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Will Mansdorf And Fragin Run?
Comment and Observation By Larry Gordon
By: Larry Gordon
Published: Thursday, April 10, 2008


Will Mansdorf And Fragin Run?

Just when you thought it was going to be a boring spring election season in School District 15—the Lawrence School District—things begin to happen. Also, if you thought that the usually sleepy elections for the Lawrence Village Board of Trustees and for mayor of the village were going to come and go without notice, take another look.

With the revelation that the current, usually lone, dissenting voice on the Lawrence School Board, Stanley Kopilow, was not planning on seeking reelection, speculation has been rife about who would be positioned to replace his often erudite, entertaining, and antagonistic commentary at board meetings about district proceedings. Former trustee and board president Dr. Asher Mansdorf is being coaxed and encouraged to run for the seat currently held by Mr. Kopilow. Board President Murray Forman filed his petitions this week, thereby indicating that he will seek reelection. It is additionally reported that former trustee Pam Greenbaum is also poised for a comeback, along with Andew Levey of Atlantic Beach. Greenbaum and Levey were defeated in last year's school-board elections.

In a wide-ranging discussion with Dr. Mansdorf on the subject of the school district a few weeks ago, I observed a new enthusiasm in him about the accomplishments of the current board and even greater possibilities for a future board with him or someone with a similar approach as a member. Asher Mansdorf has a vision of a district free of acrimony and sees the current board process as transitional and moving in the direction of a dynamic in which both private- and public-school constituencies work together toward creating a better district for all involved.

It is perhaps much of that same vision that is shared by Lawrence resident Michael Fragin. Mr. Fragin, long active in the inner workings of New York politics, is a former executive assistant to former New York State Governor George Pataki. Fragin was a volunteer Lawrence-Cedarhurst firefighter and is a former member of the Lawrence Association.

Ascension to the position of Mayor of Lawrence by law comes about as a result of an election process, but the tradition has generally been for one of the senior trustees to run for the mayoral position unopposed, which is tantamount to an appointment. That's why the local political ground shook around here just a bit when Mr. Fragin let it be known that he aspires to run for the position of mayor of the village.

Almost immediately, backroom jockeying for position began as Shimon Felder—who is up next to ascend to the position with current Mayor Dr. Jack Levenbrown unable to seek reelection because of a local term-limits law—began to feel that his stint as mayor would possibly be in jeopardy. Left to the usual uncontested way things are done here would mean that following Mr. Felder's term or terms in office, trustee Martin Oliner would be next to serve.

In the most recent issue of the monthly Lawrence Association newsletter, association president Jacqueline Handel, without using Fragin's name, objected to the talk of a Fragin candidacy, going so far as to suggest that a candidacy that is not filtered through the Lawrence Association was not a candidacy that the community should support. Ms. Handel made an interesting as well as puzzling observation when she stated in her public letter that Mr. Felder's ''experience certainly overshadows that of anyone with only a background of observing the workings in Albany and New York City…as preparation to be the next mayor.''

Certainly, based on the fashion in which things have always been done around here, Shimon Felder should be the next mayor. However, if the village is ever going to decide to have an open democratic election, this is precisely the way in which it should take shape. In a statement e-mailed by Fragin to the Five Towns Jewish Times in response to Ms. Handel's assertion, Fragin said, ''One of our outstanding trustees (Joel Mael) bucked the system and was even demonized by the Lawrence Association as a 'rogue candidate.' … Their vetting process serves no purpose.''

At the end of the day, it's really not a matter of who serves in what position on these boards, so long as the will of the people and the better good of the people is served.

Dr. Mansdorf has not yet declared his candidacy to run for the school board, but he is truly a person whose election—based on his record of accomplishments—would well serve all involved.

There is the additional matter as previously suggested in this newspaper that both Mr. Fragin and Dr. Mansdorf want to use elected local office this time around as a springboard for some future countywide or statewide office. I don't believe that diminishes the value of their possible local aspirations in any way. In fact, that dynamic can work to everyone's advantage, particularly for us, the residents and taxpayers. As these events unfold in the coming weeks, they will make for some very fascinating reading material. It will no doubt be interesting to write about, as well.