Smithtown Messenger Archive May 9, 2024

Romaine Gives 2024 State of the County Address

By Matt Meduri

Pursuant to the County Charter, the County Executive must address the Suffolk County Legislature with a “State of the County” address, with the intention being to update the Legislators on current affairs in the County and delineate priorities and a path forward.

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) addressed the Legislature and the public at Tuesday’s general meeting at 10:30a.m. at the Legislature building in Hauppauge.

It was the first State of the County Address delivered by a Republican County Executive to a Legislature with a Republican supermajority since 1996.

“I am extremely hopeful about the future of this County and there’s eighteen reasons for that, and they’re all sitting around me,” Romaine opened. “We may not always agree on everything, but there’s one thing that I think everyone should agree on, and that’s that the future of this County is good, but it can be improved.”

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Green Renovations Discussed for Calderone Theatre

By Matt Meduri

Local history is an important backbone of any community. From remembering roots to preserving architecture and traditions, stewardship of local history ensures a community’s identity will not fade into obscurity.

However, the task of preserving community artifacts is often not an easy one. Dilapidation, disaster, and even encroachment from other parties can turn the small gap between the community and its priceless heritage into a chasm of nondescript development and a loss of intrinsic identity.

Celebrate St. James, a nonprofit cultural arts organization, is looking to maintain that exact balancing act, vis-à-vis the historic Calderone Theatre.

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The Calderone Theatre in St. James

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Thursday, May 9, 2024

Continued from front cover

Green Renovations Discussed for Calderone Theatre

Located in the heart of St. James, the Theatre was built in the early 1900s and is believed to have housed live stage performances before being purchased by the Calderone family, who owned a large chain of movie theatres.

Over the last century or so, the historic building has fallen into disrepair. In 1985, Natalie Weinstein, still the current landlord of the building, purchased the Calderone Theatre with the intention of not only preserving the history, but restoring it to its former glory as a playhouse. The former President of Celebrate St. James, Weinstein has worked with the group in ensuring the building remains standing and undeveloped, while also taking in grant money and donations to continue the renovation efforts.

Now, the Calderone Theatre might just get a new overhaul on top of its intended preservation in the form of green initiatives to make the building more sustainable and less of a strain on resources.

A presentation was held last week in the second floor of the theatre, where memorabilia and heirlooms are stored in the museum, to discuss the possible green renovations and the purposes of such an overhaul.

“It might pique our imaginations to think of the people who came to this building in the wake of World War I and the Depression to be enriched, entertained, and inspired,” said Weinstein. “That’s what we are continuing to do, and what we want to be able to do in a cultural art center is to feature the best of green energy initiatives and construction.”

The presentation was developed and held by Neil Rosen and Frank Dalene. Rosen is a registered architect, a LEED Fellow, Certified Passive House Consultant, Certified Energy Manager, and Certified Healthcare Facilities Manager with over forty years of experience in the design, construction, and operations of highperformance buildings. Rosen is the President of Grin Sustainability, a full-service green building consultancy that he founded in 2012. He is also an adjunct professor at the New York Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture and Design.

Frank Dalene is the President and CEO of Telemark, Inc., a construction services business that he cofounded with his brother in 1978. Telemark has been known for their superior quality, craftsmanship, and for being a national leader in energy efficiencies. Telemark is known for their completion of the world’s first certified carbon-neutral building.

“This building was built one hundred years ago, but a lot has happened since then and our consciousness about the environment has grown. We’ve become very aware of impacts that certain things have on our environment,” said Dalene. Dalene made the concept of environmental responsibility at the forefront of the presentation.

“This building is still standing here after one hundred years and what we hope to do with this project is to give this building another one hundred years worth of life,” said Rosen. “A lot of people look at first costs and try to find the least expensive building they can possibly build. We want to do better than that.”

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Rosen said that energy efficiency comes from current energy costs, stating that the building is not energy efficient today since that was not the mindset of builders a century ago. Rosen said that ventilation is a large aspect of gauging a building’s air quality metrics and air changes. Through thousands of cracks in the walls, air escapes from outside in and vice versa. While outside air can ventilate the interior of a building, releasing air by large quantities over short periods of time can lead to increased heating and cooling costs.

Rosen said the goal is to get the Calderone Theatre at a platinum-level rating, according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the highest ranking a building can obtain based on a point system that, according to Rosen, is a “very challenging place to go.”

Rosen said that the building already has some decent basis points since the building itself is being recycled. Furthermore, a downstairs garden with irrigation supplied by rainwater will also help the building’s “green” score increase.

Solar panels are also a priority of the initiative. Rosen said that some current aspects of the roof can be removed since they have become obsolete, making more room for panels. The gas line into the building is also slated for removal. Rosen also mentioned the importance of a good air conditioning system, stressing that the initial cost of an efficient system is far worth the price long-term than a cheaper one.

“We have one of the best, if not the best, utility incentive programs on the planet here on Long Island for green buildings,” said Rosen. “PSE&G helps with all of this and we will be hitting them up for everything they have. When you pay your electric bill, you pay a service benefit charge. That goes into an account and those who get incentives get paid out of that account. The utility isn’t giving you any money, they’re giving you your money back.”

Rosen also discussed the design of a building that can withstand outages and sustain itself for periods of time, namely regarding battery backups fed by solar panels, allowing the Calderone Theatre to further live up to its passive-house potential.

Long Island’s precarious position on a sole-source aquifer was also discussed during the presentation, with Rosen mentioning the use of rainwater “where we can” and “very efficient plumbing fixtures.” Rosen also made a case for recycling buildings with an interesting statistic: “Of all the buildings that are expected to be in existence in 2050, 80% of them exist today.”

“I want to keep some of them because we can’t afford to lose the history of them,” said Rosen.

The question also comes down to the Calderone Theatre’s status as a historic building. To qualify for historic building status, certain metrics must be maintained, but many aspects of the character and design of the building must also be kept in place. The importance of historic status allows more grant money to flow from other levels of government, but it creates a balancing act scenario between the futuristic renovations and retaining the classic identity of the theatre. Federal tax credits for historic buildings allow for renovations, but the Calderone Theatre would need to remain in a certain part of the Venn Diagram to renovate in such a way that it can obtain the funds to do so.

The Calderone Theatre will rely on donations and grant money in order to complete the renovations in its efforts to remain a historic landmark, while also becoming a green building. Trajectory of the project relies entirely on funds that flow to the Theatre.

The presentation was attended by Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park) and Senator Mario Mattera (RSt. James), both of whom share the interest of preserving historical landmarks and utilizing valuable green initiatives.

Supervisor Wehrheim’s presence was noted by Weinstein and members of Celebrate St. James, who recognize him and the Town as valuable partners in their initiative. The title of the Theatre will be transferred to the Town when it is most advantageous during the renovation of the property.

“I found the presentation to be very interesting and very informative,” said Supervisor Wehrheim. “Working towards a sustainable building will help the organization Celebrate St. James economically, but it also carves out a niche for the building as the first of its kind.”

“The efforts by Celebrate St. James to preserve the Calderone Theatre as an historic component of the local community while also prioritizing the use of green initiatives are so important,” said Senator Mattera. “As the Ranking Republican Senator on the Senate’s Labor Committee, I am aware of the importance of utilizing new energy sources to protect our environment and know that the organization’s efforts to find reliable, clean energy sources will benefit all our residents. Led by President Doris Meyer and Founder Natalie Weinstein, Celebrate St. James is both preserving our collective past while helping to move us towards a better future and that is greatly appreciated.”

The Calderone Theatre and the Celebrate St. James Community Cultural Arts Center are located at 176 Second Street in St. James. Celebrate St. James can be reached at 631-686-5644 or at celebratestjames@ gmail.com.

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Members of Celebrate St. James, planners of the project, and Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (Credit - Matt Meduri)

Lee Zeldin, Riley Gaines, Legislators, Coaches, Parents, and Student Athletes Speak Out Against Proposition 1

On Monday, May 6, 2024, former fourterm U.S. Congressman, 2022 New York Gubernatorial candidate, and Chairman of the Leadership America Needs PAC, Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), joined Riley Gaines and legislative leaders at the New York State Capitol in opposition to Proposition 1.

Proposition 1 is a constitutional amendment that will be voted on by New Yorkers via statewide ballot on November 5, 2024. Congressman Zeldin slammed Governor Kathy Hochul (D) and Albany Democrats last week for advancing this assault on women’s rights, parental rights, and much more.

“Proposition 1 is a full-fledged attack on women’s rights by Kathy Hochul and the Democrats, targeting girls and women on sports fields, in locker rooms, on single-sex high school and college campuses, in dormitories, in bathrooms and elsewhere. Its impacts could be far reaching – destroying parental oversight, trampling free speech rights, extending constitutional protections to illegal aliens, and much more,” said Congressman Lee Zeldin. “To protect your rights, stand up for parents, and save girls’ sports, every common sense New Yorker MUST vote NO on Proposition 1 on November 5.”

“This ballot initiative is the latest attempt by misguided lawmakers to enshrine the destruction of female athletics into the state constitution,”

said Riley Gaines. “Whether it be Joe Biden (D) changing the definition of Title IX, female athletes in West Virginia being banned from competition for standing up for themselves, or a male assaulting a girl in a bathroom at a high school in Western New York, there is a coordinated effort to destroy girls’ sports and attack women’s rights. I am proud to stand alongside countless New Yorkers who support common sense and want to Save Women’s Sports.”

Proposition 1 was struck from the ballot in a State Supreme Court ruling, but Democrats have appealed the decision to get it back on the November ballot. Zeldin issued another statement in response to the decision.

“In New York, there has been no greater threat in our lifetimes to women’s and girls’ rights than Kathy Hochul and the Democrats attempting to jam their

far-left, woke agenda into the State Constitution through Proposition 1. Today’s court decision is a huge win for parents, women, girls, female athletes, and common sense New Yorkers all across the state. Proposition 1 was being used as an attempt by New York Democrats to deceptively put abortion on the ballot, when in reality it was a full-fledged attack on women’s rights, free speech, girls’ sports, rule of law, and much more,” said Zeldin. “The good news is that a New York State Supreme Court Justice struck Proposition 1 from the ballot yesterday in a court ruling. The bad news is that Democrats are still hellbent on getting this radical initiative back on the ballot by appealing yesterday’s decision, so we must keep up the fight and continue spreading the word.”

Here are some of the consequences:

• Prohibit educational institutions from barring males from participating in female sports.

• Allow males to use female locker rooms, restrooms, and related facilities.

• Grant minors the right to medical treatments and procedures, including gender transition drugs and/or surgeries, without parental consent

• Ban schools from disclosing to parents when their child is considering or actually transitioning their gender.

• Extend constitutional protections to illegal aliens.

County Approves Algeria North Affordable Housing Project

By Matt Meduri

The conversation on affordable housing reached new heights at Tuesday’s general meeting, as the Legislature approved Resolution 1103 to authorize funding of infrastructure improvements and property oversight for a proposed affordable housing building.

The proposed dwelling, called Algeria North, would be located in the Town of Babylon and would offer a series of units for certain vulnerable populations. Algeria North is set to consist of eighty-one units, eighty of which will be affordable rentals units, with twentyone units set aside for special needs populations, nine units for those reentering the community from incarceration, and twelve for those with serious mental illness with referrals and supportive services provided by Concern for Independent Living.

The resolution was endorsed and vocally supported during the public portion of the meeting by New Hour Long Island Executive Director Serena Martin-Liguori and Sarah Lansdale, Commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning.

“We would be vetting women for the nine units that would be allocated for women and mothers who have been incarcerated,” said Martin-Ligouri. “The women meet with us through the Sheriff’s contract that we have. We assist them and provide a social worker. They’re required to not have any violations of parole or probation. And in order to qualify for these nine units, they have to be employed and have a history of stability and employment. So this is not for women who are coming directly out of the jail the day they’re released. It might be a year later or two years later. These are apartments that we want to see for our women who are thriving as mothers and as parents in the community.”

Legislators objected to the plan to merge former inmates and mentally unstable individuals with battered women and special needs residents.

don’t think this model is going to work and I fear for the safety of the most vulnerable individuals in our society.”

“You have senior citizens and young people, who are struggling to get apartments, to pay for these things, but now we’re going to give it to people who have been arrested,” said Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga). “It makes no logical sense. And then, on top of that, they’re going to be in with people with developmental disabilities who are potentially easily victimized. I couldn’t think of a better recipe for disaster. There’s no way I would ever support this.”

“Somebody commits a crime and they go to jail, and I have to pay approximately $130,000 a year to house that individual because they decided to commit a crime,” said Legislator Trish Bergin (R-East Islip) (Pictured above). “And then when they get out of jail, two or three years later, we’re still subsidizing this individual?”

Bergin also expressed concerns that language could eventually be changed to allow formerly incarcerated men into the unit. She also expressed concern over violent offenders being eligible for the housing.

“Let’s say we have a single mother who is living in this unit because it’s affordable and she’s a working mom and she’s got a latch key kid who’s coming home to an unsupervised situation,” said Bergin. “So, now we have incarcerated individuals who are now being mixed in with women and children, some of these kids coming home from school, then we also have individuals with mental instabilities, all in one building. I’m not going to support this. I think it’s dangerous. I think it’s irresponsible. While I get that your goal is kind-hearted, I

“I think the intention of this bill is excellent, I have no issue with those who have done time and those with developmental disabilities being supported,” said Legislator Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset). “Getting additional housing is marvelous, but putting them together is a recipe for disaster. I just yesterday spoke with an agency that deals with those with developmental disabilities, and I tried to ask in my most non-opinionated way if this was a good idea, and they lost their minds. They said that these people are suggestible. They do not have good judgment 90% of the time. I think we should build them separately or divide the building, but this way I cannot support it.”

Majority Leader Nick Caracappa (C-Selden) (Pictured above) provided a different view on the project than those of his colleagues.

“I just want to say thank you for what you do for these women, these parents. Everybody makes mistakes,” said Caracappa. “You’re providing an opportunity, and it’s up to them [the recipients] to carry on. The amount of requirements and eligibilities that New Hour requires, and I’ll name just a few, proof of employment, no history of probation, parole violations, completion of a signed agreement, engagement letter, with New Hour agreeing to both communicate and maintain an active relationship with the agency staff during the duration of their stay in the housing, for the duration, and anyone with a sex offense is automatically precluded. Those are just some of the requirements out of a list of them. I think you’re doing fantastic work with most of these women who are either victims of domestic abuse or have some kind of substance abuse issues that have been on the path of recovery to finding stability for themselves and their children. If not for these opportunities, these individuals would probably be in County facilities or homeless or receiving some kind of County benefits. I support this 100%.”

Debate ended in a contentious vote, wherein Legislator Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville) called for a point of order before the vote to adopt the resolution entered roll call. Piccirillo requested a vote to appeal, seconded by Trotta, which resulted in a 10-6 failure, with Legislator Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) joining the caucus to approve the appeal. Legislator Chad Lennon (R-Rocky Point) abstained and Legislator Tom Donnelly (D-Deer Park) was not present. The Legislature then voted to approve the resolution with thirteen votes.

CreditMatt Meduri

CreditMatt Meduri

State of the County: Good Shape with an Optimistic Path Forward

A typical response to “how are we doing?” is sometimes followed by “good shape for the shape we’re in.” It seems as though that was the mantra of administrations passed, and although elected officials might tell you that “we’re in good shape,” there’s always the question of just how good that shape is.

Some might be appalled to hear “good shape for the shape we’re in.” Others might not be too surprised.

But we’re elated to say that that’s not our outlook after County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) delivered his first State of the County address to the Suffolk County Legislature at Tuesday’s general meeting. For once, we can say “good shape for the shape we’re in” and actually deliver that platitude with confidence and optimism going forward.

During the past election cycle, it was no question that when Romaine put his hat in the ring for Suffolk’s top job that endorsements would flow from each end of the county. And they certainly did. It also wasn’t much of a question for our publication to issue him an endorsement of our own. Not only is Romaine a seasoned elected official, who knows the ins and outs of county government like the back of his hand, but he’s an elected official who has largely commanded respect from both sides of the aisle for his entire career.

With that, it’s no surprise that we can say we’re in good shape, in fact, much better shape than the one we were previously in. Look no further than the fiscal irresponsibility levied on us by former Executive Steve Bellone (D-West Babylon). Look no further than the ongoing investigations into possible conflicts of interest and document mishandlings not even a quarter after his administration ended. Look no further than the cast of characters he surrounded himself with.

The last of those coveted tenets of an aspiring politician - note: not an elected official - is one that made many sour on him towards the end of his term. Some didn’t have as many problems with Bellone as they did the people he surrounded himself with. Congressman Nick LaLota (R, NY-01) made mention of the importance of the friends one has at Romaine’s inauguration ceremony in January by invoking the words of his mother: “Show me who your friends are and I’ll show you who you are.”

Truer words could not have been spoken and truer realities could not have been realized under the previous administration.

But we’d beleaguer our readers if we harped on what’s in the past. Surely, Romaine spared

no expense in painting a picture of the changes in the last few months, but he also spent the lion’s share of his address speaking optimistically of the future and the plans he hopes to achieve during his tenure. With that, we’ll do the same.

Romaine offers a clear vision for the County and one that does not seem unattainable in any meaning of the word. Stressing economic stability, retaining Suffolk’s population, building creditworthiness - S&P already upped our credit rating once this quarter already with stable outlook - reinforcing public safety, recycling County buildings, investing in our assets, charting a path towards renewable energy, and overhauling County departments are just a few of the topics he touched on during his speech.

Perhaps the most unconscionable failures of government came fairly recently in the last two years: the cyberattack of 2022 and the Thomas Valva tragedy. Both were highly avoidable miscarriages of government action - or inaction - and resulted in national embarrassment, prolonged suspension of government services, and, in the case of Valva, a preventable tragedy if Social Services weren’t watching the backs of their eyelids.

To add a squeeze of lemon juice over the paper cut, the cyberattack and the Valva case also reeked of track covering, as former IT Commissioner Scott Mastellon pleaded the special committee of the Legislature to not reveal the vulnerabilities that were found within the County’s IT system a year before the attack. Additionally, Social Services seemed to make it impossible for the County’s top prosecutors, including the District Attorney himself, to access prior records in CPS cases.

Incompetence is one thing, but gatekeeping information, or at least stopping at practically nothing to prevent its publicization, is downright detestable. The cast of characters of the Suffolk County of yesteryear spent less time understanding government and more time navigating the halls of Hauppauge like the backs of the bureaucratic hands.

But from the ashes we rise, and from the tragedies and misfortunes of years passed, we learn from our mistakes. We place our full confidence in Ed Romaine for the next four years and we would be willing to bet our next round of legal notices that such actions - or inactions - do not occur under his tenure.

Elected officials owe their constituents transparency, respect, and responsibility. We think that Romaine’s path for the County, as well as his decades of respect in local government, will produce such a result.

Hochul’s Latest Gaffe: Benefit of the Doubt or Democrats’ True Colors?

Today’s political and social age is no longer defined by asking what we can do for our country or by taking on challenges not because they are easy, but because they are hard. Today, it’s about taking the path of least resistance, making a living for yourself and nothing more, and making sure you don’t make anyone jealous in the process.

Such juvenile thought can’t be good for a country, especially the former most-powerful nation in the world, objectively speaking. And unfortunately, it’s trickling from Washington all the way down to our local school board races.

But what happens when people stop subscribing to such nihilism and hopelessness? What happens when the masses stop ingesting the opium and realize that life isn’t meant to be easy, but that’s what makes it fulfilling?

We start demoralizing people by any means necessary and ensuring we have absolutely no faith in them, naturally.

Governor Kathy Hochul’s (D) latest Los Angeles gaffe is unfortunately too on brand for the Democratic Party as of late. Once a party that touted selflessness and tenacity now peddles the soft bigotry of lowered expectations, especially as it relates to the demographics they claim to have at the forefront of their political minds in the most bleeding-heart way possible.

Hochul was speaking at a forum of out-of-touch technocrats in Los Angeles discussing ways to revolutionize New York’s place on the technological stage, namely by becoming the first state to develop a supercomputer to attract federal research grants and top students from the country’s most prestigious institutions. We can’t fault her for trying to reach that goal, but it seems a little counterintuitive after she just tried to gut State aid for schools across Long Island in the budget.

At any rate, Hochul attempted to remind people that she does, in fact, govern a state of hard-working people and desperately tried to relate to them.

Except she ripped a page straight out of the quiet-part-out-loud section of the modern Democratic playbook, by stating that black kids in the Bronx don’t “even know what the word ‘computer’ means.

Now, the devil is always in the details, (or is it in bureaucratic government?), but unfortunately for Kathy, the context doesn’t really improve her case. She said that she wants the world “opened up to all of them, because when you have all their diverse voices innovating solutions through technology, then you’re really addressing society’s broader challenges.”

Not the worst context, but certainly not the best.

In the classic eating-their-own style of retributionary politics, Democrats quickly descended on Hochul for her comments. However, New York’s favorite race-baiter Al Sharpton quickly rushed to her aid, attempting to connect her comment to the idea that minority children are intentionally excluded from social media access based on race.

Somehow, we’re not surprised Sharpton’s comments are worse than hers.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ (D) response was tepid, but probably in the best way possible. He simply stated he’s not out to be the “word police” and that he “knows the Governor’s heart.”

Trust us, we don’t relish in having to be the word police, but the left started this game, and

if you can’t beat them, join them (although we’re fairly confident we can beat them too).

But Adam’s lukewarm response is probably more indicative of the fact that the latest Manhattan Institute poll shows that just 16% of New Yorkers would opt to re-elect him. If his approval ratings were higher, maybe he could afford to give Hochul a more overt benefit of the doubt like Quasi-Reverend Sharpton, or maybe he could double down like other Democrats have and it wouldn’t hurt as much.

At this point, speculation isn’t worth much, especially since Democrats as of late are no strangers to these types of gaffes, although this one is unquestionably one of the worst that Hochul has had so far.

Our fearless Commander-in-Chief made multiple similar gaffes on the 2020 campaign trail. Not only did Biden say that “black kids are just as bright and talented as white kids,” possibly implying implicit bias on his part, but he actually told black voters that if they couldn’t decide whether or not they were for him or for Trump, then “you ain’t black!”

But this isn’t just relegated to the last three unfortunate years we’ve had with Biden. On the 2008 campaign trail, he made the notorious “7-11 joke,” wherein he said you can’t go into a 7-11 or Dunkin’ Donuts “unless you have a slight Indian accent.” In 2007, Biden said that Obama was the first “clean” black candidate for office.

In a 2006 speech, Hillary Clinton called minority teens “super predators” who the government had to “bring to heel.”

We could go on, unfortunately, but it seems as though there is more control in fear and anger than there is in actual policy. It’s also the prime reason the left is selling a message of hopelessness and constant impending doom. Hopelessness leads to fear, which in turn, leads to control.

But let’s give Hochul and Adams the benefit of the doubt. A great start in improving the technology sector of New York would be to control the rampant crime problem that plagues New York City. Crime, regardless of one’s race, is an attractive alternative to the bootstrap argument when it’s the path of least resistance. If we’re not teaching the next generation to do what is hard “because it is hard,” then they’re not going to put up much of a fight. We’re failing them as soon as the bell rings.

Of course, allowing crime to run rampant out of fear hurting criminals’ feelings doesn’t help. But all this time we’re spending trying to put a band-aid on a dam could be spent getting cracking on that supercomputer.

We know the Governor is a nice lady, and we don’t think she’s as Gaffe-prone like Biden has appeared over the years, but her priorities certainly need a check and her words should probably be issued on Joe Biden’s teleprompter before they come out of her mouth.

While we could give her the benefit of the doubt, as everyone does make mistakes, her party’s latest adoption of identity politics and abandoning the country’s hustle culture doesn’t do her any favors.

One thing is for certain: if all of what’s gone on in New York happened in 2022, Lee Zeldin would be governor right now.

And we’d probably have that supercomputer.

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Proof That Electronic Machines Can be Hacked

By Steve Levy

Our center has for years concentrated deeply on protecting the integrity of the electoral process. We’ve been raising concerns about the use of electronic voting machines. And now, a new report issued by highly regarded Michigan University professor Alex Halderman suggests these machines are more vulnerable than many pundits have thought.

Our concerns have had nothing to do with the 2020 election, or who won or felt cheated. We’ve been sounding the alarm well before that and will continue to raise the issue until proper safeguards are put in place.

As far back as 2006, Suffolk County government brought a lawsuit seeking to prevent the federal government from mandating the use of electronic machines. While the lawsuit was unsuccessful, it did raise questions regarding these new machines.

There was nothing wrong with the old lever-pulling machines, which were inexpensive, easy to use, and unhackable.

The so-called experts will consistently claim there is nothing to worry about, and that hacking is nearly impossible. But these are the same experts from huge companies such as Yahoo, JP Morgan Chase, and Microsoft, all of whom claimed they could never be hacked, but eventually were. And of course, the Suffolk County government was hacked in the last two years.

Even the U.S. military got hacked by China.

Some will say that the concerns about hacking electronic machines are overstated because the machines are not interconnected. You would have to hack each precinct one by one. However, that does not dismiss our concerns.

Elections are often won by a small number of votes. There doesn’t have to be widespread fraud. Tampering with just one election district can change the outcome of a campaign. It’s quite common for congressional candidates to win by under 100 votes. Former Minnesota senator Al Franken (D) won his statewide race by about 350 votes, which was less than the number of votes contested.

And let’s not forget that President George Bush (R-TX) won his election by a mere 500 votes in Florida. That’s right, if just 500 votes flipped in that state, the electoral college vote would have changed and placed Al Gore (D-TN) into the presidency.

That’s why it’s disturbing to see a new study by Professor Haldeman, who showed a judge in Georgia, in real time, how he was able to hack the voting machine that was used in Georgia and flip the vote to a different candidate.

All he needed was a Bic pen and a smart card. Now we’re not saying it’s easy to do this, or that it has been done to any extent in the past. But there is the potential for tampering in the future.

We think the old-fashioned lever-pulling machines were their surest way to get a quick Election Day result with little controversy.

Our center has also been concerned about the dramatic increase in the use of mail-in ballots. A 2005 bipartisan commission headed by former President Jimmy Carter (D-GA) warned that the greatest potential for fraud is through mail-in votes. That is why almost every Western democracy in Europe has banned this practice.

We have to make sure that these ballots are not sent out to people who don’t ask for them, and we should at least require that the signatures on these ballots match the signatures that are on file with the Boards of Election. We should also require some type of ID as Florida just mandated. Many of those safeguards were removed in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic and have not been reversed back to their former safer condition. And anyone questioning the safety of the electronic machines continues to get falsely accused of being a conspiracy nut wearing a tin hat.

You can bet that the Chinese, the Russians, and the Iranians at some point will be able to bribe an election official, or hack their way in and make changes to these electronic systems.

The algorithms used in these machines are only as good or honest as the individuals programming them. Remember, it doesn’t take a great deal of tampering to shift an American election and history itself.

Steve Levy (R-Bayport) is President of Common Sense Strategies, a political consulting firm. He served as a Suffolk County Legislator from 1985 to 2000, as a New York State Assemblyman from 2001 to 2003, and as Suffolk County Executive from 2004 to 2011. He is the host of “The Steve Levy Radio Show.” He is the author of “Solutions to America’s Problems” and “Bias inthe Media.” www.SteveLevy.info, Twitter @SteveLevyNY, steve@commonsensestrategies.com

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

By Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

Readily available and reliable mental health services are a critical part of building strong communities. Often overlooked, good mental hygiene provides a major boost to our quality of life, our neighborhoods and even our economy. For that reason, during Mental Health Awareness Month, I am advocating everyone take a little extra time to consider ways they can improve their overall well-being.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Mental Health Awareness Month was established 75 years ago to raise awareness about the importance of taking care of our minds and to celebrate those recovering from mental illness. Now, more than ever, we must continue to be mindful of our mental health as our state and our nation face unprecedented challenges. Ninety percent of the public think there is a mental health crisis in the U.S. today, with half of young adults and one-third of all adults reporting that they have felt anxious either always or often in the past year.

Mental health services remain a priority for the Assembly Minority Conference. We have already made tremendous gains in understanding and addressing the challenges facing two at-risk communities: students in our schools and veterans. This month, we will continue to raise awareness about the challenges facing our schools and our heroes returning home, and we will look to build on our successes.

This year’s 2024-25 State Budget had some key investments in mental health services that I am happy to report:

• Adult Services Program funding will see $26.4 million more than last year

• The Children and Youth Services Program budget is up $10.9 million compared to last year

• Community mental health residences will receive $116.2 million more than last year

• Community Non-Residential Programs will enjoy $25.1 million more than last year

• Children and family community mental health services will receive $12.4 million more than last year

• There will be $4 million in new funding for the recruitment and retention of psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners; and

• Suicide prevention for veterans and first responders, including disaster workers, will see $2 million in new funding.

The truth is, there is really no group or demographic that can disregard the importance of mental hygiene. Stress, anxiety, and countless other obstacles are a natural part of our daily lives. Ignoring them comes with inherent risks. The better job we do getting ahead of existing problems, the easier it is to deal with future ones. As we go through the month of May, I highly recommend we all take the utmost care of ourselves; this could mean speaking with your doctor about ways to manage stress, getting regular exercise, practicing gratitude or connecting with others. As we go forward this month, take a moment to consider what you can do to improve your mental health; you’ll thank yourself later!

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

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

Suffolk County Honors Fallen Officers in Poignant Memorial Service

By Cait Crudden

In a solemn ceremony brimming with reverence and respect, the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) paid tribute to its fallen heroes during the annual Memorial Service for Fallen Officers in the Line of Duty. Held at the SCPD Headquarters in Yaphank on Friday morning, the event drew law enforcement officials, families of the fallen, elected officials and community members to commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their community.

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) delivered remarks, expressing gratitude to the families of the fallen officers and acknowledging the profound impact of their loss on the department and the community. He stated that we will always honor and remember the twenty-nine sworn members of the Suffolk County Police Department who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Additionally, Romaine conveyed the courageous sacrifice these officers have made, and it will not be forgotten.

The heart of the ceremony came with the reading of the names of the fallen officers. As the names were recited, the weight of their absence resonated throughout the gathered crowd, a powerful reminder of the dangers inherent in law enforcement and the profound debt owed to those who bravely confront them.

Among the attendees were family members of the fallen officers, whose names were enshrined on a memorial

monument for all to see. Emotions ran high as the memorial had an additional name added this past year of Officer Robert Kirwan. An emergency vehicle was also named in his honor. Kirwan passed away from 9/11 related illnesses on September 9, 2023.

In a touching tribute, ceremonial wreaths stood on either side of the SCPD Memorial Monument, adorned with the names of officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. The gesture symbolized the enduring gratitude and respect for those who have fallen, ensuring that their legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of all who serve.

Throughout the service, there was a palpable sense of camaraderie and solidarity among attendees, a testament to the tight-knit bonds that characterize the law enforcement community. As officers stood shoulder to shoulder, united in their commitment to honor the fallen, it was evident that their legacy would endure not only in memory but also in the continued dedication to upholding the values for which they gave their lives.

The memorial service concluded with a final salute and the playing of Taps, a haunting melody that echoed across the grounds, serving as a poignant farewell to those who had made the ultimate sacrifice. As attendees dispersed, there was a sense of solemn reflection, tempered by a profound appreciation for the courage and sacrifice of Suffolk County’s fallen heroes.

As the community reflects on the events of the day, one thing is clear: the memory of those who have fallen in the line of duty will forever be etched into the fabric of Suffolk County, serving as a beacon of inspiration for generations to come. In honoring their legacy, we honor the very best of what it means to serve and protect.

This Week Today

National, State and Local Temperature Checks

By Matt Meduri National

The presidential nominating contest continued to Indiana on Tuesday, offering no surprises in what has been an over-and-done race since March.

Former President Donald Trump (R-FL) handily won the primary with 78.2% of the vote with 90% of precincts reporting as of press time. He carried all ninety-two counties and took all fifty-eight delegates available. Now-suspended former Governor and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley (R-SC) took 21.8% of the statewide vote. Trump’s lowest margin of victory on the county level came in the form of Indianapolis’ Marion County, where earned 64.9% to Haley’s 35.1%.

President Joe Biden (D-DE) was uncontested for the Tuesday ballot, allowing to win by default and sweep up all seventy-nine of the Hoosier State’s delegates.

Indiana’s state ticket features significant turnover this year, with an open governor seat, an open Senate seat, and three open U.S. House Seats. Outgoing freshman Senator Mike Braun (R) won his party’s nomination for governor, while Congressman Jim Banks (R, IN-03) won the nod for Braun’s Senate seat.

Neither candidate should have trouble holding their respective seats, as Indiana last elected a Democratic governor in 2000 and last elected a Democratic Senator in 2012. Braun ousted two-term Senator Joe Donnelly (D) in the 2018 midterms.

Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (R, IN-05) initially planned to depart Congress after this year, but reversed course over the winter. She won a narrow primary to retain the suburban Indianapolis seat.

The only competitive seat from Indiana will likely be in the form of IN-01, a northwestern seat situated around Gary and the Chicago suburbs, held by Frank Mrvan (D) since 2021. Mrvan has name recognition from his father’s forty-year tenure in the Indiana Senate. On paper, Democrats should have a lock on this seat, but Trump came within ten points of carrying the seat in 2020, improving on his 2016 margin. Republicans had not run as close a race in this seat since 2004.

In other election news, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) recently signed a package that includes changes to the battleground state’s election laws. The changes define “probable causes” that allow for some voters to be removed from the rolls after their eligibility is challenged.

The bill, S.B. 189, lists death, evidence of voting or registering in a different jurisdiction, a nonresidential address, or tax exemptions that show a primary residence elsewhere as forms of probable cause that could result in a voter being removed from the rolls. Proponents of the bill say it purges voter rolls of inactive or ineligible voters, while opponents say it disproportionately affects minority voters.

Fair Fight Action, a voting rights group founded by twotime gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams (D), says that the bill is a “voter suppression bill that emboldens right-wing activists in their efforts to kick black and brown voters off the rolls.” The statement also said that by signing the bill, Governor Kemp “delivered a gift to MAGA election deniers.”

Abrams repeatedly denied her narrow loss to Kemp in 2018, claiming voter suppression and refused to concede. S.B. 189 also grant’s access to Georgia’s ballot to any political party that qualifies for the presidential ballot in twenty states, a move that could possibly bolster Independent Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in his long-shot third-party bid for the White House. Analysts believe that a Kennedy presence on the ticket could spoil the election for Biden, especially in a battleground like Georgia, and aid Trump’s return to Washington.

In terms of the Kennedy campaign, the ticket has obtained ballot access in California, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Utah, collectively representing 123 electoral votes, less than halfway to the 270 required to win the election. Kennedy needs 45,000 signatures by the end of the month to qualify in New York.

Additionally, Kennedy sponsored a fifty-state poll of more than 26,000 voters with a margin of error of just 0.6%. While Kennedy concedes that a Trump-Biden ticket would result in a Trump presidency of about 297 electoral votes, the poll finds that if either of the mainstream candidates were to drop out and face Kennedy alone, the race would be much different. Kennedy touts the poll results as a means of dismissing claims that he is a spoiler candidate, and that, based on Zogby Strategies’ findings, that Biden is, in fact, the spoiler.

In a Kennedy-Biden scenario (top graphic), Kennedy wins in a landslide, carrying thirty-nine states and 340 electoral votes to Biden’s 158. Biden would carry Democratic strongholds such as Vermont, California, and his home state

Biden - Kennedy Electoral Votes

of Delaware by thin margins, while Kennedy would win every solid red state and most battlegrounds. Statistical ties were found in New York and Washington. Polls for the District of Columbia were not available on FiveThirtyEight, although it is assumed Biden would handily win the District.

In a Trump-Kennedy scenario (above graphic), the result is much different, with polls presented finding a deadlock between the two candidates. Kennedy would easily win most blue states, Trump would retain most red states, although with difficulty, while the two would effectively split the battlegrounds down the middle. In terms of raw numbers, Trump would carry twenty-seven states and 269 electoral votes. If Kennedy were given D.C., he would also clock in at 269 electoral votes, the scenario of an Electoral College tie that has never happened in American history. The election would then be decided by the House of Representatives.

The maps above are shaded according to the candidates’ margins of victory in each state, with lighter colors representing thinner margins, and darker colors indicating more decisive victories. Kennedy’s best numbers from either map come from Wyoming, where he polled forty-seven points above Biden. Trump’s best numbers came from West Virginia, where he outpolled Kennedy by twenty-eight points. Biden’s best numbers came from Maryland, where he beats Kennedy by nineteen points.

State

Governor Kathy Hochul (D) made an extreme gaffe at a Milken Institute Conference in Los Angeles on Monday. The Milken Institute is a “nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on accelerating measurable progress on the path to a meaningful life,” as per their website. Hochul was in California to discuss technology advancements in New York, with hopes of becoming a new “Silicon Valley” via a supercomputer.

Her gaffe came in the form of trying to express the dichotomy between certain areas of the state and their technological prowess. Her quote came in the form of: “Right now, we have young black kids growing up in the Bronx who don’t even know what the word ‘computer’ is.”

Within context, Hochul discussed building a supercomputer

to attract more federal grant money and making New York more accessible to researchers and college students. She said that no state has done this, followed by her gaffe, and concluded by saying that she wants “the world opened up to all of them [black kids] because when you have their diverse voices innovating solutions through technology, then you’re really addressing society’s broader challenges.”

Hochul received swift condemnation for her remarks, to which she replied that she “misspoke.”

“Of course Black children in the Bronx know what computers are — the problem is that they too often lack access to the technology needed to get on track to high-paying jobs in emerging industries like [artificial intelligence],” she said in response.

Assemblywoman Karines Reyes (D-Parkchester) said that she was “deeply disturbed” by the Governor’s remarks and that “our children are bright, brilliant, extremely capable, and more than deserving of any opportunities that are extended to other kids.”

Assemblywoman Amanda Septimo (D-South Bronx) called the remarks “genuinely appalling.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) defended Hochul, saying that he is not the “word police” and that he “knows the Governor’s heart.

Local

Suffolk County Legislator Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) proposed a bill to ban restaurants and third-party food delivery services from including single-use plastic utensils and condiment packages unless specifically requested by a customer. The bill, Resolution 1371, was open to public hearing at Tuesday’s general meeting. Stakeholders voiced their support for the bill while also discussing the dangers of microplastics in the environment.

Englebright motioned to recess the bill for “two weeks” to make amendments.

“ I don’t want this to become an open-ended situation, but I would like an opportunity to speak to my colleagues, most particularly on the [Health] Committee,” said Englebright.

The bill was recessed with eleven votes to seven.

Trump - Kennedy Electoral Votes

10 School Board Elections: Candidate Profiles

By Matt Meduri

Karen Wontrobski-Ricciardi

Smithtown School Board

Candidate: Karen Wontrobski-Ricciardi

Residence: St. James

Profession: Preschool Programming

First Elected: 2021

Current Seat on Board: Vice President

Karen Wontrobski-Ricciardi won a seat on the Board of the Smithtown Central School District in 2021 and after a turnover of majority on the board following the 2023 elections, Wontrobski-Ricciardi was selected by her caucus to serve as Vice President of the Board. She is running for a second term on the Board.

Editor’s Note: The position of Vice President itself is not on the ballot. Only numerical seats are up for election. The President and Vice President of the board are selected by the board members once the members are seated at the beginning of the term following the election.

Q: What is your professional background and how does it equip you for a position on the School Board?

A: I work in preschool programming and I’ve been very involved in the district for over fifteen years. I know what the parents are looking for, what the kids need, and what the core curriculum consists of.

Q: In your opinion, what is the top issue facing the Smithtown Central School District today?

A: We would like to make Smithtown an educational leader in Suffolk County, and that would encompass increasing, not just graduation rates, but also assessment scores. In the past two years, we have worked on getting honors courses added that previously hadn’t been there. We’re working towards enrichment and elementary education. We’ve extended the music program. Strong academics and meeting each child where they are is our focus. Every child needs something different, and we have to be focused on every single child.

Q: What is your top priority if reelected to the Board?

A: I don’t think there should be a problem with identifying kids who need an enrichment program. They’re already serviced through the general classroom, for example, with a higherlevel book during independent reading. Kids are all on different reading levels as they go through the grades, but are teachers handling it the same way? Are they challenging students with the same types of writing skills? These are mandated services that have specific, targeted curriculum and methods. The question is if the other kids are receiving the same type of challenge, not just the ones in the top ten percent. I want to make sure we’re identifying those kids, but also ensuring equitable enrichment across the board.

We can’t just be content with the concept that all kids did everything they were supposed to do at a grade level, and we’re doing fine. Let’s push them, let’s challenge them, let’s see what more they can do above grade-level or what they’re currently working on. My top priority would be to increase assessment scores and the achievement of our students through enrichment opportunities. I would ensure every student is given the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Q: What would you say is your best or proudest accomplishment in your time on Board?

A: Bringing back the middle school honors program. From the look we got at why the Board did away with the program is that they

seemed to want to keep a “level playing field.” I don’t think the Board ever saw the value in the program, probably because it had been gone for over a decade. They likely never had the chance to see how much of a focus it is for the educators and how important it has ended up being with just one year back. We need to see the growth in trying new things, even if a middle school honors program isn’t a novel idea.

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

A: “You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.” – Bob Marley.

Q: What are your favorite ways of connecting with your community?

A: My husband grew up in Smithtown and I moved here when we got married. I’ve been here for twenty-six years. My three children were all born and raised here and they had fantastic opportunities here, not just from the School District. My twins just graduated and they’re both in college and my oldest is active military. I feel very strongly that, just like my kids, the kids of today are pushed to their fullest potential. I feel serving on the School Board is important to do as a volunteer and it’s a way of giving back to my community. I’m concerned about the future of this district and that it remains strong, viable, and desirable.

The Messenger thanks Karen WontrobskiRicciardi and Stacy Ann Murphy for taking time for this interview for the purpose of this candidate spotlight.

About the Smithtown Central School District

The Smithtown CSD was founded in the early 1900s and its motto is “education is the difference between civilization and chaos.”

The District has a seven-member board with staggered three-year terms. The seats held by Murphy and Wontrobski-Ricciardi are the only seats up for election this year. Two terms expire in 2025 and three expire in 2026. CSD has seven elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools. The District covers Smithtown hamlet, Village of the Branch, and Nissequogue, most of Nesconset, St. James, and Head of the Harbor, and parts of Hauppauge and Kings Park.

Stacy Ann Murphy Smithtown School Board

Candidate: Stacy Ann Murphy

Residence: Smithtown hamlet

Profession: Guidance Counselor

First Elected: 2021

Current Seat on Board: President

Stacy Ann Murphy won a seat on the Board of the Smithtown Central School District in 2021 and after a turnover of majority on the board following the 2023 elections, Murphy was selected by her caucus to serve as President of the Board. She is running for a second term on the Board.

Editor’s Note: The position of President itself is not on the ballot. Only numerical seats are up for election. The President and Vice President of the board are selected by the board members once the members are seated at the beginning of the term following the election.

Q: What is your professional background and how does it equip you for a position on the School Board?

A: I have over twenty years of experience in schools. I was a high school guidance counselor for seventeen years and the past three years have been a guidance counselor in early elementary schools. I’m very well-versed in the opportunities for students after high school and what opportunities are helpful while they’re in high school. I understand the hierarchies of a school and how to work with the central office.

Q: In your opinion, what is the top issue facing the Smithtown Central School District today?

A: The core education that students receive here needs to be strengthened. It’s a really big district, so ensuring that whether you attend Tackan all the way to Accompsett, you are receiving the same curriculum, the same pre-reading skills, writing skills, and vocabulary skills. It shouldn’t matter what school you attend, parents need to be assured their children are receiving an equitable education. Everyone should have access to the same exact resources and facilities. With middle school, our strengthening focus has been special education services. We have those services, but there was nothing specifically geared to challenging kids in those years who were learning how to manage upper level education in multiple classes with multiple teachers and going into high school where you have the opportunity to enter into honors in ninth grade in multiple subject areas and AP classes. You were not given that challenging work and that rigor and that preparation in eighth grade, where you were still supported very much so as an eighth grader as opposed to when you enter ninth grade and move on to 10th, that support goes backwards as it should because you are now growing up and you’re going to take on more responsibility. That’s how you can raise the bar and increase the kids who are graduating with advanced Regents diplomas, getting honors designations, and AP capstone designations. That is why schools are educational leaders. There’s no reason why we can’t be that in Suffolk County.

Q: What is your top priority if re-elected to the Board?

A: Consistent enrichment. Teachers can do their own enrichment, and they’re great at it, but we have seven different elementary schools

in this district. If you do not have a consistent program that the district and administration is pushing out and training certain teachers on how to give enrichment to kids, then your education would depend on which teacher you get and what school you happen to go to that year. You might get really differentiated instruction. If you have a district this big, you need to have consistency in curriculum and instruction. All teachers have their own flair, but administration can’t say they have no idea what the teachers are doing for enrichment.

Some parents say this would take money away from special education, but it wouldn’t; that’s State-mandated. For example, with the middle school honors program, it didn’t take any money away, because instead of a teacher teaching five sections of Social Studies 8, the teacher teaches three sections of Social Studies 8 and two of Social Studies 8 honors. It doesn’t necessarily mean an addition; it might just be a shift. In this way, you’re getting to every kid, you’re pulling kids up who are ready to pulled up or are already there; you’re challenging them. Support isn’t just when you’re weak, it’s for when you’re strong too.

We have instructional committees who are looking into enrichment standards, but ultimately the granular changes lie with the directors and superintendent.

Q: What would you say is your best or proudest accomplishment in your time on Board?

A: The middle school honors program. Smithtown used to have the program and after having multiple discussions for the first two years of my term, I believe the district saw the value. We planned for the return of the program towards the end of the spring last year into summer and it started this year with academic honors offering in English Language Arts (ELA) and Social Studies. The directors and teachers of the program have raved about how amazing it is, how the students were rising to the occasion, and the writing abilities they saw of these eighth graders and how it’s preparing a larger group of students for continued upper-level classes in ninth grade. I am so excited to see the exponential effectiveness over the next couple of years to see where these kids who are rising to this challenge in 8th grade will go.

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

A: Never give up. On anything.

Q: What are your favorite ways of connecting with your community?

A: I’ve lived in Smithtown since I was ten years old. I have two children who attend the District. I want this Town to be known for being a community that works together and for a School District that is an educational leader.

Romaine Gives 2024 State of the County Address

Romaine hailed the Legislators as men and women of “goodwill, intellect, and commitment” who will “lead this County forward.”

Finances and Infrastructure

Romaine said that “all issues of government are issues of money.” He announced that Suffolk County’s bond ratings were upgraded by S&P Global Ratings this quarter, rising from a AA- rating to an A+ rating with a stable outlook. He stated he hopes to improve the County’s bond rating to AAA, the highest rating, by the end of his tenure.

Romaine also made the County’s infrastructure a priority of his address, stating that when “you don’t invest in your assets, they decline.”

“The Dennison Building is over fifty years old,” said Romaine. “Our buildings haven’t been maintained. They [previous administrations] have not invested in these buildings, and these are our assets.”

Romaine discussed the County facilities and that he was “shocked” to see the levels of maintenance and investment, citing the Dennison Building, the Police Headquarters, the Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Fingerprint Lab in the police department specifically. Regarding the Medical Examiner’s Office, he said that there are “certification issues” because of the “lack of investment” in that office.

“This is going to be a key priority. I am going to look at every single County building in the next four years to see what we can improve,” said Romaine. He also said that while rebuilding the current Police Headquarters is an option, building an entirely new one is also on the table.

Romaine said is also looking at staffing levels, as the same principle applies.

“When you don’t invest in your staffing, you don’t get things done,” said Romaine, referencing one of his campaign pledges to have an “honest budget.”

“I’m not going to put jobs in the budget and tax people for them and then not fill those jobs,” said Romaine. “We’re going staff properly. We will fund the core of government, and we will make sure it has the adequate resources to go forward.”

Romaine also said he is working on centralizing the Grants Office to bring as much federal and State aid to Suffolk as possible.

“One thing I have noticed over the long history of Suffolk County is we’ve been shortchanged. We give so much more to Albany and Washington than we get back, and I’m comparing ourselves not to the money that we want to get back, but to what other counties get,” said Romaine. “The consumer price index stands at 9.1% and inflation has still been growing faster than the Federal Reserve would like, and that has an impact for all of us. New York State has a 2% tax cap, and inflation is running a lot higher than 2%. But nevertheless, I will submit a budget this September for next year that will not exceed the 2% property tax cap. We cannot afford to do that.”

Romaine also mentioned the lawsuits brought on by previous administrations, two of which saw hundreds of millions of dollars diverted from sewer funds that the County will have to settle or litigate. He also discussed a salaries study commissioned by the Legislature last year in the form of $750,000. He and the Legislature will negotiate union contracts this year, but he said that “we have to deal from a position of fairness and that we can recruit and retain the best and the brightest in County government.”

Regarding finances in County health care, Romaine said that an agreement has just been approved with the Suffolk Coalition of Public Employees that reduces copays from $25 to $20 and employs a new third-party administrator, Aetna, which has a broader and wider network for County employees. As it relates to the taxpayers, it will save “about $100 million over the next five years.”

Romaine recently submitted his capital budget of $489 million to the Legislature which will “prioritize public health, public safety, quality of life, and the things that make this County a special place to live.” The budget includes $1.6 million for improvements to roads, bridges, and transit and $35 million for the Board of Elections to ensure state-of-the-art election machines that deliver results quickly.

He also endorsed the plans for overpasses to be built at State Route 347 and Nicolls Road in Stony Brook and at Sunrise Highway and CR-39 in Tuckahoe.

Public Safety

Romaine said that he has hired more detectives and the County has more officers on the streets. Last week, a graduating police class saw 136 additions to the Suffolk County police course. Romaine said there is a second class in August and the County is considering a third class in December. He also said the County is purchasing new police vehicles, equipment, and is addressing mental health issues within the department.

“In the month of January, we had two police officers, a probation officer, and a deputy sheriff take their lives,” said Romaine. “There is no stigma to accepting help and getting help, and we think that that’s important for all county employees and for everyone.”

Combining aspects of public safety and infrastructure, Romaine is targeting the John J. Foley Building in Yaphank as a site for a new Raise-the-Age facility. The Foley Building was originally a nursing home but is now a prime location for the County’s facility for juvenile detention. Romaine said that the State will fund the facility by about 75%, but that their estimate for construction was $110 million. Romaine says

that by converting the Foley Building into a juvenile detention facility would save the taxpayers “approximately $50 million.”

Information Technology

Romaine also addressed the County’s path forward with IT and cybersecurity, touting the new IT Director, John McCaffrey, and discussed the County’s path forward after the crippling cyberattacks in September 2022.

“The prior [Bellone] administration had emergency proclamations September 2022 through December of 2023, that suspended civil service and bidding requirements,” said Romaine. “In that time period, they spent $27 million, of which our County Comptroller [John Kennedy (R-Nesconset)] said $13.8 million was questionable spending. I contacted the Association of Counties of the State and they recommended a forensic audit. We’re doing a forensic audit of that spending and we’ll see if we can pour some of that money back to the taxpayers.”

Romaine also said that the County should not need an emergency declaration, since the IT affairs are being handled “governmentally,” and that County should be able to purchase cybersecurity insurance by the end of the year. He also said that the County’s data center should be moved to the cloud and that periodic penetration tests should be conducted, as was done under his tenure as Brookhaven Town Supervisor.

Romaine also mentioned missing electronic files from the previous administration, which District Attorney Ray Tierney (R) is currently investigating.

Energy

Romaine has been a strong advocate for solar energy and recently introduced his “Solar Up Suffolk” initiative to utilize open space, without clearing trees, and rooftops to house solar panels in a deal that he says can actually turn a profit for the County. Romaine says a big obstacle to this initiative is the lack of substation provided by LIPA and PSE&G.

“We need LIPA to get on the ball and build those substations so we can use alternative energy and always have power at an inexpensive cost,” said Romaine.

Social Services

Romaine said that a recent report shows that Suffolk County is the “worst in the state in processing SNAP applications,” and that call wait times would take an hour and a half to reach the department. He said a way to combat the poor SNAP application processing ratings is to increase staffing, and that the Social Services department is already seeing call response times of “five or six minutes, if not sooner.”

Romaine also discussed Thomas Valva, the landmark case of a child who died at the hands of his parents due to lack of oversight from Social Services.

“I’m happy to say we have leadership at Social Services,” said Romaine. “The previous leadership resigned after the grand jury report came out.”

The grand jury report on the Thomas Valva case, spearheaded by D.A. Tierney, found “systemic failures” of the Child Protective Services system and recommended “local and state-wide common-sense changes to ensure that incompetence and apathy are not protected.” Valva’s death was substantiated by numerous, unattended complaints to CPS, furthered by the fact that high-ranking prosecutors, even the D.A. himself, could not obtain prior reports that were deemed “unfounded” by the department.

Romaine said furthering the efficiency of the department is through investing in staffing, preventing heavy caseloads on social workers, and providing extra training. He also said the County has talked with schools in the SUNY systems to recruit social work graduates.

Open Space Preservation

Romaine said that while development should take place, it should only be in the areas that make it “perfect.” Romaine renewed his calls for electrification of the LIRR, which currently end at Babylon and Ronkonkoma. He said that NYC congestion pricing revenue is not coming to Suffolk County and suggested electric lines from Ronkonkoma to Riverhead and Huntington to Port Jefferson.

On the topic of bus transportation, Romaine said that Suffolk only receives $40 million in State for such transit, compared to larger numbers for other, geographically smaller counties. He also said that buses and trains need to be tied together to work in tandem.

Romaine also called for redesigned sewers and treatment plants, sewers that handle road runoff, and replacing aged out sewer treatment plants, via a “regional approach” to sewer treatment.

Moving Forward

“I’ve been taught that the squeaking wheel gets the oil, and we have to start squeaking a lot more,” said Romaine. “I know with these eighteen powerhouses behind me, we can’t lose.”

12 School Highlights

Thursday, May 9, 2024

Einstein, Swift and Many More!

The St. James Elementary School’s old gymnasium was the place to be on May 2 as one could find Albert Einstein, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Taylor Swift, all together in the same spot.

As part of their biography projects, third graders dressed up like the famous person they researched. From Walt Disney and Kobe Bryant, to Neil Armstrong and Milton Bradley, the young learners really went all out.

SCPD and Aviation Unit Visit Smithtown HS

Smithtown High School East and West biomedical science students were treated to a prearranged visit by the Suffolk County Police Department and the Aviation unit on April 29.

The department’s medevac helicopter, which is registered as a “flying air ambulance,” and officers, landed at High School East to teach students about their work.

The officers explained that they most often respond to medical emergencies involving trauma, such as a car accident. A heart monitor, stretcher, blood pressure

medication and more are all on board.

The helicopter is equipped with an infrared camera that can locate people because they emit body heat. The second pilot in the cockpit also can monitor a color camera that can zoom up to 18 times.

The crew also responds to missing person’s calls as well as water rescues.

The visit serves as an example of the close partnership between the Smithtown Central School District and the Suffolk County Police Department

The Three Village Central School District Board of Education appointed Dr. Deana Rinaldi, the current principal of Setauket Elementary School, as the district’s new director of curriculum and instruction.

Prior to serving as principal, Dr. Rinaldi was the district’s director of elementary curriculum. This new title encompasses her former role, while now extending the range of her responsibilities to the secondary level.

The reinstatement of Dr. Rinaldi’s position is highly necessary due to the many initiatives within

the Office of Educational Services and mandates from the New York State Education Department. Due to administrative restructuring, this position will not increase the number of administrators within the district.

As director of elementary curriculum and instruction, Dr. Rinaldi ensured all subjects in the curriculum aligned with New York State standards. Additionally, she provided training to teachers, reading specialists and math academic intervention services providers.

Sachem North Students Take Trip of a Lifetime to Iceland

On April 20, fifty-five Sachem High School North students started a journey of a lifetime to Iceland. Their Icelandic adventure began in Reykjavik and was filled with incredible activities.

Students buckled up their crampons and hiked the Sólheimajökull Glacier. They beheld the beauty and power of several waterfalls, including the Seljalandsfoss, Skógarfoss and Gullfoss Falls. Additionally, the group witnessed the activity in the Krísuvík geothermal field, strolled the black sand beaches of Vic, and had an incredible swim at Sky Lagoon. The trip was truly a life-changing experience for all.

Three Village Appoints Director of Curriculum and

Instruction

Dr. Rinaldi started in Three Village in 2019 as assistant principal of Setauket Elementary School. Prior to this, she worked as an assistant principal and special education teacher in the New York City Department of Education system. She received her bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s College, her master’s degree from Long Island University and her doctorate in education from Dowling College. Furthermore, Dr. Rinaldi has certifications in school district

and building leadership from the College of Saint Rose.

“I am beyond thrilled and honored to step into the role of director of curriculum and instruction for the Three Village Central School District,” Dr. Rinaldi said. “It is an exciting opportunity to assist in shaping the educational journey of our students and collaborate with dedicated educators to enhance our curriculum.”

Dr. Rinaldi’s appointment is effective July 1.

Hauppauge Gives Back with Eagles Food Pantry

In the fall of 2022, a group of Hauppauge High School students discussed the issue of food insecurity and recognized the need for food drives, and possibly a food pantry, in their building. Fast-forward to April 2023, under the Hauppauge for Humanity club’s umbrella, the Eagles Food Pantry was born.

The pantry was founded by students Colin Buscarino and Nick Sumwalt as well as current Hauppauge Middle School Assistant Principal Kristy Pagliari while she was still an assistant principal at the high school.

In January of 2023, Ms. Pagliari took a group of teachers to visit food pantries in three other Long Island schools. From there, the team worked together to generate ideas. Later that winter, Ms. Pagliari put together all

the necessary paperwork and submitted it to the Board of Education to become a charter.

Fast forward to early spring 2023, a food drive was held to collect palettes worth of inventory. Hauppauge High School students, under the leadership of Colin Buscarino and Nick Sumwalt and overseen by Kristy Pagliari, organized and stocked the pantry. The pantry officially opened its doors in April of 2023.

“During free periods, we’ll all come down and do the inventory and pack orders,” said officer Avery Marchese. “It feels very rewarding being able to do this and help other families you know are in need.”

By the fall, the community was made more aware of the service and the pantry

became a districtwide initiative.

At the same time, French teacher Simone Pavlides took over as the high school adviser, while Kristy Pagliari began coordinating pantry needs between the district’s five schools. School social worker Shannon Griffin became the family coordinator. Everyone, including Colin and Nick, met to formalize a plan for pantry requests.

Now, the district’s social workers identify families who could potentially benefit from the program and assist them in filling out a request. Requests are kept anonymous, only known by each school’s social worker, and the club is run by high school seniors who receive community service hours for their participation. Presently, the pantry

is still run by Colin and Nick, the president and vice president, respectively, as well as officers Brianna Burton, Sofia Kalaitzis and Avery Marchese. These students stock the shelves of the pantry with food and hygienic products, package orders, and run monthly food drives, typically with specific items in mind.

“The goal for this year was to transform the pantry from a few shelves to an actual, functioning and organized pantry,” said Colin. In March, the students moved the pantry from a smaller second floor space to a spacious first floor room. “For the first two weeks when we moved everything down here, every single person was in here for three periods a day to make sure everything was accounted for and done right,” said Vice President Nick Sumwalt.

“All of us coming together and coming to work on the pantry whenever we’re free just goes to show everyone cares and how even districtwide, people are so giving and compassionate towards our cause,” said officer Brianna Burton. “It’s very heartwarming and rewarding.”

“I’ve put my heart and soul into this project,” added President Colin Buscarino. “I’ve loved every second of it. It’s become so much more than I ever thought it could be.”

The Necessary Standard for American Education

Unpacking the Electoral College

By Matt Meduri

The United States’ electoral system is a reflection of its brand of federalism and a distinct balance of power. Not without its controversies, the Electoral College stands as one of the most unique forms of election systems in the world.

Composition - 538

The Electoral College is a direct reflection of the United States’ particular brand of federalism, the dichotomy and division of powers between the federal and state governments. As pursuant to compromises between the Founding Fathers, the federal government of the country is composed of a bicameral (two house) legislature: the House and Senate. The House represents states proportionally while the Senate represents them equally.

The House is composed of 435 Congressional Districts across all fifty states, with the highest number being allocated to California (52), and the smallest number (1) being allocated to the states with the lowest populations. Right now, six states have just one Congressional District, otherwise known as an at-large district. Districts are redrawn every ten years pursuant to the results of the Census. Some states might gain or lose Congressional Districts, and thereby, electoral votes each decade. New York, California, and West Virginia were some of the losers after 2020, while Oregon, Colorado, and North Carolina each gained one vote. Texas gained two.

With 435 districts, the House ensures states are represented proportionally.

The distinction in the Senate was set forth by Roger Sherman’s Connecticut Compromise, which ensured equal representation in the upper chamber across all fifty states. Each state receives two Senators, each elected to staggered six-year terms. Special elections can result in off-year Senate elections, or even “doublebarrel” Senate races, when both seats from one state are on the ballot simultaneously. This will occur in Nebraska in the 2024 elections. Every double-barrel Senate election since 1966 has produced victories for one party in both seats. 1966 saw a split outcome in South Carolina.

With 435 Representatives and 100 Senators, plus three non-voting members from the District of Columbia, the Electoral College is then composed of 538 electoral votes. A state’s electoral vote number can easily be calculated by taking the number of Congressional Districts and adding two to that number. New York has twenty-six Congressional Districts. With two Senators, New York has twenty-eight Electoral College votes. Each state’s proportional power is wielded in the presidential elections, while equal power gives the smaller states footing in their respective corners. The College reached its full power of 538 electors in 1964, when Washington, D.C., received three electoral votes.

Winning an Election - A Game of Counties

In order to win a presidential election, a candidate must receive at least 270 electoral votes, which is half of all available Electoral College votes plus one. States have long been classified as “red states” or “blue states,” indicating their regular preferences for the Republican and Democratic parties, respectively. The famed “Blue Wall” states were formed in 1992, when Bill Clinton (DAR) won a slew of states that typically voted with the GOP for the latter half of the 1900s. Many “Blue Wall” states are still reliably in the Democratic column today, although three of those states tumbled in 2016 with Donald Trump’s (R-NY) wins in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Red states consist of those in the South, known as the Bible Belt, the industrial and agricultural Midwest, and the more intrinsically libertarian Mountain West. However, writing off states as merely “red” or “blue” undersells the true elasticity of presidential politics and just how flexible the College can be in a path to victory.

Much of this is owed to the states’ individual histories, explored in our column America the Beautiful: How History Shapes Our Electorate, which can be read on our website.

In short, New York Republicans are not like Iowa Republicans, and Idaho Democrats are not like Rhode Island Democrats. Thus, elections can come down to a game of counties, wherein candidates seek their expected base in certain enclaves of states to turn an impenetrable wall into an upset victory or even usher in a new political era. Such examples show trends and results in recent years that may surprise the political layman. For example, in 2016, Delaware backed Hillary Clinton (D-NY) by just 11.5%, a sharp downturn from its 18.5% and 25.0% margins for Barack Obama (D-IL) in 2012 and 2008, respectively.

When a candidate reaches 270 votes, or more, they are declared the winner of the election and the transition period between administrations begins. The Electoral College votes are certified by the states in December and by Congress in January, formalizing the presidential victory.

However, some anomalies can occur. Faithless electors occur when electors from the states chose not to back the candidate selected by the voters of the state. Many states have laws against faithless electors, which impose penalties for breaking from the state’s popular vote, or by replacing the elector with one who will honor the result. The 2016 election produced seven faithless electors, two from Texas who defected from Trump, and three from Washington and one from Hawaii who defected from Clinton.

Faithless electors argue their right to break from the state’s post electoral result under Alexander Hamilton’s original purpose for the Electoral College, which was more of an emergency feature in the event the people elected someone deemed “unfit” to be president. The College has never served in this capacity.

Split Electoral Votes

Two states split their electoral votes: Maine and Nebraska. The other forty-eight states, plus D.C., award their votes in a winner-take-all system. Maine and Nebraska award votes based on winners in the state’s Congressional Districts. Both states award two votes each based on the winner of the statewide popular vote. Maine then awards two votes based on the popular vote-winners in its two Congressional Districts, one for each, and Nebraska acts identically, only it has three Congressional Districts, and thus, three electoral votes to award.

Nebraska began its Congressional District method in 1992, and Maine began its method in 1972. Since then, only three elections have produced split outcomes: 2008, Obama won Nebraska’s Second District; 2016, Trump won Maine’s Second District; and 2020, Biden won NE-02 and Trump won ME-02. 2020 is the only election to date in which both states have split their votes simultaneously.

Nebraska is solidly Republican at every level, while NE-02 contains Omaha, a more moderately-conservative city with liberal tendencies. Maine is a blue-leaning state that is becoming more competitive, but ME-02 contains the more classically-Republican rural northern part of the state, home to a vibrant logging industry.

Although small prizes, just one electoral vote can make a massive difference in a tight election.

What Happens in a Tie?

If neither candidate receives 270, either by a 269-269 tie or if a third-party candidate takes electoral votes (which has not happened since 1968), the election is then thrown to the House of Representatives. This has not happened since 1824, when John Quincy Adams was elected over Andrew Jackson. A House-decided election has only occurred one other time: 1800.

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

Bellwethers and Voting Streaks

Bellwethers account for an outsized portion of presidential campaigning. In American politics, a bellwether is a state that is often seen as a barometer for political moods across the country, and pre-election polling or early returns can often be used as a gauge for what might happen elsewhere. Famous bellwethers included Missouri and Ohio, who backed winners throughout the Twentieth Century, with only a couple exceptions, until the GOP formed a solid base in both states recently. Biden is the first president to win the election without carrying Ohio since John F. Kennedy (D-MA) in 1960. From 1904 to 2004, Missouri backed every general election winner, except in 1956. In 2008, it was the closest state that year, backing John McCain (R-AZ) over Obama. Republican margins have grown exponentially since then.

Emerging bellwethers appear to be Nevada, New Mexico, and Florida.

Winning streaks for both parties are also important, as it helps ascertain a base of support going into each election. Since 1964, Democrats have won D.C. in every election in which it has participated. Since 1968, the GOP has won Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska (at-large), North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Democrats have their longest winning state streak in Minnesota, backing every Democrat since 1976. New York has backed every Democrat since 1988.

The deviation of states backing other parties has dwindled significantly since 2000, but 2016 and 2020 saw generational victories in several states that have expanded the map.

Controversies

Many criticize the College for being “outdated” and reflective more of land than of population, citing that the winner of the national popular vote should win the election outright. The point of the College goes hand in hand with federalism. Without distinct checks and balances, popular-vote rich states would receive outsized attention. In the current age of hyperpartisanship and the near-extinction of split-ticket voting, such scenarios would be all but ensured. Additionally, the smaller states and the “game of counties” would be forgotten in a popular vote-winner method. Florida’s razor-thin margin in 2000 is often a massive point of criticism. However, New Hampshire, worth just four electoral votes, backed George Bush (R-TX) that year. If the Granite State had backed Al Gore (D-TN), Gore would have won the election, regardless of the outcome in Florida. A system without the College negates the importance of states like New Hampshire.

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an ongoing initiative that seeks to enlist half of the country’s electoral votes in an alliance to ensure the popular vote-winner is elected president. If states making up half of the country’s electoral votes join the compact, their electoral votes would then be bound to the popular vote winner, rather than the winner of each state respectively.

Maryland was the first state to join the compact in 2007 and Maine was the most recent in April 2024. So far, seventeen states, plus D.C., have joined the compact, collectively representing 209 electoral votes. Initiatives are pending in nine states, making up eighty-seven electoral votes.

Only five elections have seen the winners of the popular vote lose the elections: 1824 (John Q. Adams), 1876 (Hayes), 1888 (Benjamin Harrison), 2000 (Bush), and 2016 (Trump).

Highs and Lows

1880 - James Garfield (R-OH) won by just 1,898 votes (0.11% margin) out of nearly nine million ballots cast. This is the closest election by popular vote to date.

1960 - Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon (R-CA) by a 0.17% margin, with 303 in the College. However, Nixon won more states (26).

1964 - Lyndon Johnson (D-TX) wins the election with 61.1% popular and 486 electoral votes, the largest popular vote margin in history. 1936, 1972, 1984 - The only three elections in which a candidate received more than 500 electoral votes. FDR (D-NY) is the only Democrat to accomplish this. Nixon and Regan won in 1972 and 1984, respectively.

Vermont has voted Republican more times than any other state, thirty-three times.

Georgia has voted Democratic more times than any other state, thirty-four times.

Kings Park High School Music Students

Receive High Honors

Back Row: Mr. Ryan Flatt-Advisor, Ms. Cherilyn Holmes-Chustek-Advisor, Matthew Werner, Ava Grimley, Chloe Swartz, Alex Eskin, Logan Engel, Mr. Paul Eger-Advisor, Dr. Timothy Eagen-Superintendent

Front Row: Ms. Jennifer Martino-Principal, Ms. Katharina MisanesAdvisor, Sierra Healy, Mariana Motherway, Lauren Ayres, Mikayla Terrana, Isabel Lin, Victoria Narvaez, Anika Davids-Gunther, Grace Zhang

Missing from Picture: Benjamin Coakley

Congratulations to all of the students listed above on being selected to participate in the annual NYSCAME, SCMEA and LISFA concerts. Their selection places them among the best musicians in all of Suffolk County.

Kings Park High School Valedictorian and Salutatorian

Ryan Guzman (Valedictorian) will be graduating with a cumulative weighted average of 107.96. He is a Coca-Cola Scholars Semifinalist, Jefferson Scholars Regional Semifinalist, JSHS Semifinalist, and Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award recipient. He is President of the Science Olympiad team, President of the Senior Class, Co-President of the Culture Club, and Co-President of the Independent Science Research Program. Ryan will also be graduating with his Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish, Seal of Civic Readiness, and AP Capstone Diploma. Ryan is a captain of the Varsity Boys Track Team, where he is a 4x All-County Athlete. Ryan also plays trombone in the Symphonic Winds and Jazz Band. He works as a private tutor in his community, volunteers for a local track league, and is a member of Smithtown’s Youth Council. Ryan also interned at a pharmacology lab at Stony Brook University, where he published research on Major Depressive Disorder. This coming fall, Ryan will be majoring in neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Sierra Healy (Salutatorian) will be graduating with a cumulative weighted average of 107.52. Sierra was named a National Merit Finalist for 2024. She is a member of the high school’s orchestra and chamber orchestra and was selected to play violin in the NYSSMA All-State orchestra this year. She is a member of Tri-M Music Honor Society and tutoring coordinator for National Honor Society. As co-president of the Independent Science research program, Sierra conducted pancreatic cancer research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. She was named a JSHS Semifinalist for working toward adoptive T-cell therapy to combat immunosuppression that occurs when fighting the disease. Sierra is also a competitive swimmer and triathlete. She plans to major in mechanical engineering at Duke University.

State and County Officials Unite with VFW Commander Leon Schoemmell to Host First Annual Veterans Honor Pancake Breakfast

On Saturday, May 4, 2024, New York State Senator Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk), New York State Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson Station), and Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa (C-Selden), Chair of the Veterans Committee in the Suffolk County Legislature, hosted a pancake breakfast to honor the service of local Veterans. The First Annual Pancake Breakfast took place at the VFW Post 3054, 8 Jones Street in Setauket from 9:00a.m. to 12:00p.m.

The program began with an opening prayer by Chaplin Micheal Russell, who was followed by Chaplin David Mann, singing a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem. David has been the Chaplain of American Legion Post 269, of Patchogue for 11 YEARS and is a life member of VFW POST 2913 in Patchogue. David served in Vietnam with the Army in the 15th Combat Engineer Bn, 9th Infantry Division from 1968-7 where he earned two Purple Hearts for his service.

Following the anthem, the Pledge of Allegiance was led by the Civil Air Patrol, Suffolk Cadet Squadron 10. Suffolk Cadet Squadron 10 is an elite unit of the Civil Air Patrol, the United States Air Force Auxiliary. They have three congressionally chartered missions which include Emergency Services, Aerospace Education, and the Cadet Program. Civil Air Patrol has over 60,000 members nationwide and operates a fleet of 550 aircraft. The CAP program follows a military model and emphasizes Air Force traditions and values. Those cadets who earn cadet officer status may enter the Air Force as an E3 (airman first class) rather than an E1 (airman basic). The cadets were accompanied by their Commander, Lt Sam Portugues Klos.

The highlight of this gathering was the moment Senator Palumbo, Assemblyman Flood, and Legislator Caracappa presented Staff Sgt Michael E. Russell with a State Proclamation acknowledging his service and dedication to his community.

Micheal Russell was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Toms River, New Jersey. He was enlisted in the United Air Force from 1966-1970 and served in Vietnam from 1968-1969. Upon his return to the United States, Micheal was employed with the Federal Aviation Administration from 1970-1981 until he left there and spent the remainder of his career as Managing Director and Senior Vice President of merged Wall Street firms. For his service, Micheal received two bronze stars and a purple heart.

Throughout his life in the private sector, Michael Russell continued to serve his fellow man. He was a member of the NYS small business administration, and a member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Capital Review Board. He was Commissioner of New York State Cable TV Commission, Special Assistant to New York State Senate Majority LeaderThe Honorable Ralph Marino - a trustee on the State University of New York Board of Trustees, and the Chair of the Committee of SUNY Hospitals and the NassauSuffolk Hospital Council. Michael also served as a member of the

Committee of SUNY Community Colleges, the Committee of Finance and Investments, Committee of Athletics and Four-Year Schools, Committee on Charter Schools, and a member of the Board of Trustees, John T. Mather Memorial Hospital.

Mr. Russell is a founding Member of Jefferson’s Ferry Continuous Care Facility and was Chair of the Transition Team for Suffolk County District Attorney James M. Catterson and a Member of the Transition Team for Suffolk County Executive Robert Gaffney.

Micheal E. Russell is married to his wonderful wife Barbara Russell, and they have three children and six grandchildren. Senator Palumbo has been a huge advocate for Long Island Veterans. After months of advocacy from Senator Palumbo, the Long Island State Veterans Home will finally receive over $80,000 in past donations generously given by New Yorkers through the state’s tax-checkoff system. As well, the Senator was instrumental in securing $100,000 in funding to aid the VFW Post 3054.

“It is always an honor to pay tribute to our Veterans and thank them for their service. During our Veterans breakfast, we recognized Michael Russell for his impressive contributions on behalf of those who served and his dedication to our Veterans and the community,” said Senator Palumbo. “Suffolk County is home to one of the largest Veteran populations in the nation and it is my privilege to represent these extraordinary individuals and their families in the New York State Senate.”

“It was a pleasure and honor to be able to recognize Michael Russell at the Veteran’s Pancake Breakfast last week at VFW Post 3054 alongside my colleagues,” said Assemblyman Flood. “Being a Vietnam Veteran, Russell has exemplified courage, dedication, and selflessness in defending our freedoms. I want to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation toward his unwavering commitment to our nation and I was proud to join my colleagues to host this event.”

LI Life & Politics

Pregnancy Care Center Faces Lawsuit from Attorney General’s Office

By Hank Russell

The Care Center, doing business as Soundview Pregnancy Services, has been sued by New York Attorney General Letitia James’ (D) Office, claiming the center disseminated misleading claims to pregnant women that abortions can be reversed by taking a pill. Soundview joins ten other pregnancy care centers and Heartbeat International as defendants.

According to the lawsuit, which was filed on May 6 in New York State Supreme Court, Heartbeat International and the other pregnancy care facilities made “false and misleading statements” which “constitute persistent fraud and illegality under Executive Law 63(12) and deceptive business and false advertising practices in violation of sections 349 and 350 of the General Business Law,” according to a press release issued from James’ office.

This web page explaining the benefits of abortion pill reversal (APR) appears on the websites of many pregnancy care facilities, which, along with Heartbeat International, are being sued by the attorney general’s office.

Photo Courtesy of the Attorney General’s Office

time is of the essence.”

• “Using the natural hormone progesterone, medical professionals have been able to save 64-68% of pregnancies through abortion pill reversal.”

Soundview provides services in East Meadow, Centereach, and Riverhead. Heartbeat and the eleven crisis pregnancy centers named in James’ lawsuit aggressively advertise “abortion pill reversals” (APR) on their websites, social media, and other promotional materials using false and misleading claims that lead patients to think that APR is a proven and safe treatment with minimal risks, despite the lack of reliable scientific evidence, for example:

• “Can the abortion pill be reversed? The simple answer is yes! If done in time.”

• “There is an effective process called abortion pill reversal* that can reverse the effects of the abortion pill and allow you to continue your pregnancy, but

“Abortions cannot be reversed. Any treatments that claim to do so are made without scientific evidence and could be unsafe,” James said. “Heartbeat International and the other crisis pregnancy center defendants are spreading dangerous misinformation by advertising ‘abortion reversals’ without any medical and scientific proof. Amid the increase in attacks on reproductive health care nationwide, we must protect pregnant people’s right to make safe, well-informed decisions about their health. Your reproductive health care decisions are yours and yours alone, and my office will always protect New Yorkers from those who push a scientifically unproven and potentially life-threatening intervention.”

On April 22, James sent notices of intent to sue to Heartbeat International and the other pregnancy centers over their APR claims. Eight days later, the Thomas More Society, a conservative nonprofit public interest law firm, filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court on behalf of Heartbeat International, CompassCare and other pregnancy care facilities, claiming that James’ lawsuit is an act of intimidation and a violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, the New York Constitution and state civil rights law.

“New York State laws protect abortionists and abortion on demand up until birth,” added Heartbeat International President Jor-El Godsey. “Now they are targeting those who assist a woman in exercising her right to continue her own pregnancy. It is unconscionable to see the abortion industry and its paid-for politicians go so far as to insist she complete an abortion she no longer wants.”

According to its website, Heartbeat International has a worldwide network of more than 3,000 pro-life pregnancy help organizations and provides lifeaffirming help to all pregnant women who feel that abortion is the only option.

The organization noted on its website that APR “remains a safe and effective option, supported by scientific evidence and the lived experiences of women who, after initiating a chemical abortion, successfully reversed it and now cradle their babies in their arms.”

Long Island Life & Politics reached out to Heartbeat International and Soundview Pregnancy for additional comment but did not hear back as of press time.

In response to the lawsuit, Peter Breen, the executive vice president and head of litigation for the Thomas More Society, said in a statement, “Today, New York Attorney General Letitia James has decided to proceed full steam ahead with her witch-hunt against New York’s pregnancy help organizations. Delivering on her threat of lawfare against our life-affirming clients, Ms. James has filed a baseless lawsuit in Manhattan—where none of our clients are located—to unconstitutionally silence their pro-life message. In doing so, Ms. James is seeking to keep in the dark women who desire to urgently try to continue their pregnancies.”

Breen added that James should “turn her ire” to Planned Parenthood and similar groups which “continue to disseminate inaccurate, misleading, and even false information, about the risks and dangers of the chemical abortion process to women who pay for their services—and have thus far not been targeted with threats or prosecution by Ms. James’ office.”

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

Fentanyl Awareness Day 2024

Nationally Known Advocate Dr. Stephen Loyd of ‘Dopesick’

Joined with DEA & Community Advocates for ‘Call to Action’

Parents who have lost children to fentanyl poisonings and the opioid epidemic did not let Fentanyl Awareness Day go unnoticed. The morning of May 7 started with a demonstration along RT25A in Setauket during commuting time, with families who have been personally affected holding signs stating “Do you know someone who had died from fentanyl poisoning? We do.”

Fentanyl is the number one public health crisis in the country and the number one cause of death for people 18-45 years of age, yet the urgency of the issue seems to have dropped down the list of national priorities.

The demonstration was followed by an event at Thrive Recovery Center in Hauppauge which featured special guest speaker Dr. Stephen Loyd. Michael Keaton’s character in the Hulu series Dopesick is based in part on the life story of Nashville addiction specialist Dr. Loyd, who has been in recovery since 2004. Dr. Loyd is a nationally renowned speaker and expert in public health policy around addiction and addiction treatment. He is the former medical director and assistant commissioner for Substance Abuse Services with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

“This is the number one health problem in the United States,” Dr. Loyd said. “If you don’t have time for the number one health problem in the United States, what do you have time for?”

Loyd stressed that more focus needs to be on those who have recovered from substance use disorder, and not just the dramatic downside, as portrayed in the series Dopesick, which was based on his life.

“There are more people living in active recovery in the United States right now than there are living active addiction, but you don’t know it because of anonymity and stigma. So, I went ahead with telling my story and that story is on a Hulu series, with 22 million people having seen it… I’ve been in recovery, if I make it, until July 8, for 20 years.”

Other speakers included leaders in recovery, law enforcement and parents who have suffered the loss of children and grandchildren and Jeffrey Reynolds, PhD, President and CEO, Family and Children’s Association; Steve Chassman, LCSW, CASAC, Executive Director of Long Island Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence; Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino of the Drug Enforcement Administration – New York Division; Mark Murray, Narcotics Bureau Chief for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; Anthony Rizzuto, MSW, Director of Provider Relations at Seafield Center; Kurt Hall, Director of Operations at Hope Ministries; Dr Edmond Hakimi, LIRA Board President; and Corinne Kaufman, a grandmother from Glen Cove, lost her granddaughter Paige to a fentanyl-laced pill in 2023.

“There is healing in trying to save others from this sad fate,” Kaufman said. “I hope today launches and refreshes our awareness of fentanyl poisoning and how it is reaching our communities and stealing our lives.”

Also attending the program were Larry and Eileen Lamendola, whose daughter Lisa died from a fentanyl poisoning in 2019; Lori Carbonaro, whose son Nicholas died in 2014; Paulette Phillippe, whose grandson Gabriel died in 2010 at the age of 15; Carole Trottere, whose son Alex died in 2018 and many others.

Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division stated:

“According to the CDC, the leading cause of death among Americans ages 18 to 45 is drug overdoses and poisonings. It’s more than car accidents, more than gun violence and more than suicides. In fact, 112,323 Americans died from drug overdoses and poisonings in a 12-month period ending in June of 2023. Fentanyl is killing Americans at catastrophic and record rates and was responsible for 70% of those deaths. What we say in the DEA is that this is no longer a war on drugs. This is a fight to save lives. Every single day our top mission priority is to defeat the two most dominant cartels, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels who are responsible for mass producing the vast majority of fentanyl powder and pills that’s flowing into the United States at record rates and killing Americans. But we are having an impact, and we will continue this fight for each and every one of you and for your loved ones and for the future generations to come.”

Kerry J. Maher

Kenneth Maher, Jr.

Director

Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Guest Column

Thursday, May 9, 2024

Colleges Side With Radicals, Their Students Be Damned

By Betsy McCaughey | AMAC Outside Contributor

The Left and their media allies want you to believe the protests roiling college campuses are spontaneous uprisings of morally fervent students worried about Gaza war victims. Don’t fall for that claim. It’s a scam. These protesters don’t represent most students or the American public.

Yet Monday, Columbia University canceled graduation ceremonies, kowtowing to the radical fringe, with whom they largely agree. Students and their families be damned.

Here are the facts: A minuscule 2% of people ages 18 to 29 polled by Harvard’s Kennedy School named the Israel-Hamas conflict as their top political concern, compared with double digits who were concerned about the economy. Students couldn’t care less about this issue.

Claims that today’s campus riots are reminiscent of 1968 when students closed down campuses to protest the Vietnam War, are nonsense. Back then, Gallup found 46% of respondents in that age group considered the Vietnam War the nation’s biggest problem. Not 2%.

Ray Kelly, former New York Police commissioner, nailed it Sunday when he said the nationwide turmoil “looks like a conspiracy. … We need the federal government’s investigative capacity to look at this whole situation.”

Organized outside groups are behind much of the campus violence. Hours before the storming of Columbia’s Hamilton Hall, an outside organization called The People’s Forum — known for its anti-Israel activities and links to the Chinese Communist Party — started gearing up for its Hamilton Hall invasion. In a meeting, TPF’s leader spewed invectives against Columbia.

Hours later, protesters smashed the glass doors of Hamilton Hall, vandalizing and seizing the building. When Minouche Shafik, university president, finally called in police, 13 of the 44 arrested in the building had no affiliation with the university.

Reflecting on the incidents at Columbia and other New York campuses, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said after the arrests, “Individuals unaffiliated with these schools had entered these different campuses and, in some cases, were even training students in unlawful protest tactics.”

New York University Board Vice Chairman Bill Berkley says these occupations appear to have been orchestrated by external groups. He wants the FBI to investigate.

As these groups seize control of our universities, where is the FBI? Director Christopher Wray says the bureau does not directly track college protests but will provide information to campuses if the agency becomes aware of a specific threat.

Huh? The FBI should be proactively identifying and heading off campus terrorists.

Where is the Department of Justice? Two weeks ago, 27 Republican Senators sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking for the DOJ to investigate how students’ rights are being violated on campus. Radio silence.

Where is President Joe Biden? When the President was asked if he would use the National Guard to restore order, he emphatically said, “No.”

Why not? The National Guard were deployed in 1962 to protect the right of Black students to attend the newly integrated University of Mississippi. Students of all races and religions who want to go to class or attend their graduation deserve protection.

The Biden administration is missing in action. Is it because the same big Dem donors supporting Biden — the Pritzker family, George Soros, David Rockefeller Jr. — also support proPalestine groups orchestrating campus protests?

Meanwhile, images of campus invaders in headscarves are not winning over Americans. The latest Harvard CAPS-Harris survey shows that 61% of Americans polled want a ceasefire only after Hamas is removed from power and the hostages captured on Oct. 7 are released.

The public also knows what they are seeing on campuses is not freedom of expression — a sacred American right — but lawlessness and dangerous disorder. Universities need to be evenhanded, guaranteeing that all sides get to speak and students can attend class.

Columbia’s students were heckled and threatened, had their classes canceled and now are robbed of the grandeur of a university graduation. It’s a slap in the face to them, and to their

Overview - AMAC - The Association of Mature American Citizens

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

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

families who sacrificed to make college possible.

Colombia’s motto is, “In thy light shall we see light.” Truth is, darkness has descended on Columbia and most elite college campuses.

Alumni and taxpayers alike should withhold their support until these institutions see the light and prioritize their students.

Betsy McCaughey is a former lieutenant governor of New York and chairman of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths. Follow her on Twitter @Betsy_McCaughey. To find out more about Betsy McCaughey and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website.

EXTENDED THRU JUNE 16 ON STAGE

Bits & Pieces

Thursday, May 9, 2024

WORD OF THE Week

Origin:

late 16th century: from Latin non plus ‘not more’. The noun originally meant ‘a state in which no more can be said or done’.

Source: Oxford Languages

Synonym: confused, bewildered, perplexed

NONPLUSSED

Adjective

Pronounced: naan·pluhst

Definition: (of a person) surprised and confused so much that they are unsure how to react.

Example: “He was completely nonplussed by such a presumptuous suggestion.”

Antonym: unconcerned, unworried, oriented

WORD WHEEL

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

SUDOKU

This Week in History

May 9, 1865:

President Andrew Johnson issues a proclamation declaring armed resistance in the South is virtually at an end; this is the commonly accepted end date of the American Civil War

D M E M

May 13, 1967: Chuck

May 12, 2002:

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter arrives in Cuba for a five-day visit with Fidel Castro becoming first President of the United States, in or out of office, to visit the island since Castro’s 1959 revolution.

May 10, 1869:

Golden Spike driven, completing the first U.S. Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah, and connecting the Central Pacific Railroad with the Union Pacific

May 14, 1998:

Seinfeld’s final two-part episode

“The Finale” airs on NBC-TV to 76.3 million viewers with commercials priced at $2 million for thirty seconds

May 15, 1980: AT&T becomes the 1st US corporation to have a million stockholders after young car salesman Brady Denton purchases 7 shares worth $1,078

Schuldiner, American heavy metal singersongwriter and guitarist (Death; Control Denied), born on Long Island (d. 2001)

Theatre & The Arts

Steelin’ in the Years Rocks the Argyle Theatre Stage

By Cindi Sansone-Braff

Summer will be in full swing on June 21, 2024, and the place to be is the beautiful Argyle Theatre in Babylon Village to hear some Yacht Rock by the beloved Steely Dan Tribute Band Steelin’ in the Years, founded by Long Island personality Johnny Fannon.

The original Steely Dan was the brainchild of two New York college buddies, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. This dynamic musical duo moved to Los Angeles to record their 1972 debut, “Can’t Buy a Thrill,” which became a platinum hit. A halfcentury later, their other megahit singles, like “Do It Again,” “Reelin’ in the Years,” and “Dirty Work,” still rule the classic rock canon.

Steely Dan is known for their soulful, edgy, provocative, and stream-of-consciousness vibe. What really makes Steely Dan one of the most beloved bands of all time is their distinctive back vocals, dry production sound, complex chords, clean vocals, coded lyrics, catchy melodies, and a wide array of musical styles, including soul, Latin, jazz, rock, and R&B.

Steelin’ in the Years has some of the best vocalists and musicians you will hear on any stage. Johnny Fannon, the lead vocalist and frontman for the band, is a multitalented performer. He is a professional actor and a member of the SAGAFTRA. Fannon appeared in “Jessica Jones” with Kristen Ritter and “The Mysteries of Laura” with Debra Messing. He has also performed his own standup comedy routine at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York City. According to Fannon, their Argyle Theatre show will feature many of Steely Dan’s greatest hits, including “Aja,” “Reelin’ in the Years,” “Black Cow,” “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” “Josie,” “Hey Nineteen,” Do It Again,” “Black Friday,” “Peg,”

“Kid Charlemagne,” and “Dirty Work.”

Billy Milne is the band’s powerhouse drummer and backup vocalist as well. Milne has toured with Billy Falcon’s Burning Rose

band, which played at My Father’s Place, CBGBs, and Max’s Kansas City.

Stellar vocalist Pam Dixon has been professionally singing since she was seventeen and has many vocal styles. For fifteen years, she was a member of the all-original NYC hard rock band Kaos From Order and has performed with Randy Jackson of Zebra and Lynyrd Skynyrd members Artimus Pyle, and the late JoJo Billingsley in tribute bands The Long Island Street Survivors, Crawdaddy, and Sons of Skynyrd. Dixon is a triple threat who sings, acts, and dances and has performed in several musical and dramatic productions in New York City and abroad. Richard Forman is an accomplished keyboardist and vocalist. Some highlights of his career include long stints with the popular Billy Joel band Songs in the Attic and the national touring Foreigner tribute band Head Games. In addition, he has shared a stage with Bonnie Tyler, Bret Michaels, and 60s rocker Mitch Ryder.

Colleen Farquhar is a brilliant vocalist, saxophonist, and percussionist. Farquhar performs nationwide with tribute bands such as All Revved Up: The Ultimate Meat Loaf Tribute, Pat Farrell and the Cold Spring Harbor Band, and Pompeii Floyd.

Mark Lopresti is a saxophonist whose musical journey has been as diverse as it is dynamic. With a lifelong dedication to his craft, Lopresti’s repertoire spans from the jazz rhythms of the Stony Brook University Big Band to the high-energy performances of the Rolling Stones cover band Let It Bleed.

Kevin “Abe” Barry picked up a guitar after receiving Ricky Nelson’s first album, and he’s been at it ever since. He’s been on stage with Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark (The Byrds), Rob Stoner, and Robert Gordon.

Mike Young is a guitarist, composer, and educator. He plays solo and duo gigs and does studio work for friends nationwide.

Jay Sepe is a bassist from Long Island who has performed many genres of music in his 30-plus-year career. Sepe was the bassist on the Skynrds Legends Tour 2005 and a member of the Artimus Pyle Band.

The Steelin’ in the Years concert is the hottest show of the 2024 summer season! So, Dan Fans, click the link to purchase tickets for the June 21, 8:00 p.m. performance: Tickets to Steelin’ in the Years, or call 844-631-LIVE (5483).

Cindi Sansone-Braff is an award-winning 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.

Local HistorySnowman the Show Horse

By Matt Meduri

There is a somewhat common misconception that local history is an insular representation of an insular community. However, local history often has more reach than would ordinarily meet the eye. The Messenger recently had a unique opportunity to learn of the worldwide recognition that generated from a farm in St. James.

The world of show horses is one that has been extant for hundreds of years. Jumping, racing, and other forms of agility are frequently on display, courtesy of faithful steeds and prized companions, that generate international interest and prestige.

Snowman was a world-renowned show horse whose chance encounter with a St. James immigrant saved him from a trip to the slaughterhouse, resulting in the distinction of U.S. Equestrian Federation Horse of the Year in 1958, the 1958 Professional Horseman’s Association Champion, the 1958 Champion of Madison Square Garden’s Diamond Jubilee, and the 1958, 1959 United States Open Jumper Champion.

“My parents got Snowman at an auction in New Holland, Pennsylvania,” Anna Marie deLeyer told The Messenger. deLeyer is the daughter of the late Harry deLeyer, who purchased Snowman in February 1956.

“On the way to the auction, they got a flat tire, and by the time they got there, the auction was mostly over and the rest of the horses were on their way to the glue factory,” said deLeyer. “After being late from the flat tire and paying for repairs, my parents had about $80. One horse caught my father’s eye and there was almost an immediate connection. My father noticed he looked like an Amish plow horse with strong legs. My parents asked if the auctioneers could drop him off in St. James.” deLeyer says that when the horse arrived home, her siblings remarked on his sterling white color and called him “Snowman.”

“My parents were immigrants from Holland and had come to St. James to work at the Knox School,” said deLeyer. “They would pass the farm up on Moriches Road and Edgewood Avenue near Route 347 and always wanted to buy, and one day, they did.”

deLeyer fondly remembers accompanying Snowman and her father to races and cheering them on.

“He was a real family horse. We used to take him swimming at Long Beach,” said

deLeyer, mentioning that water is good for a horse’s legs. “We would swim from one side to the other and my father would whistle and we would all run back in, including Snowman.”

The deLeyer farm is now owned by a corporation, but the farm is called Hollandia. deLeyer still lives near the property and overlooks her old family farm in the mornings with her cup of coffee.

Snowman would appear in numerous news publications, including The New York Times, and even on television, including the game show “To Tell the Truth” and “The Tonight Show,” where Johnny Carson sat on Snowman’s back. Snowman even had a book written about him, the 2011 New York Times best-seller, The Eighty-Dollar Champion

Snowman passed away in the fall of 1974 at the age twenty-six.

A chance encounter that almost didn’t occur because of the inconvenience of a flat tire ended up spawning a world-renown horse, a beloved family pet, and a story that makes our Town’s history as sentimental as it gets.

School Board Campaign Materials Contain CSD Imagery

By Matt Meduri

The current campaign for Smithtown Central School District’s (CSD) two School Board seats has become somewhat mired in confusion as campaign literature for the opposition ticket has been distributed with CSD imagery and logos.

Candidates Dana Fritch and Emily Cianci are campaigning for the two seats held by incumbents Stacy Ann Murphy and Karen Wontrobski-Ricciardi who were elected to the Board in 2021. Door tags and mailers for candidates Fritch and Cianci have been distributed with the CSD logos, imagery, and wording.

The issue has caused confusion and criticism to that the point that Smithtown CSD Superintendent Dr. Mark Secaur issued a statement on the matter:

“It has come to my attention that the District’s symbol/logo has appeared on campaign materials in support of particular candidates for the upcoming election, without the District’s authorization. The School District and the Board of Education must avoid even the appearance of impermissible partisan activity with respect to the conduct of an election. While I have been informed that the candidates did not create the materials in question, they have been directed that they, and

anyone acting on their behalf, are to cease and desist from using, displaying, advertising, producing, and/or selling any products which display the logo, symbol, device, and/ or other identification of the District.”

In the team’s campaign Facebook account, the issue has been dubbed “logo-gate.”

“We understand that our opponents are concerned about the use of the district logo on materials that teachers have used to support our campaign,” the team said in a statement on Facebook. “We would like to remind voters that we did not create or distribute the subject materials and that our campaign materials use our custom logo.”

One mailer seen is addressed to “Smithtown Teachers” and advertises the opposition ticket alongside CSD logos and imagery.

The policies of campaigning with district imagery is subjective and based on jurisdiction, but is generally frowned upon as it appears to recipients that the district is endorsing a particular slate of candidates.

The School Board elections will be held on May 21 in just under two weeks.

Snowman (left picture, left horse) and deLeyer as a child (right)

(Credit - Celebrate St. James Facebook)

Published

Final Performer Line-up

Bethpage, NY – April 25, 2024 - Bethpage Federal Credit Union and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, are pleased to announce the final performer line-up for the muchanticipated 20th Anniversary Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach, taking place on Saturday, May 25, 2024, and Sunday, May 26, 2024, from 10:00a.m. – 3:00p.m.

The United States Navy Blue Angels, which headlined the very first Bethpage Air Show back in 2004, will return to Long Island to headline the 20th Anniversary show. This will be the Blue Angels’ 10th headliner performance for what has grown into one of the most respected air shows in the country.

“The Bethpage Air Show symbolizes the credit union’s roots and is a testament to Long Island’s history in aviation. It is a true collaboration and we are honored to continue to support and help produce this extraordinary show,” said Linda Armyn, President and CEO, Bethpage Federal Credit Union.

In 2004, New York State Parks invited Bethpage to be the title sponsor of the show, recognizing the credit union was founded by employees of Grumman Aerospace. The Blue Angels also have strong ties to Long Island, flying Grumman Hellcats, built on Long Island for the team’s 1946 inaugural flight. The team then went on to fly other Grumman aircraft including the Bearcat, Cougar, and Tiger, one of which, now proudly hangs at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, Long Island.

Military performers joining the Blue Angels include the United States Army Golden Knights Parachute Team, the A-10C Thunderbolt II Demo Team, and the U.S. Navy F-35C Demo Team. Civilian performers Mike Goulian, North America’s most decorated aerobatic pilot; the world-famous Skytypers; Warbird Thunder Airshows; Farmingdale State College Flying Rams; Long Island’s own David Windmiller and the American Airpower Museum Warbirds.

“2024 is a very special year for us. Not only are we celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Bethpage Air Show, but we are also celebrating the 95th anniversary of Jones Beach State Park and the 100th anniversary of New York State Parks and the Long Island State Park Commission,” said George Gorman, Regional Director, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation. “Spectators are in for a real treat!”

To help celebrate the 20th anniversary show, organizers are giving away 30,000 commemorative U.S. Navy Blue Angels signed posters to fans attending the practice show on Friday, May 24, and the weekend show on Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26. The show will also feature other celebratory elements throughout the holiday weekend including a special, 15 ft x 20ft, anniversary cake weighing in at 1000 pounds, which fans will be able to enjoy on Friday, following an 11:00 am Jones Beach Press Conference.

“The show brings park visitors together to pay tribute to our nation’s great military and the pilots who serve and protect Americans, as well as our honored veterans. I would like to thank our sponsors, our volunteers as well as our Federal, State and local agencies for helping the show become a treasured Long Island tradition,” continued Gorman.

The Bethpage Air Show is free to the public, but the standard $10.00 vehicle use fee will be collected each day upon entry to the State Park. For 2024 NYS Empire Pass Card holders, there is no vehicle use fee charge.

For up-to-date information about this year’s show, please visit www.bethpageairshow.com or https://www. facebook.com/BethpageAirShow/, or contact the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Regional Office, Recreation Department at 631/321-3510.

Suffolk County Honors 2024 Women of Distinction

By Matt Meduri

Each year, for the month of March, each of the eighteen County Legislators have an opportunity to select one woman from their district in recognition of her contributions to their community. Each eighteen honorees are recognized by their respective Legislators and one honoree is named by the Suffolk County Women’s Advisory Board as the countywide Woman of Distinction.

This year’s countywide Woman of Distinction is Ann Pellegrino of Centereach. Nominated by Legislator Nick Caracappa (C-Selden), Pellegrino was recognized for her role in the transformation of the historic and long-blighted Hobbs Farms on Oxhead Road in Centereach. After the farm’s last descendant passed away in 1996, the farm was left to Bethel AME Church in Setauket, where the last wish of Alfred Hobbs was to have the farm remain a farm.

With no one to tend to it, the farm quickly fell into disrepair and was one of the most notorious blighted properties in the Middle Country area.

However, that changed when Pellegrino took over a small plot on the farm in 2007 with the intention of making it a community farm, the crops from which supply local food pantries and soup kitchens.

Bethel Hobbs Community Farm now donates anywhere from 75,000 to 100,000 pounds of fresh produce to the community each year. The farm grows a variety of vegetables, including, but not limited to, spinach, arugula, Swiss chard, Asian greens, peppers, cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes.

something she took from her time as a single mother of two.

All honorees were celebrated at a luncheon at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge after the State of the County Address Tuesday afternoon and before the remainder of the general meeting. In attendance was former Congressman Tim Bishop (D-Sag Harbor), whose daughter Molly Bishop was the Second District’s Woman of Distinction.

In Smithtown, Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) nominated Adrienne Giannadeo (pictured below) for her contributions to Smithtown.

of Smithtown. She has served in the Smithtown Historical Society, the St. Catherine’s Advisory Board, the Kings Park Chamber of Commerce, the Smithtown Chamber of Commerce, and she was a teacher for twenty-six years in Kings Park.”

“I spent over sixty years in students’ welfare, and it was a wonderful, wonderful community and I still love being in my district,” said Giannadeo.

Legislator Steve Flotteron (R-Brightwaters) selected Phyllis O’Leary for her work on the local Chamber of Commerce to the Alliance Club. She also organizes the annual Go Fly a Kite galas on Cedar Beach, with last month’s event bringing in an estimated 5,500 attendees.

“I try my best to get my hands as dirty as I can and do whatever is needed of me because it’s not just one thing, it’s everything,” said O’Leary.

Legislator Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) nominated Jennifer Dickson of Centereach (pictured above) for her volunteering at the Centereach Fire Department and her management of Middle Country’s successful street fairs.

Pellegrino’s vision was for a farm that could not supply the needy with food, but with a variety of nutritional meals,

“Adrienne is one of the connoisseurs, a trailblazer,” said Trotta. “She was the first woman installed in 1991 on the Board of Zoning Appeals in the Town

Legislator Trish Bergin (R-East Islip) nominated Patricia Blair for her endeavors in ending food insecurity.

“I want to inspire others, including our next generation which includes my beautiful daughter Emily,” said Blair. “We have a new venture, it’s called Summit County Women’s Alliance to End Food Insecurity. We’re three years in the making, and we had our ninth food distribution this past Saturday in honor of Mother’s Day. Iin our three years, we have donated over 200,000 pounds of food to those who need it.”

2024 Suffolk County Women of Distinction

District OneMarilyn McLaughlin

District Two - Molly Bishop

District ThreeGeraldine Sapanaro

District Four - Ann Pellegrino (Countywide Women of Distinction)

District Five - Margo Arceri

District Six - Janet Godfrey

District Seven - Moonee Rivers

District Eight - Karla Waldron

District NineWandra Ortiz-Rivera

District Ten - Patricia Blair

District ElevenPhyllis O’Leary

District TwelveJennifer Dickson

District ThirteenAdrienne Giannadeo

District FourteenKaren Kunkel

District FifteenMarian Hester

District Sixteen - Tina Shek

District SeventeenRosaria Luppy

District Eighteen - Linda Guido

Credit: Matt Meduri