Mineola, New York

Mineola is a village in Nassau County, New York, USA. The population was 18,799 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from a Native American word meaning a "pleasant place".

The majority of the Village of Mineola is located in the Town of North Hempstead, with a small portion of its southern edge within the Town of Hempstead. Old Country Road runs along the southern border of the village. The area serviced by the Mineola Post Office extends further south into the adjacent village of Garden City, New York, where the county seat of Nassau County is located. Offices of many Nassau County agencies are located in both Mineola and Garden City.

History
The central, flat, grassy part of Long Island was originally named "Hempstead Plains". In the 19th century various communities were started. One of them was called "Hempstead Branch", and finally, "Mineola".

Long Island was part of Henry Hudson's original claim in the name of the Dutch East India Company dating as far back as 1609. In the 18th century the Dutch and English settlers worked to clear farmland to start their life on the Hempstead Plains. It was in 1858 when this land was named after an Algonquin Indian Chief, Miniolagamika meaning, "Pleasant Village". The name was later shortened and altered to "Mineola".

Voters selected Mineola (in the Town of North Hempstead) to be the county seat for the new county of Nassau in November 1898 (before Mineola incorporated as a village in 1906 and set its boundaries), winning out over Hicksville and Hempstead. The Garden City Company (founded in 1893 by the heirs of Alexander Turney Stewart) donated four acres of land for the county buildings just south of the Mineola train station and the present day Village of Mineola, in the Town of Hempstead. The land and the buildings have a Mineola postal address, but are within the present day Village of Garden City, which did not incorporate, nor set its boundaries, until 1919.

Mineola was legally incorporated in 1906 and run by a president. The president and Trustees worked to meet the needs of the growing community and later became the judicial and legislative heart of Nassau County. The County Seat found its home in Mineola on July 13, 1900, as Governor Theodore Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the Nassau County Court House. A celebration was held to commemorate this momentous occasion on the barren 5 acre site at the corner of Old Country Road and Franklin Avenue. Many dignitaries were present to witness this history-making event such as Frederick Hicks, Congressman Townsend Scudder, Colonel William Youngs and Supervisors William Jones and Edwin Willits.

Winthrop-University Hospital, founded in 1896 by local physicians and residents as Nassau Hospital, was Long Island's first voluntary hospital. In 1897, it admitted 91 patients, performed 27 operations, and reported two births and eight deaths during the first year. The original hospital was constructed in 1900. Today, Winthrop is a nationally-recognized award-winning hospital and in 2004 was ranked among the Top 5 Percent of Acute-Care Hospitals in the Country.



Mineola was also a familiar place to many of the most famous pilots in history. The Aero Club of America chose the area for the level plains. Glenn Curtiss brought the area to national attention in July 1909 with his second Scientific American Award flight of over 23 minutes and 15 miles. He also made some of the first public flights in America in his "Golden Flyer", while practicing for the Reims Aviation Meet in France. The Wright Brothers, Igor Sikorsky, Captain Rene Fonac, and the famed duo of Clarence Chamberlain and Bert Acosta, dubbed "twins of derring-do", all spent time in Mineola taking advantage of the rolling grasslands and favorable winds.

On November 1, 1915, Captain Raynal Cawthorne Bolling—a prominent New York attorney working at United States Steel—organized the Aviation Detachment, 1st Battalion, Signal Corps of the New York National Guard 106 Rescue Wing. It was the Guard's first genuine aviation unit. Subsequently, the organization was redesignated the lst Aero Company. Located at Mineola on Long Island, the unit rented and then purchased its own aircraft with funds donated by the Aero Club of America and other contributors. It was "provisionally recognized" on June 22, 1916 and then called into federal service on July 13, 1916 during the Mexican border crisis. However, instead of active service in the southwest, it remained at Mineola training and was released from federal service on November 2, 1916.

On May 20, 1927, at 7:52 a.m., Charles Lindbergh started his historic flight from nearby Roosevelt Field. Thirty-three hours later he landed in Paris and became the first person to complete a solo flight from the United States across the Atlantic Ocean.

Main Street was the center of village business as well as a popular meeting place for farmers and the business community alike. The general store offered an array of goods that would fulfill most everyday needs, such as hardware, toys, wool, dry goods, clothing and food. The small glass-fronted mail and delivery boxes filled the existing six-foot post office. As the Mineola population grew, the post office was relocated to the Meyer Building on Mineola Boulevard and then twice more to 3rd Street and 2nd Street. It eventually found its permanent home on 1st Street and Main Street.



Mineola's first theatre named Allen's Hall drew in many early moviegoers to see "the flickers". Motion picture success drew in other theaters to the area, the most lavish being the Century Opera House. Most theaters had a showing in the morning and in the evening, usually featuring a live pianist who kept up with the action of the movie while playing music that suited the story.

As years passed, Jericho Turnpike became the commercial "main street", farmland was sold off, and homes and offices were built. Mineola has continued to be a community of growth and development.

Mineola held its centennial celebration in 2006.

Geography
Mineola is located at 40.74719°N, -73.63809°W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.9 sqmi, all of it land.

The villages bordering Mineola are Garden City, New Hyde Park, Old Westbury, East Williston, and Williston Park. Mineola also borders the hamlets (CDP) of Herricks, Garden City Park and Carle Place.

The village gained territory between the 1990 census and the 2000 census.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 18,799 people, 7,473 households, and 4,954 families residing in the village. The population density was 10,337.3 people per square mile (3,992.6/km²). There were 7,650 housing units at an average density of 4,111.5 per square mile (1,588.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 81.7% White, 2.0% African American, 0.2% Native American, 8.5% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 5.3% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. 16.4% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,473 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the village the population was spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $60,706, and the median income for a family was $71,042. Males had a median income of $47,182 versus $37,057 for females. The per capita income for the village was $28,890. About 2.6% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government
The legislative body of the village, the board of trustees, is composed of the mayor and four trustees. Each member is elected to a two-year term. The board is charged with management of village property and finances, and may take all measures under the law for the good government of the village. The trustees may adopt a wide range of local laws to address village concerns.

They are appointed to be liaison officers to various community organizations throughout the village and report back to the board with updates at board meetings.

The current trustees are:


 * Mayor Scott Strauss
 * Deputy Mayor Paul Pereira
 * Trustee George Durham
 * Trustee Paul Cusato
 * Trustee Lawrence Werther

Police force
In 2005-2006, as a result of numerous recommendations from the community that Mineola increase its police force, a Mineola Police Task Force was appointed by Mayor Jack M. Martins to evaluate the feasibility of withdrawing from the Nassau County Police Department and establishing a village police force. The Mayor indicated to the Task Force at its inception that if the feasibility study resulted in a positive report, Mineola would only have its own police department if the residents approved such through a Village-wide referendum.

The village board was split 3-2 in favor of the police force with Mayor Jack Martins, Deputy Mayor Werther and Trustee Davanzo supporting it while Trustees Fargrieve and Cusato opposed it. On December 5, 2006 the measure was defeated by a 2-1 margin.

Education
Mineola is mostly served by the Mineola Union Free School District, which encompasses the communities of Mineola, Garden City Park, Williston Park, Albertson, and Roslyn Heights. Smaller sections of Mineola are in the East Williston, Carle Place and Garden City School Districts.

In 2005, Assistant Superintendent John Jackson was arrested for stealing money and labor from the district totaling over $90,000. He pleaded guilty and in January 2006 was sentenced to 5 years probation and 90 days in jail. Reggie Carter, former basketball player for the New York Knicks, was Assistant Principal of Mineola High School (New York) until his death in 1999.

Mineola Union Free School District Schools

 * Mineola High School (grades 8-12)
 * Mineola Middle School (grades 5 to 7)
 * Cross Street School (located in Williston Park)
 * Hampton Street School
 * Jackson Avenue School
 * Willis Avenue School
 * Meadow Drive School (located in Albertson)

Private schools
Mineola is also the location of Chaminade High School, a Catholic school with a history as an academically rigorous and highly disciplined school that has produced such graduates as Al D'Amato, U.S. Senator.

Sports
Mineola was the center of amateur soccer on Long Island during the 2008/2009 season, where its only represented team, the Mineola Portuguese Soccer Club of the Mineola Portuguese Center won 4/6 championships and 1 runners-up trophy. The Long Island Soccer-Futebol League presented the MPSC with its Division 1 East Title, Division 1 Championship Title, and its Super "Cangero" Cup trophy to the Portuguese of Mineola in addition to the "Sportsmanship Trophy", which highlighted the teams lack of yellow and red cards. Additionally the Eastern New York State Soccer Association presented the MPSC with its Manning Cup Runner's Up trophy after the amateur team lost in the finals against semi-pros NYGA in Yonkers.

Notable residents

 * Mineola was the birthplace of MLB player John Valentin, controversial comedian Lenny Bruce, former Howard Stern Show writer Jackie Martling, The King of Queens star Kevin James, Robert B. Silvers (1929–), editor of The New York Review of Books and teen actress Emmy Clarke (who plays the recurring character Julie Teeger on the USA Network show Monk). Rock Icon Bob Dylan was married to Sara Lownds by a justice of the peace in Mineola in 1965. Actor Brian Dennehy lived in Mineola and attended Chaminade High School, which is located in Mineola. Hugo Award-winning author James Patrick Kelly was born in Mineola in 1951.
 * William Dowdell Denson (1913–1998) was Chief American Prosecutor of Nazi war crimes at the concentration camp trials of Dachau, Mauthausen, Flossenbuerg and Buchenwald. In 1980 he became senior litigator in a small firm in Mineola.
 * Jack Emmer, all-time winningest Division I men's college lacrosse coach for Army.
 * Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., the former Chairman of IBM and former Chairman of the Carlyle Group, was born and raised in Mineola. He attended Corpus Christi Grammar School and Chaminade High School, both in Mineola.
 * B. J. LaMura a pitcher on the LA Dodgers. Also played for Clemson and won the College World Series. Played for Italy in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
 * Carlos Mendes, defender for Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls.
 * Bill Owens, Congressman for New York's 23rd District, was raised in Mineola, and is a graduate of Chaminade High School.
 * Regis Philbin's parents lived in Mineola at 55 12th Avenue off Old Country Road.
 * Kim Richards was born in Mineola. She was a child actress who starred in Nanny and the Professor, Escape to Witch Mountain, No Deposit, No Return, Return from Witch Mountain, as an adult, she made a cameo role as a waitress in Race to Witch Mountain.
 * Lauren Scala, WNBC and New York Nonstop correspondent, was raised in Mineola and attended Mineola High School.
 * Stephen Schwartz, Grammy, Golden Globe and Academy Award winning writer and composer of Godspell, Wicked, Pippin, and The Magic Show and collaborator on the scores for Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame graduated from Mineola High School in 1964.
 * Scott Strauss was born, raised, and currently resides in Mineola. He is an Ex-Chief of the Mineola Fire Department as well as being a retired NYPD ESU Detective. Mr. Strauss is known as the "hometown hero" following his heroic efforts on September 11, 2001. The Oliver Stone Film, World Trade Center portrays his character as he saved Port Authority Police Officer Will Jimeno. A Troop 45 Eagle Scout, Scott is presently an Assistant Scoutmaster with the Troop. Scott was recently elected Mayor of Mineola.
 * Frances Fragos Townsend, US Homeland Security Adviser under President George W. Bush



Miscellany

 * Mineola has a central railroad station and Nassau Inter-County Express hub station. Mineola has become a bedroom community for many residents who take advantage of the close proximity to NYC. Many businesses are also nearby (e.g., Canon USA).
 * Near the center of the village, Mineola Memorial Park commemorates the victims of the September 11 attacks with a monument. Mineola's own Memorial Library and private and public schools surround the park, creating a relaxing, open environment. The Memorial Tablet and surrounding paths were an Eagle Project by Troop 45 Eagle Scout Edward Kaiser.
 * Mineola is home to large Portuguese communities, and has been for years. Portuguese restaurants and businesses and the Portuguese language are a common feature throughout the neighborhood.
 * The Mineola Hotel burned down in 1966 as the result of arson. One man was killed.
 * Bill O'Reilly, political commentator, author, and host of the The O'Reilly Factor, graduated from Chaminade High School in 1967.
 * Mineola is also the home of Boy Scout Troop 45. Sponsored by the First Presbyterian Church, with Steve Grosskopf as the Scoutmaster, the Troop was chartered in 1921 and recently celebrated its 90th Anniversary.  It is considered the pre-eminent Boy Scout Troop in Nassau County.