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Thursday, August 20, 2026 ~ Volume 71 ~ Issue Number 44 ~ $1.00
Siena College Finds Hochul +10 in Shock Poll By Matt Meduri The Siena College has long been considered an A-rated pollster for state and national races. They’ve also tracked consistent and generous leads for Governor Kathy Hochul (D-Hamburg) on her quest for a second full term. Siena College’s latest August poll finds Hochul with her slimmest lead yet in their surveys - a ten-point lead over Blakeman. Among likely voters, Hochul leads Blakeman 49%-39%; among registered voters, 52%-32%. In December, she was found to lead Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R-Atlantic Beach) by +25. In February, that lead grew to +26, followed by +20 in March, +13 in April, +16 in May, and +20 in June. Alongside the fluctuations in her leads over Blakeman, Hochul’s favorability and approval ratings have moved more or less parallel to each other. She’s reached peaks closer to +10, but has also been found treading water on the negative side. Continued on page 4
Bruce Blakeman (Credit - Matt Meduri) and Hochul (Credit - Matt Meduri)
Sayville Middle School Earns Prestigious Honor By Matt Meduri The Sayville Union Free School District announced on Wednesday that Sayville Middle School has been named a 2026 School of Distinction by the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE). It places the school as just one of 39 nationally out of 15 states and 3 countries selected for the honor. According to the district, the AMLE Schools of Distinction program “recognizes schools that exemplify the principles outlined in The Successful Middle School: This We Believe, AMLE’s landmark position paper, fifth edition (2021).” The framework is based in more than half a century in middle-level education research. It “identifies the essential attributes and characteristics of successful middle grades schools.” The application is as rigorous as the honor is prestigious. The district says that recipient schools “demonstrate excellence in implementing middle level best practices and meaningful continuous improvement efforts.” Continued on page 10
School of Distinction
FULL STORIES ON:
Bring Back Deli Counter Politics Page 7
West Islip H.S. Among Best in NY Page 13
Bay Shore Athlete Makes Baseball History Page 22
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Messenger Papers Thursday, August 20, 2026
Messenger Papers Papers Inc. Inc.
SUMMER EVENTS Sayville Farmers Market at the Islip Grange: Every Saturday until November, 9:00a.m. to 2:00p.m. Port Jefferson Farmers Market: Every Sunday until November, 9:00a.m. to 2:00p.m.
Just a Hike (Serpentine): Sunday, September 13, 9:45a.m. to 12:45p.m. at Caumsett State Park. Fossil Finds at Connetquot River State Park: Wednesday, September 2, 10:30a.m. to 11:30a.m. Trees for You and Me at Sunken Meadow State Park: Thursday, September 3, 10:30a.m. to 11:30a.m.
Islip Farmers Market at Town Hall: Every Saturday, 7:00a.m. to 2:00p.m. Suffolk County Farmers Market at the H. Lee Dennison Building: Thursdays through October 1, 10:00a.m. to 2:00p.m. Tiny Tots – “Nature Discoveries”: Every Thursday, 10:30a.m. to 11:30a.m. through September at Nissequogue River State Park Citizen Science – Monarch Tagging (Free Adult Program): Wednesday, September 9, 9:00a.m. to 10:30a.m. at Robert Moses State Park
Dockside Family Festival at Captree State Park: Saturday, September 12, 11:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. (rain date September 13). Geology Rocks: Nissequogue River State Park, Thursday, September 24, 10:30a.m. to 11:30a.m. Pitch & Putt Tournament at Robert Moses State Park: Open to first 72 registrants. Tee-off is 10:00a.m. on Sun., Oct. 4. Rain date for Sun., Oct. 11. Entry fee is $40 per person, $160 per foursome. Deadline is September 25.
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On the Campaign Trail
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Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Continued from front cover
Siena College Finds Hochul +10 in Shock Poll better on all issues than Blakeman, and Republicans overwhelmingly think Blakeman will be better. Independents favor Hochul by 9 points on housing, but favor Blakeman by between 8 and 15 points on the other four issues. In an interesting perspective, Siena gave respondents four traits and asked whether Blakeman and Hochul do or do not embody those traits.
Attorney General Attorney General Letitia James (D-Clinton Hill) (pictured above) leads Saritha Komatireddy (pictured below) (R-Upper
Tough: Blakeman +25, Hochul +2 Honest: Blakeman +5, Hochul -2 “Get Things Done:” Blakeman +8, Hochul +5 “In Touch” with Average NY’ers: Blakeman -4, Hochul -12 Siena College Poll, August 3-6, of 811 likely voters. Margin of Error: +/-4.6%
Siena College notes that the pollsters do not provide respondents with information on the candidates before the interviews. “Komatireddy has her work cut out for her in trying to become known to voters and then convincing them to support her.” Greenberg points out that James has a three-to-one lead in New York City and an 8-point lead Upstate. On Long Island, it’s “closely divided.”
Democrats and Independents believe the country is on the wrong track while Republicans “strongly” believe it is on the right track Democrats, on the other hand, say New York is on the right track +49 (67%-18%),
Comptroller Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (D-Great Neck Plaza) (pictured right) leads Joe Hernandez (R-Lower East Side) (pictured below right) +23 (55%-32%) as the former vies for a sixth term. DiNapoli has a +34 (42%18%) favorability rating, his highest on record with Siena, with 40% not knowing enough to opine. Hernandez has a +9 favorability rating, 20%-11%, with 70% of respondents not familiar enough with him. “Like in the AG’s race, DiNapoli has his highest ever favorability rating, while Hernandez is struggling to become known to the voters of the state,” said Greenberg. DiNapoli also enjoys the support of 23% of Republicans, while Independents are “evenly divided,” according to Greenberg. Odds & Ends New Yorkers continue to say that the country is on the “wrong track” (31%-62%);
Credit - Matt Meduri
Credit - Matt Meduri
East Side) +18 (54%-36%) in James’ bid for a third term. James has a +16 (52%-38%) favorability rating, her highest ever in Siena’s data, compared to Komatireddy’s +5 (17%12%) - the low baseline indicative of the two-thirds of voters who either never heard of Komatireddy or have enough information to form an opinion. The
Do the Candidates Embody These Traits or Not?
Credit - Matt Meduri
Credit - Office of New York Attorney General
This month, Hochul’s favorability rating dips back underwater at -3 (46%49%). Her job approval follows suit at -1 (48%-49%). Siena College points out in their press release that at this point in August 2022, Hochul had a +5 (46%-41%) favorability rating among likely voters. Also relative to their August 2022 poll, Hochul led then-Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) +14 (53%39%). She would win the election that November by just over 6 points. Relative to the College’s last poll in June, Hochul had a -1 (43%-44%) favorability rating and a +11 (53%-42%) job approval rating. Blakeman’s favorability rating sits at +7 (33%-26%), although 40% have not heard enough to wager an opinion. That’s a remarkable improvement given his lack of name recognition thus far, according to Siena’s findings. He logged a +4 (25%-21%) favorability rating in June, up from -2 (17%-19%) in May. Also a strength in Blakeman’s corner is his takeover of likely Independent voters from Hochul’s +5 margin in June. Blakeman now leads +5 (45%-40%). Hochul holds a +45 lead in New York City (64%-19%), but Blakeman now leads on Long Island +8 (49%-41%). Both are “virtually” tied Upstate, according to Siena College head pollster Steve Greenberg, as well as among men and white voters. “While Hochul has a 10-point lead, likely voters think she’ll do a better job than Blakeman on increasing affordable housing by 16 points. That’s the good news for Hochul. The bad news is that voters think she’s better than Blakeman on four other issues – affordability, energy, safety, and immigrants – by between only 1 and 7 points,” Greenberg said. “Holding to form, Democrats overwhelmingly think Hochul will be
while 86% of Republicans and 55% of Independents say the state is on the wrong track. On the generic congressional ballot for U.S. House races in the Empire State, voters favor Democrats +16 (54%-38%). Independents narrowly favor Republicans for the House ballot +5 (45%-40%). The Democratic Socialists of America have a net-negative view of -17 (30%-47%), in the DSA’s first debut in Siena’s favorability polling. Democrats view the DSA favorably by +29 (50%-21%), while 82% of Republicans and 57% of Independents view them unfavorably. In another first for Siena College, voters were asked their opinions on AI. Voters largely disfavor Artificial Intelligence -23 (29%-52%). A majority of Democrats and pluralities of Republicans and Independents share that view. Voters also opine +27 (52%-25%) that the one-year moratorium on hyperscale AI data centers was the right decision, including 61% of Democrats, 51% of Independents, and a plurality of Republicans, 40%-27%. That view is shared among those Upstate and those Downstate.
The Siena College Poll was conducted August 3-6 in a survey of 811 likely New York State voters. The margin of error is +/-4.6%.
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Thursday, August 20, 2026
DEER TICK: Also known as the blacklegged tick, it is the primary vector for Lyme disease, babesiosis, and anaplasmosis. Lyme disease symptoms include a bullseye rash at the source of the bite, flu-like symptoms, headaches, fever, fatigue, and muscle/joint pain. Can also carry babesiosis and anaplasmosis. LONE STAR TICK: Known for a small white dot on their thorax, this tick is highly aggressive and is expanding rapidly across the east coast. They’re known to transmit ehrlichiosis, Bourbon Virus, Heartland Virus, and the trigger for alpha-gal syndrome. The latter notoriously infects its victims with an allergy to red meat. AMERICAN DOG TICK: Is a larger species often found in open fields and along trails. They’re capable of carrying Rocky Mountain spotted fever. ASIAN LONGHORNED TICK: An emerging invasive species that targets wildlife and livestock. The Gulf Coast tick is also an emerging species that can carry pathogens harmful to humans. Their “public health impacts are still being evaluated,” according to the County Health Department.
Officials Ramp Up Response to Tick Surge
By Matt Meduri
Suffolk County is no stranger to ticks, especially when it’s home to several species that are accompanied by their own health concerns. Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) was joined by Suffolk Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Piggot, and Suffolk Legislators R.J. Renna (R-Lindenhurst) and Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) - a former nurse of 30 years - in Gardiner County Park in West Bay Shore to discuss the County’s response. “We’re the epicenter of Lyme’s disease and other tickborne diseases. You could have a tick on you, not notice it, and a day or two later, you brush it off, and you see a bullseye from where it was, and you start getting a headache,” said Romaine. He revealed he’s had Lyme’s disease twice. The first time, the bullseye formed “right away” and he was quickly administered doxycycline by a physician. The second time, the bullseye was not immediately apparent, but the headaches were overwhelming. “They thought I was having a stroke. Everyone who thinks they have this disease should get blood work a week or two after you notice it.” Romaine added that Lyme’s disease “debilitates hundreds and hundreds of people each year in Suffolk County.” Officials said that while the numbers aren’t fully in for 2026, but there’s approximately 3,000 cases of Lyme disease in Suffolk as of last year. The cases fluctuate with the tick population, which fluctuates year-to-year. Legislator Kennedy said when enjoying time on the trails, it is recommended to wear lightcolored clothing to better spot scurrying ticks,
and ensure that pants are tucked into the socks to cut off a common point of entry. “New illnesses come up every day,” said Kennedy. Dr. Pigott said that despite freezing temperatures and months-long snow cover, the ticks were actually insulated. Longer grass, he said, is more attractive to ticks, and while not every tick bite requires a doctor’s visit, monitoring the area of the bite is crucial. In the case of a tick having been latched on for more than 2 or 3 days, the urgency for a medical opinion increases. Dr. Scott Campbell, an entomologist for the County, said that the tick population is currently moving westward “with the deer population.” “When the deer show up, the tick populations are not far behind,” said Campbell, particularly of the black-legged tick and the lone star tick. The problem is reaching the western reaches of Suffolk and into Nassau. “Ticks in Suffolk County are active all year long when the temperature is above 40 degrees,” said Campbell, again referencing the adult blacklegged tick, who can transmit Lyme disease even in winter. Romaine said that he urges property spraying with natural ingredients - not chemicals. He added that there are no “fixed ways” of fighting the tick population, owing to his time representing Shelter Island in the County Legislature. They had developed a system to remove ticks from deer, but it became too costly and labor-intensive. Romaine and company say that the best method of fighting it is through public education.
LaLota Brings $2M for SCPD Vehicles By Matt Meduri Congressman Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) has been on a tour of Suffolk all summer, goodies in hand for local law enforcement. Particularly in the realm of expanding and/or upgrading police fleets, the villages of Asharoken, Head of the Harbor, Northport, and Quogue, among others, have been benefactors of this funding, as have the towns of Southampton and Southold. On Thursday, LaLota paid a visit to the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) and Sheriff’s Office in Yaphank with $2 million in total funding for their fleets. $825,000 is going to the SCPD to acquire new police vehicles. $1.2 million is going to the Sheriff’s office for fleet enhancements. “Suffolk County is one of the safest counties in America, and that’s because of our hard-working law enforcement professionals who keep it that way,” said LaLota, adding that “parts to the
west” of Suffolk - New York City “do things differently” when it comes to law enforcement. “Not here in Suffolk County; we back our blue.” LaLota, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, touted over $26 million brought home to NY-01, making his district the third-largest recipient of congressional appropriations out of New York’s 26 congressional districts. He said that $26 million went to three areas: public safety, infrastructure, and water quality. “In FY2027, we’ll [NY-01] be number one [of New York’s congressional districts. Getting just over $40 million back for our district to ensure we have a better quality of life.” LaLota added that “tough decisions” are part and parcel of government work, especially through “unfunded mandates” from the higher echelons
of government. “We’re a long county; we need to have the wheels to get out there,” said Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches). “This Congressman has fought for Suffolk County. This strengthens our effort to keep everyone in Suffolk County as safe as possible,” said Romaine. “Statistically, Suffolk County is the safest county in New York State.” Romaine quipped that some statistics show Nassau County, run by gubernatorial candidate County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R-Atlantic Beach), beating Suffolk for the top
spot. Romaine said those are the “good arguments” to have - who is safer. In the 2024 study, U.S. News and World Report ranked Nassau as the safest county in the country, but Suffolk still made the honor of the top-25. For reference, there are 3,144 counties or county-equivalents in the country - putting Suffolk within the top 1% of safest counties in the nation. SCPD Commissioner Kevin Catalina said the $825,000 will help “augment a severely depleted force of vehicles.” Undersheriff John Becker said the $1.2 million will help the Sheriff’s Office purchase 15 new vehicles.
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Editorial Thursday, August 20, 2026
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
The National Debt Just Hit $40T. How do Americans Respond?
The U.S. hit a milestone no nation ever wants to hit, nor should it hit: the national deficit just surpassed $40 trillion. The President gets the most flack for adding to the deficit. We think this is fair to a degree, but mostly misplaced for lack of general civic knowledge in this country. Congress controls the pursestrings. There’s upsides and downsides to it, but that’s the way it works. Congress is a bicameral legislature - bicameral meaning “two chambers.” The lower chamber is the U.S. House, which represents the country on a stateby-state basis, proportional to population. The more populous states have more districts and therefore, more representatives. There are 435 voting members of the House; 26 of them hail from New York. The upper chamber is the Senate. At 100 voting members, equal representation among the states is guaranteed. Each state gets two members each. Our point for this civics 101 breakdown is this: your representatives, thousands over the decades, have put your country in this position. According to the U.S. Treasury, the country has experienced a fiscal year-end budget surplus only four times in the last 50 years, most recently in 2001. At this point, the government spends more than $1.1 trillion on merely servicing the debt each year - roughly $3 billion per day. Net interest has officially eclipsed both national defense spending and gross Medicare outlays. At 20% of all federal spending, debt service is now the second-largest line item of the federal budget. Only Social Security precedes it. In other words, for half a century, our government hasn’t appeared to understand basic finance, yet Americans are constantly told to pinch their pennings, put away 10% for retirement, and if they’re not getting by, then that’s on them. It’s that prevailing logic coupled with malignant narcissism from a group of people wildly out of touch with the American public that is making Americans blind with rage. The average net worth of a member of Congress is over $1 million, with House members average as much as $8 million in some mean calculations. Senators generally have a higher median net worth, usually around $2.5 million. Meanwhile, the median net worth of the typical American family is $192,900, according to Public.com - and that might be overstated due to much wealthier households skewing the data. Congress is not just a get-rich-quick scheme for many. For years, many have proclaimed they would close the revolving door between elected office and the lobbying industry. None have made any material changes. The roadmap for some members of Congress is simple: get elected in a safe-red or safe-blue district with minimal to no competition, have their campaign funded by corporations, super PACs, and foreign lobbies, serve a couple wholly unproductive terms, and then join the real money-making scene as a lobbyist to influence those exact representatives. In addition to the scheme, Congress’ age must be addressed. The average age of the House is 57 years old. The average age of the Senate is 64. We don’t mean to slight our older readers, but in our own work on the ground, it seems apparent that many older Americans - north of 55 - seem to live in an entirely different world. They seem unaware of the lack of purchasing power of the American dollar now compared to when they were coming into inheritance of the country. For instance, in 1960, the median home price was $11,900. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average home price for the second half of 2026 is $502,700. Purchasing power didn’t increase, and neither did wages. Since 1960, real hourly wages have only risen 30%.
Getting off the gold standard was also perhaps this country’s most fatal mistake. For as much belly-aching as Republicans want to do about China, they’re trading with other countries - Brazil, India, Iran, South Africa, Egypt, Bolivia, Cuba, Russia, to name a few - in gold. Don’t hate the player; hate the game. Some Americans can’t seem to wrap their heads around the sheer loss of value in the almighty American dollar. Some older Americans look at the younger generation with impunity, as if the problem is still buying “avocado toast” every day. The younger ones in Congress aren’t much better. When the net worth of a select few are millions north of the average family, it’s not realistic to expect Congress at-large to accurately represent Americans. For some other older members of Congress, the Capitol has been turned into a nursing home. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is an excellent example, as he has not been seen in public since his mid-June hospitalization. Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) died mere hours after her final Senate vote. Congresswoman Kay Graner (RTX) had a conspicuously long absence from the House in 2024. She was discovered to have been living in a Dallas nursing home. The McConnell and Granger examples hearken to a founding principle of this country: no taxation without representation. Meanwhile, trillions of dollars have been added to our deficit due to the military industrial complex, arguably making war, death, destruction, and global destabilization its chief export. Americans must continue to foot the bill for wars with which they vehemently disagree. The stated excuse in many cases is to “spread democracy” around the world, except it’s difficult to point on a map to a country the U.S. has improved through democratization. On the homefront, the Iran War is the first war in U.S. history to have a net negative approval rating from the public from its onset. Even the Iraq War was seen as justified in the beginning, until the “weapons of mass destruction” narrative quickly fell apart. Americans also backed Donald Trump in a historic coalition in 2024 largely on the basis of “no new wars” - particularly regime change quagmires in the Middle East. In that case, can the U.S. really claim the moral high ground on “democracy?” At this point, the American citizenry is increasingly dejected and furious at their government. It doesn’t matter who is in office; the American people have a healthy and justified distrust in anyone who takes the oath of office these days. Something we’ve been hearing for decades is the subtle theme of the Second American Revolution, “one of these days, every American is not going to file their federal taxes on April 15. One of these days, Americans will simply not show up to work in the morning.” If the American people do not perceive their government to be working in their interests - in fact, many believe the government is deliberately or circumstantially working against their people - and if the government continues rampant, unaccountable spending, then it begs the question, just how represented are they, and are they getting the return on their investment of tax dollars forcibly taken under penalty of law? If you hire a plumber to fix a leak, and the leak persists, and you keep calling the plumber back, only to find the leak continues each time, you’d be well within your right to fire that obvious hack of a contractor in a heartbeat and perhaps demand restitution. That’s the true, unrealized power the American citizenry has, and one power that uniquely unites all of them. It’s the nonviolent way of deliberately tanking their own system, rather than letting the irredeemably unaccountable Washington Industrial Complex do it for them.
Op-Ed Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
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Deli Counter Politics: What Working Behind a Neighborhood Deli Counter Taught Me About People and Politics By Assemblyman Doug Smith Long before I stood in the chamber of the New York State Assembly, I stood behind the counter at Cooky’s Deli in Bohemia. I started there a week after my 15th birthday and worked there through college. I grew up around the corner, so I’d ride my bike to work. I started stocking drinks in the walk-in refrigerator, sweeping and mopping floors and doing whatever else needed to be done. Eventually, I graduated to the deli counter. And despite being admittedly uncoordinated, I somehow never cut myself on the slicer. Cooky’s was owned by Marty Marsilio. His wife was affectionately known to everyone as “Cooky,” and Marty once told me he had always wanted to put her name up in lights. Naming the deli after her was his way of doing it. He succeeded. Cooky’s celebrated its 30th anniversary in the summer of 2024. But when I think back on those years, I don’t really think about the sandwiches. I think about the people. One of our managers was John Klaus. I remember John very fondly and learned a lot from him, not just about working in a deli, but about people. One thing John taught me was, “Always let the customer end the sale.” Basically, don’t rush someone. If they want to order something else, let them. If they want to keep talking, let them talk. John genuinely loved people. He wanted to know their stories, what was going on with their families and what they thought about things. And he actually listened. I think some of that rubbed off on me. Cooky’s was and still is a busy deli. During the lunch rush, nobody was discussing the meaning of life. You were getting people their sandwiches and out the door in a New York minute. But I was a student, so I worked a lot of nights and weekends when things were slower. That’s when there was time for those little conversations. And there were some characters. There were Pete and Marie Schoeppe. Marie was born in Bohemia, in what is now the Czech Republic. As a child, she escaped Soviet domination without her parents, taking a train across Europe and eventually making it to the United States. Pete grew up in Berlin. They found success in America and, in one of those coincidences you couldn’t make up, eventually settled in Bohemia, New York. Having lived under communism, Pete and Marie were very conservative politically. And trust me, you didn’t have to ask them. But their politics came from something. They had lived it. There was Harry Tilis, a hilarious and successful attorney who came in for the great food and, just as importantly, the laughs. Two other regulars were a mailman and his fiancée. They had been engaged for nine years. Nine years. I figured they had either discovered the secret to a successful engagement or were conducting the most thorough premarital background check in American history. To this day, I occasionally wonder whether they ever got married. And then there was Rich Schaffer (D-North Babylon), the longtime Chairman of the Suffolk County Democratic Party and beloved Babylon Town Supervisor. To us, he was Rich. That’s really the point. At Cooky’s, we didn’t think about people as Republicans or Democrats, lawyers or politicians. They were just people. And everybody had an opinion. Pete and Marie had opinions. Harry had opinions. Rich had opinions. The mailman had opinions. The guy ordering a pound of Boar’s Head had opinions. They told us what they thought, and we told them what we thought. Sometimes we agreed. Sometimes we didn’t. We talked politics, taxes, schools, traffic, family, sports or why the Yankees couldn’t hit.
Most conversations lasted about as long as it took to make a sandwich. But we talked. And we listened. That’s what a community is supposed to do. I didn’t know it then, but I was getting an education in politics behind that deli counter. Not Republican politics or Democratic politics. People politics. And I think we’ve lost some of that. Today, we communicate constantly. We post something. Somebody comments. Somebody else responds. Then somebody we’ve never met tells us we’re an idiot. We’re communicating all day long, but I’m not convinced we’re actually talking to each other very much. Maybe we’ve mistaken communication for conversation. Social media makes it easy to put everyone into a category. Republican. Democrat. Liberal. Conservative. Red. Blue. Real life isn’t that simple. Pete and Marie weren’t “the conservatives.” Rich wasn’t “the Democrat leader.” Harry wasn’t “the lawyer.” They were Pete and Marie and Rich and Harry. Once you know someone’s story, it’s a lot harder to reduce them to a political label. None of this means we have to agree. I have strong political beliefs, and so did many of the people I met at Cooky’s. The point isn’t to erase our differences. It’s to remember that those differences don’t have to define how we see each other. Disagreement doesn’t require hatred. Marty, Cooky, John and Pete have all since passed away, along with many others from back then. The lessons from those years haven’t. I especially think about John’s advice. “Always let the customer end the sale.” At 15, I thought he was teaching me how to work in a deli. It turns out he was teaching me something about people. Let them talk. Hear them out. You might learn something. Our politics could use a little more of that. Talk to your neighbor. Talk to somebody who voted differently. Better yet, talk to somebody without knowing or caring how they voted. You don’t have to agree when the conversation is over. Because when Election Day is over, we’re still neighbors. Our kids go to school together. We drive on the same roads, shop in the same stores and complain about the same taxes. Politics ought to be about those neighbors and making their lives a little better. Fix the road. Help someone fighting through government bureaucracy. Keep the neighborhood safe. Support the schools. Protect the taxpayer. Help the small business survive. That probably won’t go viral, but it works. Fixing our politics doesn’t start in Washington or Albany. It starts closer to home - across a table, across a backyard fence, or across a deli counter. That’s deli counter politics, and we could use a lot more of it. Assemblyman Doug Smith (R-Holbrook) has represented the Fifth District in the New York State Assembly since 2018. The Fifth District is split between the Towns of Brookhaven and Islip, containing the communities of Lake Grove, Holbrook, and parts of Bohemia, Centereach, Coram, Farmingville, Holbrook, Holtsville, Islandia, Lake Ronkonkoma, Medford, North Patchogue, Ronkonkoma, and Selden. Assemblyman Smith serves as Ranking Member of the Education Committee and serves on the committees on Aging; Energy; and Higher Education, and serves on the Commission of the Future of the Long Island Power Authority. The Fifth District office is located at 4155 Veterans Memorial Highway, Suite 9, in Ronkonkoma and can be reached at 631-585-0230.
Veterans News
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Thursday, August 20, 2026
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Judy’s Run Holds 15th Annual Car Show in Smithtown By Joe Cuminale This year is the fifteenth Anniversary of this particular event that I personally have been involved with since the beginning when I was working for another publication. This cool car show, with a purpose, is held each year on the grounds of the Smithtown Historical Society, and the turnout was awesome this year. Cars and trucks began arriving around 7:30a.m. last Sunday and the main field began filling up fast with every type of vehicle you can think of, from old Model A’s to a cool Monster Truck, all coming together for a great cause promoting stroke awareness and prevention. Judy Zebrowski suffered a Stroke in November of 2005. Bob Zebrowski started Judy’s Run for Stroke Awareness because of his love for his wife and to raise
awareness of strokes and the ways to prevent them. With the help of the fabulous 50’ & 60’s Car Club, a car show has been added over the years, and it brings families out to see some really cool cars, including a 1960’s Batmobile and a Mach 5 Speed Racer. Great music was provided by Already Taken, The Bobcats, and Monkey Grip, playing everything from Rock-A-Billy to originals, which had folks dancing on the lawn. There is always medical staff on hand to
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take patron’s blood pressure and offer literature about important warning signs of a stroke & most importantly prevention. For more information about Judy’s Run for Stroke Awareness, go to www.judysrun.com or contact Bob Zebrowski at 631-255-2516. Thank You to all who have made this event a success for 15 years now. Let’s continue this fun and informative event for many more years!
This Week Today Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
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Thursday, August 20, 2026
National, State, and Local Temperature Checks By Matt Meduri National
Another incumbent has gone down in a primary this year, this time Congressman Cory Mills (R, FL-07) (pictured above). Mills flipped this suburban Orlando seat red in 2022 and has since faced allegations of funneling money to his defense contracting firm, revenge porn threats, and domestic assault. He was defeated by political newcomer Ryan Elijah (R). Ousting Mills marginally increases the GOP’s odds of retaining this seat. In FL-16, a Tampa-to-Brandenton seat, Sydney Gruters (R), the wife of the RNC Chairman Joe Gruters, is the Republican nominee in this Trump +13 seat. In FL-20, a Greater Miami district, saw Congresswoman Sheila CherfilusMcCormick (D) resign earlier this year in a flurry of House departures amid personal scandals. Cherfilus-McCormick was charged with laundering $5 million in COVID-19 funds for her congressional campaign. She faces up to 53 years in prison if convicted. Congresswoman Debbie WassermanSchultz (D, FL-25), an institution in Miami politics and national Democratic politics, decided to run in FL-20, which remained solidly blue after the mid-decade redraw. She defeated four other candidates and has earned scrutiny from the local black population for having carpetbagged to a black-plurality seat.
Wasserman-Schultz, a graduate of Half Hollow Hills High School East, has been in Congress since 2005. She was the Chair of Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 2011 to 2016, during which time leaked emails showed she and the DNC showed bias for Hillary Clinton (D-NY) over Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in the 2016 primaries. The emails showed active attempts to undermine the Sanders campaign and delegitimize his supporters. She resigned as chair of the DNC and was given a senior spot in the Clinton campaign thereafter. FL-25, which went from a Harris +5 seat to a Trump +9 seat, pits two-term Congressman Jared Moskowitz (D, FL23) against former Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer (R). Singer brings some local baggage to the race, however, and Moskowitz’s campaign funding joins the national conversation on pro-Israel spending. Moskowitz received up to nearly $1 million from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). In the crucial Alaska Senate contest, former Congresswoman Mary Peltola (D-AK) advanced in the top-four primary alongside two-term Senator Dan Sullivan (R). Interestingly, Independent candidate, also named Dan Sullivan, advanced as well. Peltola led a 16-candidate field with 48% of the vote. Democrats haven’t won an Alaska Senate race since 2008. For governor, Tom Begich (D), a scion of Alaska’s most prominent political dynasty, advanced along with newcomer Bernadette Wilson (R) and former Alaska Senate Minority Leader Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (D). It seems likely another Republican will advance in the top-four primary, knocking out one-term Independent Governor Bill Walker. Democrats haven’t won a gubernatorial race in the Last Frontier since 1998. In Wyoming, contests on the Republican side are more or less coronations for the general election in the reddest state in the country. Two-term Congresswoman Harriet Hageman (R, WY-AL) easily earned the nod for Senate to succeed one-term Senator Cynthia Lummis (R). Democrats haven’t won a Senate race in the Equality State since 1970. For governor, Republicans nominated State Senator Eric Barlow (R), trumping the Trump-backed Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder (R). Democrats haven’t won a gubernatorial race in Wyoming since 2006. State Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher (D-Greenpoint) is receiving criticism for her calling shoplifting of necessities as a
“biological need.” She has suggested that shoplifting should be legalized, as she and her cohort claim that of the 360 cases they monitored, more than half were misdemeanors. “Most of what we saw were crimes of poverty-people who are stealing things like toothpaste, people who were stealing things like soap. And that means if you’re stealing those things, you need them,” said Gallagher, aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) last Thursday in Manhattan. “And we are choosing to protect billion-dollar companies, like CVS and Walgreens, over the people who are struggling to get by. So I would say that the true crime is that there is such incredible wealth disparity in this city that there are people who can be thrown in jail simply for having a biological need.”
Credit - U.S. House of Representatives
Credit - U.S. House of Representatives
Rumors continue to swirl of the United States’ prerogative on using nuclear weapons against Iran. Iran launched ballistic missiles against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as Israel ramps up efforts in Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Monday that Israel should kill “30 to 40” Palestinians “every night” in Gaza. According to The Jerusalem Post, Ben-Gvir claimed Israel “should not be satisfied killing ‘just those who endanger us in that moment’ or ‘pose an immediate threat.’” “...there are people there who aren’t worthy of life; they shouldn’t be alive; they aren’t people at all,” said Ben-Gvir, adding that some Gaza citizens whom some “might consider uninvolved” in the broader conflict shouldn’t be exempt. He’s also renewing calls for Israel to completely seize Gaza, saying, “I see all of Gaza as ours.” Jared Kushner, the President’s son-inlaw, paid separate visits to Hamas Chief Khalil al-Hayya and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over plans for Gaza. Netanyahu last week rejected a U.S.- and Hamas-backed 15-point plan for a ceasefire and disarmament. Meanwhile, President Trump has threatened to bomb Oman, a key Gulf ally of the U.S. and crucial intermediary between the U.S. and Iran, as he is unhappy with the deal Oman is close to striking to co-manage the Strait of Hormuz. Trump and U.S. leaders believe that Oman has not been tough enough in its negotiations with Iran and Oman’s agreement to collect tolls from vessels in Hormuz. The President has threatened to “bomb the s— out of” Oman if they “get[s] in the way.” Criticism swirls of the condition of the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier that has been deployed for over 260 days - the longest continuous deployment for a naval vessel since the Vietnam War. Lincoln has not made a major port call since it departed San Diego in November. It made just a minor stop in Guam in December. Crew members are reporting moldy food, substandard living conditions, and mental health issues. Family members are speaking out anonymously, while Secretary of Defense (War) Pete Hegseth (R-TN) has dismissed the reports as “fake news.” Tuesday was the last multi-state primary day of the 2026 calendar. Voters in Alaska, Florida, and Wyoming chose their nominees for November. Florida’s contests come after an aggressive mid-decade gerrymander led by term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis (R). For the U.S. Senate, Senator Ashley Moody (R) easily won her four-way primary to finish the rest of now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s (R) term. Moody was appointed by Governor DeSantis after Rubio’s resignation. She faces Angie Nixon (D), a Florida State Representative since 2020. The seat is likely to remain in Republican hands; Moody leads Nixon by
+9.5 in the RealClearPolitics (RCP) polling average. In a stunning upset, Nixon, aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), notably defeated Alex Vindman (D), a key witness in the Ukraine phone call scandal that led to President Trump’s first impeachment in 2019. For Governor, the Trump-endorsed Congressman Byron Donalds (R, FL-19) easily won his primary to succeed DeSantis as governor. He faces Republican-turnedDemocrat David Jolly (D), a lobbyist and former congressman from the Tampa Bay area. This is the second consecutive gubernatorial race in Florida in which a former Republican is running as the Democratic nominee. DeSantis defeated Charlie Crist (D) by a landslide in 2022. Donalds leads Jolly by just +5 in the RCP average.
Local Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy (R-Nesconset) (pictured above) announced on Tuesday the successful recovery of $47,841.98 in unclaimed funds. Unclaimed funds can include old bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance refunds, utility deposits, and stock certificates. Those accounts are then turned over to the State Comptroller’s office, which can be obtained through the online claim process. “I am committed to safeguarding all taxpayer dollars,” said Kennedy in a statement. “My office has already submitted another 150 claims to New York State for review. I will ensure that all of Suffolk County’s unclaimed funds are pursued and accounted for.” Residents can call the Comptroller’s office at 631-853-5040 or email the office at comptroller@suffolkcountyny. gov. The Comptroller’s fraud hotline is also available at 631-853-5018 or fraudhotline@suffolkcountyny.gov.
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Islip Matters Thursday, August 20, 2026
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Continued from front cover
Sayville Middle School Earns Prestigious Honor By Matt Meduri It consists of a “school-wide assessment, analysis of data, development of continuous improvement plans, and stakeholder interviews involving a broad representation of students, teachers, families, support staff and administrators.” “This achievement is a direct reflection of the hard work, passion, and dedication that our amazing teachers and staff bring to our middle-level learners every single day,” said Sayville Middle School Principal Dr. Joseph Castoro. Dr. Castoro added that the time devoted to the school-wide review was followed by surveys of students and staff. The Schools of Distinction program is also a means to create a “network of schools” to learn from and support one another. AMLE has a searchable online database featuring profiles of Schools of Distinction, including videos highlighting their promising practices and approaches. “The 2026 Schools of Distinction once again remind us that great middle schools do not happen by accident, they are built through intentional practices, strong leadership, and a deep understanding of young adolescents,” said Chris Woodside, AMLE CEO. “These 39 schools are leading the way in creating learning environments where young adolescents can belong, grow, and thrive. The 2026 Schools of Distinction will be formally recognized and celebrated at AMLE26: The 53rd Annual Conference for Middle Level Education, taking place in November 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. According to U.S. News & World Report, Sayville Middle School has a total enrollment of 604 students. 79% of students scored at or above the proficient math level, within the top 20% of New York students, and 57% scored at or above that level for reading, whereas the state’s average is 49%. For 2026, Sayville Middle School ranked 386th out of New York’s 3,500 middle schools. According to Niche, Sayville Middle School ranks as the 126th best public middle school for teachers in New York out of 1,286 other institutions based on user reviews. For more information on the Sayville Union Free School District, visit the district’s website at sayvilleschools.org. Happenings in the district can also be found on the district’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/saydistrictpr. #CaringAndLearning
Town Officials Join National Grid for 8-1-1 Day Credit - Town of Islip
The Town of Islip was proud to invite members from National Grid to mark the importance of 811 Day recently. Anyone who plans to dig should call 811 or go to their state 811 center’s website a few business days before digging to request that the approximate location of buried utilities be marked with paint or flags so that you don’t unintentionally dig into an underground utility line. 811 is the national call-beforeyou-dig phone number. Hitting a buried line while digging can disrupt utility service, cost money to repair, or cause serious injury or death. 811 protects you and your community. Always contact your 811 center, wait the required time for utilities to respond to your request, and ensure that all utilities have responded to your request before putting a shovel in the ground. “Calling 811 not only helps protect our residents, but also serves to keep our community infrastructure intact, thereby avoiding any unnecessary costly repairs,” said Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter (R-West Islip).
Small Business Spotlight Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
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Dance Elektra - Theresa Schoemer By Diane Caudullo Theresa Schoemer of Dance Elektra is a great example of a local business that adds so much to our community and our everyday lives. Theresa Schoemer owns Dance Elektra. With dance studios in Selden and Center Moriches, Dance Elektra is about to celebrate 40 years in business. Theresa acknowledges that she, at age 6, was placed in dance at the recommendation of her doctor to overcome a slight physical handicap she was born with. A few classes in, she just wanted to learn more and dance more. Dancing all the way to about 17 years of age, she easily transitioned into teaching dance and then jumped at the opportunity to take over the dance studio where she worked. Dance classes, in general, start at a very young age and are a very popular activity for all ages. Dance Elektra allows kids as young as 2, but also offers Zumba and social dancing classes for adults: any age and any ability. They, of course, offer all the styles of dance: ballet, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, and acro. What makes Dance Elektra a little different from other studios, however, is that they don’t push competitiveness on anyone who isn’t looking for it. They have recitals and join competitions and produce many winning teams, but if a child or teen just wants to dance for fun, that’s okay too. If a child has special circumstances, they are welcomed and encouraged into the same classes and teams. The dance studio has a full staff of teachers, some more specialized in one style of dance and some that offer lessons in multiple styles. This can be quite a bonus when you want to mix it up a bit. One such teacher is her daughter, Sarina, who grew up dancing in the studio and now follows in mom’s footsteps. The Selden studio was first opened in 1987, and when Theresa saw how many kids were travelling a decent distance, she opened the studio in Center Moriches to accommodate even more kids. While there are other dance studios, one reason why The Messenger decided to spotlight Theresa and Dance Elektra is, well, because of Theresa. She has been a member of the Selden-Centereach community all her life. Her family dates back generations in this community. Her great-grandfather, Charles Furman, was the longest-serving minister at the Congregational Church of Lake Grove - the now-historic little white church on Middle Country Road. She is an active community member in both areas, taking part in the Chambers of Commerce. Dance Elektra offers birthday parties at the studios, and Theresa generously donates these birthday party packages as prizes when an organization in the area needs raffle prizes. The Middle Country Chamber of Commerce offers a $1000 small business improvement grant each year, and last year Theresa was the recipient. She used the grant money to purchase a tumble track that many of her students were really hoping for. Dance Elektra participates in many competitions and often takes home titles and prizes, but her favorite competition that they do every year is The Power of Dance Competition. Started by Kevin Haver with the sole purpose of having the dancers compete for monetary prizes to be donated to their favorite charities. Every year, Dance Elektra dances their best to bring home the prize money for Keith Caputo’s Helping Makes You Happy. This year’s competition, which they added more money to by way of other miscellaneous fundraising, allowed them to donate $1200 to this organization. Truly amazing all around. Already an excellent choice for learning and mastering the art of dance, but just as important in choosing them is the woman behind it. Theresa has made it clear she has no plans to retire any time soon, as she simply loves what she does every day.
Learn more about Dance Elektra at danceelektra.com or by calling 631 878-6168. SELDEN - 616 Middle Country Road CENTER MORICHES - 10 Wilcox Avenue
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School Highlights Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Central Islip Football Team Works Out with Local Marine Sergeant Credit - Central Islip CSD
The Central Islip High School varsity football team was visited by United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Dylan Garcia Pelaez for a strength and conditioning workout on August 18. The entire team gathered on the field Tuesday evening and participated
in conditioning drills as a team, while Staff Sergeant Garcia and head varsity coach Rashan Stacker looked on and encouraged the players to push through the challenging workout.
Islip’s Junior Lifeguards Show Off Open Water Skills Credit - Town of Islip
Children ages 8 to 16 have been learning water safety, lifesaving techniques, and how to use rescue equipment in Atlantique, Fire Island, in preparation for the New York State Level 1 Ocean Lifeguard Test. On August 15, the Town’s junior lifeguards put their skills to the test during a four-event competition that challenged their endurance, speed, swimming ability, and agility, demonstrating the valuable skills they have developed throughout the program. “We are so proud of all who came out to learn such important lifesaving skills,” said Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter (R-West Islip). “This was an especially remarkable year, as two junior lifeguards ruled the beach. For
the first time in this program’s history, a King of the Beach was named, and we also welcomed our third-ever Queen of the Beach. These honors can only be given to competitors who place first in all four events, making it truly extraordinary to see both a King and Queen achieve this accomplishment in the same year.” The seven-week program teaches participants how to identify dangerous water conditions and introduces them to the duties and responsibilities of an ocean lifeguard. The program is run through Open Water Swim Long Island. For more information on future programs, please call the Town of Islip Sports and Aquatics Division at 631-224-5404.
Islip Town Officials Urge Residents to Beware of Rabies With an uptick in cases of rabid raccoons in the area, the Town is reminding everyone to stay cautious, make sure that all pets are vaccinated, and report any suspicious wildlife behavior. Rabies, a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the central nervous system, is most often seen among wild animals such as raccoons, bats, skunks, and foxes, but any mammal can be infected with rabies.
Residents are reminded not to touch, or transport, wild animals. Anyone who sees an abnormally acting raccoon is asked to call the Suffolk County Police Department non-emergency number at 631-852-COPS or the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at 631-444-0250
News Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
West Islip High School Ranks Among Top in New York
West Islip High School has once again demonstrated its excellence in education, earning a place among the highest-ranked public high schools in New York State. In the prestigious U.S. News & World Report 2026-2027 Best High Schools rankings, West Islip High School was ranked No. 28 in New York State and No. 3,013 nationally. West Islip High School was one of just 15 public high schools on Long Island to earn a spot among the highest-ranked schools in New York State. This recognition reflects the school’s exceptional academic programs, unwavering commitment to student success and dedication to preparing students to thrive in college, careers and beyond. “We are incredibly proud of this recognition and what it represents about the dedication of our students, teachers, administrators and families,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Romanelli. “Being ranked among the top public high schools in New York State is a tremendous accomplishment and a testament to the strength of our school community. This honor reflects our commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for every student to excel academically, discover their passions and build a successful future.” U.S. News evaluated approximately 27,000 eligible public high schools nationwide and ranked nearly 18,000 schools. The 2026-2027 rankings use data from the 2023-2024 school year and were produced in collaboration with research firm RTI International. The rankings are based on six key performance measures, including student achievement on state-required assessments, graduation rates and college readiness. U.S. News also considers how effectively schools serve underserved student populations, participation and performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate examinations, curriculum breadth and overall student outcomes. West Islip High School Principal Andrew O’Farrell echoed the superintendent’s sentiments, emphasizing the collaborative effort behind the school’s success. “Our students consistently demonstrate a commitment to learning and achievement, while our faculty and staff work tirelessly to provide rigorous, engaging and supportive educational experiences.”
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Islip to ‘Go Purple’ on September 2 By Matt Meduri
September is considered by many to be National Recovery Month, a time to break stigmas on substance abuse and mental health afflictions. Islip is a national trailblazer in the movement, having started the “Go Purple” initiative on August 31, 2020. The month-long campaign not only sees Town Hall’s cupola lit purple and lamp posts and utility poles adorned with purple banners across down, but it also sees a marked partnership with local non-profits who advocate for substance abuse recovery and mental health resources. Islip’s movement is regarded as one of the longest-running and highly visible localized campaigns. The “Go Purple” movement started in 1989, when the color was designated for National Recovery Month as set by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Purple was chosen as it traditionally represents wisdom, healing, and transformation, according to Santa Barbara Recovery. They add that those qualities mirror the journey of recovery.
Civics 101
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Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
The Necessary Standard for American Education The Library of Congress
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.
By Matt Meduri We wrap up our mini-series on the Cabinet and Cabinet-level positions by discussing one of the most subtly powerful positions in the White House, the Chief of Staff. History and Origin
Roles In his book, The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency, journalist Chris Whipple writes, “Unelected and unconfirmed, the
After spending time on the local level in central Florida, Wiles worked on Dan Quayle’s (R-IN) 1988 campaign and later ran a Florida congresswoman’s campaign and local government offices. Wiles’ first Chief of Staff-adjacent role came in 1997, as Chief of Staff to Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney. She was the key to the “Better Jacksonville” plan; in 2000, she resigned for the private sector. In 2001, she became a vice president at APCO Worldwide, one of the largest independently-owned public relations firms in the country. They handle political consulting and crisis communications; its staff is heavy with former government officials and diplomats. Wiles re-entered campaign management in 2010 for Rick Scott’s (RFL) gubernatorial run. He was twiceelected and now serves as a U.S. Senator. She also ran a political action committee (PAC) for John Huntsman, Jr.’s (R-UT) failed 2012 presidential campaign, and later Mitt Romney’s (R-MA) campaign in 2012. She co-chaired the Romney campaign’s Florida advisory council. In 2015, the Trump campaign named Wiles the chair of the Florida operations alongside now-RNC Chairman Joe Gruters. The New York Times described Wiles’ role as “pivotal” in connecting Trump with local dignitaries. Amid polls showing a Hillary Clinton (D-NY) win in Florida, Wiles pushed the absentee ballot strategy to secure older, conservative voters who were affected by Hurricane Matthew. When Trump was inaugurated in 2017, Wiles, at the time working for lobbying firm Ballard Partners one that has close ties to the Trump Administration and has employed admin officials - Wiles moved to Ballard’s D.C. office. Wiles then helped Ron DeSantis (R) to victory in Florida in 2018, a campaign in which DeSantis was largely seen as the underdog. After his victory, Wiles led his transition efforts and even hired DeSantis’ chief of staff. After a falling-out between Wiles and DeSantis’ team, the Trump 2020 campaign cut ties with Wiles as well. That year, Wiles and other Trump staffers worked as consultants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his 2020 campaign. Wiles returned to the Trump campaign in 2020 to help them carry Florida. After his loss, Trump named Wiles to lead his fundraising operations under the Save America PAC. She also helped other Republicans win, such as Governor Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), by managing a then-former President Trump’s public image. She even managed much of Trump’s postpresidency travels, fundraising, and endorsements for the 2022 midterms. She worked on Blake Masters’ (R-AZ) failed Arizona Senate campaign that year, and led to the ouster of Congresswoman Liz Cheney (RWY) in Wyoming that year. In a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, Wiles said she had attempted to make Trump end his retribution campaign upon returning to Washington, and she was highly critical of several administration officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Elon Musk. Credit - The White House
The precursor to the Chief of Staff was the President’s Private Secretary. During the 1800s, the presidents had minimal staffing - typically a messenger and a secretary/ scribe. All presidents from George Washington to James Buchanan (D-PA) personally paid the salaries of their minimal staff. In the days of yore, those roles were often filled by the presidents’ relatives, usually their sons or nephews. In fact, President James K. Polk (D-TN) had his wife take the role during his presidency (1845-1849). In 1857, while Buchanan was in office, Congress made the official move to name the Private Secretary at the White House; they appropriated $2,500 for salary nearly $100,000 in purchasing power today. The first Private Secretary was Buchanan’s nephew, J.B. Henry. By the turn of the century, the role had grown from one person to three people and Congress elevated the position to “Secretary to the President.” This office now consists of two assistant secretaries, two executive clerks, a stenographer, and seven other office personnel. The first Secretary to the President was John Addison Porter (R-CT), who served under President William McKinley (R-OH). The roles continued to expand with the advent of radio and mass media, which required secretaries to issue daily press briefings. Under President Warren G. Harding (R-OH), the office grew to 31 staff, and would triple under President Herbert Hoover (R-IA). Hoover created three extra private secretaries: the Legislative Secretary, the Confidential Secretary, and the Press Secretary. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D-NY) converted two of those extra roles into the permanent White House Press Secretary and Appointments Secretary. In 1939, still under Roosevelt, the White House senior counsel and staff would gain formal structure, giving way to the roles currently held today. Congress approved the Executive Office of the President at Roosevelt’s behest, which made these members directly report to the president, as the White House lacked statutory or budgetary authority to create staff positions. During World War II, Roosevelt created the position of Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief as his principal military advisor. In 1946, as the scope of the federal government broadened significantly, the office of the Assistant to the President was created under President Harry Truman (DMO). This is the immediate predecessor the Chief of Staff, as under President Dwight D. Eisenhower (R-KS), the role was named as such in 1953. The Chief of Staff, however, wouldn’t fully absorb most of their present-day oversight until the Nixon Administration. It was that concentration of power that led Jimmy Carter (D-GA) to pledge to not appoint a Chief of Staff. He did so for the first half of his presidency.
Chief serves at the whim of the president, hired and fired by him alone. He is the president’s closest advisor and the person he depends on to execute his agenda. He decides who gets to see the president, negotiations with Congress, and - most crucially - enjoys unparalleled access to the leader of the free world. When the president makes a life-and-death decision, often the Chief of Staff is the only other person in the room. Each Chief can make or break an administration, and each president reveals himself by the Chief he picks.” According to Whipple, the Chief of Staff’s primary responsibilities include: selecting senior White House staffers and supervising their offices’ activities; managing and designing the overall structure of the White House staff system; managing the flow of information to and decisions from the president; controlling the flow of people into the Oval Office; directing, managing, and overseeing all policy development; protecting the president’s political interests; negotiating legislation and appropriating funds with congressional leaders, Cabinet secretaries, and extragovernment political groups to implement the president’s agenda; and advising on any issues set by the president usually various in nature. In other words, the Chief of Staff essentially controls who gets access to the president and who doesn’t, how to best accomplish his set agenda, and must have exceptional levels of knowledge of a wide variety of issues. Presidents and observers alike have acknowledged the unprecedented power that comes with the Chief of Staff position. President Barack Obama (D-IL) said that most of the Chief’s job is “grunt work” and “a whole lot of blocking and tackling.” Richard Nixon’s (RCA) first Chief of Staff, H.R. Haldeman (R), knew of his gatekeeping abilities and called himself “the president’s son-of-a-bitch.” The longest-served Chief of Staff was John Steelman (D-AR), who served 6 years and 39 days under President Truman. James Baker (R-TX) has the shortest official capacity on record, at just 150 days under President George H. W. Bush (R-TX). Baker would go on to serve as Bush’s Secretary of State. The next-shortest Chief of Staff tenure belongs to Reince Priebus (R-WI), who served just 192 days under President Trump in his first term. The current Chief of Staff is Susie Wiles (R-FL), the first woman to hold the position. Wiles has a long history in campaign management and strategy. Her first political job was working for Congressman Jack Kemp (R-NY) in 1978. She worked on Ronald Reagan’s (R-CA) 1980 campaign in his scheduling office and later received a job in the Reagan White House’s Office of Scheduling and Advance. She ended her time in Washington in 1984 as Labor Secretary Raymond Donovan’s (R-NJ) personal secretary.
Around Town Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
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Bayport-Blue Point Welcomes New Leadership for 2026-27 Credit - BBP School District
The Bayport-Blue Point School District is welcoming new leadership for the 2026-27 school year, including a new superintendent and several new and familiar faces in key administrative roles. At the August 12 board of education meeting, Robert E. Haas was officially sworn in as Superintendent of Schools. A 1997 graduate of Bayport-Blue Point, Mr. Haas has spent his career serving the district, beginning as a social studies teacher and coach before moving into leadership roles as an assistant principal, middle school principal, high school principal and, most recently, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. Having experienced Bayport-Blue Point as a student, teacher and administrator, he has a unique understanding of the district’s traditions, values and goals, as he begins his new role as superintendent. Joining Mr. Haas on the district leadership team is Meredith Kelly, who has been appointed assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. Ms. Kelly joined Bayport-Blue Point in 2024 as principal of Sylvan Avenue Elementary School after previously serving as an assistant principal and teacher in the Merrick School District. During her time at Sylvan Avenue, she became known for her collaborative, studentcentered leadership and strong focus on teaching and learning. She now takes on a districtwide role overseeing curriculum and instruction. Katy Tirado has also stepped into a new districtwide role as administrator for pupil personnel services. Ms. Tirado has been part of the Bayport-Blue Point community since 2009, when she began as a kindergarten co-teacher at Blue Point Elementary School. She went on to serve as the district’s K-12 Special Education Department Chair and, most recently, as an elementary assistant principal. Michelle Ring has been named the new principal of Sylvan Avenue Elementary School. Ms. Ring joins the district with 18 years of experience as an elementary teacher, along with experience as an elementary assistant principal and two years as a principal in the Greenwood Lake School District. Her background includes curriculum
and instruction, MTSS and data-informed practices to support student learning. At Bayport-Blue Point High School, Jacqueline Weinzierl has joined the administrative team as assistant principal. Ms. Weinzierl comes to the district from New York City, where she served as a special education coordinator and elementary assistant principal. Her experience includes special education, school leadership, technology, master scheduling, MTSS and using student data to improve instruction. Together, these leadership changes mark an exciting new chapter for BayportBlue Point, while continuing the district’s commitment to meaningful relationships and student success.
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Local History Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Memories of Cedar Grove Tavern By Ellyn Okvist, B.Sc.
Maureen Straub, 1952
Many things bring us joy as we reminisce about our Lake Ronkonkoma. This is especially screen doors at the front. Sandy wooden true when you know the owners and families floors were part of the charm. Over the of key places who were around the lake during years, we recall the original placement of the years of their existence. the bar was rearranged a few times and the Growing up, it did not matter who belonged lakefront view never disappointed. where, or who owned which location. All of us The small kitchen located in the leftwere treated the same, always welcome, and rear corner, as one faced the Lake was a the families would share the day with us as if center of activity. A door near the kitchen we belonged to them. This is true of Julie Gary led to a staircase down to the patio level. Maguire, one of the direct branches of Claude Claude’s vision included ease of use with Schlidt and Cedar Grove Tavern. families in mind. The patio level was heavily Claude began a legacy, and Julie Gary treed and included picnic tables for card Maguire, licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator, has games, meetings, and teenage dates. nourished her own legacy with her Turtle Today, many still remain friends with the Rescue of Long Island.** The granddaughter Cedar Grove crowd. Sadly, some are gone, did not fall far from the tree - or should I say but the memories and feelings of shared far from the lake, where she developed a companionship are still with us and remain love for the environment and the wildlife that strong. existed in it. Turtles have been her forte for The beachside of the cellar, on the patio countless years. level included a snack center and candy I received a letter from Mike McCormick, stand skillfully managed by Claude’s sister, a longtime resident of Lake Ronkonkoma, Margaret. Penny candy was the mainstay of Stanley Gary, 1948 and Julie Gary McQuire, 2003 and it began, “How disappointing to Google those days, as was a house favorite Frozen Cedar Grove Restaurant/Tavern/Beach, Milky Ways. Squirt, Orange Crush, Yoo-Hoo Lake Ronkonkoma, and not find pages of and 10-cent Dr. Brown’s sodas made an afternoon at Cedar Grove special. information/pictures of what was once a And Dr. Brown’s soda can transport us back 50 years. 15-cent French fry plates or 25-cent for community center of life at the Lake from the the large plate made a day at the Lake complete. late 1940’s through the 1970’s. It was never Mike remembers how Margaret saw something in him, and he was selected often to man the just a bar.” candy counter when she needed a break. Mike’s first shot at responsibility and trust and for this Mike shared with me his thoughts about privilege he will always have a special place in how he had the distinct opportunity to be part his heart for Aunt Margaret. of this community, along with memories that The first Beauty Contest for little girls he cherishes and will remain with him always. was held at Cedar Grove. The winner was “Funny how as we age, certain parts of life Maureen Straub, shown holding a Rheingold continue to stand out as spectacular and we beer tray while sitting on the bar in 1952. The somewhat bury the sadder, less happy parts. contests quickly spread to teens and older Cedar Grove was awesome.” girls with the coveted prize that met with a lot The letter touched me, as it would touch of preparation. any of us, as we feel similar to Mike regarding Cedar Grove also is credited with the first past love of those certain gone and almost “Sports Bar.” Claude felt a television that forgotten people, places, and things that could be seen from the bar would please his were a strong and significant part of our customers when sports-related programs lives. It is so important for the actual families were scheduled. Other crucial news and of Lake Ronkonkoma to share their past, not announcements were also shared on that groups of self-appointed strangers who never television. lived the eras. Be sure to speak to the direct The Beachfront was spotless and raked descendants about their heritage for the daily. Unlike some of the other “Big Pavilions,” correct information. Cedar Grove was without a giant slide or Under construction, 1947 and Open for business in 1948 “Cedar Grove wasn’t just a beach, but an deep-water floating raft, but what it had was extension of family life as I knew,” Mike would community spirit. The Browns Road-Hudson go on to say. The history of Cedar Grove began Avenue area families who frequented the with Claude F. Schildt, born 1905 and residing beach became extended family. One would on Kapler Court, who had a vision of a family never misbehave as someone was always gathering place on a pristine lakefront piece watching. Julie has so many great memories of property. A family member, Stanley J. Gary, of the bar and its surroundings. They would Julie’s father, arranged for the funds to finance play on the beach and in the winter would the bar. Other family and friends pitched in ice skate over from her home on the other what they could, and Cedar Grove was born side and have hot chocolate. Mentioning her a lakefront vision, the building still serving the home, the former Weicher’s Estate, still has community under new ownership as Parsnip the infamous dog statue out front on the Pub today. lawn. Claude, the owner, barkeep, and host, Claude (pictured left) was a Veteran of always clad in white apron with an infectious the Korean War and served as a U.S. Marine smile, was always able to recall a name and Corps Sergeant from 1950-1953. His son, face. That ability was part of the charm of Gary Schlidt, would later follow his love of Cedar Grove. Kids were his family. As he country and served 1972-1976 as a Marine walked from the bar to the cellar entrance on the parking lot side, he always had time to smile Sergeant and his photograph was displayed front-and center behind the bar. You can now find and greet everyone. The secrets that mysterious cellar held, we wouldn’t learn until years later. It father and son on the corner pole out front of Parsnips on their Military Tribute Banners. contained the Potato Peeler machine that appeared monstrous to a teenager and was fed from Walter McCrory worked for Claude Schlidt and eventually Claude sold the bar to Walter. Claude 50-pound bags of local Long Island potatoes. This was the secret to the great French fries served passed away on May 3, 1967. “Claude Schildt’s Vision” is still with us, in the building he built and from the bar kitchen. Fresh peeled and sliced Long Island potatoes! received a c/o from the Town of Smithtown in 1948. The memories can still talk. The stories and connections from Cedar Grove intertwined with life. Cedar Grove was a **Turtle Rescue of Long Island can be supported this month at Stop & Shop in Lake Ronkonkoma for hotbed of saltwater fisherman and their stories. Claude’s tavern became a center for fisherman the entire month of August. Buying one of their reusable bags will help support the turtles. Purchase a to share tales and cold beers. $2.50 reusable Community bag and they will receive a $1.00 donation for every bag sold. Please help One’s first recall of the bar itself was that it was horseshoe-shaped and faced the Lake. support our turtles with this easy donation. Direct donations can be made as well. Windows offered those imbibing of liquid refreshment and the opportunity of an unparalleled With grateful thanks to the Schildt, Gary, Straub, family and friends and memories from Mike view of the Lake. On those spectacular summer days, a breeze filled the bar room to the double McCormick.
Technology News Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
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Understanding What is Happening in the AI Economy By Mollie Barnett Contrary to popular belief, the AI economy is not primarily a contest of technologies. What it is, firstly, is a system of concentrated capital, closed platforms, and regulatory design that reinforce an ecosystem now referred to as AI. A small group of giant asset managers including BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street among them, hold significant stakes across the companies that supply the chips, the cloud, the models, the enterprise software, and the data center infrastructure inside this ecosystem. The same capital pools own significant pieces of NVIDIA, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, and related firms at the same time. Behind these managers sit the ultimate sources of the money: pensions, retirement accounts, insurance companies, and endowments. Alongside the big public-market managers, alternative managers such as Blackstone, KKR, and Apollo — firms that specialize in private markets, infrastructure, and large-scale project financing rather than public stocks — have built major positions in data centers and AI compute financing. At the private lab layer, Microsoft remains the dominant external shareholder in OpenAI, while Amazon holds the largest outside position in Anthropic. Founders and certain nonprofit or trust structures still retain important governance power, but the economic value largely flows through the same capital channels. This cross-ownership produces a reinforcing loop. • Rising AI adoption drives demand for compute. • That demand justifies more data centers and energy investment. • Those projects require large-scale financing. • The financing deploys more chips and capacity. • The capacity enables more AI products and enterprise features. • Closed models and proprietary software stacks raise switching costs and keep demand circulating inside the same set of companies. • Employees inside these enterprises assign the intellectual property they create to the firm. Therefore, the advances remain inside the structure the capital already owns. In other words, the race is fixed. Regulatory proposals have largely followed the same logic. Drafts such as the FRONTIER Act, related federal frameworks, California’s lighter successor to earlier safety bills, and the EU’s systemic-risk rules for models above high compute thresholds all rely on a combination of revenue filters and training-compute cutoffs. The practical effect is to place the heaviest ongoing compliance burdens — mandatory safety frameworks, independent third-party audits, detailed transparency reporting, rapid incident disclosure, and continuous verification — on organizations that already have very large balance sheets. At the same time, these rules make it significantly more expensive and difficult for ordinary American companies (the firms that make up most of U.S. GDP and employment) to reach or operate at the same scale. The dual threshold does not simply regulate the existing frontier. It raises the barrier for anyone trying to approach it. That protects the position of the current power holders and helps ensure the highest-value intellectual property stays where the capital already sits. This is a concentrated form of capitalism. It works against the basic idea that new competitors should be able to enter freely, challenge existing players, and replace what no longer works. It also runs into another problem that is being surfaced both in AGI or agentic AI and identified by the economist Friedrich Hayek: the knowledge needed to build and improve
complex systems is scattered across many different people and places. When most of the important activity is locked inside a small, capital-protected group, the system is forced to rely on the limited knowledge of that group. It therefore loses access to the wider pool of ideas, experience, and experimentation the outside corpus offers. This is not a sustainable way for the Western AI model to grow. A system that concentrates the highest-value work, talent, and intellectual property inside a capital-protected core, while raising barriers to everyone else, eventually limits its own capacity to innovate, adapt, and draw on the wider knowledge and energy of the economy. The physical limits are binding everywhere, including here. Long Island’s constrained grid, high power costs, and the recent statewide and town-level pauses on large data centers are the local expression of those real constraints—energy, chips, and scale cannot be wished away. Yet the closed capital loops, cross-ownership arrangements, and regulatory preferences that concentrate capability and decision-making remain contingent. Alternatives that have operated outside the tightest parts of that circle have already shown that high capability does not require full membership in the dominant structure. For Long Island businesses the implication is practical. Capable models and tools now exist from multiple sources, including those that forced the contrast into the open. Use them where they improve operations, marketing, analysis, or customer work. Do not assume that only the largest, most tightly regulated providers can deliver reliable results. Avoid unnecessary single-vendor lock-in. Build the internal skills and workflows that let a firm switch or combine approaches as the landscape shifts. And engage in the local conversation about energy infrastructure and data-center rules so those rules allocate costs fairly and keep pathways open rather than reinforcing the existing concentration. Residents and smaller operators should treat the current concentration as a choice that can still be shaped. Demand that any local or state framework for compute and power require large users to carry their own costs, protect ratepayers, and preserve space for alternative paths. The technology’s physical demands are real. The institutional arrangements that turn those demands into a permanent advantage for the already large are not. On Long Island that distinction is not theoretical—it is the difference between adapting to a fixed hierarchy and helping decide how capability is distributed.
Mollie Barnett - is the Founder of State and Signal, Decision Architect TM and Founder of AI Systems. Mollie helps businesses find clarity and recalibrate their operational stance for the new frontier.
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Messenger Perspectives Thursday, August 20, 2026
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
My Costly Front Row Seat By PJ Balzer
For my entire life, I’ve been given this front row seat, a seat up close that I never really asked for or wanted. The seat has come with a tremendous price tag but also has provided clear sight as front row seats often do. From up close, you can see what others don’t see and experience what others haven’t. If you’re willing to pay close attention, you can potentially learn a lot in this seat. I was born into a family that has had addiction issues on both sides with both drugs and alcohol. Stretching multiple generations back now, I’ve watched these substances totally destroy lives. Not only do they destroy the life of the one using the substance, but they’ve also had a heavy impact on the loved ones’ lives as well. One of my signature sayings when it comes to this issue is, “Drugs and alcohol destroys everything it touches: Families, communities, relationships, and lives.” Outside my own family, I’ve further watched the same substances wreak havoc on people that I love in my community. My wife and I are engaged daily in reaching out to children, teenagers and adults in our community who find themselves in need one way or in many. I’ve seen time and time again that the need or lack in a child’s life often has to do with the addiction in their
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parents’ lives. Generational trauma, curses, and destruction are real things. If you don’t believe so, come and hang out with me for a week. I’ve personally seen a child’s favorite household items being sold by a parent on the street for heroin or cocaine. I’ve seen food stamps that were supposed to be used to fill a second-graders pink Minnie Mouse lunchbox with snacks being traded for drugs at the corner store. I’ve seen front doors kicked in and robbed and full SWAT team drug raids being done while kids are inside. I’ve seen multifamily residences burn to the ground because someone nodded out on opiates while smoking. I’ve seen people wake up to find out they ran someone over the night before while blacked-out driving. I’ve seen the U.S. Marshalls take away a young man at 2:00a.m. while his nieces and nephews watched. They ended up missing the elementary school bus that morning and the following morning as well. I’ve seen broken relationships and families split into pieces over a bottle. I’ve seen fathers abandon their children to live in a train station and get high. I’ve seen children learning how to fend for themselves when they should be watching Bluey. I’ve seen teenagers bring home baby after baby for grandma to raise, while she sells her body in a local motel just enough to get a fix each day. I’ve had a front row seat to see daily the effects on children whose parents decided to drink or use while pregnant. The child’s critical thinking, reasoning, learning abilities, and life decisions are greatly altered by no doing of their own. Someone else made that decision for them. From this seat I see the ups and downs - the stealing, dealing and manipulation; the mood swings that lead to violence; the split-second decisions that have led to incarceration. I’ve seen other ones lead to a coffin. I’ve seen the firsthand effects of a child never knowing their father’s name; the anger, the rage, and the cycle that just continues. But don’t forget that this too wasn’t the child’s fault. They simply just showed up here and have to figure out how to play the cards that they were already dealt. I’ve seen the car accidents and the toxicology reports after. These were kids who were only teenagers and just beginning their lives. I’ve seen terrible decisions made by a teenage brain that never got the chance to fully develop. Did you know that introducing marijuana and alcohol to an adolescent’s brain greatly stunts its further development and growth? I know many adults whose brain never developed past twelve or thirteen. I’ve seen the stolen cars, the lost lives, and heard the mothers’ screams. Actually, it’s not a scream; it’s a sound that’s hard to explain to someone who’s never heard it. I’ve visited a fifteen-year-old that morning to bring him a backpack and supplies for the upcoming school year. By that afternoon, his mother was identifying his body on the side of the road. This front row seat has been costly to say the least. It’s been a continuous life lesson and school of the heart. I’ve had to learn up close just how destructive these substances can really be, how many lives they consume, and how many promising destinies they extinguish, how much more a substance takes than it gives. This has all been part of my own personal motivation to get and stay sober. I thank Jesus every day for that. If you’re personally trapped by a substance or your family has been greatly affected by a loved one who is. I want you to know that today I’m praying for you personally and I understand the struggle on every side of the coin. I also want you to know that Jesus can help you get free and stay free indeed. Just as using, drinking, and the streets have a clear impact on the individual and those around them, so does getting sober. Sobriety will greatly bless those who love you. As you change, heal and experience a restoration of life, so will the people you love and relationships that have been destroyed. There is always hope.
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Overview - AMAC The Association of Mature American Citizens
Kamala Is Back – and More Radical Than Ever
AMAC plays a vital role in helping build the services that will enrich the lives of America’s seniors. AMAC Action, a 501 (C)(4) advocates for issues important to AMAC’s membership on Capitol Hill and locally through grassroots activism. To Learn more, visit amac.us
By Sarah Katherine Sisk | Contributing Writer for AMAC Despite losing the popular vote, Electoral College, and every swing state, national polling shows that former Vice President Kamala Harris remains the clear presidential frontrunner for Democrats in 2028. But the version of Harris Americans will likely see on the campaign trail appears far more radical than even what they saw two years ago. It may be tempting to write Harris off following her 2024 debacle. But she retains universal name recognition and a strong political network – including a close relationship with Barack Obama, still the party’s most popular figure and its unofficial kingmaker. She received endorsements from Obama both in 2016 for Senate and in 2024 for her presidential campaign. Democrat primary voters also continue to place real value on nominating a woman or a person of color — both boxes that Harris checks. Though she has not yet officially announced a 2028 campaign, a July Quantus Insights survey put Harris at 35.3 percent support among likely Democrat primary voters — a 17.6-point lead over California Governor Gavin Newsom at 17.7 percent. Axios’s late-July Democrat power rankings placed her at number one, noting she is “far ahead of every other contender with Black voters, still the most important voting bloc in a Democratic primary.” But most importantly of all for the left-wing power brokers who wield growing influence within the Democrat Party, Harris has repeatedly proven she will embrace or abandon any position when the political incentives demand it. Right now, that means Harris is more than willing to become a key player in the socialist surge within the party. Conventional wisdom holds that Harris lost in 2024 because she was inauthentic, weighed down by Joe Biden’s unpopularity, and ran on a progressive platform that was far too extreme for most Americans. But Harris doesn’t appear to buy any of that. In fact, she’s doubling down on far-left policies, embracing a platform that would’ve been considered fringe within the Democrat Party just a few years ago. “This is a moment where there are no bad ideas, a ‘No Bad Idea Brainstorm’ is what I’d like to call it,” Harris said back in May on the “Win with Black Women” podcast. She floated Supreme Court expansion, Electoral College “reform” (i.e., abolishment), multi-member congressional districts, and the need to “neutralize these red states from cheating.” By late July, at the National Urban League Conference, Harris had hardened her stance. “I know this is gonna be controversial coming from me, in particular. We need to revisit the Electoral College,” she said. “We need to revisit the point of expanding the Court to 13 justices like we have 13 district courts. We need to revisit, if they so want, statehood for Puerto Rico and D.C.” Harris even borrowed one of Donald Trump’s 2024 slogans and told Democrats they must win victories that are “too big to rig,” adding that the other side is “ruthless” and that Democrats “need to be ruthless too.” Court expansion, Electoral College reform, and statehood for D.C. and Puerto Rico were not part of the general election platform Harris ran on in 2024. These proposals instead track closely with the Democratic Socialists of America’s own “Workers Deserve More” platform, including its explicit call to make the presidency and Supreme Court “chosen by and subordinate to Congress.” Harris has seemingly embraced the progressive effort to tear down any institution that has stood in the way of unchecked power for the political left. In other words, Harris is saying, if you can’t win the race, change the rules. Lest there be any doubt about Harris’s open embrace of the hard left, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed that Harris called him shortly after he took office and that the two “have been in touch over the last few months.” “Harris has repeatedly demonstrated that her policy positions travel wherever the votes are,” Republican strategist Matt Klink told the Washington Examiner. “DSA doesn’t need her to be a true believer. They need her to be useful.” Even some sympathetic progressive voices aren’t convinced, however. Radio host Thom Hartmann said that “voters can smell a poll-tested pivot.” Harris has done this before, abandoning positions from her 2020 primary run — including decriminalizing border crossings and eliminating private health insurance — once she became the nominee facing Trump in 2024. Her positions are whatever she believes her constituency at the time wants to hear. To hear Harris tell it, however, this blatant inauthenticity had nothing to do with her failure in 2024. Her public account of her defeat has placed far more emphasis on Biden’s delayed withdrawal than on her own inconsistent record. In her campaign memoir, 107 Days, Harris reserves her sharpest criticism for Biden’s decision to seek reelection, calling it “recklessness.” “Was it grace, or was it recklessness? In retrospect, I think it was recklessness,” she writes. “The stakes were simply too high. This wasn’t a choice that should have been left to an individual’s ego, an individual’s ambition.”
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The Association of Mature American Citizens represents Americans 50 plus. AMAC is centered on American values, freedom of the individual, free speech, and exercise of religion, equality of opportunity, sanctity of life, rule of law, and love of family, with benefits at all levels.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Joe Biden doesn’t seem to blame her, either. He told “The View” in May 2025 that he wasn’t surprised by her loss, instead pointing the finger at discrimination. “They went the sexist route, the whole route,” Biden said. “I mean, this is a woman, she’s this, she’s that.” At every turn, Harris has displayed an utter lack of humility and introspection about why she lost the race. Worse, she’s going even further down the left-wing rabbit hole that voters said they wanted nothing to do with two years ago. Given the apparent leftward lurch of the Democrat Party, that strategy just might reward Harris with the nomination yet again come 2028. But if 2024 is any indication, Harris will again have a tough time pivoting to a more palatable platform for the general election. History may be set to repeat itself.
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Photo: VIENNA, AUSTRIA - JUNE 16: Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on stage during the Austrian World Summit at Hofburg Congress Center on June 16, 2026 in Vienna, Austria. The Austrian World Summit is an annual climate conference which has taken place in Vienna since 2017. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)
S T A G E
SEP 10– OCT 25 U P
N E X T
By William Goldman Based on the Novel by Stephen King
JAN 14–FEB 28 M
NOV 12–DEC 27 C H I L D R E N’S
SEP 26–OCT 25
T H E A T E R
Frosty NOV 21–DEC 27
Bits & Pieces
20
WORD OF THE
Week
Etymology:
1590s, “a wandering, act of straying,” from Latin aberrationem, “a wandering,” a noun of action from aberrare, “to wander out of the way,” literally and figuratively, from ab, “off, away from,” + errare, “to wander, stray roam;” meaning “deviation from the normal type” attested by 1735
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Thursday, August 20, 2026
SUDOKU
ABERRATION noun Pronounced: /a·burr·ay·shn/ Definition: the fact or
an instance of deviating, especially from a moral standard or normal state.
Example:
“The president’s call for war was seen as a large aberration from the party’s agenda.”
Synonyms: anomaly, abnormality, variation Antonyms: ordinary, usual, norm Sources: Merriam-Webster, Etymonline.com.
See left for the answers (please don’t cheat!)
This Week in History August 25, 1718: Hundreds of French colonists arrive in Louisiana and found New Orleans.
WORD WHEEL
Korean pop group BTS releases the single “Dynamite,” the first video to be watched more than 100 million times in 24 hours on YouTube.
August 20, 1993:
O
P M
T
August 21, 2020:
A See how many words you can create. Must have center letter in word and can use letters more than once. 4 letter word minimum.
U S
August 26, 1682: English astronomer Edmond Halley first observes the comet named after him.
August 23, 1942:
Last cavalry charge in history takes place during World War II at Isbuschenskij, Russia, when the Italian Savoia Cavalleria charges Soviet infantry.
Oslo Peace Accords are signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization after secret negotiations in Norway. A public ceremony in Washington, D.C., is held the following month.
August 24, 1968: France becomes the world’s fifth thermonuclear power with a detonation at Mururoa Atoll in the South Pacific.
August 22, 1849:
Austria launches pilotless balloons against the Italian city of Venice in the first aerial bombing in history.
Source: Onthisday.com.
Bits & Pieces Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
NATIONAL Vladimir Putin considers the UK a participant in the Ukraine War after the British supplied Ukraine with cruise missiles against Russia. Israel carried out strikes on a Syrian airbase on Tuesday morning. PM Netanyahu said strikes aimed to prevent Turkish military buildup. Iran has threatened strikes on U.S. bases in Europe if Trump escalates the war. The UAE has suspended all trade with Iran after the UAE intercepted ballistic missiles. Iran has denied the allegations. A 35-year-old Israeli national was arrested by Greek authorities. He is suspected to have started a wildfire on the island of Crete. The U.S. is routing $4B of frozen gold reserves belonging to Venezuela to the Treasury to fund post-earthquake recovery in South America. President Trump has temporarily paused 50% tariffs on Canada. Israel destroyed public water reservoir in Mansouri, South Lebanon. Phoebe Gates, Bill Gates’ daughter, took an invite-only course at Stanford University called, “So You Think You Can Rule the World?” Actress and singer Hayden Panettiere died on Sunday, age 36. Cause of death is not yet known. She had written extensively of sexual harassment in Hollywood and her struggles with addiction.
STATE Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) agreed to a live debate against Bruce Blakeman (R) on Spectrum News/NY1. No date has been set yet. Governor Hochul is warning that AI poses a threat to administrative roles held by women. NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is getting criticism for not wearing a helmet while bicycling. Mayor Mamdani sued the NYC Council over $10,000 bonuses to teachers’ aides in what he says violates collective bargaining laws. Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (D) says that the MTA is unlikely to meet the 2040 target for a 100% zero-emissions bus fleet. WalletHub ranked NY as the twelfth-best state to live in. The top five were Idaho, NJ, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
LOCAL LI marinas and municipalities can receive up to $80K in funding for wastewater pump-out infrastructure through NYS Program. A Salvadoran national who racked up 4 felony DWIs has been detained by ICE, according to Suffolk County D.A. Ray Tierney (R). A street takeover in Medford this weekend resulting in 15 arrests and 7 vehicle impoundments. An electric scooter operator, 49, was seriously injured on Tuesday afternoon after a collision with a vehicle in Medford. Congressional candidate and former Suffolk County Executive Pat Halpin (D-Oak Beach) is criticizing Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) “silence” on the reversal of TPS status for Haitian Long Islanders.
WORD SEARCH
21
Women’s Pro Baseball League
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Makes History with L.I. Native Sarah Edwards By Ashley Pavlakis Colonial Athletic Association selection, CAA All-Tournament Team selection, CoSIDA Academic All-District selection, and Colonial Athletic Association AllTournament Team Selection. The Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) was established in 2026. For the first time in 70 years, baseball would be played by women in a professional setting. Founded by Justine Siegel and Keith Stein, the two developed a league made up of four teams: The New York Heights, Boston Hunters, Los Angeles Queens, and the San Francisco Firebells. All four teams will compete at a neutral site location for the inaugural season. Having followed collegiate and professional softball, I was fairly familiar with some of the names on the current rosters. Just to name a few, Kylee Lahners, a Washington Husky standout and former pro softball player, Mo’Ne Davis from the Little League World Series, and Kelsie Whitmore of the Savannah Bananas. Sarah Edwards was drafted in the third round as the tenth pick to the Los Angeles Queens in the 2025 draft. She’s currently the only Long Island-born player listed on a WPBL roster; that’s history fact number-one. History fact number-two comes in the form of a gametime moment. Edwards stepped up
to the plate and hit the first grand slam in WPBL history in the second inning of an eventual 12-4 win over the Boston Hunters. Edwards is tasked with playing first base for the Queens this season. LA boasts a 3-3 record, putting them in second place overall. #25 on the diamond has a .250 batting average through six games with 4 runs, 5 hits, 1 home run, and 8 RBIs. There will be plenty of historic moments as the inaugural season of the WPBL continues, but for one of Long Island’s own to take part in a few of those moments firsthand is quite special. Congratulations, Sarah Edwards, on being part of and making history!
Credit - WPBL
Baseball is America’s favorite pastime. For the longest time, the sport was dominated by men. Now, the Women’s Professional Baseball League has emerged on the scene. You bet there’s a Long Island native out there making history too. Sarah Edwards, a native of Bay Shore, is an inaugural season member of the WPBL. Edwards grew up on Long Island, playing softball at the early age of seven. The Edwards household was inhabited by four boys and Sarah. Softball and baseball are similar in most ways, so the crossover wasn’t too much of a learning curve. The infielder played four years of varsity softball for the Marauders. During her career, she was named Suffolk County Co-Field Player of the Year, All-Suffolk County as a senior, and was awarded All-League honors as a sophomore and junior. Edwards finished her senior year with a .525 batting average. Edwards took her talents to the NCAA, where she spent two seasons at Buffalo before returning home to play at Hofstra University. While playing for the Lions, Edwards played 94 games, 217 at-bats, scored 27 runs, 71 hits, 7 home runs, and 42 RBIs. In terms of Individual honors, Edwards racked up these awards: NFCA All-Northeast Region First-Team selection, First-Team All-
Kings Park Hockey Player Is Headed to the Pros By Ashley Pavlakis She’s from Long Island, played for Long Island, and played on Long Island. Jeannie Wallner, of Kings Park, is headed overseas to play professional hockey. The LIU graduate has signed with Mac Budapest in Hungary. Wallner’s hockey career took her to the Millbrook School in Poughkeepsie. The preparatory school geared her up for college, where she chose the path that led back home. It was ‘Fins Up’ from there as Wallner went on to play Division I ice hockey at Long Island University. LIU first established its women’s ice hockey team in 2019. She became the second homegrown player to play for the Sharks. Grace Dima, of Massapequa, was the first. Wallner’s career in blue & gold was simply amazing to watch unfold. The forward played four seasons for the Sharks and was a force to be reckoned with each time she stepped on the ice. She was feisty and could take control of a game when needed. In 144 games, Wallner amassed 62 goals and 58 assists, for a total of 120 points. A statistic I found
interesting was Wallner’s ability to score when it mattered most. 18 career game-winning goals for the Sharks. Jeannie Wallner notched her 100th career point in dominant fashion. In a 6-3 win over Franklin Pierce, Wallner recorded 4 goals and 1 assist to claim the milestone. In the prior season, she played in her 100th career regular season game. Wallner racked up the individual accolades as well: three-time First Team NEWHA, All-Rookie Team NEWHA, Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award nominee ‘23, and multiple weekly/monthly player of the week honors. She’s also a NEWHA champion, helping the Sharks win the title in 2023. The title win meant LIU advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time ever. In a previous conversation I had with LIU Head Coach Kelly Nash, she raved about the type of player and person Jeannie Wallner is. “She [Wallner] is so naturally talented. She obviously puts in the work on top of all of that; I think that’s what kind of creates the success she’s had. She’s very humble,
she’s a locker room kid, and everyone loves her. She’s been so solid for LIU women’s ice hockey; we love that she’s our local Long Islander,” said Nash. Wallner entered her name in the 2025 Professional Women’s Hockey League Draft. Unfortunately, her name did not get called. This didn’t deter her from finding a path to the pros. Wallner will head overseas to play in the European Women’s Hockey League (EWHL) for Mac Budapest. Wallner becomes the ninth Long Island-born female hockey player to play professional hockey. The pioneers who came before her: Sam Faber, Taylor Holze, Dana Trivigno, Meagan Mangene, Cailey Hutchison, Erica Kromm, Denise Cardello, and Dana DeMartino. All have since retired, leaving Wallner to carry the torch for Long Island natives. Seeing Jeannie Wallner finish her college hockey career was definitely emotional. Now, to see her get to continue her playing career is exciting to say the least. Congratulations and good luck, Jeannie!
From a Sport to a Job
23
By PJ Balzer In a community where soccer is a way of life, Brentwood has found a productive way to have the sport meet potential employment for its young people. The new summertime initiative is called “Lead the Game: Referee Certification Program.” This program ran right through this summer from July 6 to August 14. It was a free program for Brentwood High School juniors and seniors. The program trained, mentored, and gave some hands-on initiative for teenagers to become certified soccer referees and youth sports officials. There is currently a shortage of referees on Long Island, and Brentwood is using this program to try to fill that gap while also providing its youth with jobs. This program wasn’t simply just on the pitch with a whistle. It started out in a classroom setting with students receiving classroom instruction and learning from online modules. What the potential referees were trained in wasn’t only the rules of soccer. It went into the much-needed skills of conflict resolution, effective communication with coaches on the sidelines, and
properly managing spectator behavior - all needed skills during a highly contentious soccer match and in life itself. This past week, the program concluded as the new refs in training worked on the field for the first time. They were able to put on the referee outfit to work for a friendly but intense match between Brentwood’s varsity and junior varsity soccer teams. Going forward, the students who took the summer long training and passed each section of the certification. They are now able to work and get paid to officiate, not only youth soccer games. There are also programs in soccer, basketball, flag football and wrestling as well. Brentwood is focused on its students obtaining skills, experience and a pathway to a job while still in high school. These are now paid positions that these young people studied and worked hard to earn. From loving sports to now getting paid to officiate them. Keep on the lookout because Brentwood plans on possibly offering these classes and program once again.
Sellout Crowd Watches Ducks Blast Past Revs
Ducks Win 1st Game
Ducks Win Series
The Long Island Ducks defeated the York Revolution 7-1 on Saturday night in the fifth game of a six-game series before a past-capacity crowd of 6,048 at Fairfield Properties Ballpark. The Revolution grabbed the game’s first run in the opening inning on Brian Rey’s RBI fielder’s choice, but the Ducks tied the game in the bottom of the frame on Jacob Robson’s two-out double that was coupled with a fielding error which allowed Wilmer Difo to scored. Four runs for the Flock in the second off Revolution starter Rhett Kouba put the hosts in front 5-1. Terrell Tatum’s two-run home run to left field, a balk that scored René Pinto and an RBI single by Difo did the damage. Pinto made it a five-run game with a 401-foot solo home run to left field in the fourth. It stayed that way until the eighth when Jorge Bonifacio added a 398-foot solo shot over the left-center field fence, pushing the advantage to 7-1. Ducks starter Tanner Jacobson (5-5) earned the win, tossing six innings and allowing one unearned run on four hits and two walks while striking out seven batters. Kouba (8-4) took the loss, conceding six runs (five earned) on eight hits and two walks in six innings with four strikeouts. Rafael Kelly, Luis Gonzalez and Jacob Asa combined for three scoreless innings of relief for the Ducks, conceding one hit with two strikeouts. Tatum led the Ducks’ offense with two hits, two RBIs and a run. Pinto added two hits, an RBI, two runs and a walk, while Difo chipped in with two hits, an RBI and a run. The Ducks and Revolution wrapped up their six-game set on Sunday evening, winning the six-game series. The first 1,500 fans in attendance received Ducks Drawstring Bags, courtesy of The Play That Goes Wrong. Long Island jumped out in front 1-0 in the bottom half of the first inning on Gavin Collins’ sacrifice fly to right field off York starting pitcher Brendan Yagesh. The Ducks made it 4-0 in their favor in the second courtesy of a 344-foot two-run home run to left off the bat of Jorge Bonifacio and an RBI single produced by Kole Kaler. The Revolution got to within 4-1 in the seventh on Nick Dunn’s sacrifice fly to center. The Flock added an insurance run in the eighth for a 5-1 cushion on Bonifacio’s two-out run-scoring base knock. The visitors would get no closer as the bullpen quintet of Leonardo Tavares, Garrett Crowley, Jose Cruz, Sal Romano and Ramon Santos allowed just one unearned run across six innings to go along with five strikeouts, with Santos striking out the side in the ninth to close the game out. In his Ducks debut, starter Clark Candiotti registered a no-decision as the righthander fired three scoreless innings on two hits allowed, walking two and striking out one. Taveras (1-0) picked up his first victory in a Flock uniform after not allowing a run on a pair of hits in two innings of relief to go along with a walk and a strikeout. Yagesh (1-1) suffered the loss, surrendering four runs on six hits across five innings on the mound, walking two and striking out one. Bonifacio had two hits, three RBIs and a run scored. While Marcus Chiu contributed with a pair of singles, a run scored and his 19th stolen base of the season.
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Messenger Spotlight
Law Enforcement with Family Fun Day
Credit - Pal-O-Mine
The event reflects Pal-O-Mine’s longstanding commitment to supporting first responders and their families through equine-assisted therapeutic programs that promote growth, learning and healing. To learn more, visit www.pal-o-mine.org.
Credit - Pal-O-Mine
About Pal-O-Mine Equestrian Pal-O-Mine Equestrian began in 1995 as a therapeutic horseback riding program for individuals with disabilities and other vulnerable populations. Our mission is to provide a comprehensive therapeutic equine program to facilitate growth, learning and healing for children and adults with disabilities, survivors of trauma, veterans, first responders, individuals on the autism spectrum and many others. Each week, more than 400 students attend one of the many programs offered at the 13-acre Islandia campus, which is home to 25 specially trained horses, small farm animals and a therapeutic horticulture program that serves as a vocational internship site for people with disabilities. To learn more, visit www.Pal-O-Mine.org.
Credit - Office of Suffolk County D.A.
More than 300 members of the law enforcement community and their families gathered at Pal-O-Mine Equestrian on Sunday, August 9, for the organization’s Law Enforcement Family Fun Day. Hosted by Pal-O-Mine in partnership with Living Blue Apparel, the free event gave law enforcement families an opportunity to relax, connect and enjoy a day on Pal-O-Mine’s 13-acre farm while honoring those who work every day to keep Long Island and New York City communities safe. “Seeing more than 300 members of our law enforcement community and their families come to our 13-acre farm was incredibly meaningful,” said Lisa Gatti, Founder and CEO of Pal-O-Mine. “These men and women spend so much of their lives taking care of others, and we wanted to create a day where they could simply be together as families, have fun and feel appreciated.” Sponsors and participants included the NYPD Equestrian Club, Slick Horns Horsemanship, Suffolk County Police Department Law Enforcement Explorers, New York Life, Bulovas Restorations, Davis & Ferber LLP, Southold Town PBA, the Suffolk County PBA, the MTA PBA, the Passaro Family, Messenger Papers, Chelsea Carol, NY BBQ Brigade and Starbucks. Suffolk Legislators Samuel Gonzalez (D-Brentwood) and Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset), Hon. Philip Goglas (R-Central Islip), Assemblyman Kwani O’Pharrow (D-West Babylon), and representatives from Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon’s (D) office and Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney’s (R) office were also in attendance. “We are incredibly grateful to the sponsors and partners who helped make this special day possible,” Gatti said. “We are honored to stand with the law enforcement community and look forward to continuing this tradition.”
Credit - Office of Suffolk County D.A.
Pal-O-Mine Honors
Thursday, August 20, 2026