Islip Messenger Archive Oct. 16, 2025

PICCIRILLO FOR LEGISLATURE

Suffolk County Unveils Counterterrorism Initiatives

By Madison Warren

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches), Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina, and newly appointed Deputy Police Commissioner Thomas Galati unveiled the Suffolk County Police Department’s (SCPD) latest counterterrorism initiatives this week.

Executive Romaine underscored the importance of strengthening local security efforts as violent incidents continue to rise across the nation. In recent years, public events have become increasingly frequent targets — from the vehicle attack on Bourbon Street during New Year’s celebrations to the Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas, as well as bomb threats at concerts and the alarming increase in school shootings.

Continued on page 18

Deputy SCPD Commissioner Thomas Galati (Credit - Madison Warren)

FALL EVENTS

Port Jefferson

Summer Farmers Market at Harborfront Park

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

Islip Farmers Market at Town Hall

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

Goatman’s Haunted House Museum in Manorville

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

2025 Port Jefferson Harvest Festival

October 18, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Bats and Brews Benefit at Suffolk County Environmental Center (Scully Estate) Islip

October 18, 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM

Saturday ArtVentures at Gallery North Setauket

October 18, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Sayville Fall Festival

October 19, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Almost Home Animal Rescue Fall Festival at Julie’s Gym Patchouge

October 19, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Fall Festival in Patchogue

October 19, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Halloween Bowling Party with Winifred Sanderson at Port Jeff Bowl, Port Jeff Station

October 19, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Sayville Apple Festival

October 25, 1:00 PM to 7:30 PM

ELIJA Farm’s Fall Festival

October 25, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Spooktacular Trunk or Treat & Vendor Fair at Messiah Lutheran Church, East Setauket

& Operated for

Spanning Four

Conveniently

October 25, 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM

PUBLISHER

Raheem Soto

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Matt Meduri ART

Sergio A. Fabbri

PJ Balzer

Ashley Pavlakis

Madison Warren

OFFICE

RECEIVABLE

Kim Revere

PROOFREADER

Giavanna Rudilosso

SOCIAL

Madison Warren

WHERE TO FIND OUR PAPER

CENTRAL ISLIP:

Stretch FusionOctober 20, 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM

ISLIP:

Spooky Crafts - October 21, 5:30 PM to 6:15 PM

Muddy & Not-So-Muddy BuddiesOctober 25, 10:30 AM to 11:15 AM

Finger Paint Fun - October 28, 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM

BAY SHORE

AMVETS Post • Boulton Center

Bay Shore Public Library • Leggio’s Deli

EAST ISLIP

American Legion Post • Bayway Arts Center East Islip Gourmet Deli

Harry’s Bagel • Italia Fine Food

Mister Softee Ice Cream

Pat’s Market

ISLIP

American Legion Post • Bagel Boss Bagels & More • Oconee Diner

OAKDALE

The New Idle Hour Deli

50% Cards Store (Wendy’s Shopping Center)

RONKONKOMA

718 Slice Pizzeria – (719 Hawkins Ave) Airport Diner • America First Warehouse

AMVETS Post 48 • B&B Bagels

B.L.D.’s Restaurant Hero Express • Pond Deli

American Legion Post

Ronkonkoma Train Station

SAYVILLE

Sayville LIRR Train Station

Sayville American Legion Post

WEST ISLIP

B.F.L./S.P.K. Deli • Best Farms Market

Higbie Bagels • West Islip Bagels West Islip Community Center West Islip Public Library West Islip LIRR Train Station Tower’s Flower

WEST SAYVILLE

LI Maritime Museum

EAST ISLIP:

Adult Pilates - Every Monday and Wednesday , 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM

A Night Out For Adults with Special NeedsOctober 20, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

WEST ISLIP:

Tweens Yoga - October 16, 5:15 PM to 6:00 PM

Twist & Shout Storytime - October 21, 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM

CONNETQUOT:

Diamond Painting - October 18, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Sew A Black Cat For TeensOctober 17, 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM

BAY SHORE:

Pajama Storytime Ages 3-7 - October 22, 6:30 PM

Gentle Yoga with Kate - Every Monday, 6:00 PM

SAYVILLE:

Halloween PreSchool StorycraftOctober 20, 4:30 PM to 5:00 PM

Pre-School StorytimeOctober 24, 4:30 PM to 5:00 PM

BAYPORT:

Lil Tots Sports Studio - October 17, 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM

Knit Night - October 20, 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM

BRENTWOOD:

Salsa Dance Lesson - October 17, 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM

The Islip Messenger serves Ronkonkoma, Lake Ronkonkoma, Oakdale, Holtsville, West Sayville, Sayville, Holbrook, Patchogue, Bohemia, Islandia and Islip 70 Years of Service to Our Community

By Matt Meduri

Candidate Spotlight

Thursday, October 16, 2025

District Attorney Ray Tierney

Candidate: District Attorney Ray Tierney Residence: Brookhaven Town Office: Suffolk County District Attorney First Elected: 2021 Party Endorsements: Republican, Conservative

In 2021, Ray Tierney ousted then-D.A. Tim Sini (D-Mt. Sinai) in a landslide. Since then, Tierney has served as Suffolk’s top prosecutor, notably making headway into the decades-long cold case of the Gilgo Beach murders. He is unopposed for reelection this year.

D.A. Tierney sat down with The Messenger for this candidate spotlight interview.

Q: From a prosecutorial perspective, how have you changed how the D.A.’s office works in regards to your predecessor?

A: We had identified a lot of different areas we wanted to address, and we’ve done that across the board. We’ve done data-driven policing to address the qualityof-life issues: opioid overdoses, violent crime, environmental crime, community outreach, retail theft, street takeovers, catalytic converter thefts, gang violence, animal cruelty. We’ve been comprehensive in our approach. We look at the crime trends by community and we take steps to address whatever issues might be rising and we work with our partners.

Q: What do the crime numbers look like since your last four years in office?

A: In 2021, the number of shots fired were 290. In 2024, it was 90 - a reduction of 69%. The number of people who were shot went from 84 to 26 - another reduction of 69% over the same period. The homicide rate has also declined 41% since I took office. Violent crimes with a firearm have also dropped - 21.7 when I took office, compared to 14.3 last year.

Violent crime in Suffolk as of last year is at 91.8 per 100,000, compared to Nassau at 162.5, Westchester at 184.3, and Queens at 554.4. We are the safest large county in New York and one of the safest counties in the country.

We’ve also had several large-scale takedowns that had consisted of 132 defendants, 45 shootings, 12 armed robberies, 59 possessions of stolen weapons, 30 stolen vehicles, and over 3.5 kilograms of dangerous drugs recovered.

Our environmental and animal crimes cases have increased by about 700% since I’ve taken office, meaning we’ve taken on more of those cases in the last four years compared to my predecessor.

Q: Internally, how have you overhauled how the D.A.’s office works?

A: One thing I immediately got rid of when I came into office was the Enhanced Prosecution Bureau. Shouldn’t every bureau be enhanced? We shouldn’t enhance some crimes over others. We started our own Violent Criminal Enterprises Unit where we address street-level violence and street gangs. We’ve been incredibly successful with that.

We live in a digital and forensic world. We have all this evidence that exists, but it doesn’t exist forever. If I were to get in a car, drive to a location, commit a shooting, and then drive back, there would be cell site data, GPS data, license plate readers, surveillance footage, communications between myself and my co-conspirator, and any posts we make about it on social media. We would also have DNA at the scenes. If we fired a gun, there would be round casings at the scene. If we fired a gun in the range of a ShotSpotter, that would also activate. All this evidence is created, but it only exists for a short period of time and then it’s gone forever. So, we have to get as much as we can. What we’ve been able to do with all of our units is work hand-inglove with our investigators, whether they’re our own, those of the Suffolk County Police Department, the Sheriff’s Department, or federal partners

We also have to keep abreast of technology. For every action, there’s a reaction. Our investigations are cutting-edge and top-notch. Our investigators are trained with regard to cell phone extractions, for example. For instance, if someone were to walk into a deli, point a gun at the cashier, and steal the money, when I was a major crime assistant in the 1990s, we might have been able to recover the gun and get some eyewitness accounts of the defendant. That’s the case and it never gets better or worse.

Now, we can essentially track someone from their point of location to the crime and back to the point of location. The case that was acceptable in the 1990s would be left out of court now because you need all this electronic and forensic evidence, and cops can’t get that on their own. They need subpoenas and search warrants, which means we work as closely as we can with police to make sure we get all that evidence as possible. It’s a different world now; it’s more challenging.

With human trafficking, while Suffolk isn’t a hotbed for it, we’re seeing an astronomical rise in those cases, not because we have more of them, but because our prosecutions and investigations are getting better. Some politicians in New York City have called for certain crimes adjacent to human trafficking to be decriminalized, but

our elected officials in Suffolk are more realistic about it. They’ve been very helpful.

Q: You’ve been a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform at the State level. What are some tweaks you would make to make a D.A.’s job easier?

A: I think that the current laws are quite clearly meant to frustrate prosecutorial efforts with regard to discovery and bail. It makes it more difficult and labor-intensive to work these cases, but you have to work through the laws. We’re working smarter and harder, but we’re not using those problems as an excuse.

With bail reform, I think the system should have been reformed because there have been abuses before. I just think the pendulum swung way too far in the other direction. The State Legislature still doesn’t want to make commonsense tweaks. There’s no excuse for not coming back to the table and talking with law enforcement stakeholders. So many cases across New York State get dismissed on procedural grounds, and anytime a case gets decided on technical grounds, it’s by definition an injustice. All cases should be decided on the merits.

The problem with the Governor and the problem with the State Legislature is they know that these laws are unworkable. They know that they’re very unpopular, but they’re afraid of the left wing that controls their party.

We currently have a system where every piece of paper needs to be turned over for materiality examination. In other words, if a police officer sees a defendant in a stolen car and writes down the license plate, makes the arrest, and writes a report, and six months later, the officer is going through his trash and sees the original piece of paper, the case gets dismissed because that’s a discovery violation. There was clearly no attempt to gain an advantage. If you’re going to ask for every single piece of paper, you’re never going to get it. So now, you’re waiting for these instances where cases could be dismissed on technical grounds. Obviously, if there’s an intent to hide information, that’s a different inquiry than just redundant paperwork.

Q: What are the latest updates on the Gilgo Beach case that you can share?

A: We’ve superseded the indictment several times to include seven victims. We’ve litigated using the cutting-edge DNA technology that we used for the first time in the State of New York and one of the first times in the country. We’ve had a successful result from that. Now that we’ve closed our discovery, the defense attorney has indicated that they want to make more motions. So we’ll see what those motions are and go from there. It’s possible a trial commences later on in the new year.

Q: You’ve seen a lot in your career, from legitimate problems like mental health and substance abuse to downright degeneracy. Does any of what you see surprise you?

A: When you’ve been doing this for about thirty years, pretty much anything goes. There’s some cases that we love to work because not a lot of other jurisdictions would. In the recent case of the clothes being stolen out of donation boxes, St. Vincent de Paul came to us suspecting an organized ring of thieves. We found that hundreds of thousands of dollars were not only taken out of the pocket of the charity, but the ultimate recipients of those goods, the poorest among us. It has a profound impact that really helps our communities, especially our underserved ones.

When you first start this job, you’re continually surprised, but you have to reserve judgement. Before the advent of technology and body cameras, I remember as a young prosecutor hearing officers and witnesses discuss incidents and thinking, “could it really have happened like that?” Now, we don’t have to wonder anymore. A great example was the car that shot over Sunrise Highway recently. As a young prosecutor, I remember a car that had left the Southern State Parkway and ended up in a thirty-foot tree.

Q: What’s your favorite quote, motto, or work ethic?

A: The system is set up such that it’s not dependent on any one person. So, don’t think you’re more important than you are. The only thing that separates you from everyone else is your work ethic and ability to concentrate on what you can affect. The second you stop working hard, you become superfluous.

Q: How do you like to connect with your community and what do you do in your spare time?

A: When I first took office, there was no traditional community outreach with the D.A.’s office. I think it’s vitally important to have community outreach. We go to all communities, introduce ourselves, explain what the D.A.’s office does, because a lot of people don’t understand the difference between a County attorney, a District Attorney, a police officer, or a prosecutor. The other thing that we also do is explain it’s not just about prosecuting cases and putting people in jail; there’s many more services that we offer. We want to hold ourselves accountable to members of the community. We also have a bunch of young people who are really talented. We introduce them to the communities as well.

My personal life is completely divorced from my job. I don’t talk about my job with my family. My family is my sanctuary. In my spare time, I like to fish and get outside and hike. I did a lot of offshore fishing this year for the first time in a long while.

The Messenger thanks District Attorney Tierney for his time for this interview.

Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

On the Campaign Trail

From The Messenger’s Election Desk: Races to Watch

By Matt Meduri

The 2025 local campaign hits the final stretch as what might be the final year in which local elections are held on odd-numbered years.

Two county-wide seats are up for re-election with incumbents effectively unopposed. Meanwhile, all eighteen seats in the Suffolk County Legislature are up for grabs. Legislators serve two-year terms, although that might be subject to change if the Term Limit Preservation Act passes this November. The ballot measure, if approved by voters, would extend Legislators’ term limits from two years to four years, while reducing the number of terms servable from six to three - maintaining the maximum of twelve years one person can serve as a Legislator

County-Wide Races

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney (R) (pictured left) is running for a second term. In 2021, he ousted then-D.A. Tim Sini (D-Mt. Sinai) by a whopping ten-point margin. He is unopposed and virtually cross-endorsed this year, as he mounts a campaign on delivering a suspect in the Gilgo Beach murders, cracking down on drug and vehicular crime across the County, and busting drug and prostitution rings.

Sheriff Errol Toulon (D) (pictured right) is running for a third term. Toulon has received the Conservative line and is running unopposed. Toulon was elected in 2017 and was re-elected in 2021. He has helmed the Sheriff’s Department and worked in lock-step with Tierney and other County officials in enhancing public safety. Curbing illegal road shows and inebriated driving and increasing awareness against addiction and dangerous driving have been cornerstones of his tenure as Sheriff.

Like Tierney, Toulon is unopposed.

Top Legislature Races

The Messenger currently observes five of the eighteen seats on the horseshoe as competitive.

The First District (LD-01)

Incumbent: Legislator Catherine Stark (R-Riverhead) (pictured left)

Challenger: Southold Town Councilman Greg Doroski (D-Mattituck) (pictured right)

Communities: Within Brookhaven, Eastport and Manorville; within Southampton, Eastport, Northampton, Remsenburg, Speonk, and Riverside, and parts of Flanders and Westhampton; the entire townships of Riverhead, Southold, and Shelter Island.

This North Fork-based district was once redder turf, having been represented twice in the Legislature by now-County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches). Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue), now Southold Town Supervisor, flipped this seat in a 2013 special election and held it by commanding margins as a more moderate Democrat. Stark served as Krupski’s chief of staff and won the open seat in 2023 by a 6% margin over former Riverhead Town Councilwoman Catherine Kent (D-Baiting Hollow). One of Stark’s landmark accomplishments is her Working Waterfronts bill, the first of its kind in the nation that was recently signed by Executive Romaine.

Stark faces Southold Town Councilman Greg Doroski, a position he’s held since 2021. He’s also a beer brewer by trade and an avid outdoorsman.

The Fifth District (LD-05)

Incumbent: Legislator Steve Englebright (D-Setauket, elected in 2023 (pictured left)

Challenger: Attorney Laura Endres (R-South Setauket) (pictured right)

Communities Served: Belle Terre, East Setauket, Old Field, Poquott, Port Jefferson, Port Jefferson Station, Setauket, South Setauket, Stony Brook, Strong’s Neck, Terryville, and parts of Centereach, Coram, and Mount Sinai.

Steve Englebright marked a return to the Legislature two years ago, defeating Anthony Figliola (R-East Setauket) by a narrow 6.5% margin. The Three Village area has become prime swing territory over the last few cycles, and Endres has outraised Englebright by about $30,000, according to the State Board of Elections’ data.

However, Englebright remains an institution in the region, having served in the Legislature from 1983 until his election to the New York State Assembly in 1992. He served in that capacity until his upset defeat to Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson) in 2022. He is also considered one of the foremost authorities on the environment, having chaired the powerful Environmental Conservation Committee during his time in the Assembly. Endres is an attorney who particularly deals with homeowners associations (HOAs), which gives her a niche in understanding communities’ needs and how they are governed. She is leveraging her experience to help address the County’s housing issues.

Due to the nature of the district, Endres will have to thread a significant needle in convincing voters who have decades of familiarity with Englebright to flip the seat red this autumn, although it remains at the center of the competitive table.

The Ninth District (LD-09)

Incumbent: Legislator Sam Gonzalez (pictured left) (D-Brentwood), elected in 2019, re-elected in 2021 and 2023

Challenger: Guy Leggio (R-Bay Shore) (pictured right)

Communities Served: Parts of Bay Shore, Brentwood, Central Islip, Hauppauge, Islip hamlet, and a small portion of Islip Terrace.

At the time of Gonzalez’s first election in 2019, this district was perhaps the bluest in Suffolk County.

Gonzalez defeated his opponent by about fifty points, scoring re-election in 2021 by a similar landslide margin.

But in 2023, the race was hardly on the radar, and Gonzalez only defeated Dr. Teresa Bryant (R-Central Islip) by an eleven-point margin, making this one of the most contentious Legislature races this year.

Gonzalez is running on deep community ties and during a time when his sections of the Town of Islip are undergoing a stunning revival, with much work from County, Town, and State partners. Leggio is running as a life-long Bay Shore resident with deep community ties of his own, having been a member of the Bay Shore Board of Education and a key figure in athletic programs in the County.

This race is one likely to go down to the wire, primarily due to its sharp rightward shift in presidential elections over the last two cycles - both by double-digit margins. Redistricting also shed some bluer parts of Brentwood and Central Islip for Bay Shore and Islip hamlet, which could make up the difference for Leggio in this typically lowturnout district.

The Sixteenth District (LD-16)

Incumbent: Legislator Rebecca Sanin (D-Huntington Station) (pictured left), elected in 2023

Challenger: Chad Lupinacci (R-South Huntington) (pictured right)

Communities: Within Huntington, Elwood, parts of Dix Hills, Greenlawn, Huntington Station, South Huntington, and West Hills; within Islip, parts of Brentwood.

LD-16 was the site of an upset in 2021, when Manuel Esteban, Sr. (R-East Northport) unseated then-Deputy Presiding Officer Susan Berland (D-Dix Hills) by a narrow 1.2% margin. In 2023, however, Esteban was unseated by Rebecca Sanin by a wider 6% margin. Sanin is rounding out her first term in the Legislature and in one of Suffolk’s most notable swing districts. Before her time on the horseshoe, Sanin served as President-CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island. She also served as a Deputy County Executive under former Executive Steve Bellone (D-West Babylon).

She faces competition from her right by Chad Lupinacci, who served as a board member of the South Huntington School District from 2004 to 2012, Assemblyman for the Tenth District from 2013 to 2017, and then as Huntington Town Supervisor from 2018 to 2021. Lupinacci’s tenure as supervisor included enacting term limits for all Town elected officials and starting the live-streaming of Town meetings.

The district has a notable Hispanic population, a demographic currently shifting between parties, but nationally trending to the right. Huntington Station, South Huntington, and Brentwood make up the core of that constituency, along with more affluent areas like West Hills and Dix Hills. This district is said to be one of the most competitive on the table this year.

The Eighteenth District (LD-18)

Incumbent: Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R-Centerport) (pictured left)

Challenger: Craig Herskowitz (D-Northport)(pictured right)

Communities: Asharoken, Centerport, Cold Spring Harbor, East Northport, Eaton’s Neck, Halesite, Huntington hamlet, Huntington Bay, Lloyd Harbor, Northport, and parts of Fort Salonga, Greenlawn, Huntington Station, and West Hills.

Stephanie Bontempi flipped this seat red in 2021 and doubled her margin to a 5% win in 2023. The area is competitive, but Huntington’s penchant for retail politics can make for some unpredictable circumstances. However, Bontempi’s ability to improve on her first win in a town that voted for President Donald Trump (R-FL) last year - the only one of his three elections in which Huntington backed him - might make her a tough candidate to beat.

Craig Herskowitz was once a senior advisor to former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-Sutton Place) and ran unsuccessfully for New York State Senate last year against Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James). Herskowitz also has experience in the Department of Justice and the NYS Department of Financial Services.

Working Waterfronts a Win for Suffolk and Local Control

Two weeks ago, County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) signed a landmark piece of legislation: the Working Waterfronts Bill.

Modelled after statewide legislation in Maine, and the spiritual successor to Suffolk’s fiftyyear-old Farmland Preservation Act, the Working Waterfronts legislation marks a significant claim staked not only for Suffolk’s iconic industries, but our unique heritage and character.

Sponsored by Suffolk County Legislator Catherine Stark (R-Riverhead), who represents the North Fork, eastern Brookhaven, and Shelter Island, the bill aims to protect nearly 3,000 maritime businesses that account for 40,000 Suffolk residents employed and 6.1% of the county’s economy. In 2023, State fisheries landed over 17 million pounds of fish valued at more than $28 million, with Suffolk playing a key role in that. Over 80% of New York State’s shellfish come from Suffolk, a value of $5.3 million, with oyster land leasing prompting projections of 100 million oysters harvested by 2035.

The legislation is not only tailored specifically to Suffolk’s way of life, but it’s also a trailblazing bill - the first of its kind in the nation from a locality.

The nonpartisan issue is also a breath of fresh air in today’s climate, as both Republicans and Democrats find no chagrin with one another on the issues of water quality, preventing overdevelopment of our picturesque and tourist-catching coastlines, and the engine of our local economy.

Moreover, Long Island is known for its seafood. It would be a sin to not bolster that well-deserved reputation.

We also find that the bill is an excellent case study in local control. This didn’t come from Albany or Washington; it came from Hauppauge - although Riverhead is technically the county seat.

It demonstrates that our local elected officials - in this case, both Democrats and Republicans - understand our core values and priorities. It’s

not only a win in the tangibles, but in the overall argument for local control. Perhaps such a sweeping and forward-thinking initiative might not have been generated had New York’s municipalities been harangued by even-year elections for the last decade or so. We don’t anticipate an immediate change precipitated by likely-to-beupheld even-year elections law, in that wholly unqualified individuals are elected and drop the ball on key issues like this.

But we also think there’s a point to be made about the sanctity of home rule, localized elections, and cooperative federalism where appropriate.

And for what it’s worth, Legislator Stark represents a swing district. While the Town of Southold was once more Republican, its metamorphosis is taking it down bluer straits, especially north of Southold hamlet. The political clout of Greenport, East Marion, and Orient have made this a competitive district in the modern era. While Legislator Stark was elected in a good Republican year in 2023, the margin wasn’t as wide as was once expected from the North Fork.

The Town of Shelter Island is an even more curious anomaly. Once one of the most Republican townships in Suffolk - and the only one of the ten Suffolk towns to back Bob Dole (R-KS) in the 1996 presidential election - it’s now one of the most reliably blue.

Again, we don’t expect an immediate shift in qualified individuals pursuant to the even-year elections law. But if anyone can break through political barriers, it’s local candidates in local elections that exist in their own vacuum.

Excellent products like the Working Waterfronts Bill could very well be off the table within the next decade or so if local elections are drowned out in the hot-button topics of nationalized politics, particularly if local candidates make overtures on such issues to voters.

We’d prefer a campaign based on Working Waterfronts-esque issues.

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK: Suffolk Takes on Domestic Violence

In a world where outrage travels faster than reason, peace often arrives quietly. The recent deal struck between Israel and Hamas didn’t come wrapped in grand ceremony or sweeping declarations. It came the way most real progress does — reluctantly, conditionally, and under pressure.

But it came nonetheless.

For those of us who have watched the Middle East for years, this moment carries a familiar caution. Every ceasefire is described as “historic,” and every breakdown as “inevitable.” Both words are easy to print, but neither captures the truth. The truth is that peace, especially in this part of the world, isn’t a product — it’s a process, and often an excruciating one.

This agreement doesn’t rewrite the map or resolve every grievance. What it does is pause the bleeding. It allows hostages to come home, civilians to breathe, and diplomacy — that old, unglamorous instrument of progress — to get another chance. Israel has agreed to scale back its military operations in Gaza. Hamas, in turn, will release captives and submit to international oversight on aid and reconstruction. That’s not utopia, but it’s a start — and a start is more than the alternative.

Predictably, partisans on both sides are already declaring betrayal. In Jerusalem, some call it weakness. In Gaza, others call it surrender. But real leadership is measured not by the applause of the loudest, but by the endurance of the outcome. It takes far less courage to demand purity than it does to accept imperfection in the name of human life.

The great economist and thinker Thomas Sowell often reminded us, “there are no solutions, only trade-offs.” That principle applies here with full force. Every step toward peace trades one risk for another — security for stability, leverage for leniency, power for possibility. The question is never whether the trade is perfect. It’s whether it’s better than perpetual war.

This deal does not make anyone saints. It simply forces adversaries to face reality — that neither side can bomb or bury its way to safety. At some point, people have to live. Children have to grow. Economies have to function. And governments — however flawed — must govern.

Peace is not a moral slogan; it’s a management challenge. It demands discipline, verification, and follow-through. It is less about smiling photo-ops and more about keeping promises when the cameras are gone.

As a publisher, I believe our job is to resist the reflex to sensationalize and instead to understand. The world doesn’t turn on hashtags; it turns on hard choices. If this fragile truce holds, it will not be because of speeches or press releases. It will be because people — weary, ordinary people — finally decided that peace, with all its compromises, is still worth keeping.

And that, for once, might be news worth printing.

Raheem Soto Publisher, Messenger Papers

Op-Ed

Preserving our Future

By Legislator Catherine Stark

To many of us on the East End, preserving our way of life means protecting our environment, agriculture, and the marine character that define us - vital farmland, pristine beaches, historic communities, local charm, and protected open spaces or waterfronts help define our today, and hopefully, our future.

For every day of my nearly thirty years in County government, protecting our environment and agriculture has been at the forefront. Over the last two years, as your County Legislator, I am proud to have protected more than 200 acres of open space and farmland, with nearly 750 more acres in the pipeline for preservation.

It cannot be overstated that the preservation of land is critical for our way of life here in the First Legislative District. We must protect the land to preserve our environment and our precious aquifer, and by safeguarding our open space and farmland we are achieving this goal. A key path for our efforts is the County’s Open Space Preservation Program and Farmland Preservation Program, to which I have personally introduced scores of landowners. I’ve facilitated numerous connections between these individuals and Suffolk County government to protect our open space and agricultural lands for future generations.

I’m proud of my role in the preservation effort. As a member of the Farmland Committee, the Soil & Water Conservation Board, and Vice Chair of the Legislature’s Environment, Parks, and Agricultural Committee, I am committed to continuing the preservation of our East End. This experience is invaluable in making sure that we protect our communities from overdevelopment, while encouraging appropriate redevelopment in select areas. It’s critical to have someone who understands how county government works to protect our North Fork way of life.

A special recent success is the passage of a historic mechanism for protection of our aquaculture and marine industries. For the last year, I have helped lead efforts to create Suffolk County’s Working Waterfronts Program, which would allow marine landowners the right to sell their development rights to Suffolk County, so that those waterfront properties would retain their marine use and keep that vital part of our economy protected. The program will follow a process to identify and approve properties like the rigorous process already used by Suffolk’s successful Farmland Committee in our vigorous farmland preservation activities. My office has already been contacted by landowners interested in preserving their working waterfronts.

Suffolk’s successful fifty-year Farmland Preservation Program - a first-inthe-nation effort - was mirrored across the country. Our Working Waterfront Program follows the State of Maine’s success, and our working waterfronts will be protected in perpetuity. Other states with similar legislation allow for a review every few decades, but Suffolk will ensure the waterfront properties are

preserved forever.

Frankly, all this good work also needs a person who has a solid working relationship with other levels of government. I have worked hard to maintain incredible partnerships with the Town of Riverhead, for example. In addition, after ten years working with thenLegislator, now-Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue) as his chief of staff, it’s a pleasure to continue collaborating with him and the Town of Southold on several key issues. Across my district, I have met with Shelter Island Town Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams (R-Shelter Island Heights) and members of Shelter Island government, held an extremely successful Emergency Preparedness event with Supervisor Maria Moore (D-West Hampton Dunes) of Southampton, and held discussions with Mayor Stuessi of Greenport on various issues, and constant conversations with Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico (R-Center Moriches). All these relationships help drive partnership with local governments through numerous efforts, including major issues with regional implications such as preservation of our open space and working waterfronts.

My record on environmental protection speaks for itself. I have spent my career fighting to protect our environment and, locally, have always advocated for more County funds to be spent on the East End.

Our work thus far, with my colleagues from all levels of government, grants me pride and gratitude. I look forward to the work still being done to ensure that Suffolk remains a place where people will live, not leave.

Legislator Catherine Stark (R-Riverhead) has represented the First District in the Suffolk County Legislature since 2023. The First District includes parts of Eastport and Manorville in Brookhaven Town, the hamlets of Eastport, Northampton, Remsenburg, Speonk, and Riverside, and parts of Flanders and Westhampton in Southampton Town, as well as the entire Townships of Riverhead, Southold, and Shelter Island.

Legislator Stark is the Vice Chair of the Public Works, Transportation, and Energy Committee and serves on the Committees on Economic Development, Planning, and Housing; Environment, Parks, and Agriculture; and Veterans.

The First District office is located at 423 Griffing Avenue, Suite 2, in Riverhead and can be reached at 631-852-3200.

Smokefree Housing Saves Lives and Saves Money

By Paluette Orlando | Tobacco Action Coalition of L.I.

In observance of Fire Prevention Week (October 5-11, 2025), the Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island (TACLI) is calling upon Suffolk and Nassau Counties landlords and property managers to adopt smokefree housing policies. Prohibiting smoking in multi-unit housing reduces secondhand smoke exposure and fire risk to residents and significantly reduces maintenance costs for the buildings’ owners and managers.

Smokefree housing is a win-win for everyone involved. By adopting these policies, landlords and property managers can create healthier, safer, and more desirable living environments for their residents while also saving money.

Smoking is a leading cause of residential building fires, accounting for nearly 23% of annual home fire deaths. The 2023 national estimates for residential building smoking fires and losses show that there were: 7,000 fires, 255 deaths, 675 injuries and $408,700,000 in dollar loss.

By implementing smoke-free policies, landlords and property managers can:

• Lower maintenance costs: Smokefree policies can significantly reduce maintenance costs associated with fire damage, cleaning, and repairs, as well as turnover costs.

• Increase property value: Smokefree units are more desirable to potential renters and buyers, increasing property value.

• Protect resident health: Smokefree policies protect residents from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, including respiratory problems, heart disease, and cancer.

TACLI is committed to assisting landlords and property managers in joining the growing number of communities that have implemented smokefree housing policies. We offer free technical assistance, including policy development, compliance support, and smoking cessation resources.

TACLI encourages landlords and property managers in Suffolk and Nassau Counties to learn more about, or request assistance with, Smokefree MultiUnit Housing. Please contact Paulette.Orlando@Lung.org for details.

For help quitting smoking or vaping, including free nicotine replacement therapy for eligible residents, individuals can contact a healthcare provider, call the New York State Quitline at 1-866-NY-QUITS, or visit www.nysmokefree. com. The American Lung Association also has resources available to anyone who wants to quit tobacco - including information for kids and teens - at www. lung.org/quit-smoking. Effective medications and counseling are covered by Medicaid and most insurance programs.

About Tobacco Action Coalition L.I.

The Tobacco Action Coalition of LI is one of 21 Advancing Tobacco Free Communities’ grants funded by the NYS DOH’s Bureau of Tobacco Control and administered by the American Lung Association. Our grant is comprised of a community engagement and youth action component, Reality Check, which works collaboratively to promote environments open to creating a tobacco-free norm as well as educating and empowering our youth to become change agents within their communities.

Comprehensive Spine Care in Smithtown

New Center for Spine and Orthopaedics at St. Catherine of Siena Hospital

St. Catherine of Siena Hospital in Smithtown has created a new Center for Spine and Orthopaedics, welcoming Long Island Spine Specialists, PC, a team of five orthopedic spinal surgeons and three physiatrists specializing in interventional pain management.

With this team’s clinical experience in all types of spinal conditions, including chronic and injury-related conditions, patients now have access to expert spine and pain care tailored to their needs.

Spine Surgery

Thomas Dowling Jr., MD

Sushil Basra, MD

Thomas Dowling III, MD

Christopher Frendo, DO

Laurence Mermelstein, MD

Interventional Pain Management

Arjang Abbasi, DO

Neal Frauwirth, MD

Joseph Sanelli, DO

This Week Today

Thursday, October 16, 2025

National, State, and Local Temperature Checks

By Matt Meduri

National

The Ohio General Assembly blew past the September 30 deadline to introduce a new congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms, kicking the process to the Ohio Redistricting Commission (ORC).

Ohio is required to redraw their map due to the fact that the state legislature did not overcome an impasse in 2021. Due to a 2018 voter-approved redistricting process, if the General Assembly fails to pass a map with bipartisan support, the process then goes to the ORC. Any plan adopted thereafter without bipartisan support is only valid for four years as opposed to the typical decade. In 2021, Ohio Republicans passed a map without Democratic support, which was struck down by the Ohio Supreme Court as an unconstitutional gerrymander. In the spring of 2022, the ORC adopted a second map without Democratic support.

The General Assembly had until September 30 to pass a new map by a three-fifths vote in each chamber. The ORC has regained that responsibility and must adopt a plan by the end of October with Democratic support. If the ORC is still deadlocked by the end of November, the General Assembly must pass a map by a simple majority.

The situation is high-stakes, as the current Ohio map produced a 10R-5D map in 2024, the same map that saw Democrats pick up one seat in 2022 as Republicans lost a district due to changes found in the Census. If the GOP has their way, they could axe three Democratic seats.

On the other hand, the only map proposed was one by Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (DOH). This proposal produces an 8R-7D map, shoring up Democratic prospects in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and the Lake Erie shore. Antonio, however, conceded that the map would not be bipartisanly approved. Meanwhile, Utah lawmakers passed a new congressional map on Monday that creates two new competitive seats. Republicans currently have a 4-0 lock on the Beehive State’s congressional seats. The map was struck down in August as the Legislature violated a voter-approved measure to curb partisan gerrymandering. The previous map that was in play for 2022 and 2024 axed the swing seat UT04 around Salt Lake City and made it the most Republican district in the state.

Salt Lake City goes from having been split between three congressional districts to just two, meaning the two new seats, while possible pickup opportunities for Democrats, still lean red and would have backed Trump narrowly in last year’s election. Of the six proposals, this one is the least favorable to Democrats. A federal judge still has to approve the new map before it comes online for the midterms, but anti-gerrymandering

groups are preparing litigation.

Looking ahead to the 2026 midterms, Democrats have landed another top recruit to knock off an entrenched Republican Senator.

Governor Janet Mills (D-ME) on Tuesday entered the U.S. Senate race to take on five-term Senator Susan Collins (RME). The race shapes up as the second seat that Democrats would need to flip in order to beat expectations and flip control of the Senate next year. Currently, Republicans hold a 53-47 advantage in the upper chamber and their majority is more or less insulated by a heavy number of red states that would be difficult to flip even in a blue wave environment.

Maine is perhaps one of the quirkiest states politically. While no Republican has won the state on the presidential level since 1988, the GOP has retained control of one of the Pine Tree State’s Senate seats 1979. Republicans had a lock on the other seat from 1995 to 2013. The other Senator from Maine, Angus King (I-ME), is an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats and has broken with his party on several notable occasions.

Moreover, Collins is part of a dying breed in the Senate, those who represent states that went comfortably for their opposition party in the last presidential election. While these “crossover” states were more common yesteryear, voters have only split their tickets between presidential and senatorial races in seven states as of 2024. Maine is the only one that has backed Democrats while sending a Republican to the Senate. Collins is also notable in that she is the only Senator of 100 who represents a state that voted against Donald Trump (R-FL) in all three of his presidential runs.

While the Maine Senate race has certainly come online with Mills’ announcement, a fundamental challenge remains: Maine consistently splits their tickets. In ME-02, the Second Congressional District that takes in the northern and rural part of the state, Donald Trump has won the district in all three of his runs, while Congressman Jared Golden (D, ME-02) has represented the district since 2018. He’s perhaps his party’s most notable maverick; he was the only Democrat in the House to have voted in favor of keeping the government open.

Mills was elected governor of Maine in the 2018 blue wave, flipping an open GOPheld seat blue by about seven points. She was re-elected in 2022 by a thirteen-point margin. Mills, 77, would be the oldest person ever elected to the Senate for a freshman term, and thus has vowed to only serve one (1) six-year term.

Maine and North Carolina are now the two must-win states for Democrats on the Senate map next year, with relatively popular governors looking to flip seats. Meanwhile, Democrats are tasked with defending Michigan and Georgia, two states Republicans would have to flip in order to grow their majority.

State

Attorney General Letitia James (D-NY) has been indicted.

Prosecutors say that the story stems from a quaint, yellow house in Norfolk, Virginia. They allege that James misrepresented her intentions for the home to the mortgage broker, saying she would use the house as a second home, but has instead used it as a “rental investment property.” The allegations continue in that James had claimed it would be used as a second home to obtain a favorable loan with conditions that barred her from renting the property out.

The current tenants are her great-niece, Nakia Thompson, and Thompson’s family. Thompson testified in June that she had lived in the house for years and did not pay rent.

The New York Post reports that James has listed the Virginia home as an “investment” property on her financial disclosure forms. In such forms from 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, obtained from the New York State Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government, the property was listed as an “investment” valued between “$100,000 to under $150,000.”

In 2024, however, James listed the house as “real property”, with an increased reported value of “$150,000 to under $250,000.”

donations from foreign countries made to the Mamdani campaign, including Canada, the United Kingdom, the UAE, Turkey, Argentina, France, and Germany. Many of these donations have been refunded, but still shows a net $7,575. Mamdani’s mother-in-law, Dr. Bariah Dardari, had her $500 donation refunded.

Only U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents can donate to political campaigns; candidates are expected to return illegal donations.

Local

Suffolk County is observing the effects of this weekend’s nor’easter.

“This most recent Nor’easter caused widespread flooding on our south shore and severely eroded Smith Point County Park Beach and other ocean beaches,” said County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) in a statement. “I will be working with Legislator Jim Mazzarella (R-Moriches) and my colleagues in government to secure emergency State and federal aid

While no investments have been filed from the Norfolk home, in her 2020 disclosures, James noted that an “investment real property” in Norfolk netted her between $1000 and $5000, although the specific property from which that income was sourced remains unclear.

James is charged with bank fraud and making false claims to a financial institution. If convicted on both counts, she faces up to sixty years in prison and a maximum $2 million fine. James’ office has said that the Attorney General will not utilize the State’s taxpayer-funded $10 million legal defense fund.

James was elected Attorney General in 2018 by almost 30 points. She was reelected in 2022 by just 9 points.

Meanwhile, in the Big Apple, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria) is alleged to have raked in illegal foreign donations for his mayoral campaign.

The New York Post reports that Mamdani took in almost $13,000 in foreign donations that could be illegal, which includes a donation from his mother-in-law in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). New York City Campaign Finance Board records obtained by The Messenger show at least 264

necessary to restore these beaches, as well as protect our Island from future storms.” (County Executive Romaine is pictured above with Leg. Mazzarella, and County Parks Commissioner John Giannott observing the storm surge at Smith Point Beach)

Romaine and County safety officials on Sunday said that the County has been prepared with vehicles and resources, especially with off-road vehicles on Fire Island and preparations made with PSE&G and LIPA. Winds were projected to gust between thirty and sixty miles per hour, while the expected total rainfall was about three-to-four inches.

Suffolk took special note of this storm compared to last August’s Hurricane Ernesto, which took out the Stump Pond Dam in Smithtown and the Mill Pond Dam in Stony Brook, as well as caused torrential flooding and erosion on the South Shore and devastating landslides in Rocky Point and Sound Beach.

Campsites, including Smith Point, were evacuated and camping activities were suspended. Ferry services to Fire Island were suspended on Sunday and Monday.

Endorsements

Kuhn for Town Council • Piccirillo for Legislature

By The Editorial Board

DawnMarie Kuhn for Islip Town Council, District Two

The Second District includes Bohemia, East Islip, Great River, Islip Terrace, North Great River, and Oakdale, as well as parts of Central Islip, Hauppauge, Islandia, Islip hamlet, Sayville, and West Sayville.

Councilman Jim O’Connor, a Great River Republican, is retiring, leaving his seat open on the Islip Town Council. At a time when Islip, like others in Suffolk, are going through growing pains, someone with a seasoned background makes for a worthy successor.

DawnMarie Kuhn brings a near-insurmountable wealth of knowledge to the table this autumn. The self-described “full-time student” tells us that Ms. Kuhn has a thirst for knowledge and experience, but not just in boilerplate degrees.

The Bohemia Republican holds credentials in social sciences, political sciences, graphic design, art, history, a dual master’s in public administration and urban development, a master’s in election and campaign management - which she has parlayed into her consulting firm - and a six-year-long study in quantitative methods and social sciences at Columbia.

Not only would Ms. Kuhn bring that experience to the table, but she would have the opportunity to put that into practice, something we’re gladly anticipating.

But Ms. Kuhn’s qualifications don’t stop there. She spent five years in the Town’s Sanitation Department as well as the Islip Resource Recovery Agency. She’s also served as Chief of Staff to Suffolk County Legislator Anthony Piccirillo since 2020. These combined give her the necessary background to handle constituent services and she’ll hit the ground running with her knowledge of how the Town government works.

She rightly points out critical attention to zoning matters, working with State and County partners to remediate the oppressive - and frankly, aggravating - Oakdale Merge, and a welcomed wait-and-see approach to the proposal of a North Terminal at Islip MacArthur Airport (ISP). As the Town’s economic engine and a potential regional transit hub, great care must be administered in shepherding changes there.

One of Ms. Kuhn’s pitches to us in her published interview with us demonstrates her practical knowledge as well as her ability to marry multiple concepts to take out the whole flock with one stone: her proposed expansion of the bay bottom leasing program. This initiative would expand the leasing of the Great South Bay to oyster farmers, which would not only bolster the shellfish industry in Suffolk - which contributes greatly overall to the State’s economy in that regard - but also chip away

Anthony Piccirillo for Suffolk County Legislature, District Eight

The Eighth District includes Bayport, Bohemia, Holbrook, Oakdale, Sayville, West Sayville within Islip Town, and parts of Holtsville within Brookhaven Town.

Sometimes, home-grown roots make all the difference.

Anthony Piccirillo sent shockwaves through the County when he ousted an entrenched incumbent in a once-solidlyblue district in 2019. Since then, he’s been re-elected twice with flying colors, and it’s easy for us to see why.

The Holtsville Republican has called his district home his entire life, primarily as an alum of both Sachem High School and Dowling College. Legislator Piccirillo has carved out a niche independent voice in the Legislature while also asking the important - and, at times, tough - questions from the horseshoe.

Currently, he’s guiding the first phase of the Oakdale sewers into play. A long-awaited project that was harangued by a rejected referendum in neighboring Great River, Legislator Piccirillo has made constituent understanding and support paramount to the project that will greatly remediate water quality issues plaguing the economic engine and cultural touchstone that is the Great South Bay.

As Chair of the powerful Environment, Parks, and Agriculture Committee, Legislator Piccirillo has served as an open-minded voice that will entertain any creative solution to get the job done, especially as it relates to preserving our pristine and precarious environment while balancing it with economic prowess and horse-before-the-cart policy. In that role, he co-sponsored Riverhead Republican Legislator Catherine Stark’s Working Waterfronts Bill, a first-in-the-nation initiative taken at the County level that is invaluable to Suffolk’s economic and environmental viability moving forward.

Legislator Piccirillo has also been at the forefront of the successful demolition of the Sachem administrative building on Union Avenue in Holbrook, paving the way for a village green and allaccessible playground - a much-needed bolster to Holbrook, a quiet community with aspirations of a walkable downtown. It is essential he remains in office if at least to accomplish that goal, as sewers remain in the works for the hamlet.

His ear is to the rail in Sayville and Bayport with quality-of-life issues, streetscape improvements, and further sewering of Montauk Highway. Open-space preservation also ranks high on his list of priorities for the entire district.

As sharp as he is congenial, it’s no wonder why Legislator Piccirillo has been sent back to Hauppauge twice.

He faces first-time candidate Dr. Kelly Perry-Hyland this year. A Bayport Democrat, Dr. PerryHyland is staking her candidacy on more or less the same issues that the incumbent is, except she can’t speak truth to power like the incumbent can. She flatly stated in our interview that the only reason the Oakdale sewers are coming online now is because this is the first active opponent the incumbent has had since he was first elected six years ago. Not only are there many moving parts to why Oakdale sewers are just now coming down the pike, but Legislator Piccirillo did have an active opponent last year. He received the most raw votes of any Legislature candidate between Suffolk and Nassau last year - save for those who had zero opposition, not even nominally.

Our biggest issue with Dr. Perry-Hyland is not only her recent move to Bayport - she’s been here for just over a year - but her assertion that merely knocking on doors and “listening” to people will help her be an effective Legislator. We don’t disagree that those are prime ways to get one’s ear to the rail - both of which her incumbent performs over her in spades - but she simply cannot speak to the issues like a home-grown candidate can. Moreover, she regaled us with stories of her humanitarian aid and volunteerism around the world - our hats off to that, genuinely - but creating communal programs for indigenous communities in Mexico doesn’t exactly equate to representing a chunk of the largest suburban county in the nation, we find.

Moreover, she also said the three magic words that make it easy to spot an out-of-towner - “in Long Island” - but also referred to Great River as “Grand River” in our interview. It’s not the make-orbreak on this endorsement, but it certainly doesn’t help.

She also dodged our question of her campaign staff leaving palm cards at the Legislator’s District Office in Holbrook. What didn’t require a vociferous response instead became a referendum on her status as a “woman in the United States”, meaning she faces more danger than the average person. She pointed to door-knocking as an example of unpredictable hazards.

Fair enough, except that uncertainty is faced by anyone who knocks on doors, her opponent

However, the biggest demerit we’ve seen is her actions at a recent meet-the-candidates night in Sayville, in which she attempted to take the microphone from a fellow candidate and even got

verbally and somewhat physically confrontational with said candidate - another woman facing what we would describe as an unpredictable danger, no less.

It’s one thing to parachute into a community and decide to run for office immediately - on top of pitching herself as an “independent” voice while also serving as the Islip Democratic Committee’s Recording Secretary - but it’s another to downright not play nicely in the sandbox with those who have spent their lives here. We don’t assume she’d do so with seventeen other teammates if elected. Moreover, while she hails recent legislative achievements on water quality and housing, she continues to ask why it couldn’t happen sooner. In an ideal world, it would all happen sooner, but her Monday-morning-quarterbacking of landmark accomplishments doesn’t tell us what she would do differently.

Dr. Perry-Hyland is also leveraging her storied career in scientific research and policy-making, a welcome voice in general, but with her lack of intimate knowledge of the district, it might be better used at Brookhaven National Lab than the County Legislature.

The Messenger endorses Piccirillo.

Internal Poll Shows Hochul +5 Over Stefanik

By Matt Meduri

The 2026 New York gubernatorial race is taking shape, and while some polls have shown Governor Kathy Hochul (D) well-positioned over hypothetical challengers for a second term, others have shown a slimmer margin.

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R, NY-21) has all but announced her candidacy for governor, having spent time barnstorming across the state - and even Suffolk County - since the summer. A recent survey conducted by Grayhouse and paid for by Stefanik’s leadership fundraising committee, E-PAC, showed that the race is approaching territory within the margin of error. It also found that Hochul’s chances of re-election could slip precariously if Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria) is elected Mayor of New York City next month.

The survey included 1,250 voters likely to participate in the 2026 midterms and has a margin of error of +/- 2.6%.

According to the poll, Hochul leads Stefanik by just five points - 48% to 43% - on the initial ballot, but Stefanik narrowly edges Hochul - 46.4% - 45.9% - when voters learn that Hochul endorsed Mamdani for mayor last month.

The poll also found that should Mamdani earn the keys to Gracie Mansion, up to 47% of Independent voters said they’d be less likely to back Hochul and other Democrats up and down the ballot in next year’s crucial midterms.

The poll also tracked Hochul’s job approval at 56%-39% (-17), with Independents giving the governor poor marks to the tune of -35. Additionally, the survey found that just 34% of likely voters in next year’s gubernatorial contest are prepared to re-elect Hochul, compared to 59% saying it’s time for a change. That statistic also includes 27% of Democrats and a whopping 65% of Independents.

In terms of favorability, Grayhouse found that Stefanik has an overall net rating of +2, compared to Hochul’s of -17. Democrats view Hochul favorably at +51, while they view Stefanik unfavorably at -49. However, Stefanik enjoys a +2 rating among Independents, while Hochul is underwater at -33 among the same constituency.

In terms of the Democratic primary, Hochul’s only opponent as of press time is her hand-picked Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado (D). In this poll, only 43% of Democrats backed her, compared to 14% for Delgado, 15% for someone else, and 28% undecided.

“Kathy Hochul enters a hypothetical 2026 race as one of the most vulnerable incumbents in the country,” reads the study in its Conclusion section. “The dominant wing of her party pulls her left while voters already view her as too liberal. Her endorsement of Mamdani ties her to a candidate who damages Democrats with Independents by 38 points. When voters learn both candidates’ records, Stefanik erases a 5-point deficit and takes the lead. The data indicates Hochul is beatable and Stefanik would be competitive should she enter the race.”

“The data is clear that Kathy Hochul, the worst Governor in America, is a deeply embattled and historically unpopular failed Governor who is struggling to even gain support from her own party,” Stefanik said in a statement. “It is now crystal clear why Kathy Hochul bent the knee to the Communist Antisemite running for Mayor of New York City because she desperately needed to shore up her own party. Kathy Hochul has destroyed New York State, creating an affordability crisis with the highest taxes in the nation, and the highest energy, utility, rent, and grocery bills.”

Stefanik reported millions in pledged donations in the immediate wake of Hochul’s endorsement of Mamdani and now has over $12 million cash on hand, now the largest war chest on record for a statewide Republican candidate in New York.

At a press conference, Hochul dismissed claims of the political ramifications of her endorsement of Mamdani, saying, “I will continue to be dismissive of outrageous claims like those. I will always support the outcomes of elections. That’s what our country has been founded on over the last 250 years,” according to The New York Post

When further pressed on whether the question was “fair”, Hochul responded, “I don’t really care what she [Stefanik] says”, according to The New York Post.

The Moloney Family

Credit - Matt Meduri

By Matt Meduri

Candidate: Leigh-Ann Barde

Residence: Central Islip

Candidate Spotlight

October 16, 2025

Leigh-Ann Barde

Occupation: Stay-at-home mom, Chair of Islip Town Democratic Committee Office Sought: Suffolk County Legislature, District Ten (LD-10) Party Lines: Democratic Prior Campaigns: Islip Town Council, 2019

Notable Endorsements (including, but not limited to): Planned Parenthood, Eleanor’s Legacy, Long Island Federation of Labor (LIFL), CWA 1109, Laborers 66

Leigh-Ann Barde is making her first run for County Legislature this year, her first political run after an unsuccessful swipe at an Islip Town Council seat in 2019.

Ms. Barde sat down with The Messenger for this candidate spotlight interview.

Q: What is your professional background before being elected to the Legislature and does it equip you for another term?

A: I have a degree in paralegal studies, and originally wanted to be a civil rights attorney and judge. I had to step back from school to take care of my family, went back to school after I had my first child, and finished school around the birth of my second child. It was obvious he had challenges from birth, around the time of the Recession. I used my time at home. I realized my children are going to have to grow up in a time when there’s a lot of system failures. That’s when I thought about getting involved.

I got involved in politics accidentally. The first time I was ever involved was when Obama was running for re-election in 2012. I had a preexisting condition and was constantly getting screwed. I volunteered to knock doors for him in Pennsylvania, and never got involved again. I’ve worked on the Little League for my children, and got elected vice president of the league. Our field on Carleton Avenue got sold to a developer, we got moved to a field behind the courthouse. The field was falling apart from day one, owned by the Town. No matter the emails, calls, meetings, no one cared. It outraged me. I grew up in the Town of Babylon where if you complained, things got fixed. Not how it works in Islip.

Q: What are your priorities for LD-10 if you are elected?

A: The number one thing I want to do is go into the neighborhoods and ask what matters to them most. I don’t live in Great River; I will never have the intimate knowledge they do. A great example is with Roberto Clemente Park. The park was poisoned with toxic chemicals, and two Town officials were brought to court. They used the settlement funds to figure out how to rebuild the park. This is what the community actually wants. We complain about rough taxes, but who pays the rough taxes that we do and they don’t get spent the way we want? Wouldn’t you be much happier if you saw where your taxes were going? We haven’t had funds come down in years.

A lot of our parks throughout Islip are awful; they’re outdated, falling apart, gross. There’s no way between Town and County to figure out a way to solve that? If the State can do that in Brentwood, there’s no way we can’t figure it out.

We have a ton of luxury developments on top of each other in Central Islip. I heard so many traffic studies that said we wouldn’t be affected - malarkey. We’re doing everything and they’re giving nothing. People picket outside apartment buildings that no one can afford. So why do they get a tax break? Our energy bills go up 40%. Where is the Suffolk resident getting a break?

These tariff rates come in and as supply chains are challenged, prices are going up, inflation is going through the roof, and the County is collecting more tax revenue. That’s now being taxed at a higher dollar amount per item. I have four kids, two with special needs; it’s insane trying to go grocery shopping. How are Suffolk residents supposed to brace for this?

Suffolk has the second-highest population of Veterans in the country. Where is anyone warning to them what’s going to happen to the VA?

I know Congressman Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) is very happy he got the SALT

deductions, but we don’t want caps. President Trump (R-FL) and the GOP took them away in the first place.

Q: What are your priorities for the County at-large if you are elected?

A: I want to look at where we can bring down costs, lower or eliminate taxes on household items that people need to survive. Our roads are in terrible condition. Carleton Avenue has gotten some work done, but for years the street lights have been blinking. We can’t do anything about that? Suffolk Avenue (CR-99) is crowded and dangerous. We’re investing all this money into Carleton Avenue, but the moment you get to the railroad tracks, all of it ends.

Where do our tax dollars go? There’s only so much research you can do from the outside. County workers are paid terribly; the average is $55,000 per year for many of them. Top that off with the high living cost; most of them come right out of school and most of them have a career in a different municipality, I don’t blame them. But these are Suffolk residents we can’t even pay well enough to live in Suffolk.

Q: What’s your favorite quote, motto, or work ethic?

A: “Say in your heart you believe to be right because you’ll be criticized anyway.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

Q: How do you like to connect with and enjoy your community and what do you do in your spare time?

A: We moved to Central Islip just before Hurricane Sandy. A tree fell on our home and at about 5:30-6:00 in the morning, we woke up to neighbors who we had never met, cutting down the tree and putting our chimney back up. The Central Islip Little League made us feel like we were part of the community and home. My favorite part of the community is being a part of it. It has given me so much more than I could give.

I’m a proud mom of four boys, and a die-hard Yankee fan. My husband and I are foodies. The Americano Pie Bar in Islip Hamlet is a favorite. I’d love to be able to serve my community in return. I have no desire, or financial interest, other than making this district the best it can be, and a better life for anyone in it. That’s what they’ve given me.

The Messenger thanks Leigh-Ann Barde for her time for this interview.

Candidate Spotlight

Legislator Trish Bergin

By Matt Meduri

Candidate: Legislator Trish Bergin

Residence: East Islip

Office: Suffolk County Legislature, District Ten (LD-10)

First Elected: 2021, re-elected 2023

Committees: Seniors and Human Services (Chair); Economic Development, Planning, and Housing (Vice Chair); Government Operations, Personnel, Information Tech (Vice Chair); Budget and Finance; Education and Diversity; Labor and Consumer Affairs;

Prior Elected Office: Islip Town Council, elected 2009, re-elected 2013, 2017 Party Endorsements: Republican, Conservative

Notable Endorsements (including, but not limited to): Law Enforcement Coalition, labor unions, Suffolk County Community College Faculty Assn.

After scoring a landslide re-election in 2023, Legislator Trish Bergin gearing up for a third term this year.

Legislator Bergin sat down with The Messenger for this candidate spotlight interview.

Q: What is your professional background before being elected to the Legislature and does it equip you for another term?

A: I was a reporter and a television news anchor at several outlets including News 12 CBS, Inside Edition, Fox News Strategy Room, and Court TV. I put in about twenty years on television. In 2010, I was elected to the Islip Town Council and served there for twelve years before running for Suffolk County Legislature.

Q: What are your accomplishments for LD-10 in the last two years?

A: We’ve redone all of the tennis courts at Timber Point; they’re now resurfaced and new fencing and we’ve turned them into pickleball courts. For Ronkonkoma, we got CR-93 (Ocean-Rosevale Avenue) done. Ocean Avenue was a really dangerous roadway. We redesigned the entire almost one-mile stretch near Lake Ronkonkoma to make it safer and it seems to be quite a successful project.

We also helped to facilitate emergency repeaters for the Hauppauge-Central Islip ambulance company. They needed to put telecommunication repeaters on top of Jake’s 58 for better responses, so we were able to accomplish that.

We have sewers that will be coming down Main Street through Oakdale in the coming months, which is the borderline that straddles LD-10 and LD-08.

We have formed a working group of individuals who have been sitting on presentations from different environmental companies that are proposing to clean up the waters of Lake Ronkonkoma, the Connetquot Watershed to also help clean up the river. I will be sitting on a review committee reviewing the RFPs to clean up the watershed.

Q: What are your accomplishments for the County at-large in the last two years?

A: We did a really nice thing for the Veteran golfers of Suffolk. At Timber Point, the golf course hosted free golf for active-duty members and Veterans for two weeks per year during May 10-17 and November 8-15.

Annually, on Mother’s Day we have been listing the top-ten deadbeat dads to partner up with the Sheriff’s department. These are typically absent fathers who have lapsed in child support payments.

I also opened up a house in an undisclosed location with the Department of Social Services (DSS) and a not-for-profit, a safe home for trafficked girls to get them away from their traffickers, and we house them in this secret location, and get them therapy. They’ll stay there for a long period of time, usually for over a year. That was my proudest accomplishment.

Opening up that house has been a tremendous help. We have also established 852-SAFE, a new phone number that we shared at a press conference for County Executive Ed Romaine’s (R-Center Moriches) executive order to form an alliance to combat domestic violence.

The sewering of Suffolk County has been a tremendous accomplishment for this administration and Legislature, because, living on an island, the water is an economic engine for our economy. Sewering has been very important to try to

clean up the waterways that surround us.

While the bill (I.R. 1687-2025) on capping nonfor-profit CEO’s salaries didn’t pass, it certainly was a wake-up call for those nonprofits who are using Suffolk County taxpayer money to fund salaries where some of these salaries are making over $250,000 paid for by taxpayers. We just wanted to shine a light on the idea that they have to be cognizant of not overpaying themselves. So, while the bill didn’ t pass, it was an eye-opener.

Q: Last year, you joined all Republicans and one Democrat in voting to sue the State over the even-year elections law. Explain your stance.

A: I think it’s going to be very difficult for voters when they get their ballot and their ballot is six feet long. I fear that individuals will miss the important local issues. They will get buried underneath the federal topics that are being discussed in that election cycle. You also won’t be able to watch a full football game without seeing five million political ads. You’ll be inundated with political messaging. I just don’t think it is helpful to local issues and elections.

Q: What’s your favorite quote, motto, or work ethic?

A: I have a great quote that I actually got from a fortune cookie. I’ve had the quote hanging in my office.

The quote reads: “It doesn’t take much to be a success, it takes everything.”

Q: How do you like to connect with and enjoy your community?

A: I’m a single mother of four children, I’m a daughter of Irish immigrants, and I’ve spent my whole life living in the Tenth Legislative District. I do like to spend time in Ireland with my family.

Being on the water on Long Island is a big part of my family’s recreational activity. Fire Island is a favorite spot for us, and every restaurant on Main Street from Islip to Bay Shore, there’s probably one of the things that make our district so special.

The Messenger thanks Legislator Bergin for taking time to sit down with us for this candidate spotlight.

About the Tenth District

The Tenth District includes East Islip, Great River, Islandia, Islip Terrace, North Great River, Ronkonkoma, and parts of Central Islip and Hauppauge. It also includes Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP).

The Necessary Standard for American Education

The Insurrection Act of 1807

By Matt Meduri

Since President Donald Trump (R-FL) is considering invoking the Insurrection Act to quell unrest due to the actions of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), we find it appropriate to dive into what the Insurrection Act is and what it entails.

History and Purpose

The Insurrection Act of 1807 replaced the Calling Forth Act of 1792, which provided for federalization of state militias or use of armed forces to handle rebellions against a state government. The Insurrection Act allows the president to deploy the Armed Forces and/or the National Guard:

1. When requested by a state legislature or governor to address an insurrection against their state;

2. To address an insurrection in any state when typical law enforcement becomes impractical;

3. Or to handle an insurrection, domestic violence, conspiracy in any state that results in the deprivation of constitutionally secured rights, and/or when the state cannot or does not protect those rights.

The chief clause of the act states, “Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in all cases of insurrection, or obstruction to the laws, either of the United States, or of any individual state or territory, where it is lawful for the President of the United States to call forth the militia for the purpose of suppressing such insurrection, or of causing the laws to be duly executed, it shall be lawful for him to employ, for the same purposes, such part of the land or naval force of the United States, as shall be judged necessary, having first observed all the prerequisites of the law in that respect.”

The act has been modified twice in its history, the first being in 1861 when a new section was added to empower the federal government to deploy the National Guard and/or Armed Forces against the will of a state government(s) in question. This change was made in anticipation of any unrest following the Civil War.

The Third Enforcement Act revised the Insurrection Act further in 1871 to protect black Americans from the Ku Klux Klan, by means of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Generally speaking, the act, in times of emergency, charges federal troops with maintaining order and participate in law enforcement actions typically handled by state and local authorities.

Invocations of the Insurrection Act

To date, the Insurrection Act has been invoked thirty times. Its first usage was under President Thomas Jefferson in 1808 in response to violations of the Embargo Act. The most recent usage was by President George H. W. Bush (R-TX) in 1992 to suppress the Los Angeles riots after the acquittal of the policemen who beat Rodney King.

The act was invoked multiple times during the late 1800s and early 1900s mostly to quell labor conflicts. It was later used by Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower (R-KS) and John F. Kennedy (D-MA) to enforce federally mandated desegregation. This usage remains a clear instance in which the act can be used against the will of the state(s) in question. Governors have also requested invocation of the act to combat looting after, notably, Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and the Los Angeles riots in 1992.

Other notable instances include President Lyndon B. Johnson’s (D-TX) three invocations to mobilize the Alabama National Guard during the marches from Selma to

Montgomery in 1965 and to suppress riots and civil unrest after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

In June 2020, President Trump floated the idea of invoking the act in response to the riots after the death of George Floyd. Trump had urged every governor to deploy National Guardsmen; federal officials talked Trump out of invoking the act.

In January 2025, Trump ordered a report on the conditions of the Southern border and whether or not to invoke the act. The report recommended against its invocation.

Trump is now considering invoking the insurrection act to deploy troops to Chicago, Illinois, and Portland, Oregon, particularly, despite opposition from the states’ legislatures and governors. The Insurrection Act would afford him the power to bypass court rulings that have restricted his usage of Guard troops to American cities.

Reform Attempts

In 2020, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Curtailing Insurrection and Violations of Individuals’ Liberties (CIVIL) Act, which would have restricted the president’s authorities vested to him by the Insurrection Act. The proposal sought the president’s consultation with Congress before invoking the act, and it would have restricted the president’s deployment of troops under the Insurrection Act to fourteen days without congressional authorization. The President, Secretary of Defense, and Attorney General would have to sign a joint letter to Congress that confirms a state’s inability or refusal to enforce the laws.

Blumenthal has continued to argue for reforms during the ongoing feuds between Trump and major American cities.

In 2022, the Brennan Center for Justice (BCJ) sought clarification in the Act’s broad and vague language, arguing that the president could invoke the Act to address an uprising of virtually any proportion.

Modern Application

The Insurrection Act contains an exception to the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. The exception limits the president’s deployment powers to enforce either civil or criminal law within the U.S. The Posse Comitatus Act, signed by President Rutherford B. Hayes (R-OH), limits the use of federal armed forces to enforce domestic law by the federal government or local authorities, such as county sheriffs. The act’s title is derived from the legal concept of “posse comitatus”, in which a county sheriff, or law officer, has the authority to conscript any able-bodied person to assist in maintaining order and peace when necessary.

In the 2025 lawsuit Newsom V. Trump, Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) has raised constitutional challenges

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. Published by Messenger Papers,

under the Posse Comitatus Act regarding the deployment of U.S. Marine and the National Guard to protect ICE agents in California. Judge Charles Breyer - Senior Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California - ruled in September that the federal deployment of the National Guard to California violated the Posse Comitatus Act and issued an injunction. As an interesting side note, Judge Breyer is the brother of former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, who was appointed to the seat by President Bill Clinton (D-AR) in 1994 and retired in 2022.

A federal appeals court ruled on Saturday that the National Guard troops deployed to Illinois by President Trump can stay in the state and under federal control, but that they cannot be deployed to protect federal property or to take patrol, at least for now.

Judge April Perry ruled on Thursday to block such deployments for two weeks, citing no evidence of “danger of rebellion” in Chicago during ICE activities.

“There has been no showing that the civil power has failed,” said Perry. “The agitators who have violated the law by attacking federal authorities have been arrested. The courts are open, and the marshals are ready to see that any sentences of imprisonment are carried out. Resort to the military to execute the laws is not called for.”

Last week, Trump said that the act isn’t ready to be invoked, but it remains on the table.

“We have an Insurrection Act for a reason. If people were being killed and courts were holding us up, or governors or mayors were holding us up, sure, I’d do that,” Trump told reporters. Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance (R-OH) have said repeatedly that they are exploring all options before invoking the Insurrection Act.

The debate continues over whether invocation of the act would be necessary. While uprisings similar to the summer of 2020, the 1992 Los Angeles riots, or the unrest during the Civil Rights Era have not been mounted, some say that municipal elected officials’ actions to hinder federal operations are grounds for invocations. Others have claimed the opposite. One such case is that of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s (D-IL) creation of “ICEfree” zones in the city, but precedent would state that it’s not grounds for invocation.

If the situations in Chicago, Portland, and Los Angeles, for instance, were to mount to President Trump’s words, then precedent might be on his side in invoking the Act.

When invoking the act, the president is required to make a published proclamation ordering the dispersion of those committing the civil unrest and/or rebellion. “Homeland security”, according to the Department of Defense, is a constitutional exception to the Posse Comitatus Act.

Notably, Trump did not have to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy troops to Washington, D.C., earlier this summer. Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, entitled “Emergency Control of Police”, requires the mayor of D.C. to “provide such services of the Metropolitan Police force as the President may deem necessary and appropriate” when the president finds that “special conditions of an emergency nature exist which require the use of the Metropolitan Police force for federal purposes.”

Trump made the first and only invocation of Section 740 on August 11 to respond to the “crime emergency” in the District of Columbia. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D-DC) applauded the usage of federal troops to work with Capitol Police to maintain order. Moreover, while D.C. does have certain levels of home rule, the federal government still has methods of leveraging control of the federal district that was created under the exclusive jurisdiction of Congress.

Matters

Debacle at the Debate: Perry-Hyland, Kuhn Spar

By Matt Meduri

Last week’s meet-the-candidates night in Sayville took a sharp turn about halfway in.

As the candidates discussed the ongoing discussion of the Town of Islip’s contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) use of the Town rifle range for training purposes, a vociferous debate ensued.

Town Council candidate DawnMarie Kuhn (R-Bohemia) responded to audience remarks, which she said consisted of attendees calling police officers “Nazis”, “pigs”, and “gestapo.”

“Anyone in the audience who disrespect our police is disgusting,” said Kuhn, leading to an uproar in the audience. Seated to the right of Kuhn was Dr. Kelly-Perry Hyland (D-Bayport), who is challenging three-term Suffolk County Legislator Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville). Perry-Hyland can be seen on the video reaching her left arm in front of Kuhn as Kuhn is speaking in an apparent attempt at taking the microphone from Kuhn. PerryHyland had a microphone in front of her, the one she was sharing with Legislator Piccirillo.

Kuhn is then seen standing up; PerryHyland follows shortly thereafter. She then continues to move her arms in front of Kuhn’s face, a move that culminates with the two facing each other. Perry-Hyland can be seen taking a slight move towards Kuhn, forearm extended in front of her.

“I will stand by my statement all day long. I will always support law enforcement,” Kuhn told The Messenger, adding that she feels especially impassioned as she has family and friends in law enforcement.

Kuhn says that Legislator Piccirillo confirmed that he would cooperate with federal law enforcement on the topic of immigration and invoked the double-murder of two young girls in Central Islip in 2018.

“Instead of picking up her own microphone that she was sharing with Legislator Piccirillo for about ninety minutes prior, she decided to reach for my microphone and grab it from my hand,” said Kuhn. “While doing so, she makes contact with my arm and I almost lose my balance off the chair. I stand up to correct my balance, and she stands up - she is much taller than me. She puts her hand in my face to, I assume, cover my mouth to silence me even further. While doing so, she inched towards me with her forearm out to intimidate me.”

Kuhn calls the incident “strange” and that many in the audience were not local Democrats.

“It wasn’t just local civic people; there were people from Huntington, Babylon, and Southampton, as well as union representatives who had sent their people to stack the room,” said Kuhn.

Perry-Hyland moved to Bayport last August.

Kuhn says it’s out of character for Suffolk politics, which are generally more congenial.

“I’m not sure if she knows since she just moved here, but we have a decorum of respect in Long Island politics,” said Kuhn. “I work with Democrats at the County Legislature every single day to pass good laws for Suffolk County. I will do the same in the Town of Islip. Everyone is entitled to their voice, even if it’s an opinion we don’t agree with. It’s okay for her to not support law enforcement. I think Kelly has a hard time seeing that there is another woman running for office who is tough, supports law enforcement, and won’t back down from someone who tries to silence me.”

Kuhn says that she has yet to receive an apology from Perry-Hyland and believes she is owed one, saying, “it’s very strange and unhinged behavior from this woman and it’s very scary.”

“The only ‘debacle’ at the recent meet-the-candidates night event was how badly Anthony Piccirillo’s divisive rhetoric landed with the audience,” PerryHyland told The Messenger. “Outisde of the partisan MAGA bubble, Anthony and the rest of the Republicans heard firsthand from our community what they think about rehearsed sound bites, half-truths, and misinformation coming from the Republican candidates.

Perry-Hyland says that the controversy was “manufactured to deflect” from a poor debate performance the week prior, adding that the Legislator tried to “weaponize the tragic murder of two young girls for political gain.”

“An audience member, who was their teacher, asked him to say their names. He apparently did not know their names, or refused to say them, but continued to sensationalize the tragedy, falsely accusing the audience of disparaging the police,” said Perry-Hyland. “Anthony’s Chief of Staff and Town Council candidate DawnMarie Kuhn started to defend Anthony for not knowing the children’s names and grabbed a microphone so people would listen to her out of turn.”

Perry-Hyland says that she pointed out that it was not Kuhn’s time to speak and that she should have put the microphone down.

“After she refused, I gestured to the timekeeper and said that if she’s going to keep talking, then at least have the timer running,” said Perry-Hyland. “At one point, she even threatened me to ‘sit down, or…’ Our community is sick and tired of the childish behavior, complete lack of integrity, self-dealing, and hateful rhetoric exemplified by these candidates.”

Perry-Hyland posits that the outbursts were staged.

“I’m pretty sure I didn’t coordinate with the Democrats who were in the audience wearing Kelly Perry-Hyland t-shirt’s,” said Kuhn. “I find it very strange she keeps going after me personally. She should focus on her own race.”

Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church

By Ellyn Okvist B.Sc.

Holy Cross Lutheran Church has served Lake Ronkonkoma and surrounding areas since 1948. They worked diligently to establish a Lutheran church in town, as many of the parishioners were attending other local churches, but needed to get back to their Lutheran roots.

The neighborhood attended the church that offered them what they needed as a religious family. Methodist was well established, then came Episcopal with a small congregation and very little to offer. The Roman Catholic Church did what happens in most communities - are you Catholic or are you Protestant? A fair choice was made once again, however, when Lutheran arrived, the wave of people who finally could practice their religion locally and inspire their children took a huge chunk from each church.

Sunday, April 25, 1948 - the name of the new church was decided at an organizational meeting held in the temporary church quarters at Liberty Hall on Ocean Avenue, Ronkonkoma. At this meeting, a Church council was selected, all nine members being men: Arthur Engert, J. Kopf, Albert Nicoll, Fred Ahrens, John Johannis, Walter Klemm, Alvin Freverb, William Roth, and Ernie Rapp. The new Council was given immediate authority to establish a corporation for the new church under NYS Law.

The budget that would cover the operation of the church for the remainder of the year was approved by the organization. Funds were arranged for the building and the necessary funds to build the new church would be prepared by the new committee that would be organized.

The meeting, with almost 100% attendance, was closed with a prayer, singing of hymns, and benediction by Dr. Kreider.

June 20, 1948 - The official recognition of the Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lake Ronkonkoma and the installation of its first pastor, the Rev. Charles T. Goetz. was announced at the overflowing meeting held at Liberty Hall. Dr. Eugene C. Kreider, superintendent of Home Missions of the Lutheran Church, presented the congregation with the official recognition from the New York Synod. The altar was beautifully decorated for the ceremony with carnations, white roses, gladioli, and palms. The vested choir sang several hymns, accompanied by Mrs. August Mayer, organist. A reception was given after the church service at the home of Rev. Mr. Goetz on Smith Street, Lake Ronkonkoma.

July 15, 1948 - A site was purchased for the proposed church, and spoken of by the church council, of which Rev. Charles T. Goetz, pastor, is chairman. The fundraising campaign had been planning strategies for raising funds in the Lake area within the next few months, so that the first unit of construction of the proposed edifice can be completed by the end of the summer. The council purchased a tract fronting 120 feet on Hawkins Avenue and 231 feet on Lakewood Road after holding an option for the past few months. Tentative plans call for gothic lines in the shape of an “L”, with a long knave, and a Parish house adjoining. The church will seat 250 people, the overflow to be accommodated in the parish house extension. At a future time, a parsonage will be erected directly behind the church, as explained.

The Building Fund committee, which had formulated its preliminary plans for fund raising, consisted of John Johannis, chairman, Fred Ahrens, Arthur Engert, Alvin Frevert, Walter Klemm, Willliam Kopt, Albert Nicholl, Emil Repp, and William Roth. The committee was to be assisted by members of the Ladies Guild and the Sunday School Group.

At the Sunday Service in Liberty Hall, the auditorium was filled to overflowing, due mainly to summer visitors. The Sunday School enrollment had increased tremendously, and the congregation is also growing. A seminary student will be in Lake Ronkonkoma within the week for a two-week stay meant to assist the Rev. Mr. Goetz in survey work.

The Christmas Bazaar held on December 7, 1948, under the auspices of the Ladies Guild of the Church, with Mrs. Arthur Engert as chair, was held that Tuesday and it was a very successful affair. There were many beautiful handmade articles made by members. A light supper was also served. The Bazaar made unexpectedly high funds that would be applied to the new organ.

A Hammond Organ had been installed in the new edifice of the Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lake Ronkonkoma, which was to be dedicated February 6, 1949. The organ was contributed by the Ladies Guild of the church.

About 500 people attended the dedication service and celebration of the Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lake Ronkonkoma on Sunday afternoon February 6, 1949. Three hundred of these were able to witness the ceremonies inside the church building, with the remainder gathered on the grounds surrounding the church.

At 4:30p.m., Leon Stolze, the builder, presented the key to Frank Webber, architect, who, in turn, gave the key to the Rev. Charles Goetz, and the doors were officially opened by Rev. Goetz at 4:45p.m.

To the strains of “Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty” played by the organist, Mrs. H. Hasselriis, the procession as follows entered the new edifice: Dr. Frederick Knubel, president United Lutheran Synod of New York; the Rev. Eugene C. Kreider, superintendent of Home Missions, United Lutheran School of New York; the Rev. Christian Krahmer, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Islip Terrace; and the Rev. Charles T. Goetz, of the Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lake Ronkonkoma. Then came the Acolytes, Jerry Dale, Emil Repp, Jr., and Robert Fettinger, carrying the procession cross; then the fifteen members of the choir; the members of the church council, Arthur Engert with the altar crucifix; Emil Repp with communion set and John Johannis and Walter Kopf with the bibles. These were followed by Councilmen William Roth, Richard Frevert, Fred Ahrens, Walter Klemm, and Charles Fettinger, who led the congregation and friends to seats.

The service was opened and conducted by Mr. Kreider. The official acceptance of the pastor and council into the United Lutheran Synod of New York was made by Doctor Knubel, who then preached the sermon on “The Lutheran Principles and Why We Attend Church” in closing the service at 6:00p.m. The interior of the church was then open for inspection by all sent.

The first baptism in the new church took place on Sunday evening when Sari Marie Moll, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Derry O. Moll, was baptized at the font presented by her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Geza Adam. The sponsors for Sari Marie were Mrs. Marie Stewart, her paternal grandmother, and Geza Adam, her maternal grandfather with Mrs. Charlotte Adam her maternal grandmother, as witness.

Currently, Holy Cross hosts Outreach in Sunday School, Confirmation, music, and Alzheimer/ Dementia.

They run a store, CrossWords and Gifts, which also has an online option.

Their Food Pantry can always use donations, as the community is in need. Please consider donations.

Volunteers are always needed, with flexible time elements.

Ker r y J. Maher Lic Manager & Director P ERSONAL AT T ENT I ON AND DIGNIFI ED SERVIC E... O UR CON T INUIN G T RADIT I ON

~ Home for Funerals & Cremations ~ ~ In Honoring eir Legacy ~ Deacon Kenneth J. Maher, Aelysche Marie Maher & Kenneth J. Maher, Jr. Serving All Surrounding Communities Proud to Serve Our Veterans, Law Enforcement and Fire Service Our State-of-the Art Building Offers: 829 Midd le Countr y Road, Route 25, S t. James, NY 11780 631-584-5200

Long Island Chapter of the Nurses Honor Guard Honors COVID-19 Nurses

By Madison Warren

Five years after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Long Island Chapter of the Nurses Honor Guard gathered for its first memorial ceremony at Babylon’s Argyle Park — honoring the nurses whose unwavering compassion and courage carried their communities through the crisis.

On a beautiful Sunday, October 4, the evening was spent with friends, families, coworkers, community members, and participants of the Nurses Honor Guard to honor outstanding individuals who demonstrated true strength in the workforce.

The Long Island Chapter of the Nurses Honor Guard, founded by Jessica Colon, is part of a national volunteer organization devoted to honoring nurses for their lifelong service and compassion.

Colon created the chapter to ensure nurses are remembered with the dignity they deserve. The Honor Guard performs personalized ceremonies for both living and deceased nurses, featuring prayers, the Nightingale Tribute, and the symbolic extinguishing of a light to represent a nurse’s final duty.

Operated entirely by volunteer nurses, the group provides comfort to families while offering its members a sense of fulfillment and purpose. With 22 chapters across New York, the Nurses Honor Guard continues to grow, preserving the legacy of those who have dedicated their lives to caring for others.

After five long years of painfully recovering from the trauma they endured during the pandemic, the volunteers of the Long Island chapter decided it was time to start the healing process and find a way to move forward.

Mary Ann, an integral member of the Long Island Chapter, shared with The Messenger that the memorial ceremony opened an essential dialogue among nurses—allowing them to begin working through the emotional toll of the pandemic. Reminding nurses that, although it was tough, this time should empower the community of nurses. The event also featured living tributes to three extraordinary nurses: Luz Mery Poblano, Sheena Moore, and Jacqueline Bolta, each of whom served with exceptional courage and compassion on the front lines during one of the most challenging times in modern healthcare.

Another crucial element in bringing this memorial to life has been the leadership of Nada Singh, the event committee chair, who has spent more than a year carefully planning every detail to ensure the ceremony was carried out with the utmost honor and respect. Singh shared that, in addition to the living tributes, the event also recognized several nurses who passed away during the COVID-19 Pandemic, paying tribute to their service and the lasting impact they left behind.

“I think people want to forget about COVID, but it is a part of us that will always live long,” said Singh. “I don’t think any of us did it for the recognition, so continue to have nurses be recognized, I think it is really, really great.”

The year 2020 was named the Year of the Nurse—a fitting tribute to the profession that became the backbone of the world during a time of uncertainty. Nurses held communities together when so much was unknown, offering strength, compassion, and care on the front lines of crisis. The Long Island Chapter of the Nurses Honor Guard continues to carry that spirit forward, supporting nurses with the recognition and love they deserve. The chapter also has a busy season ahead, including next week’s Breast Cancer Walk at Jones Beach, where members hope to see a strong community turnout in support of both nurses and survivors.

As the Nurses Honor Guard continues its mission to honor, heal, and uplift those within the profession, the Long Island chapter remains committed to ensuring that every nurse’s legacy is remembered. Their dedication reflects the heart of nursing itself— selflessness, compassion, and community.

To learn more about the Long Island Chapter of the Nurses Honor Guard, arrange a tribute, or get involved, visit their Facebook page or contact them at (631) 605-8333 or lihonorguard@gmail.com.

Continued from front cover

Suffolk Matters

October 16, 2025

Suffolk County Unveils Counterterrorism Initiatives

These incidents serve as reminders of the evolving threats facing communities nationwide — realities that Romaine, Commissioner Catalina, and Deputy Commissioner Galati are keeping in mind as they work to ensure Suffolk County remains as safe and prepared as possible.

With a population over 1.5 million residents and its proximity to New York City, Romaine emphasized the vital role of the SCPD in maintaining public safety. The addition of Thomas Galati, a 39-year law enforcement Veteran and recognized expert in counterterrorism and intelligence, further strengthens the department’s ability to address evolving threats.

A former NYPD Chief of Counterterrorism and Intelligence, Galati brings decades of experience to the department and will spearhead efforts to strengthen Suffolk County’s preparedness and response to evolving security threats amid a nationwide rise in related incidents.

Romaine also noted that the County is exploring advanced technological methods to enhance safety and security for Suffolk residents.

From large community gatherings like the Riverhead County Fair, where thousands come together for a day of family fun, to places of worship such as mosques, churches, and synagogues, officials said these locations will receive additional attention and protection as part of the county’s enhanced counterterrorism strategy.

“If we don’t have a plan, we could have problems,” said Romaine (pictured right), stressing the importance of having multiple layers of protection.

Deputy Commissioner Galati called the opportunity to serve in this capacity an “honor.”

“It’s truly a great honor to work alongside the men and women of this department and to serve in the community where I’ve lived for the last 30 years,” said Galati.

Galati explained that while Suffolk County remains one of the safest in the nation, today’s threats have evolved. The greatest danger, he said, often comes from lone actors radicalized by extremist ideologies or personal grievances— seen in school shootings, workplace violence, and attacks on public gatherings.

“The challenge is stopping these threats before they happen—and that’s where our focus needs to be,” he said.

He highlighted ongoing partnerships with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, local schools, and emergency services, and pointed to the upcoming Suffolk County Marathon as an example of proactive planning. Security for the event will include vehicle barriers, canines, rooftop officers, and drone surveillance for real-time monitoring.

Galati noted that today’s threats come in many forms — far different from the days immediately following 9/11.

“Right after 9/11, our main concern was groups like al-Qaeda and later ISIS,” Galati said. “That’s changed. Those groups are now online, trying to radicalize individuals — and those people can be hard to find. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

He emphasized the importance of online monitoring and community awareness, saying that much of the key information surfaces on social media or through people close to potential offenders.

“Often after an attack, we hear people say, ‘I knew something was wrong,’” he said. “We need those people to come forward.”

Galati added that the department works closely with schools and families when potential threats are identified, sometimes intervening when a student posts violent messages online.

“It’s about working together — with our partners, our schools, and our community,” said Galati. “There’s nothing we won’t look into.”

Galati also outlined several ways residents can report suspicious behavior, emphasizing that no concern is too small. If something seems off, people should call 911 or 311, visit any precinct, or reach out to a school resource officer or community police officer.

He also pointed to regional hotlines that connect directly with law enforcement agencies across New York, including the “1-888-NYC-SAFE” line. Calls made through that hotline are automatically routed to the appropriate jurisdiction, ensuring Suffolk County receives relevant reports.

“Partnerships are essential,” said Galati. “We can’t protect against every threat without working together—federal agencies, local police, schools, and even the business community.”

Commissioner Catalina (pictured left) emphasized the department’s commitment to school safety across Suffolk County’s 69 districts and more than 100 schools. He said school staff receive ongoing training and resources to prepare for potential emergencies, including active-shooter scenarios. While each district has its own procedures, Catalina noted that the department works closely with administrators to provide guidance and ensure consistent, countywide preparedness.

As threats continue to evolve nationwide, Suffolk County officials say preparation, communication, and collaboration remain the strongest defenses. By combining advanced technology with community awareness and interagency partnerships, local elected and law enforcement hope to ensure that Suffolk County stays ahead of potential dangers — and remains one of the safest places to live, work, and gather in the country.

Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Trump Oversees Historic Hostage Return in Israel, Declares ‘Dawn of a New Middle East’ in Knesset Address

By Shane Harris | AMAC Newsline Editor-In-Chief

In what will surely go down as one of President Donald Trump’s signature foreign policy triumphs, the final Israeli hostages held by Hamas were released on Monday as part of a sweeping ceasefire and prisonerexchange deal he personally helped broker.

Following the prisoner exchange, Trump addressed the Israeli Knesset and hailed the breakthrough as a turning point for peace in the Middle East. It was also another bright feather in his cap as one of the greatest peacemakers in modern history.

Under the agreement, all 20 living Israeli hostages were returned to Israeli territory just hours before Trump landed in Israel. In parallel, Israeli authorities completed the release of 1,968 Palestinian prisoners and detainees as part of the swap.

Even before Air Force One touched down, Trump was greeted as a hero, with a massive “THANK YOU” written out across the beach in the path of the president’s plane. In Tel Aviv’s “Hostage Square,” crowds erupted in cheers. Televised scenes showed tearful family reunions in hospitals as the freed hostages were ushered into the arms of loved ones.

But the dramatic moment wasn’t just about emotion. Trump used his Knesset appearance to drive home a message of strength turned into peace. He opened his address by declaring, “The skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still—and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace.”

The President repeatedly framed the deal as proof that bold American leadership can, in fact, reshape war into diplomacy. “This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East,” he told Israeli lawmakers.

In a moment that broke diplomatic norms, Trump even called on Israel’s President Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently on trial for alleged corruption. While some lawmakers disrupted his remarks—one holding a “Recognize Palestine” sign – those interruptions were quickly suppressed as Trump’s vision dominated the discourse.

He pressed Israel to seize the moment. “You’ve done all you can do by force of arms,” Trump asserted. “Now it is time to translate battlefield victories into peace, prosperity and stability for the region.”

The Israeli prime minister, for his part, thanked Trump for his “pivotal leadership.” He described the moment as the culmination of Israel’s two-year struggle against Hamas, declaring the country had “won all it could by force of arms.” Netanyahu’s acknowledgment underscores how central U.S. involvement – and specifically Trump’s role – was in bringing both sides to the table.

While key questions remain, particularly regarding the future of Gaza and whether Hamas will disarm, Trump’s moment in the Knesset created real hope and optimism that a new era of diplomacy has begun.

He pledged that the U.S. would help oversee reconstruction, demilitarization, and eventual governance in Gaza, and that the peace plan he introduced in September, with its 20 actionable points would guide progress forward. In Trump’s own words, “the deal is only the beginning of our sacred commitment: peace, stability, and renewed hope for generations to come.”

In the closing moments of his speech, Trump urged unity and persistence, saying that history would judge this moment as the turning point when

American resolve rewrote the future of the Middle East. The Knesset rose to its feet in sustained applause that echoed through the chamber as lawmakers demonstrated their gratitude.

To the skeptics who quietly mutter doubts, Trump offered his own answer: critics will always question whether Hamas will hold up its commitments or whether Gaza can be rebuilt. But if Trump’s record shows anything, it is that he has a propensity for defying the odds.

Indeed, this moment is hardly an isolated triumph.

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This latest agreement builds on a string of peace achievements— agreements with Armenia and Azerbaijan, normalization deals across the Middle East, and recent breakthroughs in Africa and Asia.

For Israel, it is the restoration of hope and the end of a dark chapter. For Trump, it may well be one of the crowning achievements of his presidency. But one thing that remains clear is that today’s return of hostages is a signal that when Washington leads with boldness, even the most entrenched conflicts can find a path toward peace.

WORD OF THE Week

Etymology: late 17th century: from modern Latin saccharum (“sugar”) + -ine1.

SACCHARINE

adjective

Pronounced: /sa·kr·uhn/

Definition: (sense 1) excessively sweet or sentimental; (sense 2) relating to or containing sugar, sugary

Example: “He’s personable enough, but his words are saccharine to the point of being unbearable.”

Synonyms: over-emotional, sappy

Antonyms: hardheaded, unsentimental

Source: Oxford Languages

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

LEVEL: Hard

SUDOKU Sudoku Puzzle #12

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

October 18, 1931: Gangster Al Capone is convicted on five of the 23 counts of tax evasion against him, later fined $50,000 and sentenced to 11 years in jail.

October 20, 1803:

U.S. Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase.

October 22, 1962:

U.S. President

John F. Kennedy (D-MA) makes a live television address about Soviet missile bases in Cuba and imposes a naval blockade on Cuba, beginning the Cuban Missile Crisis.

October 16, 1923: Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio is founded by brothers Walt and Roy Disney in Los Feliz, California, marking the beginning of what would become the Walt Disney Company.

Source: Onthisday.com.

October 17, 2006:

The United States population reaches 300 million.

October 19,1722: French C. Hopffer patents the automatic fire extinguisher in England.

October 21, 1948:

U.N. rejects Russian proposal to destroy atomic weapons.

‘I See You, I Value You’

By PJ Balzer

This past weekend, I was driving down Montauk Highway and noticed a cat laying on the side of the road. The cat was unfortunately deceased after what looked like it had been hit by a car. Yet, the unusual act of dignity and kindness that the person who hit the cat performed really moved my heart.

When a wild animal gets struck by a car, it’s usually a quick situation and oftentimes unavoidable. We’re driving along, the animal is simultaneously crossing and panics for a moment, and a few thousand pound machine meets an animal. The animal usually loses. As for us generally speaking, we’re usually on the way to work, school, an appointment, or obligation, and don’t have much time to stop. We figure the animal is deceased, feel bad for a while, and carry on with our daily responsibilities.

This time of year is known for deer strikes because it’s mating season. The deer are active and in heat, so they’re crossing the roads and highways more often than not. I’ve always felt that there should be an organization that arrives immediately to collect the deer and turn it into venison, which some people do enjoy. That’s for another story though.

When someone’s pet is struck, it’s entirely different. There’s a family at home wondering where their pet is, usually posting on community pages to find the furry member of their family. It seemed that the person who struck the cat this past weekend knew that and acted accordingly. The cat was moved to the grass on the side of the road and a thick, clear plastic bag was placed underneath the cat. Giving the animal a death of dignity and letting the owners know, “I’m sorry and I value your animal and sympathize with your loss. The least I could do is let you know by my actions that I did stop, I see you and value you.”

When Jesus physically walked on Earth, much of His time was spent doing the same, just with His most valued creation, human beings. He walked the streets of the Middle East, stopped on the roadside to touch lepers, the crippled, and the blind beggars. Humans that society considered untouchable He gave dignity to by having contact with them. His interactions with people that society had thrown away as useless is one of the things that captivated my own heart when I started to read the Bible, probably because at that specific time in my life, I wasn’t sure how

much value my own life was worth and wondered if anyone really cared at all.

In the same thread of thoughtfulness, a woman who my wife and I have known for about ten years now died suddenly earlier this week. She was in her late forties and had daughters who are still teenagers. During the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, they were evicted from the home they were renting and ended up living in a family shelter locally. She was working as a home health care aid, applying for different housing help, and trying her best to be able to leave the shelter system after being there for a few years. It ultimately never happened and this woman passed away with just her possessions that were kept in the single room unit her family shared.

Over the weekend, local clergy, along with her daughters, banded together in kindness and generosity to give their mother and friend a death of dignity. Her daughter texted me the other day proudly saying, “I was able to buy Mommy a nice dress for the last time I’ll see her here. I’m so happy that she’s going to look beautiful.”

Everything that moves and breathes, especially humans, deserves their dignity in life and in death. Could you imagine how different our world would be if we each truly valued each other’s lives and deaths, in word and in action too?

Congratulations Natalie Affenita: Top 40 Under 40

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

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

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

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

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

Connetquot Girls Tennis:

Strong Season in Preparation For Playoffs

By Ashley Pavlakis

The T-Birds are members of the New York Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) and compete in DIV II. The girls are led by head coach Amy Cohen. In 2024, Cohen was awarded Coach of the Year for Division II. Courtside, she’s joined by assistant coach Adam Lieberman.

Connetquot finished the regular season with a 12-3 record. Their record had them ranked second in the DIV II standings. A dominant 2025 regular season in the books for the T-Birds is a perfect transition into the playoffs.

The T-Birds lost only three games this season, all coming to non-league opponents in Bayport Blue Point, Ross, and Half Hollow Hills East. The latter was the only opponent they lost to that remained undefeated in the regular season. The squad played great at home, posting an 8-2 record while being 4-1 on the road.

The playoffs began on Wednesday league-wide, with Connetquot having been placed in the large school

bracket. The T-Birds are seeded eighth in the bracket, which puts them in a matchup with a non-division opponent in Sachem. Being a higher seed allowed Connetquot to bypass the first round of the playoffs.

The two teams did not play one another this season; non-division matchups are fewer than division games. The last time the two teams met was in the 2023-24 season, where Connetquot pulled out a 6-1 win over the Arrows.

Of the 15 matches Connetquot played in, they won 10 of them by the score of 7-0. Two of their matches were won by a 6-1 score, and their three losses came in two 6-1 scores and one 4-3 score. Here’s where it gets tricky; in tennis, the matches are played as the best of three sets. For Connequot, they won a majority of their matches 7-0. This outcome can mean one of two things; the match was tied 6-6, so a tiebreak was played, and the team that won earned the seventh point, making the 7-6 score a 7-0 score. Or, the team won

all seven matches, four singles and three doubles.

The T-Birds came into the 2025 season with four award winners on their roster. For the 2024 season, Corinne Hillock,Gianna Kotsonis, and Aleska Brazyte were awarded All-County honors, and Sophie Mandracchia was awarded All-League honors.

Aleska Brazyte, a junior for the T-Birds, was named to Newsday’s Top-30 tennis players on Long Island. Brazyte is a singles player for Connetquot, and she’s owned her role quite well. The junior has played in the Suffolk Individual championship the last two seasons, reaching the quarterfinal round both times.

Tennis is confusing if you’re not an avid fan, but what matters is that the T-Birds are good with a racket and can pull out the Ws. Connetquot returns to the playoffs after falling short as the fifth seed in the 2024 tournament, losing to HHH West. The Connetquot T-Birds will look to build on their strong season and make a run through the playoffs in search of a championship.

Shoreham Wading River Boys Volleyball: Michael Pfeiffer Leads the Way

By Ashley Pavlakis

The Wildcats of Shoreham Wading River are on the prowl for more ‘Ws’, looking to have a winning record this season. The boys’ volleyball team is currently sitting in the middle of the pack, but they have a lot to celebrate amongst their team this season in terms of milestones.

Shoreham boys volleyball is a member of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association and competes in League I. The boys are led by head coach Mary Mitchell, who has been coaching at the school for over a decade.

The boys are having a decent season, posting a 5-5 record with four games left to go in the regular season. The Wildcats started off hot, winning their first four games of the season before receiving their first loss against Westhampton. From there, the Wildcats flip-flopped back and forth between the win/loss column.

The bright side to the Wildcats’ season comes in the form of one individual player. His name is Michael Pfeiffer, and he’s a senior

on the boys’ volleyball team. Pfeiffer decided he was going all out in his senior season, giving it everything he has each time he steps on the court. Pfeiffer didn’t appear on any lists last season; this season, he’s on there twice with high rankings.

In September, Pfeiffer notched his 100th kill of the season. At the time, he was the second player in Suffolk County to notch the feat.

No worries, though, he’s accrued 79 more in the four games since then. The senior averages roughly 17 kills per game. Pfeiffer may be number night on the court, but he’s fourth in Suffolk County in Kills with 179, and tied for first in aces with 27.

His season high is 31 kills, which was achieved on September 16th against Hampton Bays.

Pfeiffer is not alone on the scoring

leaders list as Bubba Kelban is ranked 22nd in blocks with 21, Luke Gallo is ranked 15th in assists with 174, and Bubba Kelban is ranked 23rd with 82, and Frank Valenti is ranked fifth in aces with 23. The Wildcats are showing up on the stat sheet in one way or another.

In volleyball, the term ‘kill’ refers to when a player makes an unreturnable attack resulting in an immediate point for their team. This comes in the form of a spike, a soft-tip, a roll-shot, or any sort of motion where the ball lands on the opposing team’s side. The term ‘ace’ is similar to a ‘kill’ in that the point is a result of the attack being unreturnable; sometimes that is because the other team hit it but never made it over the net, or it directly hits the floor untouched.

The playoffs are set to begin on November 1st, and the WIldcats are currently ranked 17th out of 29 teams in Suffolk County. The playoffs are most likely not in the cards for the boys this season, but there’s no harm in trying your best and finishing on a high note.

By PJ Balzer

Golden Flashes Lighting Up The South Shore

Along the south shore of Suffolk County sits a quaint little community. With a population of just under 16,000 and one of the most homey-feeling main streets around, the hamlet of Sayville almost feels like stepping into a holiday Hallmark movie.

The Hallmark movie feeling continues on several Friday nights in autumn. The Sayville Golden Flashes have a football program that brings the entire town out to watch their team play. With a winning tradition that spans over years, generations, and championship trophies displayed, Sayville also anticipates following the home town boys in purple and golden as they compete for the Suffolk County Championship, followed by the Long Island Championship played the weekend after Thanksgiving.

This year should be no different.

At the helm of this offensive machine is still a familiar last name, Coan. A few years back it was Jack Coan who graduated a Golden Flash and went on to have a notable career at both Wisconsin and Notre Dame. Now, it’s Patrick Coan, who has easily stepped into those big shoes and is carrying on the winning tradition at Sayville.

Patrick is as much of an aerial threat as he is a running one. He proved that once again this past Friday night under the lights

kept the ball and rushed into the end zone for a total of three touchdowns, while passing for one. Smithtown West, who were coming off of an unexpected loss the week prior to East Hampton/ Bridgehampton, showed up with that loss far behind them and to win the game in front of them.

Despite playing well and battling right until the final whistle, when the final whistle blew, it was 30-21 with the Golden Flashes coming out on top and remaining unbeaten so far this season. Sayville’s next game will be at home this weekend against Westhampton on Friday night at 6:00p.m. Followed by another home game the following Friday night as they host East Hampton/Bridgehampton at the same time.

Sayville may very well be on an inevitable collision course with Nassau County Division Three powerhouse and defending Long Island champion, Garden City. The Golden Flashes fell to the Trojans last year in the Long Island Championship game. Sayville is on a full out redemption run towards the Garden City team with the longest winning streak in Long Island football history and second-longest in United States history. Keep your eyes open for this possible rematch and some of the best football Long Island can showcase!

at Smithtown West. Coan

Samuel Gonzalez - Trish Bergin - Anthony Piccirillo - Steven Flotteron - Tom Donnelly - Rebecca Sanin