Brookhaven Messenger Archive Nov. 6, 2025

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Tierney, Toulon Re-Elected

By Matt Meduri

Four years ago, Ray Tierney (R) mounted a campaign then thought to be unwinnable, but ousted then-District Attorney Tim Sini (DMt. Sinai) by a whopping ten point margin.

Unopposed for re-election this year, Tierney earned 144,417 votes to earn a second term.

“Four years ago, I was told I wouldn’t win,” Tierney told supporters Tuesday night at the GOP watch party in Patchogue. “My opponent had more money, more institutional support, and the advantage of incumbency.”

Continued on page 4

LaValle Re-Elected, Doroski Ousts Stark

By Matt Meduri

On Tuesday night, Brookhaven Town Clerk

Kevin LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) was re-elected, winning a full, four-year term after winning a 2023 special election.

LaValle addressed supporters alongside Suffolk GOP Chairman Jesse Garcia (R-Ridge), colleagues, and family.

“I am so excited to come back into office; it’s going to be a great term we have ahead of us,” LaValle told supporters at the GOP’s watch party in Patchogue, adding his thanks for support from volunteers and staff.

Continued on page 10

(Left to right) Suffolk GOP Chair Garcia, Suffolk Conservative Chair Torres, D.A. Tierney (Credit - Matt Meduri)

LaValle and his fiancee declaring victory (Credit - Matt Meduri)

FALL EVENTS

Port Jefferson

Summer Farmers Market at Harborfront Park

Every Saturday and Sunday, May 18-November 28 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Islip Farmers Market at Town Hall

Every Saturday June 7 - November 22 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Goatman’s Haunted House Museum in Manorville

Every Saturday and Sunday until November, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Community Yard Sale 137 Walden Court East Moriches

Saturday, November 8th 10am-5pm

Craft Fair at Hauppauge High School

November 8 and 9, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Eisenhower Park Christmas Vendor Fair

November 8, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Christmas Craft Fair in Yaphank

November 8, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Moriches Veterans Day Parade November 9 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM

Seeds of Hope 5K & 10K at Moriches Field Brewing Company

November 9, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Line Dancing at Lucky Strike Bar & Grill at Port Jeff Bowl, Port Jefferson Station

November 10, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Oheka Castle Private Tour

Mansion & Gardens + Happy Hour All Ages November 11, 5:45 PM to 7:30 PM

Second Annual Turkey Drive at Station Yards November 14 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM

Conveniently

and

Raheem Soto EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Matt Meduri

Sergio A. Fabbri

PJ Balzer

Ashley Pavlakis

Madison Warren

OFFICE

Giavanna Rudilosso

SOCIAL

Madison Warren

WHERE TO FIND OUR PAPER

BELLPORT

Cafe Castello • South Country Deli

BROOKHAVEN

Anthony’s Pizza

CENTEREACH

Centereach Deli • Fratelli’s Pork Store JeJoJos Bagels Inc.

CENTER MORICHES King Kullen

CORAM La Bistro

EASTPORT

Pete’s Bagels • King Kullen

EAST SETAUKET

Bagel Express • CVS

Pumpernickels Delicatessen & Market

Rolling Pin Bakery • Se-port Deli • Starbucks

RONKONKOMA

718 Slice Pizzeria – (719 Hawkins Ave)

Ronkonkoma Train Station

LAKE GROVE

Buffin Muffin / Hummus Fit

Lake Grove Diner • Lake Grove Village Hall

MILLER PLACE

Better on a Bagel • Bigger Bagel and Deli

Crazy Beans • CVS • Miller Place Bagel & Deli

Papa Juan’s • Playa Bowls • Starbucks Town & Country Market

MT. SINAI

Bagels Your Way • Heritage Diner Northside Deli

PATCHOGUE

California Diner • King Kullen • Shop Rite

Sugar Dream Bakery • Swan Bakery

PORT JEFFERSON

CVS • Southdown Coffee • Starbucks

PORT JEFFERSON STATION

Bagel Deli Gourmet • IHOP

Toast Coffe House • Wunderbar Deli

ROCKY POINT

Fresh & Hot Bagels

Rocky Point Cardsmart (Kohl’s Plaza)

SELDEN

Cella Bagels • Joe’s Campus Heroes

SHIRLEY

Bagel Deli • Freshy Bagels

Laundry King • Stop & Shop

STONY BROOK

Long Island Bagel Cafe • Strathmore Bagels

Library News

Thursday, November 6, 2025

NORTH SHORE:

Craft a Turkey - November 10, 5:00 PM

LONGWOOD:

Happy Birthday, Mickey Mouse - Nov. 19, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

PORT JEFFERSON:

County Line Dancing Workshop - Nov. 12, 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Crystal Bowls - November 17, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

THREE VILLAGE:

Money Basics for Kids & Their CargiversNovember 15, 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

CENTER MORICHES:

Teen Bead Crafting - November 6, 6:00 PM

Make Your Own Junk Journal - November 8, 1:00 PM

Improv for Fun - November 20, 6:00 PM

RIVERHEAD:

Tiny Tunes (12mos.-3 yrs) - Nov. 7, 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM

Harvest Afternoon Tea - Nov. 10, 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM

Orange Cran Scones w/ Chef Rob Scott - Nov. 24, 1PM to 2PM AT THE

BUILDING

The Brookhaven Messenger serves Centereach, Lake Grove, Selden, Coram, Farmingville, Rocky Point, Patchogue, Medford, Miller Place and Mt. Sinai

70 Years of Service to Our Community

Election Results

Thursday, November 6, 2025

Tierney Re-Elected D.A., Toulon Re-Elected Sheriff

Tierney swept then-D.A. Tim Sini (D-Mt. Sinai) out of office by a ten-point margin.

Tierney (pictured right) thanked his family, colleagues, law enforcement partnersincluding Sheriff Toulon - for their collaboration and support.

“Law and order is the way here in Suffolk County. We are the safest county in the state and one of the safest big counties in the nation,” said Tierney. “That’s the way it’s going to be - as long as I am District Attorney of Suffolk County.”

Meanwhile, Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon (D) (pictured middle right) was re-elected in an unopposed contest, securing a third term with 165,571 votes.

“I am deeply grateful to the residents of Suffolk County for their continued trust and support in the work I’ve done as Sheriff,” Toulon told The Messenger. “I look forward to serving four more years and continuing the initiatives I’ve started, like rehabilitation programs, leveraging intelligence to protect our communities, and expanding efforts to support our youth. Together with our law enforcement partners, I will continue to work to strengthen the safety, security, and future of Suffolk County.”

County Results

Democrats overperformed in Tuesday’s election, flipping one seat on the County Legislature and costing the Republicans their supermajority.

Southold Town Councilman Greg Doroski (D-Mattituck) ousted one-term Legislator Catherine Stark (R-Riverhead) in the North Forkbased First District, which includes parts of Manorville and Calverton in Brookhaven Town, northern hamlets of Southampton Town, and the entire towns of Riverhead, Southold, and Shelter Island.

“I am very proud of our victory. It not only affirms the hard work we put into this campaign and my record on the Southold Town Board; it rejects the tired cliched attacks the Suffolk GOP ran against me and my record that disrespected the intelligence of our community,” Legislator-elect Doroski told The Messenger

With 100% of precincts reporting, Doroski defeated Stark with 11,219 votes to 10,311 - a 52.09%-47.88% margin.

In the South Fork-based Second District, one-term Legislator Ann Welker (D-Southampton) cruised to victory with 69.95% of the vote over Raheem Soto’s (R-East Quogue) 30.03%.

The First District was the only flip of the night on the County Legislature, with Republicans and Democrats holding all their other seats. Races that were on our watchlist, the Brentwoodbased Ninth District, the Three Village-based Fifth District,

and the Huntington-based Sixteenth District reelected their incumbent Democrats handily.

However, Republicans across the board underperformed relative to 2023, with some incumbents facing only paper opposition winning with less than 60% of the vote.

Democrats were bullish on ousting twoterm Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R-Centerport) in the northern Huntingtonbased Eighteenth District.

“As we await the full outcome of this race, I’m proud that our vision, our values, and our determination remain unchanged,” Stark told The Messenger. “We have accomplished great things - historical changes that will have longstanding benefits for the East End. Thank you to my family and every supporter who stood by me. Our work continues.”

town seats and challenged Democrats in seats they had to defend.”

Garcia added that despite the “natural” backswing after a national romp in 2024, Suffolk County is still in “good hands” with Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) as County Executive and Ray Tierney as District Attorney.

“When you capture the White House, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House, there is natural time for the electorate to feel they’ve done their job and there’s a little bit of relaxation,” said Garcia. “Our job is to remind the voters of the importance of local elections because it’s these local elected officials that truly make the difference almost immediately in real-time in their lives.”

Of the loss of Legislator Stark, Garcia said that the letdown really washed ashore in Riverhead.

Bontempi was re-elected with 50.84% of the vote to Craig Herskowitz’s (D-Northport) 49.15%.

Democrats took a strong hold of Babylon, with incumbent Democrats winning with north of 75% of the vote, while in the Riverhead Supervisor’s race, incumbent one-term Supervisor Tim Hubbard (R-Aquebogue) is trailing political newcomer Jerry Halpin (D-Riverhead) by just 21 votes out of about 7,600 ballots cast.

Suffolk County Republican Chairman Jesse Garcia (R-Ridge) (pictured left) discussed the implications of the results.

“We’re going to come back with a Republican majority in the Legislature, but I think there’s national trends that hit us tonight and the fact that there’s a natural letdown after a very successful national election,” Garcia told The Messenger. “The voters did their job. Now our job, in a low-turnout election, is to generate enthusiasm in that election. I’m very proud of the work we did. We retained many

“We performed as suspected in Brookhaven and Southampton, we knew we were going to have a problem in Southold, and Shelter Island is always a gambit there. It’s a bit of a mixed bag,” said Garica. “In 2022, 2023, and 2024, Republicans in Riverhead Town outpaced Democrats in early voting. This year, they did not. We applied a few more resources to the town and we were getting some mixed data on our identifications there. That underperformance is truly what hurt Catherine Stark.”

Of the national moods, Garcia said the Democratic surge wasn’t a “natural overcorrection”, but rather a “natural exhale of the electorate.”

“They’ve just gone through a bruising national election. We walked out of there with an eleven-seat majority in the Legislature and a district attorney [Tierney] that is truly America’s District Attorney.”

Ballot Measures

Proposition 2, the Term Limit Preservation Act, passed handily, with 128,870 votes 95,476 votes57.44%-42.56%.

Suffolk County Legislators will now serve four years terms going forward, with the incoming term set to start in January being a three-year term to align with the State’s even-year election law. The law was bitterly contested by Suffolk and Nassau counties, with the law being upheld on appeal about two weeks ago.

The initiative avoids a scenario in which County Legislators elected on Tuesday would have to run again in 2026, followed by another campaign in 2028. The County Legislators elected on Tuesday night will not have to run again until 2028, after which the all eighteen seats on the horseshoe will be up in 2032.

The New York State ballot measure to allow development rights for the Mount Van Hoevenberg Sports Complex in Lake Placid, while offsetting it with 2,500 acres of forest to be included into the Adirondack Forest Preserve. Unofficial results have the initiative, which would be an amendment to the State Constitution, passing with 1,895,861 votes to 1,750,855 - 52%-48%.

Down Ballot

Thursday, November 6, 2025

Down Ballot: Dems Surge in National Races

By The Editorial Board

Last week, we made our final predictions for this election cycle. We said we’d perform an autopsy on the results regardless of how “impressively correct or preposterously wrong” we are.

Well, unlike our highly accurate 2024 forecast, we were preposterously wrong this year. Let’s get into the numbers.

Virginia - A Total Blowout

The earliest call of the night came in the Old Dominion. Major networks projected former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D) to flip control of Virginia’s governor’s seat within the poll closing hour.

While we did predict a Spanberger win, that result was practically a foregone conclusion. The biggest question was what her final margin would look like. We assumed, incorrectly, that the controversy around the text messages of Attorney General candidate Jay Jones (D) would lower Spanberger’s threshold, as many reputable pollsters clocked a tightening race at that juncture. We estimated a Spanberger win by a margin of 3.5% to 6% - somewhere in that window.

Spanberger trounced Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears (R-VA) by a whopping 15.2% - 57.5%-42.3% - a blowout in the blue-leaning battleground. It’s the best gubernatorial performance by a Democrat in the commonwealth since 1961 and the first double-digit win for any party since 2009. With 1,967,646 votes reported as press time, Spanberger earned the most votes for any gubernatorial candidate in Virginia history.

Part of the political calculus in Virginia is that in every gubernatorial election going back to 1977, except 2013, Virginians elected a governor opposite the White House party.

What’s clear here is that this was a massive repudiation of not just the White House party, but President Donald Trump (R-FL) himself. We also underestimated just how politically toxic the ongoing government shutdown would be, which is quickly on track to become the longest in history. We ascribed blame for the shutdown to the Democrats and believed that either party would relent until it proved to be a toxic issue for them. Democrats made a dicey gamble and ended up winning big, as Northern Virginia (NoVA) is home to a massive chunk of the federal workforce that is currently either furloughed or were let go under the first round of the DOGE cuts.

Spanberger overperformed across the entire state, with the biggest shifts relative to 2024 coming from the NoVA-based Manassas Park (D+22 shift), Prince William County (D+16), Manassas (D+16), and the college town of Harrisonburg (D+15) - the latter home to James Madison University.

Earle-Sears, on the other hand, overperformed in just four counties and the independent city of Lynchburg. All were only marginal gains of less than 5%.

The Jay Jones text message controversy wasn’t even of a negative effect on the gubernatorial race, it seems like it was an entire nonissue. Moreover, Jay Jones himself defeated incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) by a decisive 6.5% margin - something that the polls, which are typically accurate in Virginia, missed by a long shot.

Democrats also flipped control of the Lieutenant Governor’s seat, with Ghazala Hashmi (D beating John Reid (R) by 11.4%.

Even more startling, the narrowly-divided Virginia House of Delegates saw a blue wave, with Democrats netting a whopping thirteen seats.

We severely underestimated the environment in Virginia, seeing as the Democratic ticket did not handle the fallout of the Jay Jones text messages that made some of the polls recoil sharply, especially in Jones’ A.G. race.

Spanberger will become the first female governor of Virginia.

New Jersey - A Stunning Overperformance

New Jersey, however, was an even bigger shocker, one that likely surprised Democrats more than it did Republicans.

Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (D, NJ-11) has been elected governor of the Garden State, breaking a historical streak in the process. Since 1965, New Jersey has not elected the same party to govern the state three consecutive times. Sherrill broke that streak on Tuesday nightone of the main reasons we thought 2021 challenger Jack Ciattarelli (R) was narrowly favored to win.

We predicted a Ciattarelli margin of 0.8%-1.2%.

voters for the GOP since 2021, a net loss of 50,000 voters for the Democrats, and a plethora of local Democratic endorsements for Ciattarelli was enough of a fundamental change to hand him the keys to the governor’s mansion. We also thought that Sherrill’s inability to parry the allegations of insider trading would be terrible PR for her campaign, especially as, in a more populist electorate nowadays, it seemed odd she couldn’t explain how she made $7 million since she entered Congress in 2019.

And, as we mentioned last week, registered votes aren’t guaranteed votes. It clearly didn’t pan out for Ciattarelli - not even remotely close.

New York City - A Paradigm Shift

As expected, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria) is the next Mayor of New York City. He becomes the first Muslim mayor of the Big Apple, the first self-avowed Democratic Socialist mayor of NYC, and, at 34 years old, the youngest NYC mayor since 1892. Mamdani started as a little-known, dark-horse challenger in the Democratic Primary, a contest many thought was a foregone conclusion for disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-Sutton Place). Cuomo lost the primary in a remarkable upset and within a week of his stunning loss - a signal of the old Democratic guard falling by the wayside - launched an Independent bid for mayor.

Sherrill won by 13% even, as of press time - a massive overperformance of the polls that were within the margin of error, even in the aggregates, that stunned Democrats four years ago.

Moreover, Ciattarelli severely underperformed his 2021 performance. Sherrill flipped the South Jersey counties of Gloucester, Atlantic, and Cumberland, and the north-central Morris County, a traditionally Republican county that makes up the base of Sherrill’s congressional district that she flipped in 2018 and held every two years since then.

The Democratic overperformance in New Jersey is not just surprising; it’s stunning. Our talks with people on the ground from both parties saw good momentum for Ciattarelli and a sense of nervousness for Sherrill.

Sherrill has also overperformed in all of New Jersey’s twenty-one counties, with the largest gains in the Newark-based Hudson County (D+22 shift from 2024), the heavily-Latino Passaic County (D+18), and the New Brunswick-based Middlesex County (D+17).

This essentially erases the gains made by Ciattarelli in 2021, when he came just three points away from flipping the seat red, and the significant shift the state saw in 2024, when Donald Trump came less than six points away from flipping a state that has not backed a Republican presidential nominee since 1988.

Our call in New Jersey wasn’t as bold as some think; this was more or less where the winds were blowing in our conversations and research. We assumed that a net gain of 170,000

While we weren’t ambivalent about predicting Mamdani would win, we did make a bold claim: Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa (R-Upper East Side) would experience a surge in support as both the far-left socialists and the diehard Republicans jointly - and ostensibly - saw no value in a Mayor Cuomo. We also posited that a second-place finish was also on the table for Sliwa.

Once again, a huge swing and a miss. Not only did Mamdani consolidate support in all four boroughs besides Staten Island - which went to CuomoCurtis Sliwa failed to even break 10%.

As of press time, Mamdani earned 1,036,051 votes, 50.4% of the city-wide vote, to Cuomo’s 854,995 votes, 41.6%, and Sliwa’s 146,137, 7.1%.

The lopsided margin means the race was much more engaged between Cuomo and Sliwa than we previously thought. However, assuming every Sliwa vote would have gone to Cuomo, the former governor would have still come up short by a couple of points. Mamdani received a majority of the vote and NYC will likely undergo some serious fundamental changes within the next few months.

Part of what made us think Sliwa had a stronger presence starts in his results in 2021. Though he lost to Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn) handily, Sliwa made gains in majority-minority districts across southwestern Brooklyn and parts of Queens - gains that would precipitate a strong Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) showing in 2022 and what made New York such a closer state for Kamala Harris (DCA) last year. Those trends didn’t pan out this year. In fact, 91% of precincts reporting, Sliwa appears to have not won a single neighborhood across all five boroughs.

Even more so, Sliwa appears to not have won a single precinct in the city. Cuomo’s biggest margins came from Staten Island, the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Borough Park, Midwood, and Gravesend, the Manhattan neighborhoods of Midtown and the Upper East Side, and the Queens communities of Jamaica Estates and Kew Garden Hills.

Mamdani’s base of support came from the Brooklyn areas of BedfordStuyvesant, Bushwick, Crown Heights, and Park Slope, to name a few.

Odds and Ends

California’s Proposition 50 has passed with flying colors, meaning a Democratic-drawn gerrymander will replace the current independently-drawn congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms. The map gives the Democrats a significant upper-hand in three seats and might help them win another one or two - enough to counterweight the GOP-drawn Texas gerrymander. The measure passed 63.8%-36.2% with 71% of votes reported.

In Minnesota, Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey (D), who received criticism for his handling of the George Floyd riots in 2020, heads to a runoff against State Senate Omar Fateh (D), a Democratic Socialist who has spoken highly of his Somali roots.

In Maine, voters rejected an amendment 63.9%-36.1% that would require photo ID’s for in-person voting and ballot drop box use, among other changes.

Democrats also held control of the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court by a 5-2 margin, avoiding a lengthy and likely bitter gridlock in Harrisburg over appointments.

Our forecast wasn’t as great as last year’s, that’s for sure. Democrats clearly had a much stronger-than-expected night, even among Democratic circles. We’ll get our ear closer to the rail in 2026.

A Rude Awakening for the GOP

The GOP Must Take Notes

Tuesday night’s elections were expected, at least somewhat, to be a referendum on the Trump Administration.

But the results were far more severe than the GOP expected, even more than what the Democrats did, to a degree.

What Was Expected

Democrats were largely expected to take Virginia in the gubernatorial race. As we’ve covered before, in every gubernatorial race in the Old Dominion since 1977, Virginians have elected the party opposite the White House to govern their state - except in 2013. Former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (DVA) was expected to win here essentially from the very beginning.

Everyone on the ground in New Jersey was bracing for a tight race between 2021 challenger Jack Ciattarelli (R) and Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (D, NJ11). Although much conventional wisdom owed itself to a Republican flip in the Garden State. Neither party has ever won three consecutive gubernatorial elections in New Jersey since the 1960s. It was also assumed that New Jersey would be bracing for impact in the next-door mayoral race.

Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria) was the heavy favorite to become the mayor of New York City, trouncing disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-Sutton Place) and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa (R-Upper East Side). However, Sliwa saw a bump in his numbers after Mayor Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn) dropped out, and saw massive online enthusiasm after his performance in the second debate. Final polling had him capturing 15% to 21% of the city-wide vote.

In Nassau County, the tension was palpable, even from here - east of NY110 - where one-term County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R-Atlantic Beach), who is controversial and bombastic at times, was possibly in for a tight race, along with other Nassau Republicans.

In Suffolk County, the county-wide seats were already foregone conclusions: Ray Tierney (R) was unopposed for District Attorney and Errol Toulon (D) was unopposed for Sheriff.

But the feeling on the ground was that Democrats were panicking at the last minute, calling in emergency door-knocking and GOTV operations in the final days, even in some bluer parts of the county. The GOP seemed poised to pick up a seat or two, with some races likely going down to the wire.

Overall, in a midterm election, dominant party turnout is usually complacent, opposition party has no reason to not vote, while Independents are likely rethinking their choices after a brutal presidential election.

What Was Anomalous

Spanberger won the Virginia gubernatorial race by a whopping fifteen points. As she becomes the first female governor of the commonwealth, this is the first time since 1985 that a Democratic candidate won by a double-digit margin, and the best Democratic performance in general since 1961. It was also the first such race here where any party won by double-digits since 2009.

Moreover, Spanberger’s coattails were so long that Jay Jones (D) was elected Attorney General - the same man who fantasized about killing a Republican colleague in the Virginia House of Delegates and said that it would take the representative’s “wife holding their dying children in her arms” for him to act on gun safety legislation.

Not only did Jones overcome one of the most shocking incidents of violent political rhetoric, it wasn’t even close - he won by about 7 points.

In New Jersey, where a nail-biter was expected for either candidate, it turns out that Democrats had nothing to sweat.

Sherrill won in a thirteen-point blowout, ending a near-seventy-year streak where New Jersey flips between parties regularly in their gubernatorial races. She not only shored up margins in the swingier and red-leaning counties, but she essentially restored the massive drops in enthusiasm that the bluest counties saw for Kamala Harris (D-CA) in last year’s presidential contest - a stunning reversal that puts the GOP on shaky ground with Hispanic voters, whom they have just learned to court by significant margins.

In Suffolk County, the GOP didn’t have the strongest showing. They lost one seat on the County Legislature. Although they retained the majority, it cost them their supermajority. Moreover, Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth (R-Huntington Bay) and Riverhead Supervisor Tim Hubbard (R-Aquebogue) should have been locks for re-election.

Smyth is ahead by just 500 votes, with that race going to a recount. He’s the apparent winner at present, as a Working Families candidate took 1,100

votes that likely would have swept him out of office in an upset had those votes gone to Cooper Macco (D-Huntington).

Huntington is a swing town as it is, but Riverhead is a solidly-red bastion on the East End. In what’s easily the biggest nail-biter of the local races, Hubbard is trailing political newcomer Jerry Halpin (D-Riverhead) by just 21 votes out of nearly 7,600 ballots cast.

Moreover, Republicans facing paper candidates saw some drastically reduced margins, while Democrats absolutely cruised in their races by staggering margins.

Meanwhile, in Nassau, Republicans had a decent night. Blakeman was handily re-elected, as were Republicans to the Nassau County Legislature and the top executive spots - likely the expectation that Mamdani would win in NYC.

What Happened?

This was a national environment that is certainly a harbinger of a blue wave in 2026, if current trends and national moods persist until at least June 2026 - when most states’ primaries are held. It’s hard to blunt the force of those types of political headwinds, but this was far better for the Democrats than the GOP, and even the Democrats themselves, likely expected.

Democrats are now thinking, and rightfully, that they have lightning in a bottle and that this is the model to repeat to flip the House next year, make gains in the Senate - with the outside shot at flipping control of the chamber outright - and defending some tough open seats in gubernatorial races.

Republicans, on the other hand, are likely looking to course-correct. President Trump (R-FL) has already demanded that Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) break the filibuster in the Senate to pass a stopgap without the needed 60-vote minimum. Trump is already caving on the government shutdown, even though we ascribe blame to the Democrats for it.

But for Trump, the writing is on the wall. He’s already thinking of coursecorrecting to preserve what little chances his party has left of retaining the House - egregious and unprecedented mid-decade gerrymanders notwithstanding.

We’re not going to endorse the decision of removing the filibuster as we’re not a fan of the precedent it sets, but we also understand that the public is clearly blaming the GOP for the shutdown, which explains the lopsided margins in Virginia, with the D.C. suburbs being the essential hub of the federal workforce currently furloughed or already in a bone-picking mood over DOGE cuts.

The tectonic leftward Hispanic swing in North Jersey signals to us that Trump and company have gone too far on immigration reform. Many have already agreed it was necessary and that laws must be enforced, but the manner in which it’s being carried out is clearly politically toxic. Whether the scare tactics are hyped up by inner-city liberals and paid disruptors, or whether there’s genuine fear on the ground - two things can be true at the same time - in this case, perception is reality.

We think if Trump just laid off the AI-generated trolling and the constant need to “own the libs”, more people might be willing to hear him out. He’s his own worst enemy; always has been, always will be. That doesn’t mean there aren’t good policies and intentions there, but the demeanor, above all, is hard for most people to root for.

While the GOP was clearly complacent in most jurisdictions, the Democrats, as expected, had no reason to not be vocal. While their net favorability ratings are at historic lows and while voter registration statistics across the country are trending red, Independents, we estimate, pushed the pendulum to the other side.

It wasn’t just a natural over-correction as typically expected in midterm races - it was a stunning, unadulterated repudiation of the state of the union.

And in NYC, Cuomo received more than 40% of the vote. Curtis Sliwa, a mere 7%.

Exit polls show that Mamdani is mayor-elect because of foreign-born New Yorkers or those who have not lived in the city for more than five to ten years. Life-long New Yorkers went big for Cuomo and decently for Sliwa - 17% in the latter.

A paradigm shift is in effect in the Big Apple, and the pendulum swing nationwide cannot be missed, especially as the blue tide creeped into Suffolk, albeit not as massively as it did elsewhere.

The GOP needs to take notes and do some serious soul-searching. Democrats clearly have the momentum and the model on their side.

If the GOP does not get to their ear to the rail, 2026 will be a bloodbath for them.

Op-Ed Response to Unfounded Allegations Against Former Legislator Sarah Anker

To the Editor,

I am writing to respond to your October 10, 2024, article, “Former Leg. Sarah Anker Under Investigation for Document Removal and Destruction,” which contains false, misleading, and defamatory statements that continues to cause significant harm to my reputation, both personally and professionally. Moreover, it has all the markings of a political hit job, timed one-month before the election, to damage my candidacy for the New York State Senate, First District.

For more than two decades, I have proudly served the residents of Suffolk County as a Legislator and public servant. Throughout my years in office, I maintained the highest ethical standards and worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for our communities. My record reflects a consistent commitment to transparency, diligence, and integrity.

The article’s claims, based on unfounded allegations from my legislative successor, Chad Lennon, are false. Neither I nor any member of my staff ever destroyed, deleted, or improperly handled legally required official records. All records were lawfully and properly transferred in accordance with Suffolk County Local Law 39-2020 (§A2-18), which requires outgoing legislators to provide their successors with unresolved constituent case files.

Every such file, along with additional materials such as grant documents, budget notes, Rail Trail records, and opioid reports, was properly left in the office for Mr. Lennon’s use. That Mr. Lennon waited until one month before Election Day to ask his fellow Republican legislators to sponsor an investigation into a transition that took place almost one year earlier strongly suggests his political motive. It must be noted that Mr. Lennon was formerly a legislative aid to my opponent.

The claim that “information about any constituent and their history was nowhere to be found” is demonstrably untrue. Mr. Lennon later acknowledged there were “maybe three files in total” left, and my staff continued forwarding relevant constituent emails as a professional courtesy, well beyond what the law required.

Other statements in the article are equally inaccurate. It claimed, “nobody had been in the office for months,” when in fact my staff worked until December 29, 2023, and all voicemails were returned. The suggestion that mail “piled up” is also false; a labeled mailbox key was left on-site, and any issue could have been easily resolved by contacting me or the local post office. The allegation that confidential records were “thrown in dumpsters” is defamatory and entirely false. All sensitive materials were securely shredded according to county protocol. The office itself was cleaned and organized before departure, with all supplies and records properly arranged. The “good luck” note referenced in your article was written by my office manager as a gesture of goodwill.

Furthermore, Mr. Lennon declined two invitations to meet with me prior to taking office to review files and facilitate a smooth transition. He also made no effort to contact me afterward. His decision to raise these baseless accusations just three weeks before my State Senate election, clearly demonstrates a political motive.

While I appreciate the opportunity to respond to the article, it is deeply troubling that The Messenger Papers, a Republican-oriented publication, failed to contact me or my staff for comment before publishing such serious allegations. Responsible journalism requires fact-checking and affording those accused of wrongdoing an opportunity to respond. Your reporter’s failure to do so not only violated professional ethics but also contributed to the spread of false information timed to influence an election.

As a County Legislator for over a decade, I won seven elections in one of the most Republican districts in Suffolk County, as a Democrat. Why? Because I served the people and not the party. This country has become severely politically divided and there’s no doubt that media influences public opinion. That is all the more reason that accuracy and balance in all media is essential if we are to have a well-informed electorate.

As a parent of three children, being moral and involved in politics means leading by example, showing your children that integrity, empathy, and courage are not just ideals, but everyday responsibilities. It’s about demonstrating that public service begins at home, through fairness, compassion, and the willingness to stand up for what’s right even when it’s difficult. Balancing family life with civic engagement teaches the next generation that moral leadership doesn’t come from power or position, but from the choices we make to improve our communities and protect the values we hold dear. In the end, being both a parent and a public servant is about building a better future, not just for my children, but for all children.

For readers who would like to know more about me and my legislative accomplishments, visit www.sarahanker.com, to fully understand why integrity, accountability and moral courage counts.

Sincerely,

Sarah S. Anker

Former Suffolk County Legislator, 6th District

Former Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mt. Sinai) represented the Sixth District of the Suffolk County Legislature from 2011 to 2024. Anker first won a special election in March 2011 to fill the vacant seat, and was reelected every two years from November 2011 to 2021.

Editor’s Note: This letter does not represent the views and stances of The Messenger.

Takeaways from This Election

By Hank Russell | Long Island Life & Politics

It was a big week for Democrats nationwide, which should have been expected from the start, given that the party in power during an off-year election traditionally gets slaughtered.

And that was the case, in most places across the nation yesterday, as Democrats cruised to victory for governor in Virginia and New Jersey.

Virginia’s huge win was expected, but Jersey was at least expected to be close. It wasn’t. Democrats even elected an attorney general who texted about his desire to see his opponent’s children die in their mother’s arms.

The off year is the time when the voters out of power are motivated to express their wrath against the president of the other party, whom they usually loathe.

This does not portend well for Republicans next year in the midterms.

One thing that could be a counterbalance to a blue wave is having newly elected socialist Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria) as the face of the Democratic Party nationwide. While his Marxism might not be anathema to the ultrablue liberal New York City, he could be a motivating factor for Republicans worried about Marxism spreading beyond the blue inner cities.

Locally, Suffolk Democrats gained by taking at least a seat in the County Legislature and running very tight races in a number of towns. Huntington and Riverhead supervisor races, both with Republican incumbents, will likely result in recounts.

Nassau remained solidly Republican, though it was no blowout. The difference between Nassau and Suffolk is probably that Nassau folks who live closer to New York City are much more worried about the impact that Marxist Mamdani will have on their quality of life.

Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman (R-Atlantic Beach) was also benefiting from flat-tax budgets over the last four years.

Elections swing back and forth over the years and decades. This isn’t the last midterm slaughter that we will see.

The biggest trend to follow is whether the move towards socialism will take over the Democratic Party in the near future… if it hasn’t already.

This op-ed originally appeared in Long Island Life & Politics. For more from LILP, visit them online at lilifepolitics.com. Thursday, November 6, 2025

CUT DOWN ON THE COMMUTE. NOT THE CARE.

As part of our commitment to bringing top-quality care to Suffolk County, we’ve opened another multispecialty practice here in Commack. This new practice brings more specialists under one roof and gives us a total of 51 practices across Suffolk County. We’re bringing the #1 physician practice network in the U.S. closer to home.

Thursday, November 6, 2025

National, State, and Local Temperature Checks

By Matt Meduri

National

Republicans just scored a top-tier recruit to flip a blue state red in next year’s Senate elections.

Former U.S. Senator John Sununu (R-NH) has entered the field for the 2026 Senate race in New Hampshire. Sununu, a scion of perhaps the Granite State’s most beloved political dynasty, is attempting a historic comeback - claiming the seat he held almost twenty years ago. He is attempting to win the open seat currently held by three-term Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who is retiring.

New Hampshire is one of the most ancestrally Republican states in the country, although it leans blue today. The Granite State hasn’t backed a Republican presidential nominee since 2000. However, on varying statewide levels, the GOP has more success. New Hampshire has elected Republican governors every two years since 2016, with Sununu’s brother - Chris Sununu - having served from 2017 to January 2025 as the state’s executive. During his tenure, Sununu regularly polled as one of the most popular governors in the country. That type of name recognition will be of invariable help to John Sununu in his Senate bid, as Governor Sununu was not only elected four times - his latter two terms by wide margins - but he was a vocal moderate in his party that hearkens to New England’s classically liberal profile. Governor Sununu was considered a possible primary opponent to Donald Trump (R-FL) in 2024, but ultimately did not run.

In terms of U.S. Senate races, New Hampshire had a storied history at electing Republicans almost exclusively to represent them in Washington. Democrats currently control both seats, but the GOP held the Class 2 seat from 1979 to 2009. Sununu was elected to the open seat by a narrow margin in 2002, but went down in the 2008 blue wave that swept Republicans out of office amidst Barack Obama’s (D-IL) national landslide.

The Class 3 Senate seat was held by the GOP from 1855 to 2017, with just two Democratic terms in between those years. Sununu must first advance from a Republican Primary, which currently includes former Senator Scott Brown (RNH). Brown is most known for his win in the 2010 Massachusetts Senate special election. His victory in the solidly-blue state just two years after it had backed Obama by a wide margin was seen as the greatest political upset in years.

Brown would then lose the 2012 general election to Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and later move to New Hampshire and run in the 2014 Senate race. He lost by a narrow margin, but is eyeing a comeback of his own.

On the Democratic side, the party has also landed a top recruit in Congressman Chris Pappas (D, NH-01). Pappas held the open seat in 2018 and has been re-elected three times. Pappas, a younger face in the Democratic Party, has represented the Manchester-based NH-01, the lesser blue of the two Granite State congressional districts.

The development comes as a welcome reprieve for the GOP who have since

weathered two heavyweight Democratic recruits in Maine and North Carolina to challenge the GOP’s 53-47 majority in the Senate.

Regarding the national redistricting “arms race”, Ohio Republicans have scored an upper-hand, although the courtordered redraw could have gone worse for Democrats.

This scenario is notable as it is one of the only mid-decade redistricting efforts this year to be a product of a court-order and a deadline date set from 2021. Ohio’s regularly-scheduled 2021 redraw did not receive the bipartisan support that is mandated by the state constitution. As a result, the Legislature-drawn map was set to be active for only four years.

Ohio’s bipartisan redistricting commission approved a new congressional map on Friday, bypassing the Republicancontrolled State Legislature.

Republicans currently hold a 10-5 delegation to the U.S. House, with two solidly blue seats around Cleveland and Columbus, and three but-leaning, but competitive, seats around Cincinnati, Akron, and Toledo.

While the GOP was expected to seize the opportunity to give their party the highest floor possible for next year’s midterms, they went relatively easy on Democrats. The Lake Erie-based OH-09 - a seat that Donald Trump (R-FL) won by about seven points last year and is held by long-time Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D) - got even redder - a 54.5%-45.5% spread - but still competitive for 2026.

The Cincinnati-based OH-01, held by Congressman Greg Landsman (D), has also gotten redder. Landsman, who flipped the red seat in 2022, was re-elected last year by about ten points, while Trump lost this district by about seven. Now, the partisan breakdown is practically inverted - a roughly 54%-47% gap, according to The Ohio Capital Journal.

However, a Democratic-held swing seat got slightly bluer - the Akron-based OH13, held by Congresswoman Emilia Sykes (D), who won the open seat in 2022 and was narrowly re-elected last year. This part of Ohio was once the bread and butter of the Democratic Party’s working-class base not only in Ohio, but nationally. Since then, these counties have raced to the right in the Trump Era. No Republican presidential nominee has carried Summit County (Akron) since Ronald Reagan (R-CA) was re-elected in 1984, and Trump’s margins since 2016 have been the best for the GOP since the 1980s. Summit County makes up the bulk of OH-13; the new partisan spread benefits Democrats to a 52%-48% tune.

The best-case scenario for the GOP under this new map is a 13R-2D spread, although a 12R-3D delegation might be more feasible.

Meanwhile, the Virginia Senate has approved an amendment that would allow Richmond to draw new congressional lines before next year. The amendment stipulates that the Old Dominion reserves that right if another state redraws their House map first before the end of the decade - a likelihood given the current rate.

In Nebraska, Governor Jim Pillen (R-NE) now says he is “open” to redistricting, but

that the act was “off” his “radar” when he was first elected in 2022. The Nebraska State Legislature is unique in that it only has one chamber - unicameral - and is officially nonpartisan, but Republicans do have ideological control. NE-02, centered on Omaha, is one of the Great Plains’ most rapidly left-trending areas, and the open seat being vacated by the centrist Don Bacon (R, NE-02) makes for a likely Democratic pickup next year.

In Maryland, State Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-MD) says that the path his party is on is “unsustainable” and that the “risk of redrawing the congressional map in Maryland is too high.”

Maryland Democrats attempted a gerrymander in 2021, axing the one Republican-held seat in the Old Line State, only for a court to strike down the map and for MD-01 to stand. Governor Wes Moore (D-MD) has insisted that “one person [Ferguson] cannot stop a process” and that a “special session is not off the table.”

Kansas Republicans are hitting a snag in their redistricting plans as several GOP holdouts are being courted by leadership to change their mind. Their votes are necessary to force a special session to redraw the map and axe Democrats’ only seat from the Sunflower State.

In terms of special elections, Republicans have another overperformance under their belt, albeit a slight one.

Last Tuesday saw the GOP retain a State House seat in Alabama. District 12, just north of Birmingham, had elected a Republican by an 85%-15% margin in 2022. Cindy Myrex (R) won the open seat 87.1%-12.9%, with about 2,200 ballots cast.

While something of an innocuous result, the special election marks one of just a handful of times that the GOP has overperformed in such elections since 2025. These types of elections, especially on the state level, are generally seen as the earliest harbingers of the ensuing midterm’s national political environment.

State

Voter registration statistics show a startling development in New York State,

according to the latest data released on November 1.

Reports show that the GOP has enrolled 97,925 new voters since 2022 - a 3.3% increase across all but seven of the Empire State’s sixty-two counties. Their largest gains, interestingly, were in the Bronx - a 23% increase for the GOP to the tune of over 11,000 new voters.

Queens saw a 12.9% shift in favor of the GOP and Brooklyn saw an 8.79% shift, while Manhattan was the only borough that saw a net decline of enrollment for the GOP.

However, since last year, the GOP has lost enrollees in forty-two counties, including Manhattan and Brooklyn, but Queens and the Bronx still show a net increase.

Since 2022, Democrats, meanwhile, have lost a net 79,014 registered voters, with 28,478 coming from the Bronx alone. Since last year, however, Democrats have lost a net 108,219 voters - a sharper decline than 2022 to 2025.

While both parties have seen a net loss in enrollment since last year, the GOP isn’t declining as badly as the Democrats are, while Independents seem to be getting the last laugh. There are now 307,622 more voters who have not signed on with one of the major parties compared to 2022.

Democrats remain healthily ahead of the GOP in terms of overall registrationabout 6.4 million to the GOP’s 2.9 million.

Local

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) is urging residents to donate to local food pantries ahead of the holiday season.

“My administration continues to work at great lengths to help our communities, but what has always made Suffolk County so special is the willingness of our residents to help their neighbors in times of need,” said Romaine in a statement. “I encourage our residents to find a food pantry in their town by calling Suffolk’s 311 Call Center.”

The 311 Call Center will provide callers with a complete list of pantries accepting donations. Information can also be obtained at suffolkcountyny.gov.

Continued from front cover

Election Results

LaValle Re-Elected Brookhaven Town Clerk, Doroski Ousts Stark

He was joined on stage by Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico (R-Center Moriches), Deputy Supervisor Neil Foley (R-Blue Point), and Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro (R-Shoreham).

“I don’t get the ability to do my job every day without the funding they [Town officials] give me and the work they do every day,” said LaValle. “This business is twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.”

LaValle was re-elected over Tricia Chiaramonte (D-Manorville), garnering 34,885 votes to her 28,728 - a 54.82%-45.14% margin. Chiaramonte did not actively campaign.

LaValle was joined on stage by his fiancée.

“The mission hasn’t changed for me from the moment I stepped into the Town Clerk’s office,” said LaValle. “The mission has always been to produce, secure, modernize, and innovate our office to make it an office that you’re proud of and that is the best in New York State.”

LaValle ran on his accomplishments over the last two years, which include, but are not limited to, modernizing and digitizing Town records and processes, working with the Town IT Department to safeguard the Town’s records and systems against the growing cyber threats, barnstorming across the Town’s thirteen libraries on a yearly basis with his mobile office hours, and implementing quality-of-life improvements for the layman. One such example includes placing QR codes on land use application signs so passerbys can get the most up-to-date information on a project, avoiding the social media echo chambers that often whip up fear over new developments.

As the “cover on the book” of Town government, the Clerk’s office processed, in the last year alone, over 10,000 disability parking passes, over 1,500 dog licenses, over 4,000 birth certificates, over 3,500 death certificates, and over 2,100 marriage licenses. Over 700,000 pages of documents have been scanned online in-house over the last year as well.

County Results

Republicans lost one seat on the County Legislature, which was the North Fork-based First District. It includes parts of Manorville and Calverton within Brookhaven Town, as well as parts of northern Southampton Town and the entire towns of Riverhead, Southold, and Shelter Island.

Credit - Matt Meduri

horseshoe that he held in the 1980s. Expected to be one of the top races to watch, Englebright was handily re-elected with 8,856 votes to Endres’ 5,287 - a margin of 63%-37%.

Endres, an attorney representing condo/co-op boards and HOAs, made her first run for public office to tackle the housing issue, among other issues.

“It was a very good experience for me and I hope I brought attention to some long-neglected areas in our district,” Endres told The Messenger. “I will be concerting my efforts into the charitable endeavors and organizations that I’ve been involved in such as my work with my church and the Rotary club, and, of course, continuing on with my law practice!”

The Fifth District includes Belle Terre, East Setauket, Old Field, Poquott, Port Jefferson, Port Jefferson Station, Setauket, South Setauket, Stony Brook, Strong’s Neck, Terryville, and parts of Centereach, Coram, and Mount Sinai.

Sixth District

Freshman Legislator Chad Lennon (C-Rocky Point) (pictured left) earned a second term on Tuesday, defeating Kevin O’Shaughnessy (D-Miller Place) with 7,660 votes to 5,889 votes - a 57%-43% margin. O’Shaughnessy was not actively campaigning. Lennon won the open seat previously held by Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mt. Sinai) in 2023, flipping it from blue to red.

One-term Legislator Catherine Stark (R-Riverhead) (pictured right) flipped the open seat red in 2023. She was ousted on Tuesday by Southold Town Councilman Greg Doroski (D-Mattituck) (pictured below left) For more commentary on this race, turn to Page 4.

Otherwise, both parties held all their respective seats within Brookhaven.

Third District

Two-term Legislator Jim Mazzarella (R-Moriches) (pictured right center) was re-elected over Beverly Theodore (D), who was not actively campaigning. Mazzarella earned 5,659 votes to Theodore’s 3,560 - a margin of 61.35%-38.59%.

“We had a great slate; I’m happy to be a part of this group,” said Mazzarella, expressing his thanks to confidants for the “mentoring and advice” the Legislators “require” to do their job. Mazzarella also gave a shoutout to his son, Joseph, who is studying to be an EOD Tech in the Army in Fort Lee, Virginia.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be in this seat again,” said Lennon. “I would not be up here without all of you. We’re going to get back to this job again tomorrow morning.”

The Sixth District includes East Shoreham, Miller Place, Ridge, Rocky Point, Shoreham, Sound Beach, Upton, Yaphank, and parts of Coram, Middle Island, and Mount Sinai.

Seventh District

Legislator Dominick Thorne (R-Patchogue) (pictured left) secured a third term to the tune of 5,727 votes to Jawaan Sween’s 4,949 votes - a margin of 54%-46%. In 2021, Thorne famously ousted then-Presiding Office Rob Calarco (D-Patchogue) in

a red wave that year, becoming the first Republican to hold this seat since 1972. He won a second term in 2023 by a ten-point margin over an opponent that saw national DNC dollars flow into the race.

The Third District includes Center Moriches, East Moriches, Mastic, Mastic Beach, Moriches, the Poospatuck Reservation, Shirley, and parts of Brookhaven hamlet, Eastport, Fire Island, and Manorville.

Fourth District

Three-term Legislator Nick Caracappa (C-Selden) (pictured left) was re-elected over Nancy Silverio (D), who was not actively campaigning. Caracappa garnered 4,732 votes to Silverio’s 3,744 - a margin of 5.78%44.14%.

“Without you, we would not be up here on this stage tonight,” said Carcappa, thanking his family for “allowing” him to take on his role. Caracappa also serves as the Majority Leader in the Legislature.

The Fourth District includes Selden, Farmingville, and parts of Centereach, Coram, Holtsville, Medford, Terryville, and Port Jefferson Station.

Fifth District

Challenger Laura Endres (R-South Setauket) sought to unseat the well-known Legislator Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), who, in 2023, returned to his seat on the

“It’s always an honor to serve in this seat,” said Thorne. “I will never forget the work people put into this race. We’re going to go forward and keep serving.”

The Seventh District includes Bellport, Blue Point, East Patchogue, Gordon Heights, North Bellport, Patchogue, and parts of Coram, Fire Island, Holtsville, and Middle Island.

Eighth District

The Brookhaven-Islip Eighth District was held down by Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville), (pictured right) one of six Legislature candidates of both parties to receive more than 10,000 votes on Tuesday night. Piccirillo famously missed a razor-thin race in 2017 to oust thenLegislator Bill Lindsay III (D-Bohemia), but came back in 2019 to flip the long-time blue district red. Piccirillo was handily re-elected in 2021 and 2023, but faced a vocal opponent in Kelly Perry-Hyland (D-Bayport), who took up residency in Suffolk just over a year ago.

Piccirillo dispatched Perry-Hyland with 10,624 votes to her 6,432 - a 62%-38% margin.

“Let’s keep bringing good government to Suffolk County,” said Piccirillo, thanking friends, family, and law enforcement partners for their support.

Twelfth District

The Twelfth District is split between the southern half of Smithtown and parts of Middle Country, with the Brookhaven parcels taking in Lake Grove and parts of Centereach. Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) was elected to a sixth term on the horseshoe over Deborah Monaco (D) to the tune of 7,518 votes to 4,665 votes - 61.66%-38.26%.

“We are winners here today, but we’re not winners alone. Without all the help and volunteers, we wouldn’t be where we are,” said Kennedy. (pictured left)

Suffolk Matters

Funds Secured for Water Reuse and Runoff Study

By Matt Meduri

One of the biggest questions regarding the everpresent issue of water quality in Suffolk County is how wastewater can be reused, apart from simply being removed from vital waterways.

Suffolk County recently passed I.R.1690-2025, which appropriates funds for a multi-year water reuse and runoff remediation study in conjunction with the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The project will monitor and evaluate five rivers within Suffolk with the hopes of protecting groundwater resources and improving the health of the rivers and tributaries - as well as the bays into which they flow.

The USGS monitoring stations will be installed and operated at Carlls River in Babylon, Sampawams Creek in Babylon, the Connetquot River in Oakdale, the Nissequogue River in Smithtown, and the Peconic River in Calverton. The initiative will be designed to produce “accurate, real-time water quality data while increasing public access” to the information. The study will also consist of studying the flow, organic and inorganic runoff, and stream temperatures.

The study will also take into account the variables that each river might face, with solutions being gauged appropriately.

Suffolk’s sole-source aquifer provides drinking water for about 1.5 million residents, vis-à-vis more than fifty streams and rivers throughout the county.

Legislator Steve Flotteron (R-Brightwaters) said at a press conference at Carlls River last week that while the efforts to provide clean drinking water and remediating the quality in waterways are a priority, efforts need to go further.

“It’s not just sewers and I/A systems; they’re a major part of things,” said Flotteron. “Increasing challenges such as nitrogen pollution, emerging contaminants, and saltwater intrusions require sciencedriven, proactive solutions. We’ve had sewers in some areas for years, but our clams haven’t come back, and other problems have grown. We need to find all the different things we need to do to resolve it.”

Strategies taken by the County emphasize “long-term monitoring, data transparency, and public engagement,” according to Flotteron.

Road runoff is a large component of this initiative. Road runoff involves any substances and chemicals left behind by vehicles and/or debris, especially in times of flash floods and rainstorms, that spill into

Moloney Family

CreditSuffolk County Legislature

the drainage systems, but further contaminate the waterways into which those systems empty. Flotteron even mentioned that car washes adjacent to rivers could be an area of further scrutiny.

Flotteron also discussed a live board in the lobby of the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge where the public can observe the monitoring in real time.

“All these streams have one thing in common, they all flow into the Great South Bay,” said Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst). “This is one of the biggest issues we have. We expect the USGS survey to come out sometime next year. One of the ways we can recharge our aquifer is to control the stormwater runoff.”

Legislator Tom Donnelly (D-Deer Park) added

that the Carlls River is an “ecological treasure”, but that it is “susceptible to water runoff,” adding his appreciation for the ongoing sewer work for Deer Park and North Babylon.

“When it rains, the rainwater picks up pollutants such as bacteria, pathogens, pet waste, oil, and plastic and carries it to our local creeks, bays, and rivers,” said Maureen Murphy, of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “This leads to toxic rides, fish kills, closed beaches, and closed shell fishing areas.”

Enrico Nardone, Executive Director of the Seatuck Environmental Association called Suffolk’s water its “most valuable resource.”

Andrew Mirchel, of Save the Great South Bay, a self-avowed “creek defender” of West Islip, called the initiative a “gratifying day”, especially as how the “citizenry of Long Island has raised their level of environmental awareness and their ability to do something about it.”

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) spoke highly of the USGS from his prior experience working with them on the East End.

“I know they can pinpoint some of the problems that we have with our waterways,” said Romaine, adding that the next step will be a lift, based on the USGS’ findings. “It’s not going to be easy. It may require bioswales or filters in all of our road drains. We’ve got to be prepared to make the adjustments. It might be expensive, but we’ll be saving the future of this island.”

Romaine spared no expense in calling on Governor Kathy Hochul (D) to release funds from the Environmental Bond Act to Suffolk, stating that Hochul could be “very, very helpful” in that regard.

The

Middle Country Celebrates a Spirit-Filled Homecoming Week at Newfield & Centereach H.S.

The Middle Country Central School District was filled with pride and school spirit as Centereach High School and Newfield High School each hosted their highly anticipated homecoming celebrations this past weekend. Students, staff, families, and alumni gathered for a variety of festivities highlighting school pride, student talent, and community involvement.

Centereach High School kicked off its homecoming with a spirited homecoming dance on Thursday evening, where students dressed to impress and celebrated together. On Friday night, the energy continued with class skits and pep rallies held under the lights at the school’s football stadium, bringing the student body together in a show of unity and Cougar pride.

Saturday brought a festive atmosphere to the school grounds with the annual Cougar Carnival, featuring games, food, and fun for all ages. The weekend culminated at the homecoming football game, where fans filled the stands to cheer on the Cougars in an exciting matchup that capped off a memorable celebration.

Students Selected for 2025 SCMEA PEAK Music Festival

The South Country School District is proud to announce that seven Frank P. Long Intermediate students were selected to participate in the 2025 Suffolk County Music Educators Association PEAK (Parents, Educators and Kids) Festival on October 18 at Northport High School.

The PEAK Festival is a unique celebration of music education that brings together outstanding fourth grade students from across Suffolk County for a day of interactive workshops and performances.

Throughout the day, students, parents and music teachers will collaborate in a

variety of hands-on sessions designed to inspire creativity and teamwork. Workshops include found sounds, folk dance, bucket drumming, Foley arts, sticks and cups, music games, chorus and more.

Representing Frank P. Long Intermediate School at this year’s festival are Bradley Basnight, Cole Catalano, Katherine Chen, Gianna Coriano, Hazel Hartman, Heidi Jorgensen and Arlo Silverman.

The district congratulates these students on their selection and commends them for their dedication to musical excellence.

Over at Newfield High School, students kicked off their festivities with a lively homecoming dance on Friday night. The celebration continued Saturday morning with a spirited parade led by the marching band. Each class marched proudly showcasing their unity and creativity. The parade concluded with student-performed skits, entertaining the crowd and rallying excitement ahead of the game. The festivities concluded with a football game on Saturday, drawing a strong crowd of Wolverines fans who came out to support their team and celebrate school pride.

Both high schools showcased the energy, creativity, and enthusiasm of their student bodies, making this year’s homecoming celebrations a resounding success. The Middle Country Central School District congratulates all participants and thanks the families, faculty, and community members who helped make the events possible.

For more information regarding the Middle Country Central School District and its students’ many achievements, please visit the District’s website: https://www.mccsd.net/.

Two William Floyd High School Tennis Players Earn All-State Honors

William Floyd High School juniors Anabel Van Cott and Lydia Van Cott, under the leadership of two-time USTA Coach of the Year Dave Pia, earned All-State honors after a second-place finish in the Suffolk County Doubles Tournament held at Smithtown East during the weekend of October 18-19. As All-State honorees, both studentathletes competed in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Girls’ Tennis State Championships held at the

USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens, on October 27.

In the competition, Anabel and Lydia defeated a team from Monroe County to advance to the sweet 16 round before losing to a team from the Ross School. “They had a great run and a great year,” said Coach Pia, adding that finishing among the “top 16 doubles teams in New York State is quite an accomplishment!”

Congratulations, Anabel and Lydia!

Comsewogue School District Inducts Its 2025 Hall of Fame Class

The Comsewogue School District recently inducted its the Hall of Fame Class of 2025, which featured two revered coaches and five athletic all-stars. This year’s class includes Tony Musso, Mike Denimarck, Adam Marksberry, Melissa Tassone Milano, Patricia Costello Mudd, Alissa Rubino, and Rick Barlow.

Tony Musso was a Comsewogue coach from 1978 through 2005, during which he led the softball team to victory in the New York State Championships in 1985. He was voted coach of the year three times and also coached the football, boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball, baseball, track and field, volleyball, soccer, and cheerleading teams. Mr. Musso also served as a Comsewogue physical education teacher and coached the St. Joseph’s College softball team.

Mike Denimarck was a Comsewogue coach from 1979 to 2019 and the Varsity football coach from 1979 to 2001. He was also a defensive coordinator and led the team to clinching the Rutgers Cup in 1990 and the Long Island Championship in 1996. Mr. Denimarck also led the modified wresting team from 1981 to 2000, modified boys track and field team from 2004 to 2015, Varsity boys winter track from 2005 to 2015 and Varsity girls winter track from 2016 to 2019. He was also a physical education teacher, elementary teacher, dean of student and modified athletic coordinator.

Adam Marksberry, a graduate of the Class of 2002, had a thriving lacrosse career he continued into college. He was the team captain, an All-County star in 2001 and 2002 and earned an All-American honorable mention. During his time on the lacrosse team, Comsewogue won the Suffolk County Championship three times and the New York State Championship once in 2002. Mr. Marksberry was also an All-County soccer star in 2002 during his time at Comsewogue.

Melissa Tassone Milano, the valedictorian of the Class of 2008, was a five-time Suffolk County champion, four-time New York State qualifier and News12 Scholar Athlete recipient. She was a member of the volleyball team from 2004 to 2007, winter track team from 2005 to 2008 and track and field team from 2005 to 2008. She went on to compete on the track and field team at Princeton University from 2008 to 2010.

Patricia Costello Mudd, a graduate of the Class of 1982, had an extensive athletic career during her time at Comsewogue. She was on the cross-country team from 1980 to 1982, during which she was a three-time All-League star, three-time All-Conference star, and three-time All-County star. She earned first place in the New York State qualifier in 1979, first place in the Individual and Team VI Championships in 1980 and first place in the Suffolk County Championships in 1981. She competed on the Winter track team from 1979 to 1982, during which she earned All-League, All-Conference and All-County status for all four years she attended Comsewogue. She also earned first place in the Suffolk County 1,500-meter dash in 1982. Lastly, she was a member of the track and field team from 1980 to 1982, during which she was a three-time AllLeague star, three-time All-Conference star and three-time All-County star. She also earned fifth place in the New York State Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 3,000-meter dash.

Alissa Rubino, a graduate of the class of 2003, was a standout basketball and soccer star during her time at Comsewogue. She competed on the girls’ basketball team from 1998 through 2003, during which she was an All-League star from 1999 to 2003, All-County star from 1999 to 2003 and All-Long Island star from 2000 to 2003. While competing on the soccer team, she was Section XI MVP in 2002, an All-League champion in 2001 and 2002, All-County champion from 2000 to 2002, All-Conference champion in 2001 and 2002, All-State champion in 2001 and All-State defender in 2002.

Rick Barlow, who graduated in the Class of 1979, was on the basketball team from 1975 to 1979. In his senior year, he was a co-captain and MVP, as well as an AllLeague star, All-County star, All-State star.

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.

Bayport-Blue Point High School Announces Top of the Class Of 2026

Bayport-Blue Point High School is proud to announce Jefferson Swan as the valedictorian and Shlok Parekh as the salutatorian for the Class of 2026. Both students have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, leadership and dedication throughout their high school careers.

Throughout his years at BayportBlue Point High School, Jefferson has distinguished himself as both a scholar and a leader. He has served as an Executive Officer of the Tri-M Music Honor Society and is an active member of the National Honor Society, the Mathletes and the Science Olympiad team. As part of the Science Education initiative, Jefferson has also shared his passion for learning by providing science instruction to elementary students.

As a talented musician, Jefferson performs as a bass player in the chamber orchestra, pit orchestra and jazz band. In athletics, he has been a dedicated member of the tennis team for four years, earning All-Division

honors in 2025 and receiving the Sportsmanship Award.

Jefferson’s academic excellence is evident through numerous honors, including being named an AP Scholar with Distinction and receiving the Bausch and Lomb Award for AP Chemistry, Ronald Reagan Award for AP U.S. History and recognition for excellence in AP Precalculus, AP Statistics, Spanish IV, Orchestra and Physical Education. Beyond the classroom, Jefferson volunteers at South Shore University Hospital, assisting patients and supporting staff.

Shlok Parekh has been named the Class of 2026 salutatorian in recognition of his outstanding academic success. As a Brookhaven National Laboratory

research intern, he has developed algorithms for quantum communication and astronomy applications. He has also furthered his mathematical studies at Stony Brook University, completing courses in Linear Algebra and Calculus III.

Shlok has a passion for education and technology, creating YouTube instructional videos on AP Biology, Calculus, U.S. History and Computer Science that have collectively garnered over 20,000 views. As the head of the web and development team for the BBP Enterprise Club, he has contributed to creating the school store and developing software for the club.

Shlok has been an active participant in the Science Olympiad team, competing in several science and engineering competitions such as Codebusters, Helicopter and Robot Tour. As a member of the National Honor Society, he has shared his academic strengths through tutoring in algebra and biology while volunteering at numerous community events. Shlok has volunteered extensively with Lighthouse Mission and Gayatri Pariwar of Long Island, dedicating his time to supporting local outreach and service initiatives.

In addition to his academic and extracurricular accomplishments, Shlok is a member of the varsity tennis team, where he plays doubles with Jefferson Swan. Together, they have demonstrated teamwork and sportsmanship, with Shlok also earning the Long Island Sportsmanship Award.

Bayport-Blue Point High School congratulates Jefferson Swan and Shlok Parekh on their outstanding achievements and wishes them continued success in their future endeavors.

The Necessary Standard for American Education

Ratifying Constitutions

By Matt Meduri

Since New York State just had a measure on the ballot to ratify the State Constitution, we figured this would be a good opportunity to discuss how a state constitution, or even the U.S. Constitution, is amended and ratified.

Amendment Vs. Ratification

The first is the distinction between these two terms, neither of which really exist without the other.

An amendment is a proposed change or set of changes to a document or law, while ratification is the process of approving said changes.

What Can an Amendment Consist Of?

Practically anything, so long as it does not interfere with previously-established rights - namely suffrage. The Constitution has only a few exceptions for what’s not on the table.

All fifty states have the same number of Senators - 2 - regardless of population. Originally intended to be the state government’s lobbying arm in Washington, the Senate delegations are meant to ensure states are represented equally in the federalist republic, a direct contrast to the U.S. House’s representation by proportion. Therefore, no amendment can deprive a state of equal representation in the Senate, without that state’s consent.

While not a codified rule, the single-subject rule is often upheld in amendments to the U.S. Constitution; some states require them for amendments to their individual constitutions. This requires that an amendment only deal with a single issue so as to maximize clarity, purpose, and transparency.

No amendment to the U.S. Constitution has ever been deemed unconstitutional.

We’ve reviewed all twenty-seven amendments to the Constitution in this column. Amendments are and have been concerned with individual liberties, civil rights, suffrage, minimum voting age, the direct election of U.S. Senators, presidential term limits, congressional compensation rules, a federal income tax levy, to name a few.

Only one amendment exists to have nullified a previous one. The Twenty-First Amendment overturns the provisions of the Eighteenth Amendment, which instituted Prohibition.

Amendment Origins and Passage

In the federal government, a proposal for an amendment can start like any other bill, but with the purpose of amending the Constitution. These can be sponsored by members of the House, Senate, or jointly. Both chambers engage in debate over the parameters, possible effects, and overall scope of the proposition.

One notable origin is that of the Twenty-Seventh Amendment. This one was one of the first amendments submitted to the First Congress in 1789 but did not receive enough support from the states. It was forgotten until 1982, when Gregory Watson, a 19-year-old student at the University of Texas at Austin wrote a paper for a government class in which he argued that the amendment could still be ratified. He launched a national campaign for its ratification, which succeeded in 1992.

In order to pass the halls of Congress, an amendment must be approved by the House and Senate by separate

two-thirds majority votes. Failure to achieve that threshold in either chamber means the end of that amendment’s progress - at least for the time being.

If an amendment should receive the necessary twothirds support in both chambers, the amendment is then sent to the legislatures of all fifty states for the second part of the process: approval from three-fourths of the states.

State legislatures then convene for debate. When 38 states - three-quarters of 50 - vote to ratify, the amendment becomes law - all devoid of presidential approval or veto opportunity.

The alternative to the aforementioned chain of events is a constitutional convention, in which two-thirds of the state legislature (34 of 50 states) call for a convention to be held by Congress in which the states deliberate. This method has never been used before.

Amendment Difficulty: A Flaw or a Feature?

This is an area of frequent debate, as some scholars have noted that the U.S. Constitution is extraordinarily difficult to amend, which they argue is a case for “democratic backsliding.” Some argue that the two-thirds majorities required in Congress and the three-fourths majority required by the states is far too high a threshold to be met without a significant campaign or deliberation. Moreover, they argue that when an amendment might be “most necessary”, polarization and/or thinly-divided federal and/or state governments preclude the changes desired.

However, others argue that the difficulty is a solid feature.

Proponents of the current process say that a document as wide-reaching and as sacrosanct as the U.S. Constitution should be difficult to change, especially in times of polarization. As various factions might form within the country and/or states along ideological lines, the current thresholds required are a failsafe against runaway legislation pushed by the dominant party at the time. They also argue that the amendments previously passed have had significant changes to the American landscape over the last 250 years and that extreme caution should be utilized when altering such an influential document.

State Constitutions

State constitutions operate more or less the same as the federal constitution, but its power is only limited to the state in question. This is one of the classic provisions that make the United States a constitutional republic; each state has its own sovereignty of any powers not afforded to the federal government - vis-à-vis the Tenth Amendment. States are free to regulate a host of issues, such as firearm ownership, elections, abortion, income taxes, sales taxes, and term limits, to name a handful.

Some states also have provisions in place to mirror the deliberate difficulty of the federal Constitution’s amendability. Florida, for example, has a 60% threshold required in order to pass amendments as ballot measures. If less than 60% of the population votes in favor of the amendment, the initiative fails. This was seen very recently in 2024, as two separate amendments to codify abortion rights and the legalization of recreational marijuana failed with just under 60% of the vote. However, state constitutions might deal with more

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.

regionalized issues, which, if they are to be amended, requires the entire state to be on board.

This is what was on the ballot last week in New York. Adirondack Forest Preserve lands protected by the State Constitution were being endangered by development at the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex in Lake Placid. The agreement, as stipulated by the amendment, allowed development rights to a set number of acres, while 2,500 additional acres of forest would be added to the preserve. Since the New York State Constitution has jurisdiction over those lands, it was a ballot measure in all sixty-two counties of the state.

How is the New York State Constitution Amended?

New York has an interesting method of passing amendments, something we’re seeing unfold with the state’s current redistricting fight.

In order for a constitutional amendment to pass the State Legislature, it must be approved by both the Assembly and the Senate in two consecutive legislative sessions before it can be delivered to the public. It essentially boils down to this flow chart:

1. An issue arises - whether it be a sweeping statewide initiative or a more localized problem.

2. Legislators in both chambers sponsor the resolution to address said issue in Legislative Session 1.

3. The resolution passes both chambers in Legislative Session 1.

4. Legislators in both chambers sponsor the resolution in Legislative Session 2.

5. The resolution passes both chambers in Legislative Session 2.

6. The resolution is then delivered to the voters in the form of a ballot measure, for them to reject or approve in a simple “yes” or “no” vote. Only a majority vote is required by the voters. If achieved, the resolution amends the State Constitution.

Another method in New York is the constitutional convention, in which voters, during a general election, can decide whether or not hold a convention to consider constitutional amendments. The State Constitution currently requires that the question of holding a convention be put to a statewide vote every twenty years. If a majority of voters approve it, delegates are elected in the next general election, after which they convene to propose, deliberate, and vote on amendments to the state constitution.

Voters elect three delegates from each of New York’s sixty-three Senate districts and fifteen at-large delegates from across the state - a grand total of 204 delegates.

If called, a constitutional convention is slated to begin on the first Tuesday of April in the year following the delegate election.

The last constitutional convention in New York was held in 1967. The proposed changes were given to voters in the 1967 general election, but were rejected. The convention ran from April 4 to September 26. New York voters have rejected the last three opportunities for a convention in 1977, 1997, and 2017. The next opportunity will be in 2037. The last time a constitutional convention resulted in approved amendments by the voters was in 1938. Changes approved in 1938 included a Stateenacted Social Security program, NYC being excluded from its debt limits to finance a public transport system, and permission for the State Legislature to fund transportation to parochial schools.

Brookhaven Youth Advisory Board Holds Food Drive to Support Youth Bureau INTERFACE Program

On Saturday, October 25, the Town of Brookhaven Volunteer Youth Advisory Board held a food drive at Stop & Shop in Farmingville to support the Youth Bureau’s INTERFACE Thanksgiving Food Drive. Last year the INTERFACE food drive provided meals for almost 1,500 families in need across Brookhaven Town and supplied additional food to four local food pantries.

Students and adults from the Youth Board stood in front of Stop & Shop from 10:00a.m. to 2:00p.m. and collected 45 grocery bags of food. Shoppers received flyers listing needed items as they entered and dropped donations off on their way out. Participating students will earn community service credits for their efforts.

“I want to thank all the volunteers from our Youth Advisory Board who helped collect food for our neighbors in need,” said Supervisor Dan Panico (R-Center Moriches).

“Each year, this program helps ensure families throughout Brookhaven have a traditional Thanksgiving meal. We wouldn’t achieve our goal if it were not

for caring residents and kindhearted businesses working together.”

Students in grades 9 through 12 who live in Brookhaven Town and are interested in joining the Youth Board can submit a brief essay explaining their interest, along with a resume, to gs-outreach@ brookhavenny.gov.

About INTERFACE

INTERFACE is a partnership between individuals, good corporate neighbors and the Town of Brookhaven united in a common effort to provide help to Brookhaven’s less fortunate residents. It provides goods and services to those in need and addresses social issues. There are approximately 100 corporations, not-for-profit agencies and community fraternal organizations that make up INTERFACE. To learn more about the INTERFACE Program, please visit the Youth Bureau’s Community Programs page or call 631451-8026.

Losquadro, Manzella Announce Completion of Paving Projects in Farmingville, Centereach, Lake Ronkonkoma

Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Daniel P. Losquadro (R-Shoreham) and Councilman Neil Manzella (R-Selden) have announced the completion of several paving projects in Farmingville, Centereach, Lake Grove and Lake Ronkonkoma.

In the first project, 24 roadways were resurfaced just north of Granny Road in Farmingville, including Rosemont Avenue, Edgewood Avenue, Oakcrest Avenue, Mt. Cook Avenue, Midwood Place, Pinelawn Avenue, Mapleton Avenue, Lynwood Avenue, Woodycrest Drive, Woodmont Place, Park Place, Adirondack Drive, Oceanview Avenue, Brentwood Avenue, Glenwood Place, Highland Avenue, Knollcrest Avenue, Falcon Court, Pineoaks Place, Midvale Avenue, Foxboro Avenue, Tower Hill Avenue, Sunrise Place, and Summit Place. Prior to paving, crews replaced damaged concrete aprons, curbing and sidewalk at a cost of approximately $1 million. The total cost for this paving project was approximately $2.6 million.

In the second and third paving projects, crews resurfaced 19 roadways between Sycamore Avenue and Smith Road stretching from Centereach to Lake Grove and Lake Ronkonkoma. Roads resurfaced in these projects included Sycamore Avenue, Virginia Avenue, George Street, Kay Street, Swain Court, Glen Drive, Heritage Court, Jordan

Drive, Libes Lane, Royal Oaks Drive, Layton Lane, Garden Avenue, Park Avenue, Tamara Court, Madach Street, Georgia Avenue, Grand Offenbach Street, Leon Court, and Balaton Avenue. The total cost for both of these paving projects was approximately $1.1 million.

“This year, we’ve been able to complete a substantial amount of work in the CentereachFarmingville-Lake Ronkonkoma area,” said Losquadro. “Roads in these neighborhoods are now safer and smoother for all who travel them.”

The final paving project involved the resurfacing of 11 roadways just south of Middle Country Road in Centereach. Prior to paving, crews completed nearly $200,000 worth of concrete improvements, replacing damaged aprons, curbing and sidewalk. Roads resurfaced in this project included: Forest Avenue, Emery Lane, Ginger Court, Lake Grove Boulevard, Oak Avenue, Richmond Boulevard, Taj Court, Taj Street, Washburn Street, Whispering Pines Court and Woodland Boulevard. The total cost for this paving project was approximately $600,000.

“It’s great to see long-needed road work getting done, and the newly paved roads look excellent,” said Councilman Manzella. “I want to thank our Highway Department for staying on top of so many miles of infrastructure, it’s definitely no easy task. These improvements will make our roads safer for everyone.”

16 Local History

Published

by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Thursday, November 6, 2025

Women Veterans of Lake Ronkonkoma

By Ellyn Okvist B.Sc.

Our history of Women Veterans in Lake Ronkonkoma is vast. From World War I to present, we have a group that we respect and offer our pride as a community.

President Harry Truman (DMO) signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act on June 12, 1948. The act officially granted women the right to serve actively and permanently in the U.S. Armed Forces. It wasn’t until 70 years later, on June 12, 2018, that the first Women Veterans Day was established and honored. Now recognized by 21 states and U.S. territories, Women Veterans Day honors the persistence and dedication of the women who defy convention, break barriers, and serve the mission. On June 12, 2023, the 75th anniversary of President Truman’s barrierbreaking signature, the White House served honor to the women whose courage and example no doubt guided his pen.

The date is not recognized nationally, but is recognized by a number of states, either through legislation or proclamation, and organizations. The stated goal of Women Veterans Day varies somewhat by state but can generally be acknowledged as an effort to honor the work of women in the United States Armed Forces and recognize the unique challenges that they have faced. The date was first recognized when the New York State Assembly declared June 12, 2008, to be Women Veterans’ Recognition Day. National Recognition has remained strong with November 11 for all service Veterans, male or female. A by-state or by-area determination should be arrived at, of which the women can decide on the appropriate date and recognize their valor on the date that best serves them. This Veterans Day, November 11, is the 28th Annual Military Women’s Memorial Veterans Day ceremony. The ceremony, one of the major observances in the nation’s capital, is free and open to the public and will include formal military honors, a keynote address, Veterans’ remarks, and wreath laying’s. Their program will be held inside the Memorial, located on the Arlington Cemetery grounds at Memorial Avenue & Schley Drive, Arlington, Virginia.

The Military Tribute Banners of Lake Ronkonkoma proudly share 18 women Veterans, most you may know and love due to family, neighbors, or friends. They have served with honor from World War I to present. The Lake Ronkonkoma Veterans Association now presents the “Adopt A Woman Veteran”, the first project in the group of similar projects. We will ultimately honor our local KIA and Veterans alike. The official name is “Tell Her Story.” By participating in the “Adopt a Woman Veteran” project, the very important job of documenting and telling the story of a woman Veteran is in your care. She will be depending on you to ensure her legacy, the Memorial is depending on you to capture and preserve her story, and the nation is depending on you to ensure history is complete, one story at a time.

How To Participate: To take the pledge to honor a woman Feteran by telling her story. Sign up at an in-person event with us for the Military Women’s Memorial OR Contact us at thelakeheritage@aol.com. Each participant will receive or supply the name of a woman who served, a copy of her available documents, and a link to a resource guide on how to tell and register her story in the national Register, including sample Register profiles to use as inspiration.

We need you as Volunteers, we have many other specialty groups that served our Country. Killed in Action individuals are already compiled in a book written by local author George Cristino; however, please advise us of any additional names of our Armed Forces so we may add them to the projects. We will include Gold Star, Pilots, French & Indian War, Revolutionary War, Indian Wars, War of 1812, Mexican American War, Civil War, Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, all Gulf Wars, Afghanistan, Iraq, and others. Lake Ronkonkoma’s representation is a solid union which we are all proud of, their accomplishments and we want to have all share the respect they deserve. Other projects are ready for public participation and will ultimately honor our local KIA and Veterans alike

Ask family members, friends, Veterans’ groups, schools, and organizations to give their support to this important project. Adopting A Woman Veteran can be an individual or group service project. It is a great way to get involved and give back by honoring our women Veterans and showing gratitude for their enormous sacrifice made for our nation and our freedom.

“They say you die twice: one time when you stop breathing and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name for the last time.” -Bansky

What is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day? as told by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs:

Many people confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring military personnel who died in the service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. While those who died are also remembered, Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor all those who served honorably in the military – in wartime or peacetime. In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank living Veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served – not only those who died – have sacrificed and done their duty. KIA & died in service - Memorial Day. However, Veterans Day also honors all KIA and died in service. They are honored two times a year. Veterans Day thanks living Veterans one day per year.

Women in the Village Currently Honored with a Military Tribute Banner

Rosemary Cleary - Red Cross World War I

Lillian Devere - Navy World War I

Natalina E. DelMar - Coast Guard World War II

Barbara Greene - Army World War II

Dolores M. Henri Holzapfel - Army Air Force World War II

Dorothy M. Holzler - Army World War II

Susan T. Taylor - Navy Desert Storm-plus

Joanne E. Aiello - Marines Vietnam Era

Judith A. Lloyd - Air Force Vietnam Era

Linda Belden-Women’s Army Corp. - Vietnam Era

Barbara Beran Dupuis - Navy Vietnam Era

Tina Ann Stark - Air Force Vietnam Era

Sharon M. Potter - Air Force 1980-1984

Ilona Torraca - Air Force 1986-92

Rachel Fredericks - Marines 2008-2011

Gail Germano - Marines 1976-Iraq plus Aimee L. Treutlein - Navy Global War on Terror-plus; present

Lauren Nicole Klos - Army to present

If you are aware of Lake Ronkonkoma Women who served the Military, or any other action, please contact us ASAP. We have a time limit as to the monument construction.

P ERSONAL AT T ENT I ON AND DIGNIFI ED SERVIC E... O UR CON T INUIN G T RADIT I ON

~ Home for Funerals & Cremations ~ ~ In Honoring eir Legacy ~

Ker r y J. Maher Lic Manager & Director

Deacon Kenneth J. Maher, Aelysche Marie Maher & Kenneth J. Maher, Jr. Serving All Surrounding Communities

Proud to Serve Our Veterans, Law Enforcement and Fire Service Our State-of-the Art Building Offers:

Ample Easy Access Parking Spacious Chapels Reception/Gathering Room Children’s Room

829 Midd le Countr y Road, Route 25, S t. James, NY 11780

631-584-5200

P roudly Ser ving Our Community Since 1961

Microsoft’s AI Push Tests the Line Between Productivity and Orchestration

By Mollie Barnett | AI Strategist and Growth Architect

Microsoft’s latest Copilot enhancements mark a pivotal moment for enterprise software: AI is no longer an add-on; it’s the operating texture of everyday work. The rollout folds advanced agent capabilities into Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams; adds government-cloud credentials; and routes among top models such as GPT4.1 and alternates. The result is simple to describe and tricky to navigate: AI where employees already live.

Adoption is rising. After October’s release, implementations climbed meaningfully, with large professionalservices firms piloting deployments across tens of thousands of seats. Expanded access through Microsoft 365 tiers is pulling in smaller organizations that previously sat out the AI wave. The numbers signal successful penetration. Whether that equals transformation is the open question.

At the heart of the decision is a strategic fork that will shape competitive dynamics for years: use AI to accelerate tasks, or architect AI to coordinate the business.

Copilot excels at discrete automation: drafting faster, summarizing meetings, and cleaning data. Those gains are real and measurable. But orchestration is different. That’s the capacity to connect data sources, models, and decisions across functions so the system learns and improves week after week. Think beyond a quarterly sales summary to a live spine that blends demand signals, supply constraints, service loads, and pricing, and then recommends actions before problems surface.

The economic profiles diverge at that point.

Workspace AI delivers linear returns, often between 10–30% time back on targeted activities. Orchestration compounds: better forecasts improve inventory; improved inventory frees cash; freed cash funds growth; and the loop tightens. If competitors build orchestration while you optimize tasks, the gap won’t show up in tomorrow’s dashboard - it will show up as next year’s market share.

Lock-in arrives quietly. There’s no hard contractual trap; instead, workflows hard-wire to familiar apps, teams build prompt habits, and budgets assume “we already have AI.” That ambient dependency makes alternative exploration harder over time. Meanwhile, Microsoft retains flexibility by swapping underlying models, while users stay attached to the workspace layer. The asymmetry is strategic.

Leaders now face four practical choices.

The first choice, name Copilot for what it is: an on-ramp, not the destination. Treat productivity wins as the entry ticket to a broader architecture conversation, not the end of it.

Second, invest in capability as seriously as licenses. Train teams on how AI coordinates across functions and how to frame problems as systems, not just how to click the Copilot button. Skills outlast tools.

Third, explore infrastructure early. Pilot a small orchestration use

case in parallel. For example, finance-ops-sales profitability views; maintenance prediction tied to supply lead times; service routing that blends NPS with cost-to-serve. Build a path before habits calcify.

Fourth, align urgency with your market. In categories where prediction, reliability, or capital efficiency drive advantage, staying at the task layer is a strategic risk, not just a tech choice.

Microsoft’s push is democratizing access to sophis-ticated AI, and that has real economic value. But easy access can blur the line between being AI-enabled and being AI-advantaged. The former speeds up what you already do. The latter changes how you compete.

The leadership question is now plain: will your AI program make individual tasks faster—or make the whole business smarter?

MOLLIE BARNETT is an

Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Thursday, November 6, 2025

Trump – Changing Drug Traffickers’ Calculus

By Robert B. Charles | AMAC National Spokesman

President Trump has authorized the use of force against “go-fast” boats carrying large quantities of illicit drugs – fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin – to the United States, as more than 80,000 US citizens die each year of overdoses and cartels spread violence. Democrats “rage.” They should sit down. President Trump is changing drug traffickers’ calculus.

As the former Assistant Secretary of State who helped architect and implement the successful Plan Colombia strategy in the early 2000s, worked legally with the US Coast Guard to enable shooting Colombian “go fast” engines, and pushed global drug trafficking deterrence, President Trump is exactly right. Consider the key facts.

First, those 80,000 US overdoses (ages 18 to 45) are almost entirely from foreign source drugs. Overdose deaths tripled since Obama’s first term. More young Americans die each year from foreign source drug overdoses than died in the whole Vietnam War. So, the damage is enormous.

Second, the US presently has an estimated 33,000 street gangs, many linked to eight (8) major Mexicanbased drug cartels, categorized by the FBI and DEA as Transnational Criminal Organizations, as well as pervasive Chinese, Dominican, and other foreign drug trafficker penetration.

Third, these TCO groups – foreign source Organized Crime groups – are often lumped together, but are both competitive (violently competing) and cooperative (dividing up US states).

Collectively, they represent a major national security threat, pushing ODs, violence, and even national interests. They are the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel (177 members just arrested in New England), Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Northeast Cartel (CDN), La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM), Gulf Cartel (CDG), United Cartels (CU), Zetas Vieja Escuela, plus the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua (TdA), El Salvadoran Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), and Chinese Triads.

Trump’s DEA, FBI, and joint interagency task forces –across the US – have literally “thousands” of cases open against these groups. Directly and indirectly, trafficking ties to nearly 80 percent of all crime, flow-down crimes including homicide, assault, burglary, robbery, and domestic violence.

Fourth, some of these groups are tied to governments overtly and covertly hostile to the US, including Venezuela, Bolivia, and other trafficking nations of South America and Asia, most notably China, the prime source of fentanyl and chemicals used to make fentanyl.

Chinese organized crime, linked to the CCP, has thousands of illegal marijuana “grow houses” across the US. When one state closes them – such as Oklahoma –they reseed in low prosecution states – like Maine. These TCOs link to money laundering, fentanyl, banks, and real estate firms.

Other nations, like Mexico and Colombia, have simply proved unable to control trafficker violence, as public corruption expands and law enforcement is overwhelmed. Mexico saw 400,000 murders from 2006 to 2010, and today sees 30,000 drug-related murders annually.

Without credible deterrence, major, direct state and federal support for law enforcement, strong international attention to expanding TCO threats, and international action, the threat grows.

Accordingly – and thankfully – President Trump has not downplayed this national security threat. He has linked lifting of tariffs – with Mexico, Colombia, China, Canada, and others – to reinvigorated international law enforcement against TCOs, those trafficking in all highpotency drugs.

Finally, he has taken laws written in the 1990s –operationalized in the 2000s – such as shooting out

engines of “go fast” drug boats from armed helicopters, support for aggressive international engagement with traffickers, such as with “shoot down” policies, up a notch.

He has used the same laws, justifications, methods, and cooperative international intelligence, law enforcement, and military means to directly confront the supply arm of these dangerous, violent, rapidly spreading cartels before they get to US shores, destroying trafficker supply lines.

He has also been uncompromising in seeking, arresting, deporting, and prosecuting drug and human traffickers inside the US, aggressively tracking down illegal aliens in

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The Association of Mature American Citizens

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those 33,000 street gangs tied to international traffickers, or to TCOs.

Legally, while Democrats whine about how President Trump is confronting the violent TCOs and their threat to our internal security, as they have vigorously defended violent illegal aliens, he is on sound footing.

The question is not whether these violent drug traffickers and supply chains should be stopped, but how quickly deterrence can be reestablished. If the drop in border crossings is any indication, drug traffickers will change their calculus. For that, President Trump should be congratulated, not condemned.

WORD OF THE Week

Etymology: mid 18th century: from water + shed in the sense ‘ridge of high ground’ (related to shed), perhaps suggested by German Wasserscheide.

WATERSHED

noun

Pronounced: /waa·tr·shed/

Definition: (sense 1): an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas; (sense 2): an event or period marking a turning point in a course of action or state of affairs.

Example: “The unprecedented election results signaled a watershed among typical voting patterns, behaviors, and expectations.”

Synonyms: pivotal, earthshaking, turning point

Antonyms: noncritical, inconsequential, anticlimactic

Source: Oxford Languages

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

November 11, 1925: Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five begin their first recording session at Okeh Records in Chicago.

November 8, 1701: William Penn presents the Charter of Privileges, guaranteeing religious freedom for the colony of Pennsylvania.

November 6, 1947: NBC’s “Meet the Press” debuts, the longest running TV show in the U.S.

November 9, 1980: Iraqi President Saddam Hussein declares a holy war against Iran.

November 12, 1880: Best-selling American novel “Ben-Hur: A Tale of The Christ” by soldier Lew Wallace is published.

Source: Onthisday.com.

November 7, 1786: The oldest performing musical organization in the United States is founded in Stoughton, Massachusetts, as the Stoughton Musical Society.

Tornado Warning: Harborfields Field Hockey is Brewing Up a Storm

By Ashley Pavlakis

Field hockey has wrapped up the regular season, and the Suffolk County playoffs officially began last Tuesday. For Harborfields, they ripped through Long Island like a tornado…

The Harborfields field hockey team is a member of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) and competes in DIV II. The Tornadoes are led by 16th-year head coach Lauren Desiderio. She’s joined by assistant coach Briana Rubenstein.

The Tornadoes had themselves a solid regular season, posting a 14-2-0 record. Their only losses on the season came against Shoreham-Wading River and Bayport-Blue Point. Aside from that, their offense was brewing up a storm as they outscored their opponents 65-12 with eight shutouts to go along with it.

Harborfields has won the Suffolk County Championship twice in its history, in 2021 and 2024. The playoff brackets for Suffolk County have been set, and the Tornadoes competed in the Class B bracket. Their first opponent was fellow DIV II member, Comsewogue. The two teams met once in the regular season and the Tornadoes took home the ‘W’ with a 3-1 score. They have played each other consistently each season, and for the last five years, Harborfields has emerged victorious with decisive wins.

The Messenger spoke with coach Desiderio prior to the matchup against Comsewogue to get her thoughts about the playoff game.

“Comsewogue has a fantastic goalie in Grace Peyman, and this is the first time in quite a while for Comsewogue to make the playoffs. You know that they are super pumped and super excited to take us down as the returning county champs. We just have to stay focused and play our game, and create scoring opportunities. If we play our game, then it will hopefully go our way, but we expect to have a really competitive game tomorrow,” said Desiderio. “We graduated twelve seniors [last year], so we had a lot of holes to fill, a lot of eager underclassmen, and a great returning senior class that really built great team camaraderie. They work well together, and we have great leadership,” said Desiderio. “They take accountability and responsibility, they come to practice to work hard every day, and I think that really has made the difference in why we’ve been able to be so successful this season.”

Harborfields went on to defeat Comsewogue 2-1 to advance to the next round where they played East Islip. Versus the Redmen, they emerged victorious with a 3-0 shutout. Two ‘W’s’ put them in the

championship matchup against Eastport South Manor. ESM was the ‘23 Suffolk County championship winners, whereas Harborfields won in ‘24.

Overtime in the title game? Pure chaos. Eastport-South Manor won the game 2-1 in extra time to claim the County title - a hardfought match by both teams to force sudden death to get the win.

The squad is led by nine seniors: Talia Steinberg, Morgan O’Brien, Reese Nitekman, Erin Lindkvist, Caroline Gilhuley, Juliet Gianfrancesco, Joceyln Frein, Mackenzie Doig, and Sarah Blitz.

“We have four captains, three of whom are returning starters, and another earned a starting spot. Some of our other seniors, their experience last year on the varsity team really allowed them to step onto the field and take on starting roles. Morgan O’Brien’s a first year starter as our center forward, and she has done an incredible job there. Whether she’s assisting her teammates, coming up with tackles, she’s been great. We’ve had a new senior goalie [Mackenzie Doig], it’s her first year as our starter, and she’s risen to the occasion. People who have come off the bench to fill in either starting spots because of injuries or just be great subs. I can’t say enough about the senior class. They’re wonderful examples. Because they work so hard, the underclassmen want to do their best to make sure that this season goes as long as possible for this special group,” Desiderio told The Messenger

Gilhuley and O’Brien are top-30 in scoring for Suffolk County this season as they’ve notched 13g-1a and 5g-11a, respectively. She’s not a senior, but she’s also on the list; Emma Glick has 8g-7a as a freshman.

“I think that’s why we’ve been so successful, we don’t have just one or two go-to players, like we did last season. You never really know who’s going to put the ball in the net and who’s going to step up. Going from our freshman forward Emma Glick, first year on varsity, immediate impact player and starter, to having some of the experienced players like Caroline Gilhey, Morgan O’Brien, and just some other underclassmen. We’ve had a lot of different people score and assist, and that makes us a very dangerous team because you can’t just mark one of them out. You really have to try to defeat our entire team, not just one or two players on the field,” said Desiderio.

Congratulations Natalie Affenita: Top 40 Under 40

Natalie was recently Honored in a special edition of the Long Island Real Producers Magazine as being one of the Top 40 Under 40 Licensed Real Estate Agents

Natalie Affenita has never been one to follow a straight path. In fact, she’s taken more detours than most-including captaining a collegiate dance team, traveling the world, working as a travel agent in Florence, and selling stone in a mason’s yard before realizing that real estate was where she was meant to be.

Her journey into the industry was anything but conventional. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was working with her father in construction when a customer walked in, looking for materials. Natalie didn’t just sell him a piece of stone-she sold him on her talent. So much so that he took her to lunch the next day, not to discuss masonry but to convince her to get into real estate. After a few conversations and some paperwork, she was officially in the business, and she hasn’t looked back since.

Real estate has tested her in ways she never expected, especially when health complications forced her to undergo surgery to insert a cardiac monitor, which Natalie still has today. But slowing down? Not an option. Even during recovery, Natalie found a way to keep her deals moving, show properties, and stay present for her clients-thanks to an incredible support system of family, colleagues, and sheer determination. “Real estate doesn’t pause, and neither do I,” she says with a laugh.

Now, with Douglas Elliman Real Estate, She’s laser-focused on breaking into the luxury market, expanding her network, and making a difference through her extensive charity work. And if her track record proves anything, it’s that no matter what life throws at her, Natalie will always find a way to turn it into an opportunity.

By Raheem Soto

There are moments in sports when the punches that land outside the ring hit harder than the ones inside it. The UFC’s recent fight-fixing scandal—now under FBI scrutiny—may be one of those moments. It’s the kind of controversy that doesn’t just threaten a few reputations; it challenges the very marketplace of trust that professional sports depend on.

The case centers on Isaac Dulgarian, a promising featherweight who entered UFC Vegas 110 favored to win. Hours before the fight, betting lines swung violently the other way—so sharply that sportsbooks froze wagers. When Dulgarian lost by first-round submission, the odds makers didn’t need a replay. The integrity alarms were already blaring. The UFC cut ties with him immediately, and federal investigators got involved.

The Price of Integrity

Fight-fixing is not new. Boxing nearly destroyed itself over it in the 20th century. But mixed martial arts was supposed to be the antidote—the raw, unfiltered meritocracy where truth couldn’t hide behind referees or scorecards. You fight, you win, or you don’t. Yet the moment gambling became embedded in every broadcast and app notification, the purity of that exchange began to erode.

Markets run on incentives, and so does corruption. Fighters on the lower end of the UFC pay scale often earn less than $30,000 a bout—before taxes, coaches, and travel. That may sound decent until you remember they’re independent contractors paying for their own training camps and medicals. For some, a backroom offer to “go down in the first” can look like a paycheck, not a scandal. The math is ugly, but rational.

Thomas Sowell once wrote that “there are no solutions, only trade-offs.” Here, the trade-off is between freedom and regulation—between allowing athletes to earn through open markets and protecting the credibility of those markets from being gamed.

The Business of Belief

The UFC sells more than violence. It sells authenticity. Every punch is marketed as real, every outcome as earned. The moment fans believe that what they’re watching might be scripted, even slightly, the product loses its soul. That’s not a moral argument—it’s an economic one.

Just ask the NBA, which is still

untangling its own integrity issues in the wake of betting and officiating controversies. Fans don’t abandon leagues because of one crooked player; they leave when they start to suspect everyone’s compromised. Confidence is capital, and once it’s spent, there’s no bailout big enough to buy it back. Dana White knows this. His tone after the Dulgarian fight wasn’t defensive—it was grim. “It doesn’t look good,” he admitted. And he’s right. One scandal like this can do what no opponent ever could: knock out the credibility of the entire sport.

The Economics of Temptation

It’s not enough to condemn the fighter; we have to understand the system that created the vulnerability. When prizefighters are paid by the fight, not by the year, every loss risks their livelihood. When promotion contracts are one-sided, leverage shifts toward the organization, not the athlete. In such an ecosystem, temptation doesn’t need to whisper—it shouts.

Some call for lifetime bans, others for reforms in glove design or officiating. But none of that will solve the central problem: a sport that commodifies violence must also safeguard virtue. When the rewards for honesty are smaller than the payday for deceit, you’ve created a market failure.

The UFC’s best defense isn’t the FBI— it’s fairer pay, transparent oversight, and public accountability. Punishment can scare a few. Incentives can protect many.

The Final Round

It’s easy to dismiss scandals like this as isolated—one bad apple in a locker room full of good ones. But sports history teaches otherwise. Baseball had its Black Sox. Basketball had its point-shaving years. Boxing had its mob era. Every time, the lesson was the same: no sport is immune from the laws of human nature. The UFC stands now where those leagues once stood—at the crossroads between spectacle and integrity. Fans will forgive blood, sweat, and brutal losses. They won’t forgive betrayal.

If the league truly believes in its creed—“as real as it gets”—then it must prove it, not in press conferences but in policy. Because in the end, this scandal isn’t just about one fighter or one fix. It’s about whether truth can still survive when the price of losing looks cheaper than the cost of honesty.

Jones Brings the Storm to Newfield

By Vic Hernandez

The storm didn’t stop Yasir “Yaya” Jones — it moved with him.

Under freezing rain and slick turf that felt like wet sheetrock, the Huntington senior running back turned a cold night into a classic, rushing for 267 yards and four touchdowns on 18 carries as the Blue Devils powered past Newfield, 34–21, in Thursday night’s Suffolk Division II matchup.

“This was one of those games,” said Assistant Coach Kevin Graham. “I don’t even know how we were able to play in that weather — but Yaya made it look easy. Every time he touched the ball, something big happened. It was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen.”

After a quiet first quarter, Jones caught fire. He broke a 56-yard touchdown to get Huntington rolling, then ripped off runs of 32, 48, and 65 yards as the Devils took control. On his final score, he slowed up at the goal line, flashed the Steph Curry ‘Night Night’ celebration, and the sideline erupted — a perfect exclamation point to a legendary night.

Quarterback Jacob Guzik made the most of limited opportunities, going 2-for-2 for 85 yards, including a 56-yard strike to Chase Northrop that electrified the crowd.

On defense, Ethan Lawless was the anchor — two sacks, an interception, and constant leadership. “Any other day,” Graham said, “Ethan’s my Beast of the Week. He sets the tone for everything we do — leads by example and never takes a snap off.”

Even in defeat, Newfield’s Dante Powell earned respect across the field. The senior punched in a touchdown and made plays on both sides of the ball. “That kid’s got heart,” Graham said. “He battled through the cold and never stopped competing.”

When the final whistle blew, Huntington’s players were frozen, soaked, and smiling — proof that no weather, no conditions, and no opponent can shake their focus.

“This group is locked in,” Graham said. “We’re prime and ready for whoever we see in the playoffs.”

23 Dodgers Repeat — and Baseball Remembers Its Pulse

By

They did it again.

The Los Angeles Dodgers won another World Series, and somewhere the baseball gods probably smiled, leaned back in their bleachers in the sky, and muttered, “Somebody still knows how to do this right.”

This wasn’t coronation baseball. This was a knife fight in a cathedral alley. Toronto brought brass knuckles, Los Angeles brought patience, and both left their fingerprints on history. Seven games, one winner, and a week’s worth of heartburn later, the Dodgers are once again on the throne.

Game 7 reminded America that baseball doesn’t need pyrotechnics — just nerve. It was long, late, and louder than logic. And when it was over, you felt like you’d seen something that won’t fit in a highlight reel. It had too much soul for that.

Winning Once Is Skill. Winning Twice Is Scripture.

The Dodgers didn’t just win — they reread the rulebook and wrote their own gospel. Winning one title is hard; winning two straight is something closer to divine dictation. They did it the hard way, too. No blowouts. No cruise control. Every pitch had the gravity of a courtroom verdict. A superstar turned utility player into legend with one swing. A starting pitcher became a folk hero when he trotted out of the bullpen on fumes and faith.

Manager Dave Roberts didn’t steer a juggernaut; he nursed a ship through a hurricane. His bullpen was a game of musical chairs played with dynamite, and somehow nobody lost a limb. When he finally exhaled, you could see the years it took off his life — and the pride it put back in it.

Toronto’s Bruise, Not Its Burial

Give the Blue Jays their flowers, even if they’re the kind that come after heartbreak.

They didn’t lose this series so much as run out of innings. Their bats thundered. Their bullpen bent but didn’t break — until it did.

Toronto came to the stage with youth, hunger, and a little bit of destiny in their pockets. They leave with scars that will turn to armor. Every great team goes through this chapter. The Dodgers did. The Braves did. Now it’s Toronto’s turn to learn how close greatness can stand without shaking your hand.

Their fans will replay every pitch like a film critic who knows how the ending goes but can’t stop hoping for a rewrite. The pain is proof they belonged here.

Game 7: Baseball’s Heartbeat, Unfiltered

Baseball has a rhythm no algorithm can find — that slow, deliberate heartbeat of tension and hope. Game 7 gave it back to us.

Extra innings. Tied nerves. One swing that silenced the noise. No pitch clock could rush it, no commercial break could cheapen it.

The hero wasn’t a marquee name but a kid who probably still gets recognized more at the DMV than on ESPN. That’s baseball — the game where legends pop up out of nowhere and immortality wears a backup’s jersey.

On Long Island, you could almost feel it — dads waking up their sons for the last inning, bar TVs frozen mid-replay, people remembering why October baseball still feels like an event that belongs to everyone.

A Saturday Night Sermon

Now that the confetti’s settled, the critics have crawled back out with their calculators.

Game 7 on a Saturday? Bad for ratings, they say. Competing with football, they say. The World Series isn’t what it used to be.

Maybe. But here’s the thing: baseball never promised you fireworks; it promised you suspense. And suspense doesn’t care what night of the week it is.

Yes, the Dodgers’ payroll could fund a small nation. But you can’t buy a clutch hit in the eleventh inning or a slider that remembers how to break under pressure. That still belongs to the game itself.

The 2025 World Series didn’t trend; it transcended. It wasn’t meant for everyone scrolling past it — it was meant for the people who still keep score by hand, the ones who know silence before a pitch is its own kind of music.

Dynasty or Déjà Vu?

So now we ask the question that keeps baseball writers up at night: Are the Dodgers a dynasty or just a well-timed thunderstorm?

They’ve become the standard — but the standard always changes.

The same headlines once crowned the Yankees, the Giants, the Astros. Now the Dodgers wear that halo, but halos have an expiration date in sports.

If Toronto’s heartbreak hardens into hunger, next October might be theirs. That’s how this game regenerates itself: pain recycled into ambition.

Baseball Still Belongs to the Patient

In the social-media age, baseball feels like an act of rebellion. It asks you to wait. It rewards you for noticing. The World Series reminded America that slow doesn’t mean dull, and silence can be louder than any touchdown dance.

Sure, the TV numbers might not make Wall Street happy, but the moments made history happy.

The game still gives you that flutter in your chest when a fastball whistles past a bat and the crowd forgets to breathe.

Baseball doesn’t need to chase cool. It is cool — it just doesn’t know it.

From the Messenger Bleachers

Here on Long Island, we still measure summers by innings and autumns by how long the lights stay on at the local diamond. Watching this World Series end the way it did — grit beating glamour, patience outlasting panic — felt like a win for everyone who still believes in fundamentals.

Somewhere in a Southampton sandlot or a Smithtown backstop, a kid’s practicing that same late-night swing, dreaming of hearing a crowd erupt. That’s the gift of a good World Series — it doesn’t just crown a champion, it recruits a generation.

So yes, the Dodgers repeated.

But more importantly, baseball repeated — as itself.

No gimmicks. No shortcuts. Just tension, talent, and time.

Raheem Soto