Hempstead mayor Wylan Hobbs Jr. discussed the actions taken by the quality-of-life task force to improve the Hempstead community.// Photo courtesy of Cody Hmelar.
The dream of a better Hempstead is on the minds of many residents after Hempstead mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr.’s inaugural State of the Village address on Monday, April 4.
After being inducted into office exactly one year ago, Hobbs delivered his first address at the John Cranford Adams Playhouse on Hofstra University’s campus. He discussed several issues facing Hempstead, including pandemic recovery, education, police relations and downtown revitalization, including the restoration of the community garden on Franklin Street.
“Last summer, this administration put together a quality-of-life task force – one of my first official acts as mayor of this village,” Hobbs said.
Dorothy Goosby, the Hempstead senior councilwoman, attended the State of the Village address. In an interview with WRHU reporter Maria Valdez, she stated that she felt proud to not only be a representative and resident of the village of Hempstead but also a powerful advocate for the underserved in the village.
“I’m just elated that it happened and [is] at least something for people who look like me [a Black woman] to be able to continue to move so that we become one nation together, not just one [individual],” Goosby said.
Laura Gillen, former town supervisor and congressional candidate for the 4th District, shared Goosby’s pride in the village’s prosperity.
“The heart of the town of Hempstead government is in the village of Hempstead, and so it’s really important to see the village moving forward with new plans to thrive and see economic development and to revitalize the village,” Gillen said.
Bishop Gregory Engram has seen the changes in Hempstead over the past year and looks forward to future improvements.
“I’ve seen a change because the police department has done a remarkable job removing guns from the streets [and] lowering crime … If we keep [going in] the same direction, things are only going to get better,” Engram said.
“Tonight, I’m very hopeful of what [Hobbs] said and I believe it’s going to be done,” said Joanna Thomas, a concerned parent within the town of Hempstead.
During the address, Melissa Connolly, vice president of the Office of University Relations, announced that a fundraising event run in conjunction with Hempstead public schools would reestablish the Unispan award for a local Hempstead high school student for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Residents of Hempstead feel more could still be done for the community’s youth. “Let them know that they matter first. I think that will stop a lot of what is happening in the streets,” Thomas said. “If they get a center for these children and let them see what’s going on and how they can make a change and an impact in their own community, I think they would see a change mentally and see themselves as a member of the community.”
