Smithtown Messenger Archive Jan. 25, 2024

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Thursday, January 25, 2024 ~ Volume 136 ~ Issue Number 10 ~ $1.00

Wehrheim Delivers Big for Smithtown: $10M For Kings Park DRI

By Matt Meduri

Continued on page 3

Photo by Matt Meduri

The concept of downtown revitalization is no stranger to the media and public knowledge. These endeavors consist of sewer installation and wastewater management, updating and beautifying streets and storefronts, installing traffic-calming measures to improve transportation for pedestrians and bicyclists, improving general quality of life, and increasing commerce with the goal of making local economies more self-sustaining.

However, these initiatives are often costly as they are time-consuming. But with the help of state and federal grant programs, these revisions and master plans can become a reality.

The Town of Smithtown, with the help and lobbying of Kings Park community organizations, successfully appealed to Albany in the seventh annual Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) Grant round, making Kings Park the top winner in the state and in the Long Island region.

(Left to right) Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine

Community Expresses Concern Over St. Catherine Maternity Closure

By Kaitlyn Foley

Kaitlyn Foley

FULL STORIES ON:

The Mattera Report Page 15

Senate Republicans ‘A New Hope For NY’ Page 16

Patchogue Native Wears Pinstripes Page 23

Catholic Health Services (CHS) hosted a heated public forum to allow the community to express their opinions and ask questions regarding the hospital’s recent announcement about closing the Labor and Delivery unit at St. Catherine (St. Cat’s) of Siena hospital by February 1.

A state-mandated public meeting, Declan Doyle, President where the CEO and COO were present, of St. Catherine of Sienna occurred on Thursday, January 18, involving over ten executives and board members of CHS and St. Cat’s, and over 75 community members, hospital staff, and public officials.

The proposed closure sparked many conversations throughout the Smithtown community. Current and former maternity nurses have come forward to express their thoughts on the unit closing.

Continued on page 10

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News Thursday, January 25, 2024

Continued from front cover

Wehrheim Delivers Big for Smithtown: $10M For Kings Park DRI

The grand prize: a $10 million check for how the funds are spent,” continues Wehrheim. downtown revitalization for Kings Park.

“People who might have mixed impressions as Governor Kathy Hochul (D) made a surprise to what downtown revitalization looks like or visit to Kings Park High School last Thursday fears about their own perceptions about this morning to congratulate the community herself. program are encouraged to get involved and The Governor also announced $4.5 million each have a say in how we reshape the downtown for the villages of Bellport and Mineola as part business district of Kings Park.” of the New York Forward program.

Wehrheim says that residents can use “There’s nothing like Long Island; it is a Lake Avenue in St. James as an example of microcosm of the entire state. Investments how the Town of Smithtown collaborated with we make here we can transport to other parts the community to “build a gorgeous and now of the state,” said Hochul. “You have wineries, vibrant walkable downtown.” small farms, charming rural areas, and suburbs.

The Town of Smithtown also notes the I’m the first governor from the suburbs; housing requirements met by the Town to I understand what they’re all about. We [Long qualify for the DRI grant. The total number of Island] have vibrant cities and communities, we households currently in Smithtown is 38,165. have the oldest history in the state and we have Based on that number, a 1% increase in the brightest future. To me, you’re not remote housing would be 381 homes in a year. The at all, you’re always top of mind. I knew I had to Town currently has this number of homes Governor Kathy Hochul (Credit - Matt Meduri) come to Long Island first for my first rollout [of under development and is expected to meet this grant] in the state.” this expectation.

Hochul then touted her record in office over the last two years and summarized her This is run in tandem with the policy that developments must have a workforce controversial $233 billion budget for the 2025 fiscal year as it pertains to Long Island. housing component for subdivisions with five or more units; 10% of the development She mentioned retail theft, public safety, rebuilding the state’s mental health system, must be for workforce housing. keeping kids in school, getting “back to basics” on phonics, among other initiatives.

To qualify for workforce housing, a tenant’s gross annual income cannot exceed “Through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward, we are investing 130% of the median income for Suffolk County, adjusted for family size. Rent cannot in New York’s downtowns – the heartbeat of our communities,” said Hochul. “With this exceed more than 33% of their gross annual income on housing expenses (rent plus a funding, Smithtown-Kings Park, Brookhaven-North Bellport and Mineola will have the utility allowance). tools they need to reimagine their downtowns to enhance the quality of life for residents, The Town of Smithtown has completed requirements to be considered a “Prodraw visitors, and spur economic opportunity throughout their communities.”

Housing Community” by means of ninety-eight units at Fieldstone, 180 units at The This competitive grant is the largest annual grant provided by New York State, to one Preserves, thirty-six units at Hudson Place, and seventy-one units at the Lofts at Maple community in each of the State’s ten Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) and Main. regions. The Town of Smithtown has applied for the grant in all seven of the years it has “This taxpayer funded grant is the culmination of the hard work of Town of Smithtown been administered. Previous grant winners include Westbury, Hicksville, Central Islip, Supervisor Edward Wehrheim and the Town Board,” said State Senator Mario Mattera Baldwin, Amityville, Riverhead, and Huntington Station.

(R-St. James). “Their work will benefit our region for years by building the local economy, “Ever since the State hospital closed its doors, the small business district of Kings creating jobs and enhancing the lives of everyone who resides here. Combined with Park has slowly deteriorated. The lack of proper wastewater infrastructure prevented their successful work to bring sewers to Smithtown, they have set up the area for a new restaurants and entertainment from choosing Kings Park as a home. Property great future and I thank them on behalf of our residents.” owners couldn’t lease to good tenants due to fines for outdated wastewater systems. “The Smithtown and Kings Park downtowns will not only be revitalized with the help of The progress and potential for growth became frozen in time and with it… the area this grant but will, essentially, be repurposed,” said Assemblyman Mike Fitpatrick (R-St. suffered greatly,” said Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park). “Together, James). “The modern suburban downtown, or Main Street, to be viable and successful with massive community support, a talented team of planners, environmental experts, today, must be able to meet the needs and desires of a changing economy and society. and our partners in government, Smithtown pushed forward with a real plan to Thanks to Governor Hochul’s initiative, the Kings Park and Smithtown downtowns will revitalize. And now thanks to yesterday’s announcement, $10 million dollars will go move boldly, and smartly, toward a more active, prosperous, and vital future. Good towards completing our Downtown Revitalization efforts in the Kings Park Business things are happening in Kings Park and Smithtown and I want to thank Governor Hochul District.” for helping us get to where we need to be for a brighter future.”

Supervisor Wehrheim mentioned the many grants for which the Town of Smithtown Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) also attended and have applied and secured, including a $20 million Transformative Investment Program accepted the checks with respective Town and Village leaders.

(TIP) Grant in 2017 - used to finance the connection of the Kings Park Business District “I thank the Governor for her continued commitment to Suffolk County. This funding is to Suffolk County Sewer District Number Six - and the 2023 JumpStart grant of $2.5 vital to the ongoing downtown revitalization efforts in both Kings Park and North Bellport million for traffic-calming measures and streetscapes improvements for Kings Park. and will help create jobs and jumpstart local economic growth in our communities,” The next step is how this money will be spent. Supervisor Wehrheim outlines the said Romaine. next steps of the process.

In attendance also were Smithtown Board members Thomas J. McCarthy “Upon notification from the Regional Economic Development Council, the Town will (R-Nissequogue), Tom Lohmann (R-Smithtown), and Lisa Inzerillo (R-Kings Park), as begin efforts to form a local planning committee, made up of Kings Park residents, well as New York Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez (D-Manhattan), Brookhaven community leaders, and representatives from the various organizations (IE: Fire/EMS, Town Supervisor Dan Panico (R-Center Moriches), Mineola Village Mayor Paul Pereira, Historical, Youth/School, Civic etc.) who will conduct extensive community outreach and Suffolk County Clerk Vincent Puleo (R-Nesconset), State Senator Monica Martinez engagement,” says Wehrheim. “Their goal will be to identify appropriate projects to fund (D-Brentwood), and Suffolk County Legislators Catherine Stark (R-Riverhead), Ann that support the Town’s vision (based on rigorous community input in updating the Welker (D-Southampton), Sam Gonzalez (D-Brentwood), Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga), Comprehensive Master Plan) to create a walkable, vibrant downtown, centrally located Jason Richberg (D-West Babylon), and Rebecca Sanin (D-Huntington Station). to the Kings Park LIRR station, with easy access to restaurants, retail, entertainment, Any additional questions regarding the Kings Park DRI grant can be directed to community space, and our beautiful parkland.” the Supervisor’s office at Supervisor@SmithtownNY.gov or the planning dept: “The beauty of the DRI grant is that it is community-based engagement that dictates planning@smithtownny.gov.

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Smithtown Messenger - Brookhaven Messenger - Islip Messenger - Thursday, January 25, 2024

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NEW MEMBERS NEEDED

AMERICAN LEGION VETERANS STILL SERVING AMERICA

The William Merritt Hallock American Legion Post No. 155 115 Church Street Lake Ronkonkoma, NY Is looking for New Members

We meet at the Post twice a month 1st Tuesday of the month at 1:00 pm and the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm.

We have a social hour with snack one hour prior to the meeting. Our meetings generally run about one hour.

We take part in our local community parades and street fairs.

We usually have three social functions with family and friends each year. We participate in a number of patriotic ceremonies. If interested in joining our Post and meeting some fellow veterans, stop by on a meeting day with a copy of your DD214.

You can visit our website at: AmericanLegionWilliamHallockPost155.org

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Editorial Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Thursday, January 25, 2024

State Grants are a Welcome, but Hochul’s School Visit was in Bad Taste slash funding. Under her budget proposal, local school districts across Suffolk County are set to lose upwards of $30 million, creating either a vacuum in which school functions disappear or a scenario in which already-exorbitant property taxes are raised higher than the roof itself.

We cannot endorse this aspect of her budget and we simply cannot condone her usage of a school for this press conference, despite the positive overtones of her visit. Not only will Kings Park and Smithtown School Districts see funding cuts, but so will Connetquot Central, Eastport-South Manor, Three Village, Bayport-Blue Point, and nearly three dozen others across Suffolk County. From Cold Spring Harbor to Fisher’s Island, Suffolk County’s students, parents, and teachers will feel the pain of budget cuts, making a regularly-asked question all the more inconvenient: is it fiscally possible to stay in Suffolk County?

It’s ironic that Hochul’s presentation of a DRI grant comes in tandem with her budget cuts to schools. In a move to help local municipalities retain residency and create self-sustaining economies, she’s also giving families a gilt-edged reason to pack and split for another state. Suffolk County already sees highest-in-the-nation property taxes; it seems counterintuitive to try to retain residents by making them higher.

There’s already way too much of that, so why not more?

While Hochul deserves praise for working with local leaders of a separate party who represent constituents who overwhelmingly opposed her in the 2022 gubernatorial election, she cannot get a pass for hosting her guest appearance in a place that, by her own craftsmanship, will see less funding next year.

Again, the budget is still conjecture at this point and requires deliberation by the state legislature. Last year’s budget proceedings resulted in a month-long showdown between Hochul and the progressive wing of Albany Democrats, effectively letting moderates fall by the wayside and Republicans to sit out negotiations almost completely. We hope all factions of each party stand up to oppose Hochul’s state funding cuts to school districts and we certainly hope that the next time Hochul makes a guest appearance bearing gifts, the venue of choice is not one that might not be able to afford such an arrival next year.

Credit: Matt Meduri

We can overwhelmingly thank and congratulate our elected leaders who represent Smithtown and North Bellport for applying for some of the most competitive grants in the state solely for the purpose of community input-driven Downtown Revitalization Initiatives (DRI).

Especially for a Town like Smithtown, that has been written off and left by the wayside by elected officials of yesteryear, it’s truly a remarkable accomplishment and a good day for its residents.

But we find that Governor Kathy Hochul’s surprise visit to Kings Park High School, while a welcome one as she came bearing gifts, was in bad taste and, frankly, a slap in the face to the Kings Park community just mere days after announcing proposed budget cuts that will gut the school district - and many others like it - over hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funding.

Firstly, the visit was a surprise to the media and community members alike, as the Superintendent of Kings Park High School announced - ahead of time – on the school’s online forum of an “unforeseen closure” a week prior to the Governor’s visit.

The Governor’s decision to drop in during school hours - a Thursday morning - not only reeks of disregard for the school day but also creates an unnecessary security risk. We find it odd the Governor could not find a local community space to host the gathering.

Secondly, the Governor touted her record-setting $233 billion spending plan for the 2025 fiscal year. The Governor of New York already enjoys outweighed say in crafting budgets, as governors in other states usually only pass or veto the budget while the legislature creates the actual budget. Contrary to other states, New York allows policy to mingle with fiscal measures in the budget, creating an odd power dynamic when certain parties decide to hold each other hostage with municipal salaries and governmental operation on the line. Hochul touted her budget plan as something to be proud of, as something that returns Albany dollars back to Suffolk when we ordinarily do not see much of that money back.

We think Hochul’s budget has some decent points, but trying to frame a massive spending plan around Long Island’s already pitiful ratio of dollars sent to dollars received is an insult to injury.

Finally, and our biggest criticism of the Governor, is that she decided to hold her surprise press conference in one of the very buildings for which she intends to

Wehrheim and Company Deliver Big Win for Smithtown Fast forward seven years and look where leadership under an active Supervisor and Board has landed the Town: smart, transit-oriented development, streets with beautification and traffic-calming measures, and a true vision for a master plan that has not been updated since the 1950s.

This was pointed out by Councilman Tom Lohmann (R-Smithtown) at the Town debate. He mentioned that the plan was written when the Town’s population had not yet more than quadrupled in size in a relatively short period of time. Although the Town’s exponential growth and expectation were not foreseen, cognizant development could have been the priorities of the Town government.

Despite decades of falling behind the other nine Suffolk townships in multiple ways, it seems there is a future after all, complemented with true perseverance and community pride from its leaders. These are leaders we’re fortunate to have and they should be recognized when most deserved.

Furthermore, Supervisor Wehrheim understands the concept of not cutting off his nose to spite his face. Although he - along with many other local elected officials of both parties - sparred with the Governor over her controversial overhaul of local zoning procedures last year, he did not let that interfere with his cooperation with her administration, nor did he tune her out when she intended to make good on a promise to reward smart development. The Supervisor remained tenacious in applying for this much-needed state funding and the Governor did not let differing opinions on governance prevent a staunchly Republican township from urgently-needed and muchdeserved funding.

We applaud the leadership of Supervisor Wehrheim, the Smithtown Board, Senator Mario Mattera, Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick, and even Governor Hochul for all understanding that the betterment and future of our communities are more than what the backs of our elected officials’ baseball cards say they are. We especially congratulate Supervisor Wehrheim for taking a road that has been somewhat rocky over the last seven years to make Smithtown a place to go rather than a place to end up.

We’re fortunate to have such elected officials at Town Hall and we believe with such leadership, Smithtown can continue to prove itself a Town worth fighting for.

Credit: Matt Meduri

We’re fortunate enough to live in an area where our elected officials work like elected officials - not politicians.

We hear from them on the campaign trail and we see them and hear from them once they’re in office. It’s the beauty not only of local politics - as elected officials will more than likely accurately represent their constituents - but it’s also the beauty of interacting with electeds in Suffolk County, where retail politics goes a much longer way than in other forms of government.

But we feel that Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park) and elected officials on the Town and State levels from Smithtown have truly gone above and beyond in securing the much-needed Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) funding for Kings Park.

The tenacity and planning required to win the top prize in one of the most competitive statewide grants is fortunately seen on display with some of our other local elected officials, such as Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter (R-West Islip) - most recently in the form of the Central Islip sewer grants - and Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico (R-Center Moriches) - notably in the form of a $4.5 million New York Forward grant for North Bellport.

Wehrheim and company’s year-after-year appeals to Albany, as well as cooperation with the Town Board, civic groups, and the community at-large, to craft a master plan for Smithtown and its hamlets and villages cannot be understated. Moreover, such effort and belief in a community should not be understated when it comes to Smithtown, once a place where people looked past for recreation and family-rearing, and where ideas of development and progress once came to die.

Former Supervisor Pat Vecchio currently holds the record for the longest-served municipal governor in the history of the United States. With forty years at the Town’s highest post, Vecchio made more friends than enemies, but mainly due to his lack of vision for his Town and his inaction in ensuring the Town could sustain itself economically in the distant future. It’s logical that not taking chances means not being controversial, which means you keep most of your friends. But it turns out that not making changes is not equal to good governance. It’s this dichotomy that led to his primary by then-Councilman Wehrheim in 2017. The historic defeat earned Wehrheim not only the chagrin of Vecchio loyalists but also the skepticism of the Town and County at-large, with many believing that such an ambitious vision for a Town like Smithtown was simply unrealistic.

Op-Ed Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Thursday, January 25, 2024

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Biden’s Open Borders, Hochul’s ‘Sanctuary State’ Spell Disaster for NY: $2.4 Billion Blow to Taxpayers President Joe Biden’s (D) open border and Governor Kathy Hochul’s (D) “Sanctuary State” policies are a total disaster for the honest, hardworking taxpayers of New York. After giving illegal immigrants $1.9 billion last year, Hochul has doubled down with a $2.4 billion budget item this yet, which includes $500 million from the state’s reserve fund.

This is a slap in the face to hardworking New Yorkers who have watched prices, taxes, and bills go up year after year. And the crisis isn’t slowing down.

In December alone, a record number of illegal immigrants crossed the southern border, with more than 300,000 entering the country with no vetting, no vaccines, and no questions asked.

There are nearly 150,000 illegal aliens living off the government in New York, with Mayor Eric Adams (D) declaring the situation will “destroy” the city. It’s laughable how Adams blames the problem on Texas

Governor Greg Abbott (R) for providing bus service to migrants wanting to take the mayor up on his offer of sanctuary. Abbott does not subscribe to the “let everyone in” policy of the progressive Democrats.

Yet, his state is being overrun by migrants ushered in by the Biden administration using, I may add, hundreds of millions of our tax dollars. Efforts by Abbott to stop the immigrant flow into his state have been met by lawsuits from a White House that is doing everything possible to welcome the illegals in.

New York should have a governor like Greg Abbott, fighting to stop human trafficking, drug smuggling, and lawbreakers from entering our country. Instead, we have Kathy Hochul, who refuses to rescind her sanctuary offer, taxpayers be damned, and is willing to raid the reserve fund to support them. The progressive Democrats are failing America. They’re failing New York. They’re failing us.

Every state is now a border state, and our communities cannot support this fiasco any longer.

The sad truth is the progressive Democrats are doing this for votes. They want to replace the record number of people who have bailed out of New York with economic refugees who are beholden to them for services. It’s a sad, horrific state of affairs, and I fully agree with Mayor Adams; the migrant crisis will surely destroy our once proud Empire State.

Assemblyman DeStefano represents the Third Assembly District, which consists Bellport, Brookhaven, Mastic, Mastic Beach, Medford, North Bellport, Shirley, Yaphank, and parts of Farmingville, Holtsville, Middle Island, North Patchogue, Ridge, and Upton.

For more information, please visit Assemblyman DeStefano’s Official Website at nyassembly.gov/ mem/Joe-DeStefano/

Letter to the Editor Conscience Bay Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

Every Thursday

Don’t forget to write, we’d love to hear from you!

Email us at: editor@messengerpapers.com

We are writing to extend New Year’s well wishes and reintroduce ourselves to you. We are the Conscience Bay Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) - a small, but growing community practicing our faith.

The Quaker religious movement began in England in the mid-17th century and emphasizes the belief that “there is that of God in everyone” and that therefore all people can access “the Light within.” Our testimonies about simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship all flow from this core belief. Historically, Quakers have lived these testimonies by participating in movements to end wars, abolish slavery, and bring about racial and gender equality.

While Quakers have lived and worshipped in Suffolk County since around 1650, our own Quaker meeting was established in 1961 and found its home in St. James when William R. Huntington -- a local architect and American Friends Service Committee representative to the United Nations - helped to facilitate the purchase of the property and the conversion of a carriage house to our meetinghouse.

Since its formation, our meeting has been moved to participate in a variety of activities driven by our testimonies: counseling

conscientious objectors in the 1960s and 70s, organizing against both the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant in the 1980s and the stockpiling of nuclear materials; and marching against endless wars and social injustices in more recent decades.

In the current moment of international and national violence, our members and visitors have found sustenance in our Sunday practice.

Waiting in silence upon the Light is a deep and powerful experience leading to spiritual guidance.

We invite you to join us. We worship every Sunday at 11am at our meetinghouse, off Moriches Road in St. James. All are welcome.

More information at consciencebayquakers. org.

Carolyn Emerson Clerk of Conscience Bay Meeting

LI Life & Politics with Levy

8

Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Hochul Slams Long Island Again

By Steve Levy

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman created quite a stir with his impolite hit on Governor Kathy Hochul at a recent Long Island Association breakfast.

When asked what the state can do to help Long Island, Blakeman’s coarse response was basically, “Stay out of our business and leave us alone.”

The executive’s comments were exceedingly shrill and could’ve been phrased in a better way. However, his underlying concerns are justified.

Despite the governor’s claim that she loves Long Island, and will always be there for us, she has engaged in a series of policy initiatives that have been quite adversarial to our region.

Her latest bomb dropped on the island was her unilateral decision to end the “hold harmless” concept on the distribution of state education aid. This has been a long-recognized policy wherein Long Island districts would at least know that they would not lose money in an upcoming budget.

This hard-fought provision won by the once-powerful Republican senate bloc from Long Island was eviscerated in one fell swoop by the Democratic governor.

Our editorial page has indeed pushed back against the thought that pouring

more and more money into our schools will somehow improve performance.

The evidence shows that it does not. We do believe that the incredible increases that were funneled into schools over the last several years were unnecessary and inflated our base beyond where it’s needed to be.

And we do understand that higherneed, lower-income districts do require more funding than the wealthier districts.

But there was a comfort for schools and taxpayers that at least a district would not lose money in an upcoming year. Hochul’s plan turns that on its head.

It’s not surprising.

Governor Hochul has been kowtowing to her ultra-left New York City base for a long time. This is the same base that tried to overrule Long Island’s local zoning powers. The governor sought to raise the payroll tax on Long Island businesses to fund the New York City transit system, and she imposed a nasty congestion pricing tax on middle-class commuters from Long Island.

So, Blakeman is ultimately correct that Hochul does not seem to be too compassionate about Long Island’s needs.

Her latest budget just adds fuel to the fire.

Former Suffolk County Executive and NYS Assemblyman Steve Levy is the co-publisher of Long Island Life & Politics.

To read more from Steve, visit lilifepolitics.com

This Week Today Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

9

Thursday, January 25, 2024

National, State and Local Temperature Checks

By Matt Meduri

National

Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead

the primary with 53.6% of the vote, and 12.2% of writeins remain unprocessed. Congressman Dean Phillips (D, MN-03) took 19.6%, while self-help author Marianne Williamson (D-CA) took just 4.6% of the vote.

No delegates will be awarded from the Democratic New Hampshire Primary. Delegates will instead be deliberated at the convention in Chicago.

State Governor Kathy Hochul’s (D) approval ratings are in and they’re somewhat surprising given the trajectory we’ve been tracking over the last year.

In a Siena College poll of 807 registered voters from January 14 to 17, Hochul is found to be viewed favorably - albeit narrowly - for the first time in months, with 45% viewing her favorably and 42% unfavorably. That’s up from an underwater rating of 40%-43% in November. This is her first net-positive rating since February last year.

Additionally, in terms of job approval, her rating increased, rising to 52% from 48% in November.

However, in terms of tackling key issues, 28% of voters, including a majority of Republicans, say that she has been successful on “none” of them. According to Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg, “Among those who identified an issue, 23% said she’d been most successful on health care, including mental health, followed by education, 12%, crime 7%, housing 7% and the migrant influx, 6%. As to the issues she’s been least successful in addressing, the migrant influx, 32%, and crime, 21%, top the list.”

More starkly, Siena College also conducted a poll of New York for the 2024 Presidential race, showing Biden leading Trump by just nine points, 46% to 37%. For context, Biden defeated Trump by twenty-three points in New York in 2020.

Among demographics, Biden leads Trump 54%-24% among black voters - down from 64%-13% in November, and Biden now trails Trump by three points among Latino voters, after leading by twenty-seven points in November.

Voters under the age of 35 now only support Biden by just five points over Trump, 38%-33%, with 29% supporting neither.

Local Congressman Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) (pictured below) recently introduced the bipartisan and bicameral Disaster Contract Improvement Act, with Congressman Chris Pappas (D, NH-01). The act is set to “improve the disaster contracting process on the federal, local, and state levels of government following natural disasters and mitigate waste, fraud, and abuse.”

“All the preparation and focus on recovery efforts can, unfortunately, allow for misuse of taxpayer dollars.

By reducing waste, fraud, and abuse of disaster relief funds, we can improve local, state, and federal agencies’ ability to help our communities prepare for major storms,” said LaLota. “My Disaster Contract Improvement Act will ensure our citizens’ precious taxes help prepare for the next disaster rather than go to waste, fraud, or abuse. This bill is supported by members of both parties in both chambers and I am pleased to reach across the aisle to partner with Congressman Pappas to introduce this commonsense bill in the House.”

United States House of Representatives

The 2024 Presidential Election continues as New Hampshire held its critical first-in-the-nation primary Tuesday night.

The results were fairly expected but still give some crucial insight on the state of the Republican Party: Donald Trump (R-FL) (pictured right) won the contest by about eleven percentage points - 54.4% - over former United Nations Ambassador and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley 43.3%. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suspended his campaign shortly before the primary and endorsed Donald Trump.

Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who suspended his campaign after the Iowa Caucuses, endorsed Haley.

According to polling aggregates, most notably FiveThirtyEight, Trump underperformed by mid-to-high single-digits. Trump also underperformed relative to his substantial victory in the 2016 primary, where he edged out runner up John Kasich (R-OH) by twenty points.

However, that contest was held with several high-profile candidates still in the race.

Tuesday’s primary was a two-way race between a populist president on his third consecutive nomination and a more establishment pick in Haley. The primary was largely seen as a litmus test of the party’s identity, vital demographics and what to expect in the general election, and voter loyalty to the party itself or the new standard bearer in Trump.

Firstly, the primary is on track to have one of the highest turnouts in the state’s history. With 310,000 votes tabulated as of Wednesday morning, it blows past the 2016 GOP turnout of 286,000 and the 2020 Democratic turnout of 298,000.

Secondly, Donald Trump is the first non-incumbent Republican in history to win both the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire Primary in the same election cycle.

This doesn’t necessarily have a bearing on his chances of being renominated or re-elected, but it is a historical first that needs to be pointed out.

Finally, although Haley was defeated by doubledigits, she will still receive nine delegates to Trump’s twelve. Trump now leads with thirty-two delegates to Haley’s seventeen. Haley also vowed to press on in the contest to compete in her home state of South Carolina.

The Democratic Primaries in the Palmetto State will be held on February 3, while the Republicans will not vote until February 24. Haley has an entire month to gain enough momentum to keep her in the race until Super Tuesday, where all bets will be off as over a dozen states will hold their contests.

New Hampshire is also a critical state for its more moderate brand of GOP voters and its large presence of Independents. The state has a semi-closed primary, meaning party registrants must vote in the respective primary, but Independents can vote in either primary of their choosing. This aspect makes results difficult to extrapolate fully, as signs of crossover support might not translate to a general election, and gauging candidates’ strengths among demographics becomes difficult if enough voters of an opposite party cast votes for a select candidate to scramble the airwaves.

That said, we’re working off the results we have and will go from there. The results are not unusual for a state

like New Hampshire, one of intrinsic classical liberalism and a historic red state that has trended blue in the name of moderate-to-liberal social stances.

Although Trump underperformed relative to polling, he still delivered a strong result to send a clear message: the party is unified behind him. Despite legal woes and poor public relations, Trump won a majority of the state’s municipalities, including the cities of Manchester and Nashua. Trump’s base was contained in the working-class, non-college educated demographics and mostly small and rural towns with some suburban communities in the mix.

Haley dominated in the collegeeducated front, posing a real problem for Trump in the general election. In the municipality of Hanover, home to Dartmouth College, Haley crushed Trump in an 82%-15% margin. Haley also won the capital city of Concord, as well as the small cities of Dover and Portsmouth. Haley’s communities of support can be seen clustered around the Portsmouth and Concord areas, the high-college-educated Connecticut River Valley, and some resort towns in the northern part of the state.

In another problem for Trump, the map from this primary looks fairly similar to the map from 2020, where Joe Biden (D-DE) beat him by seven points. Trump lost to Haley in a large number of municipalities where he lost to Biden. Trump’s brand of populism was a good fit for the state in 2016, where he narrowly lost to Hillary Clinton by just 0.4%, but the shift was apparent among collegeeducated and suburban voters four years later.

Trump will have to face the same electorate once again, and while New Hampshire is not always a critical swing state in the general elections - it accounts for just four electoral votes - his shortcomings with key demographics here will likely be paralleled elsewhere.

Similar voting blocs make up key precincts in the western states and have become more dominant voting forces nationwide in recent years.

The race now turns to Nevada and South Carolina.

Haley is on the ballot in the Nevada non-binding primary, but is not on the ballot in the state’s official caucuses, where Trump is expected to clean up. Haley found good fortune in the suspension of fellow South Carolinian Senator Tim Scott, but South Carolina is more like Iowa than New Hampshire. Evangelical, socially conservative, and working-class, Haley’s particular brand of establishment Republicanism is not likely to resonate with her home state that fits more in the vein of Trump’s “drain the swamp” attitude.

The Democratic Primary continued with much less fanfare, although it did provide an interesting caveat: Joe Biden was not on the ballot.

In 2022, Biden petitioned the Democratic National Committee to consider making South Carolina the first-in-the-nation primary, citing that a more diverse electorate should kick off the nomination contests.

The DNC approved a calendar placing South Carolina first, but New Hampshire state law requires the Granite State to hold the first primary.

Biden declined to appear on the primary ballot in compliance with the DNC, but his supporters staged a write-in campaign. As of press time, Biden won

10

News Thursday, January 25, 2024

Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Continued from front cover

Community Expresses Concern over St. Catherine Maternity Closure Just an hour prior to Thursday’s meeting, members of New York State Nurses Association along with representatives from the office of Senator Monica Martinez (D-Brentwood) and Assemblyman Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills), members of the Long Island Federation of Labor, and Long Island Jobs for Justice announced their support for the Smithtown community, and their denouncement of the closure.

Questions for Catholic Health Declan Doyle, the President of St. Cat’s hospital began the forum with a presentation on the current state of the hospital and why they are preparing to cease labor and delivery services.

According to the presentation, the hospital will be ceasing care due to the current OB/GYN physicians and staff leaving under contractual changes.

“We do not employ our OB/GYN providers; our OB/GYN providers who work at St. Catherine are employed by Squarecare. Those physicians have decided to leave Squarecare and as a result of their contract and restrictions of that contract, the physicians will no longer be able to provide services at St. Catherine of Siena effective February 1 of this year, said Doyle. “The safety of our patients and our staff is the most essential thing for us. We will continue to provide the appropriate emergency services at the hospital for our patients. Our two hospitals in the county, Good Samaritan University Hospital and St. Charles are providing maternity services, and we will work with other local hospitals in the region including Stony Brook University Hospital and Huntington Hospital. We’ve been in contact with them in the last couple of weeks about the situation here at St. Catherine’s.”

Doyle went on to explain how the hospital is building and expanding other units, such as the emergency department, the chest pain unit, oncology, and neurosurgery. He mentioned these renovations are to start next month, just after the proposed closure date of the Labor and Delivery Unit.

Question: What happens to the staff of the unit on February 1?

Answer: “The staff of the unit, their employment status will not change. We are working under the guidance of the Department of Health, we are submitting closure plans, so the status of the staff of the unit will not change as of February 1.

Follow up question: What will they be doing?

Answer: “They will still remain employed at St. Catherine. We are working with the Department of Health, and we are under their guidance as to what action we can take. Until they receive it and they’ve

approved the closure plan, we are not making any changes.”

Nurses of St. Catherine’s L&D unit continued to ask what they will be doing between the time the physicians leave on February 1, and the state approves the closure as well as how they will be supported and trained for other units. Doyle repeated that the status of the nurse’s employment will not change and that they will be continuing to work within the walls of St. Catherine.

Question: What has St. Catherine’s done to replace the doctors that are no longer serving the Maternity Unit?

Answer: “We have worked to recruit physicians, but we have not been successful in recruiting physicians.”

Follow Up Question: How long have you been working to recruit?

Answer: “We are continuously trying to recruit physicians and OB/GYNs. It was a continuous recruitment process.”

Follow up Question: One year? Two years? Three years? Give me a time frame.

Answer: “It’s ongoing, it’s continuous.”

Question: I’ve seen physicians leaving, and I’ve seen no physicians or replacements coming over the last 48 years. Why have they not been replaced?

Answer: “Physicians make choices on where they want to practice. There is a reduction in the number of OB/GYN physicians available, not just in this region, and those choosing to work on Long Island are fewer.”

Question: Were any of the physicians given an offer that was competitive? To stay, instead of going to St. Charles or Good Samaritan?

Answer: “We were working with the group that is leaving. They chose not to stay.”

Question: How do you plan on meeting the obstetric and gynecological emergencies of the surrounding community?

Answer: “For now, at St. Catherine we will have a coverage group covering emergencies. There will be OB/GYNs that we will be hiring to cover emergencies that if we have emergencies, they will show up. The goal is to stabilize the patient; if it is something that needs to be managed immediately, they will. If it’s something that can be transferred, that patient will be transferred to the hospital of choice or one of Catholic Health’s other facilities.”

Later in the forum, Catholic Health expanded their answer. “We will have the

Attendees react to the meeting. (Credit: Kaitlyn Foley) coverage group seven days a week, twentyfour hours a day, so if any emergencies arise, we will have a physician who can take care of those patients in the community.

We will have on-call OB/GYN physicians available at all times,” answered Larry Eisenstein, Vice president of Catholic Health and Chief of Community and Public Health.

This coverage group actually consists of individual physicians who live in the area who are willing to cover calls at St. Catherine’s. All physicians live within thirty minutes of the hospital and are available 24/7, according to Eisenstein.

Question: What about routine gynecological care? How is this going to be affecting the area?

Answer: “We are trying to get practices to come to the area, I don’t know how long it is going to take to develop and grow but that is the goal. The immediate goal is to set up some type of a practice where we can handle routine OB/GYN care. It’s just a matter of those patients; for now, will not be able to actually deliver at St. Catherine.”

Question: There is a question of what will be done to the Kings Park Psychiatric Center. The community is always floating the idea of building low-income housing.

What happens to the people who move into those neighborhoods if our hospital no longer provides any kind of maternity or women’s health?

Answer: “So, I think that’s a fair question for the community health leaders. That’s the sort of feedback that we’re looking forward to being part of the Health Equity Impact Assessment, but we have to respond from the data that we have today, and I can’t hypothetically say what we will do. But this is what I can say, Catholic Health is consistently looking at what’s best for the community and how we could be a positive contributor to the community.

So, I can’t commit to what might happen and what populations of need may arise, but we will constantly be evaluating and looking to make things better. As you saw, the services are growing, many of them at St. Catherine’s based on the specific needs of the community.”

Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James) interjected to ask Catholic Health about the projected time frame they have until when the plan will be submitted, when the State will get back to them, and when the public

and staff will know the status of the unit.

Catholic Health responded with: “That will be established under [DOH] guidance.

They will make a decision on the closure. We can’t close the unit until the Department of Health gives us the okay. We’re submitting and the physicians are not available to provide service at Saint Catherine’s at the end of this month.”

Senator Mattera then asked, “are we guaranteed all of our nurses, all our staff are guaranteed jobs? That’s the biggest thing, are they guaranteed jobs?

Answer: I guarantee we’ll work with the collective bargaining units to ensure that everybody has an opportunity, once we’ve received the Department of Health’s [response] and they allow us to do that.

Question: Is the closure of the unit reversible? If, in the future, physicians decide to come to St. Cat’s, can we reopen the unit?

Answer: “That goes back to my answer before, for which we’re constantly evaluating what’s best for the community.

And to reopen a unit would be just like closing it, a state process of paperwork. So, I don’t know how long that would take. You can submit it and it might take a few days or it might take a few months, that’s out of our control. But to answer your question, there’s a legal process for opening the unit and a legal process for closing the unit. It’s prescribed in law by the state Department of Health. We’re following that so we can’t give an exact date because we don’t know what the state’s determination is going to ultimately be. What we can tell you is the providers who consistently bring the deliveries to St. Cat’s are not contractually allowed to work in St. Cat’s on February 1, and I realized that creates a confusing contradictory situation but that’s the situation.”

Question: How long did you know these doctors were leaving?

Answer: “We found out these doctors were leaving at the end of November.”

Question: What if the state says no?

Answer: “Then we will work with the state to understand what that means for us. They can say no, but that doesn’t change the situation that we do not have OB/GYNs to bring their deliveries to St Catherine’s.” continued on page 18

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School Highlights Thursday, January 25, 2024

Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Smithtown High School West Magazine, Penumbra, Wins Award of Excellence

Smithtown High School West’s magazine, Penumbra, has been recognized as an EXCELLENT literary magazine by the National Council of Teachers of English.

The REALM program publicly recognizes excellent literary magazines produced by students with the support of their teachers. REALM is designed to encourage all schools to develop literary magazines that celebrate the art and craft of writing.

This year, schools in 46 states and five countries nominated 375 student magazines. Magazines from middle school, high school and higher education were welcomed for the 2023 contest.

Student-Athletes Discuss Civility and Sportsmanship Students in the Smithtown High School East Athletes Helping Athletes club attended a Sportsmanship and Civility Leadership Conference on January 9 at Adelphi University.

The purpose of the conference was to address the issues of sportsmanship and civility. The students discussed the importance of civility, and how these behaviors relate to sportsmanship on the field.

They were asked to discuss and highlight the positive choices they make in relation to sportsmanship and civility.

School Highlights Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Thursday, January 25, 2024

13

Kettle Hole Science Experiment Teaches Students Local History Students in Mr. Schuchman’s classes at P.J. Gelinas Junior High School modeled the formation of kettle holes while studying glaciers and their impact on the earth’s surface.

Kettle holes are glacial features which form when a large block of ice breaks off the main glacier, is subsequently buried in sediment and later melts, then leaves behind a depression. If they fill with water, these depressions are known as kettle lakes.

There are numerous kettle

Three Village Academy Students Collaborate in MLK Portrait Project Three Village Academy students participated in the 2024 MLK Portrait Project through East End Arts, working together to create a portrait of Daisy Gatson Bates. The MLK Portrait Project tasks student-artists with creating 16 panels that come together to create a mosaic portrait of a civil rights leader.

Academy students were eager to work on the project together in art class and demonstrate unity through artistic collaboration.

holes and lakes around Long Island due to its extensive glacial history including Lake Ronkonkoma, Artists Lake, Lake Panamoka, and Lake Success.

Students developed their model by burying large pieces of ice in sand, or sediment. After a day, the ice melted, and a depression was created. Students initially packed the sand too firmly, which resulted in a kettle cave. They retried the experiment the next day and had better success.

History

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Thursday, January 25, 2024

America the Beautiful: How History Shapes our Electorate Puerto Rico - Island of Enchantment

Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

This is the forty-eighth of a series column that will look at the history of all 50 States, all 5 territories, and the Capital and the influence history has on our current political environments. The aim of this column is to capture that our country is not just red or blue, but rather many shades in between. Each Lower 48 state’s current political landscape can be traced back to its early settlement and geography and its particular involvement in the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, and the Civil Rights Era.

By Matt Meduri Geography

Early History - A Hub of the Caribbean Puerto Rico was first explored by Europeans when Christopher Columbus landed on the island in 1493 during his second voyage. He named the island San Juan Bautista, in honor of St. John the Baptist. Columbus claimed the island for Spain and his lieutenant, fellow explorer Juan Ponce de León, founded the first European settlement on the island, called Caparra. In 1521, Caparra was renamed to Puerto Rico, or “rich port.” Ponce de León would later serve as the island’s first governor. Caparra, a port city, would later receive the name San Juan, now the territory’s capital. San Juan is the oldest European-established city under United States sovereignty.

Puerto Rico’s agricultural sector had not yet taken off; large sugarcane farms on nearby islands of Cuba, Hispaniola, and Guadalupe became major hubs in the slave trade. Puerto Rico instead consisted of dense port cities that saw heavy military fortification to defend against the Dutch, the French, and the British, and internal subsistence communities. Urban planning revolved heavily around ensuring Puerto Rico remained in Spanish hands.

With the advent of the 1700s, Spain sought to focus on making their New World colonies prosperous. Puerto Rico quickly became a haven for cash crops like sugarcane, coffee, and tobacco, and a hub for trans-Atlantic trade.

Already a stopover for the African slave trade, Puerto Rico itself would become a large patron of the trade.

In an effort to secure its political standing with the island, Spain recognized Puerto Rico as an official province and gave them a right to elect representatives in 1809. As the Spanish kingdom went through parliamentary reforms, Puerto Rico would lose and regain its autonomy as the traditional monarchy of Spain was twice restored. However, by the 1800s, an independence movement amongst Spanish colonies began to spread from South America.

Simón Bolívar’s movement for the United Provinces of New Granada and Venezuela include Puerto Rico and Cuba. Spain’s reaction was to revive a royal decree from 1815, which allowed roughly half a million immigrants to settle on the island. Intended to attract nonSpanish Europeans, the act offered free land to immigrants as long as they swore allegiance to the Spanish Crown and the Roman Catholic Church. With non-Spanish immigrants flocking to the island to claim their land, Spain hoped that the political scales were tipped away from an independence movement.

Slavery was abolished in Puerto Rico in 1873, and the island ended the 1800s with a brief stint of autonomy as an “overseas province” of Spain.

Twentieth Century A Growing Identity Crisis Puerto Rico had long been drafted as an opportune annexation for the United States in the Caribbean, dating back to the presidency of Abraham Lincoln (R-IL). Tensions boiled for military and trade control of the Caribbean just before the turn of the century, culminating in the Spanish-American War. The U.S. invaded Puerto Rico in 1898, leading to Spanish cession of the island, as well as Guam and the Philippines to

the U.S. The subsequent Foraker Act of 1900 afforded Puerto Rico a civilian government, with the upper chamber and governor appointed by the United States.

The Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917 granted Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship, a bill of rights, and a popularly elected Senate.

In addition to the island’s stunted growth during the back-and-forth forms of government, as well as the effects of war, Puerto Rico was hit especially hard during the Great Depression after a series of natural disasters, all keeping the island impoverished during its first few decades under American control. In 1947, Congress passed the Elective Governor Act, granting Puerto Rico the right to vote for their own governor.

Despite the growing autonomy handed down from Congress, Puerto Rico faced many internal struggles, as a growing independence movement clashed with the Insular Government. The Insular Police, effectively Puerto Rico’s National Guard, opened fire on an independence protest in 1937, which was later declared a massacre and police mob action. As members of Congress introduced bills for Puerto Rican independence, arguably fanning the flames in a controversial movement, the Puerto Rican government took steps to quash the independence movement.

In 1948, members of the Puerto Rican Senate introduced a bill that silenced and restricted the rights of Nationalist and independence movements. The Senate, presided by Luis Muñoz Marín, approved the bill and was signed by the U.S.-appointed governor. Under the new law, it became a crime to print, sell, publish, or display any materials against the Insular Government, or to organize under the intent of dismantling the government. The law also criminalized the display of the flag of Puerto Rico. Harsh punishments followed for violation of the law, with sentences of up to ten years in prison and fines of up to $10,000 - roughly $120,000 in today’s value.

In the 1948 election, Luis Muñoz Marín became the first elected governor of Puerto Rico. In 1950, Congress granted Puerto Rico the right to draft and adopt a constitution, which was approved by 82% of the voters, allowing Puerto Rico to become a commonwealth of the United States.

Puerto Rico made a massive shift from agriculture to manufacturing in the 1950s in a jointly-launched New Deal-esque initiative called Operation Bootstrap. As the island attracted large American companies, manufacturing and tourism came with it. In addition to being a major tourist destination, Puerto Rico is also a global center for pharmaceutical manufacturing.

However, the cost of industrialization saw a mass exodus for agricultural workers between 1950 and 1970. As low-education jobs were phased out, many islanders left to the mainland United States, which created massive Puerto Rican communities in several large cities across the country.

1. San Juan - Located on the northeast shore and home to over 300,000 of the island’s inhabitants, San Juan is the capital of the territory and the hotbed of economic activity.

2. Northwest - Home to Aguadilla, the site of Columbus’ landing in 1493, tourist towns, and the center of Puerto Rico’s lace-making industry; the Arecibo Observatory, operated by the National Science Foundation and Cornell University; and beautiful beaches and caves.

3. Dorado and the North Coast - The oldest resort town on the island, just east of San Juan.

4. El Yunque - A sprawling tropical forest, marinas, and small resort towns.

5. Southwest - Home to much local history, including the sites of early sugarcane plantations, blends of culture in the large cities of Ponce and Mayagüez, as well as historical and architectural relics.

6. Southeast - The least developed coastline, small towns, farms, and cliffside attractions.

7. Offshore Islands - Puerto Rico’s offshore islands of Culebra and Vieques are almost entirely tourist-based, while the island of Cayo Santiago is home to a medical experimentation center run by the U.S. Public Health Service. Monkeys originally imported from India are studied here.

Current Political Leanings - An Uncertain Future There have been multiple initiatives to grant Puerto Rico statehood, or at least more clearly define its political status, since it became a commonwealth in the 1950s. Currently, Puerto Rico can elect a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives, known as the Resident Commissioner. As in the other territories, this delegate can sit on committees and sponsor legislation, but cannot cast floor votes.

Puerto Rico can vote in presidential primaries but cannot vote in presidential elections since it is not a member of the electoral college.

Separate votes in 1967, 1993, and 1998 all reaffirmed Puerto Rico as a commonwealth. In 2012, a majority of residents opted for statehood, but with nearly half a million blank ballots cast, the result was not entertained by Congress.

Another referendum in 2017 also produced a majority-vote for statehood, but was also ignored by Congress because of the historically low turnout of only 23%.

Puerto Rico also enjoys a multi-party political system, mainly consisting of the New Progressive Party (NPP), the Popular Democratic Party (PDP), the Citizens’ Victory Movement, the Puerto Rican Independence Party, and Project Dignity. All five parties possess some forms of control or representation in San Juan, but the most powerful are the PDP and the NPP, with the former being centered around a more liberal school of thought, and the latter being a more centrist party concerned with Puerto Rican statehood.

The incumbent Resident Commissioner is Jenniffer González Colón, a member of the New Progressive Party. She is also aligned with the Republican Party.

The incumbent governor is Pedro Pierluisi, also the party leader for the New Progressive Party.

Calls continue to be renewed for Puerto Rican statehood, with the next referendum scheduled for August 2024, sponsored by Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS). It’s unclear what Puerto Rico’s impact would be on congressional balance of power, mainly due to the nuanced political parties and somewhat tainted relationship with the mainland U.S. Although more socially liberal than other Hispanic voters, Puerto Rico is still a mostly Catholic territory. They’re likely to be sympathetic to the Democratic Party, since that party has been the most vocal in advocating for statehood.

Puerto Rico would likely be a blue-leaning battleground, with more Republicans elected locally than federally. However, the island’s future remains uncertain, as consensus towards statehood continues to be ambiguous and the poverty keeps the territory in an economic slump.

Around Town Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

15

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Fighting for Fairness in New York’s Budget As your New York State Senator, I am committed to representing the interests of our residents and bringing your voice to Albany. Today, I want to address a pressing issue that deeply concerns me—the recently proposed budget by Governor Hochul. I have had numerous conversations with residents and our region is being shortchanged by the budget and by the misplaced priorities in Albany.

During the recent press conference at Kings Park High School where Governor Hochul touted her 2024-25 budget plan, I could not help feeling a sense of irony. The very school we were in had just found out that they would be facing a reduction in state school aid—a devastating blow during a time of rampant inflation.

For just Kings Park, this cut will create an $800,000 gap and force them to make complex decisions. In fact, in our region the Cold Spring Harbor, Elwood, Harborfields, Northport-East Northport, and Smithtown school districts all see a loss in Foundation Aid in the proposed budget.

If these numbers are included in the final budget, these schools and others may need to cut services for our children, increase taxes on homeowners, or lay off teachers and staff. It is a burden that our schools should not have to bear, especially considering the proposed budget’s size— over $233 billion, a 4% increase over the previous year.

As highlighted in Newsday, the proposed budget will cost schools in Suffolk County over $33 million in lost aid, with the total cut to Long Island schools exceeding $40 million.

This massive reduction in education aid is unacceptable.

Long Island should not be treated like New York’s ATM and the state should invest in all our children.

What is even more troubling is that a massive portion of the proposed budget - $2.4 billion - is allocated to address the ongoing migrant situation. To be clear, this is a federal issue that has now trickled down to affect our students and teachers. It is time for New York State to put an end to sanctuary city policies that have contributed to this crisis.

I had the opportunity to speak directly with Governor Hochul during her event in Kings Park and conveyed the concern of our residents to her. They are rightly concerned about these aid cuts and about the ongoing migrant fiasco and I clearly delivered that message when we had the opportunity to speak.

Every Long Island school deserves a fair share of education aid, and I am dedicated to ensuring that our region gets what it deserves. Governor Hochul’s proposal is just that—a proposal. I pledge to work closely with the Senate Republican Conference to fight for a fair budget

that serves the interests of all Long Island residents and students.

As the budget negotiations progress in the coming months, I will stand alongside my colleagues in the Senate Republican Conference to ensure that common sense prevails. We will advocate for a budget that is not only sensible and sound but also fair to all regions of the state.

And I look forward to speaking to Governor Hochul again to bring the voice of our region directly to her.

I want to thank everyone who has reached out to my office about the budget proposal to offer their input. Your voice is invaluable, and I share your concerns wholeheartedly. Together, we can strive for a brighter future for all of Long Island and I invite everyone to voice their thoughts by emailing my office at mattera@nysenate.gov.

Mario Mattera (R-St. James) represents the Second District in the New York State Senate, encompassing the entire townships of Huntington and Smithtown.

Smithtown Artist Featured at Apple Bank of Smithtown January 26 - March 22, 2024

Morning Glory, Oil on Canvas

Smithtown Township Arts Council is pleased to announce that the works of Smithtown artist Kusuma Bheemineni will be on view January 26 to March 22, 2024, at Apple Bank of Smithtown, 91 Route 111, Smithtown. The exhibition, part of the Arts Council’s Outreach Gallery Program, may be viewed during regular banking hours from Mondays to Thursdays 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.; Fridays from 9:00a.m. to 6:00p.m.; and Saturdays from 9:00a.m. to 1:00p.m.

Smithtown resident Kusuma Bheemineni has had a passion for sketching and painting since childhood. She began painting in oils at the age of 16, then added watercolor to her list of accomplished mediums.

Kusuma had to put her love for painting on hold to pursue a career in the medical field as a physician. Many years

After the Rain, Oil on Canvas

Morning at Sunken Meadow Park, Oil on Canvas

Still Life, Oil on Canvas later, she is happy to have the time to return to her long-time passion which brings her so much joy!

STAC is grateful to Apple Bank for its continued support of culture in our communities. We are so happy to feature the talents of Long Island artists in this space!

Smithtown Township Arts Council is a 501 (c) (3) not-forprofit organization.

Stony Brook Lake, Oil on Canvas

State News

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Thursday, January 25, 2024

Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Senate Republicans Unveil ‘A New Hope for the Empire State’ 2024 Legislative Agenda

The New York State Senate Republican Conference unveiled “A New Hope for the Empire State,” their legislative agenda for 2024. The agenda prioritizes the issues that affect everyday New Yorkers, but have been neglected by the radical left politicians who control Albany.

Extreme policies pursued under one-party rule have directly caused a decline in New Yorkers’ quality of life.

Over the course of the past several years, we’ve seen destructive policies passed by radical Democrats that have pushed New York to its brink.

Sanctuary state policies have only increased the inflow of migrants, impacting local government services at the detriment of residents who already live here. The recent rise in antisemitic rhetoric coming from DSA radicals at all levels of government has stoked divisions within our communities.

Places of higher learning have become breeding grounds for the antisemitic bullying we see occurring on college campuses throughout the country. Throughout the holiday season, we witnessed protests disrupting the Thanksgiving Day parade, the New York City tree lighting, the New Years Eve ball drop, travel at airports, and more.

Our law enforcement community has their hands tied because of policies that prioritize criminals. The complete disregard for society is flat out appalling. We need sound minded people and a sound minded plan to bring New York back to what it once was.

“A New Hope for the Empire State” is a comprehensive legislative agenda for 2024 outlining a plan to fight for New Yorkers who are tired of the radical left legislature controlling Albany. This agenda prioritizes increasing affordability, improves public safety, and builds a greater New York: Increasing Affordability - Reigning in out of control spending: enact a spending cap, rejecting tax increases and unfunded mandates, and providing tax relief for all New Yorkers; - Taking action to help all New Yorkers struggling to make ends meet by rejecting extreme climate proposals, incentivizing new housing construction to deal with the housing shortage, and making child care more accessible and affordable; - Improving the state’s business climate by protecting small businesses and farms by reducing regulations and unfair costs.

Improving Public Safety - Protecting New Yorkers from antisemitism and other hateful violence by making any antisemitic behavior a hate crime, making all hate crimes bail eligible, protecting hate crime victims and houses of worship, and implementing financial penalties on both college universities and students who condone or engage in antisemitic behavior while receiving state aid; - Rejecting efforts to continue New York a sanctuary state status; - Reversing failed criminal justice policies that have made our communities less safe, including bail reform, discovery reform, and others; - Rejecting policies that put criminals above victims and law-abiding New Yorkers; - Providing more services and funding to address mental health crises and substance abuse disorders.

Building a Greater New York - Closing the pandemic learning gap, expanding school choice, and further investing in vocational education and workforce development; - Providing support to our Veterans to reacclimate and find educational and career opportunities; - Investing in and strengthening our infrastructure to encourage growth.

More details of the New York State Senate Republicans’ “A New Hope for the Empire State” 2024 legislative agenda will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

“New Yorkers are deeply dissatisfied with the direction of our state and our Conference is here to provide an alternative path forward. I have traveled throughout the state and people are tired, frustrated and angry. They feel forgotten,” said Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda). “Over the course of the year, we have seen crimes and costs rise. Antisemitism is infiltrating our schools

and communities and has become the norm. The migrant crisis has only gotten worse because New York City politicians continue to push their feel-good policies, but it is these radical policies that are driving New Yorkers out. As the Leader of this conference, I will not take a back seat to the progressive agenda destroying our state. Our Republican Conference will fight to give hope to those New Yorkers who feel they have no alternative but to leave our state. Our common sense agenda provides solutions to build a greater New York for future generations. It is clear New Yorkers are unhappy. Our plan offers a vision to correct that and bring New York back as a desirable place to live. As we head into a new legislative session, we will outline common-sense solutions to address these issues and improve

the quality of life of every New Yorker.”

“Ask any New Yorker, and they will tell you their quality of life has deteriorated over the last few years because of leftist policies enacted by New York Democrats,” said Senate Deputy Republican Leader Andrew Lanza (R-Great Kills). “Their policies are so out of touch with reality that New Yorkers from every region are fleeing to other states that are safer, affordable and free. Our policy agenda will reverse this downward spiral and bring common sense to New York’s government and put it back in the hands of our citizens where it belongs.”

“From enacting a senseless gas ban to weakening public safety to allowing uncontrolled migration, one-party rule is clearly failing and forcing our residents to decide if they are able to raise their families here,” said Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James). “Our plan will bring common sense back to our state and show all who live and work here that New York can and must do better. We owe it to those who elected us to do all we can to enhance their lives and to work together to accomplish that goal.”

“There’s no time to waste, we are losing family and friends on a daily basis as more and more New Yorker’s are fleeing this one-party rule and their radical policies,” said Senator Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue). “We must pass common sense legislation like ‘A New Hope for the Empire State’ legislative agenda for 2024, to once again make New York affordable, safe, and a place where we can thrive.”

“I am proud to stand with my New York State Senate Republicans colleagues to advance a robust agenda that will enhance public safety and address affordability issues impacting the state,” said Senator Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk). “The vast majority of New Yorkers want a return to common sense criminal justice policies that put the needs of law enforcement, crime victims, and law-abiding citizens before criminals, and economic policies that provide relief, not additional burdens. 2024 is a new year, and an opportunity to deliver for the hardworking men and women who call the Empire State home.”

“More and more New Yorkers are fleeing our state to find a safer and more affordable life for their families,” said Senator Alexis Weik (R-Sayville). “Democrats have doubled down on their failed policies of overspending, undermining public safety, and disregarding common sense. The Republican Conference is offering solutions such as making the Property Tax Rebate program permanent and protecting hate crime victims during the discovery process. It is time to hold Democrats accountable for their failure to reconsider ineffective policies,” “There’s no greater evidence that New York State is headed in the wrong direction than the fact that more people moved out of New York than any other state in the country,” said Senator Steven Rhoads (R-Bellmore). “This plan provides the roadmap to put New York State back on the right track; prioritizing public safety, making New York more affordable, and investing in the right priorities. Governor Hochul and the Democratic majorities in the state legislature need to adopt this legislative agenda, because doubling down on the same failed policies will only drive more people out of New York and further deteriorate the quality of life for those who remain.”

“New Yorkers are all longing for accountability from our state government and searching for signs of hope that things will get better,” said Senator Patricia CanzoneriFitzpatrick (R-Malverne). ”Antisemitism, in particular, is running rampant not only on our streets, but also on our college campuses. Now more than ever, we owe it to our Jewish communities to ensure their safety. The lack of affordability and public safety continue to be problems impacting taxpayers, and it is because of these significant quality-of-life issues that New Yorkers feel forced to flee to other states. Our conference stands ready to advance an agenda that will bring our state back from the disaster that extreme policymaking has wrought upon us.”

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Thursday, January 25, 2024

How Republicans Are Slowly Rescuing The Economy AMAC Exclusive – By Aaron Flanigan

Thanks to the Republican House majority, as well as the increasing likelihood that Donald Trump will defeat Joe Biden this November, the stock market is booming – and is perhaps the only silver lining in an otherwise struggling economy.

Despite the White House’s best efforts to sell the supposed successes of “Bidenomics,” 70 percent of Americans believe the economy is getting worse, not better. Moreover, just 32 percent of Americans approve of Biden’s handling of the economy – even lower than Biden’s overall 39 percent approval rating.

The one economic bright spot is the relatively strong gains seen in the stock market over the last year, which Biden has been quick to take credit for. But a look at when the market actually began to recover from a lackluster performance during Biden’s first two years suggests that Biden had little to do with the turnaround, and in fact, has been an obstacle to even greater growth.

Following a lull in the weeks and months leading up to the 2022 midterm elections, the stock market experienced a bump when it became clear that the GOP had secured a majority in the House of Representatives. Following Election Day 2022, the DOW saw a more than 1,100-point bump, indicating that investors felt more comfortable knowing the House would be controlled by conservatives.

They had every reason to be optimistic. The contrast between the economic growth fostered by conservative policies and the economic malaise seen under liberal rule could not be more clear.

Under the Biden administration, cumulative inflation has reached nearly 20 percent, real wages have plummeted, mortgage rates are climbing, and family incomes are down more than $7,000. Meanwhile, high inflation has ravaged American families, monthly jobs reports have been revised downward for months on end – suggesting that the job market is far weaker than the White House has publicly claimed – and Biden has wasted trillions of dollars on far-left spending packages.

On the other hand, under the Trump administration (during which the GOP retained a House majority from 2017-2019 and controlled the Senate for all four years), the 30-year mortgage rate reached a record low, inflation was below two percent, household net worth reached an all-time high, and annual incomes increased by more than $6,000.

Republican policies like the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as well as Trump’s targeted program of cutting unnecessary regulations, also generated historic levels of confidence in the U.S. economy. As a result, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ repeatedly reached record highs, and the DOW closed above 20,000 points for the first time ever.

Now, similar patterns have begun to emerge as polling consistently indicates that Donald Trump is well-positioned to topple Joe Biden in November if he receives the Republican nomination—a prospect which seems all but assured following his overwhelming victories in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary this month. In the minds of American investors, there is a growing optimism that Biden will lose this fall, meaning that a return to Trump-era economic policies could be near the horizon.

Trump himself has recently commented on the direct correlation between his polling successes and positive changes in the stock market: “And I think the stock market’s got markets going up because I’m leading Biden in all of the polls—every poll, every single poll for in states that normally are not easy to lead,” Trump said during a town hall in Iowa. “But I would say this: we have a situation in which I believe the stock market goes up because I’m leading.

I think if I wasn’t leading, the stock market would be 25 percent lower. And I think, frankly, if I didn’t win, I think the stock market would crash.”

For the time being, however, the GOP’s slim majority in the House is perhaps the only barrier between a still struggling economy with hope for recovery and complete economic collapse. This November, voters will have a chance to reverse Democrats’ record of economic decay, reassert pro-growth policies, and recreate the conditions that led to the strongest economy on record just four years ago.

Though the media will undoubtedly go out of its way to ignore these obvious correlations, investors clearly know which party’s policies will ultimately drag the U.S. economy out of its slump. And for this reason alone, Republican voters—and every American worried about the state of the economy—have ample reason for hope.

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News Thursday, January 25, 2024

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Community Expresses Concern Over St. Catherine Maternity Closure

Dr. John Vullo, Vice President of the OB/GYN service line, joined the conversation to add some context to the closure.

“I was brought on, corporately, to come to St. Catherine’s and St. Charles to build the units. That was our plan originally. This was not the plan. We actually hired a minimally invasive surgeon who was starting in July to support the group that is now leaving. We were bringing in two oncologists on board to support the group that was there. We were not expecting this group to go to a different team, so to speak.”

Nurse Marion Ciecirski challenged Vullo’s statements. She explained that when she began her work in the unit, there were over twenty practitioners working. As they retired or left, they were not appropriately replaced, leaving the unit with one practice left today.

“Sir, you just said you can’t answer for the future. But that is what medicine is, isn’t it?

We are supposed to be prepared,” said Ciecirski. “But you’re not going to be prepared for the migrant village that is going to open up down the block from St. Catherine’s in the old Kings Park Psych Center. And you weren’t prepared for the one group to be left. That’s not being prepared. And in medicine, you do need to be prepared. I can tell you our unit is always prepared, always set up for that emergency, always prepared for what may walk in the door, because that is a matter of life and death,” said Ciercirski.

“We’re very proud of the work that’s done in all of our Catholic Health hospitals,” said Eisenstein. “It’s one thing I’ve seen since the minute I got here. We are appreciative of all that you do, this is in no means meant to be something negative towards our staff. We think the work that’s been done is great. The market has changed, the providers aren’t there right now. We’re going to continuously look at what’s best for the community and respond to it. I’ve been here a year and a half, but it’s been clear to me that we’re trying to build every one of our campuses into something better and deliver better services but we’re very proud of the nurses in our workforce. You do a great job.”

Questions Regarding ‘Community Equity Impact Assessment’ Question: “Other than passing out surveys in today’s meeting, how are you assessing the health equity impact?”

With this question, Catholic Health passed the microphone to Ha Nguyen of the Sachs Policy Group, who has been hired from the State-recommended list of independent contractors to perform Community Equity Impact Assessments.

Answer: “The surveys that I have designed for you all include multiple questions to understand the impact of some of the things that were mentioned, transportation, migrants that may be coming in, workforce; it allows you to put that input in. The goal of this assessment survey is to help us understand ways to mitigate. If you are also interested in an interview, there is a way to share that in the community survey. You can add your name and phone number and let us know that you are interested in chatting with one of my team members, and we will do our best to capture all your concerns.”

Also handed out at the public forum was a QR code where the community can share its thoughts on the survey itself. If there is anything that the community believes the survey is missing or not focusing on enough, Nguyen asks to please let her know via the survey feedback form.

Community members spoke up with some concerns regarding the survey, including the fact that it needs to be available in multiple languages that are common within our community. It is now available in both Spanish and English.

The public forum came to an end earlier than planned as representatives of CHS, including Declan Doyle, Larry Eisenstein, and John Vullo, left the building at 7:00p.m. during the assessment discussion and did not return back to the meeting to answer the rest of the public’s questions. After some backlash from the community, a CHS representative did return to say that while the anonymous public survey was being discussed, CHS Representatives left the room for complete anonymity. More community questions were asked, however, they could not be answered without CHS’s presence.

As of press time, Catholic Health has not yet submitted their closure plan to the state, and they continue to assess the community’s needs throughout the process of making their submission. If you would like to participate in the Community Equity Impact Assessment survey to express your concerns, ask questions, and be a part of the assessment, please scan the QR code at right.

Expires 9/1/2024

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Overview - AMAC - The Association of Mature American Citizens

19

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

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

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Commonsense ‘Trump’s’ Conservatism

By Matt Kane | AMAC

There is some truth to the claim that President Trump is not the most “conservative” candidate running for president, but he doesn’t have to be.

Republicans who prefer a non-Trump nominee, particularly former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and current candidate Ron DeSantis have recently attempted to shed light on what they deem a lack of conservatism in Trump in an attempt to hurt his standing with primary voters. However, history shows us Republican voters have never cared much about how conservative Trump is or isn’t.

Trump has always shied away from the staunch conservative label. When campaigning in 2016, he coined the phrase “Commonsense Conservative,” creating a healthy distance from many of the ineffective members of the conservative movement while signaling he did hold many of the right-leaning viewpoints necessary to secure the Republican base. While he has been a registered Republican often throughout his life, his voter registration has varied over the years from Republican to Democrat, to Independent, and even a stint as a member of the Reform party. Despite his lack of lifetime Republican party loyalty, he went on to receive the most votes for any Republican nominee ever in 2016 before adding 12 million more votes to that total in 2020, which broke the record for votes by a sitting president. And now, he appears more popular than ever within the party as polls show him with a historic lead for a non-incumbent.

If being a staunch conservative was the most important thing to voters, America would have looked a lot different over the past 15 years. John McCain would have prevented the Obama presidency, but after 8 years under the “conservative” George W. Bush administration that resulted in a recession and multiple wars, a sense of national conservative fatigue delivered us the Obama presidency instead. Even after the initial shine of Barack Obama quickly wore off by the 2012 election, Paul Ryan’s proud conservatism was not enough to propel the Romney-Ryan ticket over the finish line to make Obama a one-term president.

Americans typically don’t like when one party rules for too long. But even when that same fatigue that opened a path for Democrats in 2008 was presenting itself for Republicans in 2016, none of the well-known conservative candidates in the race such as Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz (or any of the other 14 non-Trump candidates) were able to seize the opportunity. Instead, the “non-conservative” became the people’s champion.

Even today, as the country yearns for drastic change, labeling oneself as a conservative doesn’t seem to be enough to win significant support.

Mike Pence and his vow to return America to “oldschool conservative values” never even made it to the starting gate. Ron DeSantis has openly named conservatives George H.W. Bush and Paul Ryan as people he admires, so he continues to sink lower in the polls as the primary rapidly approaches. And Nikki Haley, who has surpassed DeSantis as the number two in numerous polls, is not cutting into Trump’s national polling lead in any significant way, likely due to her stances on Israel and Ukraine that echo that of the Bush years.

Trump has always played by his own set of rules, which prevents him from being tied down to ideological boundaries. His time as president was no different, as he differed from previous conservative administrations in two key ways: War and trade. America’s economy and its presence on the world stage desperately need revamping. This is why what he describes as his commonsense approach to governing, whether it is viewed as “conservative” or not, is more appealing at this

current moment than rigid conservatism.

The case could be made that Trump’s non-conservative openmindedness is what makes his message resonate more than traditional conservatives. Republican voters are weary of returning to the type of conservatism from the second Bush administration, which ushered in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide. After four years under Trump’s “peace through strength” approach to foreign affairs, it is easy to see why voters reject candidates who appear open to returning to pre-Trump republicanism.

In addition to world conflict, America’s finances are top of mind for voters. One of the more favorably viewed conservative presidents, Ronald Reagan, was a “free-trader.” As America continues

O N

to see endless amounts of money sent all over the globe while our government neglects our pressing issues at home, anything viewed as free is not a popular stance to take during a time of financial crisis. This makes Trump’s trailblazing “fair-trade” philosophy for a Republican a lot more favorable amongst voters.

Trump-appointed justices ended Roe v. Wade. He cut taxes, strengthened the military, and reigned over a booming economy.

To voters, actions speak louder than words. Detractors’ attempts to negatively frame Trump’s official conservatism report card are irrelevant. As Americans are eager to rid themselves of the chaos of Biden-era policies, Trump’s presidential resume will undoubtedly be more influential than his level of conservatism, whatever that even means.

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Bits & Pieces

20 WORD tabulate OF THE

Week Origin: early 17th century (originally Scots in the sense ‘enter on a roll’): in modern use from table + -ate

Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Pronounced ta·byuh·layt

verb Definition: arrange (data) in tabular form Example: “The poll workers are ready to tabulate the votes as soon as the polls close.”

Synonyms: arrange, order, organize, systematize Antonyms: integrate, consolidate, aggregate

Hint: LONG ISLAND Town Names This Week in History Facts 1/25 Word Ladder 1/25 The aim of the game is to get from the given initial word to the given final word by changing only one letter per line. Note that every line must be a valid word.

Sometimes there are several possibilities.

Initial word: DREAM Final word: SLEEP Goal: 7 words 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

January 29, 1845: Edgar Allan Poe, a famous American writer, published The Raven in New York City’s The Evening Mirror newspaper. The Raven is now a common text that American high school students learn narrative poetry from. Even centuries later, poets idolize and learn from the poem that tells of a lovestruck soul visited by a mysterious raven.

January 25, 1981 Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders became the first player in the National Hockey League to score 50 goals in 50 games. Bossy spent his entire 10-year professional hockey career with the Islanders, scoring a career total of 44 hat tricks, winning 4 championships, and was elected into the Hockey Hall of fame in 1991. Bossy passed away in 2022, in his hometown of Montreal, Canada.

6.

7.

January 27, 1945:

8.

9.

10.

Check our Instagram @MessengerPapers and our Facebook for the answers to this week’s games.

Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps in Poland. This day is now known as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Troops were unaware at the time that the Auschwitz camp was functioning there, as liberating it was not in their orders. Troop scouts stumbled upon the camp and saw the horrific ordeals, directing troops to follow immediately.

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22

Around Town Thursday, January 25, 2024

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Legislator Trotta Thanks All Who Participated in His Annual Winter Coat Drive

For several years, Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) has been working with Smithtown based SMM Advertising and the Retired Senior Volunteer Programs (RSVP) to conduct a winter coat drive to benefit the residents of Suffolk County who are in need of warm winter clothing.

“The response was phenomenal. We received numerous donations from so many residents, as well as the Kings Park High School, Fort Salonga Elementary School, St. Catherine’s of Siena, and the Utility Workers Union of

America,” said Legislator Trotta. “A special thank you to Paul who wants to remain anonymous who gave us twenty-five brand new coats. In addition, for the second year in a row, Sue Harrison knitted hats for the children and adults,” added Trotta.

Maryflorence Brennan, Executive Director of RSVP said, “The Friends of the Retired and Senior Volunteer program is overwhelmed by the response of our RSVP volunteers and our community members to take this opportunity to care for our community. The number of blankets and coats that they provided was incredible and so often the donation came with a willingness to continue to help. We are grateful to be working with Legislator Trotta and SMM Advertising.”

You may be eligible for the Senior Citizen Exemption if: • the property is your primary residence • you are at least 65 as of December 31, 2024; and • the combined 2022 income of the property owners does not exceed $58,400 If eligible, you must file a Senior Citizen Exemption application (RP-467), together with proof of your 2022 income with the Assessor’s Office, NO LATER than March 1, 2024.

The exemption application and instructions are available at: www.smithtownny.gov/103/Assessors-Office or www.tax.ny.gov Assessor’s Office 40 Maple Avenue Smithtown NY 11787 Phone: 631-360-7560 Please disregard this notice if you already applied for this exemption and were notified that the exemption was granted for the 2024/25 year and will appear on your December, 2024 tax bill.

Sports Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Thursday, January 25, 2024

23

Patchogue Native Puts on Pinstripes

By PJ Balzer

Marcus Stroman is no stranger including this past year with the Cubs. He to Yankee stadium. As a matter won the Gold Glove award in 2017 and of fact, he grew up in Patchogue, was chosen for the All World Baseball where he had a stellar high school Classic, where he was crowned the most career pitching for the Raiders. He valuable player. Despite some injuries, grew up going to Yankee stadium Stroman has an impact wherever he with his dad, a Suffolk County Police goes. He’s a tough right-hander whose detective. Stroman, as most kids overall stats say no different. do, dreamed about standing on the Earlier last year, there was some pitcher’s mound with the Yankee seemingly unfriendly chatter between uniform on. After a ten-year major Stroman and Yankees owner Brian league career with three different Cashman. The chatter may have been teams, Marcus is coming home to what has opened the conversation Yankee stadium. about negotiating a contract with the A 2009 Pat-Med graduate, hometown player. This past week, Stroman dominated League One Marcus Stroman and the New York and our own Brookhaven Town Yankees finalized a $37 million, two-year leagues. He garnered a reputation contract. There is also a significant sign for an “untouchable” sinker among on bonus and possible provisions made batters who faced him. Marcus for a contract extension. throws extremely hard and then Stroman is quoted in multiple freezes batters with the movement interviews this week that he has chills he puts on the ball. He’s outspoken, just thinking about standing on the Photo by Malcolm Hill a fierce competitor, and knows how mound hearing his name announced at to get in the opponents’ heads. the famous Yankee stadium. He’s excited He played for top-ranked Duke University after high school, after which he that his family and friends will be able to see him play in New York again. was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays. He spent two years playing for the Mets Yankee fans are also excited about what this next season may bring. Marcus and most recently for the Chicago Cubs. Stroman hasn’t been the average will be standing next to Cole, Judge, Soto, and Volpe, which collectively may major league pitcher either. He was twice chosen for the All Star Game be a recipe for another ring.

Why Sports?

By PJ Balzer

If you walk into any high school others, and being a part of something in Suffolk County, you’ll be met by bigger than yourself. The coaches the hustle and bustle of sports. believe that football is a way out of Trophy cases, team photos, banners poverty for many children and has been hanging in the gymnasium, and proven to be. The practices, the drills, parents double-parked outside the team dinners, and taking the kids to waiting for their child to finish see local college football games all help practicing. Buses are coming and them dream bigger than just their block. going carrying our kids all over to They also implement the importance of compete against other schools. The scholastics and being an upright student booster clubs are out selling raffle in the classroom, without which a college tickets for new uniforms, while our won’t consider offering a scholarship. many coaches are studying the films The coaches believe that even if their of the next opponent. players never make it to a big-time But is this all that there is to a college or to the NFL, they are providing sport and to those who participate? the children with life skills and lessons Is the climax of it all the trophy or that will help them be successful in life. the banner? Or is there a thread that To bring it a little closer to home, I is being sown much deeper into our have witnessed this firsthand in my own children’s community through their community as well. We have some of the participation in a sport? same struggles that this area has had.

Photo by Pixabay Not too long ago I viewed a At the same time, we have young people documentary about a community who are being diverted by a basketball, in the Miami-Dade area of Florida. This community specifically has an a football, a soccer ball, or a wrestling mat. Young people are being given extremely high poverty rate, especially amongst its children. This community an option rather than hanging around being idle on the streets after school. simultaneously has a crime rate that is just as high; it’s not rare to hear Many of our coaches not only coach the young people, but they also care for gunfire as the sun sets. Gangs constantly fight over blocks and territory them personally. I have witnessed the difference in a young person I knew where drugs are being sold. Drug addicts roam the streets at night figuring was headed down a one way yet was turned around by joining a team. While out a way to get their next high while alcoholism runs rampant through this most of them didn’t make it big, they did develop a work ethic and character community. Residents themselves have described it as a rough place to live that wasn’t there prior. and a rougher place to navigate as an innocent child.

No matter what community you come from or reside in, sports are Yet this community also produces more NFL players than any other important. Get involved, sit in the stands, donate to the booster clubs, community per mile radius in the United States. They pride themselves on encourage our youth to put on a uniform. Sports are bigger than just the their youth football league which is highly competitive; it’s a way of life there. here and now, the trophy and the banner. They can be life changing for any Football is used to teach children hard work, punctuality, working well with child or teenager.

Messenger Spotlight

Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Engeman Theater’s Latest Production

Celebrates

Love!

By Cindi Sansone-Braff

With Valentine’s Day in the air, The Engeman Theater’s latest production, “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” makes for a great date night. It’s also a perfect way to celebrate “Singles Awareness Day” (February 15) by treating a friend to a fabulously fun night of theater.

With music by Jimmy Roberts and book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro, this show is the second-longest-running off-Broadway musical, with the beloved classic “The Fantasticks” holding the number one spot.

This well-crafted comedy musical revue satirizes love with all its crazy manifestations.

Set in modern times, this show unfolds in a series of unrelated vignettes and songs. Four multi-talented actors take on more than forty roles. Act I focuses on the ups and downs of single life, culminating in a wonderful and wacky wedding scene. Act II deals with marriage, children, and dating during the Golden Years.

You would need help finding a more versatile or talented quartet of actors on any stage. Saturday’s opening night audience showed their appreciation for Danny Bernardy, Lauren Weinberg, Gina Naomi Baez, and understudy Matt DaSilva (stepping in for

Jason Sweettooth Williams) by giving them a rousing standing ovation. Lauren Echausse is the understudy for the women roles.

Much of the success of this production belongs to John Simpkins’s outstanding choreography and precision-perfect direction.

The comedic vignettes left the audience roaring with laughter, whereas the dramatic ones tugged at their heartstrings.

One of the funniest scenes in the show features gay parents, both named Frank.

DaSilva and Bernardy had the audience in

stitches as these two over-the-top gay dads went on and on about parenthood and their baby, Frank Jr. When their friend, brilliantly portrayed by Weinberg, comments on how these two guys aren’t any fun anymore, Bernardy breaks into a riotous rap song, “The Baby’s Song,” reminiscing about his good old Eminem days. Bernardy displayed his phenomenal physical comedy abilities and stellar vocals during this high-energy number.

Some of my favorite scenes featured the entire company. The actors’ easy onstage chemistry made the various couple combinations a joy to behold. The audience broke out in spontaneous laughter when the company belted out a song satirizing men and

what they think women want. In Act 11, one of the show’s highlights featured the whole company in a laugh-a-minute scene entitled “The Family that Drives Together,” where the actors race around on wheeled seats.

The song “On the Highway of Love” is sidesplittingly funny, with a series of one-liners comprising the lyrics.

This show also has many poignant moments, such as the scene called “Funerals are for Dating,” where two spry seniors meet in a funeral home and engage in a heartwarming flirtation. Kudos to Baez and Bernardy for their spot-on, but not stereotypical, portrayal of two older people who are still young at heart. Their dance number during “I Can Live with That” was another highlight of the show.

Portraying a long-time married man, Matt DaSilva delivered a beautiful rendition of the ballad, “Shouldn’t I be Less in Love with You.” Lauren Weinberg gave a moving performance and showcased her powerhouse vocals during her solo, “I Will Be Loved Tonight.” Her noteworthy comedic acting talents were displayed during the scene “The Very First Dating Video of Rose Ritz.”

Gina Naomi Baez, dressed in a godawful bridesmaid gown with its requisite matching shoes, stole the show when she performed the Country-Western tune “Always a Bridesmaid.”

Kyle Dixon outdid himself with an eyecatching set, and a big round of applause goes out to Dustin Cross for his innovative costume designs, which allowed for the many rapid costume changes.

Engaging, evocative, and entertaining, Engeman’s “I Love You, Your Perfect, Now Change” is a welcomed mid-winter distraction guaranteed to tickle your funny bone and warm your heart!

Content Warning: This show contains adult themes and language and may not be appropriate for all audiences. The show runs now through March 3, 2024. Tickets may be purchased by calling 631-261-2900, in-person at the Engeman Theater Box Office at 250 Main Street, Northport, or by visiting their website: www.engemantheater.com.

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