Brookhaven Messenger Archive Nov. 14, 2024

Key Changes for Suffolk’s Child Protective Services Unveiled

By Hank Russell

The day before a conference on the changes to the Suffolk County Child Protective Services (CPS) system, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) and District Attorney Ray Tierney (R) held a press conference at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge on November 7 to announce some of the major changes to CPS. These changes took place after the district attorney’s report on the agency’s handling of the case of Thomas Valva, who died in 2020.

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Town Holds Public Discussion on 2025 Budget

By Cait Crudden

The Town of Brookhaven has proposed a budget for the 2025 fiscal year, totaling $361,150,761. With a tax levy of $234,377,166, the budget for this year seeks to balance enhancements to public safety and code enforcement with the preservation of essential community services and parks funding. The budget also includes a 4% reduction in property taxes for nine ambulance districts and a $1.2 million growth in the landfill post-closure reserve fund, ensuring environmental and fiscal responsibility in the years following the landfill’s closure.

The Town appears set to join several other Suffolk townships, including Babylon and Riverhead, in piercing its tax cap this year, although Brookhaven’s pierce is less than Babylon’s proposed 9.9% tax hike.

With 850 full-time staff positions in place for 2025, the town has emphasized its commitment to constituent services without reducing government size or workforce.

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2 Messenger Papers

PUBLISHER

Diane Caudullo

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Matt Meduri

STAFF REPORTER

Cait Crudden

ART PRODUCTION

MANAGER

Sergio A. Fabbri

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Colin Herr

CONTRIBUTORS

PJ Balzer

Peter Chidichimo

Ashley Pavlakis

OFFICE

RECEIVABLE

Kim Revere

PROOFREADER

Giavanna Rudilosso

SOCIAL

Madison Warren

DELIVERY

PJ Balzer

Joe Cuminale

Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Brookhaven Matters

Thursday, November 14, 2024

Town Holds Public Discussion on 2025 Budget

By Matt Meduri

In fact, the 2025 budget prioritizes increased staffing for public safety and code enforcement, enhancing the town’s ability to respond to community needs and maintain safety standards. Additionally, the budget fully supports parks and open space acquisitions, reinforcing Brookhaven’s dedication to preserving natural spaces for future generations.

However, the decision to override the tax levy limit was not without public scrutiny, particularly regarding youth services. During a public hearing, a local social worker, who has worked with youth facing mental health issues, homelessness, and other challenges on Long Island for over thirty years, voiced concerns over cuts to youth development programs within Brookhaven. He cited the termination of the Youth Court Program and reduced staffing in youth services, which now operates with just two employees. The social worker expressed concern that the budget cuts would impact youth development initiatives, which he believes are crucial for early intervention in addressing atrisk youth.

Another speaker, a high school senior with aspirations to become a psychologist, also advocated for expanding youth opportunities. She highlighted the importance of community service to build character and leadership skills,

Register Now for the NY Special Olympics 14th Annual Polar Plunge

Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point) reminds Brookhaven residents to register now for the fourteenth annual New York Special Olympics Polar Plunge to be held on Saturday, November 23, at Cedar Beach in Mt. Sinai.

For more information, to register or donate, go to www.specialolympics. org. On-site registration at the Polar Plunge starts at 9:30a.m. and the “plunge” starts at 11:30a.m. The Town of Brookhaven’s Cedar Beach is located at 244 Harbor Beach Road in Mt. Sinai.

Start the fun the night before (November 22) at the Pre-Plunge Party at J&R’s Steakhouse, 181 NY 25A in Rocky Point where “plungers” can sign their waiver, turn in their donation, and pick up their plunge wristband. “Plungers” who raise $150 or more can also pick up their free sweatshirt. Special Olympic athletes train for weeks and months to prepare for local, regional and statewide competition. Athletes are supported by more than 5,000 coaches and 4,300 volunteers and are never charged to participate in the programs. They rely solely on donations to pay the cost. Councilwoman Bonner encourages people, young and old, to participate in the “plunge” and pledge a donation.

and she recommended raising awareness of the existing Youth Advisory Board Committee to engage more young people. She, along with others, believes that youth programs and community service help cultivate responsibility and empathy.

The hearing raised questions about the best way to allocate funds for youth services and whether other entities, such as nonprofits, could be better suited to support these programs. Supervisor Dan Panico (R-Center Moriches) addressed the concerns, noting that the town is one of only three in New York State participating in the HUD Foster Program, which aids homeless youth. He suggested that nonprofits, which often have flexibility and extended hours, could be well-positioned to meet the complex needs of young people, particularly those facing mental health crises outside of traditional working hours.

Supervisor Panico expressed interest in reinstating the Youth Court Program, acknowledging its value as highlighted by speakers. However, he also emphasized the importance of fiscal oversight and efficient fund allocation, noting that youth services could benefit from collaboration with school districts, nonprofits, and other agencies that may already be better equipped to address specific needs of youth not reached by town programs.

Town and JVC Broadcasting to Hold On-Air Live 2024 Holiday Toy Drive

On Friday, December 13, all the JVC Broadcasting Radio Stations will broadcast from the Brookhaven Town Hall lobby from 8:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. to promote the Town’s INTERFACE Toy Drive.

All the popular on-air personalities from My Country 96.1, LI News Radio 103.9, LaFiesta 98.5, Big 98.1; En Vivo 93.3 FM / 1440 AM and Party 105.3 will be participating in the event. Last year, residents donated thousands of toys ranging from board games and footballs to dolls and bicycles. Brookhaven Town Hall is located at 1 Independence Hill in Farmingville.

The Town of Brookhaven-JVC Broadcasting Toy Drive is open to the public and those who stop by are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy appropriate for children ranging from infant to fifteen years of age. All donated toys will be given to families in need during this holiday season.

The INTERFACE Toy Drive is sponsored by the Town of Brookhaven Youth Bureau. For more information about the Toy Drive or to find out more about the Youth Bureau’s programs, please call 631-451-8011 or visit www. brookhavenny.gov.

Brookhaven Messenger

Centereach,

Trump Chooses Zeldin to Run EPA

By Hank Russell

In preparing to start his second term, President-elect Donald Trump (R-FL) has announced that he has named Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) as the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He would replace Michael Regan, who was sworn in as administrator in 2021.

“I have known Lee Zeldin for a long time, and have watched him handle, brilliantly, some extremely difficult and complex situations,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

He said Zeldin will “ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Zeldin will be responsible for “[setting] new standards on environmental review and maintenance, that will allow the United States to grow in a healthy and well-structured way,” stated Trump.

This is the second time Zeldin will have served in Washington, D.C. He previously served as a U.S. Representative from 2015 to 2023, representing NY-01. During that time, he served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Financial Services Committee. In addition, he cochaired the House Republican Israel Caucus, which boasts more than 100 members. He also championed infrastructure and research projects back home, including the preservation of Plum Island, Army Corps of Engineers initiatives and

Suffolk Legislature Amends, Approves Budget

By Hank Russell

The Suffolk County Legislature recently approved an amended version of the County Executive’s 2025 Operating Budget. The legislature noted that there will be an additional $8.3 million in spending that will be offset by net revenue from Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025.

“County Executive [Ed] Romaine’s (R-Center Moriches) budget was fair, responsible and well-crafted, said Deputy Presiding Officer Steve Flotteron (R-Brightwaters), chairman of the Legislative Operating Budget Working Group and Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee.

“My colleagues and I agreed that the budget took into account our needs and bipartisan priorities, without some of the budgetary gimmicks employed in previous years.”

to various agencies. According to the Legislature’s Budget Review Office, the 2024 estimate for sales tax is increased and the 2025 recommended revenue for interest and earnings is increased to offset the net cost of all of these actions.

Flotteron noted for example that monies will account for the hiring of new police officers, an investment in cybersecurity (following the devastating ransomware attack in 2022), and investments in personnel and employee compensation.

a $2 billion Electron-ion collider for Brookhaven National Laboratory.

At the age of twenty-three, Zeldin became the youngest attorney in New York State at the time. He also served four years on active duty in the U.S. Army, where he had roles as a military intelligence officer, prosecutor and military magistrate. In 2006, he deployed to Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Division as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He continues to serve a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Before serving in Congress, he was in the New York State Senate from 2010 to 2014. In 2022, he ran for governor against incumbent Kathy Hochul (D). Despite losing the race, he collected more votes for a Republican candidate since Nelson Rockefeller (R) over fifty years ago. Because of his strong performance, according to Trump’s post, the GOP was able to flip many “blue” Congressional seats in the suburban areas, resulting in the Republicans taking back the House of Representatives.

“It is an honor to join President Trump’s Cabinet as EPA Administrator,” Zeldin posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.”

This article originally appeared in Long Island Life and Politics. For more from LILP, visit them online at lilifepolitics.com.

Flotteron noted that other county budgets in the past have relied on “one-shots” that he described as “temporary, unsustainable, or unreliable.” He also said the budget has done away with “unrealistic revenue projections.” With no legislator voting against the budget amendments, the omnibus legislation corrects overstated revenue and understated expenses, fixes technical errors, adds funding associated with the issuance of Tax Anticipation Notes, provides additional funding for Legal Aid, maintenance of Health facilities, recreational opportunities, contracted agencies, and computers for the Legislature.

Further, the measures add revenue from the Vanderbilt endowment for capital projects pursuant to local law and distributes Hotel/Motel funding

“Our legislative priorities for public safety, enhancing employee recruitment and retention, and aid to contract agencies providing vital services, were taken into account in a solid, fair and responsible budget,” he said. “On the heels of two bond rating increases for the County, we’re moving in the right direction.”

Flotteron also praised County Executive Ed Romaine for his fiscal responsibility which he said resulted in two bond upgrades in the first nine months of Romaine’s administration.

“Our fiscal improvements –including staying under New York State’s 2% property tax cap – are all the more impressive considering dramatic cost increases in critical areas, such as mandated pension costs, health insurance and prescription drug costs, and the loss of approximately $8 million in expected revenue from red light cameras,” he said.

This article originally appeared in Long Island Life and Politics. For more from LILP, visit them online at lilifepolitics.com.

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Key Changes Announced for Suffolk County Child Protective Services

As previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics, Tierney released a grand jury report that showed that CPS staffers did not perform their due diligence when investigating the abuse Valva suffered at the hands of his father and his father’s girlfriend. Of the eleven reports sent to CPS, the agency found ten of them to be “unfounded;” those reports were later sealed, which meant they could not be accessed by law enforcement.

“We worked tirelessly with our partners to make sure these recommendations were not just that — recommendations — but turned to action and real change,” Tierney said.

Since Romaine took office, “there has been a sea change” in the CPS system, Tierney said. “The amount of collaboration has been very gratifying. … This collaboration … is to make sure that something that happened with Thomas Valva and his brothers never occurs again.”

Valva’s death was very personal to Romaine. “He lived in my community, he sat next to my grandson in elementary school,” he recalled. “We had to tell my grandson that [Valva] was not coming back.”

The List of Changes

Major Quality Improvements of Suffolk’s Family and Children’s Administration Recognized by New York State: The New York State’s Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) recently published its 2024 Program Quality Improvement Review for Suffolk County in the areas of Child Protective Services, Preventative/Protective Services and Foster Care.

The report indicates that Suffolk County Family and Children Services demonstrated a substantial improvement in all areas, with many categories reaching the 100% compliance rate. The review of Suffolk’s Family and Children’s Services Administrator is a key indicator that Suffolk’s efforts to improve case practice has been impactful and has further renewed the County’s commitment to provide Suffolk DSS with the immediate tools needed to best serve Suffolk County’s families.

“There has to be transparency in the way we conduct our work,” Imhof said, “and there has to be accountability.”

Using Blind Removals from the Child Removal Process: Suffolk County implemented the Blind Removal policy on all CPS removals of children from their families.

“There is no identifying information about the subjects in the investigation,” said the new social services commissioner, Dr. John Imhof, said. “We don’t know [the children’s] names, where they are, where they go to school, what their parents do for a living.

Blind removal meetings were created to facilitate an unbiased decision-making process in which a caseworker does not disclose any personal and demographic information about a child/family when information about the case is being presented to directors, assistant directors, and others before a removal of a child from their family is initiated. The goal is to reduce bias in the decision-making process.

“We all have unconscious stereotypes in our minds,” said the new social services commissioner, Dr. John Imhof. “They have to be eliminated … Without that objectivity, stereotypes jump in, stereotypes sway the decision-making process.”

Co-Location of CPS Abuse Teams to the Child Advocacy Center: Next month, Child Protection Services (CPS) will relocate caseworkers assigned to the CPS Teams investigating allegations of child abuse to the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in Central Islip. CPS Caseworkers will be able to work in tandem with Law Enforcement and attorneys from the District Attorney and County Attorney’s office while investigating a case involving child abuse. This, according to the county, will reduce victim trauma.

Interagency Collaboration through Joint Trainings: Since March 2024, DSS has organized numerous interagency training courses on a range of crucial topics, including child protection, trauma-informed care, forensic interviewing, and the multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach to child abuse investigations. These training courses have been attended by DSS Child Protective Services employees, the Suffolk County Police Department, and attorneys from both the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and County Attorney’s Office.

Tierney said the county started its own training program after he found the state’s training program was “woefully inadequate.”

Legal Training with the Suffolk County Attorney’s Office: In 2024, the County Attorney’s Office Family Court/DSS Bureau, in collaboration with the DSS’ Family and Children Services Administration (FCSA), worked diligently to enhance the attorneyclient relationship by implementing a training program among professionals so that both sides could learn from each other as they handle sensitive abuse and neglect matters as a comprehensive and collaborative team.

The Return of Adult Protective Services to Family and Children’s Services Division: In September 2024, the County’s Adult Protective Services (APS) division was returned under the umbrella of the Family and Children’s Services Administration of DSS so that APS could shift their focus as a casework and a needs assessmentbased program offering not only entitlement to benefits – but also support services. As a result, APS and CPS will work in greater collaboration regarding cases so that Developmentally Disabled youths nearing the age of majority will be provided appropriate and ongoing adult services.

Specialized Training by Daemen College Regarding Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental; Disabilities: In 2024, more than 170 DSS employees attended courses hosted by Daemen College, which is considered one of the top health sciences educators in New York, where case workers received heightened training in relation to working with individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD).

Employees were further educated about the characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of disabilities such as Autism, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, Fragile X, Down Syndrome, Prader Willi, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Language and Learning Disorders. Training also focused on understanding challenging behavior in children and youth.

Countywide Multidisciplinary Training to Serve, Protect and Advocate for Vulnerable Populations: DSS, in collaboration with New York State Children’s Alliance, the Suffolk County Executive, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and Suffolk’s EAC/Child Advocacy Center, will provide specialized training for Suffolk County’s frontline workers on how to serve, protect, and advocate for vulnerable populations including children and adults with disabilities, mental health disorders, and older adults through trainings, expert consultation, peer review and behavioral analysis. This training focuses on the skills necessary to interview, prosecute, investigate and protect these vulnerable populations.

Supervisor Training for FCSA Employees: The Department of Social Services will increase training for its Supervisory Staff to develop a Child Welfare Family Centered Clinical Model of Supervision within the Family and Children’s Services Division. This newly developed model focuses on providing middle management with advanced training on the actions, responses and decision-making of each case worker in ensuring a child’s safety and providing the necessary services for the children and their families. The model includes increased support for caseworkers in decisionmaking, handling crisis and to build worker competence.

Safety and Security of DSS Caseworkers and Staff: DSS, in collaboration with Suffolk County Fire and Rescue Emergency Services, has contracted with Motorola Solutions to provide more than 600 DSS employees with the RAVE/Guardian Panic Button mobile app. With the push of a button, the app instantly communicates any type of emergency to 911, while simultaneously connecting to Suffolk Fire and Rescue and DSS Leadership personnel.

Emotional and Psychological Wellbeing of DSS Caseworkers and Staff: Child welfare system employees can experience burnout and compassion fatigue due to the high-stress and traumatic situations they encounter. To safeguard the overall wellness of its workers, DSS is providing additional support services of its employees so they can manage the high stress and emotional trauma they may encounter as a result of their work helping children and families.

In addition, Romaine said he will work with CPS to aggressively recruit new caseworkers, reduce the caseloads of current caseworkers and implement pay raises. Dr. Sylvia Diaz, Deputy County Executive for Health, Human Services and Education, said the starting salary is $61,000 a year, but she said that is not enough. Suffolk County Legislator Trish Bergin (R-East Islip) agreed.

“We need to provide a lifestyle for those who work so desperately to save and help the children of these counties. Some of these folks at DSS who hand out food stamps for a living, qualify for food stamps themselves.”

In addition to implementing key policy changes, Romaine spoke of a recent conference, “Creating Transformational Change for Families Involved with the Child Protective System.” The conference took place on November 8 at the Van Nostrand Theatre at Suffolk Community College, located at 1001 Crooked Hill Road in Brentwood. The keynote speaker was Katie Beers, who was part of the Child Protective Services (CPS) system for years and was kidnapped and kept captive in an underground space in a Bay Shore garage before being freed. She was joined by Carolyn Gusoff, author of Buried Memories, which tells Katie’s story.

“We took significant and swift action to reform the Suffolk County Department of Social Services to ensure that our children who are in Child Protective Services are truly protected,” said Romaine. “In addition to allocating funds to fill vacant positions, provide more efficient services, reform processes and ensure better training, we will continue to work with all levels of government to ensure proper procedures and oversight is in place so that another child does not suffer the same trauma and hardship that Thomas Valva did.”

“We must ensure that we never again have a tragedy like the one that befell Thomas Valva and his brothers,” Tierney said. “I am proud of the work of the Task Force, with the new administration of County Executive Romaine and our Legislature, to make sure that the recommendations of the Grand Jury Report are enacted rather than forgotten.”

“It was important that the grand jury report not sit on the shelf and the true changes be made. We put together a committee to drill down on that report and make the necessary changes to make sure a Thomas Valva case would never happen again,” Bergin said.

This article originally appeared in Long Island Life and Politics. For more from LILP, visit them online at lilifepolitics.com.

November 14, 2024

The Thomas Valva Case is One We’ll Never Forget

Perhaps Suffolk County’s most spectacular ball-drop in recent memory, perhaps tied with the embarrassing 2022 cyber attack, was that of Thomas Valva. Valva, a boy with autism, was forced to sleep in a freezing garage and died of hypothermia. His father and the father’s fiance were co-conspirators in the chronic abuse of the boy, whom teachers had suspected to have been abused eleven times. Thomas was said to have come to school hungry in urine-soaked clothing, sporting suspicious bruises.

These claims were deemed unfounded by Child Protective Services (CPS). The findings of the investigation were shielded from law enforcement, including the county’s top prosecutor, District Attorney Ray Tierney (R). The lack of transparency is considered the top, or even sole, reason that the investigation took as long as it did. Had CPS been more forthright, Valva might still be alive.

It stands to reason that Suffolk County is now looking at overhauling the department. County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches), apart from seeing the obvious incompetence during the Bellone Administration, has personal skin in the game. His grandson sat next to Valva in elementary school; Romaine emotionally told the press that he had to tell his grandson that Valva would not be coming back.

The County is right to increase transparency, and they should increase it as much as permissible. It’s one problem that CPS completely bungled the case, but it’s another that law enforcement and Suffolk’s top prosecutor couldn’t

access the information. It almost makes it seem as if they were intentionally keeping the disturbing secret, perhaps barring an administration that would force accountability.

The County is now stressing better, more stringent training for case workers, as well as more case workers in general. The County is also heralding more than 170 Department of Social Services (DSS) employees who have received specialized training in dealing with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities this year alone. These are both steps in the right direction, but it’s sad that a government agency’s only course of action is to grow simply because of the disaster that was the Steve Bellone (D-West Babylon) Administration.

We’d normally take the default position of shrinking departments, but the opposite is true in this case. This department and the cohort that filled the desks within it made Suffolk County a laughing stock of the country, with the 2022 cyber attack acting only as a squeeze of lemon juice over the paper cut. It’s almost unprecedented just how many “rookie mistakes” were made between these two cases, and we’re thankful we have competent leadership correcting the course, even if they were thrown an unforgivingly dirty bomb.

The Thomas Valva case is one that Suffolk is unlikely to forget, and for good reason. We hope that from the darkest depths of humanity, a new guard can arise and do right by the children who hopefully will never have to face the fate that Thomas Valva did.

Dems Point Fingers While Forgetting Their Own Missteps

The historic comeback of Donald Trump (R-FL) is certainly one for the history books, but just as Republicans are autopsying the election to see what went right for them, Democrats should be eager to get under the hood and figure out how to stave off a landslide defeat in four years.

Unfortunately for them, they seem more intent on placing blame on one another, rather than speaking directly to the voters and asking them what they want.

First, while they practically all blame each other for the dismal performance in this election, at least on the presidential level, none of them are quick to ascribe the loss to Kamala Harris (D-CA). Instead, they insist she ran a “historic” campaign, while Trump had virtually no ground game and made mistake after mistake. They also praise the fact that she “only” had 107 days to get a nationwide presidential campaign off the ground, and given the time she had, she did fairly well.

This thesis ignores that Democrats and Democrats only created the environment in which they now live. In fact, this thesis probably does more to prove the point that Democrats are victims of their own “success.”

The party had plenty of opportunities to primary Joe Biden (D-DE) when they could. Midterm polling often polls the next presidential race, just as a handicap, and many 2022 polls had Harris as a candidate, while Biden was also being polled against Trump. The Harris polls went away until late June, after Biden’s disastrous debate performance, which we can only surmise was a bait-and-switch for Trump.

It was common knowledge that Biden was not mentally up to the task even as early as the pre-COVID portion of his 2020 campaign, but even throughout his administration, the American public has been relentlessly gaslit about just how bad Biden’s faculties were.

Again, as we’ve written before, we believe that what the party did to him is inexcusable, embarrassing, and completely usurped Biden’s ability to write his own legacy. We wish him well and hope he can enjoy the rest of his years unbothered by the modern political arena.

But it doesn’t excuse the fact that Democrats insisted on doing their own rendition of “Weekend at Bernie’s.” In fact, many are now wishing that Bernie Sanders (I-VT) had been the nominee, not just this time, but in 2016. We’ll serve as the casual reminder that rank-and-file Democrats are still incensed about the DNC’s essential rigging of the primary away from him to go with the more establishment pick in Hillary Clinton (D-NY).

This also gives way to another thesis of this election: progressive politics didn’t take down Harris. The rank-and-file on the left are pointing to evidence that Harris had openly walked back more of the progressive tenets of the Democrats’ wish list, and they insist that Sanders would have been the change that they’re looking for.

They miss, however, that Sanders is undeniably progressive in his views, and while he poses perhaps the best foil to Trump out of any other politician who’s galvanized a significant portion of the population with populist overtones, he’s still progressive. Sanders being on the ticket might have helped Democrats, but there was a grassroots shift within the parties towards Trump. Should Trump not deliver on his promises, namely his taxation plans, then that would keep much of the electorate in the balance.

The reason Harris lost this election is not because she shied away from progressive views. It’s because some hot-button progressive takes are simply deemed too far to the left for this country to stomach, with or without Harris’ vocal support on the campaign trail. It’s the same logic they tried to use to discredit a significant Trump coalition. The mere ghost of Donald Trump was seemingly enough to tank the electoral prospects of any generic Republican.

And that reason brings us full circle to our editorial message this week: Democrats defied the midterm curse in 2022, just barely losing control of the House and actually flipping a seat in the Senate in what was supposed to be a wipeout and a referendum on Biden’s policies. The Democrats knew that they had captured lightning in a bottle with the abortion issue and played their hand all the way to the finish line. They were certain they were dealing with not only a much more auspicious floor for the 2024 election, but they also seemed certain that the Trump Era was more or less over. Trump-endorsed candidates, or at least those with a Trump-esque style of politics, lost badly in winnable races. This was all the evidence the left needed to celebrate early ahead of 2024, ensuring that abortion would be the topic that engaged the most single-issue voters and that Trump’s movement was embarrassingly over.

Those assumptions are what lost Harris the White House. We also think that had Biden been the nominee, Trump would have absolutely won in a landslide. Since our presidential forecast was 100% accurate, we believe we’re more equipped than most prognosticators to make that call. In short, electoral defeat was certain for Democrats. They overplayed their hands where it ultimately didn’t make much of a difference and prioritized those strategies over winning issues. It doesn’t take a historian or electoral genius to know that the candidate who wins on the economy, barring extenuating circumstances like a pandemic, is the one who wins the election. Trump had those numbers on Harris in spades, but the political savants across the country seemed to buy into Democrats’ optimism, however accurate it was for a short period of time.

Since electoral defeat was near-certain for the Democrats, they had to pick a candidate to galvanize as much of their base and stem their losses as best as possible. In this regard, Kamala Harris was the utilitarian pick. Her candidacy produced the best net happiness or comfort over the greatest net disadvantages. She turned out women and stemmed losses with them, although suburban white women appear to have been won by Trump, and she was able to stem losses among minority voters who prioritized identity politics over actual policies.

The once-impenetrable Democratic coalition of women, minorities, and laborers has mostly fallen apart, but will only remain intact if Trump cannot deliver on his gargantuan fiscal policies.

Nancy Pelosi (D, CA-11) now says that she wished that there was an open primary to allow a better candidate and perhaps live up to the name of their party instead of letting filthy-rich power brokers decide Harris was their best bet. We agree with the former Speaker, but we can’t help but quote her own words back that Biden was a “perfect president.” Pelosi didn’t see the need to disrupt power until Democrats had gotten everything they wanted from Biden, but Pelosi also didn’t balk at a Harris candidacy either.

Their own hubris lost them this election in a stunning fashion and their own hubris will lose them the next one in a landslide if they can’t help themselves from casting blame on each other.

But no one has received a bigger glob of spit in their faces than the voters. Democrats instantly turned on their base, claiming that the turnout wasn’t there, women didn’t value their “rights” that are supposed to evaporate the second Trump takes the oath of office, and minorities bought into a snake oil campaign. They can’t stop for just one moment to see why their candidate lost and why their platform just isn’t palatable to a majority of the country.

At this rate, they seem to be hedging all of their bets on Trump not delivering on his promises. That way, they don’t actually have to change the fabric of their party and keep the country in the eternal throes of reactionary politics instead of delivering substantial change.

Peanut the Squirrel Debacle Tells You Everything You Need to Know About NY’s Priorities

By Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

Earlier this month, news that Peanut the Squirrel was euthanized shocked millions of Americans and fans of the rescue pet. Peanut was captured along with a raccoon named Fred and both were put down by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) shortly after his caretaker’s Pine City home was raided. The entire operation, including the substantial use of resources involved in the ordeal, highlights the state’s stunning lack of awareness of how public money and resources should be used.

There are so many things wrong with how this all played out. The DEC had no issue raiding the home of a man who runs an animal sanctuary to confiscate and kill his pet squirrel at a time when real crime and public safety issues continue to destroy communities. Rightfully, questions about the use of state resources to conduct a raid considering New York’s existing fiscal challenges abound.

There were countless ways this situation could have been addressed differently, and the reality is the matter was handled with no regard for compassion and nuance. While the DEC’s official explanation comes down to a rabies test, it’s unclear if there was any evidence the pet was sick. Regulations calling for a quarantine period

to observe the pet for symptoms seemed to have been ignored.

In response to the ordeal, Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz (R,C-Oyster Bay) has authored “Peanut’s Law: Humane Animal Protection Act” to prevent something like this from happening again. Some of the key provisions of the proposal are as follows:

• 72-hour waiting period: A mandatory minimum 72-hour pause before euthanizing any sanctuary animal, giving sanctuary operators time to respond, arrange veterinary care and appeal.

• Emergency appeal rights: A dedicated DEC review board of experts will evaluate appeals within 48 hours, ensuring each case receives immediate attention.

• Clear ‘Immediate Risk’ criteria: Euthanization can only bypass the waiting period if a licensed veterinarian confirms a direct, immediate risk to public safety.

• Transparent reporting: DEC would be required to publish quarterly reports on animal seizures and release testing results within seven days if euthanization occurs.

• Sanctuary recognition: Peanut’s Law defines animal sanctuaries as registered, tax-identified entities, upholding their rights.

Rules and regulations regarding pets and wildlife are important and exist for a reason. However, this was a brazen and baffling incident that quickly gained international attention – for all the wrong reasons. We can do much better than this going forward, and I sincerely hope the lessons learned from this unfortunate situation resonate with those making decisions about rescue animal care.

If you have any questions or comments on this or any other state issue, or if you would like to be added to my mailing list or receive my newsletter, please contact my office. My office can be reached by mail at 19 Canalview Mall, Fulton, NY 13069 and by email at barclayw@nyassembly.gov. You may also find me, Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, on Facebook or Twitter at @WillABarclay.

Assemblyman Will Barclay (R-Pulaski) is the Assembly Minority Leader and has represented the 120th Assembly District since 2003. The 120th District contains most of Oswego County and parts of Jefferson and Onondaga counties.

The AP’s Leftward Bias Confirmed in Post-Election Coverage

By Steve Levy

The Associated Press’ coverage of Donald Trump’s election illustrates that this once-proud and prestigious institution of the fourth estate is now just another left-wing rag refusing to hear the message that emanated from the American public in this most recent election.

Their post-election article gave the appearance that Trump miraculously was able to win an election despite his insurmountable flaws. The article focused only on Trump‘s negatives, including statements that he had, according to the AP, engaged in racist attacks against his opponent, while demonizing immigrants.

Here’s a tidbit:

“The victory validates his bare-knuckles approach to politics. He attacked his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, in deeply personal — often misogynistic and racist — terms as he pushed an apocalyptic picture of a country overrun by violent migrants. The coarse rhetoric, paired with an image of hypermasculinity, resonated with angry voters — particularly men — in a polarized nation.” (“Trump Topples ‘Blue Wall,’ Reclaims Office,” as seen on Page A2 of Newsday’s November 7 paper)

Nowhere in the article was a reference made to Trump overcoming charges by Democrats that he was a Nazi. The AP belittled Trump’s criticism of Harris’ open- border policies by claiming it was Trump and his rhetoric that was the problem.

Nothing in the article pointed to the horrific decisions made by the Biden-Harris administration that pushed so many Hispanics, young people, new voters and non-traditional Republicans to vote against the Harris-Walz ticket.

The lesson to be learned from this most recent election is that, if either party leans too much to either extreme, the American public will selfcorrect. In this case, we had a Biden-Harris administration that set the world on fire with its appeasing, risk-avoidance strategy employed for tyrants around the world — from Russia’s Putin to the Iranian mullahs to Xi in China.

Extravagant spending by the Democrats pushed interest rates north of 7% and made our trip to the grocery store 20% more expensive. And they purposely let in 10 to 20 million illegal immigrants for the purpose of creating a new pool of

Letter to the Editor

loyal voters.

Additionally, the general weakness of Democratic prosecutors around the nation allowing violent offenders to walk the streets solidified the perspective of the silent majority that things were getting out of control. Just like Richard Nixon’s election was a message to the 60s radicals, Trump’s election in 2024 is a counter to the woke elements in today’s culture.

The lefties at the Associated Press just don’t get it. They think their job is to be advocates rather than just telling us the news. Media outlets around the nation should think twice about publishing their garbage without noting that they are merely opinion pieces that belong on the editorial pages.

This op-ed originally appeared in Long Island Life and Politics. For more from LILP, visit them online at lilifepolitics.com.

Dear Editor,

Why not celebrate Sunday, November 17, National Baklava Day all year long? Top off your lunch or dinner with something sweet for dessert. Order a piece of Baklava at the end of the meal at your favorite Greek Restaurant or order it in if you feel like dining with family rather than strangers. Baklava is always our go-to dish for dessert all year round. Baklava consists of thirty or more sheets of phyllo dough brushed with lots of butter, and layered with finely chopped

pistachios, walnuts, and/or almonds. Who better than the Greeks to make this tasty treat? A slice of Baklava will put a smile on your face. Just don’t get up and start dancing to block the aisle! Opa!

Sincerely, Larry & Wendy Penner Great Neck

Suffolk County Leaders Honor Veterans at Long Island State Veterans Home Celebration

By Cait Crudden

This past week, community members, Veterans, and public officials commemorated Veterans Day at the Long Island State Veterans Home in Stony Brook. The event, which attracted attendees from across Suffolk County, including, but not limited to, Assemblyman Doug Smith (R-Holbrook), Suffolk County Legislator Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset), Comptroller John Kennedy (R-Nesconset), Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa (C-Selden), and State Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James), was held as a tribute to Veterans and their dedicated service to the nation. This year’s keynote speaker, Legislator Chad Lennon (C-Rocky Point), a U.S. Marine Veteran, delivered an impactful address on the importance of honoring the sacrifices made by all Veterans.

Legislator Lennon (pictured in middle photo), known for his service both in the military and in public office, reflected on the enduring spirit of service shared by the nation’s Veterans. His remarks underscored the significance of Veterans Day and encouraged the community to recognize and support Veterans who continue to enrich the community through their experiences and leadership. Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) also addressed attendees, echoing the message of gratitude and respect for Veterans who have selflessly protected the freedoms Americans hold dear.

The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the Long Island State Veterans Home Distinguished Service Award, an honor bestowed annually on an individual who demonstrates exceptional dedication to Veterans. This year’s award went to John LaSpina, President of Maple Family Bowling Centers, recognized for his significant contributions to Veterans’ causes. LaSpina’s commitment to the Veteran community was celebrated as an example of the power of community support in honoring and uplifting Veterans. His work

has helped strengthen Veterans’ resources in Suffolk County, making him a well-deserved recipient of this year’s Distinguished Service Award.

The event was steeped in patriotic spirit, beginning with an invocation and benediction led by multiple religious leaders, symbolizing the unity of faith in honoring those who served. The color guard, composed of members from the Suffolk County Chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America, proudly displayed the colors, adding to the solemnity of the occasion. Their participation was a reminder of the rich history and traditions upheld by Veterans from all branches of service.

Musician John Ciotta contributed to the event’s atmosphere, performing a selection of patriotic songs that resonated deeply with the audience. Ciotta’s music served as a heartfelt tribute to those in attendance, honoring Veterans through melodies that captured the pride and resilience of the American spirit.

Robert Smith, U.S. Navy Veteran and Chairman of the Long Island State Veterans Home governing body, also spoke, paying homage to the Veterans in the audience. Smith emphasized the importance of facilities like the Long Island State Veterans Home in providing not only care but also a supportive community for those who served. The Veterans Home, known for its dedication to resident well-being, annually hosts this event as part of its commitment to honor Veterans throughout the year

The Veterans Day celebration was a moving tribute for all who attended, blending ceremony, music, and community to pay homage to those who served in the armed forces. The Long Island State Veterans Home’s dedication to preserving and honoring the legacy of Veterans was evident in every aspect of the event, from the opening invocation to the closing benediction.

As Suffolk County continues to honor its Veterans, events like this serve as a reminder of the deep appreciation the community holds for those who served. Suffolk County stands united in its commitment to honoring Veterans and ensuring their sacrifices are remembered and respected.

Kerry J. Maher Lic. Manager & Director

Kenneth Maher, Jr. Lic. Director

This Week Today

National, State and Local Temperature Checks

By Matt Meduri National

Republicans are projected to retain control of the U.S. House of Representatives, albeit by a razor-thin margin and one slightly less than the 227 seats The Messenger had forecasted.

The deciding seat appears to have come from CO-08, a district that was formed after the results of the 2020 Census, giving Colorado another congressional district and electoral vote. Yadira Caraveo (D, CO-08) had narrowly won the seat in 2022, despite polling headwinds, but failed to win a second term.

Congressman-elect Gabe Evans (R) is finishing his first term in the Colorado House of Representatives. Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) has projected Evans to oust Caraveo by just over one point, or about 2,500 votes out of over 300,000 ballots cast.

Colorado will now have a split House delegation, with four seats each controlled by either party, but Evans starts as an underdog in the 2026 midterms, where Democrats are, based on conventional political wisdom, favorites to retake the lower chamber.

The GOP has also held important battleground districts, such as AZ-06, CA-41, and CA-22. Republicans have flipped seven seats, NC-06, NC-13, NC-14, PA-07, PA-08, MI-07, and CO-08, while Democrats have also flipped seven seats, NY07, NY-19, NY-22, AL-02, LA-06, OR-05, and CA-27. As of now, no party is experiencing a net gain, but the GOP appears favored to have a net gain of just one seat after all votes are counted.

Currently, DDHQ has the GOP at 219 seats to 211 for the Democrats. DDHQ has not called CA-13 and AK-AL, where Republicans are leading, as well as CA-09 and CA-21, where Democrats are narrowly leading.

As it pertains to our forecast, we’re off by six seats in the raw count, but the GOP has won the majority, in line, more or less, with our forecast. We missed several races, but no seats have flipped that weren’t on our “Upset Alert” list.

The map above shows dark red/blue seats as having been held by the respective party, with medium red/blue seats showing flips for the respective party, and the light red/blue seats (just three in California and the sole seat in Alaska) show where the respective party currently leads the vote count.

Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump (R-FL) is assembling his Cabinet, choosing Long Island’s favorite son Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (more on this on Page 4).

In addition, Trump announced his first pick on election night: Susie Wiles for Chief of Staff. Wiles, one of his two campaign managers, will be the first female White House Chief of Staff.

Trump has selected Tom Homan as his “border czar,” who promises sweeping deportations of illegal immigrants and will serve as Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R, NY-21) has been selected as the Ambassador to the United Nations. Stefanik took the post of House Republican Conference Chair in 2021, when then-Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R, WY-AL) was ousted in her primary.

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has been tapped as Trump’s Secretary of State. Should he be confirmed by the Senate, Rubio will be the first Latino to serve in the role. He will be the de facto leader of Trump’s foreign policy.

Pete Hegseth, a Fox News commentator and Veteran, if confirmed by the Senate, will serve as Secretary of Defense.

Congressman Mike Waltz (R, FL-06) is Trump’s pick for National Security Advisor. Waltz is a retired Army Green Beret who was elected to Congress in 2018.

In perhaps the most historic of the picks, Trump has selected 2022 presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy (ROH) and CEO of SpaceX and X, the latter formerly known as Twitter, Elon Musk to lead the newly-created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and

restructure Federal Agencies,” according to Trump in a statement.

The Department’s acronym is a reference to a popular Internet meme and a dark-horse cryptocurrency that ballooned in value in 2021.

As his Ambassador to Israel, Trump is picking former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (R), who briefly ran for president in 2016.

Governor Kristi Noem (R-SD) is set to serve as Homeland Security Secretary, while John Ratcliffe (R-TX) is set to make a comeback as CIA Director, after previously serving as the Director of National Intelligence during the latter half of Trump’s first term.

However, Trump is petitioning a former Democrat to enter the Cabinet as his Director of National Intelligence: former Congresswoman and 2020 presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard (R-HI). After representing Hawaii in Congress from 2013 to 2021 and after serving as Vice Chair of the Democratic National Conference from 2013 to 2016, Gabbard ran for president as a Democrat in 2020. She famously sat out the impeachment vote of Trump in 2019 and became perhaps one of his most startling surrogates on the campaign trail. The American Samoa-born Gabbard earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Army and is still active in the branch.

Trump has also nominated Congressman Matt Gaetz (R, FL-01) as his Attorney General, a move that will likely see a contentious Senate hearing and nominating process. Trump has also flirted with the idea of Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) serving in that position as well.

Kash Patel is also on Trump’s shortlist for a national security post, while Linda McMahon (R-CT) is on deck as his Commerce Secretary. McMahon is the co-founder and former CEO of WWE, who, along with her husband, Vince, have been longtime friends of Trump. McMahon served in his Cabinet as the Director of the Small Business Administration and ran twice for U.S. Senate in Connecticut in 2010 and 2012.

State

Election results are still coming in, but two Long Island seats have changed party hands, while two still hang in the balance.

The two seats that have changed hands are in Nassau County. In the Twenty-First Assembly District, Assemblyman Brian Curran (R-Lynbrook) has lost his seat in yet another rematch with former Assemblywoman Judy Griffin (D-Rockville Centre). Griffin ousted Curran in 2018, only for Curran to oust her in 2022. Now, Griffin has won another rematch, taking 52% of the vote to Curran’s 48%.

Also in Nassau County, Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti (D-Manorhaven) has lost to Daniel Norber (R-Great Neck), a dual citizen of the U.S. and Israel, becoming the first Republican to represent this district in over fifty years. The seat was once represented by now-State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (D-Great Neck Plaza). Trump carried the historicallyblue district by 2,000 votes, sweeping Norber into office. The district includes a large Jewish population, concentrated in areas like Manhasset, Merrick, Port Washington, Roslyn, Searingtown, Williston Park, New Hyde Park, and Garden City.

Meanwhile, residents of the two Suffolk seats, the Fourth and Eleventh Assembly districts, are still awaiting returns.

In the Fourth District, one-term Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson) is narrowly trailing former Port Jefferson Trustee and Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay (D-Port Jefferson). Kassay leads by just 50.2% to Flood’s 49.8%. The race has not yet been called. The district includes the Three Village area, as well as Poquott, Port Jefferson, Port Jefferson Station, Terryville, Belle Terre, and parts of Centereach, Selden, Coram, and Gordon Heights.

In the Eleventh District, a razor-thin margin of just one vote continues to separate Joe Cardinale (R-Amityville) and Kwani O’Pharrow (D-West Babylon) in the race to succeed retiring Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre (D-Wheatley Heights). However, O’Pharrow leads by about two hundred votes in the few neighborhoods of Massapequa Park the district contains.

Cardinale’s campaign team told The Messenger that no call has been made.

Local

Suffolk County and New York State have requested a moratorium on burning until the end of the month, citing dry conditions and a near-forty-five-day-absence of rain, only interrupted by a half-inch of rain on Sunday night.

The dry conditions have sparked fires in Orange County, to which Suffolk County has lent the services and equipment of ten fire departments to aid in controlling the blaze. The first round of firefighters returned Tuesday night and there might be another round going Upstate late this week and over the weekend, according to our conversations with Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services (FRES) and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM).

Firefighters and trucks from Central Islip, Eastport, Amagansett, Dix Hills, Huntington, West Islip, East Marion, and Orient have all aided in the Orange County fires.

Meanwhile, back home in Suffolk, officials are investigating an alleged arson case started by none other than a firefighter.

Jonathan Quiles, 20, was arrested on Tuesday night after camera footage linked him to a brush fire that broke out in Medford. It took firefighters six hours to put out the fires near Mount Vernon Avenue. The fires damaged a 2004 Chevrolet parked nearby, but no injuries or extensive property damage were reported.

“It’s unfortunate that this turned out to be a volunteer firefighter, but no one is above the law and his regrettable actions imperiled his brother and sister firefighters,” said Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico (R-Center Moriches). “I hope that this arrest will serve as a warning and a cautionary tale against those who may want to repeat these regrettable actions.”

Quiles is charged with five misdemeanor counts of arson and one felony count of arson, according to Suffolk County Police Commissioner Robert Waring. No motive has been identified; the investigation is still active.

New York continues to see its driest period in nearly 160 years.

Mazzarella, Caracappa Join Mastic Beach American Legion Post 1533 for New Parking Lot Paving Project

By Cait Crudden

Last Thursday, Suffolk County Legislator Jim Mazzarella (R-Moriches) joined forces with fellow Legislator Nick Caracappa (C-Selden), American Legion Post 1533 Commander Kenn Brown, and Former Post Commander Rick Rossi to celebrate the paving of the post’s newly resurfaced parking lot. The project, made possible through the generosity of Suffolk Paving Corp and Affatato Paving, marks a significant improvement for the longstanding veterans’ organization. Both companies donated labor and materials, creating a fresh new look for the post that has been a mainstay of the Mastic Beach community for decades.

Post 1533, widely recognized for its dedication to veterans, servicemembers, and the local community, has long been a central gathering point for those with a commitment to patriotism and service. The paving project, which has been in the works for over a year, came to fruition thanks to the persistent efforts of Post Commander Kenn Brown. Commander Brown had initially approached Legislator Mazzarella to discuss the need for a safer and more accessible parking area, and, following several months of planning and coordination, that vision has now been realized.

Legislator Mazzarella, an ardent supporter of Veteran services, partnered with Legislator Caracappa, who chairs the Veterans Committee to handle the logistics of the project. Both legislators played pivotal roles in coordinating with local businesses to secure the necessary resources without straining public funds. Suffolk Paving Corp and Affatato Paving stepped up to contribute to the cause, providing labor and materials that ensured the project could be completed efficiently and effectively. The freshly paved lot offers a safer, more accessible area for members and visitors, allowing them to gather at the post with ease and comfort.

The resurfacing of the parking lot is more than a functional improvement; it represents the collective commitment of the community to support its veterans and honor their service. Post 1533 has a longstanding tradition of providing resources, camaraderie, and assistance to veterans and active-duty members. By updating the facility, the American Legion aims to maintain a welcoming environment for current and future members, along with the families and community members who

visit regularly for various events and programs.

For years, Post 1533 has hosted community events, gatherings, and support programs, often in collaboration with local organizations. As a cornerstone of veteran support in the area, the post emphasizes the importance of service and sacrifice. By addressing the facility’s needs, including the parking lot’s repaving, the American Legion reaffirms its dedication to providing a secure, respectful space where veterans and community members can connect.

Reflecting on the project, Legislator Mazzarella expressed appreciation for the generous support of Suffolk Paving Corp and Affatato Paving, as well as for the ongoing collaboration with Commander Brown and the American Legion. The partnership demonstrates a shared commitment to supporting veterans and enhancing the resources available to them. As Post 1533 continues its work, the improved facility will help extend its reach and accommodate a growing community.

“It’s always important to give back to those who have sacrificed so much in service to our country. The men and women of the American Legion Post in Mastic Beach not only served our country in the Armed Forces, but they continue to serve our community,” said Legislator Mazzarella. “I am truly grateful to both Suffolk Paving Corporation and Affatato Paving for their generous donations. A special thank you also goes to Legislator Caracappa for partnering with me on this effort”.

“Today was a special day in giving back to our veterans. Suffolk County honors its veterans and greatly appreciates the services and sacrifices they have all made in their service to our country, and we are committed to ensure every veteran receives the services and resources that they need and deserve,” remarked Legislator Caracappa.

The project stands as a testament to what can be accomplished when local businesses, community leaders, and veterans’ organizations work together for a common purpose. The upgraded parking lot at Post 1533 is just one of many steps the Mastic Beach community is taking to honor its veterans and ensure they receive the respect and support they deserve.

American Legion Post #1533 is located at 110 Mastic Beach Road in Mastic Beach.

Paving Project in East Setauket Completed Paving Project in Shirley Completed

Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Daniel P. Losquadro (R-Shoreham) and Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) have announced the completion of a 16-road paving project in an East Setauket neighborhood just north of Route 347, off of Pond Path.

Prior to resurfacing the roadways, both in-house and contracted crews worked to inspect and replace damaged drains, concrete curbing, sidewalk and aprons at a cost of $240,185.

Roads paved as part of this project include: 18th Street, 23rd Street, Baron Court, Club House Court, Krispin Lane, Krispin Place, Mark Tree Road, Penn Court, Robert Crescent Drive, Robin Court, Spring Meadow Lane, Stuyvesant Avenue, Stuyvesant Circle E, Stuyvesant Circle W, Stuyvesant Lane, and Tree Court.

The total cost for this paving project was approximately $762,000.

“We utilized both our in-house and contracted crews to complete all of the concrete repairs and improvements in this area before paving could begin,” said Superintendent Losquadro. “I am very pleased with how this project came out.”

Councilmember Kornreich said, “Ensuring our roads are well-maintained is essential for the safety of our residents. Thank you, Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro, and your team for your work on the resurfacing project in our community. We appreciate your collaboration with our office to address concerns in my district. I’d also like to thank our residents and encourage you to keep sharing what you’re seeing on the roads and how the Town of Brookhaven can support you.”

Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Daniel P. Losquadro (R-Shoreham) and Councilwoman Karen Dunne Kesnig (R-Manorville) have announced the completion of a 21-road paving project in Shirley.

Prior to paving, crews completed drainage maintenance and replaced damaged concrete aprons and curbing prior to resurfacing the following roadways: Cumberland Street, Essex Circle, Floyd Road, Floyd Road North, Fulton Place, Hampton Avenue, Hawthorne Street, Jefferson Place, Lexington Road North, Madison Street, Main Avenue, Monroe Street, Moriches Avenue, Ormond Place, Ostend Circle, Patchogue Avenue/Northern Boulevard, Reeves Place, Shinnecock Avenue, Somerset Avenue, Southaven Avenue and Van Buren Street. The total cost for this paving project was approximately $1.5 million.

“This paving project involved a great deal of drainage upgrades before the resurfacing of the roadways could commence,” said Losquadro. “I am grateful that we were able to include the paving of this neighborhood in our 2024 paving season.”

Councilwoman Dunne Kesnig said, “We are committed to improving our roadways and will continue to work with our Highway Department and Superintendent Losquadro to identify the areas of greatest need. While ideally, we would love to pave every road more frequently, we strive to get as much done with the resources we have.”

Passing Down Sachem School Spirit

A generation of Sachem students passed down their school spirit to the next at the first-ever Sachem kindergarten-senior walk on October 24. The kindergarten class from each of Sachem’s 10 elementary schools visited the high school on their side of the district. They lined up at one end of the football field while members of the senior class who went to their elementary school lined up at the opposite endzone. The seniors met the kindergartners at the 50-yard line to “pass on the torch” and welcome the youngest students into the Sachem family. The seniors gifted them bracelets and pins and spent time talking to the kindergartners.

The event took place ahead of the Sachem East vs. North football game on October 26 and helped instill Sachem spirit across the entire school community. All who took part recognized the importance of the legacy each Sachem graduating class leaves behind.

Thanking Our Vets in Three Village

Ahead of Veterans Day, students across Three Village participated in activities and service projects to thank local veterans. At Arrowhead Elementary School, students wrote cards of gratitude and designed posters to be donated to the Northport VA. Similarly, at Minnesauke Elementary School, fourth graders created posters and cards for the residents at the Long Island State Veterans Home in Stony Brook. At Minnesauke, Mrs. Beck and Mrs. Henkowitz’s fifth grade class also made goodie bags and placemats for Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. Tracy Bogush, a Minnesauke staff member, volunteers at Cooking for Long Island Veterans and takes the bags and placemats when she delivers food each week.

‘Deadliest Catch’s’ Nick Tokman Inspires Bayport-Blue

Point Students

Best known for his role on Discovery Channel’s Emmy winning show “Deadliest Catch,” speaker Nick “Sunshine” Tokman (pictured right) visited Academy Street Elementary and Bayport-Blue Point High School to deliver his motivational message, “Become your captain: catch your future.”

Nick’s message empowers students to overcome obstacles and negative distractions that prevent them from connecting with who they are so they can achieve their definition of success. During his presentation, Nick talked to students about dealing with peer pressure, remaining focused to achieve their goals, overcoming adversity, leveraging failure for success and how students can make the best decisions for themselves.

School Highlights

STEM In Action in Shoreham-Wading River

Shoreham-Wading River’s Miller Avenue School K-2 students had an engaging activity that introduced them to computer science as they collaborated to code Indi robot vehicles.

Working in the school library with Eastern Suffolk BOCES Models school coach Carrie McGuire and library media specialist Brittany LaValle, the imaginative, play-based learning empowered the students to brainstorm how to build their own mazes while enhancing computational thinking skills.

“Educationally, I witnessed the highest levels of student engagement in problem-solving while they learned sequential programming with a fun activity,” Shoreham-Wading River’s Director of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Dr. Joe Paolicelli said.

Comsewogue High School Kicks Off Homecoming with a Bonfire and Dance

Students at Comsewogue High School in the Comsewogue School District kicked off an exciting homecoming weekend on October 25. Students represented their sports teams and clubs at a commemorative bonfire before dressing to the nines for the District’s annual homecoming dance.

“Our bonfire and homecoming dance are an exciting way to unite our students and celebrate the start of an exciting weekend,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jennifer Quinn. “Our students always have an amazing time and show immense pride during these exciting traditions.”

The bonfire and dance contributed to an exciting Saturday full of spirit and pride, which included the homecoming parade, carnival and ribbon cutting to unveil Comsewogue High School’s new courtyard. The District also inducted its newest hall of fame members during a powerful ceremony.

The weekend concluded with a successful homecoming game, during which Comsewogue defeated Amityville with a final score of 42-6.

For more information about the Comsewogue School District, please visit the District’s website at https://www.comsewogue. k12.ny.us/. Happenings in the District can also be followed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ComsewogueSD.

Breast Cancer Awareness Funds Raised by Middle School Football Team

The Bellport Middle School football team recently donated $2,100 to the American Cancer Society as part of the NFL’s Crucial Catch Against Breast Cancer Breast Cancer Awareness Month fundraiser. To garner the funds, the team handed out flyers in school and to family and friends requesting donations. In the past twelve years, the team has raised and donated over $29,000.

Thursday, November 14, 2024

The Necessary Standard for American Education

By Matt Meduri

Until this past election, Grover Cleveland (D-NY) was the only president to serve two non-consecutive presidential terms. President-elect Donald Trump (R-FL) recently met with President Joe Biden (D-DE) to formally take the keys back to the White House, becoming the first president since 1892 to win a second non-consecutive term and the first Republican ever to do so.

This week, we’ll look at the history of both campaigns and how both men were catapulted back into Washington after a four year absence.

Grover Cleveland - 1885-1889, 1893-1897

Cleveland came from modest upbringings. Born in Caldwell, New Jersey, in 1837, he would leave school in 1853 after his father’s death and later clerked at a law firm in Buffalo before being admitted to the New York bar in 1859. After serving as an assistant district attorney in Erie County, his first elected position would come in the form of Erie County Sheriff from 1871 to 1873, followed by a short term as Mayor of Buffalo during most of 1882. His reputation earned him the nickname of the “veto mayor,” as he was a fiscal stalwart and worked against “waste, fraud, and abuse” before the phrase was “coined” into a sound bite by Trump.

His mayoralty would thrust him into the national spotlight, winning the New York governor’s race in 1882. The election was a landslide for Cleveland, who took all but eight of New York’s sixty-two counties, winning with 58% of the vote.

Cleveland would serve just one term as governor before successfully winning the presidency in 1884.

Cleveland narrowly defeated Congressman James G. Blaine (R-ME) by just 0.5% in the popular vote and 219 electoral votes. At the time, just 201 were needed for victory, as twelve current states had not yet been formed.

Despite his popularity in New York, Cleveland only narrowly won his home state by a razor-thin margin - just 0.10% - but his narrow edge allowed him to flip the White House from Republican control, with then-President Chester A. Arthur (R-NY) unsuccessful in receiving the nomination for a full term. Arthur had never been elected president in his own right, but had ascended to the White House following the assassination of James Garfield (R-OH).

Cleveland’s tough, anti-corruption stances hurt him with perhaps the machine he most needed behind him: Tammany Hall. Then the cornerstone of politics in New York City, Tammany Hall has become synonymous with corruption and machine-like politics. Its foul reputation towards the end of the 1800s virtually guaranteed Cleveland a complicated path to the White House, so long as Cleveland wasn’t willing to play ball.

Cleveland was the first Democrat to win the presidency

since James Buchanan (D-PA) in 1856 and was the first Democrat to be president since Andrew Johnson (D-TN) left office in 1869. Following his victory in 1892, no other Democrat would win the presidency until Woodrow Wilson (D-NJ) in 1912. For this reason, 1884 is seen as a landmark election that interrupted decades of Republican control of the presidency between Reconstruction and the Great Depression.

But Cleveland, like Trump, staged his own comeback, then considered unthinkable based on the circumstances.

As president, Cleveland continued his anti-corruption and anti-wasteful spending scourge, especially during the Gilded Age, a time of rapid wealth increase, industrialization, and rampant corruption. One hallmark of Cleveland’s pennycounting agenda was his veto against private pension bills to Civil War Veterans who fraudulently claimed service during the war. Cleveland took his “veto mayor” pin to Washington, vetoing more bills than all prior presidents combined.

In 1888, however, Cleveland would narrowly lose the election to Benjamin Harrison (R-IN), taking 168 electoral votes to Harrison’s 233, again, with 201 needed to win. Of note, the 1888 election is one of just five instances in which the winner of the popular vote did not win the presidency. Cleveland won the popular vote by almost a full percentage point over Harrison.

Like this election cycle, tariff policy was one of the key issues. Cleveland had taken the position of reducing high tariffs that he argued were unfair to consumers, while Harrison sided with industrialists and factory workers who wanted tariffs to remain in place. His opposition to the aforementioned Civil War pensions, along with inflation, made him a pariah among Veterans and farmers, but kept him viewed favorably for his reformist stance in an era that was badly in need of reform.

Cleveland’s 1888 loss marks the first and only time in which an incumbent president of any party lost a re-election bid despite winning the popular vote. Harrison narrowly flipped New York (and Suffolk County) that year, as well as his home state of Indiana.

Like Trump, Cleveland faced his own onslaught of personal attacks. One allegation is that Cleveland fathered a child out of wedlock while still a bachelor, and another was of his marriage to Frances Folsom, a woman twenty-seven years his junior. To date, Cleveland is the only president to have been married while in the White House.

Cleveland would muster an unthinkable comeback in 1892, defeating Harrison with 277 electoral votes - this time 223 were needed to win, as six states were added to the Union since the last election - and by three points in the popular vote. Cleveland flipped back New York, winning this time by threeand-a-half points, as well as California, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Further complicating the 1892 elections was Populist James B. Weaver of Iowa, who won five states, twentytwo electoral votes, and 8.6% of the popular vote. North Dakota participated in its first election, going for Weaver in the raw count, but had chosen its electors individually, rather than a slate. As a result, Cleveland took one vote from the Peace Garden State. This remains the last time that a state awarded non-faithless electoral votes to more than two candidates.

Interestingly, California is just one of three states that Cleveland won in his third campaign but lost in his prior two. Trump only has one state that fits a similar column: California’s next-door neighbor, Nevada.

Cleveland campaigned hard on fiscal measures, remaining a proponent of the gold standard, while Populists were interested in bimetallism, which would have included silver in the country’s currency metrics, purposefully inflating the currency to help farmers pay off their debts due to overfarming of the land after the Homestead boom.

His second term of the presidency marked the end cap of his career. Cleveland declined to run a fourth time in 1896, which saw the open seat handily won by William McKinley (ROH).

Cleveland died on June 24, 1908, in Princeton, New Jersey, at the age of 71.

This column will seek to address the long-forgotten concept of civics and how it relates to American government in general, from the federal level to the local level. This column will explore Constitutional rights, the inner workings of government, the electoral process, and the obligations and privileges of citizens.

Donald Trump - 2017-2021, 2025-2029

Marking a significant political comeback, Donald Trump joins the ranks of Grover Cleveland in a spot that has been squared off by history for the last 130 years.

Trump, like Cleveland, ran as a reformist in a time when such a platform was deemed necessary by the public. Trump’s promises to stem “waste, fraud, and abuse,” and to “drain the swamp” of government in Washington resonated with voters in 2016.

He left Washington in 2021, surrounded by few apart from his family, with no political future seemingly in store for him. In his off years, Trump would face legal challenges from New York, alleging campaign finance violations, as well as scrutiny and possible legal ramifications for his role in the January 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol. Trump’s personal life was also expected to have kneecapped his electability, while Democrats defied the historic curse of the incumbent party facing massive losses during their president’s first midterm year. This had caused many on both sides to believe the Trump Era was, in part, over, and that a majority of Americans had viewed him, his policies, and his surrogates as unelectable.

But Trump’s comeback was astonishing as it was decisive. While not a landslide, he becomes the first Republican since 2004 to win the popular vote, the first since 2004 to win Nevada, and at 78 years old, is the oldest person to have ever been elected president.

Meanwhile, J.D. Vance (R-OH), 40, is set to be the thirdyoungest vice president in history, and the first millennial ever to be elected to the position.

Trump is also the eighth presidential nominee to win nonfaithless electors in at least three elections, and he and Richard Nixon (R-CA) are the only presidential candidates to win a significant number of electoral votes in three elections since term limits were enacted in 1957. Across his three elections, Trump has amassed 850 electoral votes.

Are Non-Consecutive Terms the New Norm?

We would say that this is not the new norm, but clearly, anything is possible in this day and age. We liken the comeback to a similar political time when Grover Cleveland was able to perform the same feat. It’s possible that divisions could continue, allowing non-consecutive terms to become more common than they once were, but as periods of history are cyclical, we assume this is one facet of our republic that will turn back to the norm once the dust settles.

In any case, it is a remarkable streak of history that has been broken and one that many had likely not thought they be alive to see.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Suffolk County 4-H Youth Bring Home Agricultural Awards

Teen Suffolk County standouts in the world of agriculture garnered numerous awards at the Great New York State Fair held between August 21 and September 2 in Syracuse and the Long Island Fair held between September 13 and 15 in Old Bethpage.

The competitors represented the 4-H Youth Program of Riverhead-based Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk (CCE Suffolk). Participating local youth spend the summer preparing their project animals and honing their agricultural skills to compete against their peers both statewide and across Long Island. At the Great New York State Fair, Suffolk County’s 4-H team achieved several milestones.

Hannah Stewart of Centereach (attends Sequoya High School in Holtsville): At the state fair, as noted above, Ms. Stewart earned the Senior Kimber Hamm Goat Rancher Award. She also earned second place in the Senior Division of Goat Showmanship and Fitting. Ms. Stewart also placed first in the Senior Goat Product ID and Meat Goat Knowledge Olympics competitions. In the Meat Goat Oral Presentations, Ms. Stewart secured fifth place, while she was a part of the second-place Goat Bowl Team Quiz. Additionally, she helped her team take first place in Senior Goat Judging. Ms. Stewart was also recognized with the Ultimate Working Goat Award. At the Long Island Fair, Ms. Stewart placed second in the Senior Goat Showmanship competition and earned Reserve Grand Champion Showman honors.

Kaitlyn Eckles of Manorville (attends Eastport South Manor Junior-Senior High School in Manorville): Ms. Eckles placed fourth in the Senior Division of Goat Showmanship at the state fair. She also claimed first place in the Senior Avian Bowl, qualifying for Nationals in Kentucky. Ms. Eckles also placed second in the Meat Goat Knowledge Olympics and the Meat Goat Oral Presentations. She was part of the first-place team in Senior Goat Judging and the secondplace Goat Bowl Team Quiz. At the Long Island Fair, Ms. Eckles won first place in both Senior Goat Showmanship and Poultry Showmanship and was crowned Grand Champion Showman.

Savannah Roth of Wading River (attends Shoreham-Wading River High School in Shoreham): At the state fair, Ms. Roth took third place in Senior Goat Showmanship and contributed to the second-place Goat Bowl Team Quiz and first-place Senior Goat Judging Team. She also placed third in the Senior Meat Goat Oral Presentations and third in Goat Bowl Individual Score.

Obadiah Berg of Ridge (attends St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School in West Islip): Mr. Berg placed fifth in Senior Goat Showmanship at the state fair. He also earned fourth place in Meat Goat Oral Presentations and was part of the second-place Goat Bowl Team Quiz. Mr. Berg placed sixth in Senior Goat Judging (Individual/Judge), and third in the Meat Goat Record Book competition. He also took first place in Senior Working Goat Showmanship. Naomi Berg of Ridge: Ms. Berg, sister of Obadiah Berg, placed second in Junior Goat Showmanship and Meat Goat Oral Presentations at the state fair. She placed third in Junior Goat Judging (Team) and was part of the fifth-place Junior Goat Bowl Team Quiz. At the Long Island Fair, Ms. Berg earned third place in Junior Goat Showmanship.

Shay Brennan of Mastic Beach (attends Our Lady Queen of Apostles in Center Moriches): At the state fair, Ms. Brennan earned first place in Junior Goat Showmanship, Meat Goat Oral Presentations, and Working Goat Record Books. She placed third in Junior Goat Judging and fifth in the Junior Goat Bowl Individual Score. At the Long Island Fair, Ms. Brennan placed first in Junior Goat Showmanship and also competed in the Master Showman Class, where she earned third place. Gabrielle Maggio of Miller Place (attends Miller Place High School): Ms. Maggio was the firstplace winner in the Novice Class of Goat Showmanship at the state fair. She also placed fifth in Senior Meat Goat Record Books and contributed to the secondplace Goat Bowl Team Quiz.

Eve Caputo of Nesconset: Ms. Caputo took first place in the Novice Class of Goat Showmanship at the state fair and was a part of the third-place Junior Goat Judging Team. As noted prior, she placed second in Junior Goat Product ID and third in Junior Meat Goat Oral Presentations. At the Long Island Fair, Ms. Caputo placed second in Junior Goat Showmanship and participated in the Master Showman Class, finishing fourth.

“CCE Suffolk’s 4-H program works to enable youth to develop the knowledge, attitudes, and abilities to become productive citizens,” said Vanessa Lockel, Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. “We applaud our award winners for their skills and leadership in the vital world of agriculture.”

Agriculture plays a major role in the Suffolk County economy. The State Comptroller’s office reported that Suffolk County generated $225.6 million in agricultural sales in 2017, which ranked it fourth highest among the state’s 62 counties. CCE of Suffolk County’s 4-H Youth Program works to deepen young people’s understanding of agriculture and offers numerous opportunities for youth to engage in hands-on learning through clubs, schools, camps, and other programs.

4-H is delivered by Cooperative Extension—a community of more than 100 public universities across the nation that provides experiences where young people learn by doing. For more than 100 years, 4-H has welcomed young people of all beliefs and backgrounds, giving kids a voice to express who they are and how they make their lives and communities better.

Kaitlyn Eckles, Manorville

Hannah Stewart, Centereach

Kaitlyn Eckles, Manorville

Obadiah Berg, Ridge

Veterans Day

Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

‘The

Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month’

By Ellyn Okvist, B.Sc.

County of Suffolk Honors...

Armistice Day. The universal recognition to the celebrated end of the fighting of World War I was at exactly 11 o’clock in the morning on November 11, 1918. It marked the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I (WWI) and Germany at Compiègne, France, at 5:45a.m., that marked the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of WWI at the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.” A formal peace agreement was reached only when the Treaty of Versailles was signed the following year in 1919.

Many countries continue to observe Armistice Day, and the first Armistice Day celebration was held at Buckingham Palace, England, commencing with King George V on November 10, 1919. The Patriotic village of Lake Ronkonkoma dedicated their World War I Memorial on the Lake Ronkonkoma School grounds on Armistice Day, November 11, 1923.

Armistice day steadily held its place well, serving the WWI Veterans until President Dwight D. Eisenhower (R-KS) signed Public Law 380 into law, amending it to VETERANS DAY on June 1, 1954. Therefore, the holiday was expanded to include and honor ALL American Veterans, not just those from WWI. At that time President Eisenhower issued the first “Veterans Day Proclamation” which guaranteed a common purpose and established many ways for observance and national committees to assist our Veterans as needed.

Veterans Day is distinct from Memorial Day, a U.S. public holiday in May: Veterans Day commemorates the service of all U.S. Veterans, while Memorial Day specifically honors those who have died (KIA) while in military service. Another military holiday that also occurs in May, Armed Forces Day, honors those currently serving in the U.S. military. Additionally, Women Veterans Day is recognized by a growing number of U.S. states that specifically honor women who have served in the U.S. military.

Every year Veterans Day comes and goes, but wait a minute! - this is Lake Ronkonkoma, and here, it is Veterans Day every day. Our Military Tribute Banners currently honoring over five hundred Veterans are living proof of not only their service and reality, but the service of our community as a whole. You can easily WALK- READ & THANK each and every veteran with a stroll through our town. There are still additional Veterans to be honored, so think of them as you visit with all others and reach out to us to honor those who are still missing. You will see them in May 2025.

You will benefit from learning the stories of those honored throughout our town, and our past and present community members that made the greatest sacrifice. They depict different wars, eras, battles and peace keeping eras such as: the Indian wars, Rough Riders, three Generals, fighter pilots; Hamburger Hill, the Battle of Saratoga, the Liberation of Dachau. ALL from Lake

Ronkonkoma, and ultimately run into the same category-- heroes.

A group of Veterans in town represent the American Legion William Merritt Hallock Post #155; AMVETS Post #48 and William Francis Taylor #9486 VFW, and you can find their banners right near their posts. Don’t be surprised when you find the banners of the original group founders not far from their doors.

We encourage you to ask questions. Our research is impeccable and is not beyond our means to gather true and historical information that has been carefully recorded by “the group that holds the highest esteem in our town.” One must start from the top to learn and appreciate our roots, with the Veterans at the top. Each Veteran has a unique and honored story to be heard.

You may just run into one of our local heroes while visiting the town. Maybe even their children, grandchildren, other family and friends. Their pictures are priceless. Lake Ronkonkoma does not forget their military.

The Purple Heart, a military decoration for those wounded or killed in action, was established in 1782 by George Washington, then the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and on January 7, 1931, General Douglas MacArthur confidentially reopened work on a new design to re-establish the Award in 1932. Lake Ronkonkoma has a lot of Purple Hearts and should be a reminder to the community where the Veterans came from. In a symbiotic gesture the Lake Ronkonkoma Homemakers, founded in 1941 under the direction of the NYS Cornell extension, had twenty-nine members who were basically stay at home homemakers. The current local women in town, handmade crochet purple hearts that will identify our Veterans on the poles. This is a great group of women with over 85 members, who share a common goal and mission of helping others - a very generous and active bunch participating in crafting, community service, council projects, charity work, and lots of friendship.

George Cristino, local author and resident of Lake Ronkonkoma, has been studying the Killed In Action (KIA) Veterans of our town. His interest in sharing the circumstances of each instance and complete story of those KIA has led to his advanced perseverance to document our fallen soldiers. Keep your eye out for his book, which in currently completing the publishing process.

Look to the future, as the Lake Ronkonkoma Veteran’s Park is underway. Contact us to volunteer or for more information. (thelakeheritage@aol. com or notify the Messenger Papers.)

After knowing many of our Veterans and meeting many more, I can assure you, you will never have the acquaintance of a better human being. They kept their ultimate pledge to support and defend the United States of America. We must keep our undying faith in them.

Long Island Life & Politics

Committee Provides Updates on Jake’s 58 Expansion

By Hank Russell

The Long Island Association (LIA) recently held an event to learn more about the $210 million expansion at Jake’s 58 Hotel and Casino at an Economic Development & Infrastructure Committee meeting hosted by the venue. As part of the expansion, the facility will be adding 300,000 square feet to accommodate 1,000 video lottery terminals and amenities, including an event/convention space, a lounge with outdoor terrace, a boutique gift shop, a sports bar and grill, and a multilevel parking garage.

The project, which broke ground in April of this year, will employ more than 800 union construction workers and create 125 permanent jobs when the expansion is completed, which is anticipated to be in 2026. There are also opportunities for small businesses to become part of the procurement pipeline at Jake’s 58. Additionally, once completed, the project will enable Jake’s 58 to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funding to the New York State Department of Education and revenue to the local community.

“It was exciting for the LIA members to visit Jake’s 58 to get a real-time update on a project under construction, which will give an immediate economic jolt to our region,” LIA President/CEO Matt Cohen.

Phil Boyle, President & CEO of Jake’s 58 Hotel & Casino and Suffolk OTB, said, “As a new LIA Board Member, it was truly a privilege to host our Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee at Jake’s 58 Casino Hotel to discuss our ongoing expansion project. There are myriad opportunities for Long Islandbased businesses to partner with Suffolk OTB and Jake’s 58, so we urge folks to contact us to discuss the possibilities.”

“It is important for the business community to know how our economy is growing and how they can engage with transformative projects, and understand the positive impacts they will have,” added Michael Maturo, chair of the Economic Development & Infrastructure Committee and president at RXR.

Allan Dorman, the mayor of the Village of Islandia, also spoke at the event about the positive impact the project will have on the municipality, and, in 2025, the village plans to eliminate property taxes.

This article originally appeared in Long Island Life and Politics. For more from LILP, visit them online at lilifepolitics.com.

Daniel Deegan, co-vice chair of the Economic Development & Infrastructure Committee and partner at Forchelli Deegan Terrana, said, “The expansion of Jake’s 58 is a great example of how a large-scale project can partner with the local municipality to ensure that residents see the benefits of economic development in their community.”

Police Investigating Manorville Hate Crime

By Matt Meduri

A Rockville Center police detective is facing charges for allegedly harassing a man due to his race.

Police say that a subcontractor for a cell company was performing maintenance on a 5G tower in a GMC Terrain around 7:00p.m. on November 3 at the corner of Sylvan Court and Weeks Avenue in Manorville. John Murphy, 40, of Manorville, allegedly identified himself to the subcontractor, who is black, as a police officer, who is also alleged to have used a racial slur, kicked the vehicle’s door, and torn a work lift off the vehicle and smashed it on the ground.

The victim drove around the corner and called the police. Following an investigation by the Hate Crime Bureau, John Murphy was charged with two counts of criminal misdemeanor of theft and one degree of a hate crime and aggravated harassment.

Murphy had been with the Rockville Center Police Department for fifteen years and apparently turned himself into police.

“This year, we’ve had seventeen hate crimes and sixty-eight hate incidents,” said County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches). “There is no place for hate in this county. I don’t care what your status is in life; this gentleman [Murphy] happened to be a detective in another police department, but that doesn’t excuse hate.”

Hate crimes are different from hate incidents, wherein hate crimes typically have a

MacArthur Airport Receives New Patrol Pup from Canine Companions

By Matt Meduri

As Islip MacArthur Airport (ISP) continues to be a regional economic boom, increased safety is an inevitable concern.

Elected officials, airport leaders, and law enforcement personnel convened at ISP’s baggage claim terminal to introduce the public to a new bomb-sniffing companion, Trisko II.

Trisko II is a two-year-old golden retriever-labrador mix who has completed three months of training, specializing in explosives detection.

Trisko II was donated by Canine Companions, a national nonprofit organization that provides service dogs to adults, children, and Veterans with disabilities. Trisko II was determined to have too high of a drive for the Canine Companions program, making him a perfect companion for ISP security personnel to ensure the safety of travelers in and out of Islip.

“Police canines have a critically important role in law enforcement. Our most recent canine for the airport retired in January,” said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Robert Waring. “After three months of training, Trisko, and his handler, Officer Eric DePrima, are now exclusively assigned to Long Island MacArthur Airport, and will spend their time at the passenger terminal and other sections of the airport checking for the presence of explosives.”

Waring thanked Canine Companions for their donation of Trisko II, which was echoed by Deputy Presiding Officer and Legislator Steve Flotteron (R-Brightwaters), who first served on Islip’s Town Council before being elected to the Legislature.

“We’ve had a lot of exciting announcements here at MacArthur Airport recently, including new airlines and destinations. However, with these wonderful developments, it’s crucial that we prioritize the safety of our travelers and residents,” said Islip Town Councilman John Lorenzo (C-West Sayville), whose Fourth Council District includes ISP. “My brotherin-law, a retired Suffolk County K-9 police officer, demonstrated the invaluable work that both the dog and the handler do to keep our community safe.”

Debbie Dougherty, Executive Director for the Northeast Training Center of Canine Companions, said that while dogs are “born

with a purpose,” the group often looks for “new, innovative” tasks for the animals.

“We have dogs that are working with border patrol in search-and-rescue operations and many other government positions,” said Dougherty. “The Netflix documentary, Inside the Mind of a Dog, talks about the incredible scent that dogs can pick up because of how their noses are constructed. Each nose has a unique imprint, just like all of our fingerprints.”

Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association (PBA) President Lou Civello said that while travelers can enjoy the convenience of flying through ISP, as opposed to JFK or LaGuardia, the aspect of safety is no different.

“We are a terrorist target here. We are a target for those who would do harm to you, to your family, to Long Islanders looking to travel, to leave for the holidays,” said Civello.

victim to whom the attack was directed, whereas hate incidents are more or less victimless, at least directly. Hate incidents can range from slurs or offensive graffiti in public spaces.

“The victim here was just trying to do his job, when the defendant allegedly harassed him and damaged his vehicle. To make matters worse, the defendant is a sworn law enforcement officer, responsible for protecting the rights of citizens, rather than violating them, as is alleged here,” said District Attorney Ray Tierney (R). “I thank the Suffolk County Police Department’s Hate Crimes Unit for taking this crime seriously and following the evidence no matter where it led. Such conduct will not be tolerated in Suffolk County.”

Murphy has reportedly been relieved of duty, but it is not clear if he has been suspended without pay. The Village of Rockville Centre said that they do not “comment on personal matters.”

“That’s why it is critically important that we invest in the safety of this airport. Trisko will keep Long Islanders safe, search for bombs, and keep those at bay who would do us harm.”

County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) (pictured right) also echoed the thanks to Canine Companions, and took time to give Trisko II plenty of pets and attention. Officials were also joined by Deputy Police Commissioners Belinda Alvarez-Groneman and Kevin Catalina, as well as Islip Town Councilman Mike McElwee (R-West Islip).

Councilman Lorenzo (Credit - Matt Meduri)

Commissioner Robert Waring (Credit - Matt Meduri)

Credit: Matt Meduri)

Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Trump’s Promising Health Agenda

By Betsy McCaughey | AMAC Contributor

The Left is hysterical over the prospect of a Trump administration in charge of the nation’s health policy.

But life expectancy in the U.S. peaked in 2014 and has been shrinking nearly every year since then, an indicator that Americans’ health is declining. This is despite the trillions spent covering the uninsured. Expanding insurance is not the panacea it was promised to be.

A shakeup is needed.

Here’s what should be on the Trump agenda:

1. Focus on Healthy Eating to Combat Chronic Diseases

President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial health advisor, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is targeting unhealthy eating, particularly processed foods.

He’s on to something. Findings in the journal Nature/Food suggest that switching from an unhealthy diet to a healthy one can add 8.9 years to a 40-yearold man’s life expectancy, and 8.6 years to a 40-year-old woman’s.

Anti-smoking campaigns reduced smoking from 40% of the adult population in 1969 to 11% today. The same can probably be done for eating.

2. End Mission Confusion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

That’s the advice of Trump’s inner health circle, including Drs. Scott Gottlieb and Joel Zinberg.

The agency now focuses on woke issues. Meanwhile, it flubbed its response to the biggest disease threat of our lifetimes, COVID-19, as I documented in my book “The Next Pandemic.”

The CDC’s unscientific guidelines on masking, social distancing, and vaccines were the basis for draconian assaults on people’s right to assemble and to keep their businesses open. Americans should be relieved to hear RFK Jr. swear it will never happen again.

A CDC shakeup is also needed to reduce hospital infections, which kill more people (75,000 a year) than breast cancer.

If a previous occupant of a hospital bed had an infection, the risk that the next patient gets it soars 583% per Columbia School of Nursing research. Inadequate cleaning is the reason.

Yet instead of imposing rigorous cleaning standards, the CDC helps hospitals hide outbreaks from the public. You don’t want to be in a hospital overrun with a deadly germ, but the CDC calls it “hospital A,” preventing you from knowing.

It’s an example of the cozy relationship between health companies and the government that RFK Jr. claims he wants to clean up.

3. Make Insurance Affordable

The price of health coverage — $25,500 for a family of four — is one of the public’s top worries, according to Pew Research.

The expansion of Medicaid to 80 million during the last decade is partly to blame.

Medicaid shortchanges hospitals, paying them 88 cents for every dollar of care delivered.

Hospitals keep profits up by shifting unpaid Medicaid costs onto patients who get coverage through a job or buy it themselves. The bigger Medicaid gets, the higher premiums go.

Republicans intend to rein in Medicaid enrollment, which will help anyone who pays for insurance.

Affordable Care Act rules require individuals to buy a long list of “essential” benefits. It’s like telling car buyers their only choice is a fully loaded SUV. Some car buyers just want wheels.

Trump will allow more affordable plans, as he did in his first term — before President Joe Biden barred them.

4. Close the Border and Tighten Security

This health policy will yield the fastest results, halting the influx of contagious diseases, alleviating the

crush of migrants in ERs, and interrupting the flow of fentanyl. Drug deaths alone are cutting U.S. life expectancy by twothirds of a year.

When a young addict is arrested or overdoses, desperate family members often fork over life savings to unscrupulous addiction “recovery” outfits.

RFK Jr. is proposing a network of public “healing farms” where people struggling with addiction can go, try to heal themselves, and obtain skills for a sober life. Any parent who’s gone through this with a child will say, “What have we got to lose?”

Also, the public’s worries about RFK Jr.’s vaccine views are likely overblown. Mandated vaccinations have enabled the U.S. to defeat polio, measles, and other diseases.

Overview - AMAC -

The Association of Mature American Citizens

The Association of Mature American Citizens represents Americans 50 plus. AMAC is centered on American values, freedom of the individual, free speech, and exercise of religion, equality of opportunity, sanctity of life, rule of law, and love of family, with benefits at all levels.

AMAC plays a vital role in helping build the services that will enrich the lives of America’s seniors. AMAC Action, a 501 (C)(4) advocates for issues important to AMAC’s membership on Capitol Hill and locally through grassroots activism. To Learn more, visit amac.us

RFK Jr. said this week, “We’re not going to take vaccines away from anybody.”

But you don’t have to take his word. Neither RFK Jr. nor Trump will have the power to eliminate childhood vaccinations. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1905 that states have the authority to require vaccinations or not. Each state has its own vaccine mandates. During COVID-19, the court affirmed that, striking down Biden’s proposed national vaccine mandate on employees of large companies.

All in all, the Left is frantically defending a public health status quo that offers $25,000 premiums for family health coverage, declining lifespans, junk food, coverups of hospital dangers, and unpreparedness for the next germ threat.

Trump’s health advisors insist we can do better. I agree.

NOV 14– DEC 29

Thursday, November 14, 2024

WORD OF THE Week AUGUR

Etymology:

late Middle English (as a noun): from Latin, ‘diviner;’ in ancient Rome, an augur was a religious official who observed natural signs, especially the behavior of birds, interpreting these as an indication of divine approval or disapproval of a proposed action.

Verb

Pronounced: aa·gr

Definition: (of an event or circumstance) portend a good or bad outcome.

Example: “The increased sales tax revenue augured well for the town’s budgeting process.”

Synonyms: bode, herald, foreshadow Antonyms: misunderstand, doubt, guess

Source: Oxford Languages

E L F H O S

See how many words you can create. Must have center letter in word and can use letters more than once. 4 letter word minimum.

See bottom left for the answers (please don’t cheat!)

This Week in History

November 18, 1928: Walt Disney’s “Steamboat Willie” released, first Mickey Mouse sound cartoon

November 15, 1904:

November 20, 1986:

World Health Organization announces first global effort to combat AIDS

November 14, 1994

First public trains run through the Channel Tunnel linking England and France under the English Channel

November 19, 1805: Lewis and Clark expedition, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, reaches the Pacific Ocean, first European Americans to cross the west

November 16, 1959: “The

NYC; runs for 1443 performances

November 17, 1800: Congress holds its first session in Washington, D.C., in an incomplete Capitol Building

Sound of Music” musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, opens at Lunt Fontanne Theater,

King C. Gillette patents the Gillette razor blade

Reflecting on the Past Fifteen Years

By PJ Balzer

Last month marked the fifteenth year of my middle brother’s tragic passing. My brother was only twenty-two years old when he lost a relatively short battle with drug addiction, specifically opiates, and ultimately heroin. His death in 2009 was one of the first on the East End in middle class suburbia that let people know that heroin was here, it was real and could kill. Before that, heroin was a taboo drug, seemingly only found behind the barbed wire fences of the inner-city alley.

As I’ve written in prior articles, my own life took a drastic turn after his untimely death. I had a lot of personal regret, questions and heart break that made me even try walking into a church in the very center of the hustle and bustle of midtown Manhattan. I knew I needed something other than myself for help. I’ve never been the same person since that Tuesday evening service.

That evening ultimately started a new journey of life with faith as a Christian. Writing that even a decade and a half later is still odd to me. I used to think “Jesus people” were weird, obnoxious, and way out of touch with reality.

I’ve learned and experienced much on this journey. Much about God, about myself, about others, and about life. It’s been a long, rolling classroom that still hasn’t ended. I’ve passed some of the

tests, others I had to take over. Some of them I’m still currently struggling through, still unsure what God is trying to both teach me and change in my heart. Nevertheless, here’s just a few random things I’ve learned since October 29, 2009.

God can bring good things out of a really hard life blow. It won’t be immediate, nor will it be the easy way we’d like, but He will. Out of a sudden death, He brought a new life, a new purpose, and a new heart and set of willing hands to go out to help others. After fifteen years in hindsight, I can honestly say, “He brings beauty out of ashes and out of death, a real-life Resurrection.”

The people who began with you on life’s journey won’t necessarily be there the whole way. I’ve lost friends and family along the journey, especially when my priorities started to change. My life prior to my brother’s passing was only focused on vain things, tangible things, and completely centered on myself. When I started taking on new priorities, my phone stopped ringing. I was the “extremely religious” guy who ended up losing his mind. Many of my relationships and approval from the people in my life were based on outer circumstances rather than inner. When I started to look inward, people started exiting the train.

Leave plenty of room for the faults of other people. Forgiveness is not only a beautiful attribute to have and to spread around, it’s healing as well. People are going to say and do things that will hurt you. You’ll be betrayed at times, abandoned, and talked about with ill intentions; not once, but often. That’s all part of the journey too. Believe it or not, it’s needed for us to learn and for our hearts to grow in grace. It is more blessed to give than to receive. While being on the receiving end of a set of generous hands is wonderful, there’s something about giving that moves the heart at the core. Don’t forget that people have upbringings, experiences, stories, and lives that we truly don’t know much about. We just see the stranger ringing up our groceries with tired eyes and shaking anxious hands. Opening your heart and hand to them can be a monumental part of their journey, even though we don’t realize it at that moment.

was strained at the time unfortunately, yet I’m grateful that I had that last opportunity to see him regardless. He helped move a few large pieces of furniture in and we said goodbye. Who knew that fifteen years that I’d be wishing that one goodbye lasted for hours?

Slow down a little. Your life will change over the years whether you want it to or not. Friends, jobs, seasons of life will change. Sometimes drastically and other times very gradually. Many times, I find myself wanting the next season of life to come without fully appreciating the one I’m in right now. If you’re constantly living always wanting the next big thing, you’ll miss out on truly appreciating and enjoying all of the small, wonderful blessings you have right now.

Every individual person grieves differently after a loss. Many times, we put a plan and a timeline on other people’s grieving process. I’m guilty of that myself. My siblings grieved differently than I did and still do fifteen years later. It’s been a process, and every day, year, and anniversary date feel very different. In my case, God has used reaching out to other children and young people in my community as a part of my own healing process but that’s not everyone’s journey. I see my brother in many of the kids in my community. Getting to do for them what an older brother should have done for him has been a joy.

You never know when the last time you’ll see someone will be. I know this saying is cliche and with cliche sayings, we often repeat them without believing them. I saw my brother for the last time at my apartment in Astoria. He was helping move our mutual friend into the apartment. Our relationship

Love was always meant to be an action word. Every person desires to be loved and to know that their existence matters to someone else. Sometimes that’s just stopping for a one-minute conversation or taking a few minutes to check in on someone without asking them for anything afterwards. Love can be big and grandeur in expression but doesn’t have to be. Sometimes it’s simply, “Hey how did that doctor’s appointment you were worried about go?”

Make time to pray each day. Jesus is recorded departing off to a solitary place before the sun came up to spend alone time in prayer. This is one of the best habits that He’s helped me to form. We never know what a day can hold or what challenges we may face or decision we may have to make. Pray alone, pray together pray often, praying sincerely, and pray transparently. Pray knowing that you were never supposed to navigate this journey completely alone.

Travel light. This world and journey are a temporary. You and I are just briefly passing through.

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22 Theatre & the Arts

There’s No Yuletide Without Theatre Three’s

“A Christmas Carol.”

By Cindi Sansone-Braff

Christmastime is about tradition and sharing time-tested holiday rituals with family and friends, like shopping for a tree, making a gingerbread house, hanging decorations, and visiting Santa. For Long Islanders, to miss Theatre Three’s annual production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” is pure humbug and gosh-darn sacrilegious.

“A Christmas Carol, in Prose: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas,” published on December 19, 1843, was the first Yuletide story written by the legendary English author. In the twenty-five years following its publication, Dickens wrote dozens more, including, “The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain: A Fancy for Christmas Time,” and “The Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In.”

A yearly pilgrimage to Theatre Three’s “A Christmas Carol” reminds us of the two-fold message inherent in this beloved tale of redemption. Firstly, anyone can experience a miraculous change of heart. Secondly, all of us must give ourselves a yearly “life review,” where we take a good, hard look at our words, deeds, and actions to see what we learned and what we can do better in the upcoming year.

Theatre Three’s Executive Artistic Director Jeffrey Sanzel’s brilliant adaptation, precision-perfect direction, and unforgettable portrayal of Scrooge are the heart and soul of this stellar production. Each year, Sanzel brings an additional layer of depth to his remarkable performance. One of the show’s high points is watching Sanzel’s intense body language and facial expressions as he brings the misanthropic, miserable, and miserly character of Ebenezer Scrooge to life and then witnessing his entire demeanor morph as he reveals the kind, generous, and grateful soul Scrooge becomes.

The production opens on an eerily dark note, with the somber echoes of the lines, “Marley was dead … There is no doubt about that.” With that thought solidly planted in our heads, Stephen T. Wangner delivers a bloodcurdling performance as the ghost of Jacob Marley, chained and

remorseful as he returns from the depths of hell. This Christmas classic teems with ghosts, including the Ghost of Christmas Past, angelically portrayed by the talented Cassidy Rose O’Brien. The role of the Ghost of Christmas Present demands an actor who can deliver his clever and wellcrafted lines with perfect comedic timing, and Scott Hofer rocked this role. The most terrifying specter of all is the humongous Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Expertly maneuvering this larger-than-life costume was Steven Uihlein.

Throughout the show, Dickens offers much-needed comedic relief in this otherwise dark portrait of the hardship of life in London during the Victorian era. Two

of his most endearingly witty characters are the lovable Mr. Fezziwig, Scrooge’s first employer, and his jovial wife, Mrs. Fezziwig. Scott Hofer and Ginger Dalton’s charismatic portrayal of this happily married couple was one of the show’s highlights. Dalton was also outstanding as Scrooge’s hilarious housekeeper, Mrs. Dilber.

Other notable performers were Julia Albino as Belle, Fezziwig’s dutiful daughter, who reluctantly breaks off her engagement to Scrooge; Kyle Breitenbach as Dick Wilkins, Fezziwig’s apprentice; Steven Uihlein as Fred Halliwell, Scrooge’s kind nephew, and Cassidy Rose O’Brien as Janet Halliwell.

Ray Gobes, Jr. brought great warmth and kindness to the role of Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s long-suffering employee. Linda May delivered an award-worthy performance as Cratchit’s loving wife and mother of his children. May has a beautiful singing voice, which she showcased during

as a lonely schoolboy, and Zachery Kanakaris was charming as the elated child on Christmas morning. Ash Stalker delivered a memorable performance as Fan, Scrooge’s older sister, and Amelia Theodorakis commanded the stage as Margaret and the Charwoman. Alternating performances feature another talented group of child actors known as “The Ivy Cast,” which includes Vivian Leigh Rumble, Giovanni Ladd, Olivia Davis, Christina Gobes, Kelsie Curran, Jennifer Salvia, Roy Fleischer, Skye Greenberg, and James Bressler.

A great deal of the success of this production goes to the top-notch creative team. Special mention goes out to Sari Feldman for her expert choreography, Ellen Michelmore for her original music and sound effects design, Tim Haggerty for his exceptional sound design, and Robert W. Henderson, Jr. for his spectacular lighting and sound design. The breathtaking set by Randall Parsons, the authentic Victorianperiod costumes by Jason Allyn and Randall Parsons, and Brad Frey’s astute musical direction all came together to make “A Christmas Carol” a resounding success. This magical, musical, mystical show is a visceral experience. You will laugh. You will cry, and you will gasp in abject horror. Ultimately, you will leave Theatre Three vowing to keep the Christmas spirit always in your heart.

Arrive early to enjoy the cast caroling on the Second Stage and stay afterward to take an onstage picture with Ebenezer Scrooge. Surprising your friends and family with tickets to Theatre Three’s superb

her moving solo. Much of this allegorical tale’s emotional appeal comes from the heartwarming scenes featuring the tightknit Cratchit clan. The young actors who portrayed their children were outstanding, including Mia Rofrano as Martha, Aidan Sharkey as Peter, and Angelina Eybs as Belinda. Stanley Zinger delivered a heartrending portrayal of one of Dickens’ most beloved characters—Tiny Tim.

Saturday night’s opening performance featured the children from “The Holly Cast.” Kathleen Anabelle Han gave a captivating performance as The Girl, whose muted presence haunts Scrooge. Patrick Hutchison aced the role of Scrooge

production of “A Christmas Carol” is the perfect holiday gift! The show runs through December 28, 2024. For tickets, call the box office at 631-928-9100 or visit www. theatrethree.com.

Cindi Sansone-Braff is an awardwinning playwright. She has a BFA in Theatre from UCONN and is a member of the Dramatists Guild. She is the author of “Grant Me a Higher Love,” “Why Good People Can’t Leave Bad Relationships,” and “Confessions of a Reluctant Long Island Psychic.” Her full-length Music Drama, “Beethoven, The Man, The Myth, The Music,” is published by Next Stage Press. www.Grantmeahigherlove.com.

Photos courtesy of Steve Ayle,

By Ashley Pavlakis

High School Sports: Fall Season Roundup

It feels like yesterday we were just starting a new school year and fall sports were back in session. But now, the leaves are changing color, and most fall sports are winding down or have ended already. Long Island High School Sports are a member of Section XI, which is part of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA).

Section XI was formed in 1938 to provide a formal organization for high school athletics in Suffolk County. At least 60 high schools and 77 middle schools are part of Section XI. The not-for-profit organization is led by Executive Director Thomas Combs, who is accompanied by a 15-member board team.

Let’s look back at the 2024 season amongst fall sports happening around the eastern parts of Long Island. The Messenger spoke with various high school coaches this season, and we’re happy to report a majority of those teams went on to take home a title in their respective sports.

On the girls’ side, we’re kicking it off with soccer. The girls at Shoreham-Wading River capped off their 10-2-2 season with a 1-0 win over Sayville in the Class A Suffolk County championship. In the Class AAA championship, the title was taken home by Ward Melville who defeated Commack with a score of 3-1. Class AA was won by West Islip, who claimed the title with a 1-0 victory over Eastport-South Manor.

Volleyball served up some quality matches this season. Of note, Port Jefferson took the title home in the Class C championship and Ava Rielly notched her 1,000th career assist. Ward Melville had a season for the record books, going undefeated on their way to the Class AAA title with a win over Commack. And finally, Sayville took home the prize in the Class A championship after beating West Hampton.

On the turf, Sachem East secured the Long Island championship in field hockey with a win over Ward Melville in Class A. Sachem finished the season undefeated en route to the title win. The Arrows will move on to the New York State

CreditFreepik

tournament where they’ll face Harborfields.

Swimming was a no-brainer as Hauppauge-Smithtown’s swim and dive are simply unmatched. The girls took home their fourth-straight Suffolk County title in an undefeated season. They also earned their fifth straight League I championship.

Beam, bars, vault, or floor, the Smithtown varsity gymnastics team conquered them all on their way to a Suffolk County Championship title. In addition, they’ll be sending Bayla Goldberg, Amanda Burns, Brooke Dunn, and Mary Saul to States in March.

On the tennis courts, Bayport-Blue Point girls tennis took home a County Championship after defeating Ross, and a Long Island Championship with a win against Cold Spring Harbor. There was plenty to cheer for this season, and cheerleading does it best. Ward Melville scored the Class A title and Shoreham Wading River took home the Class B title.

The boy’s fall sports are still wrapping up with football games still left to be played. Let’s take a look at the championships that have been won at those eastern Long Island high schools.

In boys’ cross country, Port Jefferson took home the county championship for the eighth straight season. The boys will advance to the Class C championships that take place on Saturday at Queensbury High School.

In volleyball, Ward Melville took home the Division I title with a victory over Sachem North. Kyle Fagan notched his 1000th career kill this season for the Patriots. Eastport-South Manor followed up with a win of their own over East Islip in the Division II championship.

Finally, boys’ soccer saw Comsewogue win the Class AA championship after beating West Islip.

All in all, the 2024 season of fall high school sports was competitive and entertaining, to say the least. Teams put together quality seasons and were rewarded for their hard work with a championship win.