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Malverne, New York

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Malverne is a village in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 8,934 at the 2000 census.

The Village of Malverne is within the Town of Hempstead.

Geography

Malverne is located at (40.675249, -73.672983).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.0 square miles (2.7 km²), all of it land.

History

Malverne was originally settled by the Rockaway Indians at an unknown point in history with the current Ocean Avenue serving as an Indian path. Western settlements can be dated back to the 1790s when the Cornwell family first settled and began farming the area.

Norwood, as it was originally known, formed a movement to become an incorporated village in the early 1920s. This area originally consisted of the communities of North Lynbrook and Malverne Park. It is widely believed that residents of the now Malverne Park area did not wish to become park of the new village and therefore requested not to be included. North Lynbrook was believed to be removed from the borders by then New York Lieutenant Governor Jeremiah Wood, who lived in that area at that time and did not wish to be in an incorporated village.

A vote was taken and voters decided to form an incorporated village by an overwhelming majority.

The name was changed from Norwood to Malverne because a Village of Norwood already existed in upstate New York. The name Malverne originates from Malvern, England. Alfred Wagg, the main developers from the Amsterdam Development and Land Corporation, had visited Malvern and liked the name. The extra "e" was added to make it fancier.

Malverne's incorpation was finalized on April 13, 1921, however it had been acting as a village since October, 1920. The village has celebrated the 1921 anniversary at the 25-year, 50-year, and 75-year.

The village's growth has been credited to two major events - the selling of farm land for development and the Long Island Rail Road. The Amsterdam Development Corporation is responsible for the building of many of the homes in the village. Today, there are over 3000 homes in the village.

Today, many of its residents commute to New York City via the two Long Island Rail Road stations in the village - Malverne and Westwood, both located on the West Hempstead Branch.

Government

The village is governed by a Board of Trustees of which the Mayor sits as the chair. Each member of the board is elected to a four year term of office. There is also a village judge that presides over violations of the village code. Elections are scheduled for the third Tuesday of March in odd numbered years.

The current elected officials are as follows:

  • Mayor Patricia Ann Norris-McDonald
  • Trustee Michael T. Bailey
  • Trustee James J. Callahan, III (Deputy Mayor)
  • Trustee Joseph J. Hennessy
  • Trustee John J. O'Brien
  • Judge James W. Dougherty

The mayor appoints a deputy mayor to act in his/her absence. She/he also appoints liaisons and/or commissioners to each department in the village. The office of mayor was originally called president.

Malverne is served by its Police Department, Volunteer Fire Department (Norwood Hook, Ladder & Hose Company), Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Police Reserve, Department of Public Works, Emergency Management Commission, Public Library, Youth Board, and village television station - MalverneTV 18.

Elections 2007

Village Elections were held on March 20, 2007. Trustee Patricia Ann McDonald defeated incumbent Mayor Anthony J. Panzarella by a 59%-41% win, the second largest mayoral victory in village history. Incumbent Trustee James J. Callahan, III and newcomer Michael T. Bailey were elected to the two trustee positions defeating incumbent Trustee William G. Malone. Judge James Dougherty, running unopposed, won re-election with roughly 60% of the vote to his sixth term in office.

Mayor McDonald appointed former chief of the Fire Department Jack O'Brien to fill out her unexpired term of trustee. There will be a special election in March of 2008 to fill out the remainder of this term.

Trivia

Malverne is well known for its groundhogs, Malverne Mel and Malverne Melissa, who have been making weather prognostications every year on Groundhog Day since 1996.

Malverne has been also been home to many people who have gone on to become famous:

Both Wenzel and Purcell served as village mayor.

Malverne was also home to the original Brown Derby restaurant, which was a popular hang-out to many vaudevillians. This restaurant spawned the opening of the more famous Brown Derby in Los Angeles following the demise of Vaudeville.

External links



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Last updated on Wednesday March 05, 2008 at 12:09:22 PST (GMT -0800)
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