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PROFILES
For this column I have interviewed Lindenhurst
Mayor, Lynda Distler.
BACKGROUND
Age 45; married for 20 years. Mayor of Lindenhurst since April 2000.
Private teacher for preschool and theatre arts. Born and bred in
Lindenhurst. Attended Stony Brook University and a certified nonprofit
administrator.
SUCCESSES AS MAYOR
Bringing in grant monies and having the good fortune to work with
politicians like Rick Lazio, Steve Israel, Owen Johnson and Bob Sweeney.
I helped in obtaining $1.25 million in grant money through Lazio for the
downtown lighting district and pavement and parking improvements.
Congressman Israel got us another $1.25 million for raising Shore Road,
River Street, Prarie Lane and South 7th. I've also been working to raise
11 homes south of Montauk with federal monies to avoid flooding. Phase 2
will begin shortly.
ON TRUSTEE, RAY DORAN
I would like to have a better working relationship with him. I wish he
wouldn't make
everything so political and he should be more interested in doing the
hard work of Village Government.
TO G. W. BUSH
Keep up the good work and do more with the economy. Do whatever is
necessary to make us feel secure once again.
POLITICAL HEROES
Politically, Joshua Chamberlain (Civil War), Elizabeth Dole (eloquence)
and Rudy Giuliani (leadership) are my heroes.
RUNNING FOR HIGHER OFFICE
I don't see this as a steppingstone for higher office. I'll never rule
it out. I could see myself leaning towards future work in the
not-for-profit world.
THE VILLAGE OF LINDENHURST
It has a budget of $7.9 million, is the 4th largest Village in New York
State (largest in Suffolk), 28,000 residents and 70 employees.
LINDENHURST MOVIE THEATRE
The building should be saved for a mixed-community use with an emphasis
on cultural arts.
Being approached to make this site a drugstore is old news. Downtown
revitalization has been and will be key to my administration. We do not
need to expand retail space in this economy on Montauk Highway. The
corner where the movie theatre is should be for cultural arts. Saving
the theatre is a good goal. We need to take a step back and ask the
following questions: Who will run it? How much? and Who funds this?
WOMEN AND POLITICS (in general)
I see myself in a job that I was entrusted to do but not as a political
person. I want my community to be the best that it can be. Women have to
be dedicated in government and work twice as hard in order to get the
job done. Women need to be more "thick-skinned" in the
political/governmental process.
HOBBIES
Reading about the Civil War, gardening and cooking seafood.
HOW I BECAME MAYOR
When I stopped working for a while, 14 years ago, I became active with
the library, St. Vincent de Paul and Our Lady of Perpetual Health. As I
became more involved with the library, I ran and won a Trustee seat on
the Library Board (1994) and was appointed to the Village ZBA. I became
a Republican Committeewoman and Village Trustee in 1996 and Mayor in
2000
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