The two have stark policy differences, as outlined by Newsday in its endorsement of Gaylor, among them how to allocate funds for opioid treatment, whether to impose a cap on fees charged by property taxes dispute firms and current police staffing.

Scheiner has campaigned heavily in West Hempstead, telling Echo shortly after launching his bid that the town is key to his strategy. Gaylor has been involved in pushing for a new traffic light on Woodfield Boulevard and shutting down the trouble-plagued Capri Motel.

The race turned ugly this week with misdemeanor charges filed against Scheiner after a member of his campaign staff removed a Gaylor campaign sign from a home and replaced it with one of his own, caught on a security camera. Scheiner insisted he had permission from the owner, claiming it was a setup and calling for release of the Ring camera footage in which that conversation took place. The home owner on Woodfield Road has not been publicly identified.

Early voting began Sunday and continues through Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 7.

The 14th district has 52,000 registered voters, of which about 15,000 are expected to turn out for the county race. Republicans have a 12-7 majority in the Legislature. The district (formerly the 6th) was recently redrawn, but remains about 80 percent intact.

Also on the ballot are Hempstead Town Supervisor (incumbent Republican Donald Clavin vs challenger Democrat Olena Nicks), Town Clerk (Incumbent Republican Kate Murray vs challenger Democrat Susan Cools), and Receiver of Taxes (Incumbent Republican Jeanine Driscoll vs challenger Michael Reid).

West Hempstead’s Town Councilman Thomas Muscarella — you guessed it, also a Republican — faces a challenge from Democrat Lawrence Nedelka.

There are two statewide ballot initiatives, regarding eliminating the constitutional debt limit for small-city school districts and extending  municipalities’ ability to finance sewer system upgrades.

More information about voting, or to find your polling place, go to the county Board of Elections. 

More on the races here.

Owen Rumelt and his wife, Betty Atlas Rumelt, were each defending their seats on the County Democrat Committee against challenger Skylar Bader. The Rumelts have held the seats representing the 21st Election District for years (almost 20 for Owen, 10 for Betty) but this is the first time they faced a primary challenge, which is rare in local party politics.

The Rumelts were re-elected with 23 votes for Owen, 22 for Betty and 8 for Bader.

“It is not a significant post,” Owen Rumelt told the Echo late Tuesday afternoon. “You collect petitions and also appear at the [Nassau County] Democratic Committee convention.”

All three candidates are attorneys. Voters select two committee members, so Bader had to surprass both incumbents to prevail. Registered Democrats in ED 21 cast their votes at the Gersh Academy School on Eagle Avenue with polls closed at 9 pm.

The only other race was for Long Beach City Council, in which Elizabeth Treston is vying for the Democratic nomination against three challengers.

New York’s primary for state and local elections was long held in September, but in 2019 was moved to June to match the federal primary in New York.

The tournament takes place on Jan. 16 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. It will be held via Zoom and Kahoot.

The entrance fee is $25 per household. The prizes are as follows:
1st place-$150 Amazon gift card
2nd place-$100 Amazon gift card
3rd place-$50 Amazon gift card

All prizes include a free membership for the West Hempstead Chamber of Commerce for 2022.

Click here to sign up online.

WEATHER FORECAST

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced that warming centers will be open 24/7. The centers are located at Cantiague Park Administrative Office, Wantagh Administration Building and Mitchel Field Administration Building.

Residents without shelter can also contact the Department of Social Services at 1-866-WARMBED.

The warming centers will remain open until Jan. 12 or until further notice. 

Click here to check out home heating tips.

Residents are encouraged to bring their Christmas trees to Baldwin Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Mulchfest crew will take the Christmas trees to process through a wood chipper to provide residents with their own mulch that can be used for gardening purposes.

Residents who cannot be in attendance for the Mulchfest dates can drop off Christmas trees only at Baldwin Park located at 3232 Grand Avenue in Baldwin through January 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cardboard will only be accepted on Jan. 8 event.

The West Hempstead Fire Department will guide Santa through the area starting at 4 p.m.

The vote will be held from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Fire Headquarters Building located at 295 Hempstead Turnpike.

A fire commissioner oversees services for a specific area. The term for a fire commissioner is five years.