and his wife have moved to contributing to a booming local the Church of St. Rocco in busy Connecticut to be closer to their areas of the city, it can be easy to children and grandchildren. His economy, and with safe neighbor- miss the humble, non-denomina- retirement marked the end of an hoods where children walked tional Glen Cove Christian era of dedication to the better- anywhere they wanted. Church on Walnut Road. ment of his community that His family wasn’t particularly Even easier to miss is the extended far beyond religion. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 2 Quick and easy varicose vein treatment from a world-class medical center – beautiful! July 18, 2019 — GLEN COVE HERALD GAZETTE 2019 — GLEN COVE July 18, At NYU Winthrop’s Vein Center, board-certified vascular physicians with the very latest minimally invasive technologies make quick work of those troublesome varicose veins. Treatment is safe, effective and virtually pain- free. Our state-of-the-art facility has its own dedicated laboratory and maintains the highest level of office-based surgery accreditation (AAAASF). You don’t have to live with those painful, upsetting varicose veins any longer. Now is the time and NYU Winthrop is the place to eliminate them – and show off your gorgeous legs all summer long. To learn more or to schedule an appointment at the NYU Winthrop Vein Center, call WINTHROP or go to nyuwinthrop.org/veincenter. NYU Winthrop Vein Center Old Country Road, Suite , Mineola, New York 1042046 Undocumented immigrants can now drive 3 GLEN COVE HERALD GAZETTE — July 18, 2019 HERALD GAZETTE — July 18, GLEN COVE CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE haven’t heard many rational reasons for sure in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on not doing it. There are some actual bene- the World Trade Center. In 2007, Gov. Eliot State and local government revenues fits for allowing this: safety, insurance, Spitzer sought to re-implement the law, to taxes [and a] path to legalization.” Many on Facebook said they believed no avail. the law would increase safety, since driv- “This happened because of Long ers are required to pass a road test in Island Latinos,” State Sen. Phil Ramos, a order to get licensed. Sea Cliff resident Brentwood Democrat, said of the push for Karen O’Mara Swett wrote, “Legal or ille- the Green Light Bill. “They were meeting gal I would like everybody who uses the with senators and fighting to the very road to have proven they can drive. Of end.” course, we can question whether licensed The law will take effect Dec. 1. The drivers are actually capable of driving, state Fiscal Policy Institute estimates that but at least, in theory, you have to prove about 265,000 undocumented immigrants your capability in order to get a license.” statewide will obtain licenses, including Bill Mozer, of Glen Head, disagreed, 51,000 on Long Island. writing, “Obtaining a license has nothing All six Long Island Democratic state to do with safe driving. It’s just a form of senators, including Jim Gaughran, from identification and a revenue stream for Northport, voted against the measure. every state. This initiative is just a veiled “Following countless meetings with attempt to recruit support for a progres- stakeholders, residents, and advocates on sive agenda.” the implications of this bill, our vote is based on the continued existence of seri- An economic benefit? ous concerns raised by stakeholders and The Fiscal Policy Institute estimated law enforcement,” Gaughran said in a that the law would generate tens of mil- June 17 statement. “We will continue to lions of dollars in revenue from new stand together in the best interest of Long Total $26,200,000 $57,600,000 applicants for licenses and registrations, Islanders.” and new car buyers. And as a result of the The senators’ concerns focus on safe- Source: Fiscal Policy Institute law, New Yorkers can expect to save an guards included in other states’ legisla- average of $17 annually on their insur- tion that are not included in New York’s ance premiums. law. California, Utah, and parts of Hawaii “Allowing undocumented immigrants require immigrants seeking driver’s Projected number of new licenses access to driver’s licenses is good for licenses to be fingerprinted by the Depart- everyone,” said Cyierra Roldan, a policy ment of Motor Vehicles, to ensure that an analyst at the institute. “Our roads will applicant doesn’t have a history of dan- become safer, our local economies will gerous driving. And Maryland requires grow, and it will protect New York immi- applicants to submit two years of state grants from attacks by the federal admin- income taxes as proof of residency. istration that threaten to separate their Local Republican lawmakers called families.” passage of the law a “hard left turn,” and Senator Ramos said that the law con- said that Democrats did nothing to stop tains language to protect undocumented the bill from being voted on by the full immigrants from U.S. Immigration and Legislature. At a June 25 news confer- Customs Enforcement, which cannot ence, Republicans called the measure access New York state license records. “one of the worst laws to come out of the Both Melgar and Glen Cove resident 2019 session.” Omar Salinas, who is from El Salvador “Doling out driver’s licenses to people and has worked with the National Tempo- who are here illegally allows lawbreakers rary Protected Status Alliance over the to jump to the front of the line, ahead of past year, said they have seen overwhelm- those who have obeyed the laws of our ingly positive reactions from the undocu- land,” said Republican Oyster Bay Town mented immigrant community. Salinas Supervisor Joseph Saladino. “Worse yet, said that many are excited about being taxpayers will be subsidizing the cost of able to drive without the threat of arrest issuing licenses to those who are here ille- or deportation. This is especially impor- gally and are not paying taxes. It’s a dis- tant now, he said, because the potential grace.” for ICE raids in the area remains a con- Upstate, several county clerks and stant threat. DMV employees have questioned the new Melgar said he has seen a great deal of law, saying it would restrict their ability joy among undocumented immigrants to carry out the oath they took to defend since the new law passed, because it has the Constitution.

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