The TIMES of Middle Country
Serving Centereach • Selden • Northern Lake Grove Volume 4, No. 48
March 19, 2009
75¢
Lesko vs. Mazzei Who will be supervisor when the music stops? Candidates interviewed, A3 Pols blast MTA tax Local lawmakers decry guv’s plan as unfair; protest set for Sat.
A2
Story, Page A6; event brief, A8
Selden park proposed
News is no joke Famed journalists attend SBU summit on parsing good news from bad Story, Page A6
Courtesy Leg. B. Beedendender
Stony Brook Sportsweek
Cardiowise Café at Mather
Meet LI business and professional women
‘Through the looking glass’
Athlete of the Week
Protect your family and learn to live better, longer
Our annual feature focusing on their success, how they do it
At Huntington Library, Smithtown restaurant week
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“Our community has expressed a great need [for] parkland and recreCounty Legislator Brian Beeden- ation space,” Beedenbender stated in bender (D-Centereach) thinks 50 the release, referring to the Middle undeveloped acres abutting Suffolk Country Coalition for Smart Growth’s Community College in Selden would call for increased recreational land. make a perfect spot for a ballfield or The park would offer the community a three. And a walking trail, playground “centerpiece,” he said. “This would be and picnic area. a lasting community asset for everyIndeed, in a move a Beedenbender one to be proud of.” release describes as “the last chance Selden Civic Association President the Middle Country community has to Debbie Felber said the park would be get the park it so desperately deserves,” a “windfall” for Middle Country resithe rookie Suffolk lawmaker has intro- dents, who currently “have nothing duced a bill to preserve the forested, like it.” “Obviously it would be a tremencounty-owned parcel — located east dous resource for our of the college at the youth,” Felber said. corner of College and The land is part of Mooney Pond roads The park bill’s sponsor a 70-acre two-parcel — as recreational says it is ‘the last chance county holding next to parkland. the college, owned by Area athletic or- the Middle Country Suffolk and unused for ganizations have apdecades, according to proached Beeden- community has to get bender seeking access the park it so desperately the lawmaker. The college has requested 20 to the potential fields, deserves.’ acres be set aside for which would be both future campus expan“all purpose” — acsion; Beedenbender is commodating football, lacrosse and soccer, sports whose eyeing the remaining 50. He said the schedules tend not to conflict, Beeden- preservation proposal already has the bender said — as well diamonds backing of a majority of legislators for softball and baseball. Interested and County Executive Steve Levy, who groups, including Central Suffolk Beedenbender once served as an aide. Construction funding isn’t likely to Football, Middle Country Lacrosse and the Middle Country Sports Asso- materialize quickly. Beedenbender’s ciation, have offered to foot the bill for initial plan was to fund construction maintaining the fields, according to of the ballfields and recreational areas, at a cost he estimates between $2 the legislator. Open space advocates would benefit and $3 million, from the 2010 county as well, Beedenbender argued, as pres- capital projects budget to be adopted ervation would “prohibit future retail this summer. But economic realities or residential development pressure at have stretched his timetable. “When the site.” And neighbors, who would we first came up with this” — after the be spared sights and sounds from park sports organizations approached him users by a wooded buffer, welcome use last year — “things were better than of the land as a ward against the illegal they are now,” Beedenbender said. But with the county strapped for ATV riders who currently plague it, he Continued on page A8 added. BY JOE DARROW
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PAGE A2 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • March 19, 2009
WANTED
Lesko: Town needs strong supervisor; Mazzei: Town Board is where power belongs, wouldn’t reverse moves BY LEE LUTZ leelutz@tbrnewspapers.com
The chill in the room was palpable last week as Brookhaven Town supervisor candidates Tim Mazzei and Mark Lesko sat down for an almost two-hour face-to-face debate. Neither offered to shake the other’s hand, either when they arrived at the TBR newspaper office nor at the conclusion of their verbal jousting. Lesko, a federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York until he resigned to make his first run for public office, stressed his experience in leading the Long Island office for many years, overseeing “hundreds of attorneys” and staff, and prosecuting many cases. He specifically mentioned a few high-profile prosecutions, including the Lawrence Aviation pollution and fraud case in Port Jefferson, and the asphalt cartel corruption case that reached directly into Brookhaven Town. Mazzei, the current Brookhaven Town councilman from the 5th District, spoke of his roots in Blue Point, where he attended school, where he served on the school board prior to his appointment and subsequent election to his council seat, and his experience as a prosecutor in the Suffolk County district attorney’s office. Mazzei ultimately served as head of the district attorney’s homicide bureau and helped prosecute the high-profile Pius and Solomon murder cases. He maintains a law practice in Blue Point and owns a restaurant. First addressing Brookhaven’s fiscal health in the current recession, Mazzei
Photo by Joe Darrow
Brookhaven Town Supervisor candidates Mark Lesko, left, and Tim Mazzei barely looked at one another during the two hours they sparred at The Times of Middle Country offices.
pointed to cuts in spending already implemented by the town council and suggested “another 5 percent cut” could be in the offing. He said he was working closely with the town’s Division of Waste Management, looking to maximize planned revenues and seeking new ones. His opponent, Mark Lesko, said, “We need a strong chief financial officer, a supervisor determining what cuts to make.” Lesko criticized the “$10 million increase in spending” in 2008 that he blames on the Town Board’s Republican majority, led by Mazzei. Lesko also criticized Mazzei for the plan enacted only last month to reopen the Brookhaven amphitheater on Bald Hill in Farmingville, stating it could cost taxpayers
half a million dollars. “The amphitheater has never been closed,” Mazzei responded to the claim that it is being reopened, explaining that changes in plans for using the venue this year eliminated town-funded shows. “At worst,” he said, “we expect to break even.” Mazzei also said he “voted against [former Supervisor Brian] Foley’s spending increases twice” in 2006 and 2007. Mazzei said he had met with waste management March 12, and “projections look okay” for revenues in 2009. “‘We should be okay’ is not good enough,” Lesko retorted. He said acting supervisor Lori Baldassare complained she was unable to get figures at the landfill from
the commissioner hired by Mazzei. For his part, Mazzei said Commissioner Ed Hubbard “updates the supervisor’s office every month.” Asked if the 10 year contract with Brookhaven’s labor unions, signed in 2001 prior to Mazzei’s tenure on the board, was a mistake, locking the township into raises and benefits untenable in the failing economy, the councilman said, “I would consider renegotiations at this point.” Mazzei said he has had “extremely preliminary talks” with union leaders that have been “positive.” Calling the 10-year agreement the longest on Long Island, Lesko said he too has had preliminary discussions with the unions. “They understand reality,” Lesko said. “It’s a good sign that the union is being realistic.” He called the unions representing Brookhaven’s white collar and blue collar employees and Highway Department staff the town’s “most important partner.” Both candidates refuted allegations of negative campaigning, and both accused the other of doing so. Lesko said his has been a “fact-based campaign.” Mazzei said negative campaigning has “not been on my side, all my mailings are positive.” Actions on “the other side speak for themselves.” The councilman singled out a mailing in which his opponent claimed Mazzei used excessive amounts of gasoline in his town-owned vehicle and purchased the gas using a town credit card instead of filling up for less at town pumps. Mazzei said his gas consumption Continued on page A4
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March 19, 2009 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A3
Mazzei and Lesko differ on issues, style, direction
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Photos by Joe Darrow
Mark Lesko and Tim Mazzei are looking in different directions for the future of Brookhaven.
Legals NOTICE OF SPECIAL DISTRICT MEETING OF THE MIDDLE COUNTRY PUBLIC LIBRARY, TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, NEW YORK NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a Special District Meeting of the qualified voters of the Middle Country Central School District at Centereach, Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York, will be held in the Centereach Building of the Middle Country Public Library, 101 Eastwood Boulevard, Centereach, New York, on Tuesday, April 14, 2009, at 9:30 A.M. prevailing time, for the purpose of voting upon the following items: (1) To adopt the Annual Library Budget for the fiscal year 20092010 and to authorize that the requisite portion thereof be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the Middle Country Central School District; and (2) To elect one (1) Trustee to the Middle Country Public Library to fill a five (5) year term commencing July 1, 2009, and ending on June 30, 2014, as a result of the expiration of the term of office presently held by Lisa Mitnick. FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that for the purpose of voting at such meeting on April 14, 2009 the polls will open between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., prevailing time, and voting will be held in the Middle Country Public Library (Centereach Building), 101 Eastwood Blvd., Centereach, New York; and FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a copy of a statement of the amount of money which will be required for the ensuing year for the Middle Country Library’s purposes, exclusive of public monies, may be obtained by any resident of the District during the fourteen (14) days immediately preceding said meeting except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from the Library, located at 101 Eastwood Blvd., Centereach, New York during the hours of 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. prevailing time and; FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that petitions nominating candidates for the Office of Trustee of the Middle Country Public Library are available from the Office of the Clerk of the Board (designated Election Officer) located in the Middle Country Public Library, 101 Eastwood Boulevard, Centereach, New York. Petitions may be filed on any weekday between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., prevailing time not later than Monday, March 16, 2009. Each petition must be directed to the Election Officer and must designate the office sought, the name
and residence of the candidate and must be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District setting forth their addresses; and
April 14, 2009 except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that personal registration of voters is required either pursuant to § 2014 of the Education Law or pursuant to Article 5 of the Election Law. If a voter has heretofore registered pursuant to § 2014 of the Education Law and has voted at any Annual or Special District Meeting within the past four (4) years, such voter is eligible to vote at this vote/ election; if a voter is registered and eligible to vote pursuant to Article V of the Election Law, such voter is also eligible to vote at this election. All other persons who wish to vote must register. The Board of Registration will meet for the purpose of registering all qualified voters of the District pursuant to § 2014 of the Education Law on Tuesday , April 7, 2009 between the hours of 2:00 pm and 9:00 pm, prevailing time at the Library Building, 101 Eastwood Blvd., Centereach, New York and at the election/vote, at which time any person will be entitled to have his/her name placed on such register, providing that at the meeting of the Board of Registration he or she is known, or proven to the satisfaction of the Board of Registration, to be then or thereafter entitled to vote at such Special District Meeting for which the register is prepared, and that the register so prepared pursuant to § 2014 of the Education Law of the State of New York and the registration list prepared by the Board of Elections of Suffolk County will be filed in the office of the Clerk of the Board, and will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the District on each of the five (5) days prior to April 14, 2009 excluding Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm prevailing time; and
BY ORDER OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE MIDDLE COUNTRY PUBLIC LIBRARY Denise Haggerty, President
FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that applications for absentee ballots for the election of Trustee of the Library, and for the adoption of the annual budget may be applied for at the office of the Clerk of the Board 101 Eastwood Blvd., Centereach, New York during regular business hours. Such application must be received by the Clerk of the Board no later than 5 pm seven (7) days prior to the vote/election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter or by 5pm on April 13, 2009 if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter. No absentee voter’s ballot will be canvassed unless it shall have been received in the office of the Clerk of the Board not later than 5 pm on the day of the vote/election. A list of all persons to whom absentee ballots shall have been issued will be available in the Clerk of the Board’s office during regular business hours on each of the five days prior to
Dated: Centereach, New York December 17, 2008
98 2/26 4x tmc NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids subject to all instructions, terms and conditions herein and pursuant to the specifications, will be received by the Board of Fire Commissioners, Selden Fire District at the Fire District Office, 44 Woodmere Place, Selden, New York 11784, until 7:00 P.M. on March 30, 2009, where they will be opened publicly and read aloud after 7:00 P.M. prevailing time, on the said date for the service as specified and the contract awarded as soon thereafter as practical for the purchase of a: TRT RESCUE TRUCK Specifications, proposals and proposed contracts may be obtained at Fire Headquarters, 44 Woodmere Place, Selden, New York 11784, from the Fire District Secretary of Fire District Manager, betweeen the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. Each bidder must submit with his bid a bid bond or certified check payable to the Selden Fire District in the amount of five (5%) per cent of their bid. The Selden Fire District reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to accept the best bid suited for its specific needs. Dated: March 13, 2009 BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS SELDEN FIRE DISTRICT TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN ATTEST: Carol Davidson Secretary 151 3/19 1x tmc
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Lesko v. Mazzei
Continued from page A3 amounted to 13 gallons per week, hardly excessive in a town the size of Brookhaven. He said town-issued vehicles are appropriate for elected officials who spend so many nights and weekends attending office-related functions. Lesko said Foley’s “reform agenda” included taking gas cards away from employees driving town cars and only a handful still used them, including Mazzei. Lesko pledged not to use a town vehicle to commute to Town Hall. Regarding the charge of negative campaigning, Lesko said an unflattering photo of his opponent in a mailing was not “doctored” but in fact was taken from a Republican website. He then accused Mazzei of bringing back the “old guard” that worked at Town Hall under prior Republican supervisors Felix Grucci and John LaValle. Lesko also said asphalt companies are contributing to Mazzei’s campaign, some of the same companies Lesko prosecuted for price fixing in Brookhaven. Lesko claimed it took a Democratic administration to end decades of no-bid insurance contracts that cost taxpayers millions of dollars. Mazzei countered that the reform of the town’s insurance policies actually began under the LaValle administration, headed by former Republican 2nd District Councilman Kevin McCarrick. “In two years they didn’t get it done,” Lesko said. “In two months Foley got it done.” The Democrat also criticized a mailing in which Mazzei is pictured standing with Suffolk District Attorney Tom Spota. Lesko said the mailing is “misleading” since Spota will not endorse any candidate due to his position. Mazzei countered that Spota is a former law partner from the 1990s and the two remain friends. “It was done because I want citizens to know I can be trusted,” Mazzei said. Both candidates indicated their support for preserving open space. Lesko said it must not be funded with taxes and indicated one element of his BIG plan for the town — Brookhaven Initiative for Growth — includes additional monies that would be paid to the town in return for speeding the approval process for development projects. That revenue would be targeted to parks and open space, Lesko said. Mazzei said he would endorse a new bond act to provide funding — he pointed out his support for the $100 million bond approved in 2004 for open space preservation that has now been exhausted — and noted $10 million remains in the town’s adopted capital budget for open space, intended to be spent over five years. “We need a planner to run the planning department,” Lesko said, addressing
the vacancy that has existed since early last year when Mazzei’s Town Board majority fired Commissioner David Woods. Lesko said attracting a “national caliber” candidate to the position was a “critical issue” for Brookhaven. “I voted for David Woods,” replied Mazzei, referring to the vote to approve Foley’s appointment in 2006, describing him as a “very good cerebral planner.” “But,” Mazzei added, “he doesn’t get the train into the station on time,” effectively blaming Woods for delays in processing applications under his leadership. “We have 20 certified planners” on the planning staff. “We need someone to manage the department.” Asked how he would hope to govern effectively should he be elected, Lesko, who would be in the minority on the Town Board, said he “believes in the power of good ideas.” Lesko also said “powers inherent in the office of supervisor can be exercised, for example, selecting the lowest responsible bidder for town contracts.” For his part, Mazzei was asked if he could lead without the extreme partisanship that has marked Brookhaven government since Foley’s election in 2005. “I already do that,” he replied. Noting votes he has cast with Foley and the Democratic council members, including the Tall Grass development in Shoreham and the Caithness power plant in Yaphank, “I get along very well.” He said “97 percent of votes” on the Town Board were 7-0 during the Foley administration. Lesko decried the “partisan” moves to remove authority from the supervisor’s office, such as the economic development division, the public information office and two citizen advocate positions defunded from Foley’s staff. He called Mazzei’s moves “an obsession that paralyzed town government.” “Economic development was moved to the Town Board,” Mazzei responded angrily. “Public information to the Town Board. The whole Town Board. No powers have been taken from the supervisor.” Mazzei said if elected to the post he would not reverse the actions and would not replace the supervisor’s staff positions defunded by his Town Board majority. “For three years under [former Republican supervisor] LaValle he didn’t move those departments,” Lesko argued, describing the changes as “pure partisanship.” The two disagreed vehemently on the current role of the supervisor’s office in personnel moves. “Oversight is critical,” said Lesko. “The chief financial officer is now removed from that equation. … Personnel is not under the supervisor.” “Personnel and purchasing are under the supervisor,” Mazzei said. But, he added, “Commissioners hire and fire, not the supervisor.” The special election is March 31.
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March 19, 2009 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A5
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BY ARLENE GROSS arlenegross@tbrnewspapers.com
Elected officials representing Suffolk are expressing opposition to MTA Commission Chairman Richard Ravitch’s call for a “mobility tax” of 0.33 percent on all payrolls within the transit authority’s 12-county service region. His proposal would also add tolls to free bridge crossings. In “sense resolutions” passed last week, both Brookhaven and Huntington town boards urged state lawmakers to reject Ravitch’s proposal. Huntington officials said it would increase that township’s tax levies by $200,000. “Given the current state of the economy,” Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone stated, “it is imperative that all of us in town government focus on helping residents stretch their precious dollars,” and cited “going on record to forestall imposition of ill-conceived state taxes” as one way of doing so. The proposed mobility tax would raise $1.5 billion a
year to cover debt service on a new MTA capital program. The new bridge tolls are expected to bring in another $600 million a year for mass transit. But Assemblyman Andy Raia (R-East Northport) opined that the MTA has mismanaged its operation for many years and should be broken up and brought under control by the state’s Department of Transportation. “It’s just one of the problems with authorities,” he said. “They go on to become these monoliths that escape direct government oversight. … I don’t think businesses whose employees don’t use mass transit should have to pay to subsidize the system.” Raia also said he worries that Long Island Rail Road commuters, who pay some of the highest rates in the country, will end up subsidizing New York City riders. “Not to mention, we live on an Island. There should be at least one free way off of Long Island.” Calling the MTA “the poster boy of poor perfor-
-PROUDIt’s kind of hard to find too many things to get excited about these days. Everything is pretty tough both business-wise and personally for lots of people in our community and around the world. Of course, it would be nice if the media would stop pounding everyone over the head with negative news over and over again. It’s becoming a selffulfilling prophecy. But we felt pretty good the other day when, after announcing some pretty tough financial results for the end of the year, Ford still sees no need to ask for government loans. In fact the CEO of Ford Motor Company said “Right now, I think with everything planned in the fiscal and monetary policy, I am very comfortable that we are going to start to turn things around through the second half of the year.” This doesn’t mean that Ford isn’t using lines of credit. But they have done it the old-fashioned way; they went out to banks and found financing. Ford is doing it! Ford is finding a way to make it through these hard times. This is the type of auto manufacturer that wants people to feel confident when buying one of their products.
BY LEE LUTZ leelutz@tbrnewspapers.com
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mance,” Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick (RSt. James) said he fears the proposed tax will kill jobs. “How do you ask taxpayers to dig deeper into their pocket to subsidize this kind of cost structure?” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s outrageous. You’re doing further damage to the business climate in this state and we’re alFile photo ready in a weak position — and we have the highest Gov. David Paterson’s combined tax burden in proposal to impose a any state in the country.” ‘mobility tax’ has met with The recent LIRR em- stiff resistance. ployees’ disability scandal also troubles him. “Why isn’t the governor, why isn’t Majority Leader Smith or Speaker Silver demanding that the union and the railroad solve this problem and show a good faith to reduce costs before you ask taxpayers to help you out in this circumstance?” Sen. Kenneth LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) said he will not vote for the tax or toll hikes. “I think people just don’t understand that we have to make cuts, we have to reorganize things [in the MTA] and we just cannot continue to ask people who are hanging on by their fingernails to carry additional burdens,” he said. Despite the criticism from local lawmakers, Gov. David Paterson supports the commission’s requests, spokeswoman Erin Duggan said. “Tax increases are always a last resort,” Duggan stated in an email. “This is necessary to avert major fare increases and service cuts to a system used by millions of New Yorkers every day, including commuters from Long Island.”
SBU news summit draws big names
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PAGE A6 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • March 19, 2009
Pols reject proposed MTA tax on area employers
“We must train the next generation of news consumers,” said Howard Schneider, dean of the Stony Brook University School of Journalism. “They have to judge the credibility and reliability of information,” he added, and such judgement is “crucial” to the future of our democracy. Schneider has been an advocate for news literacy for everyone — not just journalism students — since being named SBU’s first J school dean in May of 2006. Toward that end, and demonstrating an influence unusual for a school so young, SBU’s School of Journalism hosted a news literacy conference at the Wang Center last week, underwritten by the Ford Foundation and attracting heavy hitters in print and electronic journalism. Speakers included Arthur Sulzberger Jr., publisher of The New York Times, and panelists included former Nightline host Ted Koppel, now a senior news analyst for National Public Radio; Vivian Schiller, president and CEO of NPR; the presidents of Syracuse and Louisiana State universities and the chancellor of the University of Missouri. Andrew Heyward, the former president of CBS News, moderated one of the panel discussions during the three-day conference. Schneider said a “tsunami of information” from traditional outlets such as newspapers and network news programs and newer sources like the Internet and 24-hour cable news networks is “blurring the line” between news, press releases, public relations, blogs and Tweets. Without the ability to differentiate between reliable and questionable sources and stories, the public will be hamstrung in its ability to make informed choices, he argues. Schneider said this week that Syracuse and LSU will begin news literacy programs of their own. Also — in what he described as a “proposal only” at this point, and still in need of a funding source — SBU would train 50 to 100 outof-work journalists to teach news literacy at 25 or more universities across the country. In addition, Schneider said, the Ford Foundation has underwritten a two-week course in news literacy for high school teachers this summer at SBU.
Garvin to succeed Klatsky at CDCLI Chief Executive Officer Wilbur Klatsky will be departing CDC of Long Island effective March 31, and will be succeeded by Marianne Garvin, formerly CDC’s president and chief operating officer. Since Klatsky moved from the board to staff of the organization in 1992, he has grown the small business division from making $5,000 microloans, to a current cap of $950,000. He was also instrumental in CDC’s residential development effort that has produced more than 700 units of affordable housing. Garvin has been with the organization since 1992, and became president and chief operating officer in June 2006, with responsibility over all of CDC’s areas of service. She is a recognized leader in the housing and community development field, both locally and nationally, and currently serves on the board of Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk and with Neighborhood Housing Services of America’s Community Development Financial Institution, as well as on the National Homeownership Steering Committee and with the NeighborWorks Center for Homeownership Education and Counseling. Garvin has won numerous awards, which include being named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women in Business by Long Island Business News.
UAlbany announces dean’s list
Announcement submission
The following students were named to the University at Albany’s fall 2008 dean’s list for outstanding academic achievement: Sarah Alvarado of Centereach Raymond D’Esposito of Centereach Susana Duarte of Selden Nicholas Ermilio of Centereach Cody McCabe of Lake Grove Jonathan Millian of South Setauket Cory Sanders of South Setauket.
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Financial Empowerment for Women at MCPL Michele Martin, Allstate Insurance exclusive agent, and Pamela Barbieri, Allstate Financial Services financial representative, hosted a 90-minute workshop entitled Financial Empowerment for Women at the Middle Country Public Library in Centereach. Those in attendance learned how to take control over their finances and stay out of debt. In the workshop, Ms. Martin and Ms. Barbieri covered topics such as how to create a budget, what to do if you are in debt or foreclosure, how to improve your credit score, the differences between long-term and short-term savings accounts and the benefits of having life insurance. This workshop is part of the Allstate Readiness Series. Pictured (left to right): Elizabeth Malafi, coordinator, Miller Resource Center at Middle Country Public Library; Martin; and Barbieri. For more information about the Allstate Readiness Series at the Middle Country Public Library, call 585-9393 ext. 224 or check out the website at www.readinessbeginswithme.org.
Obituaries Dominick Mancuso Dominick P. Mancuso, 74, of Mount Sinai, formerly of Lake Grove, on March 5. He was the beloved husband of Pauline; devoted father of Peter, Frank, Richard and Paul; cherished grandfather of Troy, Angelica, Dominick, Richard, Douglas, Diana and Daniel; and dear brother of Fannie Paladino and the late Danny. A funeral Mass was held at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church. Interment followed at St. Charles
Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to the professional care of The Branch Funeral Home of Smithtown.
John Spry John “Jack” Spry, of Centereach, died on Feb. 27 in his 52nd year. He was the loving father of Nicole Rae; beloved son of Gracemarie and the late John; dear brother of Teryl Ann Meagher, Kieran Spry-Healy, Stacie Jacobus, Justin Spry, Grace-
marie Di Carli, Kristine Blume, Jennifer Spry and David Spry; and adored uncle of 15. Funeral services were arranged by Moloney’s Lake Funeral Home of Lake Ronkonkoma. Cremation was at the Nassau Suffolk Crematory, Lake Ronkonkoma.
Anna Brunoforte Anna T. Brunoforte, of Lake Grove, died on Feb. 28 in her 77th year.
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She was the devoted mother of Donna Pierce (John), Louis Brunoforte and Michael Brunoforte (Margaret); loving sister of George Calderone, Angelo Calderone, Dominic Calderone, Rose Darienzo and Louise Biordi; and cherished grandmother of Deanna, Samantha, Cassandra, Michael, Kristen and John. Funeral services were arranged by Moloney’s Lake Funeral Home of Lake Ronkonkoma. Interment was held at Washington Memorial Park, Mount Sinai.
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Family owned & operated for 45 years.
March 19, 2009 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A7
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while the county works out another issue with the property. Continued from page A2 The Selden Fire Department has a cash and eyeing layoffs, the legislator training ground abutting the parcel’s said park construction would proceed north side. It has requested an easeslowly over the next few years. Still, he ment over the county land to College Road, allowing firefighthopes to include funding ers an easier outlet to refor at least one field among spond to calls than wind2010’s capital expenses. ing through the adjoining Far more urgent is the residential neighborhood, preservation vote. Others Beedenbender said. The are eyeing the property as easement agreement must a potential housing develbe completed before the opment, a move that would land can be preserved, he be detrimental to Middle added. “Hopefully we’ll be Country School District able to move forward with finances, the lawmaker this in April.” said. “If we designate this File photo “This is the most excitas parkland, it’s locked in and can’t become anything Leg. Brian Beedenbender ing thing I’ve done while in office,” Beedenbender else,” he said. He introduced the bill March 3, and added. He wants to share the exciteit has been assigned to the Parks Com- ment, suggesting a contest among local mittee. However, Beedenbender said he students to select a name for the park would call for it to be tabled this week after it’s been built.
Selden park
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Rally with state Senators John Flanagan (R-East Northport) and Brian Foley (D-Blue Point), representatives of Nassau and Suffolk county school boards, superintendents and parent teacher associations, civil service unions, the Long Island Association and residents against Gov. David Paterson’s proposed .33 percent payroll tax on all employers, public and private, within the Metropolitan Transportation Authority region on Saturday, March 21 at 11 am at Newfield High School, 145 Marshall Drive in Selden. If approved, the MTA tax would cost Long Island school districts over $24 million — $12.8 million from Suffolk schools, and $11.6 from Nassau. The protestors will send the governor the message: “Don’t balance the MTA’s budget on the backs of our children.” For more information, contact Roberta Gerold, Middle Country School District superintendent, at 285-8005.
84684
Middle Country looks to repeat last year’s success Mad Dogs may have the best goalie in Suffolk County in Nick DiGiacomo BY ROBERT LEUNER katsports@tbrnewspapers.com
What to do for an encore? That’s the predicament Middle Country boys head lacrosse coach Ken Budd has before him in 2009. After making the playoffs for the fi rst time since 2004 and winning their opening round game last year, Budd lost seven starters from his team, including four key players from his defense. But this will be anything but a rebuilding year for Middle Country. Middle Country fi nished the 2008 season with an exhilarating 11-3 Division I record and were 125 overall. Th is year they remain a formidable eighth
Come support the Mad Dogs boys’ lacrosse team 3/18 Westhampton @ MC (s)................ 3:30 pm 3/19 Connetquot @ MC (s)...............3:30 pm 3/21 MC @ Mt Sinai (multi-team s) ..12:00 pm 3/24 Northport @ MC (s) ...................... 4:30 pm 3/26 Riverhead @ MC (s) ....................... 3:30 pm 3/28 MC @ Copiague (multi-team s) .. 9:00 am 3/31 MC @ Rocky Point (NL)............... 4:30 pm 4/2 Hauppauge @ MC (NL)................4:00 pm 4/7 MC @ Smithtown East..................2:00 pm 4/15 MC @ East Islip ..............................4:00 pm
BOYS’ LAX seed among Division I teams but their success means they will have a tougher program this year. “Last year we had a weaker schedule but the kids really got after it,” said Budd. “Th is year we’re ranked eighth but that’s right where I think we ought to be. Our goal again is to make the playoffs and to have a home playoff game.” According to Budd, Middle Country will try to push the ball on offense and work their transition game. Otherwise, he says, they will try to be patient and rely on their passing game to spur the offense. Key players on offense are senior Joe Canevari, junior Dom Cerasi and senior Ed Bellacera. “They move the ball well,” said Budd. “They all have good legs, can shoot with either hand, and can play both offense and defense.” Joining the offensive effort will be four-year varsity attack senior Brian Friedman. “He’s shift y,” Budd said. “He’ll carry the ball up on offense and he’s an annoying player to defend. He’s also a good feeder. He had 25 assists last year.” Junior Frank Iaconetti will lead a revamped defense this year. A midfielder last year, Iaconetti is solid with ground balls and can move the ball out of the defensive zone well. But the real anchor for the Middle Country defense is the return of All-County goalkeeper Nick DiGiacomo. DiGiacomo may be the best goalie in the county. Last year he sported a scintillating 5.4 goals-against average and is headed to Stony Brook University on
a full scholarship next fall. “Nick can flat out stop the ball,” said Budd. “He’s a leader who understands the game well. He’s the real deal.” Still questions remain as to how well Middle Country will fi ll the holes created by their seven players they graduated last year. Budd, however, remains confident his team will live up to expectations. “Our best offense is our defense,” he said. “We’re young, but strong and Nick knows how to keep the defense in check. I think that if we’re not in the postseason then it will be a disappointing season, and if things go our way we should be back there again this year.” After a series of scrimmages, Middle Country will be put to the test with a nonleague game against New York State champion Rocky Point Eagles on March 31. Their first home game comes on April 2 when they host Hauppauge in another nonleague game. League action begins April 7 when Middle Country travels to Smithtown East. Incidentally, all Middle Country home games will be played this year at Newfield High School.
‘This year we’re ranked eighth but that’s right where I think we ought to be. Our goal again is to make the playoffs and to have a home playoff game.’ — MIDDLE COUNTRY COACH KEN BUDD
March 19, 2009 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A9
Photo by Dennis Whittam
Middle Country senior Ed Bellacera, above, will help lead the offense this year, along with teammates Joe Canevari and Dom Cerasi.
S P O R T S
PAGE A10 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • March 19, 2009
EDITORIAL Time for haste Pain. There is, unfortunately, much of the economic variety to pass around these days. That is particularly true of our schools, where officials try to make the best of less revenue despite rising costs. The federal stimulus bill was supposed to bail them out, right? Two weeks ago we reported that Gov. David Paterson said New York’s share would negate the education aid cuts he had proposed to help counter a record state deficit. Except that Paterson’s assurances have made it no further than the newspapers, it seems. School districts embroiled in the budget formation process, which must be wrapped up next month, have yet to see an amended state aid proposal from the governor. Districts don’t know if Paterson’s promise to “restore” state aid means eliminating the deficit reduction assessment imposed on districts, or zeroing out overall aid decreases in comparison with 2008-09. For large districts the difference amounts to millions. Until they know the numbers, they can’t reliably calculate the tax impact of the spending the districts are proposing. Now is when schools need those figures most, as many consider layoffs to keep tax increases low so their budgets pass muster with a belt-tightening electorate. Perhaps with the federal stop-gap money, job cuts are no longer necessary, but until they know for sure school officials are obligated to plan for the worst. Which means that until the “all clear” is sounded, some teachers may be anticipating unemployment. Such consternation will clearly not promote the economic confidence the stimulus and other bailout efforts were intended to inspire. The Paterson administration claimed this week it cannot release final figures until ongoing budget negotiations with the Legislature are complete. But the governor has not even answered the most basic questions posed above by school officials, making their task far more arduous than in years past when districts had relatively accurate numbers to work with. Paterson should provide up-to-date data to the districts immediately.
News literacy critical The prominence of the attendees at the News Literacy Conference at SBU last week indicates the importance many place on the ability we must all master to understand and evaluate the “tsunami” of so-called news pummeling all of us every day (see page A6). We think the SBU School of Journalism, and in particular its dean, Howard Schneider, are on to something. Separating the wheat from the chaff is essential if we are going to position ourselves to make informed decisions on critical issues. The importance of analytically considering what newspapers and television and radio and the web toss at us, the ability to see through the fog and spin, and the need to understand an ever-increasing universe of information — far too much of which is generated by, shall we say, “journalists” not entirely loyal to the creed of who, what, where, when and how but instead determined to tell you why (in their own often skewed opinions) — has never been more important. Whether you read it on these pages, or in a daily, or learn it the radio, TV or the web, apply an appropriate level of skepticism, seek the facts, and always remember to consider the source.
OPINION Veterans offer their thanks TO THE PUBLISHER, EDITORS AND STAFF OF TBR NEWSPAPERS: On behalf of the Officers, Executive Board and members of the American Legion Wilson Ritch Post #432 of Port Jefferson Station, we would like to thank you for your support and continuing coverage of our events and of veterans issues. In almost every issue I notice that one of your editorial staff is covering a veterans event and reporting on it. We at the Wilson Ritch Post are very grateful for this effort. We would like to also take this opportunity to thank wholeheartedly the efforts of Congressman Tim Bishop, state Sen. Ken LaValle and Assemblyman Steve Englebright for their unwavering support of veterans issues and of veterans causes. For those who braved the cold, crisp weather during our Pearl Harbor Remembrance Service this past December, you would have heard a gentleman eloquently playing “Taps.” To this gentleman, who to us is anonymous, we offer our sincere thanks as well. Please keep up the good work. Our veterans are certainly well worth it. Richard Knutson, Public Relations Officer American Legion Wilson Ritch Post #432
Federal help for mortgage payers TO THE EDITOR: The escalating number of foreclosures doesn’t only threaten people who may lose their homes; it also brings down property values and equity throughout entire neighborhoods. That’s why we must focus on reducing home foreclosures and rebuilding homeowner wealth as a key strategy in strengthening our economy. My top priority is standing up for hardworking families on Long Island. President Obama released the details of his comprehensive Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan. Effective immediately, the plan will allow four to five million families who owe more on their homes than the current appraised value to lower their interest rates. The new plan will also help another three to four million at-risk homeowners avoid foreclosure by reducing monthly mortgage payments. The Treasury Department has set up a website, www.financialstability.gov, that has information detailing how the programs work and whether you are eligible. I encourage you to contact your mortgage lender or servicer to
take advantage of these new programs and reduce your monthly payments to stay in your home. In Congress, we are working to do our part to help troubled borrowers, too. This week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1106: Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, which I was proud to support. This legislation complements President Obama’s plan by simplifying existing programs and providing incentives to lenders to modify mortgages. It also provides important safeguards for responsible homeowners who are not covered by President Obama’s plan, but are still at risk of foreclosure. Besides these programs there are a few additional resources, both nationally and locally based, that you may find helpful: • Hope Now: www.hopenow. com, 888-995-4673. Hope Now is a government and industry alliance that provides free foreclosure prevention assistance from HUDapproved counseling agents. • Federal Housing Administration: www.fha.gov, 800-225-5342. • Long Island Housing Partnership: www.lihp.org, 435-4710. At no cost to you, HUD-certified housing counselors can help you understand your options, organize your finances and represent you in negotiations with your lender, if you need this assistance. • Community Development Corporation of Long Island: www.cdcli.org, 471-1215. CDC specializes in affordable housing on Long Island and has a foreclosure prevention expert on staff to answer your questions. Rep. Steve Israel 2nd Congressional District
MTA tax is unfair TO THE EDITOR: As someone who represents the overburdened taxpayers of Long Island, I am relieved that Gov. David Paterson has listened to the residents he serves and decided to withdraw the harmful “fun taxes” that he originally proposed. But I find it a bit disingenuous for the governor to publicly take credit for fixing a problem that he created. Along with my colleagues in the Republican conference of the New York State Senate, I have consistently rejected Gov. Paterson’s job-killing tax increases because they hurt our families, our businesses and our economy. While Gov. Paterson and his Democratic colleagues in the Assembly and the Senate have repeatedly looked to fix the state’s economic issues by taxing those in the suburbs, our conference has repeatedly called for a plan that taxes less, spends less and helps create jobs. While the rejection of these tax increases is good news, Gov.
Paterson’s change of heart was announced after weeks of public pressure and outrage. Now, he has more work to do and he needs to deliver for our state without relying solely on federal bailout money. The budget he proposed still includes the elimination of $1.7 billion in property tax rebates to the hardworking middle class families of this state. Additionally, his budget still contains almost $5 billion more in taxes on businesses and individuals which will make it even more difficult to recover from these tough economic times. At the same time, the Democrats from New York City are actively pursuing a payroll tax at our expense to bankroll the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Th is plan would have an excessive and unfair impact on suburban workers and commuters. Last week, I joined with my colleagues in the Senate to unveil a budget plan that lays out a blueprint that can help our economy recover without resorting to the harmful taxes and fees that drive people out of our state. This plan will allow the state to make critical investments in education, health care and jobs while providing the tax relief residents need. The three Democrats from New York City need to come out from behind closed doors and tell the people of this state what they plan to do about the rest of the budget. Gov. Paterson, Speaker Sheldon Silver and Majority Leader Malcolm Smith need to put their budget proposals on the table so we can begin a truly public debate on how best to address our budget needs and the needs of the state going forward. Sen. John J. Flanagan (R-East Northport)
Where is the police report? TO THE EDITOR: Recent issues of TBR Newspapers no longer feature the Police Report column. I urge you to reinstate it. The information it contains is important. We, your readers, need to be aware of the challenges our police officers face in the line of duty and of recurring trends in criminal activities (e.g., thefts from parked cars, vandalism, and the like). I suspect that many of your readers also miss the occasional flashes of wit the editor of these reports injected into the column. John Shea East Setauket Editor’s note: We continue to keep readers informed of police activities and crime within our stories and briefs. Reporting on police activities remains one of our primary beats.
The opinions of columnists and letter writers are their own. They do not speak for the newspaper.
In our new recession-induced age of propriety, owning a personal jet is under a storm of disfavor. Though they represent the ultimate in conspicuous consumption, at least one good thing can be said about these super-expensive planes — compared to their big brothers the commercial airliners, they are relatively quiet. I know, because the seaside apartment I am renting in Florida lies in the approach path to the small airstrip at Boca Raton favored by jet-setting multi-millionaires. Their personal jets fly in and out all day long, announcing themselves with a thrilling whine of power and rumble of engines. The brethren of these planes, the big eardrum-pounding heavies, must use either West Palm Beach to the north or Fort Lauderdale to the south. The little jets are sleek and beautiful to watch. The sight of them approaching to land or climbing for altitude after departing suggests an intriguing air of mystery. Their silver fuselages carry no markings, no recognizable airline logos or colors. They arrive as early as dawn, and fly out way after dark. So to whom do they belong? One can only guess, but one thing is sure — the ranks of the wealthy have been thinned by Bernie Madoff. One assumes that prior to his depredations, the airways in and out of Boca Raton were even more crowded. Still, this remains a rich country, and though he appeared to have tried very hard Bernie did not manage to steal everybody’s money. The East Coast of South Florida is still a haven of extravagant wealth. The town
where I am staying, Highland Beach, is lined with an odd juxtaposition of high-rise condominiums and coops with modest apartments, and gargantuan ornate mansions in the $20 million price range. (For perspective, though it is right on the ocean, my own apartment is in a 50-year-old co-op whose windows and sliding glass doors don’t work very well. Yesterday one of the two elevators failed, trapping for a while a fellow snowbird from Stony Brook.) Madoff is much in the public awareness here. Fifteen miles to the north, in his winter retreat of Palm Beach, he ruined large numbers of friends and acquaintances. In Delray Beach, a mile from here, there’s an old-fashioned newsstand much like the late, lamented Darling’s in Port Jefferson. I go there often for my Racing Form and Wall Street Journal, and fall into conversations with old-time locals who congregate to complain about snowbirds like me. One morning the proprietor had on display a 168-page reprint of the list of Madoff ’s victims, which was eagerly perused for local names. The Palm Beach Post reported this morning on what wealthy society matrons are doing to show empathy with the less fortunate during the recession. Among other things, they’re digging into the back of their closets and wearing last year’s gowns to charity balls. In December, a group of women pledged they would insist their rich husbands not buy them expensive jewelry for Christmas. (Though this may have made them feel good, it might have cost the jobs of a couple of gold miners in South Africa and diamond
Signals As this grim recession drags on, I think more and more of the lost wisdom of small town America. BY JOHN MCKINNEY vtimes@tbrnewspapers.com
cutters on 47th Street. Oh, the law of unintended consequences). As this grim recession drags on, I think more and more of the lost wisdom of small town America. It was Wall Street, not Main Street, that plunged us into the abyss. Had the sharks on Wall Street not been demonically clever at concealing what they were doing, the little fish on Main Street would have refused to take the bait. I think of the brief single term of Mike Lee as mayor of Port Jefferson, when he doubled taxes to diminish the debt hanging over the Village Center. Said Mr. Lee, “I was raised not to buy things until I could afford to pay for them.” Mike, you should have been chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Between you and me
Celebrating strength in community What fun we had this past Sunday evening at the Three Village Inn. It was the Men and Women of the Year reception, at which the winners of 2008 in The Village Times Herald were presented with framed certificates before an audience of 137 (count ’em) community leaders. This was our 33rd such party, and they are always a high for us at the newspaper. We started the Men and Women of the Year issue, our only “all good news” issue, the week between Christmas and New Year’s in 1976, the year we started The Village Times. I copped the idea, sort of, from Time magazine, where I had worked. But Time selects one person who, each year, is the most newsworthy, regardless of the value of their efforts, whether Hitler or Mother Teresa. We, on the other hand, divide our community into categories, from the Arts to Business to Civics, all the way through to Sports and Volunteers. We then select
the residents who are making outstanding contributions to our villages, going that extra mile above and beyond what might be expected from them, and give them the spotlight — to further help them in their work and to express our collective appreciation. We ask your help in the nominating process, which begins in early summer with a form that we run in the paper. With those nominations that come in through the mail, Internet and telephone and the suggestions of our staff, we sit down and decide the winners each year. Once, early on, I thought we might run out of winners. It will never happen. The more people we get to know by covering the news, and the more we understand about how much is contributed to the greater good, the more people we want to honor. Sometimes we honor a past winner again because he or she has done something new or something more. We never tell the winners
TIMES BEACON RECORD NEWSPAPERS We welcome letters, photographs, comments and story ideas. Send your items to PO Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733 or email to joedarrow@tbrnewspapers.com. Or drop by our news office at 185 Route 25A, Setauket. The opinions of our columnists are not necessarily those of the paper. Times Beacon Record Newspapers are published every Thursday. Address: PO Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733. Telephone: 631-751-7744 Web • www.northshoreoflongisland.com Contents copyright 2009.
why exactly we are interviewing them in the late fall for a story, and usually they don’t think to ask because what they are doing is newsworthy enough on its own. So when they discover that they have won, it’s a fun surprise. That first year, members of the Three Village community stepped forward and suggested a reception for the winners. They also offered to underwrite the party in a hands-across-thecommunity gesture. So we are the hosts each year, we speak about what each winner has done, we then give him or her a chance to tell where they are planning to go with their work in the coming year, and when they sit back down we give them a resounding round of applause in a public show of appreciation. Why did we start this and why do we enthusiastically continue it to this day? A sense of community is so important, such an enrichment in our lives. Learning about our common history, knowing
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Leah S. Dunaief GENERAL MANAGER Johness Kuisel EXECUTIVE EDITOR Lee Lutz EDITOR Joe Darrow LEISURE EDITOR Ellen Barcel SPORTS EDITOR Katherine Consorte ONLINE EDITOR Patricia Proven
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Alyssa Cutler EDITORIAL John Broven Jennifer Choi Michael Downer Arlene Gross Robert Leuner Patricia Proven Lisa Steuer John Westermann Dave Willinger
we are surrounded by kindly and caring neighbors, working together to maintain and preserve our natural resources and educate our children, these all contribute to a sense of security and well being for children and adults alike. At times of stress, like some of the economic uncertainties we are living through today, people tend to turn toward each other for support. Here’s an extreme example of what I’m talking about. If you remember, New York City — long considered a cold and impersonal place — became a lot more filled with kindness and mutual helpfulness after 9/11. Human values come more into focus in times of crisis. We are in what Frank Rich, columnist for The New York Times, calls a time of “social consciousness.” How lovely that we, who live out here, don’t have to first develop such a consciousness. It’s already here, as these awards ably demonstrate. We are so fortunate to live in a place with
PHOTOGRAPHY John Griffin Robert O'Rourk ART AND PRODUCTION DIRECTOR David R. Leaman ART AND PRODUCTION Janet Fortuna Beth Heller Mason Wendy Mercier
BY LEAH S. DUNAIEF vtimes@tbrnewspapers.com
community leaders and activists, and whatever the issues are locally, we sooner or later see most of them through to a successful resolution. So a sense of community is a wonderful thing. And since we are the community newspaper, we have always felt it part of our job to strengthen that sense wherever we can. Let me tell you, by the time everyone leaves the Men and Women of the Year reception each year, and we have recognized the efforts of all those special people who enhance our lives, there is a glowing pride of place.
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Kathryn Mandracchia ADVERTISING Mary Chirichella Robin Lemkin Barbara Newman Elizabeth Reuter Laura Satchwill Nancy Solomon Ted Taylor Lynn Tunney Minnie Yancey
CLASSIFIEDS DIRECTOR Ellen Segal BUSINESS MANAGER Sheila Murray CREDIT MANAGER Diane Wattecamps CIRCULATION MANAGER Alyssa Cutler BUSINESS OFFICE Sandi Gross Meg Malangone SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER Terri Caruso
March 19, 2009 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A11
In post-Madoff world, tarnished trappings of wealth
Class of ‘71 E.L. Vandermeulen High School Port Jefferson, NY
Class of ‘77 Ward Melville High School East Setauket, NY
Leo Sternlicht
Class of ‘80 Ward Melville High School East Setauket, NY
Steve Rothstein
Riverhead F/L/M, Owner
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Class of ‘77 Ward Melville High School East Setauket, NY
Malcolm Germaine
Riverhead F/L/M, Pre-Owned Sales Mgr.
Gabriel Tangredi
Riverhead F/L/M, Sales Associate
Class of ‘86 Ward Melville High School East Setauket, NY
Marc Donin
Riverhead F/L/M, Finance Manager
With the closing of your local Lincoln/Mercury dealers, you might have concerns about the service and maintenance of your Lincoln and Mercury vehicles. Fear no more! We all grew up here and went to school here, and we all still live here. As good neighbors, we promise that we will pick-up your vehicle from your home or business, have it serviced and return it to you, because as good neighbors, that is the least we can do.
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PAGE A12 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • March 19, 2009
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