Murray to Introduce Bill to Create MTA Financial Control Board
By Matt Meduri
Suffolk’s proximity to New York City and its status as a “bedroom community” of the Big Apple has its payoffs, as well as its taxes.
More specifically, taxes to the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), the largest mass transit system in North America and one of the largest in the world. For context, the New York City Subway system is the world’s largest by number of stations - 472 - and is the eighth-largest subway system in the world by annual ridership, according to the MTA itself.
However, fiscal irresponsibility is being alleged by Republicans and Democrats alike, with Governor Kathy Hochul (D) receiving much criticism over her decision to reinstate the congestion tax plan, which was indefinitely shelved over the summer in a move that many believed to be an election season bait-and-switch.
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Smithtown’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony
The Town of Smithtown held the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024 at Town Hall. Master of Ceremonies, John Zollo kicked off the evening by announcing the arrival of Santa Claus, courtesy of the Smithtown Fire Department, straight from the North Pole around 5:15 PM. Santa Claus, with help from volunteer Elves and our Smithtown Fire Marshall, Nick Kefalos interacted with little residents, taking photos and collecting big hugs for the duration of the event. Live performances from Great Hollow Select Chorus, Hauppauge HS Kickline, RJO Intermediate Chorus, Smithtown West Varsity Whisperettes, Accompsett Middle School Select Chorus, Sara Jean Dance Company, and Smithtown West Jazz Choir, entertained the crowd throughout the night. The magic of the holiday season closed the evening out, when the Town Administration and our youngest residents flipped the switch to light tree, just as snow flurries fell from the sky.
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Smithtown Town Electeds (Credit - Town of Smithtown)
Senator Murray unveils his bill to create an MTA Financial Control Board (Credit - Matt Meduri)
Omer Neutra
2 Messenger Papers
Smithtown’s Annual Tree
Lighting Ceremony
“This event gets better every year. People couldn’t believe that it started to snow! They kept asking if we got a snow machine… It was truly magical. I’d like to thank everyone who made this event possible; especially our talented team at the Recreation Department, our Parks, Buildings and Grounds crew, who didn’t stop working through the bitter cold weather for two days, our amazing Department of Public Safety, GTV film crew and of course our Chief Fire Marshall and the Smithtown Fire Department for getting Santa here safe! Also, a special thanks to the incredible school districts, dance companies, talented teachers, students and parents who made this event so much fun for everyone. Thank you to our Girl Scout Troops, and the Smithtown Youth Bureau volunteers for always making our events so community friendly! Finally, thanks to our vendors who participated this year, especially Smithtown Landing Caterers who donated the cookies and hot chocolate for the evening. We are so blessed and thankful to live in a town that comes together in such a wonderful way! Every year this ceremony gets bigger and better. It was the perfect kickoff to a wonderful holiday season.” said Supervisor Ed Wehrheim.
The community based event is organized by the Department of Recreation, with support from the Parks Department and the Department of Public Safety. Volunteers included Girl Scout Troops 292, 1823, and 628 as well as a number of Local High School student
volunteers who were enlisted thanks to the Smithtown Youth Bureau. The tree is decorated each year by the Department of Traffic Safety. Town Hall is transformed into a winter wonderland, quite literally, with decorations, designed and constructed by the Parks Department. Live event staging and pro audio services are provided by Taylor Productions.
Live performances that entertained a packed house included Great Hollow Select Chorus, Hauppauge HS Kickline, RJO Intermediate Chorus, Smithtown West Varsity Whisperettes, Accompsett Middle School Select Chorus, Sara Jean Dance Company, and Smithtown West Jazz Choir. Each group performed seasonal favorites fora crowd of approximately 300 people.
Youth volunteers served Cookies and Hot Chocolate, donated courtesy of Smithtown Landing Caterers. Balloon Sculpting was provided for kids of all ages by Animations. The Big Black Food Truck and Pretzel Factory featured delicious snacks and light fare. New this year, Zag’s Photo Booth was set up for guests to pose for digital and print photos. Bins were loaded to the brim for the Smithtown Food Pantry and Toys for Tots. Residents may still drop off Toys for Tots at Town Hall now through December 13th. Residents who wish to make a donation to the Smithtown Food Pantry may do so in person at their location: 90 Edgewater Avenue in the hamlet of Smithtown.
CreditTown of Smithtown
Long Island Community Honors Fallen Hero Omer Neutra
By Cait Crudden
This past week, the Long Island community came together to honor the life and sacrifice of Omer Neutra, a local hero and Israeli soldier who lost his life during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. Hundreds gathered for the “Run for Their Lives” walk, a poignant event aimed at remembering Neutra while advocating for the release of hostages still held in Gaza.
Omer Neutra, a Plainview native and Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) tank commander, was just twenty-one years old when his life was tragically cut short. Initially believed to be among the hostages taken by Hamas, his family recently learned from the Israeli government that he had been killed during the October 7 attack. Heartbreakingly, Hamas continues to withhold his body, leaving his family in agonizing uncertainty.
Rabbi Michael Stanger spoke at the event, emphasizing Neutra’s profound impact on those who knew him.
“We are out here because many of us knew Omer Neutra. He wasn’t just a face on the news. He was a soldier, a Plainview resident, a friend, and a family member,” Stanger said.
Participants held signs reading “Bring Them Home Now” as they walked to the Mid-Island Y Jewish Community Center, where an outdoor ceremony paid tribute to Neutra’s life and service. Community leaders and Neutra’s friends shared heartfelt memories, painting a picture of a young man full of life, laughter, and dedication.
Rick Lewis, CEO of the Mid-Island Y JCC, spoke of the collective grief shared by the community.
“The community has a gigantic loss. Our role here is to help guide people,” Lewis said. “This fight is far from over”.
The event also served as a platform for raising awareness about the plight of hostages still held in Gaza. Rabbi Stanger called for unified efforts to secure their release, stating, “Yes, the war should end, but those hostages should be freed in order for that to happen.”
A memorial service for Neutra was held last Tuesday at the Midway Jewish Center in Syosset. During the service, his mother, Orna Neutra, spoke of her son’s love for Israel and his brave service.
“For over a year now, we’ve been breathing life into your being, my beautiful
boy, with no physical sign back from you,” said Neutra to over one thousand attendees at least week’s Syosset memorial. “We envisioned images of our reunion focusing on doing, on our fight for your release and for some clarity in the face of the unknown. And now, things are clear, but not as we hoped.”
Neutra, the grandson of Holocaust survivors, was posthumously promoted from lieutenant to captain. His death marks the loss of a young leader whose legacy of bravery and sacrifice will not be forgotten.
“Honored to join the AJC in Syosset Monday night to remember Omer Neutra’s life and sacrifice. My thoughts are with his loved ones. The U.S. must act swiftly to bring all hostages, including 3 Americans, home,” said Congressman Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) on X, formerly known as Twitter. LaLota had been one of the most vocal congressional members in the fight for Neutra’s and the others hostages’ release.
“Eight years ago, I met a fourteen-year-old Solomon Schechter School freshman at the local Salute to Israel event at the Sid Jacobson JCC on Long Island. His name was Omer Neutra,” remarked Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) from the House floor regarding his constituent. “When I met Omer’s parents, Ronen and Orna Neutra, in December 2023, they described Omer as a ‘likable, big, goofy kid’ who excelled in sports, and who other kids liked to be around. After graduating from Solomon Schechter School, Omer, whose grandparents were Holocaust survivors, decided that before going to Binghamton University, he would join the Israel Defense Forces. Instead of just staying for a year, he worked his way up to become a tank commander.”
Governor Kathy Hochul (D), alongside other dignitaries, attended the memorial and ordered flags across New York State lowered to half-staff in Neutra’s honor. President Biden (D-DE) and President-Elect Trump (R-FL) both said they would bring hostages home and sent their condolences to the Neutra family. The Neutra family, despite their grief, remains steadfast in their advocacy for the release of hostages, ensuring that Omer’s memory continues to inspire action and unity.
Congressman Garbarino Delivers for Long Island with Local Priorities Included in Water Resources Development Act
Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) recently celebrated the House’s passage of the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which includes critical provisions for Long Island’s South Shore. These inclusions, secured by Congressman Garbarino, would bolster flood risk management, storm damage prevention, and coastal restoration in towns across New York’s Second Congressional District, including Oyster Bay, Babylon, Islip, and Brookhaven.
WRDA also incorporates a pivotal change for the Fire Island National Seashore and waterfront hamlets, reducing the threshold for emergency shore restoration. This adjustment ensures that after damaging Nor’easters or similar coastal storms, federally authorized repair or restoration projects can proceed with 80100% federal funding. This critical provision will help restore public beaches and storm damage reduction structures vital for protecting Long Island’s coastal communities.
“This is a big win for Long Island,” Rep. Garbarino said. “Our coastal communities have long been vulnerable to the increasing frequency and severity of storms, and this legislation delivers on my promise to secure meaningful solutions for my district. From addressing flood risks to streamlining emergency response funding, these measures will safeguard our homes, infrastructure, and natural resources for years to come.”
Highlights of WRDA 2024 Inclusions for NY-02
• Fire Island Emergency Restoration: Reduces the emergency threshold for restoring hurricane and storm damage reduction structures or public beaches, permitting damages resulting from Nor’easters to satisfy the requirements for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers emergency assistance.
• Included areas: The Fire Island National Seashore and the hamlets of Massapequa Park, Massapequa, Amityville, Copiague, Lindenhurst, West Babylon, Babylon, West Islip, West Bay Shore, Brightwaters, Bay Shore, Islip, East Islip, Great River, Oakdale, West Sayville, Sayville, Bayport, Blue Point, Patchogue, East Patchogue, Bellport, Brookhaven, Shirley, Mastic Beach, Mastic, Moriches, Center Moriches, East Moriches, and Eastport
• Flood Risk and Ecosystem Projects: Feasibility studies authorized for flood risk management, storm damage reduction, and ecosystem restoration in:
• Babylon: Flood risk management, hurricane, and storm damage risk reduction, navigation, and ecosystem restoration in the Town of Babylon
• Brookhaven: Flood risk management, hurricane, and storm damage risk reduction, navigation, and ecosystem restoration in the Town of Brookhaven
• Islip: Flood risk management in the Town of Islip
• Oyster Bay: Coastal storm risk and flood management near Tobay Beach
In January, Congressman Garbarino testified before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to urge the inclusion of his proposal to protect Long Island’s shoreline from erosion due to storm damage in WRDA. All of his proposed provisions were included in the final package, which passed the House of Representatives on December 10, 2024.
Once WRDA is enacted, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will undertake feasibility studies in Oyster Bay, Babylon, Islip, and Brookhaven, paving the way for long-term, sustainable solutions for Long Island’s coastal challenges.
Giglio to Reintroduce Bill Protecting Animal Welfare
Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio (R-Baiting Hollow) announced her intent to reintroduce legislation aimed at safeguarding animal welfare while supporting local pet stores, following her recent press conference. Giglio voiced her strong opposition to a proposed bill (A.4283 of 20212022) that seeks to ban the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in pet stores across New York State, arguing it would harm the local economy and lead to job losses without effectively addressing unethical pet breeding practices.
Giglio criticized the legislation, which is intended to combat unethical breeding practices, such as those found in “puppy mills.” She claimed the broad measure unfairly penalizes responsible pet store owners who already adhere to stringent sourcing standards.
By Cait Crudden CreditMatt Meduri
support for responsible pet ownership. No one, least of all pet store owners, wants to see animals suffer unsanitary, overcrowded conditions. The proposed legislation (A.4283 of 2021-2022), unfortunately, takes a onesize-fits-all approach that doesn’t reflect the dedication many pet stores have to safe and humane practices. We need legislation like A.6560-A of 2021-2022 to address unlawful breeding practices without penalizing our hardworking small business owners and their employees.”
Giglio’s alternative legislation (A.6560-A of 2021-2022) aims to create a more balanced solution by prioritizing transparency, accountability, and consumer protection. Key provisions of the bill include:
“A blanket ban on pet sales will force these responsible pet stores out of business and put their employees out of work, creating an unnecessary burden on our community and economy while fueling puppy mills and a black market where roadside sales are already happening,” said Giglio.
During her press conference, Giglio emphasized the positive role that pet stores play in communities, providing jobs and educational resources to promote responsible pet ownership. She highlighted how New York State Agriculture and Markets currently licenses and regulates pet stores, ensuring that many work exclusively with reputable and humane breeders to maintain animal health and welfare.
“At first glance, the idea of preventing the sale of animals bred in inhumane conditions sounds like a step in the right direction, and for many of us who care deeply about animal welfare, it seems like a win. However, when we take a closer look at the unintended consequences of this ban, it becomes clear that it’s a complicated issue that risks doing more harm than good—especially when it comes to small businesses and, ironically, the very problem it aims to solve: puppy mills,” said Giglio. “Our local pet stores are integral to our community, providing jobs, education and
• Requiring veterinarians to disclose the cause of death for certain companion animals.
• Authorizing inspections of pet dealers’ facilities after certain animal deaths.
• Mandating the Department of Agriculture and Markets to develop a public rating system for pet dealers, helping consumers make informed decisions.
• Requiring pet dealers to reimburse consumers if a purchased animal dies within six months of purchase.
Giglio believes these measures will provide a framework for protecting animal welfare while ensuring small pet stores can continue to operate. Critics of the proposed pet sales ban have argued it could inadvertently encourage underground or unregulated markets. Giglio warned that roadside and black-market pet sales would increase if legitimate pet stores were forced to close, further complicating efforts to prevent unethical breeding practices.
Giglio urged legislators to take a closer look at the complexities of the issue and consider solutions that balance animal welfare with economic realities. As the debate continues, Giglio’s reintroduced bill aims to foster a collaborative approach to ethical animal treatment and sustainable pet store practices.
More Than 1.3M Long Islanders Might Receive Inflation Refunds
By Hank Russell
As her first proposal for the 2025 State of the State, Governor Kathy Hochul (D) introduced New York State’s first-ever Inflation Refund during a press conference on December 9. The refunds would deliver about $3 billion in direct payments to around 8.6 million New York taxpayers statewide in 2025. As part of this program, more than 1.3 million Long Islanders could receive a check in the mail.
This new refund would send a payment of $300 to single taxpayers who make up to $150,000 per year, and a payment of $500 for joint tax filers making up to $300,000 per year. With 1.344 million Long Islanders eligible to receive these payments, the region will see a total of $403.2 million to $672 million in refunds.
Today’s announcement is one of several proposals to help address the cost of living that will be unveiled as part of the governor’s upcoming State of the State. The purpose of this new Inflation Refund is to help address the impacts of inflation on the cost of everyday goods in the years following the COVID pandemic.
If this proposal passes the State Legislature, payments will be made starting next fall.
“Because of inflation, New York has generated unprecedented revenues through the sales tax — now, we’re returning that cash back to middle-class families,” Hochul said. “My agenda for the coming year will be laser-focused on putting money back in your pockets, and that starts with proposing Inflation Refund checks of up to $500 to help
millions of hard-working New Yorkers. It’s simple: the cost of living is still too damn high, and New Yorkers deserve a break.”
This article originally appeared in Long Island Life and Politics. For more from LILP, visit them online at lilifepolitics.com.
CreditOffice of Governor Kathy Hochul
Suffolk DPW Should Auction Off Red Light Camera Signs
“Photo Enforced,” read well over 100 signs across the five western Suffolk towns for almost fifteen years, signalling that the controlled intersections through which drivers were about to pass would ticket them if they ran the red light or did not properly stop before making a right on red.
Although the suit is still in litigation, County officials fully expect Suffolk to be on the hook for the upwards of $150 million essentially extorted from Suffolk taxpayers in the form of a $30 administrative fee, more than the $50 fine for which Suffolk was approved by Albany. County Legislators Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville) and Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) led the charge under the administration of former County Executive Steve Bellone (D-West Babylon) and the Democratic-led Legislature until the horseshoe swapped party hands in 2021. Despite the alarm sounding from Piccirillo and Trotta, Bellone and company moved forward with the $30 fee.
A solution to start paying down that gargantuan bill: auction off the red light camera “Photo Enforced” signs to the public.
Given that there’s such a limited amount of these signs, and there’s no telling how much each could fetch at auction, but any auction money earned from these signs would likely be a drop in the bucket based on how much the County will have to return to its drivers.
However, this move would be more symbolic, as the countless residents who were unfairly surveilled and taxed due to this program can finally have the last laugh. We think these signs would carry a decent price tag at auction, given just how many were committed to seeing the end of this program from the minute it began in 2010.
While an auction certainly wouldn’t come close to solving Suffolk’s anticipated
reimbursement, it would be a poetic way of ushering the program out the door along with the year. We can also imagine a decent number of residents who would love to add one of those signs to their outdoor pergola bars, their basement or den lounges, or any stereotypical “man cave.”
And, for what it’s worth, we think it’s entirely possible that these signs would be worth more at an auction than they would be as scrap metal.
Furthermore, as we expressed in our editorial last week, the end of this program is far more historic than other media outlets would have you believe. Fines and taxes are typically written in stone, and to see one end is an upset of conventional governmental, political, and civic wisdom. Moreover, it sets a precedent with other programs that residents feel contribute to the “surveillance state,” such as the school bus cameras and highway speed cameras. And finally, it shows that good, honest government is obtainable and that the sage wisdom of career politicians isn’t always worth the press release it’s printed on.
The Department of Public Works (DPW) should explore this option once all of the signs are removed and accounted for. If the signs are worth more in scrap metal than they are in auction dollars, then we would endorse the pragmatic decision over the theatrical one.
But if the signs don’t bring much value to a scrap metal stockpile, and if it isn’t a financial headache to host an auction, we think we many Suffolk County residents, once vexed by the program and now redeemed by a Republican government body who made good on their campaign pledges, wouldn’t balk at an opportunity to keep a piece of history for themselves.
The Newfound Openness of Being a Republican
Editor’s Note: This editorial ran last week, but more than half was cut off due to a technical difficulty. This editorial was intended to run alongside former County Executive Steve Levy’s op-ed, which ran in full last week, cautioning conservatives to not overreach, namely in the form of the “Trump Dance” on sports fields and infusing religion into schools and government. We are running the full version of this editorial this week.
Eight years ago, the thought of voting for Donald Trump (R-NY) was so unpalatable to some, it was a non-starter conservation topic. For others, it was the uncertainty of just how many people supported Trump that election, that it was incredibly difficult to gauge the political moods of the country. This leads to what’s known as the Reverse-Bradley Effect, which occurs when the polling environment is so tainted that an upset occurs on Election Day.
Eight years ago, Republicans and conservatives - or anyone supporting Trump and conservative policies - might as well have been relegated to basement speakeasies with sheet metal doors and a viewing slot through which to utter a password.
Today, there is a newfound openness of being a Republican, a conservative, a Trump voter, or anyone who simply backs the President-elect and/or conservative policy.
The media is trying to insist that Trump does not have a “mandate” based on these results, since the popular vote margin is just over a million votes and Trump “only” captured a plurality of the electorate.
They’re trying to take this victory away from him since he was literally 0.01 percentage points from taking a majority - at least 50% plus one - in the popular vote.
Furthermore, they insist that since the GOP only held the House by a razor-thin majority, it negates the mandate he received.
Over the next several weeks, check in our Civics 101 column on Page 14. We’ll be doing in-depth analyses of how each state voted in this election. Getting under the hood and going through the numbers shows that the win was much bigger than some people think.
For instance, it’s common for losing presidential candidates to swing a few states in their party’s direction. John McCain (R-AZ) lost badly to Barack Obama (D-IL) in 2008, but he still managed to swing five Southern states towards the right. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) lost in 2016, but eleven states trended blue that year. When Trump lost in 2020, several states still shifted towards him, even deep-blue states like Hawaii.
Harris did not swing a single state, even the sapphire-blue District of Columbia, in her direction. This is the first time we’ve seen a uniform swing across the country in one political direction since 1976. On top of that, about 90% of all counties swung towards Trump, with the most dramatic shifts occurring in the Tri-State Area, the Rio Grande Valley, and Harris’ home state of California.
The only place that can award electoral votes where Harris swung to the left was Nebraska’s First Congressional District, worth just one electoral vote. She overperformed Biden by about one point there.
This is incredibly difficult to do, and yet, the media will downplay this into oblivion, provided they’re not frequently reminded.
There absolutely is a mandate for Trump to govern. He told the public exactly what he would do. On the other hand, Harris told the public to be “joyful” and brought hilariously out-of-touch celebrities on the campaign trail with her to tell the country that, under a Harris Administration, “every city in America could be like Detroit,” courtesy of the sage wisdom of Lizzo, a key endorsement every campaign jumps over themselves to earn.
And no, those comments were not parody, nor was the insistence of MSNBC that Queen Latifah’s endorsement of Harris was game-changing, with Joy Reid stressing that the musician “never endorses.”
It would have been funnier had Harris not had a realistic shot at winning the election.
But all of this gives new thrust under Republicans’ wings. No longer are they to be sequestered by their views and silence themselves to keep civility at a holiday dinner, or just to leave a conversation better than they had found it.
And what’s even richer: Democrats seem to be accepting of that openness, at least in some circles. The conversations we’ve observed show a more accepting dialogue, and some situations even see Democrats backing down, not because Republicans will ostracize them like they had been for almost a decade, but because some are realizing the gravity of Trump’s win. Some have contended that not this many people in the U.S. can possibly be “racist, sexist, etc.”
That said, the “Trump dance” is taking the world by storm, where athletes, newscasters, celebrities, and others are using it in lieu of signature showboating displays or other forms of celebratory expression. It’s interesting just how galvanizing a personality Donald Trump is, love him or hate him. We enjoy seeing the openness of the political environment, and it’s our sincere hope the pendulum - as far as political tensions go - can settle back in the middle.
However, we agree wholeheartedly with former County Executive Steve Levy’s (R-Bayport) op-ed last week on Page 7. Conservatives should be careful to not be hypocritical in navigating these newfound social mores. Conservatives loathed the fact that athletes used their time on the stage to make political messages. While doing the “Trump dance” after a touchdown probably isn’t akin to an entire NFL team “taking a knee” to protest the National Anthem, the point still stands. People don’t want politics in their entertainment and they especially don’t want to feel swayed by those who are deemed out-of-touch with the general electorate.
Our advice to conservatives, celebrate now, but make it a New Year’s Resolution to work on getting that pendulum back to the middle in terms of political tensions. Never give up on the values, the platform, and the ideas, and hold feet to the fire where necessary, but let’s not overplay our hand, lest we face the same reckoning Harris and company did this year.
New York Deserves Better Than Andrew Cuomo: It’s Up to Us to Foil His Political Comeback
By Tracey Alvino
Disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) is poised for a political comeback. How is this possible?
NYC Mayor Eric Adams (D) is weak and ineffectual and like a shark in chum-filled waters, Andrew Cuomo smells blood. Make no mistake, the office of NYC Mayor would not be the last stop for Andrew Cuomo. He’s eyeballing that office as a springboard back into the Governor’s mansion and beyond. It’s up to us grieving families to make sure the voters of New York never forget how his gross negligence cost lives. It was our loved ones this time; it could be your loved ones next time.
On March 25, 2020, Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order that mandated over 9,000 COVID-positive patients into nursing homes. With the stroke of his pen, he sentenced over 15,000 innocent people to death and sentenced thousands of families to a lifetime of anguish and heartbreak. My father, Daniel Alvino (picture top right), was one of Andrew Cuomo’s victims. He caught COVID in a nursing home rehabilitation while recovering from neck surgery. He died in an agonizing fashion after languishing on a ventilator for almost two weeks on April 14, 2020.
My Dad died alone.
Since his death, I have become the director of a group of thousands of grieving families that lost their loved ones to COVID acquired in nursing facilities during the Pandemic. Voices For Seniors has spent nearly five years fighting for justice for the over 15,000 nursing home victims who lost their lives due to Cuomo’s fatally flawed Pandemic mandate. Every family’s story is tragic, and every story deserves to be told. These people were not just grim statistics; they were mothers, fathers, spouses, and friends who died preventable deaths at the hands of a tyrannical Governor.
Andrew Cuomo has blamed these deaths on God, Mother Nature, the media, the nursing home staff, and even the nursing home patients themselves. His latest spin on the truth paints us grieving families as “MAGA” conspiracy theorists. Being forced to testify in Congress
about his fatal decisions has only strengthened his resolve to be obstinate and take no accountability for his actions. There is no MAGA conspiracy when it comes to Cuomo’s lethal policies and the mass death of seniors.
While probes into Andrew Cuomo by the Democratled New York State Legislature largely flopped, grieving families were able to get the House Oversight Committee to investigate Cuomo’s many criminally negligent actions during the Pandemic. Both Republicans and Democrats agreed that Cuomo committed “medical malpractice” and slammed his COVID response in nursing homes.
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus found Cuomo attempted to influence the testimony of his top aide Jim Malatras. They also found Cuomo lied to Congress by claiming he had nothing to do with the March 25 directive when evidence proves otherwise. The report also found that he engaged in a deliberate coverup of nursing home deaths by falsifying health data which was used to make decisions for our entire State. Let’s also not forget how he wrote a book with taxpayer resources applauding himself for his Pandemic “leadership.” Cuomo has since been referred to the Department of Justice for criminal indictment. It’s shocking that even with the damning evidence stacked against him, Andrew Cuomo believes he can claw his way back into power.
As if 15,000 innocent lives weren’t enough of a reason to keep Andrew Cuomo out of public office, the Congressional findings provide a striking reminder of how his prepandemic “leadership” failed New York long before COVID.
Cuomo’s criminal justice “reforms” such as “cashless bail” and “Raise the Age” have turned New York into a safe haven for criminals and caused the spikes in lawlessness we live with today. His declaration of New York as a “Sanctuary” also contributed to the migrant crisis which cost taxpayers over $4.3 billion. He also prohibited law enforcement from working with ICE and border patrol in an effort to thwart deportations of criminal migrants. Cuomo’s energy policies while in office have led to the unaffordable electric bills we struggle with today.
He even cut the number of psychiatric hospital beds which placed unrelenting pressure on our police, homeless services, transit systems, and jails. It’s also been reported that Cuomo has used $28 million dollars of taxpayer money for his legal bills defending himself against numerous sexual harassment claims.
Andrew Cuomo’s time as Governor has proven him unfit to hold office. It’s up to us to end his narcissistic lust for power and control as an elected official. His corruption and incompetence caused death, chaos and destruction. He’s counting on the passage of time to erase our memories, where bullying and tyranny were the tenets of his rule. We can’t be at the mercy of a scandalplagued cad who prioritizes his self-interest above the best interests of New Yorkers.
New York deserves better than Andrew Cuomo. Tracey Alvino is a teacher and the Director of Voices for Seniors.
The MTA Needs Fiscal Oversight
By Senator Dean Murray
Let me start by saying, I understand that the MTA is an extremely important public authority that provides transportation services that are absolutely vital to the public and to our economy. When I point out the inefficiencies, the waste and the fraud, I am certainly not questioning whether the MTA should remain in existence or whether the MTA should continue to be funded. Instead, I am questioning the need to continually come up with new ways to feed them more money. In particular, I am questioning the need to take more money out of the pockets of people who are already struggling (i.e. fare increases, new taxes, etc.), when all indications are that the MTA is not properly managing the money they already have and not properly capitalizing on the funding streams that are already in place.
For years, we’ve seen troubling examples of waste and mismanagement. In 2017, the MTA lost approximately $150 million as a result of toll and fare evasion. By 2018, that figure nearly doubled to $290 million. However, rather than addressing this alarming trend, the problem spiraled further out of control, with losses averaging over $500 million annually between 2019 and 2021. Certainly, after seeing this, MTA leadership would make major changes to put a stop to the loss of over half a billion dollars per year, right? Wrong! Astonishingly, by 2022, the losses surged to a staggering $700 million, and in 2023, the toll and fare evasion losses reached nearly $750 million.
Over this period, not only did MTA leadership take little to no action to address this problem, they also
repeatedly requested more money from Albany and repeatedly increased fares (on those who actually did pay). It’s clear that at the MTA, the standard operating procedure is to ignore their problems, and instead, simply ask for more money through new revenue schemes, shifting the burden onto hardworking New Yorkers who are already struggling to make ends meet. Unfortunately, the fiscal problems are not limited to just fare and toll evasion. According to the Office of the MTA Inspector General, over the 23-year period from 2000 to 2023, there was a whopping 851.2% increase in the number of complaints they received about issues such as fraud, waste, safety concerns, and mismanagement at the MTA. Even when lawmakers called for measures to combat overtime fraud, such as requiring fingerprint scanners to verify worker attendance, it appears such measures were rarely implemented.
The MTA cannot continue to simply ignore their glaring fiscal problems, sit by and watch hundreds of millions of dollars slip through their hands, then year after year, turn to Albany to “bail them out.” The MTA leadership must be held accountable for their fiscal woes. The taxpayers, the riders and all New Yorkers have already invested enough money into the MTA to have the best transit system in the world. However, since it’s obvious that MTA leadership has no interest in doing the hard work necessary to clean up their fiscal mess, I will do everything in my power to make sure it gets done, with or without their help.
Next stop... Fiscal Oversight!
Senator Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue) has represented the Third District in the New York State Senate since 2023 after having represented the Third Assembly District from 2010 to 2013 and again from 2015 to 2018.
The Third District contains Bellport, Blue Point, Brookhaven hamlet, Center Moriches, East Moriches, East Patchogue, East Yaphank, Farmingville, Gordon Heights, Manorville, Mastic, Mastic Beach, Medford, Moriches, North Bellport, North Patchogue, Patchogue, the Poospatuck Reservation, Shirley, Smith Point, South Haven, Upton, and Yaphank, as well as parts of Calverton, Centereach, Coram, Eastport, Holbrook, Holtsville, Lake Ronkonkoma, Middle Island, Ridge, Selden. The district also contains a small portion of Holbrook within the Town of Islip.
Senator Murray serves as Ranking Member on the committees on Commerce, Economic Development, and Small Business; Libraries; and Social Services. He also serves on the committees on Budget and Revenue; Codes; and Higher Education.
The Third District office is located at 90-B West Main Street in Patchogue and can be reached at 631-360-3356.
Murray to Introduce Bill to Create MTA Financial Control Board
By Matt Meduri
Senator Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue) has announced that he will introduce legislation in the upcoming session of the State Legislature to institute an MTA Financial Control Board.
The board would be mandated to vote in unanimous decisions so as to ensure a “broad consensus,” according to Murray. The board would have the authority to review and approve financing and construction projects proposed by the MTA, requiring prior approval before the MTA can enter into agreements or incur debt. Additionally, the board would be permitted to request information from State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (D-Great Neck Plaza) to assess financial feasibility of proposals
Murray’s legislation offers a grandfather clause to existing contracts, in that the board would have to honor all existing contracts and would not have the ability to alter them, but would participate in negotiations of future contracts.
Finally, Governor Hochul would have the authority to remove any board member determined to be acting beyond his or her legal scope.
Murray was joined by fiscal watchdog Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy (R-Nesconset) (pictured below), Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches), as well as labor leaders who feel that the MTA and the State have passed the buck to them, blaming laborers and labor groups for the cash pitfall in which the agency currently finds themselves.
“For far too long, the MTA has been mismanaged. There has been fraud, waste, abuse, but yet, continually, year after year, they come to Albany, hat in hand, saying, ‘give us more, give us more.’ Well, our answer now is, ‘clean up your own fiscal backyard first before you ask for more.’”
Murray painted the picture with what he called a “perfect example” of the MTA’s fiscal irresponsibility: fare evasion statistics. In 2017, the MTA lost $150 million in revenue due to fare and toll evasion. In 2018, that number almost doubled to $290 million.
“You would think at that point they would say, ‘boy, we’d better do something. We’d better fix this problem.’ You would be wrong. They didn’t,” said Murray.
In 2019, lost revenue due to fare evaders doubled again, this time to $525 million, to which Murray points out that the MTA “still took no action.” In 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the lost revenue figures stayed the same, and actually decreased to $500 million in 2021.
“At this point, you think, ‘surely they’ve taken action,’” said Murray. “You would be wrong again.”
In 2022, the number increased to $700 million, and 2023 saw the largest loss in revenue to fare evasion yet: $750 million.
“That is money that the MTA should have had in their hands, and they watched and did nothing as people jumped over turnstiles and drove through their tolls without paying. How can you, in one hand, watch that money disappear, and in the other hand come and ask for more money?” said Murray.
However, Murray says that while the irresponsibility is glaring, insult was only added to injury when the MTA began stating that without fare hikes and more money from Albany, infrastructure would deteriorate and service would be considerably kneecapped.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was reading Oliver Twist,” quipped Executive Romaine (pictured below), adding the famous quote, “Please, Sir, I want some more.”
“No one minds investing in railroad service; we want to make sure that the general public has convenient public transportation,” said Romaine. “But when you have $750 million in one year in fare evasion, when you have overruns of overtime, when you have station maintenance that seems to be neglected depending on the station, maybe it’s time for someone from an outside agency to take an independent look and hold the MTA accountable.”
Murray plans to carry the bill in the Senate, with Assemblyman Keith Brown (R-Northport) poised to take it up in the Assembly.
Murray remarked that his first action upon taking office in 2010 - as the first Tea Party-affiliated candidate to win elected office in the country - was to request a forensic audit of the MTA by Comptroller DiNapoli, who has shared the same concerns about the MTA’s fiscal state.
Out of the many audits that have been conducted over the years, Murray mentioned one: the 2009 audit. It found that advertising agencies shorted the MTA by not paying $18 million in advertising revenue, primarily going to billboards along the railroad.
“How do you miss $18 million, while on the other hand, you’re asking for hundreds of millions more from taxpayers and businesses?” said Murray. He added to the pattern of irresponsibility by discussing a recent story of an MTA employee who was busted swiping two cards to effectively work twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week.
“No red flags came up?” asked Murray, who, along with labor leaders present, said that “there is no oversight” at the MTA.
Celebrate the memories
However, Murray took specific issue with the litany of taxes residents and businesses face just to keep the MTA in business.
“The MTA payroll tax was put in place over a decade ago,” said Murray, adding that he and thenSenator Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) fought to get rid of most of it. They succeeded, but about 20% of the intended original tax remains in place. “The MTA payroll tax is still in place for large employers, self-employed, local governments, hospitals, and community colleges. The MTA also gets money from state mortgage recording taxes and even cell phone fees. Go home and take a look at your cell phone bill. Every month, there’s a line where you’re paying the mobility tax for the MTA.”
“Urban tax, mansion tax, corporate tax surcharge, regional sales tax, Internet marketplace tax, motor vehicle license and registration fee, hailed vehicle trips, passenger car rental tax,” said Murray.
“Are you getting tired of hearing these? I’m getting tired of paying them.”
“Suffolk County sends $22 million to the MTA for the maintenance and upkeep of stations, some of which don’t even have an enclosure in order to keep people out of the elements of the weather,” said Comptroller Kennedy.
“The bathrooms half the time are abysmal, and we were charged full boat even during COVID, when they were locked and closed. This is a matter of equity, this is a matter of fairness, and this is a matter of resolve. Clearly, the MTA board is either incapable or unwilling to take the firm action necessary to stop the arterial bleeding.”
Murray also notes that overtime salaries are another problem ballooning costs, accounting for $849 million in 2014, but it reached a record high of $1.42 billion after COVID. The point is used by the MTA against the workers.
“Labor doesn’t walk up and say, ‘I’m going to work overtime,’ they are asked to work overtime by management,” said Murray. “But why are we relying so much on overtime and not hiring more workers to get the job done?
Ricardo Sanchez (pictured above), Chairman of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 589, spoke to this issue specifically.
“Labor is not the problem. Management’s the problem,” said Sanchez, adding that while management shows “contempt” for the taxpayers, the body shows even more contempt for labor.
“They sit there and they pay us no attention. And they sit there and they paint the picture that the problems are labor and overtime. This legislation is past due; we’ve been sending the same message for thirty years,” said Sanchez.
“Why is labor here? Labor is here because we’re kind of tired of the narrative that we did this,” said Michael Sullivan, Chairman of the Brotherhood and Railroad Signalmen (BRS).
Regarding executive salaries, Murray said that no public workers should be making more money than the governor, who makes $250,000 annually.
“We have an MTA that could be absolutely amazing. We could be so proud and leading the world, but we’re not and you have to ask yourself, ‘why not?’ and it comes down to management. This isn’t something that just popped up; it’s systemic.”
Photo credit - Matt Meduri
This Week Today
National, State and Local Temperature Checks
By Matt Meduri National
Three countries are experiencing internal turmoil, two of which are first-world countries whose senses of stability have been significantly altered.
In South Korea, President Yoon Suk Yeol has perpetrated a political crisis. Yoon was elected in 2022 as a member of the right-wing People Power Party (PPP) in the closest election in the country’s history. He has maintained friendly relations with Japan, yet has been hawkish towards North Korea, a difference compared to the foreign policies of former South Korean presidents.
However, Yoon’s administration has received regularly low approval ratings, culminating in the 2024 South Korean medical crisis, wherein new policies would significantly increase medical student admission quotas. The crisis has led to the resignations of residents and interns en masse.
In the April 2024 parliamentary elections, the PPP was defeated by the Democratic Party and its alliance, which is viewed to have weakened Yoon’s political power.
In a shocking and unprecedented move, Yoon declared martial law on December 3, the first time such a declaration had been made since the military dictatorship of Chun Doohwan in 1980. He justified his decision by claiming that members of the National Assembly were pro-North Korea.
In a unanimous vote, the National Assembly passed an emergency motion nullifying the declaration just hours after Yoon’s announcement.
An impeachment motion was introduced against him, but it fell short of the required 200 votes to pass.
Yoon is now being investigated for possible insurrection charges. South Korean presidents cannot be prosecuted while in office, but the country’s Constitution does allow for prosecution in cases of insurrection and treason.
The Justice Ministry placed a travel ban on Yoon earlier this week, and former Defense Minister Kim Yonghyun attempted suicide, but is currently in stable condition. Kim is accused of having led the martial law implementation in his Defense position. He has since resigned.
Meanwhile, in France, President Emmanuel Macron (pictured above) is dealing with a power crisis of his own.
Prime Minister Michael Barnier was forced into resignation after a historic no-confidence vote in the National Assembly ousted him, the first such occurrence since 1962. His three-month tenure is also the shortest in modern French history.
The motion required 288 votes and it received 331 votes across a broad political spectrum that indicates internal turmoil in France is not slowing after several years of divisive issues, mass protests, and a contentious political arena.
Macron has pledged to appoint a new prime minister and has vowed that that appointee will remain in office until Macron’s term ends in 2027. Macron is reportedly in talks with the conservative alliance in the Assembly, but the party lacks a parliamentary majority.
However, Macron has criticized those in favor of the motion, saying that they chose “disorder.”
The Prime Minister of France oversees day-to-day domestic affairs, but the president holds much more influence and authority, especially on the international stage.
Finally, the Middle East - and the world - have witnessed the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria.
Bashar al-Assad served as President of Syria from 2000 until he was overthrown on December 8. He had succeeded his father as president, who had served as the country’s dictator from 1971 until his death in June 2000.
Syria was thrust to the center of the geopolitical world stage in 2011, when the U.S., the European Union, and the majority of the Arab League called for Assad’s resignation
after his government’s crackdown on Arab Spring protestors, an antigovernment movement whose quashing led to the Syrian Civil War.
The war has claimed almost 600,000 lives, with 306,000 deaths deemed as non-combatant, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights. The Network also finds that pro-Assad forces were responsible for more than 90% of civilian deaths.
Assad (pictured above right) became particularly notorious for launching chemical weapons attacks in August 2013, spawning the international migrant crisis that became a large political issue in the U.S. during the 2016 election, and kicking off the United Nations inquiry that Assad would be the subject of international investigations.
However, in November 2024, Syrian rebels, backed by ally Turkey, began an incursion with the specific intention of ousting Assad. The morning of December 8 saw rebels enter the capital city of Damascus. Assad subsequently fled to Moscow and was granted political asylum by Russia. After his self-exile, Damascus was captured by the rebels and his regime finally fell. On the same day, Israel launched an invasion of Syria hoping to seize the U.N. buffer zone in the Golan Heights, a region of southwestern Syria that borders Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon.
State
Governor Kathy Hochul (D) (pictured below right) recently took a shopping trip to an Albany supermarket to see for herself just how staggering the prices of groceries have become.
“A whole $7. Everyone’s talking about the price of eggs,” said Hochul, reportedly surprised at the price of a carton of eighteen eggs.
Hochul was joined by Sally McKenna, of Green Island, who accompanied Hochul throughout Market 32 on Central Avenue in downtown Albany.
The public appearance comes off the heels of Hochul’s announcement of her pitch to send a $300 check to single tax filers earning less than $150,000 annually. Households earning less than $300,000 would receive a $500 check.
“I guess an election influences elected officials and the governor is one of those and she’s finally waking up to the problem here in New York of affordability,” said Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay (R-Pulaski). “First thing we need to do is slow the growth of spending, not increase it by the rate we’ve been increasing it.”
Although Hochul said she has experienced the pain at the grocery store, she admitted that the last time she bought a cart full of groceries was about two months ago while at home in Buffalo.
Moreover, the Siena College Poll for December is out and it shows Hochul in a difficult position ahead of the 2026 election.
Her favorability rating improved slightly from
October, but she still sits underwater - 39%-49%. Meanwhile, her job approval rating also increased slightly, up to 46%-49% - still a negative approval rating.
However, and perhaps more damning, is that 57% of voters would elect someone else as governor; only 33% said they would vote to re-elect Hochul. Only 48% of Democrats would re-elect Hochul; 40% of Democrats prefer another candidate. Additionally, 65% of Independents think similarly.
Interestingly, there is broad support across the political spectrum for New York to assist in Presidentelect Donald Trump’s (R-FL) plans to deport illegal immigrants. Republicans support the plan 87%-8%, while Independents support it 54%-30%. On the other hand, Democrats, in a 51%-38% split, oppose any efforts the State might take to assist the Trump Administration.
President Joe Biden’s (D-DE) approval and favorability ratings still remain underwater in what will likely be the last Siena College poll in which he is a subject of study. He sits at 44%-52% in favorability and 47%-52% in job approval.
The poll was conducted from December 2 to 5 among 834 registered New York State voters with a margin of error of +/- 4.1%.
Local
Monday morning was an “unofficial” campaign kick-off for the 2025 local elections, with Suffolk County Legislator and Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) (pictured above right) endorsing a candidate to be his successor in the Fourteenth District. McCaffrey flipped the district red in 2013 and solidified the margins to win the maximum allowable six (6) two-year terms.
McCaffrey endorsed R.J. Renna (R-Lindenhurst) (pictured below right), the Deputy Mayor of Lindenhurst since 2023. The announcement was made outside Lindenhurst Village Hall. Renna also enjoyed the endorsement of County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches), who, if Renna is elected in 2025, would serve alongside Romaine for the latter two years of his term.
“R.J. Renna has proven himself as a dedicated public servant and an advocate for the people of the Fourteenth District,” said McCaffrey. “He’s a family man, a supporter of small businesses, and a champion for law enforcement. R.J. is the right person to carry on the work we’ve done to make Suffolk County a safe and affordable place to live.”
“I am incredibly humbled by the trust and confidence shown in me today,” said Renna. “Kevin McCaffrey set a high standard for public service, and I am ready to continue his legacy. I’m committed to protecting our community, fostering economic growth, supporting law enforcement, and ensuring Suffolk County remains a safe and affordable place to live and raise a family.”
Executive Romaine said that Renna has been “preparing for this moment” over the last seven years.
“The Fourteenth District couldn’t ask for a better representative,” said Romaine (pictured left)
The Fourteenth District includes Babylon village, Lindenhurst, and parts of Copiague, Gilgo-Oak BeachCaptree, North Babylon, North Lindenhurst, and West Babylon.
10 Smithtown Matters
Construction Underway for New Welcome Center at Paul T. Given Park
The Town of Smithtown has begun construction on the new Welcome Center at Paul T. Given Park, located across from the iconic bull monument. The transformative project, which was formerly the Oasis Gentlemen’s Club, aims to enhance Paul T. Given Park, creating a unique green space that will serve as an inviting gateway to Smithtown while promoting eco-tourism and community engagement.
“Creating a unique green space at the entryway to Smithtown has been a longtime vision of the Smithtown Administration,” said Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park). “We acquired the property in a park swap with Suffolk County and after finally receiving the necessary approvals from the State DEC, we are thrilled to be beginning construction on the Welcome Center. This project will not only restore the historic charm of the area but also help to rebuild the local ecosystem…all while providing a serene refuge for residents and wildlife.”
The building renovations, upon completion, will feature a welcome center on the first floor, providing essential amenities for park visitors, including restrooms, bait shop, food concession, and an office for the local canoe/kayak rental business. The main floor will also feature educational nature exhibits for visitors of all ages, alongside a dedicated area to showcase local tourism. Here, organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce and other community groups can display marketing materials and informational pamphlets to highlight the rich cultural, historic and natural attractions, and special events available in the Township.
The second floor of the new facility will house a multipurpose meeting room, designed to accommodate classes, workshops, and conduct other town business. This versatile space will cater to the needs of the local community while fostering educational and civic engagement opportunities.
In addition to the Welcome Center, plans for Paul T. Given Park include a series of upgrades and eco-friendly initiatives aimed at enhancing both the visitor experience and the park’s natural environment.
Paul T. Given Park Renovations to Include
• Minor renovations and repairs to existing infrastructure.
• Removal of invasive Japanese knotweed to support native biodiversity.
• Installation of bioswales to mitigate stormwater runoff and protect the Nissequogue Headwaters.
• New landscaping and street trees along Main Street (NY 25A) to beautify the area.
• Development of new trails for hiking and wildlife education/awareness tours.
• Improved fishing access.
• Construction of a canoe launch, ADA-accessible pavilion with restrooms, and a raised deck/viewing platform for scenic enjoyment.
• Creation of a picnic area, playground, and enhanced open spaces for community use.
• Repairs to the historic steel bridge within the park.
The project has been made possible through a series of strategic decisions, including the purchase of the former Oasis Gentlemen’s Club property in May 2021. This acquisition was designed to expand Paul T. Given Park and protect environmentally sensitive areas along the Nissequogue River Headwaters. The Town Board approved a park swap with Suffolk County, authorizing special legislation to alienate Bill Richards Park in exchange for Paul T. Given Park.
Working closely with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the Town of Smithtown is committed to realizing this vision of a natural sanctuary. Upon its culmination, the new Welcome Center and enhanced Paul T. Given Park will stand as a testament to Smithtown’s dedication to environmental stewardship, community well-being, and sustainable development.
By PJ Balzer
This past weekend, I made the brave journey to a local department store to do some Christmas shopping. This year specifically, my wife and I are trying to get all of our shopping done within a reasonable time, unlike past years. To be honest, we are usually the couple frustrated because we can’t find parking at the mall on the evening of December 23, and once we do, there’s slim pickings inside.
Behind the Madness Sits a Little Manger
Inside the department store was complete and utter madness. People were browsing, rushing, spending, picking up online orders while others were figuring out if the selfcheckout contraption was giving them their promised discount. Husbands were double parked out front impatiently waiting for their wives’ shopping escapade to end. Pedestrians crossing into and out of the store, trunks of cars being filled up with purchases everywhere you look. It’s definitely looking a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go.
In one of the smaller and much more humble store windows within walking distance of the large department store sat a lonely little manger scene. I’m not even sure if it was dusted off before they put it on display. It was old and worn down, a few of the pieces looked like they may have been glued back together at some point. An educated guess would say that the manger scene may be inherited, possibly with more sentimental value than anything else.
There was no fanfare at this store window. It was all at the large department store that was running a double sale that day. No one was glaring into the little store’s window with admiration for the decades old, almost unseeable little item. No one noticed that baby Jesus wasn’t yet placed into His manger. They most likely have the personal tradition of placing Him there before they close up shop on Christmas eve. Behind the shadows of the shopping madness sits this little old Nativity scene that no one seemed to notice at all.
Walking away from that window I thought to myself, “Why won’t the Nativity Story just completely go away?”
“Why can’t we as a society, once and for all, just wipe this two-thousandyear-old apparent fairy tale out of our midst?”
“Why can’t we just remove the religion out of Christmas and make the holiday whatever each person wants it to be?”
People, leaders, and groups with power have undoubtedly tried, yet still here sits the lonely, beat-up little manger scene behind the hustle and bustle of Christmas. Many movements, cults, fables, wives’ tales, and stories do vaguely exist. The Nativity Story has caused the entire world to shut down for a day, while billions of people actively celebrate this one specific birth.
Is it possible that this Christmas story isn’t a story at all? Could this be the account of God truly taking on human flesh as He spoke of seven hundred years prior? That He saw us, humanity, in our inherited sinful condition and decided to come to where we are and rescue us from ourselves. Was that
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Matthew 1:21-23
very first Christmas so much the ultimate act of selfless love and such extravagant generosity that it just won’t completely die off? God incarnate, born of a poor lowly virgin peasant girl, lived an extraordinary yet ordinary sinless and blameless life only to die an unjust death taking my many sins upon His own body. Rising from the dead three days later and proclaiming that this manger scene, His stainless life, and the executioner’s cross to which He was nailed was the only way to bridge the gap between God and a human race that is undoubtedly fallen.
That little manger scene won’t go away because this living story has been touching and changing hearts and lives since it happened that very first Christmas. God visited us and still visits us, desiring each person to be saved and changed. I pray that this beautiful, timeless and eternal story visits your heart and home this Christmas. Through all of the Christmas madness, the little manger scene is still sitting there.
Smithtown High School East Teachers Hit the Dance Floor
They came. They entertained. They danced. Smithtown High School East’s annual “Dancing With the Teachers” fundraiser was a big hit on November 14.
Hosted by the Smithtown High School East Varsity Kickline team, teachers swayed throughout the night.
Judges Ms. Maria Zeitlin, Ms. Nicole Stech and Mr. Stephen Costello had a tough task on their hands as the competition was fierce. In the end, teacher Mr. Cumming and friends won the mirror ball trophy.
The money raised for the fundraiser will help the Whisperettes kickline team defray their cost to attend nationals at Disney’s Contemporary Resort in Orlando, Florida in February.
Something’s Growing at Accompsett Middle School
Accompsett Middle School students are enjoying the progress of the school’s first hydroponic garden, generously donated by Scott Weinstein and his company, Harvest 365, a local business in the Smithtown community. Donated to improve science education and STEM initiatives at AMS, the hydroponic garden has become a valuable teaching tool and resource.
“We are growing many different types of lettuce with many different flavors,” said Accompsett teacher, Ms. Fitzpatrick.
“It’s inspiring to witness our students actively engaged in the care of our new hydroponic garden,” Principal McNeil said. “Ms. Fitzpatrick’s Garden Club members are diligently monitoring the plants, ensuring they receive the perfect balance of water and light. This initiative not only ensures a steady supply of vegetables and herbs for the FCCLA Club’s culinary endeavors but also teaches our students about sustainable agriculture and environmental responsibility. We’re proud to support this project that benefits our school community in so many ways.”
School Highlights
100-Year-Old WWII Veteran and Author Visits Great Hollow MS
Jack Weber, a 100-year-old World War II veteran, spoke to students at Great Hollow Middle School on December 2, about the meaning of Veterans Day and the last 100 years of the United States. Dr. Weber, father of English teacher, Nancy Hennes, has written a memoir called, “Jack Weber, Here!” and presented a signed copy to the school library for students and staff to be able to check out.
Dr. Weber, who worked as a dentist, was born on May 5, 1924 and was raised in the Bronx. Mrs. Hennes explained how the idea for her father to write a book began a few years ago.
“It started during COVID because my dad was losing his mind staying inside all the time,” Hennes said. “My siblings and I really encouraged him to write his life story. He wrote every word of it, we all pitched in, and it turned into this huge project. We are very proud of him.”
Sachem Student Receives
Top PTA Reflections Award
Samoset Middle School student Orion Edwards-Wilson was one of seven students to be honored with the Outstanding Interpretation Award in the National PTA Reflections student art program. EdwardsWilson was named a winner for his piece, “A Spark of Hope,” in the music composition category.
Students from across the country were encouraged to submit original works of art in a medium of their choice that reflect the theme “I am Hopeful Because…” The Outstanding Interpretation Award is the national level Reflections top honor and is given to the students who achieve the highest scores for interpretation of the theme.
Recipients each receive an $800 scholarship to further their artistic talents, and their local PTA chapter is awarded $200 to support arts and culture in their community. Congratulations to EdwardsWilson for this outstanding achievement.
Hauppauge H.S. Junior Gifts Gaga Ball Pit to Alma Mater as Part of Eagle Scout Project
Hauppauge High School junior and Eagle Scout candidate Andrew Congema has completed a remarkable service project, building and gifting a gaga ball pit to his alma mater, Forest Brook Elementary School. The new addition provides an exciting new activity for the school’s students and is part of Andrew’s journey to earning the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout.
Andrew, who began the project in January 2023, led the effort to design and build the gaga ball pit, a popular and fastpaced sport that combines dodging, striking and running in a fun and safe environment. The game is played with a soft foam ball in an octagonal pit where players aim to avoid being hit below the
knees while trying to strike opponents with the ball.
To fund the materials for the project, Andrew organized a car wash fundraiser at Hauppauge High School in addition to securing donations from local businesses and supporters. With assistance from his father and members of Troop 343, made up of students from Hauppauge Middle School and Hauppauge High School, the pit was successfully built and installed at Forest Brook Elementary.
While Andrew has completed the physical aspects of his Eagle Scout project, he still must complete additional steps, including a board review and a presentation before a council member, to officially achieve the Eagle Scout rank.
“I’ve known Andrew and the Congema family for quite a long time, and it’s no surprise that this young man would want to give back to his community,” said Forest Brook Elementary Principal Michael Caulin. “We are thrilled that Andrew had the idea and drive to execute this with his dad and troop alongside him. We are indebted to him and the scouts for bequeathing this beautiful gift to us.”
Thursday, December 12, 2024
The Necessary Standard for American Education
2024 Election Autopsy, Part III: Pennsylvania
By Matt Meduri
Few states wield as much political power as Pennsylvania does, especially in the Trump Era. It is on par with Rust Belt neighbors Wisconsin and Michigan for the longest active bellwether streak in the country, in that it sides with the general election winner. The Rust Belt trio have all done so since 2008.
But Pennsylvania has more predictive power than simply being a hotly-contested swing state that is guaranteed to have significant say in who becomes the next president. Being a swing state, and especially a bellwether, means that the state is microcosmic of the nation overall.
The reason is that Pennsylvania is now a microcosm of the country overall. Just as Ohio and Missouri each had culturally Northern and Southern regions, mixes of industry, agriculture, big cities, sprawling suburbs, and a healthy mix of working-class and educated populations, Pennsylvania now has the finger on the pulse of the American electorate. Dense, liberal cities with intensely progressive enclaves countered by ruby-red rural landscape dotted by working-class former steel towns, farms, and, even Amish communities make this a true amalgam of the American electorate. Moreover, its educated suburbs make for the ground-zero of any national campaign.
Published
by Messenger Papers, Inc.
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.
Pennsylvania County Shift 2020-2024
These reasons also show why Donald Trump’s margin, narrow as it was, is still indicative of a setback for Democrats’ electoral prospects.
Trump carried the commonwealth with 50.4% of the vote - a majority - to Kamala Harris’ (D-CA) 48.7% - a margin of about 1.7%, or 120,710 raw votes.
While a margin typical of a classic swing state, it’s the largest margin for a Republican candidate since George H. W. Bush (R-TX) won by 2.31% in 1988. Trump’s win is also seen to have aided down-ballot Republicans, such as Dave McCormick (R-PA) in flipping the U.S. Senate seat, as well as other statewide seats. Trump’s 3.5 million votes is a record for the most votes cast for any candidate in the history of the commonwealth. With almost seven million ballots cast, turnout was up slightly from 2020, at 76.6%.
For reference, Trump had won and flipped Pennsylvania in an upset in 2016, marking the first time the commonwealth would back the GOP since 1988. However, Trump’s narrow margin of just 0.72% - out of six million votes - was the narrowest margin in Pennsylvania in any presidential race since 1840. Despite this, 2016 marked the first time it had voted more Republican than the nation since 1948, a figure supported by Hillary Clinton’s (D-NY) two-point popular-vote win.
Trump’s key to victory then was essentially his key to victory now: appealing to working-class voters, especially those in economically depressed areas where industry had once reigned supreme, as well as suburbanites concerned about quality of life and crime.
Trump flipped four counties, two of which had not backed him in 2016. He won the crucial bellwether of Erie County, as he did in 2016 but not in 2020; the case is similar in Northampton County, home to Bethlehem. Monroe County (Stroudsburg) and Bucks County (Bensalem) flipped to Trump after having not supported him in the prior two elections.
Philadelphia and the Collar Counties
Philadelphia, the nation’s sixth-largest city, has been a mainstay of the Democratic Party for generations. The consolidated city-county has not backed a Republican since Herbert Hoover (R-IA) in 1932, with Democrats winning the city by single-digits in just one election since then. The Philadelphia machine has been vibrant for a long time, but it has swung a collective eight points to the right in the last three elections. Trump improved upon his 2020 vote in Philadelphia proper by two points, taking 19.94% to Harris’ 78.57%.
However, the “collar counties” of the city tell the bigger story. Bucks County is the fourth-most populous county in the commonwealth. It’s a heavily-white county that is currently seeing a biotechnology boom, with the Greater Philadelphia Area consistently ranking as one of the best geographic regions for the industry.
Although Philadelphia has long been a Democratic bastion, its collar counties were much more Republican leaning. Bucks was no exception, having backed Republicans in all but seven elections from 1880 to 1988. However, in 1992, it began its Democratic voting streak, peaking at an eight-point win for Barack Obama (D-IL) in 2008. Although it found its way back to the center,
Joe Biden (D-DE) improved upon Clinton’s margin from 2016.
Despite this, Trump is the first Republican since 1988 to win Bucks County, carrying it by a margin of just 291 votes out of almost 400,000 ballots cast. Although it’s a razor-thin margin, it’s results like these that win statewide campaigns, as a message that can resonate well here, in a well-educated, populous, suburban area, is likely adequate enough to win the state. His narrow win is the thinnest margin for a Republican in the history of the county with no major third-party contenders.
Of the Philadelphia region, Philadelphia County experienced the sharpest swing to the right, clocking in at 4.7% more Republican than last election. Bucks County comes in at 4.4% more Republican, followed by deeply-Democratic Montgomery County at 3.5%, equally-blue Delaware County at 3.1%, and Chester County at 2.7%.
Northeastern Pennsylvania
No other part of Pennsylvania is as well-acquainted with coal mining as the northeastern corner. Scranton is a working-class city that was built up by anthracite coal and iron. Pennsylvania is still one of the leading coal producers in the U.S., thanks mostly to Lackawanna (Scranton) and Luzerne (Wilkes-Barre) counties.
Lackawanna County is a solidly-Democratic constituency, having only backed three Republicans since 1928, all of whom won national landslides. Obama received almost 63% of the vote here in 2012, only for Clinton to take just under 50% to Trump’s 46%. Native-son Biden pulled the margin back, but still within single-digits. Trump’s 48.62% of the vote is the best showing for a Republican here since Benjamin Harrison (R-IN) in 1892.
Meanwhile, just to the southwest is Luzerne County, home to Wilkes-Barre. At its peak in 1930, Luzerne was home to almost 500,000 people and a vibrant factory and coal mining region. However, like many areas within the Rust Belt, downtrending industries led to urban decay and population loss. While coal mining and manufacturing are still parts of the local economy, much of the base is now supplied by warehousing.
Luzerne County was once prime swing territory and a bellwether within Pennsylvania; it backed the winner of Pennsylvania in every election from 1936 until 2020. As Pennsylvania grew more Democratic from 1992 onward, so did Luzerne. However, the working-class population here shifted in 2016, going from a county Obama had won by five points to one Trump had won by nineteen. The shift remained clear, and not a fluke, as Biden only improved the margins modestly. Luzerne backed Trump by nineteen points in 2024.
Luzerne County is one of the best examples of working-class abandonment of the Democratic Party across Pennsylvania, as well as an excellent case study in the inside-out decay of the Rust Belt towards the end of the Twentieth Century. Many other Pennsylvania counties have experienced similar tectonic shifts from the Party of Jackson to the Party of Lincoln, but Wilkes-Barre is a major population center for Democrats to lose in such a politically influential state.
Nearby, Trump also flipped back swingy Northampton County and delivered the closest result for a Republican since 2004 in Lehigh County, home to Allentown and a 26%-Hispanic population.
Monroe County, home to Stroudsburg, borders Lackawanna County. Monroe experienced the greatest rightward shift in the
commonwealth this year - 7.1% - and it backed a Republican nominee for the first time since 2004.
Harrisburg and Central Pennsylvania
Central Pennsylvania is where the ground shifted the least, with Trump making only modest gains in rural, intensely Republican counties where his ceiling was essentially already met in 2020. Harris, on the other hand, actually overperformed Biden in ten central counties, but only one county (Cumberland) backed her by more than one percentage point. In short, these were very marginal shifts in a part of the commonwealth that once wielded more power.
In Dauphin County, home to capital Harrisburg, Harris won by about six points, down from Biden’s nine-point win four years ago. The county has not backed a Republican since George W. Bush (R-TX) in 2004. Prior to that, Dauphin was an intensely Republican county, only backing two Democrats between 1880 and 2004.
Centre County (State College) backed Harris by a narrow three-point margin, smaller than Biden’s five-point win, but better than Clinton’s two-point win. The swing county doesn’t hold as many votes as Lackawanna or Luzerne, but in a premier swing state like Pennsylvania, it can make a difference at almost any juncture. Centre had been a Republican county until 2008. It shifted 1.9% to the right this election.
Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania was once the base of Democratic support, namely working-class steel town support. Like the coal ranges of northeastern Pennsylvania, the western part of the state also experienced its own decline, leaving decrepit small towns across the landscape.
The working-class shift is readily apparent in western Pennsylvania, with nearly all western counties having backed Bill Clinton (D-AR) and Al Gore (D-TN), only to see just Allegheny county (Pittsburgh proper) stick with the Democrats today. Having last backed a Republican since 1972, Allegheny registered as less than 0.1% more Republican this election compared to 2020.
In neighboring Westmoreland County, Pittsburgh’s workingclass shift is more evident. Westmoreland backed Republicans from 1888 until 1928, going for Democrats in all but one election from 1932 to 1996. The county has been Republican since 2000, but Trump’s 63.65% is the greatest margin for a Republican in history.
Finally, in Erie County, in the very northwestern corner of the state, Trump flipped the county back after having flipped it in 2016. Considered a must-win bellwether county of the commonwealth, Erie has sided with the Pennsylvania winner since 1992, peaking at a twenty-point margin for Obama in 2008.
Trump flipped and won the county by over one percentage point in 2016, down from Obama’s massive seventeen-point win in 2012. Biden flipped Erie back narrowly, but Trump won it by an even closer margin than in 2016. Erie is all but certain to remain a crucial swing county going forward.
All surrounding western counties shifted towards the right, ranging from less than 0.1% to 4%. Only three western counties swung towards Harris, all by less than 1%.
A Note on the Senate Race
Dave McCormick’s (R) win in Pennsylvania is perhaps one of the greatest upsets this century, so far. Bob Casey, Jr. (D) was a vetted, three-term incumbent who had three decisive wins under his belt and name recognition owed solely to his father, a beloved governor of the commonwealth. Entering the 2024 Senate elections, Casey looked to be the most well-suited of the three Rust Belt Democrats.
Nevertheless, the staple that he is, Casey lost to McCormick in the closest U.S. Senate race in the commonwealth’s history. The race took three weeks to be called, with Casey formally conceding that day. A recount confirmed the result of the election.
Despite Trump taking the state, McCormick lost three counties that Trump had won: Erie, Monroe, and Bucks. This marks the first time since 1880 that Democrats lost Pennsylvania’s electoral votes as well as an incumbent Senator in the same election.
Notably, McCormick’s 0.25% margin is thinner than that of the percentages of votes earned by three other third-party candidates.
Around Town
Legislator Leslie Kennedy Attends Holiday Festivities
The Legislator of Suffolk County’s Twelfth District has been busy getting into the holiday spirit.
Since the beginning of December, Legislator Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) has attended five Christmas tree lightings, with many more still to come. These Christmas Tree lightings include:
The Nesconset Chamber of Commerce, which was held at the Nesconset Gazebo on December 1.
The Lake Ronkonkoma’s Chamber of Commerce, which was held at Raynor Park on December 1.
The Smithtown Chamber of Commerce, which was held at the Smithtown Town Hall on December 3.
The Centereach Civic Association (pictured right), which was held on the lawn of 2100 Middle Country Road on December 5.
St. Catherine of Siena Hospital, which was held on the campus of the hospital on December 5.
Legislator Kennedy also attended and donated to a Toys for Tots holiday toy drive, which was in part organized Suffolk County’s Veteran Service Agency. A press conference for the toy drive was held on December 5 at Jake’s 58 Casino & Hotel. (pictured below) Numerous other county officials attended the press conference, including but not limited to, the County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches), County Comptroller John M. Kennedy, Jr. (R-Nesconset), the County Clerk Vincent Puleo (R-Nesconset), the District Attorney Ray Tierney (R), and County Legislators Rebecca Sanin (D-Huntington Station), Tom Donnelly (D-Deer Park), and Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville).
The Twelfth Legislative District is teeming with holiday cheer, with nearly every hamlet, village, and town planning and setting up Christmas displays. This is one of Legislator Leslie Kennedy’s favorite times of year, and she would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all those who are volunteering their time and resources to make this year’s Christmas the best it can be.
Local History
Princess Tuskawanta
By Ellyn Okvist, B.Sc.
The Newton Family owned the land north of the Lake in Lake Ronkonkoma from approximately Metzner Road to Hawkins Avenue. Sometime in 1819, the Newton Family planned a large celebration and with foresight, ordered five European Beech trees, grown and native to Scandinavia. In order to survive the trip and their slow growing pattern, the saplings were most likely at least fifteen years old when sent. The five trees were shipped from Southampton, England Port, while the Port of NYC received the five trees. They were collected and the five European Beech trees were planted in significant spacing in honor of the Nationwide bicentennial, held in 1820 by the Newton Family with a large celebration at their property.
This celebration marked the Two Hundredth Anniversary of the Pilgrims Landing at Plymouth Rock in 1620. Family, friends, townsfolk, and neighbors attended the celebration on the shores of the Lake. The five trees thrived for years, all were beautiful and were much admired.
Two of the Purple Beech trees were destroyed for “building progress,” and the Purple just west of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church on Portion Road is in its last cycle of life. The fifth Purple is thriving in a private location. We will refer to the Copper Red tree for this story.
The integrity of this specific European Copper Red Beech Tree (pictured top right) at the location has been cared for by the property owner for years. Virginia Schutte, with family for generations here in town, owner of the tree and property, began to notice the tree to show deterioration, and rather than remove the tree in its entirety, it would be carved into the Indian Princess of Lake Ronkonkoma (pictured top left)
The tree was proclaimed as a Historic Landmark of Lake Ronkonkoma, No. 2, on October 19, 2012, at the Riverhead meeting of the Suffolk County Legislature. The Copper Red was proclaimed a Landmark again on 10/21/2015, as we began the process of carving the tree at an age of approximately 214 years.
We know of the Newton ownership of this tree and property, and it continued with the purchase of the property in 1881 by Dr. Robert Finley, a successful veterinarian from NYC, who then completed fulltime residence and veterinarian accommodations in 1883. Dr. Finlay’s daughters sold the Horseshoe Cottage in 1963 to Ronald and Florence Hills, and they operated their pre-school on premises as Beechwood Preschool. The Schutte Family has owned the property since March 1973.
There is a wonderful tradition with the little girls of the tree ownership including visitors and neighbors, spanning 200 years, who would treat the tree as one of their best friends. They danced around it, sat by it, and kept it company. Was this the first indication of the power the tree had deep in its roots? Did the girls feel a presence in the tree? The stories and songs made for the tree were passed down from the Finley Family to the Schutte grandchildren.
Coincidence that the one tree that was not a Purple European Beech like the other four had entered such a claim on the community? Time has proven that the lone Copper Red Beech tree may have not been a mistake after all, but a “deliberate godsend to our community.” We have seen a direct attraction to the Copper Red, and its power and force has brought us closer with greater magnitude.
Magical powers? A channel for Native American spirits? We have seen its quiet and glorious powers and agree that this tree was sent to us to act as a transition from 1820 to the future, and to keep the Indian Princess Legend alive and remembered for eternity.
Our community witnessed a vortex in 1929. It is well documented, and
the description of the day, the weather, the odd wildlife formations all were a result of this phenomenon; however, the most remembered incident was the effect it had on the lake itself. There are a limited number of vortex experiences on this earth, and it seems we have one in the lake.
If you were present at the Princess of the Lake Festival on June 15, 2019, you witnessed first-hand the results under the direction of two Native Americans, Ric Statler and Daniel Pierce. Ric Statler opened the healing ceremony in 2019, and he explained how his goal was to make her a watchdog or guardian over the lake. His words:
“Those of you who live here know for many years the legends of the lake princess and the curse or the tragedies that have followed. Today, we look to make a transition with that, and you are all part of this healing ceremony. Princess Tuskawanta has resided here for hundreds of years. We look now for her to reside in the statue, in the totem that is carved in her honor. We look for her to come from the lake to the totem, where she can be a more benevolent source and a guardian of the lake, rather than the terror of the lake.”
Ric Statler later said that he sensed there was a lot of negative self-worth from the princess due to the way in which she had been defined, and then once given that role, felt there was no other way for her to respond. So, by offering her the chance to be a watchdog of the lake, it was well-received.
So many witnessed the ceremony as this happened.
Today, our Princess is making every attempt to last long enough for us to work out the problems with the sculpture, her home, and if needed, to help transition the legend and of our protection to the future. No doubts, no explanations; just nature steering our course to make our time on Earth easier using this Native American ceremony and to continue to honor our Princess Tuskawanta.
The advances we have made, from the little girls to the Native American Ceremony, and the Princess’s new residence must not go without notice, we have too much to lose.
The Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Commission maintains the landmarks in the community and will do everything in their power and make every attempt to save the Princess. Virginia Schutte, who is loyal to the spirit of the Princess has authorized them to do whatever is best for our Princess.
The Lake Ronkonkoma Heritage Association 4 Cherry Street, Lake Ronkonkoma 631-831-1670
CreditEllyn Okvist
Zebra Technologies Volunteers Build Memorial Garden for Options for Community Living
On Wednesday, October 2, 2024, seven (7) volunteers from Zebra Technologies spent the day giving back by building a memorial garden at a home owned by Options for Community Living, Inc. The project was coordinated by United Way of Long Island, bringing together Zebra Technologies and Options for a meaningful day of service and team building.
Options provides safe and affordable housing for individuals and families in over 160 homes across Long Island and serves more than 2,000 adults and children annually. The individuals served by Options face chronic illnesses and disabilities and often come from challenging circumstances. Most have low incomes and may have a history of homelessness or have been at risk of homelessness. Through affordable supportive housing and connections to healthcare services, entitlements, and community resources, Options fosters stability, safety, independence, and improved health outcomes.
The Zebra Technologies team worked tirelessly to build a beautiful memorial garden complete with a bench, where residents can reflect and find peace. They planted perennial flowers, cleaned up the yard, and trimmed greenery around the fence, making the space more welcoming and vibrant.
“Zebra takes pride in giving back to the local communities where our employees work and live,” said Michele LaBarbera, Senior Marketing Specialist, Zebra Technologies. “We know that our volunteering truly makes a difference. It was a pleasure working with the Ronkonkoma home team and their residents to build a memorial garden that enriches the quality of life for all residents.”
“Options is grateful to the United Way of Long Island for making this connection on our behalf and for the team from Zebra Technologies for their time,” said Options’ CEO, Yolanda Robano-Gross. “The garden is beautiful,” continued Robano-Gross. “Projects like these really make a difference to our residents and to us.”
“Volunteering at the Ronkonkoma home was an amazing experience,” said Harris Ayaz, Senior Strategic Partner, Zebra Technologies. “It was great meeting the residents and assisting them in cleaning-up their yard and building a memorial garden for their friend who recently passed.”
About Options for Community Living, Inc.
Established in 1982, Options for Community Living, Inc. operates residential programs for adults recovering from mental illness, care coordination services for adults and children with chronic health conditions, and housing and services for homeless people with disabilities and/or HIV/AIDS. Options’ mission to assist people to live independently and with dignity in the community has grown through the years to serve more than 2,000 adults and children annually. For more information, call 631.361.9020 or visit Options’ website at https://www. optionscl.org.
Options for Community Living, Inc. is located at 25 Howard Place in Ronkonkoma and can be reached at 631-361-9020.
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
By Diane Caudullo
There are many ways to determine what makes a hometown hero, but this may be a little more out of the box than you are used to. This is about a local entrepreneur, a Newfield graduate (Selden) who not only is making it big in business at warp speed, but bringing many, many others along for the ride.
Introducing Frankie D’Antonio, Founder of Lexington Capital Holdings, now located at 2100 Middle Country Road, Centereach. In 10,000 square feet of top-floor office space only a short three years from start-up, Frankie, 26, an average kid with an average childhood, openly tells you how many times he tried and failed.
Until he didn’t.
With an MBA in finance from Stony Brook and after a short stint at a friend’s finance company, Frankie knew what he needed to do.
Hometown Hero
Frankie opened Lexington Capital in January of 2022 with five employees. A bold start, but he knew that in the earliest stages, it was more of a numbers game to attract the potential customers. The purpose of Lexington Capital is as a broker between businesses and the lending institutions that could fund them. He differentiated Lexington Capital by placing additional focus on the companies that needed help securing funding in alternative, non-traditional ways.
Securing funding is often a slow and complicated process with many variations and avenues available. Lexington, upon analyzing what the needs of the business are, can strategically connect them to the lender that best fits their needs. In some cases, time is of the essence, maybe to purchase property, large equipment, or a vehicle and Lexington gets it done, sometimes on the same day. Securing funding for a business can often make or break their success, so the work itself is very rewarding.
Success is, of course, the main goal of starting a business - but just as a hometown hero has many definitions, so does success. Although reaching eight figures in just under three years is highly impressive - that’s over $10 million in sales - the real success
is the coattails with which many others have come in on. Three of his original five employees who took the leap of faith with him are still his key people now working alongside the other forty-nine employees. Lexington Capital, the soon-toturn three-year-old company now has fifty-two people on staff. They have Sales, Underwriting, Marketing, IT, and more. It also isn’t simply fifty-two people - it’s who the people are that Frankie is very proud of. Most are from the SeldenCentereach area, all are young people, most without college degrees, and all were referrals from within. Frankie spoke about many typical young people who, unless they are on the college-doctor-lawyer-engineer path, they just fall into some line of work, often by accident, destined for a life of average earnings, but probably not one that allows many to afford Long Island. He prides himself upon finding the visionaries, the potential, the ones who can be so much more. He then invests significant time and resources into each employee in skill building and training, as he also does for himself. He has created a corporate culture of family, full of high energy, hard work, and fun rewards.
Frankie said the best part of the job is seeing the employees grow and knowing that he is part of changing lives. A number of his employees have circumstances or histories that could have led them in a very different direction. Instead, he now sees twentysomething-year-olds paying for their parents’ mortgages, or supporting their siblings, or just creating financially secure futures here.
Frankie is led by his faith and believes he was created for such a role as this. He actively pursues ways to help others, at work and throughout his community, with the blessings he feels he has been given. Frankie has big plans for growth for his team, his company and himself. He is always challenging himself to go to the next level.
Making it on the Fortune 500 list is one major goal and because of his love for people, and the world around him, he is planning to run for President come 2036… and winning!
When Deportations Start, Expect ‘Heartbreaking’ Stories From Corporate Media, Senator Cruz Warns
By Virginia Allen | Reprinted by AMAC from The Daily Signal
President-elect Donald Trump made mass deportations a pillar of his winning campaign platform. Trump and Tom Homan—the former acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who Trump tapped to be his border czar—say they will prioritize the deportations of criminal illegal aliens.
Whether all of the estimated more than 10 million illegal aliens who entered the country under the Biden-Harris administration are deported or not is ultimately up to the incoming Trump administration, says Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
But when mass deportations begin, “the media will do everything they can to find a heartbreaking story,” Cruz told The Daily Signal after a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill discussing mass deportations, adding, “There are a lot of tragic stories. One thing the media never covers are these tragedies that are produced by these open borders.”
A mother who is all too familiar with the tragedies of the open-border crisis shared her story before Cruz and the other senators on the Judiciary Committee during Tuesday’s hearing.
In the summer of 2023, Patty Morin received a phone call that her daughter’s body had been found. At the time, Morin only knew that her daughter Rachel, 37 and the mother of five, was dead, but she soon learned the details of Rachel’s death.
“I was told that she was beaten so badly that her body was blanketed in bruises, that she was strangled, that she was raped, and that she was stuffed into a drainpipe,” Morin told the senators.
After a lengthy investigation, authorities arrested Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, an illegal alien from El Salvador, on charges of rape and murder in the death of Rachel Morin.
“We need to close our borders. We need to protect American families. We need to protect our women and children, which are the most vulnerable in this country,” Patty Morin said.
“I think that you should put American citizens first,” Morin told the senators. “We are the ones that pay your paycheck. We are the ones that pay taxes.”
It is not Americans alone who have suffered because of the current administration’s border policies, according to Cruz.
“Incredible abuse of migrants” has taken place because of the border crisis, the Texas lawmaker said.
“Every day, illegal immigrants are killed,” he said. “They are raped. They are brutalized. When you go down to the southern border, and you look in the eyes of a little girl, a little boy who has been brutalized by human traffickers, it is haunting, and the media doesn’t tell that story.”
In August, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported that it doesn’t know the location or status of more than 300,000 migrant children. Between fiscal years 2019 and 2023, some 32,000 illegal alien minors did not appear for their immigration court hearing, and an additional 291,000 were never given an immigration court date at all.
Nearly 5,000 unaccompanied migrant children were encountered at the southern border in December 2020, the last full month of Trump’s first term. By July 2021, Customs and Border Protection reported nearly 19,000 encounters with unaccompanied migrant children for the month.
According to the Office of Refugee Resettlement, 81% of unaccompanied alien children are between the ages of 13 and 18. The average age of a trafficking victim in the U.S. is between 12 and 15, according to Anti-Trafficking International.
The criminal cartels have exploited a loophole in U.S. law that has allowed unaccompanied alien children from any country except Mexico and
Canada to be paroled into the country. A bill known as HR 2 would have closed this loophole. The House passed HR 2 in May 2023, but the Democrat-controlled Senate never took it up.
Even with Republicans set to take control of the Senate in January, Cruz, who authored the Senate version of HR 2, says, “Democrats are not going to pass HR 2. Every Democrat has voted against it, and every Democrat continues to support these open borders.”
“The good news,” according to Cruz, “is the vast majority of the damage that has been done the last four years in open borders was done through unilateral executive action, which means it can be undone through
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unilateral executive action.”
Cruz added that Congress is going to act and will take up “a budget reconciliation bill that is going to provide the funding to secure the border.”
Stopping the flow of illegal immigration begins by answering the question, “What happens when someone’s apprehended?” Cruz said. “And if the answer is that they’re put on a plane and sent back to the country they came from, the numbers plummet, and if the answer is they’re released and allowed to stay in this country, the numbers skyrocket.”
Trump will be sworn into office on Jan. 20, and Cruz predicts that “we will see the numbers plummet in January and February of next year.”
WORD OF THE Week
Etymology: from ‘bluster,’ meaning ‘talk in a loud, aggressive, or indignant way with little effect;” from late Middle English (ultimately imitative) + y; earliest use is mid-1700s from the writings of translator George Ogle
BLUSTERY
Adjective
Pronounced: bluh·str·ee
Definition: (of weather or a period of time) characterized by strong winds.
Example: “After the brutal summer, a cold and blustery winter was expected.”
Synonyms: gusty, tempestuous, squally
Antonyms: calm, motionless, restrained
Source: Oxford Languages
WORD WHEEL
V U E I
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
See bottom left for the answers (please don’t cheat!)
This Week in History
December 18, 1888: Robert Moses (R), American Parks official (oversaw rebuilding of Long Island and NYC parks and roads), first Chairman of NYS Parks Council, and 49th NYS Secretary of State born in New Haven, Connecticut (d. 1981) discovery in California.
December 14, 1911: Norwegian Roald Amundsen’s Antarctic expedition is the 1st to reach the South Pole
December 12, 2000: U.S. Supreme Court releases its 5-4 decision in Bush v. Gore, settling the recount dispute in Florida’s 2000 presidential election in George W. Bush’s (R-TX) favor and thus handing him the presidency over Al Gore (D-TN)
December 15, 1939: “Gone With The Wind”, drama film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh, premieres in Atlanta (Best Picture 1940, highest-grossing film of all time, not adjusted for inflation)
December 13, 2002: The European Union announces that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia will become members from May 1, 2004
December 16, 1773: Boston Tea Party incident - Sons of Liberty protesters throw tea shipments into Boston Harbor in protest against British imposed Tea Act
December 17, 1903: The Wright brothers make the first sustained motorized aircraft flight at 10:35a.m., piloted by Orville Wright at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
CONSUMER ALERT: NYDOS’ Division of Consumer Protection Provides Tips to Avoid Pet Scams This Holiday Season
The New York Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection is providing tips to avoid scams while on the search for a furry or feathered addition to the family this holiday season. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), there are thousands of reports of consumers who lost money and never received their pet or received a sick, stolen or different animal from the one they ordered.
According to the Better Business Bureau, experts say a shocking 80% of sponsored pet advertisements may be fake. These scams often start with an online ad with a picture of an adorable puppy or kitten in search of a new home. Victims are quickly lured with a popular breed and a low price. Some scammers even promise to deliver the animal to the airport or even the buyer’s doorstep. However, once payment is received the pet never arrives and the seller disappears.
“While many of us may dream of a magical holiday with the addition of a furry or feathered family member, consumers must be vigilant against scams or they’ll end up out of cash and without a puppy,” said Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley (D). “To protect yourself and your loved ones from losing out on a special moment this holiday, make sure you know the warning signs of a potential pet scam and always do your research before exchanging money for a new animal companion.”
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “In partnership with state and local law enforcement, the Department works hard to ensure the welfare of animals, including companion animals, across New York State. I encourage New Yorkers to do their research when searching for a new pet to make sure that pets are safe, happy, and healthy when they arrive to their forever homes.”
In New York State, you can adopt or purchase a pet from:
• Animal shelters, humane societies, animal rescues or other not-for-profit organizations;
• By direct purchase from small pet breeders (those who sell fewer than 25 pets per year); or
• By direct purchase from licensed pet dealers, which includes pet breeders who sell more than 25 pets per year and other types of sellers that aren’t considered retail pet stores.
Effective December 15, 2024, retail pet stores can no longer sell dogs, cats and rabbits in New York State. However, retail pet stores can still partner with registered, nonprofit animal rescue organizations to showcase adoptable pets. Retail pet stores do not include licensed pet dealers or breeders who sell less than twenty-five pets per year. As this new law goes into effect, consumers may look to the internet or other options to find their next family pet, leaving them more vulnerable to potential scams.
The new law will be enforced by the New York State Office of the Attorney General.
When considering bringing a pet into the family, consumers should follow these important tips to avoid a pet scam.
Tips to Avoid Pet Scams
Find a registered rescue or shelter: Animal shelters, rescue organizations and other not-for-profit entities that offer animal adoptions in New York are required to register with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM). This is part of an effort to provide increased transparency to potential pet owners. Find a registered rescue or shelter by visiting the AGM database of registered organizations. Find a reputable pet breeder or licensed pet dealer: If deciding to purchase from a breeder, do your research to ensure they are reputable. Take steps to avoid purchasing a possibly stolen pet by searching for the average price of the specific breed. Be skeptical of a purebred animal being sold for free or at a discounted price. When looking online, you may not be able to tell if animals are living in small, filthy cages. To avoid supporting cruel breeding practices, read consumer reviews. If a breeder sells more than 25 dogs and/or cats per year, verify they are a licensed pet dealer. To find a licensed pet dealer, visit AGM’s database of licensed dealers.
Beware of online pet scams: Scammers often steal photos of animals from other websites to impersonate an existing seller. The Animal Legal Defense Fund recommends doing a reverse image search of the pet you are interested in. If the same picture appears on multiple websites, it’s likely a scam. The same goes for customer reviews. Search for distinctive text from testimonials to see if it appears on multiple websites. Meet in person or by live video call: Insist on meeting the seller or breeder in person to verify where the pet was born and how it’s being raised. This may help prevent the purchase of a nonexistent, sick or different animal from the one advertised. The home visit should involve seeing the entire litter and parents. If a home visit is not possible, require a live video call to view the seller, living environment and animals.
Do your research: A responsible breeder will be knowledgeable and forthcoming with any information related to a litter. Ask questions such as: Have they been examined by a licensed veterinarian? When are their next vaccinations due? Be sure to request proof of veterinary reports and screening tests, along with photos of previous litters. A person claiming to rehome a pet should be able to describe their size, behavior, health condition, reason for rehoming and other specific details. A vaguely worded advertisement that does not include such details or an owner who seems to not know the animal well is a red flag. A responsible and caring pet seller should vet you as the potential owner as well. They should ask personal questions to ensure a good match. Avoid unusual payment methods: Avoid sending payment in an unusual way. This includes prepaid gift cards, cash and mobile payment apps. These payment methods are untraceable and do not allow you to stop payment or reverse a transaction.
Report a pet scam: If you’ve fallen victim to a pet scam or believe you’ve come across a scammer online, you can report it to the following sources:
• Federal Trade Commission
• FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center
• New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
For more resources on how to care for your pet, visit the NYS Agricultural and Markets website.
About the New York State Division of Consumer Protection
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The New York State Division of Consumer Protection provides voluntary mediation between a consumer and a business when a consumer has been unsuccessful at reaching a resolution on their own. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1-800-697-1220 is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding State Holidays, and consumer complaints can be filed at any time at www.dos.ny.gov/consumerprotection. The Division can also be reached via X at @NYSConsumer or Facebook.
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Theatre & the Arts
EastLine Theatre’s
‘Little
Women’ Receives a Well-deserved Standing Ovation
By Cindi Sansone-Braff
EastLine Theatre ends its successful 2024 season at the BACCA Arts Center with Kate Hamill’s 2018 radical stage adaptation of the classic comingof-age novel by Louisa May Alcott, “Little Women.” Published in 1868, Alcott’s “Little Women,” set during and after the American Civil War, tells the story of the March sisters. Featuring traditionalist Meg, rebellious Jo, timid Beth, and spoiled Amy, the plot revolves around the inner and outer struggles these four spirited sisters experience while growing up in a harshly judgmental world filled with gender stereotypes.
“This is a timeless story, and it is one that has found its way into the hearts and lives of many people since its release,” says director Anjor Khadilkar. “Our production aims to engage with and expand on themes relevant to today’s audiences – ones always present in the original text. This is a play about family and the love that can bind a group of girls – ordinary people with an extraordinary love and care for each other, the sort that people everywhere see
themselves in and feel comforted and inspired by.”
Under Khadilkar’s astute direction, the cast members’ electrifying chemistry kept the audience riveted throughout.
The director’s artful staging, especially the scene transitions that flowed smoothly from one to the next, made this a visually captivating production. Speaking with Khadilkar after the show, she pointed out how important it was for the actors to articulate their words to ensure the audience experienced the beauty of Hamill’s well-crafted dialogue.
The lead character in the show is Jo, the second eldest of the March sisters. Jo is a strong-willed, imaginative, and independent thinker—traits frowned upon in a woman during the 19th Century. Jo loves putting on plays with her sisters and always casts herself in male leads. She dreams of being a successful writer, traveling the world, and living an unconventional life. Victoria Gentile, perfectly cast in this role, commanded the stage, often donning trousers, much to the dismay of others, since this was not the acceptable fashion for women to wear.
Meg, the oldest sister, is more
traditional in her approach to life. Although severely myopic, in one amusing scene, she forgoes wearing glasses in a vain attempt to look more glamorous. Kendra Perry gave a nuanced performance as Meg, a well-meaning young woman who longs for marriage and children but struggles with the formidable responsibility of being a wife and mother.
Victoria Kay was riveting as Beth, a timid, withdrawn, and frail young woman. Unlike her other sisters, Beth has no big dreams, aspirations, or plans for the future and seems content to spend her life in the confines of her family home. Beth serves as the conscience of her family, and as shy and fearful as she is, she manages to muster up the courage necessary to help and assist those she loves.
Amanda Luong believably portrayed the immature, spoiled drama queen, Amy, the youngest of the March sisters. Trying to impress everyone with her extensive vocabulary, Amy mispronounces one word after another, saying things like aggregating when she means to say aggravating. Jo loves to tease her and document Amy’s malapropisms in a notebook.
Paul DeFilippo brought charm and warmth to his depiction of Theodore Laurence, a young man of wealth who lives with his grandfather in a neighboring estate. He is a kindred spirit to all the March sisters and delights in partaking in all the frantic activities happening in the bustling March household.
This show calls for a large
cast, and the multi-talented ensemble did an extraordinary job of doubling up on their roles. Julianna Viviani gave an outstanding performance as Marmee, the girl’s loving mother who encourages her daughters to think for themselves and to be accountable for their actions. Viviani showcased her strong comedic skills in the role of Mrs. Mingott, a woman determined to find appropriate suitors for Jo and Meg. John Brautigam delivered a stellar performance as John Brooks, Theodore’s tutor, a stuffy man who finally lightens up after falling in love with Meg. Brooks garnered some of the biggest laughs of the evening with his hilarious depiction of the Doctor and the ill-tempered parrot, Polly. Debbie Starker, a charismatic and polished actor, brought much-needed comedic relief to the play with her spot-on portrayal of Hannah, the March’s feisty housekeeper. Starker was equally hilarious as Aunt March, a mean-spirited, wealthy spinster. Van Whitaker, a brilliant character actor, gave memorable performances as Theodore’s grandfather, the girl’s abolitionist father, Robert March, and Mr. Dashwood, a misogynistic editor who mistreats Jo.
EastLine Theatre presents this must-see, family-friendly show in partnership with the Babylon Citizens Council on the Arts. Wendy Grimm and Lynn Adler designed the fabulous Civil War-era costumes, Nicole Savin designed the lighting, and John Brautigam composed the original music.
“Little Women” is performed at the BACCA Arts Center in Lindenhurst and runs through December 22, 2024. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at eastline. ludus.com. More information is available at eastlinetheatre.org or by calling 516-749-5047.
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 fulllength Music Drama, “Beethoven, The Man, The Myth, The Music,” is published by Next Stage Press. www.Grantmeahigherlove.com.
By Ashley Pavlakis
Bellport Varsity Boys Wrestling: Pin[ning] for Another League IV Title in 2024-25
Wrestling season is upon us and the Bellport Clippers boys’ varsity wrestling team is ready to hit the mat this season. The Clippers are coming off their sixth straight League IV dual meet championship after taking home the title in 2024.
The Clippers are led by head coach Chuck Maragiolio, a Bellport native who competed for the school, and has been coaching in the district for roughly twenty years. He is also the secretary for the Suffolk County Wrestlers Association. Maragiolio is assisted by Rob Cuffie and Jamie Fabian.
The Clippers compete in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) in League IV. The 2024-25 season has nine contests on the docket for Bellport, they’re already off to a strong start, winning their first match of the season 54-24.
“We’ve been really fortunate; we’ve had a good run and group of kids. The kids have bought into the program and our philosophy. They’ve just kind of stepped into the role and it’s been pretty fun and enjoyable to watch,” said Maragiolio.
Wrestling is largely a strategic sport. While physicality will help, the correct methods are the key to victory. Wrestlers have a wealth of tactics in their repertoire such as legal holds, throws, takedowns, and reversals. The objective is to have the opponent pinned to the mat for several seconds. The wrestler earns points each time they execute a certain move. There is individual wrestling and team wrestling and the scoring varies based on the type.
“Last year we were really young, and we didn’t know what to expect coming in, but they grew up on the job. I think we started one senior and one junior out of the 13 weight classes. The rest were sophomores, freshmen, and an eighth grader. We had 10 underclassmen in the lineup, and they grew and matured last year, by the end of the year we somehow won the League IV dual meet title,” said Maragiolio.
The Clippers are fortunate to see some stability in their roster for the 2024-25 season as they were able to retain most of the roster.
“A majority of those kids are back this year, we return four league champions, five league place winners, and a ninth grader who is a two-time Suffolk County champion,” said Maragiolio.
We’ve seen success from the Bellport Clippers wrestling team over the last few years. As the season is kicking into full gear now, it’s time to keep it going in the hunt for a seventh straight
“They are hungry. I have a great coaching staff that I work with, and it takes a village, as they say. Between them and the parents, they’ve been outstanding. These kids travel in the offseason, they’ve been wrestling all over the place. They’re motivated kids, they’ve seen the kids in front of them achieve success and they’re hungry for that too,” said Maragiolio.
“Success breeds success,” Maragiolio told The Messenger
