A22 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 13, 2012 www.LongIslanderNews.com
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were originally supposed to elect board members. Instead, trustees have since been appointed to the board by elected officials. While Commack resident Debra Ettinger was trying to figure out to whom she and her neighbors should turn after trees fell onto power lines, roads and her house, she found an out-of-state power crew using a paper map to navigate. She offered assistance with directions, but Ettinger said overall communication after Sandy was akin to a game of telephone. “It was not reliable,” she said. In the Village of Northport, Alexander said he watched residents walking and bicycling through the neighborhood talking with one another. Those that had access to smart phones and the internet forwarded his organization’s email blasts, which contained updates, contacts and other pertinent information. At the peak, Vision Long Island’s emails hit 100,000 people instead of their normal 25,000. “We’re just trying to simply get informa-
tion out to people as it was happening,” he said. Alexander also noted that downtowns were vital after Sandy. About half of the 60 Long Island downtowns were repowered and open for business less than two days after the storm hit, prompting residents to flock there for food, warmth and charging stations. He advocated running power lines underground and taking whatever other action was necessary to protect downtowns, as well as hospitals, schools and other essential institutions, during future disasters. Gas stations should also be on that list, said Michael Watt, executive director of the Long Island Gasoline Retailers Association. Watt said restoring power to strategic stations would have reduced the fuel shortage that plagued Long Island for days after Sandy passed. The Melville-based organization does not support mandatory generators for each station. Watt said some don’t do enough business to support a $45,000 investment and
Half Hollow Hills photos/Mike Koehler
Officials hear out public
Legislators Steve Stern and Lou D’Amaro listen to resident recount their trials and tribulations at last week’s Sandy response hearing. others are in flood-prone areas. However, he did support a suggestion for Suffolk County to purchase generators to be loaned in emergencies. But when elected officials reached out to Watt with generators after Sandy, he admitted he had no way to reach his members if their stations were closed. The director asked legislators to build a database of emergency contacts for strategic stations.
At the close of the hearing, Deputy Presiding Officer Wayne Horsley (D-Babylon) said all of the suggestions, criticisms and information would be relayed to appropriate department heads and agencies. After another public meeting after Jan. 1, which Horsley said will involve utilities and emergency responders, the regional storm plan should begin to take shape. He expected to see a final version of the plan by this spring.
Senior development awaiting BAPS deal (Continued from page A1)
for the Town of Huntington to buy Meyers Farm, located near Old Country and Round Swamp Roads in Melville from the BAPS, the BAPS to buy 5 acres at Deshon Drive from the developer, and for a State Supreme Court justice to sign off on the transaction. “These are pro forma rules, but it takes time,” Weber said. “Once that is closed in the end of December or January, that final condition of the site plan approval is finalized. Then we’re on our way to a building permit.” The Huntington Town Board approved a zone change from I-1 Industrial to R3M Garden Apartments on the 18-acre Deshon Drive parcel in midJune and transferred 5 acres of develop-
ment rights from Meyers Farm, an 8.3acre property near Old Country and Round Swamp Roads in Melville, to Deshon Drive. That permits the BAPS temple to be built on 5 acres, while allowing Deshon Partners to construct The Club at Melville on the remaining 13 acres at full R3M density, or 14.5 units per acre. The Meyers Farm property, now stripped of development rights, will become Sweet Hollow Park. The units will range in size from 900 to 1,200 square feet, with the majority around the 1,200 square-foot mark. The most affordable units will cost about $212,000, while the middle tier is to be approximately $318,000 and the top tier $365,000. Per a covenant attached to the property, the units must remain
affordable. Alissa Taff, president of the Civic Association of Sweet Hollow, said the community is eagerly awaiting completion of the deal so planning for Sweet Hollow Park can begin. “It moves ahead for the senior citizen housing, which is sorely needed, and the BAPS can complete the sales transaction and get their 5 acres to build their temple,” Taff said. The BAPS’ attorney, Howard Avrutine, could not be reached for comment by press time Monday, but signs are emerging there is confidence the project will proceed. Civic leaders and town officials joined the BAPS in blessing the site of the new house of worship on Deshon Drive.
Anthony Aloisio, the Town’s planning director, said he has seen preliminary plans for the temple and that the BAPS are working on a final plan. “They are moving forward with their site plan. They haven’t officially submitted it to us yet,” he said. Weber said he anticipates construction to begin in the early spring, a result of an all-hands-on-deck approach to the proposal. “There has been truly remarkable cooperation between Town of Huntington, the developer, the BAPS and all involved,” Weber said. “This is one of those things Huntington can be proud of.” Sale of the units will be administered through the Community Development Agency.
Judge: Attorney violated Fifth Amendment rights (Continued from page A1)
Suffolk law enforcement arrested him for the murder in June 2008, just as he was being released from the Oneida Correctional Facility for another shooting on the same day. McArthur never left the prison grounds before he was handcuffed again. However, Judge Peter Skelos threw out his 2009 conviction in a Dec. 5 decision to McArthur’s Nov. 5 appeal. According to the decision, Kurtzrock violated his Constitutional right to remain silent. Skelos noted that the prosecutor told the jury that McArthur’s disappointed expression is “not how an innocent person is going to react being told he’s being charged with murder.” Skelos further took offense with Kurtzrock’s comments that the defendant’s distracted appearance is “the reaction of a guilty man who knows he’s been caught.” With evidence limited and just one eyewitness identifying McArthur, the judge ruled the mistakes were damning enough to overturn the conviction. “It was inappropriate for the prosecutor to comment on the defendant’s silence and demeanor as evidence of a consciousness of guilt,” Skelos wrote. Defense attorney Daniel Russo described the prosecution’s efforts as “over the top.”
However, Skelos ruled Russo as ineffective after he failed to challenge that argument in court, but also introduced testimony harming his client. Russo elicited testimony from several prosecution witnesses that they committed an earlier shooting, despite the fact that Russo was advised it would allow Kurtzrock to elicit testimony from McArthur that he had pleaded guilty in
the earlier shooting. The defense attorney, Skelos said, improperly suggested to the jury that his own client had a history of gun violence. “Most people who followed the case when it was tried realized the strategy was sound,” Russo said, referring to Skelos’ ruling as “Monday-morning quarterbacking.” The case will return to back to Suffolk
County Criminal Court for a new trial. A clerk at the courthouse was unable to find the new date on Monday afternoon. With Russo illegible to represent McArthur after being deemed ineffective in the prior case, Legal Aid attorney Robert C. Mitchell filed the appeal. He could not be reached for comment. District Attorney Thomas Spota did not return messages for comment.
County rushes overdose drug (Continued from page A3)
strength for about 30 minutes and gradually wears off for another 30 minutes. At that point, it’s possible for a rescued overdose victim to overdose again. Rescued victims must receive immediate medical care to ensure survival. “You’re reversing progression into death,” the director said. The other issue with the drug is that it can bring on withdrawal symptoms. “They’re going to be mad at you,” Reynolds said, describing it as “the
worst flue you’ve ever had.” But angry or not, an opiate overdose victim rescued with Narcan can still be saved from death, which Reynolds said continues to be a problem. Heroin was identified as a serious problem in communities like Commack and Smithtown early on, although it’s since spread through much of Long Island. “It’s gone viral, for the lack of a better term,” he said. “Huntington wasn’t on the early list, but it’s become one of the areas where it’s a hot topic.” Both the LICADD head and Coyne
praised the legislature for expanding the pilot program. “In doing this, they’re undoubtedly saving a lot of kids’ lives,” Reynolds said. The state originally called for the study to last two years, Coyne said. However, he expressed hope that the same early results that prompted Suffolk County to act sooner would push state officials to shorten the length of the study. Once it’s proven safe and effective, Narcan will become a staple for EMTs throughout New York State.