Smithtown Messenger Archive Dec. 26, 2024 by The Messenger Papers, Inc.

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Biggest Town News

Thursday, December 26, 2024

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

By Matt Meduri - Originally published 1/25/24

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

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

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

The grand prize: a $10 million check for downtown revitalization for Kings Park. Governor Kathy Hochul (D) made a surprise visit to Kings Park High School last Thursday morning to congratulate the community herself. The Governor also announced $4.5 million each for the villages of Bellport and Mineola as part of the New York Forward program.

“There’s nothing like Long Island; it is a microcosm of the entire state. Investments we make here we can transport to other parts of the state,” said Hochul. “You have wineries, small farms, charming rural areas, and suburbs. I’m the first governor from the suburbs; I understand what they’re all about. We [Long Island] have vibrant cities and communities, we have the oldest history in the state and we have the brightest future. To me, you’re not remote at all, you’re always top of mind. I knew I had to come to Long Island first for my first rollout [of this grant] in the state.”

Hochul then touted her record in office over the last two years and summarized her controversial $233 billion budget for the 2025 fiscal year as it pertains to Long Island. She mentioned retail theft, public safety, rebuilding the state’s mental health system, keeping kids in school, getting “back to basics” on phonics, among other initiatives.

“Through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward, we are investing in New York’s downtowns – the heartbeat of our communities,” said Hochul. “With this funding, Smithtown-Kings Park, Brookhaven-North Bellport and Mineola will have the tools they need to reimagine their downtowns to enhance the quality of life for residents, draw visitors, and spur economic opportunity throughout their communities.”

This competitive grant is the largest annual grant provided by New York State, to one community in each of the State’s ten Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) regions. The Town of Smithtown has applied for the grant in all seven of the years it has been administered. Previous grant winners include Westbury, Hicksville, Central Islip, Baldwin, Amityville, Riverhead, and Huntington Station.

“Ever since the State hospital closed its doors, the small business district of Kings Park has slowly deteriorated. The lack of proper wastewater infrastructure prevented new restaurants and entertainment from choosing Kings Park as a home. Property owners couldn’t lease to good tenants due to fines for outdated wastewater systems. The progress and potential for growth became frozen in time and with it… the area suffered greatly,” said Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park). “Together, with massive community support, a talented team of planners, environmental experts, and our partners in government, Smithtown pushed forward with a real plan to revitalize. And now thanks to yesterday’s announcement, $10 million dollars will go towards completing our Downtown Revitalization efforts in the Kings Park Business District.”

Supervisor Wehrheim mentioned the many grants for which the Town of Smithtown have applied and secured, including a $20 million Transformative Investment Program (TIP) Grant in 2017 - used to finance the connection of the Kings Park Business District to Suffolk County Sewer District Number Six - and the 2023 JumpStart grant of $2.5 million for traffic-calming measures and streetscapes improvements for Kings Park.

The next step is how this money will be spent. Supervisor Wehrheim outlines the next steps of the process.

“Upon notification from the Regional Economic Development Council, the Town will begin efforts to form a local planning committee, made up of Kings Park residents, community leaders,

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and representatives from the various organizations (IE: Fire/EMS, Historical, Youth/School, Civic etc.) who will conduct extensive community outreach and engagement,” says Wehrheim. “Their goal will be to identify appropriate projects to fund that support the Town’s vision (based on rigorous community input in updating the Comprehensive Master Plan) to create a walkable, vibrant downtown, centrally located to the Kings Park LIRR station, with easy access to restaurants, retail, entertainment, community space, and our beautiful parkland.”

“The beauty of the DRI grant is that it is community-based engagement that dictates how the funds are spent,” continues Wehrheim. “People who might have mixed impressions as to what downtown revitalization looks like or fears about their own perceptions about this program are encouraged to get involved and have a say in how we reshape the downtown business district of Kings Park.”

Wehrheim says that residents can use Lake Avenue in St. James as an example of how the Town of Smithtown collaborated with the community to “build a gorgeous and now vibrant walkable downtown.”

The Town of Smithtown also notes the housing requirements met by the Town to qualify for the DRI grant. The total number of households currently in Smithtown is 38,165. Based on that number, a 1% increase in housing would be 381 homes in a year. The Town currently has this number of homes under development and is expected to meet this expectation.

This is run in tandem with the policy that developments must have a workforce housing component for subdivisions with five or more units; 10% of the development must be for workforce housing.

To qualify for workforce housing, a tenant’s gross annual income cannot exceed 130% of the median income for Suffolk County, adjusted for family size. Rent cannot exceed more than 33% of their gross annual income on housing expenses (rent plus a utility allowance).

The Town of Smithtown has completed requirements to be considered a “Pro-Housing Community” by means of ninety-eight units at Fieldstone, 180 units at The Preserves, thirty-six units at Hudson Place, and seventy-one units at the Lofts at Maple and Main.

“This taxpayer funded grant is the culmination of the hard work of Town of Smithtown Supervisor Edward Wehrheim and the Town Board,” said State Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James). “Their work will benefit our region for years by building the local economy, creating jobs and enhancing the lives of everyone who resides here. Combined with their successful work to bring sewers to Smithtown, they have set up the area for a great future and I thank them on behalf of our residents.”

“The Smithtown and Kings Park downtowns will not only be revitalized with the help of this grant but will, essentially, be repurposed,” said Assemblyman Mike Fitpatrick (R-St. James). “The modern suburban downtown, or Main Street, to be viable and successful today, must be able to meet the needs and desires of a changing economy and society. Thanks to Governor Hochul’s initiative, the Kings Park and Smithtown downtowns will move boldly, and smartly, toward a more active, prosperous, and vital future. Good things are happening in Kings Park and Smithtown and I want to thank Governor Hochul for helping us get to where we need to be for a brighter future.”

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) also attended and accepted the checks with respective Town and Village leaders.

“I thank the Governor for her continued commitment to Suffolk County. This funding is vital to the ongoing downtown revitalization efforts in both Kings Park and North Bellport and will help create jobs and jumpstart local economic growth in our communities,” said Romaine.

In attendance also were Smithtown Board members Thomas J. McCarthy (R-Nissequogue), Tom Lohmann (R-Smithtown), and Lisa Inzerillo (R-Kings Park), as well as New York Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez (D-Manhattan), Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico (R-Center Moriches), Mineola Village Mayor Paul Pereira, Suffolk County Clerk Vincent Puleo (R-Nesconset), State Senator Monica Martinez (D-Brentwood), and Suffolk County Legislators Catherine Stark (R-Riverhead), Ann Welker (D-Southampton), Sam Gonzalez (D-Brentwood), Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga), Jason Richberg (D-West Babylon), and Rebecca Sanin (D-Huntington Station).

Any additional questions regarding the Kings Park DRI grant can be directed to the Supervisor’s office at Supervisor@SmithtownNY.gov or the planning dept: planning@smithtownny.gov.

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Governor Kathy Hochul (Credit - Matt Meduri)

The

2024 Forecast

The Messenger’s Final Election Forecast

By Matt Meduri - Originally published 10/31/24

The Messenger has been covering and forecasting the national elections since the summer. Our presidential forecast showed former President Donald Trump (R-FL) with 235 electoral votes and Vice President Kamala Harris (D-CA) with 225 votes. 270 are needed to win.

This week, we’re shifting a few states as the race has continued to develop.

Arizona (11): Toss Up to Tilts Republican: Trump has held thin but consistent leads in the polls here. While the aggregates show the race is within the margin of error, we think this is one that goes to him just based on the numbers. Joe Biden (D-DE) held a two-point lead in the averages in 2020 and won the state by a thin margin. While Democrats would likely enjoy keeping Arizona in their column, it’s not necessary for Harris’ path to victory. Republicans have surged ahead of 2020 early vote totals, making for another reason that a Trump win in Arizona seems likelier than not.

Connecticut (7): Safe Democrat to Likely Democrat: This is a cautious shift only because of possible swing in New York towards Trump. If economics is a key issueand Trump regularly polls as the preferred candidate on handling this issue - then a wealthy state like Connecticut might deliver a thinner-than-usual margin for Harris. If anything, this shift indicates a “margin watch” on her part.

Delaware (3): Safe Democrat to Likely Democrat: The logic here is similar to Connecticut, but bounded more by economics. More than half of Fortune 500 companies are incorporated in Delaware because of its friendliness towards business. The state was not remotely in play in 2016, yet Delaware swung almost ten points to the right that year. An argument for Trump’s position in handling the economy might see Delaware swing back towards him, especially without native son Biden on the ticket. Like Connecticut, this is also a prohibitive shift to watch for a slip in Harris’ margin. Harris’ plan to greatly increase the tax on unrealized capital gains is not likely to go over well in this pro-business environment.

Georgia (16): Toss Up to Tilts Republican: Trump’s leads here have been just as consistent as they have been in Arizona, but some of the margins are wider. Fundamentally, Georgia is still a red-leaning state, and if Trump emerges with historic levels of black support, it would likely erase Democratic gains in the rapidlyexpanding Atlanta areas. Like Arizona, Georgia is a trophy for Democrats, but not needed to hit 270. Biden’s average lead here was about one point in 2020; Trump has that lead doubled as of press time. A polling miss would likely see a slightly larger margin than that in his favor.

Illinois (19): Safe Democrat to Likely Democrat: Like Delaware and Connecticut, this is another “margin watch” state, simply because if Trump’s appeal in New York is as broad as we think, then it would likely transcend to a state with similar problems. Moreover, a significant shift in the Latino and black populations to Trump would likely push Illinois more towards the right than Democrats would prefer.

Maine (2): Leans Democrat to Tilts Democrat: Maine’s two at-large electoral votes were unusually in play in 2016, so much so that Maine was almost a sleeper upset for Trump. Biden swung it back in his corner in 2020, and what little polling we have shows Harris with decent, yet not insurmountable leads. We think that if enthusiasm for Trump is on 2016-levels, then Maine is absolutely within the margin of error. We’ll still give Harris a slight edge due to the fundamental lean of the state, but Republicans will very likely continue to play here for the coming cycles.

Michigan (15): Toss Up to Tilts Republican: Republicans have not polled as well as Trump has in Michigan in decades, and even though the aggregates find the race to be a complete coin toss, a race that tight is usually one Trump wins.

Nebraska CD-02 (1): Toss Up to Leans Democrat: This sole electoral vote is not a huge site of campaign visits, but in a close election, like 2020, it certainly can be. Neither campaign has been on the ground as much as they have been in 2020, but Harris has decent leads here. Trump

would be wise to avoid spending resources for a sole vote he doesn’t necessarily need. As the Omaha area might drift to the left, it’s not likely to make or break this election.

Nevada (6): Toss Up to Tilts Republican: This is a tough call, mainly because polls in Nevada tend to vastly underestimate Democratic support over the last few cycles. But Trump’s polling among Latino voters, Republicans’ leads in early voting, and our own conversations on the ground in the Silver State make us think Trump has a slight edge in flipping this state red for the first time since 2004.

New Jersey (14): Likely Democrat to Leans Democrat: This call comes after conversations with people on the Trump campaign, who feel very confident about New Jersey. No Republican has won here since 1988, and our logic here is that if Trump led the polls here shortly before Biden’s exit in July, then Harris’ ceiling can’t be that much improved. Polling puts her around low-to-mid doubledigits, which would be a somewhat underwhelming Democratic victory in this otherwise blue state. Trump’s appeal in New York is likely to have residual effects on New Jersey, as a good amount who attended his three Empire State rallies came from just next door. We wouldn’t be surprised to see New Jersey much closer this year than it is in other years.

Pennsylvania (19): Toss Up to Tilts Republican: This is the state that the entire election comes down to for either campaign. Like in Michigan, although it’s a statistically tied race, it’s one where Trump likely prevails. The GOP has opened an early voting lead and the ground game has been bigger here than perhaps in any other state. Republicans have registration advantages in historically blue counties, making us think there’s a good floor of support for the former president.

Virginia (13): Leans Democrat to Tilts Democrat: Like Maine, this is another sleeper target for Trump. Polling after the Biden exit had him leading in the state, and while Harris has had consistent leads, they’re not at the levels we saw in 2020. Trump is making a last-minute play for the state, but unless there’s a significant polling miss, Harris might narrowly walk away with Virginia.

Wisconsin (10): Like the other two Rust Belt states, a statistically tied race is probably one Trump can win. Of those three Midwestern giants, Wisconsin is the state where polls whiffed the worst in both 2016 and 2020. Wisconsin was also much closer than neighboring Michigan in 2020, making us think Trump can flip this state back into his column.

Our final forecast gives Trump a baseline of 312 electoral votes, six more than his 2016 win. This is a forecast, and in the event of a polling miss in either candidate’s favor, it could be a different end result.

If Trump overperforms, he’s likely taking Minnesota,

Final Presidential Forecast

New Mexico, Maine, Virginia, and possibly New Hampshire and NE-02, for an Electoral College win of 347. Anything north of that seems highly unlikely, but if the campaign’s confidence in New Jersey is warranted, then that would likely be a 361 win for Trump.

If Harris overperforms, she’s likely holding the entire Biden coalition (307 votes) and flipping North Carolina. Her last-minute pull of $2 million worth of ads on the state’s media markets likely signals she’s surrendering this state this cycle.

A realistic best-case scenario for Trump is our forecast: 312 electoral votes. He could repeat his 306 total in 2016 if he were to lose Nevada and win everything else.

A realistic best-case scenario for Harris is 276 or 287, with the difference being Arizona’s 11 votes. We think Georgia is just out of reach for her this cycle, but if she can preserve the status quo, with Arizona being give-or-take, she would narrowly win in the College.

U.S. Senate

In the Senate, Republicans have the home-field advantage with a map that features practically no seats that Democrats could realistically contest to pad their likely losses. The GOP is highly likely to flip West Virginia and we retain Montana with a “Tilts Republican” rating. Polls show Tim Sheehy (R) steadily ahead of Senator Jon Tester (D). We were thinking of pushing this to a “Leans GOP” rating, but a recording of Sheehy making somewhat apathetic remarks about abortion makes us think this intrinsically libertarian state with an abortion measure on the ballot this year might not go as hard for Sheehy as some observers believe.

Arizona: Tilts Democrat to Leans Democrat: Congressman Ruben Gallego (D, AZ-03) is holding thick and consistent leads against former news anchor and 2022 gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R). Even as we think Trump will win the state, voters here seem set on splitting their tickets.

Michigan: Toss Up to Tilts Democrat: As Senate Democrats have run ahead of Harris in the battleground states, Michigan is one that will probably see Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (D, MI-07) take this open seat. Mike Rogers (R) could flip this in an upset, but it would depend on Trump’s margin of victory in the state. Although we think Trump will carry Michigan, his margin will likely not be much greater than razor-thin, effectively erasing Rogers’ margin for error.

Nebraska: Safe Republican to Likely Republican: Senator Deb Fischer (R) has a relatively quiet profile in the

Senate which is being challenged by Independent Dan Osborn, a Navy Veteran, steamfitter, and former labor union leader. Polling shows Osborn pulling within the margin of error, but many of the polls are sponsored by him. We’re shifting this out of observation of a likely margin slip for Fischer, in addition to the fact that no Democrat is running in this race. Vote-splitting will not be a factor here, likely aiding Osborn’s candidacy. Nebraska is intensely Republican, so we think Fischer will get by, but if Osborn wins, it remains to be seen which party he would caucus with should he earn a six-year term in Washington.

Nevada: Toss Up to Leans Democrat: This race has really gotten away from Sam Brown (R). Although Jacky Rosen (D) hasn’t been the most vocal Senator, our talks with people on the ground in the Silver State make us believe there’s a ticket-splitting aspect in play here, similar to that in Arizona. Polling is also not on Brown’s side, and in a state where Republicans are usually overestimated in the polls, it might mean he’s even more underwater than the polls estimate. It would take a big miss to see him win this seat. It’s possible, but we’re inclined to believe Rosen is a slight favorite for a second term.

2024 Forecast

Final Senate Forecast

class message will appeal in this part of the state, creating an environment where Eric Sorensen (D, IL-17) narrowly misses a second term. However, this is a race that could go either way.

MI-07: This Lansing-based district was narrowly defended three times by Elissa Slotkin, who is vacating the seat to run for Senate. Tom Barrett (R) was 2022’s nominee, and the half-rematch, open-seat dynamic in a state poised to flip to Trump makes us think he flips this seat.

Ohio: Toss Up to Tilts Republican (Flip): Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is in the fight of his life to retain his Senate seat in a once-quintessential swing state that has raced to the right in the Trump era. We think that Trump is on track to take Ohio by about 12-13 points, which makes for a brutal task in crossover appeal not usually seen in the modern era. Bernie Moreno (R) has caught up to Brown in the polls, marking a stark contrast from the last time Brown ran in 2018. We think the GOP flips this seat. At this point, we’re comfortable with our forecast of 52 seats for the GOP in the Senate. Three flips in West Virginia, Montana, and Ohio seem more likely than not at this point, with the possibility of GOP upsets in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. We’ll even add New Mexico to that list as an abundance of caution. Democratic targets don’t seem to be panning out, with the GOP holding leads in Florida and Texas. This Senate map hasn’t really expanded like how it did in 2018. On both presidential and senatorial levels, we think Florida votes to the right of Texas.

U.S. House

Republicans have a tenuous 221-seat majority in the lower chamber. In a contest with few underdogs, we believe Republicans have the advantage in retaining their majority and possibly expanding it.

Republican Flips

AK-AL: Alaska’s at-large district is a tough one to call, mainly because of Mary Peltola’s (D) incumbency advantage. But polls have shown Nick Begich III (R) catching her in a rematch, and without another Republican candidate spoiling the ballot, we think this is a narrow GOP flip. On the other hand, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Peltola hang on.

MI-08: The areas of Saginaw, Flint, Midland, and Bay City were key to Trump’s 2016 upset here, and these cities, once solidly Democratic, have raced to the right in the last eight years. The seat is open, making us believe the time is ripe as ever for the GOP to flip this seat.

NM-02: The sprawling Second District of New Mexico was gerrymandered to be more Democratic-leaning. Yvette Herrell (R) flipped this seat in 2020, but lost it in 2022. She’s running a rematch against incumbent Gabe Vasquez (D). While polling gives Vasquez the edge, we think there’s a shift among Latino voters that would give way to a Herrell win in NM-02.

NC-06: Republicans drew a gerrymander so hard, Democrats chose not to contest this seat.

NC-13: Carefully drawn around the outskirts of Raleigh-Durham, Wiley Nickel (D) chose not to seek re-

PA-08: Matt Cartwright (D) has defied odds before, both with Trump on and off the ballot. But the machine that the GOP has assembled in Pennsylvania might be too much for Cartwright to overcome in this Scranton-Wilkes Barre-based district. Republicans also now lead in registration in Luzerne County, a historically working-class Democratic county.

Democratic Flips

AL-02: Redistricting mandated a second black-majority district in Alabama. Polls show a surprisingly tight race, but one that Democrats are likely to pick up.

AZ-01: The sprawling Phoenix suburbs look likely to swallow Dave Schweikert (R) this year, as he only narrowly survived in 2022. If Trump’s coattails are large enough, it could insulate him from defeat, but we think there’s a lot of ticket-splitting happening here and we don’t assume Schweikert is on the good end of it.

NE-02: Don Bacon (R) has survived tough election after tough election, but usually when the polling is more evenhanded. This time, Tony Vargas (D) has led almost every survey, and that, coupled with Harris’ apparent strength in the Omaha-based district, makes us think Bacon is already underwater.

NY-22: Brandon Williams (R) is a freshman Congressman filling the shoes of a well-known maverick who survived the 2018 midterms. Democrats’ mid-decade redistricting shuffle made this Syracuse-based seat slightly bluer, which makes us think, in this polarizing time, that Williams might not make it out of this one. He could certainly win, but fundamentals make us assume otherwise.

LA-06: Redistricting mandated a second black-majority district in Louisiana. Democrats are a heavy favorite to flip this seat.

Upset Alert

These seats are on what we call “Upset Alert,” in that we could easily be surprised by how far the pendulum can swing in House races, especially when they depend almost entirely on presidential coattails. We think both parties win these seats as they appear, but we contend that some are simply too close to call and others are likely to rely on other factors.

Final House Forecast

Republican Upset Alert Seats: AZ-06, CA-13, IA-03, MI-10, NY-04, NY17, NY-19, OR-05

Democrat Upset Alert Seats: CA-09, CO-08, CT-05, FL-09, IN-01, ME02, MD-06, NV-03, NY-18, NC-01, OH09, OR-06, PA-07, TX-34, VA-07, WA-03

Gubernatorial Elections

Our final toss up on the gubernatorial map was New Hampshire, which we think will go to Kelly Ayotte (R) by a narrow margin. The race is essentially locked up for Josh Stein (D) in North Carolina, while we’re watching for upsets in Washington. Some close polls in Indiana warrant a “Likely R” rating, but the last-minute narrowing of the gap is unlikely to result in an Election Day upset.

CA-47: Scott Baugh (R) ran against Katie Porter (D) here and narrowly lost in 2022. Now, he’s back for the open seat. Polls have been tight, but with consistent Baugh leads.

IL-17: This carefully-gerrymandered district takes in Rockford, the Iowa suburbs of Moline and Rock Island, and heads down to Peoria and Bloomington. The old version of the district is one that Trump carried. We think his working-

election. GOP is favored to flip.

NC-14: Another gerrymander, this time around Charlotte, that saw one-term Jeff Jackson (D) quit the race early.

OH-13: The areas of Akron and North Canton were one the bread and butter of Democrats’ Ohio machine. Now, much of that area is Trump country. We think the GOP picks off this northeastern Ohio district.

A Final Note

These are simply predictions based on what we’re seeing and what information is readily available to us. We enjoy bringing this otherwise national content to our readers on the local level, and we look forward to doing the autopsy on the election, regardless of how accurate our forecast is or is not.

The Sarah Anker Investigation is the Real ‘October Surprise’

Originally published 10/24/24

Two weeks ago, The Messenger reported of an investigation into former Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mt. Sinai), who is now running for the First Senate District against two-term Senator Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk). The investigation was started in response to claims from Legislator Chad Lennon (C-Rocky Point), Anker’s successor, and his staff that the Sixth District office was nearly empty, with no physical or digital records of constituent cases and ongoing projects. Lennon claims he was put at a significant disadvantage as a freshman legislator, essentially having to start from scratch to pick up the tab from where Anker left off.

The investigation was unanimously approved by the County Legislature, with Lennon recusing himself, as well as Legislator Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville), who serves as Chair of the Government Operations, Personnel, and Information Technology Committee, the body set to investigate the claims.

Interestingly, not a single other outlet seems to have this on their radar. Whether the claims are true or not, it’s still a significant development into a former local elected official, whose tenure is not far behind in the rearview mirror, and whose political future could be much nearer than anticipated.

In fact, Newsday actually made a pretty egregious typo in one of their latest issues. Their Monday, October 22, paper has a full-page article discussing matching public funds for campaigns. Essentially, your tax dollars go to fund political campaigns if candidates meet certain qualifications, regardless of whether you support them or not, but that’s a topic for a different editorial.

The Newsday article discussed the $375,000 Anker received in matching funds, to Palumbo’s near-$100,000. The typo we found was that Newsday listed Anker as “State Sen.,” as if she is currently the incumbent. We all make mistakes, and mistakes are inevitable in newsprint, but that’s a pretty glaring error, and one that only stands out more given that Newsday and company’s columnists are remaining oddly tacit about the investigation.

Again, allegations are allegations, but this is a major development in every sense of the word. Moreover, we were in frequent contact with Anker’s Senate campaign to set up a time for her to screen with The Messenger. Contact was made over a period of weeks, but scheduling conflicts on both our and her end did not make the interview a reality. However, contact went eerily silent after we apparently broke the story.

Couple this with the disbarment case of Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson

Originally published 6/20/24

Station). Our discussions with Flood’s attorney on the matter, Steve Losquadro, have presented these bullet points: a clerical error was in need of rectification on Flood’s part. Documents were delivered via courier service - requiring an in-person reception and/or signature - to an address where Flood is not regularly present anymore given his Albany obligations. However, the notice of his disbarment came right to his front door, giving him no opportunity to correct the error and costing him his legal license.

Losquadro remains confident that Flood will have his law license reinstated, but he stipulates that there’s no reason for the judicial review board to do so until after the election, whether Flood wins or loses his seat.

Of course, the media in Suffolk County had a field day with this. At face value, yes, that’s also a significant development, especially in the county’s most competitive seat next month. But there are some crucial components that have been omitted, and we think that this is an attempt to wrest that seat from Republican hands in a time when Democrats are aware of the increasingly competitive nature of New York. Suffolk is considered the “tip of the spear” for almost any statewide campaign, and areas like Three Village, which Flood represents, are now becoming much more competitive than they were a decade ago. Losing their hold on these valuable precincts means a much lower floor than the one to which Democrats are typically accustomed.

Moreover, Newsday’s endorsement of Flood’s opponent, which is their prerogative entirely, was noticeably lacking in Flood’s comments. When Flood screened with us, he was very specific and was able to rattle off what he’s been doing for his district and the state. We find it hard to believe he didn’t deliver the same pitch to Newsday. They must not have felt inclined to write it up. Our interview with Flood is on our website and can be viewed in copies of the October 10 edition of the Brookhaven Messenger

Both Flood and Anker have their rights to maintain their innocence and the investigating parties have their rights to fact-find as well, especially as these are perhaps the top-two races in Suffolk this year.

But it seems odd that most outlets piled relentlessly on Flood and didn’t even give him a chance at the endorsement table, while simultaneously remaining silent on a bipartisan investigation into Anker.

John Avlon (D-’Sag Harbor’)

With the Democratic primary in NY-01 coming to a close, it’s safe to say that this year’s election has contained yet another all-to-familiar theme: off-Island carpetbaggers looking to cash in on the political clout that Suffolk County wields as the most populous suburban county in the nation.

An Avlon spokesperson insisted to us that Avlon was in the city in April for a wedding for people who also live in Sag Harbor. The Messenger observed Avlon entering and leaving his apartment multiple times that weekend, and obtained tax documents that show his unit’s involvement in the condo/co-op tax abatement program offered by New York City. In order for a property owner to qualify for the program, tenants must make units in said property their primary residences.

Even Nancy Goroff (D-Stony Brook), to whom we’re ideologically opposed but can at least respect her for being a lifelong Suffolk County resident, has taken shots of Avlon’s NYC ties, going as far as to call him a “Manhattan elitist.”

Technically, Avlon is registered to vote at his Sag Harbor address, but FOIL records from the Suffolk Board of Election show he voted absentee in the general elections of

2021, 2022, and 2023. What’s ironic is the very election in which he’s participating was on the ballot in 2022, and he voted absentee in that election.

Voter registration at an address doesn’t necessarily imply full-time residency. In fact, it’s been shown to not even prove residency at all. Former Congressman Steve Watkins (R, KS-02) had his short-lived political career ended when they found that his Kansas address at which he was registered to vote was a UPS store.

Suffice it to say, we’re not buying any ties Avlon might have to Suffolk, as frivolous as they might be. We had Randy Altschuler (R) in 2010 and 2012, who was last spotted donating to Dave Calone’s (D-Setauket) failed 2023 bid for County Executive, Perry Gershon (D), who was aptly named “Park Avenue Perry” in his 2018 run for NY-01, then Michelle Bond, the D.C.-based crypto queen who had big money and big names behind her, but no local endorsements and groups.

Suffolk’s saga as a lighthouse for carpetbaggers only continues with 2024. It’s been a fun ride while it’s lasted, but if Avlon wins Tuesday’s primary vote, it will certainly only get bumpier.

NY Feels the Earth Move and Sees Signs in the Sky

About 42 million Americans were treated to a rare occurrence last Thursday morning: an earthquake shook New Jersey, and many were quick to share their stories on how they “survived” the once-in-a-couple-centuries event.

At about 10:30a.m., we here at The Messenger felt some small vibrations that we first likened to the dogs running downstairs. When we realized the pups are simply not heavy enough to cause that impact, questions of a nearby explosion or a passing fleet of heavy vehicles then arose. After a quick call to our friends in Selden, to which they excitedly answered, “did you feel the earthquake??” we knew what we had just experienced.

The earthquake measured at 4.8 on the Richter Scale and its epicenter was located in Lebanon, Tewksbury Township, New Jersey. The vibrations were felt as far north as Maine and as far south as Northern Virginia.

This was the strongest earthquake to affect the New Jersey area since 1783. That quake measured 5.3 on the Richter Scale and historical accounts show that George Washington was visiting New York City to celebrate the evacuation of British troops from New York City. He was not awoken by the tremors.

This is also the strongest earthquake to hit the NYC area since 1884, an estimated 5.0 magnitude rumble.

Thankfully, no casualties or injuries have been reported. Apart from water main breaks and “partial topplings” of three now-condemned buildings in Newark, the only other sites of damage were gas leaks in Rockland County, an administrative building in Morristown, New Jersey, and a car that fell into a sinkhole in Suffolk’s very own Huntington.

Perhaps the saddest loss in the quake was the upper portion of the historic Colonel John Taylor’s Gristmill in Readington Township, New Jersey. The mill supplied grain for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

But overall, it’s an event most of us do not get to experience in the Northeast. And since it was not a catastrophic event, many have found the humor in the anomalous natural “disaster,” likening us to Floridians who shut down the state when there’s a halfinch of snow.

One shop in Manhattan quickly cashed in on the hype by making “I survived the NYC Earthquake - April 5, 2024” t-shirts. A picture was shared by a passerby on social media and the merchandise quickly went viral.

The Messenger congratulates all who braved the quake by sitting at their desks, driving to work, watching television, and simply going about their days normally. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Best Op-Eds

Navigating New York City’s Migrant Crisis: Insights from the Daughter of Asylum Seekers

By Tabatha Fajardo - Originally published 2/29/24

In recent years, the iconic imagery of legal immigrants arriving at esteemed ports of entry, welcomed by the Statue of Liberty, has been replaced by a sobering reality: buses packed with illegal immigrants making their way from the tumultuous southern border. This shift vividly illustrates the evolving landscape of immigration, where the once-clear promise of freedom is now obscured by clandestine crossings and a myriad of intricate challenges demanding our immediate attention. As this multifaceted migrant crisis unfolds, it not only poses significant challenges for those directly impacted but also strains taxpayer resources and public safety infrastructure.

The influx of migrants into New York City has brought to light the social and economic challenges facing newcomers and existing residents alike. However, the sheer volume of undocumented individuals arriving has stretched resources far too thin.

Foremost among these concerns is the strain on taxpayer funds to address migrant needs. From providing shelter and healthcare to legal assistance and social services, the financial burden on the city and state’s coffers is substantial. Taxpayerfunded programs aimed at supporting migrants have witnessed a surge in demand, imposing budgetary constraints and prompting difficult decisions regarding resource allocation. Notably, New York City’s active contracts with various hotels, with recent considerations for expansion, come with a staggering $1.365 billion price tag, drawing directly from taxpayer pockets.

Compounding this complexity is the distressing revelation of fiscal strains, with the proposed New York State executive budget slashing funds for schools to financially sustain undocumented immigrants. This decision has sparked widespread criticism and concern among educators, parents, and advocates, marking a troubling precedent of diverting resources from education to address immigration challenges by Hochul.

Moreover, the strain on public safety resources cannot be ignored. As the migrant population grows, so too does the complexity of law enforcement responsibilities.

Instances of crime involving migrants have surged, exacerbating challenges faced by local authorities grappling with existing crime rates. Law enforcement agencies are forced to adapt and prioritize efforts, often at the expense of addressing other pressing issues.

The current state of the immigration system further compounds the crisis, with a backlog of immigration cases resulting in lengthy processing times, leaving many migrants in limbo for months or even years. This backlog perpetuates a cycle where cases languish, amplifying resource strains and prolonging uncertainty for all involved.

As the daughter of Peruvian asylum seekers who underwent the arduous political asylum process, I empathize with migrant struggles but do not condone illegal immigration. I recognize the challenges posed by an influx of migrants on the judicial system, understanding firsthand that the lack of resolution perpetuates a detrimental feedback loop.

The illegal migrant crisis in New York City presents a dire situation that demands immediate action. In the face of this crisis, stakeholders must collaborate to find sustainable solutions, including adequate funding for law enforcement, strengthened vetting processes, and comprehensive immigration reform.

Tougher immigration laws, coupled with the revocation of the “sanctuary state” status, are imperative to stem the tide of undocumented immigration and alleviate the strain on resources. Proper vetting and deportation protocols must be implemented to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents and prevent further deterioration of our quality of living. Failure to address these pressing issues will only perpetuate the crisis, leading to increased crime rates, overwhelmed infrastructure, and a downgrade in our overall quality of life. It is time for decisive measures to be taken to protect the interests of all New Yorkers and restore stability to our communities.

Tabatha Fajardo is a former political operative and author of the blog Chic Politique at chicpolitique.com.

The Milei Method: An Unexpected Solution to America’s Fiscal Woes

By Anthony Cacciato - Originally published 8/29/24

Argentina is a country which is known globally for many things: steak, tango, and a history of economic mismanagement and stagnation. With this in mind, Argentina tends to be the last country an American policymaker would turn to when looking for prudent economic decisions, but maybe they should.

Following the election of libertarian economist Javier Milei last December, Argentina has seen an economic and political revival. The new administration has taken a literal chainsaw to the regulatory red tape of the Argentine bureaucracy and the irresponsible spending of the Peronist regime which has plagued the nation since the 1950s. Under Milei, Argentina has begun what can best be described as a miraculous comeback which has primed a return to its former glory.

Many American news outlets were quick to dismiss Milei during his campaign, calling him a “far-right extremist” and a “Trump-like radical.” Even after his inauguration, they have been fairly harsh in their reporting on the short-term struggles, like an increase in the poverty rate, associated with uprooting the systematic rot of the Peronist system. What they have failed to bring attention to is our current administration’s push for the same policies which tore prosperity away from the Argentine people.

Argentina has long been a cautionary tale of what happens when governments attempt to intervene in the economy and stifle the free market. At the turn of the 20th century, Argentina was world-renowned for its wealth, with Buenos Aires being called “the Paris of the West.” When Juan Peron took power, he pursued a policy of strict economic protectionism. Argentina soon fell behind its peers on the world stage, and the once rich Argentina fell into stagnation. Between coups and corruption, the nation became a husk of its former self, and by the time the 2023 Presidential election came around, reckless spending had driven inflation near 215%.

Last February, just two months into Milei’s term, monthly inflation in Argentina dropped from 25% just two months prior to 13%.

As Americans, it might not be immediately obvious how this matters to us. If we take a closer look at the current economic state of affairs domestically, however, the picture begins to paint itself. Firstly, the United States has struggled to push below 3% inflation for almost a year to the pre-pandemic average of 2%. We’ve also seen the effects of drastic trade protectionism under Trump and Biden, with hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of jobs lost in the name of “America First” policies. Reckless spending has driven our federal deficit to $34 trillion dollars. This vicious cycle, if allowed to continue, could spell disaster for America, but nobody has made any serious effort to stop this impending disaster.

After all, if America has the power to leverage on the international stage to be fiscally irresponsible, why would we change things? In the words of Ludwig von Mises, “One of the privileges of a rich man is that he can afford to be foolish much longer than a poor man.

And this is the situation of the United States. The financial policy of the United States is very bad and is getting worse. Perhaps the United States can afford to “be foolish a bit longer than some other countries.”

America is barreling towards a cliff whose edge hangs over a dark abyss. If we are to avoid the inevitable consequences of our actions, swift action must be taken to restore fiscal responsibility and economic freedom. It may seem like a daunting task, but the blueprints for the solution are already laid out. America can look no further than Argentina under Milei for an effective plan to reduce spending, inflation, and promote economic freedom and growth.

At their core, the ideas that Milei promotes are fundamentally American. Classical liberal conceptions of free markets and free people stood at the cornerstone of our nation’s values from the start. Not only would the embrace of these policies bring us to prosperity, but back to our roots as a nation that we have come to forget.

Anthony Cacciato is a student of Economics and Political Science at Carnegie Mellon University who specializes in libertarian economic policy. He resides in Huntington.

Gilgo Beach

Heuermann Charged with Two More Murders Suggests Decades-Long Killing Spree

Victims allegedly tied to Heuermann.

By Matt Meduri -

Originally published 6/13/24

Heuermann’s growing implication in the serial killings suggest that his involvement in the crimes against sex workers spans decades, as Costilla’s remains were the first to be found in 1993 in North Sea, Southampton.

Rex Heuermann, a Manhattan architect, and as of July 2023, the alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer, has been charged with two additional murders in the ongoing investigation.

Heuermann was initially charged in the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello, the first three of the “Gilgo Four” victims.

Costilla was not previously connected to Heuermann. Her remains were tied to a suspect John Bittrolff, a Manorville carpenter who in 2017 was found guilty in the murders of suspected sex workers Rita Tangredi, of East Patchogue, and Colleen McNamee, of Shirley.

The murder of the fourth victim, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, was attributed to Heuermann in January.

The adult daughter of Tangredi was reportedly close with Melissa Barthelemy, whose murder would later be attributed to Heuermann. Barthelemy’s mother said that Melissa’s phone had “a lot of calls” to Manorville around the time of her disappearance.

Last week, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney (R) revealed that not only has Heuermann been charged in the murders of Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla, but that Heuermann compiled his findings in a manifesto that likely helped him evade detection for decades.

What set Heuermann and Bittrolff apart in the case of Sandra Costilla was the discovery of de facto blueprints in Heuermann’s Massapequa Park home.

Heuermann is also being charged in the murder of Jessica Taylor, part of whose remains were found in Manorville in 2003. The rest of her remains were found in Gilgo Beach in 2011.

D.A. Tierney stressed at a Thursday press conference in Riverhead that the indictments have been filed and that Heuermann must be proven guilty. Tierney thanked local law enforcement for their assistance, as well as the FBI and U.S. Secret Service.

Tierney also discussed newly-found digital evidence that the prosecution will use to make their case against Heuermann.

What set Heuermann and Bittrolff apart in the case of Sandra Costilla was the discovery of de facto blueprints in Heuermann’s Massapequa Park home.

Heuermann is also being charged in the murder of Jessica Taylor, part of whose remains were found in Manorville in 2003. The rest of her remains were found in Gilgo Beach in 2011.

“We’ve recovered fifteen different types of cameras, twenty-seven computers, fifty-eight internal hard drives, twenty-two external hard drives, forty-six cell phones, nine Wi-Fi routers, forty-four SD Micro cards, seventeen tablets, fortytown USB devices, eight laptops, fifty hotel cards, four GPS devices, eleven music devices, thirty-six SIM cards, thirty-three miscellaneous items, and 647 CDs, floppy discs, VHS tapes, and miscellaneous tapes,” said Tierney. He added that the Secret Service is helping analyze the “massive amounts of data.”

Tierney also discussed newly-found digital evidence that the prosecution will use to make their case against Heuermann.

“We’ve recovered fifteen different types of cameras, twenty-seven computers, fifty-eight internal hard drives, twenty-two external hard drives, forty-six cell phones, nine Wi-Fi routers,

forty-four SD Micro cards, seventeen tablets, forty-town USB devices, eight laptops, fifty hotel cards, four GPS devices, eleven music devices, thirty-six SIM cards, thirty-three miscellaneous items, and 647 CDs, floppy discs, VHS tapes, and miscellaneous tapes,” said Tierney. He added that the Secret Service is helping analyze the “massive amounts of data.”

“Heuermann had a significant collection of violent, bondage, and torture porn dating back to 1994,” said Tierney. “That material was very similar to the condition that two latest victims were left in. The images accessed by Heuermann are consistent with the crime scenes of both Taylor and Costilla.”

Tierney also said that Heuermann’s manifesto contains “specific page number” references to John Douglas’ 1995 book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit. The prosecution believes that Heuermann studied the book “not to gain insight into his own behavior, but to improve his methodology and avoid capture by the authorities.”

Tienery says that while a copy of Mindhunter was not found in Heuermann’s home, another book by Douglas was found. Douglas is a retired special agent and unit chief with the FBI. A pioneer in criminal profiling, Douglas has written numerous books on criminal psychology.

The document also shows dump site metrics that align with the location of Jessica Taylor’s remains in Manorville.

Tierney revealed that in addition to the plethora of technology and data found in his home, Heuermann had documented a manifesto that Tierney says aligns “identically” with some of the murders.

“We recovered a Microsoft Word document entitled HK2002-2004 on a laptop in unallocated space, meaning there was an attempt to erase that document,” said Tierney. “Even when a document is erased on a device, forensic experts using particular software can retrieve it.”

When asked about the other murders that span the GIlgo timeline, Tierney reiterated that he and his department are committed to investigating the remaining murders, something he made clear when the charges were brought in the cases of the “Gilgo Four.” Tierney said then that the investigation is not concluding with those victims.

Tierney says the document was a “locally-created draft,” one that was created on the laptop, not downloaded from the Internet. The document was found to have been created in 2000 and modified and overwritten numerous times between 2001 and 2002.

“We’re going to continue to investigate. We’ll talk about whatever other investigation is undergoing when and if we bring those charges,” said Tierney

Another report shows early images of Heuermann at a rifle club in Manorville just days before the disappearance of his alleged victim Jessica Taylor. Prosecutors have obtained a day planner from July 20, 2003, that shows Heuermann was scheduled to attend a rifle training event at the Peconic River Sportsman’s Club that morning.

“As alleged in the bail application, the task force believes that this is a planning document utilized by Heuermann to methodically blueprint and plan out his kills with excruciating detail,” said Tierney. “This document establishes intent specifically to locate these victims, hunt them down, bring them under his control, and kill them.”

Tierney added that Heuermann’s “motivation, meticulous planning, and clear intent is obvious.”

“Mr. Heuermann was not and is not a member of the Peconic River Sportsman’s Club,” club spokesperson Kerry Goldberg said. “Mr. Heuermann did participate in a few high-powered rifle events at the club, which were open to the public.”

“His intent was nothing short of murdering these victims,” said Tierney. “We allege the methodology in that document is, in some cases, identical to the methodology used to murder the six victims in this case.”

The club sits on a portion of River Road and Connecticut Avenue. Connecticut Avenue becomes Halsey Manor Road just south of the club where Taylor’s remains were found.

Tierney added that Heuermann’s “motivation, meticulous planning, and clear intent is obvious.”

With the indictment against Heuermann in the earliest-found remains in the longinvestigated Gilgo Beach murders, the timeline has now been blown wide open, implicating the defendant in a much longer list of murders than previously thought by law enforcement.

A club member said that he and other members recognized Heuermann as a rifle competition attendee when photos of him were published after his arrest.

Legal experts now assume that Heuermann’s alleged crime spree is not just confined to Long Island, as he owns property in South Carolina and is known to have spent time in Nevada. Similar cold cases, especially among sex workers, are now on the radar in Nevada, South Carolina, Virginia, and New Jersey.

Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

With the indictment against Heuermann in the earliest-found remains in the long-investigated Gilgo Beach murders, the timeline has now been blown wide open, implicating the defendant in a much longer list of murders than previously thought by law enforcement.

The document also shows dump site metrics that align with the location of Jessica Taylor’s remains in Manorville.

“We’re going to continue to investigate. We’ll talk about whatever other investigation is undergoing when and if we bring those charges,” said Tierney.

The club sits on a portion of River Road and Connecticut Avenue. Connecticut Avenue becomes Halsey Manor Road just south of the club where Taylor’s remains were found.

A club member said that he and other members recognized Heuermann as a rifle competition attendee when photos of him were published after his arrest.

Jersey.

Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Continued from front cover

Presidential Candidate RFK Holds Rally in Holbrook

By Matt Meduri - Originally published 5/2/24

Americans are rarely treated to strong third-party bids for President, and Suffolk County is even more rarely treated to visits from presidential candidates.

Suffolk residents got the best of both worlds on Sunday afternoon as Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., (RFK) stumped in Holbrook not only in his Independent bid for president, but also to obtain ballot access in New York.

In order to obtain ballot access, political candidates of any party or affiliation must obtain enough signatures from residents of a state, district, or municipality where they intend to run. Independents often have a much more difficult time obtaining ballot access, as they lack a political machine behind them, as well as the benefit of a more partisan national environment than that of yesteryear. The last strong third-party presidential candidacies were run by Ross Perot (I-TX) in 1992 and 1996.

In order to gain ballot access in New York, the RFK campaign would need 45,000 signatures from New Yorkers. Campaign volunteers were on hand at Sunday’s rally to issue petitioning kits and instructions for volunteers to door-knock in hopes of being able to vote for their preferred candidate in November.

Currently, RFK has ballot access in California, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Utah, which collectively account for 120 electoral votes, far short of the 270 required to win the presidential election.

RFK delivered a simple message to listeners at Villa Lombardi’s in Holbrook: “People will vote in this election out of fear.” He said that people are so afraid of what one political party will do that they’re forgetting what’s important in terms of policy and the direction of the country.

RFK initially mounted a long-shot primary bid against Biden for the Democratic nomination in April 2023 before suspending his campaign to run as an Independent in October.

During his speech to attendees, RFK said that the mission to obtain ballot access in New York was well underway with 20,000 signatures collected in just twelve days of petitioning. He said that his campaign estimates that he can collect 90,000 signatures, double the amount required.

RFK also discussed parallels between his campaign and the 1968 campaign of his father, who served a U.S. Senator from New York from 1965 until his assassination in 1968.

“He [RFK Sr.] was running against a Democratic President [Lyndon Johnson] of some authority,” said Kennedy. “He was running against a war [Vietnam] that was still popular with most of the American public. He was running against all the institutions of the Democratic Party. The only unions who were with him were the United Auto Works and the United Farm Workers. The liberal Democratic clubs were all against him. And I remember in March when President Johnson dropped out of the race, I realized that he [RFK Sr.] was going to win.”

RFK then said that the reason he’s behind in some of the polls is that “so many Americans are voting out of fear.”

“I have yet to talk to anybody outside of my family who says we’re voting for President Biden because he’s energetic,” said Kennedy. “Biden has $3 billion to spend on his campaign, but he’s not using that to amplify his voice, talk about his facts, his plans for the future, his vision, his promise for our country, and the American people. He’s not using it to talk about how we can solve the debt problem, the chronic disease issue, and how we can wind down the forever wars. You’ll never hear that from this campaign. Their only strategy is to try to keep me off the ballot and to make everybody terrified of Donald Trump. And on the other side, they do the same thing. They’re saying that you have to vote for Donald Trump or President Biden’s going to get in and it’s going to be the end of the republic. I say my path to victory is to convince Americans not to vote out of fear.”

Kennedy said that if he can “persuade the American public to vote out of hope, faith in their future, for a vision for this country that they can be proud of,” that he would “win the election easily.”

Presidential Candidate RFK Holds Rally

“[If we can] persuade the American public to vote out of hope, faith in their future, for a vision for this country that they can be proud of, [he would] win the election easily.”

us and

In closing, today, each other petition

Attendees with RFK which international When asserted most people the “science” vaccination Regarding said that and China.

hot-button culture issues that are “used to divide us all,” such as abortion, guns, border security, and transgender issues. RFK said that neither candidate has the capacity to deal with issues regarding the debt.

“The debt is now $34 trillion,” said Kennedy. “We spent more money just servicing that debt than for our military budget. Within fifty years, fifty cents of every dollar that is collected in taxes is going to go to servicing the debt. Within ten years, 100% of every tax dollar collected is going to go to servicing the debt. There’s going to be nothing left for anything else.”

RFK then drew comparisons from his era to the present day.

“When my uncle [JFK] was president, 6% of the GDP went to healthcare. Today, it’s about 18% or 19%,” said Kennedy. “Almost all of it is going to chronic disease. The only thing the parties argue about is who is going to pay for it. It’s like moving deck chairs around on the Titanic. The ship is sinking and it’s sinking because we’re getting sicker and sicker. We’re the sickest people on Earth.”

RFK initially mounted a long-shot primary bid against Biden for the Democratic nomination in April 2023 before suspending his campaign to run as an Independent in October.

RFK said that the responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic were “wrong,” including locking down the public, banning physician-recommended therapeutic products, and forcing the public to submit to vaccinations to keep their jobs. RFK said that Trump, “to his credit,” stood against those principles, but ultimately “caved to the bureaucrats.”

RFK also discussed the staggering rates of autism within the United States.

RFK also discussed parallels between his campaign and the 1968 campaign of his father, who served a U.S. Senator from New York from 1965 until his assassination in 1968.

“When I was a kid, the rate of autism was one in ten thousand kids. Today, it’s one in every thirty-four children,” said Kennedy. “It’s costing our country $1 trillion a year.”

RFK also said that there are “a thousand ingredients in the food we eat in this country that are banned in Europe.”

RFK then said that the reason he’s behind in some of the polls is that “so many Americans are voting out of fear.”

“I’m going to unravel this corrupt merger of state and corporate power. I’m going to put this generation of kids into homes of their own, because we do not want to go from being citizens to being subjects,” said Kennedy. “We need to protect our environment, our soils, and our Long Island Sound. We need to protect the things that enrich us and connect us to Creation, and ultimately, to God.”

In closing, RFK condemned the vitriol in American politics today, saying that Americans need to “learn to live with each other and love each other again.” He then signed the petition to get himself on the ballot in New York.

Attendees then lined up to take personal pictures with RFK before the candidate spoke with the press, which consisted of local outlets and correspondents for international publications.

When asked about his “conspiracy theories,” RFK asserted that he was called a conspiracy theorist until most people saw that he was right, namely regarding the “science” behind COVID-19 measures, such as vaccination and masking.

Regarding foreign policy, namely relating to China, RFK said that military competition is bad for both the U.S. and China.

Trump or President Biden’s going to get in and it’s going to be the end of the republic. I say my path to victory is to convince Americans not to vote out of fear.”

“China has been projecting economic power, it’s spent $8 trillion over the last twenty years building bridges, boarding schools, roads, and airports, while we’ve spent $8 trillion bombing bridges, boarding schools, roads, and airports,” said Kennedy. He then said that his uncle [JFK] sought to project economic power over military power.

RFK also said he would end the war in Ukraine “immediately,” and that the “relentless expansion of NATO” is not a “good thing for anybody.” He also blamed Biden for the escalation of the Ukraine War by making “Zelenskyy tear up” the agreement that saw Vladimir Putin begin pulling troops out of Ukraine.

RFK also said that while Trump and Biden differ immensely in terms of personality and presentation, the actual issues they differ on is a “very tiny Overton window.” He says that both put too much stock into the “predictable” hot-button culture issues that are “used to divide us all,” such as abortion, guns, border security, and transgender issues. RFK said that neither candidate has the capacity to deal with issues regarding the debt.

RFK also refused to declassify his negotiating tactics regarding the flow of weapons from the U.S. to Ukraine. He also said that when it comes to negotiating, “you never trust your adversary.”

“China $8 trillion boarding $8 trillion airports,” sought RFK “immediately,” NATO” Biden “Zelenskyy Putin begin RFK regarding He also never trust RFK itself, stating Regarding the debt debts,” their debts.

RFK also vocalized his support for Israel’s right to defend itself, stating that Hamas “hijacked” Palestine in 2006. Regarding student debt, RFK said that he would make the debt dischargeable in bankruptcy, “like all other debts,” and that he would allow students to refinance their debts.

The Messenger discussed the candidacy of RFK with several attendees.

RFK then drew comparisons from his era to the present day.

Jim Stevens, an entrepreneur from Bohemia, said he voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, but did not vote in 2020. He said he’s still undecided for 2024.

“My biggest issue is the discrepancy between the rich and the poor,” said Stevens. I think we need someone who’s going to come in and say ‘the middle class is screwed.’ Kids are thirty years old and can’t afford to get a house. COVID was just a cover-up for the real wealthy to get wealthier. Long Island is an area where you’re either very, very poor or very, very rich.”

The several Jim Stevens, voted for He said

Pat Curran, a financial sector employee from Deer Park, said that he voted for Trump in the last election, but that Kennedy has “the most potential of any candidate.” He says that Kennedy is “more trusted” due to his family name and the recognition it has with classical Democrats.

“I think if he and Trump got on the same ticket, they would probably take it by a landslide,” said Curran. Curran says he would prefer Kennedy as Trump’s vice presidential nominee.

RFK also discussed the staggering rates of autism within the United States.

“When I was a kid, the rate of autism was one in ten thousand kids. Today, it’s one in every thirty-four children,” said Kennedy. “It’s costing our country $1 trillion a year.”

Katie Plumb, a resident of Sag Harbor, said that she voted for Biden in 2020 but plans to vote for Kennedy this year.

“I’m an environmentalist and I was compelled to go to Boston a year ago when he spoke totally unscripted for two hours on five different topics,” said Plumb. “I was so impressed with his honesty and his transparency. If Americans have an appetite for truth, he’ll be president.”

RFK also said that there are “a thousand ingredients in the food we eat in this country that are banned in Europe.”

“My and the who’s screwed.’ a house. to get either Pat Park, said that Kennedy He says name and “I think would Curran presidential Katie voted this year. “I’m to Boston for two so impressed Americans Another Messenger work suing companies.

Another staunch supporter of Kennedy told The Messenger that he boldly supports him because of his work suing large corporations, namely pharmaceutical companies.

“He took on the big, bad wolf and won,” said the supporter. Kennedy currently stands at about 10% in the FiveThirtyEight polling aggregate, with Trump and Biden virtually tied at around 41% each.

“He supporter. Kennedy FiveThirtyEight virtually

MESSENGER EXCLUSIVE

Avlon’s Manhattan Residency Raises Concerns for Suffolk Congressional Bid

By Matt Meduri -

Originally published 4/18/2024

New York’s First Congressional (NY-01) is one of the largest congressional districts in the nation by population and is an economic powerhouse for New York State and the northeast region of the country. The district, while fundamentally Republican leaning, has been at all ends of the competitive table in recent elections.

Because of its outsized importance in congressional politics, and the influence it can give its representative, NY-01 has witnessed successive election cycles marked by candidates who lack substantial ties to the district and its residents yet seek to represent them.

In 2018, Perry Gershon (D) challenged then-Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) for the seat. Zeldin, lifelong Suffolk resident, was running for a third term against Gershon, whose New York City residence earned him the moniker “Park Avenue Perry.” Despite the national Democratic year and the GOP losing three House seats in New York, Zeldin outperformed the national average and was re-elected by about four points.

In 2022, the Republican primary featured Michelle Bond, a cryptocurrency magnate who had big money behind her and big names stumping for her in NY-01. The Messenger filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and found that her registered voting addresses were in Potomac, Maryland. She was squarely defeated in the primary by nowCongressman Nick LaLota (R).

Now, 2024 is shaping up to be no exception, as The Messenger can exclusively report on the apparent Manhattan residency of Democratic candidate John Avlon (D).

Manhattan Attachments

Avlon’s attachments to NYC are evident in his real estate holdings. His Gramercy Park co-op, located at 149 East 19th Street, Unit 6, was purchased in 2015 for $3.6 million.

The building consists of six units and is owned and maintained by the Chanler House Corp. Tax records obtained by The Messenger from the New York City Department of Finance shows that the building, which includes 147 to 149 East 19th Street, are enrolled in the NYC co-op/condo tax abatement program. Enrollment in the program requires that all tenants have their units as their primary residences.

The tax block number, 875, and tax lot number, 38, are shown on the bill of sale of Avlon’s unit in his name and are corroborated by the NYC Department of Buildings website.

Recent sightings also show Avlon entering and leaving the building in April 2024, further cementing his residency in New York City. On April 6, Avlon was seen leaving the residence. The date is corroborated by the New York Post’s front page for April 6 pinned to a fence just beside the front door to Avlon’s building. The paper is seen depicting a shocked Statue of Liberty next to the headline “The Earth moved for Us,” regarding the New Jersey earthquake felt the day before.

Avlon has been seen leaving and entering his Manhattan residence over the last several weeks, showing a regular attendance in the Big Apple.

the show New Day, with a segment called “Reality Check.” Avlon then hosted the digital series Reality Check with John Avlon: Extremist Beat

Avlon is also a founding member of No Labels, a 501(c)(4) organization started in 2010 to call for centrism, bipartisanship, and common sense problem-solving. Avlon ended his affiliation with No Labels when he became editor of The Daily Beast 2013. Avlon also served as a speechwriter for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) and was appointed by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg to the New York City Voter Assistance Advisory Committee. The VAAC advises the New York City Campaign Finance Board on its voter engagement, participation, and outreach.

Despite his past as an Independent, at least nominally, Avlon is running in the Democratic primary against 2020 congressional candidate Nancy Goroff (D-Stony Brook).

The Messenger also submitted a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request to the Suffolk County Board of Elections (BoE) for Avlon’s voter profile. The documents obtained show that 2020 is Avlon’s date of effective registration at his Sag Harbor address. He purchased the Southampton home for $1.5 million in 2017.

According to records from the BoE, Avlon participated in the early voting, which requires in-person attendance, for the November 2020 general election and the 2024 Presidential Primary earlier this month. However, it also shows that he voted absentee in the November general elections for 2021, 2022, and 2023, all of which include local races.

The Sag Harbor residence, located at 70 John Street, has a listing on apartments.com, a website for viewing and leasing rental properties. The listing currently shows “check back soon for upcoming availability,” with rental terms listed as August to Labor Day for $25,000, and other/short-term rentals within the period as $5,000.

Professional Past

Avlon is former editor-in-chief and managing director of The Daily Beast, a left-leaning news website that discusses politic, media, and pop culture, from 2013 to 2018. In 2018, Avlon moved to CNN as a full-time Senior Political Analyst and made daily appearances on

Questionable Suffolk Roots

Avlon’s roots and involvement in Suffolk politics have been called into question by Congressman LaLota, as well as several others.

Perhaps the most notable gaffe to date is Avlon’s multiple uses of the phrase “in Long Island” over “on Long Island.” Native Long Islanders insist the latter is the correct usage of the phrase, while out-of-towners are consistently corrected on the matter.

At a Democratic Candidates forum on March 11, Avlon said an object of the campaign was to make “life a little easier and better here in Long Island.”

Congressman LaLota replied to the video on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Saying ‘in’ Long Island instead of ‘on’ Long Island shows you haven’t spent much time here. When Manhattanite @johnavlon made this mistake this week, it showed the arrogance and ego of a man using his Hamptons summer home to run for Congress to represent a people he doesn’t know.”

In a March 22 post on X, Avlon replied to Newsday’s Bacon, Egg, and Cheese (BEC) Battle, an exhibition contest run completely on public opinion on which establishment on Long Island has the best Bacon, Egg, and Cheese breakfast sandwich, a quintessential Long Island staple.

Avlon replied: “The winner of the best BEC in LI has been revealed – a hungry congrats to Everything Bagel in Commack!”

Avlon has since claimed that he has made his home in Sag Harbor his primary residence. However, he has stated that his wife and children will remain in New York City until the end of the school year.

Additionally, Avlon has no record of advocacy or governmental work in or for Suffolk County. He has, however, explained his intent to run for the seat in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter

“I love my job and my colleagues at CNN, and they are doing important work, but I felt that there is a real chance to flip a seat from a first term Republican, sort of Trump hugger/ Trump flunkey, who is far too right for the district,” Avlon said.

Despite a late start to the campaign, Avlon has raked in over $1.1 million in the first quarter of 2024. Goroff’s $323,000 pales in comparison, while LaLota has raised over $560,000. However, LaLota has the cash-on-hand advantage, with a sizeable $1.7 million war chest as opposed to Avlon’s $1.03 million and Goroff’s $625,000 in the bank. The numbers are expected to rise dramatically as Goroff and Avlon advance to a primary, and as New York is shaping up to host, yet again, a number of national marquee races.

Avlon outside his home on April 6th, 2024

The bill of sale showing Avlon’s ownership of 149 E 19th St, Unit 6

Trump’s L.I. Visit

Thursday, December 26,

‘What Have You Got to Lose?’ Trump Makes Pitch

By Matt Meduri - Originally published 9/26/24

With just under forty days until Election Day, the political world has been thrown boomerang after boomerang, ranging from indictments of former President Donald Trump (R-FL), the suspension of President Joe Biden’s (D-DE) campaign, the quick turnover to Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy, and two assassination attempts on President Trump within just two months of each other.

Naturally, the question of many has been that of the national playing field in both candidates’ quests to 270 electoral votes. New York hasn’t backed a Republican nominee since Ronald Reagan (R-CA) in 1984 and hasn’t seen a close race since 1988.

Donald Trump held his second rally in New York state this election cycle, and the first on Long Island, last Wednesday at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale to pitch to voters on why he would deserve another term.

to put Trump back in the Oval Office.

Not only did Trump throw another boomerang at the political world by campaigning in solid-blue New York, but he also came to personally assert an objective that hasn’t been fulfilled in generations: flipping New York red.

The tectonic task before him is also accompanied by the necessity of both campaigns to run the table in the swing states and pick off margins in more reliably partisan areas. Polls had shown a competitive race in the Empire State before Biden quit the race. New York polling with Harris as the nominee has been scarce, but recent margins show a low-double-digit lead for Harris.

The Openers

Before President Trump took the stage just shortly after 7:00p.m., a cavalcade of New York officials and notable individuals addressed the audience.

“We will generate the vote that not only lets Donald J. Trump win New York but win the White House back for each and every one of us,” said Suffolk County Republican Party Chairman Jesse Garcia (R-Ridge). The Messenger caught up with the Chairman to discuss what he and others are seeing regarding the state of play in New York.

“I think [this rally] demonstrates the enthusiasm the Trump campaign has here on Long Island,” Garcia (pictured below right) told The Messenger, adding that the Nassau Coliseum holds between 16,000 and 17,000 people, but that upwards of 60,000 people RSVP’d for the rally. The entire venue was packed for the former president, with large crowds estimated to be in the thousands who could not get into the arena watching outside from jumbotron televisions.

“What this demonstrates is that New York is in play. We knew it was in play by eight points before the ‘switcheroo’ by the Democrats and now we know we’re still in play,” said Garcia. “Suffolk County and Long Island are the tip of the spear that generates the votes needed to turn this state from blue to red.”

“New York was a battleground in 2022, and New York is a battleground again in 2024,” former Congressman and 2022 gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) told attendees. “We are unburdened by what has been and we are not going back!” he added, referencing a common line used by Vice President Harris to assert New York’s support

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R, NY-11) called President Trump “a successful leader and skilled negotiator who wrote The Art of the Deal,” while “the only thing Kamala Harris co-wrote is the disaster we are living through today.”

Malliotakis has the distinction of being the only Republican member of Congress from New York City, as her district contains all of Staten Island.

Congressman Nick LaLota (R, NY-01) mentioned that nine months ago, he became the first member of Congress from a purple district to endorse Trump for re-election.

“Why? Because I believe America is the greatest nation in the world’s history. Over the last eighty years, we’ve built the strongest economy and the strongest military. We’ve been able to give our children just as much opportunity as our parents have been able to give to us,” said LaLota. “We see taxpayer-funded free hotels and free health care for migrants. And who’s paying for it? You’re paying for it. You’re paying us with higher taxes, with rip-offs like congestion pricing, and with cuts to our schools.”

LaLota called the election “deeply personal to all of us,” and added: “You and I don’t want a president who dodges press conferences and accountability, like ‘Border Czar’ Kamala Harris, we want a commander-in-chief who can dodge bullets for the United States,” said LaLota.

LaLota introduced fellow freshman Congressman Anthony D’Esposito (R-Island Park), who represents the blue-leaning NY-04, and candidate for NY-03, former Assemblyman Mike LiPetri (R-Farmingdale). LiPetri is looking to unseat Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove), who made his congressional comeback in February in a special election prompted by the expulsion of George Santos (R-Queens).

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) asserted that Biden was elected “on a fraud,” given that his family received “$21 million from China.”

“Imagine if Eisenhower, Kennedy, or Reagan got $21 million from Russia!” said Giuliani, adding that the Chinese Communist Party “kills Christians” and “their own people.” He pivoted towards Trump’s indictments, stating that the corrupt system conspired to derail his electoral prospects.

“They indicted him four times in one year. Al Capone or John Gotti weren’t indicted four times in one year!” said Giuliani (pictured below right). “This was an attempt to fix the election.”

Giuliani also leveraged his lengthy legal career, stating that he can “find anybody behind” the attempts on President Trump’s life.

“I did it to the mafia, I can do it to them!” said Giuliani.

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine

(R-Center Moriches) said that the main point of the rally was emphasized by the signage plastered around the venue as he entered: “Broken borders, broken economy, broken world.”

“That’s what this rally is about: people who want to make things better,” said Romaine. He hailed Trump’s handling of gang and drug activity, notably those of MS13, which was highlighted by 2017 visit to Brentwood during his first term. Romaine added that he prefers Trump’s economic platform, stating that inflation has “robbed all of us.”

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R-Atlantic Beach) said that “Nassau County is not a sanctuary county” and “protects women’s sports.”

“Your taxpayer dollars are being spent on people who came into this country illegally. They’ve been here for fifteen minutes; it’s got to stop,” said Blakeman. “Kamala Harris had only one job: to secure the border. She failed.”

Blakeman said that minorities are “being hurt the most” by the poor fiscal conditions of the Biden-Harris administration. He made a pitch to large suburban areas across the country to see the differences in the two candidates.

“One [Biden] is incapacitated, the other [Harris] is incapable and incompetent,” said Blakeman. “Under Donald J. Trump, we had peace and prosperity.”

Trump Takes the Stage

President Trump took the podium shortly after 7:00p.m., but not before meeting with eight-year-old Liam, an East Meadow resident who was recently diagnosed with a rare brain disorder. A staunch fan of the former president, Liam received a birthday card from Donald Trump, with the video of his emotional reaction being sent to family friend Kevin Smith, leader of the Long Island Loud Majority. Smith posted the video on X, formerly known as Twitter, where it has since received over three million shares, with one by the former president himself. Trump met with Liam and his family backstage with a large birthday gift prior to his remarks.

Trump discussed the second attempt on his life, just the Sunday before his rally. A gunman stalked Trump on his Palm Beach golf course, rifle barrel protruding from the bushes near hole five, when a Secret Service agent took fire and sent the perpetrator running. Trump shared that a passerby noticed the man rushing to his car, which she photographed and sent to law enforcement.

“God has now spared my life, not once, but twice,” President Trump told supporters. “These encounters with death have not broken my will, they have really given me a much bigger and stronger mission.”

Trump said that the assassination attempts are due to the vitriol spread by the mainstream media and prominent political figures.

“The fact is, I’m not a threat to democracy, they [the Democrats] are,” said Trump. “They’re doing things that have never been done before in the history of our country, and worst of all, with their open borders and bad elections, they have made us into a third-world nation, something nobody thought was even possible. Americans deserve a campaign based on the issues.”

New York State of Mind

Trump specifically leveraged most of his speech to issues facing New Yorkers, not only hoping to thin down total votes for his opponent, but to also aid in the monumental task of taking New York’s twenty-eight

Trump gestures to the crowd. (Credit - Matt Meduri)

2024

Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Continued from previous page

Trump’s L.I. Visit

Thursday, December 26, 2024

to New York Voters at Coliseum Rally 13

electoral votes. The former president said that if New York goes red, the election is won.

“We do it [flip New York], and the election nationwide is over,” said Trump, adding that some Washington officials chastised his campaign stop on Long Island, saying that no Republicans can win New York.

“Throughout American history, from generation to generation, New York has always set the standard for American life. Our cities were the center of business, arts, culture, ports, waterways, and they were the arteries of American Congress,” said Trump. “And our towns like Uniondale, Levittown, Hicksville, and Huntington, these were great, great towns where you grew up and you stayed. But look at what has happened to New York and the other states all run by radical left-wingers. Our heavy industries have exported overseas, and our middle class has been eviscerated. Housing costs are out of control, inflation has cost a typical family $28,000; we have horrible, disgusting, dangerous filthy encampments of junkies and homeless people living in places that our children used to play in little league baseball. In the past few years in New York City, there has been a 29% increase in robberies, a 36% increase in felony assaults, 42% increase in grand larceny, a 75% increase in carjackings, and 200 police officers leaving the NYPD, New York’s finest.”

Trump also railed against the “squalid” and dangerous conditions of the trains and subways, adding that the state’s infrastructure is “rotting.” He stated that “businesses are fleeing, mobs of illegal migrants are being put up in luxury hotels at your [taxpayers’] expense, while our great Veterans live on the freezing or steaming sidewalks right outside the main entrance.”

“How crazy has our country become?” asked Trump.

“And so, I say to the people of New York, with crime at record levels, with terrorists and criminals pouring in, and with inflation eating your hearts out, vote for Donald Trump, what the hell do you have to lose?”

“The Empire State will once again be the envy of the entire world,” Trump promised, adding that he is “driven” by “results” and “common sense.”

“Despite all of the persecution I’ve endured from the corrupt system in New York, I love the people of this state, and I want to give back to you,” Trump told attendees. “Together, we will rebuild our roads, bridges, highways, and airports. We will renovate the New York subway. The greatest city in the world will finally have the greatest transit system in the world.”

Trump also railed against cashless bail, the controversial set of laws passed by Albany Democrats and then-Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) in 2019, a problem that has affected some states who have chosen to enact the progressive criminal justice reforms but has hit New York the most prominently.

“We will deliver massive public safety funding to New York and other Democrat-run cities that are under siege, but in exchange, they will give our police back their protection and their respect,” said Trump.

Of note, Trump also took the liberty of using the Uniondale rally as the venue to announce his latest New York-centric promise: designating Ground Zero as a national monument.

“The hallowed ground and memories of those who perished will be preserved for all time,” said Trump. Such recognition of the former site of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers would afford it guaranteed protections and maintenance from the federal government in perpetuity.

SALT Deductions

Trump also discussed another New York-centric campaign issue: SALT Deductions. State and Local Tax Deductions allow taxpayers to deduct certain state and local taxes that have already been paid from their federally taxable income. The purpose of SALT allows for taxpayers to avoid double taxation and give property owners in states with high state and local tax rates some room for relief. New York, especially Long Island, is no stranger to this, boasting some of the highest salaries and property taxes in the nation.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, championed by thenPresident Trump, reduced the cap to just $5,000 for married persons filing a separate return, and $10,000 for all other filers. The deduction cap is multiplied by the local tax rate of any given taxpayer, with the product being their federal deduction.

With the reduction in the SALT cap being unfriendly to Long Island, it did not receive support from thenCongressmen Lee Zeldin and Peter King (R-Seaford). However, Congressmen LaLota, D’Esposito, and Garbarino have spent their near-two years in Washington assembling a national coalition of U.S. House members whose constituents also recognize the importance of restoring the cap.

Trump pledged at his Nassau County rally that he will be working with Congress to increase the cap for federal deductions.

“I will cut taxes for families, small businesses, and workers, including restoring the SALT deduction, saving thousands of dollars for residents of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and other states who are facing high costs of living,” said Trump.

Campaign Promises

Trump railed against the Biden-Harris Administration’s policies on the border, inflation, talks of Democrats packing the Supreme Court, and their warm stances to the “defund the police” movement.

“She [Harris] wants mass amnesty and citizenship for all illegals, which means totally bankrupting Social Security and Medicare,” said Trump. He also added that under her watch as the “Border Czar,” Harris “lost 325,000 migrant children,” many of whom, he added, have been “trafficked, raped,” with “many” being “dead.”

“As California Attorney General, she [Harris] redefined [the charges of] child sex trafficking, assault with a deadly weapon, and rape of an unconscious person,” said Trump. “She vowed repeatedly to ban fracking, she imposed a natural gas export band, she praised the idea of a tax rate between 70% and 80%, and her only idea for solving inflation is to impose communist-inspired price controls, which have never worked.”

Trump also lambasted Harris’ inability to connect rural America with broadband Internet, stating she was given $42 billion to implement the upgrades, but that three years later, “not a single home has been connected to broadband.”

“In the Midwest, they only built eight charging stations. They spent $9 billion to build eight charging stations,” said Trump, adding that he thinks electric vehicles are “incredible,” and that “some people want them,” but that others “don’t want the additional costs” or for vehicles to be manufactured overseas.

“I think I’ll take a pass on that one if you don’t mind,” Trump told supporters.

Trump closed the rally with reports that confirm actors for Iran hacked email accounts of the Trump campaign, with intentions of giving the information to the Harris campaign. Trump criticized the incumbent administration, the FBI, the Director of National Intelligence, and the Cybersecurity and

Infrastructure Security Agency for dropping the ball.

“They [Iran] gave them [Biden-Harris] all of the [hacked] materials because Biden is working with Iran and Iran doesn’t exactly like me,” said Trump, adding that the uncovered plot is “real election interference,” not the claims of Russia’s now-debunked cooperation with Trump to interfere in the 2016 election and the call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that resulted in Trump’s first impeachment in 2019.

Trump threatened higher tariffs on foreign imports to boost American production, staging the “largest deportation operation of criminals in American history,” and bringing the national economy back to what it was under his presidency. He also pledged no taxes on tips for service workers, no taxes on Social Security payments, and no taxes on overtime wages.

“You know why you deserve it [no taxes on Social Security]?” Trump asked seniors in attendance. “Because you live like hell with the highest inflation probably in the history of our country and you can’t make ends meet.”

Trump also promised a temporary cap on credit card interests around 10%, terminating the “Green New Scam” - a reference to the Democrats’ Green New Deal environmental proposals - paying down national debts, and creating “real infrastructure,” as opposed to “fake infrastructure” that has contributed to inflation.

Trump also promised to end the war in Ukraine - he gets along “very well” with both Putin and Zelenskyy - and the “chaos” in the Middle East, stating that a “vote for Kamala Harris is a vote to obliterate Israel.”

“We will end the era of inflation, mayhem, and misery, under Kamala and Crooked Joe, and unleash safety, prosperity, and peace for Americans of every race, religion, color and creed,” said Trump. “Together we will deliver low taxes, low regulations, low energy costs, low interest rates, low inflation, so that everyone can afford groceries, a car and a home. Very simple.”

Trump closed with his signature parting words:

“On November 5, we will save our economy, rescue our middle class, reclaim our sovereignty, and restore our borders. We will put America first and we will take back our country, because together, we will make America powerful again, make America wealthy again, make America healthy again, make America strong again, make America proud again, make America safe again, make America free again, and we will make America great again!”

Trump departed after interacting with audience members from the stage, as a rendition of the famous aria “Nessun Dorma” from Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot set the mood as tens of thousands exited Nassau Coliseum.

Trump supporter from Farmingville in the nosebleeds of the Coliseum (Credit - Matt Meduri)

Lee Zeldin (Credit - Matt Meduri)

Executive Romaine (Credit - Matt Meduri)

Doubling Down: The Jake’s 58 Expansion A Conversation with Phil Boyle

By Matt Meduri - Originally published 8/29/2024

Since its opening in 2017, Jake’s 58 Casino and Hotel has been a unique attraction for Suffolk County residents looking to take risks and perhaps spend the weekend. The casino is also unique by its identity as one of just two government-owned casinos in the entire country. All profits from the casino go to the New York State Department of Education, Suffolk County, and the Village of Islandia.

However, Jake’s 58 recently announced a massive undertaking: an expansion set to double the size of the entire facility. The May groundbreaking started a project that is set to bring in more food, more entertainment, more destination-like attractions, and, of course, more games.

The Messenger sat down with Suffolk Off-Track Betting (OTB) and Jake’s 58 President and CEO Phil Boyle to discuss the expansion.

Boyle, a resident of Bay Shore, served in the New York State Assembly for a collective sixteen years, followed by ten years in the State Senate. Leveraging his career as a lawyer and his decades of government experience and believing it was “time for a new challenge,” Boyle took on the monumental task of guiding Jake’s 58 and OTB not only into a new era of modern gambling and the expansion of the casino, but also into an era of relatively uncharted waters.

The History

“There are about a dozen proposals for the three downstate casino licenses that can be issued. Just to get that license from New York State costs $500 million, before anything is even built,” said Boyle, referencing the contentious bidding process for the paltry number of licenses currently being offered by New York State. “We are a government entity; that’s too rich for our blood. That’s up to Sands and Bally’s and the other big names to pay that much money. We’re going to stick with our slot machines.”

However, Boyle says that Jake’s slot machines are worth their weight in chips, a perk of playing just off exit 58.

The Numbers

New York State OTB consists of five OTB regions. All OTBs in New York are public benefit corporations, whose profits go to the counties in which they operate. Due to declining horse betting revenues, Suffolk OTB declared bankruptcy in 2011, but the company wasn’t eager to cash out just yet. With just one casino - Jake’s 58 - with 1,000 machines, creditors were paid back in just two years, with the casino now turning in massive profits.

In 2013, realizing the losses of revenue to out-of-state gambling tourism and underground betting in New York, thenGovernor Andrew Cuomo (D) and the state legislature decided to implement seven casinos across the state. The first four were built in Upstate New York, primarily to address the region’s cratering economy, and after a five-year break, the remaining three were built downstate.

The Expansion

Looking to augment the casino’s already-massive successes, Suffolk OTB recently launched a $210 million expansion that will effectively double the size of Jake’s 58.

“We’re going from 1,000 video lottery terminal (VLT) machines, or slot machines, to 2,000 in a brand-new building,” Boyle told The Messenger. “At the same time, we’re going to renovate the current hotel and casino. It’s been decades since the 210 rooms have been truly updated.”

Boyle discussed some of the prominent features of the expansion, including a VIP lounge, a conference center, a gym, a spa, and hopefully Long Island’s first sportsbook.

“We have a number of amenities that people are really going to like,” said Boyle, making specific reference to a food hall, essentially a corridor consisting of different dining options, including contracts with big-name fast-food chains.

“We’re looking at four or five different restaurants, such as a Mexican place and a steakhouse,” said Boyle. “We’re also working on a couple of big [chain] names to bring into Jake’s.”

A large aspect of the project is the construction of a new casino building just north of the existing structure, one that will contain all or most of the slot machines Jake’s offers.

“Right now, we’re planning on moving the 1,000 existing machines and the 1,000 new machines moved over to the new building,” said Boyle. Such a move will leave the existing location open for the amenities.

“We might have some machines in the existing building, but the lion’s share will be in the new structure. We have Las Vegas casino experts advising us on the layout of the new building,” said Boyle.

The VIP lounge will offer a classic casino amenity to guests looking for such an experience without having to drive upstate or take a ferry to Connecticut, complete with comfortable chairs, a bar, and possibly even a cigar patio.

However, of particular buzz is the much-awaited sportsbook.

“New York State law says that a facility can only have a sportsbook if they are a class-three casino, which primarily have poker and Blackjack. We are a class-two casino because we have no table games, only slot machines. The sportsbook would require a change in the law,” said Boyle.

A typical sportsbook consists of couches, chairs, tables, chicken wings, and drinks, and allows players to watch the sports games on which they’re betting, or even to watch games or races in which they have no literal or figurative horse. Sportsbooks as seen in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or even at Mohegan Sun, have numerous televisions with tickers running across the screens with all the pertinent betting information on constant display.

Boyle also discussed a unique aspect of gambling in the Twenty-First Century and how it can be an asset to Suffolk OTB’s business: mobile betting.

“Right now, the law allows us to run what I would describe as mobile sportsbook. We could partner with a company for mobile sports betting. You would still be betting on your phone, but if you bet on your phone while in our casino, we would get a little cut, but you would also have the amenities available. We hope to get more people coming in that way,” said Boyle.

Boyle also mentioned the nearby Racing Forum-Village Idiot location on Motor Parkway in Hauppauge, a 17,000-square-foot facility with numerous television sets that is geared towards horse racing. Boyle says that while horse racing is a more oldfashioned form of gambling, it’s possible to open that practice up to a younger crowd through the mobile betting partnerships.

Boyle is also hopeful that the Jake’s expansion makes the facility more of a destination, rather than just a casino, vis-à-vis the options set to be offered.

“As a member of the Great River Volunteer Fire Department for many years, my goal is to have fire department installation dinners in the conference center. I think there’s ample opportunity for growth and expansion there,” said Boyle. The conference center could double for corporate meetings, as well as private parties, weddings, or family gatherings, typical of a classic party hall. Jake’s could also offer its service as a smallscale venue for entertainment, such as musical acts, stand-up comedians, and other live shows.

Parking has been perhaps the biggest concern of Jake’s 58 regulars. Boyle says that parking capacity is expected to increase from 600 spots to 2,000 spots, in part facilitated by a multi-story parking garage and electric vehicle charging stations.

What makes Jake’s 58 different from other well-known casinos is its lack of live table games. The casino currently offers Blackjack, poker, roulette, and craps, but in electronic forms. Boyle says that a license for live table dealers at Jake’s 58 is currently off the green-felt table.

“Our slot machine odds are actually better than other casinos. Vegas casinos can dial the machines down to set the payout. Our machines, by law, have to be set at 94% going back to the customers,” said Boyle. “Even if we have a bad month, 94 cents of every dollar goes back to the players in wins. Our profit margin is just six cents on every dollar, and because we are a public benefit corporation, by law, we have to give 45% of our profits to the New York State Education Fund. 45% of that 6% profit is what goes to the NYS Education Fund.”

The 2023 annual totals for Jake’s 58 show that over $123 million was paid to the NYS Department of Education, accounting for 2.9% of amounts wagered by players. Another $27 million was paid to the NYS Gaming Commission, 0.6% of amounts wagered, followed by $11.6 million to Suffolk County, $13.6 million to the NYS horse racing industry, 0.3% of amounts wagered, and a $2.25 million rights fee to the Village of Islandia.

“We have to run this place, and we have about five hundred employees. Our profit margin really comes out to just two cents on the dollar,” said Boyle.

Residents of the Village of Islandia cash in on an exclusive perk for serving as the casino’s home. The Village is already offsetting municipal costs from the $2.25 million flat rate OTB pays, regardless of the casino’s profitability. The casino’s contract with the Village will double to $4.25 million once the number of machines doubles. At that point, residents of Islandia will no longer have to pay Village taxes.

5% of earnings go to the Horse Breeders Association to help the horse racing industry, the remainder goes to the County. Last year, because of financing for the expansion, OTB temporarily reduced the yearly contribution to the County’s coffers until the project’s expansion is complete.

The Outlook

Boyle is confident in a two-year plan from the groundbreaking to the ribbon-cutting for the new building.

“My goal is to have our ribbon-cutting before the other proposed casino project, and even have the ground-breaking,” said Boyle

“We’re also moving our [Suffolk OTB] corporate headquarters. We bought the IRS Building on Veterans Memorial Highway and we’re hoping to move in by the beginning of the year,” said Boyle. He also remains optimistic about Suffolk OTB’s future.

“Instead of working with 1970s numbers, we have 2024 numbers,” said Boyle, adding that metrics and previously settled sciences of the regulated gaming industry were - mostly - not worth the cashier checks on which they were printed. The somewhatesoteric horse racing scene has had a meteoric fall from grace over the decades and the advent of online betting somewhat shuffled the airwaves of brick-and-mortar casinos’ viability.

Suffolk OTB also has almost fifty quick-bet locations where players can bet on horses and games. They can be found at bars, restaurants, and card stores across Suffolk County, an aspect of managing OTB that Boyle says contributes to the “many moving parts” of the business.

The Messenger thanks Phil Boyle for his time and insight of the project, and we’d be remiss if we bet against this house any time soon.

Jake’s 58 Casino Hotel is located at 3635 Express Drive North in Islandia.

Boyle and public officials break ground on the expansion at Jake’s 58 Casino in April (Credit - Matt Meduri)

Election Rusults

LaLota, Garbarino Score Landslide Re-Elections

By Matt Meduri - Originally

President-elect Donald Trump (R-FL) and Speaker Mike Johnson (R, LA-04) will have two more partners in government come next year.

Both Congressmen Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) and Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) were easily reelected on Tuesday night, providing Republicans two seats to pad their tenuous House majority and Suffolk County with an even more seasoned congressional delegation.

LaLota, who won a three-way primary in 2022 and would go on to defeat then-Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac) by about eleven points, appears to have at least met, or even slightly outperformed, his 2022 margin.

LaLota soundly defeated former CNN anchor John Avlon (D-Gramercy Park), who was the subject of The Messenger’s firstin-the-nation exclusive about his documented ties to a regular Manhattan residency. Throughout the campaign, Avlon asserted that his Sag Harbor home was his primary residence, despite having purchased it through an LLC registered to his Manhattan co-op in 2017.

me,” said LaLota.

Shortly after the call for LaLota, Garbarino was projected to defeat Rob Lubin (D-Lindenhurst) by a 60%-40% margin.

“By sending myself and Nick LaLota back to Congress, we are going to put this country back on the right track!” Garbarino told a fired-up crowd at Patchogue’s Stereo Garden. “We have seen what has happened over the last four years, and we aren’t going to take it anymore. We need to continue to fight, and next year, when Donald Trump is president, and with a Republican Senate and House, we can close our borders, lower taxes, and we can get our economy back on track again.”

LaLota leveraged his strong bipartisanship and “bringing home the bacon” for the eight Suffolk towns he represents. He will now return to Congress, not only as a member of a likely GOP majority, but along with a Republican-led Senate, and President-elect Donald Trump (R-FL).

“You’ve trusted me, you’ve placed your trust in me, and I’m going to take another oath of office in just a couple of weeks, back in Washington, D.C., so I can continue to fight for you in Washington,” LaLota told supporters at the Suffolk GOP’s watch party at Patchogue’s Stereo Garden. “With your help, I campaigned on my record: more bipartisan than 85% of Congress and $150 million back home here in Suffolk County.”

LaLota added that “issues that matter” consisted of the Southern border, lower prices, SALT deductions, and reasserting the country’s standing on the world stage.

LaLota thanked his wife, daughters, and family members for their continual support, adding that his brother, a Bronze Star Veteran, is the “real pride of the family.”

LaLota was outspent by nearly $4 million this cycle, and was outspent by $3 million last cycle.

“You don’t win these races getting outspent by that much without these awesome men and women here who are fighting a good cause,” said LaLota.

“We are changing the course of history tonight, ladies and gentleman,” Suffolk County Republican Party Chairman Jesse Garcia (R-Ridge) told enthusiastic attendees on Tuesday night. Garcia extended his thanks to the thousands of committee members and volunteers across the county who helped bring home positive results on Tuesday. He further heralded the county’s tectonic movement towards the Republican Party since he became chairman in 2019, with a 2021 red wave that delivered a majority in the County Legislature for the first time in fifteen years and a Republican District Attorney in Ray Tierney for the first time in over twenty years. Finally, he brought County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) on stage, the first Republican elected to the spot since 1999.

Moriches.

In the Second District, Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio (R-Baiting Hollow) (pictured bottom left) secured a third term over her inactive opponent, Tricia Chiaramonte (D-Manorville).

“We’re going to keep putting the values forward. We’re going to keep fighting for those budget priorities. We’re going to ensure our veterans, our teachers, and our people with disabilities are taken care of, and that the money is converted back to them instead of away from them,” Giglio told supporters.

In the Third District, Assemblyman Joe DeStefano (R-Medford) easily secured a fourth term over inactive opponent Trina Miles (D-Mastic Beach), 61%-39%.

“If I didn’t have the support of my family and my wife, Linda, I would not be standing here today,” said DeStefano, adding his thanks to Suffolk Association of Municipal Employees (AME) and law enforcement, both of which lended extensive professional backgrounds to DeStefano.

Besides two successful congressional wins, Republicans also held a crucial State Senate seat in the First District. Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) (pictured top left) easily defeated former Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mt. Sinai) 53%-47% to win a second term. Anker, who served the full six terms in the horseshoe, is currently being investigated by the Legislature for allegedly destroying and/or removing documents and electronic files from the Sixth District office before her predecessor, Chad Lennon (C-Rocky Point), was elected to the open seat in 2023.

To date, The Messenger is the only source to report on this information, besides The Long Island Advocate. Palumbo thanked his wife, Tracy, as well as “friends in labor, law enforcement, and colleagues” who supported his campaign.

The Congressman who just earned his second term also thanked the people who did not vote for him.

“You’re not garbage. You’re not un-American. I will continue to serve you, regardless of your political affiliation, regardless of who supported

In the Fourth District, the race remains tight and uncalled between Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson) (pictured and former Port Jefferson Trustee and Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay (D-Port Jefferson). As of press time, Kassay has a narrow lead of 50.2% to Flood’s 49.8%. Flood flipped the district in 2022 over then-Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), ending a near-forty-year streak of Democratic control in the Three Village area.

“We have room to grow, we’re feeling good,” Flood told supporters on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Republicans held a mainstay in Assemblyman Doug Smith (R-Holbrook) (pictured below) in the Fifth District, who defeated Michael Reynolds (D-Lake Ronkonkoma) 65%-35%.

Senator Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue) was also easily re-elected with 62% of the vote, while his opponent, Michael Conroy (D), was not actively campaigning.

“Thank you for coming out and for all of your hard work,” Murray told supporters, adding sincere thanks to his district and Albany legislative staff.

In the Assembly, Southampton Town Councilman Tommy John Schiavoni (D-Sag Harbor) defeated Shelter Island Town Attorney Stephen Kiely (R-Mattituck) 56%-44% in the First District, which includes the Brookhaven communities of Eastport, East Moriches, Center Moriches, and

“Did we send a message to Kathy Hochul (D) in Suffolk County tonight?” asked Smith, to thunderous applause.

“We will be vocal with Governor Hochul!” he added, referencing a line coined by Senator Mario Mattera (RSt. James). “We want a future for our children and grandchildren; we’re going to continue that fight in Albany.”

In the Seventh District, which includes Patchogue, Blue Point, parts of East Patchogue, and all of Brookhaven’s parcels of Fire Island, Assemblyman Jarett Gandolfo (R-Sayville) cruised to re-election over Garrett Petersen (D-East Islip), 63%-37%.

“Long Island is sick and tired of Kathy Hochul’s agenda. We don’t want to be a sanctuary state and we want to stand with our law enforcement,” said Gandolfo. “And in two years, we are taking back the governorship, and Suffolk County will lead the way.”

Compelling Conversations

Budget Cut Repercussions: A Chat with Assemblyman Doug Smith

By Kaitlyn Foley - Originally published 2/22/2024

New York’s citizens, educators, and lawmakers are up in arms about Governor Kathy Hochul’s (D) plans to cut the budgets of 337 school districts in New York, over forty of them on Long Island. The repercussions of this major loss in funding will affect every student and every staff member at each school. To find out exactly what these cuts mean for our local students, The Messenger sat down with former high school educator Assemblyman Doug Smith (R-Holbrook).

“It’s never been this bad,” says Assemblyman Smith. “Andrew Cuomo (D) always proposed less school aid, but never a cut. This literally cuts millions of dollars from 337 school districts across the state, both rural and suburban. So, this is devastating.”

Assemblyman Smith goes on to explain how a cut such as dramatic as this has not been seen in decades, if at all.

“The schools are always going to look [to cut] programs that are not mandated. So, right away, this would have to be arts programs, music programs, sports, and student clubs,” says Smith.

Programs where students can explore alternative interests and pursue creative endeavors outside of curricular academia are all at risk of diminishing. In addition to these possible cuts, Assemblyman Smith also mentions that academic programs can be cut as well.

“They can cut some of the college prep classes and Advanced Placement (AP) courses which are not mandated by New York State. A school district might have AP Biology, AP Chem, AP Physics, they might have multiple AP physics classes so they might reduce them. Like the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, these types of programs are not mandatory and those would be the programs that would unfortunately get cut, as well as career and technical education.”

Programs like AP, IB, and college prep courses allow accelerated high school students to pursue the next level of learning that they are ready for while still being in high school. These classes can be transferred to college or higher education for credits so that students aren’t forced to slow down their learning just because they haven’t graduated yet. Career and technical studies help students explore more specific areas of interests so they can get a better idea of what they may be interested in as a college major, trade, or career.

“Some school districts also have sports at the middle school level that could be reduced or diminished completely, which would be a shame. They could cut teams,” Smith continues.

Being on a team at a young age enhances confidence, responsibility, and sportsmanship for children. School-

sanctioned sports, even at the middle school level, allows for students to be active, disciplined and dedicated in an area that they may excel in outside of academics.

“This is all in addition to mental health services that some schools provide. After COVID, a lot of districts hired on additional mental health resources to help students; those jobs could also be cut,” says Smith. “I am hoping we can continue to allow our schools to deliver these programs. I want my daughter to have options. If she wants to go into a career with technical education, I want that to be an option. If she wants to go to college, I would love for her to have AP classes available. If she wants to go into the military, I hope we have those programs available. If she wants to play sports, I hope she has the opportunity to pursue that. A lot of students across the state only get an opportunity to go to higher education through a sports scholarship, but you can’t get a sports scholarship if there are no sports at your high school. We have the best schools on Long Island, so if the Governor is looking for how to do education well, she should be looking at what we are doing, not cutting back funding.”

Governor Hochul was able to propose these cuts because she proposed to eliminate the “Hold Harmless” provision to the yearly executive budget.

“The Hold Harmless provision guaranteed that every year, school districts would get, at minimum, the same level of state aid as the previous year,” explains Smith.

This provision was in place so that schools can budget for and keep in place the basis of their programs that students depend on and progress in. If these programs are diminished, students will be left with empty time and “Study Hall” periods. Under the provision, budgets could be low-balled, but never actually

cut.

“She also changed the inflation factor of the provision, which means instead of using the 3.18% that this year would have been, she used a rolling average of the last ten years. This includes 2014-2018 when inflation wasn’t nearly as bad as it is now. This also comes at a time where federal money from COVID-related learning loss is withdrawn,” says Smith.

After COVID drove schools on Long Island, and much of the country, to remote learning, students have struggled to keep up with their curricula. Multiple studies have seen students consistently testing lower in areas like math, reading, and science. Now that federal money has officially run out, learning loss will continue to rear its ugly head.

“It’s a bad situation. In my Assembly District alone, there are probably over one hundred teachers who would lose their jobs if these proposed budget cuts were to go through,” says Smith.

Assemblyman Smith serves as the top Republican on the Assembly Education Committee. Working opposite the Chairman in the majority party, Smith serves as the top member of the minority party.

“I am proud to serve in this role, but education is not a political topic. We all work very closely together to push forward education policy to make sure every student gets every opportunity they can have,” says Assemblyman Smith.

In this role, Smith plays a part in various aspects of education such as interviewing prospects for the New York Board of Regents which sets education policy and curriculum.

“Being a former educator and parent, it’s important to me. I want to make sure our kids have the best opportunities. We want to take politics out of the class whenever possible.”

Unlike in other states where the state legislature would be responsible for state

spending, New York’s Governor takes on this role, making it a very powerful position, according to Smith. The state budget is due April 1, and in the time between the governor’s proposal and the due date, each house is allowed to present their One-House Budgets proposing how they would spend their money. Assemblyman Smith is using his position as the leading Republican of the State Assembly’s Education Committee to propose a $291 million increase.

“This would ensure full restoration of every cut plus a minimum 3% increase for every school in education funding for foundation aid. Our property taxpayers are paying a lot for schools, not just here but around the state, and we have to give them some relief. This is how we should be funding education, more from the taxes that our people contribute to the State government,” explains Assemblyman Smith.

“While the defense for these cuts is that a lot of school districts have money in reserve funds or have lost population is true in some cases, it’s not true in all,” says Smith. “However, the tricky part is as we are still recovering from the pandemic and also as the federal funds dry up for learning loss, there are so many new expenditures between inflation going up under President Biden and school districts taking in a lot of new students with the migrant crisis. New York City is taking on 35,000 new students just related to the migrant crisis. Teachers need to be trained in special education, in multiple languages, etc.”

Assemblyman Smith goes on to explain that the cost of teaching each individual student has gone up, which will make the cost of education fall on the shoulders of Long Island’s property taxpayers.

“How high do you want our taxes to be, Kathy Hochul?” concludes Smith.

“The schools are always going to look [to cut] programs that are not mandated. So, right away, this would have to be arts programs, music programs, sports, and student clubs,”

- Assemblyman Doug Smith

Compelling Conversations

Laken’s Law: A Chat with Assemblyman Jarett Gandolfo

By Matt Meduri - Originally published 3/14/2024

The lapses in criminal justice reform and border security continue to be highlighted by shocking cases not just limited to New York State, but all across the country. The latest tragedy involves that of Laken Riley, a twenty-two-year-old nursing student at the University of Georgia, who was brutally and senselessly beaten by Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela. Riley’s death on February 22 has since spawned proposed laws in Albany and Washington, D.C., that aim to negate sanctuary city and state statuses in New York and close loopholes that allow noncitizens and illegal immigrants from evading arrest.

Before he murdered Riley, Ibarra was arrested in 2022 in Queens on a charge of acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17, but was released before Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could process him. New York officials said after Riley’s death that they had no record of the arrest.

Ibarra was also cited for misdemeanor shoplifting in Georgia in 2023, along with his brother, Diego.

Ibarra is said to have taken Riley to a remote location while she was out for a run on campus and beaten her to a point where her skull was “significantly disfigured.” A motive has not yet been identified.

Once such solution to New York’s failure to properly detain and process Ibarra is that of the aptly-titled “Laken’s Law,” sponsored in the Assembly by Assemblyman Jarett Gandolfo (R-Sayville) and in the Senate by Senator Andrew Lanza (R-Great Kills).

Assemblyman Gandolfo sat down with The Messenger to discuss his proposed legislation, A.9167, that has garnered twenty-seven cosponsors, including Assembly Minority Will Barclay (R-Pulaski). Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) has signed as a cosponsor of the Senate version of the bill, S.8533.

“The legislation proposes that any non-citizen, not just recent migrant, but any non-citizen who is arrested by any law enforcement agency in the state must be reported to ICE and any arrest records, fingerprints, or photos have to be turned over to ICE,” explains Gandolfo. “The bill also proposed that, upon conviction of a crime, ICE would also have to be notified by the court that it went through. We figured that’s a way to make sure ICE knows about non-citizens getting arrested because Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas actually said that the government had no idea that Ibarra was in the country committing crimes.”

Gandolfo’s bill would effectively remove “sanctuary city” status for New York City and “sanctuary state” status for New York State. Such statuses often protect illegal immigrants from deportation and/or prosecution and limit state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

“When Ibarra was arrested in Queens, they processed him and released him back,” says Gandolfo. “He was charged with endangering the welfare of a child for speeding around on a moped with a child on the back who was not wearing a helmet. If ICE knew that he was arrested and charged with a felony, they could have issued a detainer until they got there to process him and take it from there. Essentially, New York City and State says ‘we do our own thing.’”

Gandolfo says it would “make sense” to have a standard in which a non-citizen is charged with a “relatively serious crime” that immigration services are notified.

“That’s the first leg of the bill: requiring all law enforcement agencies to notify ICE upon the arrest of a non-citizen,” continues Gandolfo. “The second leg of the bill would restore the maximum sentence of Class-A misdemeanors to 365 days, a one-year sentence. What the Democrats did a couple of years ago is they lessened the maximum sentence of Class-A misdemeanors from one year to 364 days, and the reason for that was if a non-citizen is arrested and convicted of a crime with a maximum sentence of a year, that typically triggers deportation. They lessened the maximum sentence by one single day for the sole purpose of protecting illegal immigrants who commit these particular crimes.”

Gandolfo says that class-A misdemeanors are serious crimes that “you wouldn’t necessarily associate off the top of your head with a misdemeanor.” Some Class-A misdemeanors in New York include some levels of assault, some levels of criminal possession of a weapon, petit larceny, and theft of services.

“The third part of the bill would repeal the 2019 ‘Protect Our Courts Act,’” says Gandolfo. “Democrats passed the act, which made it so ICE wasn’t allowed to go to a courthouse where an illegal immigrant was being tried for a crime and make an arrest at the courthouse. So, if they knew there was an illegal immigrant they were looking to deport, they know he’s charged with a crime, he’s going to be at a courthouse, now they can’t go pick him up and get him out.”

Gandolfo says one of their arguments for the act was that if non-citizens were scared of getting deported, then it would likely increase the chances of them missing their court dates, which rack up more penalties.

Gandolfo says that the law would apply not just to New York City, but to New York State overall.

“There’s a very good chance we might have a new president who will actually enforce our country’s immigration laws, so this is a good step to take,” adds Gandolfo.

Gandolfo also says that New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) has also expressed “some desire to move away from the sanctuary policies in the city.”

“We’ll see if he can actually do it; they have a very progressive City Council,” said Gandolfo.

Section One of the bill would require local law to turn over fingerprints, arrest reports, and other pertinent data to ICE upon an arrest of a non-citizen.

Section Two of the bill would require the court in which the defendant is convicted to immediately notify ICE that the defendant is not a U.S. Citizen

Section Three would amend the current law to reinstate the maximum sentence of one year for Class-A misdemeanors and unclassified misdemeanors, the latter of which applies to typically minor crimes.

Section Four also applies to misdemeanor charges.

Section Five would repeal the “Protect Our Courts” Act to allow ICE to make civil arrests at courthouses.

Section Six would repeal the other half of the courts equation by disallowing the courts to state that ICE cannot make civil arrests at courthouses in which defendants are convicted.

Section Seven would also repeal court-related laws.

Section Eight would stipulate that the law takes effect immediately upon its passage.

What the Cosponsors Say

The Messenger reached out to members of the Suffolk delegation who have cosponsored the bill in the Assembly and the Senate.

Assemblyman Keith Brown (R-Northport) says that the laws that protect violent criminals such as Ibarra make “no sense whatsoever.”

“It makes no sense that the police are not permitted to report a violent criminal who is in this country illegally to ICE,” says Brown. “They should be deported. If that Ibarra was held, Laken Riley would be alive today. What do you tell her parents?”

Brown says that while the state legislature does not have authority on the nation’s immigration laws, New York has taken steps to further exacerbate the problem.

“For the Democratic majority to propose a law that handcuffs law enforcement’s ability to keep dangerous criminals who are here illegally makes no sense whatsoever, and it’s not getting enough attention,” says Brown. “The other side will say you’re a ‘xenophobe’, or that you’re politicizing this. What are we politicizing?”

“The bill was named after Riley, but how many other thousands of people are victimized by someone who shouldn’t be here and law enforcement can’t even deport the person?” Brown continues. “The fact of the matter is the left cares more about protecting criminal defendants than they do about protecting victims.”

When it comes to Democratic interests in removing “sanctuary” city and state statuses, or in repealing the controversial bail reform laws, Brown says that there is “no indication whatsoever.”

“They created the sanctuary state/city policies and people should know that $2.5 billion of their tax dollars to deal with this problem,” Brown says, adding that Mayor Adams actually asked Albany for an additional $500 million to deal with the city’s migrant crisis.

Senator Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk), Ranking Member on the Senate Codes and Judiciary Committees, says that the failure of Albany to abate the migrant and crime crises in the state have only added fuel to the fire.

“Laken’s law, and my legislation to make body dismemberment and concealment of a human corpse bail eligible offenses, seek to address the inadequacies and problems with New York’s bail law, sanctuary policies, and keep law abiding citizens safe,” says Palumbo. “The inability to hold and detain dangerous criminals proved fatal in the Laken Riley case and has resulted in an increase in crime throughout New York State. Sadly, even with this statistical data and in the wake of these tragic cases, there is no appetite in the Democrat-controlled legislature to make even the most minor changes to these laws. In fact, both one-house budgets largely reject Governor Hochul’s attempts to combat retail theft. New York must abandon its sanctuary policies and, like forty-nine other states, provide a dangerousness standard through enhanced judicial discretion when determining bail.”

Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James) says that while he is supportive of Laken’s Law, he believes that the monumental changes will only come in the form of repealing cashless bail and ending “sanctuary” city and state statuses.

“The problem is bail reform has to be repealed,” says Mattera. “We need to bring the right people to the table, law enforcement, DAs, and the PBA, for example, to come up with the right bail reform. We need to bring judicial discretion back.

Mattera says that “we’re going to be piecing this together every time there is an issue,” and that with so many offenses included under cashless bail, “another shoe is going to drop.”

“It’s the only way this will get fixed because we’ll have another press conference on another issue,” says Mattera. “I commend my colleagues, but all this is a band-aid fix. I’m a plumber; what would you say if I came to your house and I said that I can fix your pipes, but I don’t have the tools to fix them. This is what they did to our law enforcement, our judges, and our DAs. Additionally, our police officers are not respected; elected officials did this.”

Mattera echoed his previous calls to Governor Hochul, Mayor Adams, and Albany Democrats: “Stop the bleeding!”

Assemblyman Jarett Gandolfo (podium) headlines a press conference unveiling his legislation (Credit - NYS Assembly)

18 State News

‘Rushed and Uncoordinated:’ Olson Group Released Report on NY’s COVID Reponse

By Matt Meduri

- Originally published 6/20/2024

New York led the country in navigating uncharted waters with the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic in March 2020. Then-

Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) ordered lockdowns across the state, closing schools, non-essential businesses, and other forms of commerce and tourism.

At the time, Cuomo asked for the blame and wrath of citizens to be laid on him, not local leaders and elected officials.

Shortly thereafter, Cuomo and the State came under significant fire for the sweeping lockdowns, lagging economic recovery relative to the rest of the country, and the controversial decision to admit COVID-positive or symptompresenting patients in nursing homes, with virtually no negotiations or options for nursing home staff, residents, and residents’ families.

The Olson Group, a Virginia-based consulting firm, has released its long-awaited report, after multiple roadblocks from State government.

The report finds that Governor Cuomo acted outside his authority to micromanage the state’s response to the pandemic from the executive office, resulting in great confusion, dysfunction, and unpreparedness in fending off the novel coronavirus.

The $4.3 million dollar taxpayer-funded, 262-page report says that Cuomo made a “significant and unnecessary mistake” when he absolved municipalities of local control and ignored pre-established Department of Health protocols to essentially govern pandemic response himself.

The DoH already had plans in place to establish community-based vaccination sites. Cuomo instead took to setting up “hub hospitals” to inoculate New Yorkers, despite the fact that the hospitals lacked capacities to carry out vaccinations of the public.

“The structures developed through hard-won experience from events including 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy were largely ignored and the state’s chief executive office served as the central point of the response,” the report reads. “Although decisive actions were widely praised during the early stages of the pandemic, his [Cuomo] failure to shift to full incorporation of the state’s established institutions in coordinating the ongoing response operation resulted in unnecessary confusion at a time when New Yorkers needed clarity.”

The report also slams Cuomo’s decision to populate nursing homes with infected or symptom-presenting patients, as well as criticizes the State’s reporting of nursing home deaths. The report says the actions were “lacking in transparency.”

also his micromanaging in other areas of state commerce affected by the pandemic. The report highlights shortsightedness from the executive office in trying to bolster low milk supplies across the state. The State ordered three hundred tractortrailer loads of raw milk to be rerouted from dairy manufacturers and sent directly to bottling plants. The decision led to a surplus of milk, which then expired and/or had to be discarded.

Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for Cuomo, has openly criticized former President Donald Trump (R-FL) for the national response to the virus and has defended Cuomo amidst the release of the report.

“His daily press briefings were internationally recognized for providing the facts amid a chaotic lack of a national response to this pandemic where 1.2 million Americans lost their lives,” said Azzopardi. “While this report cuts through the political garbage that has consumed the nursing home issue and points out how circumstances were consistent nationwide, it’s ridiculous to suggest that this pandemic response be treated the same as H1N1 or Legionnaires outbreaks.”

Governor Kathy Hochul (D), then Lieutenant Governor at the time of the pandemic, did not offer many comments on the report, but fell short of defending her former boss.

“We knew that things had to be done differently, they had to be done better and we had to prepare for the possibility that this would happen again,” said Hochul, adding that extra funds for the State Office of Emergency Management and a $1.7 billion investment in a new research lab are initiatives she has taken to better prepare New York for a similar scenario.

“The state did not consider the appearance of impropriety related to how it was reporting COVID-19 nursing home deaths until the public was already upset, having noticed and reported the discrepancies,” the report states.

The report’s release comes off the heels of Cuomo’s testimony in front of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. Republican legislators have accused Cuomo of “deflecting responsibility” for the nursing home scandal, one the report says is in line with the “theme of mistrust” in the response to the virus. Cuomo blamed an unnamed State DoH employee for drafting the decision and said it was not mandatory. Nursing homes were required to take in patients regardless of their COVID test results and presentation of symptoms.

Congressman Marc Molinaro (R, NY-19) expanded on Cuomo’s claims that directing patients to nursing homes mirrored federal guidelines during last week’s hearing.

“They [Cuomo and his then-staff] want to assert that that order is exactly the same as the federal [Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services guidelines], which it is not,” said Molinaro. “The state order says, ‘You shall take back individuals and you cannot deny them solely on the basis of COVID,’ which left [nursing homes] no option but to accept individuals that we knew would cause risk to the other patients.”

Congressman Ami Bera (D, CA-06), a doctor and former chief medical examiner for Sacramento County called Cuomo’s directive “medical malpractice” at a May 2023 hearing.

The report not only criticizes Cuomo’s response from a health perspective, but

Former Congressman and 2022 gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), slammed Cuomo, Hochul, and even the Olson Group not only for the controversial handling of the pandemic, but also the timing of the report’s release just a day after the legislative session in Albany ended.

“In predictably corrupted New York fashion, after Kathy Hochul initially punted this report past her 2022 election campaign, this massively delayed After Action Report didn’t get released until a Friday just after the state legislative session ends,” Zeldin said in a statement. “This is clearly timed to be late enough so that Albany legislators would be out of town and public hearings couldn’t be scheduled, but early enough to hopefully be buried over a weekend and long summer so that it wouldn’t be politically damaging for the November 5 elections.”

Zeldin also mentioned Hochul’s governance over the tail end of the pandemic and New York’s lagged recovery and return to normalcy against other states.

“Substantively, of course, this not-so-independent consultant avoids taking Kathy Hochul to task for forcing 3-5 year olds to be the only New Yorkers required to wear masks, and for an extensive period of time. Of course, the report refused to dig into Hochul awarding massively overpriced, no-bid contracts to top campaign donors,” said Zeldin. “There is also bad news here for anyone reviewing this After Action Report hoping for transparency on COVID tests being given to administration friends and family at private residences, done by State Health Department personnel, with the samples moved to the front of the line at the state lab. Even the content on Andrew Cuomo’s deadly nursing home order and coverup is filled with excuses and defenses.

Zeldin called for in-depth investigations and further scrutiny from legislators.

“High profile state legislative hearings should be called immediately to go over this report with a fine tooth comb,” said Zeldin. “Legislators and reporters should dig deep on the many issues the obviously not so independent consultant decided to leave out of the report, inquire why, and get answers about the cause of the extraordinarily long delays, and absurd timing for this release.”

This is not a fight that us families wanted or ever expected that we’d have,” said Tracey Alvino, Director of Voices for Seniors, in a FOX News interview. “We need to see this through to the end, and we’re not going to stop until we hold Andrew Cuomo and all of his cronies in the Cuomo crime syndicate responsible.”

Alvino lost her father in a nursing home due to the controversial New York policy. Voices for Seniors is a 501(c)(4) not for profit founded after many families lost relatives in nursing homes during the pandemic.

State Capitol Building (Credit - Matt Meduri)

Governor Kathy Hochul (Credit - Matt Meduri)

Middle Country Girls Varsity Gymnastics: Breaking Records and Chasing Titles

By Ashley Pavlakis

- Originally published 11/7/2024

The Middle Country Varsity Girls Gymnastics team capped off the 2024 regular season with their third consecutive League One championship. On their way to the title, they went undefeated in the regular season, posting a record of 10-0-0.

The team is led by head coach Melissa Valentino, who is in her eleventh year of coaching gymnastics for Middle Country. The team consists of Centereach and Newfield High School gymnasts, as well as a few middle school girls. Valentino has helped Middle Country Varsity Gymnastics rise from the bottom up. When she took over the reins, they were competing in League III; now they’re dominating in League I.

“I love it, if I could quit teaching and just coach gymnastics that would be a dream,” said Valentino who is also a teacher at Longwood.

Valentino stressed the dedication her team has shown to be the best every day they enter the gym.

“It’s exciting, we have a pretty big team and a lot of depth. We have some really strong seniors, and it doesn’t stop with them. They keep pushing these goals and limits, and each year they break the year before goals. It’s exciting just to see them want this, it’s something that they want and they’re striving for. Then they get to achieve it so it’s awesome to be able to support them and accomplish that together,” said Valentino.

The team has three experienced seniors on their roster, Hannah Hughes (4th year), Madisyn Rodriguez (5th year), and Lily Sharrock (6th year). Of the senior trio, Hannah Hughes has committed to the University of WisconsinOshkosh to compete in Division III gymnastics for the Titans.

“They pretty much keep breaking their team [overall] score record. We posted a high score last year at the Suffolk County Championship meet, which was the highest the school has seen. This season we broke that, and we beat that record [again]. Their goal is to hopefully go further with that at our last meet next Tuesday at the County Championship,” said Valentino.

The girls headed into the postseason looking to repeat as Suffolk County Champions after winning the title in 2023 for the first time since 2003.

“Right now, we’re just working on consistency and staying focused. We’ve had a week and a half where we are trying to stay as a team and make sure we’re together for that meet because it’s a lot of downtime. We’re making it happen, and I think we have some great competition. As much as we won the league, we won by three-tenths, and in gymnastics three-tenths is a bent knee. That’s what made the difference, so Smithtown who was right below us, who is strong and a very deep-depth team, probably are feeling the same feeling,” said Valentino.

The girls competed in the Suffolk County Championship on Tuesday afternoon at Walt Whitman high school. While they didn’t capture the title, they finished as the runner-up and achieved a new overall best team score. Six Middle Country Gymnasts will compete in the

individual meet on Friday.

“There’s a lot of excitement to want to hold onto the title and I think, especially from the seniors, they want to walk away with it still. They want to graduate celebrating their hard work in a second way, they’re making sure each practice is productive and successful.”

Jan 16–Mar 2, 2025

CreditMelissa Valentino

WORD WHEEL SUDOKU

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

Dear Community Members,

JOIN THE TOWNLINE RAIL TERMINAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

In January 2025, Carlson Corp and Townline Rail will launch a monthly Zoom meeting to discuss the development of the Townline Rail Terminal Project. These meetings are designed to educate and inform the community about the progress and details of this important initiative.

We are currently seeking volunteers from the community to serve as community representatives or advocates. These individuals will closely follow the project’s development and help share updates and insights with others who may not have the ability or resources to engage directly.

If you are interested in taking an advisory role in this significant project, we encourage you to reach out. This is an unpaid position and would require a commitment of 4 to 8 hours per month.

To express your interest, please email me directly at Toby@carlsoncorp.com. Kindly include a brief paragraph about yourself, your interest in the project, and how you feel you could bring value to the advisory council.

You may also reach me by mail at the following address: Toby Carlson, 140 Old Northport Rd., Kings Park, NY 11754

We look forward to hearing from you and working together to make this project a success for the entire community.

Best regards,

Toby Carlson Chairman of the Board Carlson Corp

TheMessenger Participates in the Tunnel to Towers 5K in NYC

By Cait Crudden - Originally published 10/3/2024

On Sunday, thousands of runners and walkers, including The Messenger, gathered for the annual Tunnel to Towers 5K in New York City. The event honors the memory of first responders, military personnel, and civilians who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, as well as those who have died since due to 9/11-related illnesses and military service. Participants began their journey in the Red Hook area of Brooklyn, making their way through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and emerging in front of One World Trade Center in Manhattan, where they were greeted by a poignant tribute to the fallen.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was created in memory of Stephen Siller, a firefighter with the FDNY and Brooklyn’s Squad 1. On the morning of September 11, 2001, Siller had just finished his shift and was on his way to play golf with his brothers when he heard about the first plane hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Without hesitation, he turned his truck around and rushed to join his fellow firefighters. When he found the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel closed to traffic, Siller strapped on 60

pounds of gear and ran through the tunnel to Ground Zero. Tragically, he lost his life that day, alongside 342 other firefighters.

In honor of Stephen’s selfless sacrifice, his family established the Tunnel to Towers Foundation to support the families of fallen first responders and veterans. The annual 5K, which follows Siller’s path through the tunnel, has become a symbol of resilience, unity, and remembrance. The event raises funds for the foundation’s mission, which includes building mortgage-free homes for Gold Star Families and providing support to first responders injured in the line of duty.

This year’s 5K saw participants from all walks of life, families, Veterans, firefighters, police officers, and supporters from across the country that gather to honor the fallen. The race began in Red Hook, with participants either running or walking the 3.1-mile route. As they entered the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, many runners paused, reflecting on the sacrifice Stephen Siller made on that fateful day.

Emerging from the tunnel was an emotional moment for many. Lining the streets near the tunnel’s exit were 343 firefighters, each holding banners with the faces and names of the firefighters who died in the line of duty on 9/11. This tribute served as a somber reminder of the ultimate sacrifice made by these brave men and

women, as well as the enormity of the loss felt by their families and colleagues.

Participants were also greeted by police officers and military personnel, holding banners with the names of those lost in the War on Terror and from 9/11-related illnesses.

The visual representation of the sacrifice made not just on 9/11, but in the years that followed, was a powerful and emotional moment for those walking and running in the 5K.

As participants made their way through the streets of Lower Manhattan, the run concluded at the World Trade Center Memorial Plaza, home to the memorial fountains that mark the footprints of the original Twin Towers. Many participants took the time to walk around the fountains, where the names of nearly 3,000 victims of the 9/11 attacks are inscribed. For some, this was an opportunity to find the names of loved ones, friends,

and colleagues who were lost that day. Participating in the Tunnel to Towers 5K was a deeply moving experience. The act of walking through the same tunnel Stephen Siller ran through twenty-three years ago allowed the runners to connect with his heroism on a personal level. Seeing the faces of the 343 firefighters who died that day and the other first responders and military personnel who have died since was overwhelming. It invokes the selflessness of those who put their lives on the line for others. I looked for a close friend of my cousin, who was one of the 343 and was able to shake the hand of the firefighter holding his banner. I was able to cheer on a family friend in the National Guard running as well. This foundation is near and dear to her heart.

The end of the race was marked by a moment of silence as participants gathered in front of the memorial fountains, paying their respects to those who never made it home. The sight of families standing together, some in tears, some placing flowers on the names of their loved ones, was

a stark reminder of the enduring impact of the attacks on so many lives.

The Tunnel to Towers 5K is more than just a race. It is a powerful symbol of unity, remembrance, and hope. Every year, it brings together people from across the country to honor the lives lost on 9/11 and to ensure that their memory lives on. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of service and sacrifice.

For many, including myself, the event was not just about running or walking a few miles. It was about reflecting on the heroism of first responders, the tragedy of that day, and the resilience of a nation that came together in the face of unimaginable loss. The experience is something I will never forget. It’s a reminder of what it means to be part of a community and to stand together in remembrance.

As the day ended, participants left with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to the foundation’s mission. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation continues to support the families of first responders and veterans, ensuring that their sacrifices are never forgotten.

The annual 5K, now a cherished tradition, will continue to serve as a reminder of Stephen Siller’s legacy and the countless others who gave their lives on 9/11 and in the years since.

We will never forget.

Liberty Park at night

Smithtown Performing Arts Center Opens Newsies

By Diane Caudullo - Originally published 7/18/2024

In 1899, the streets of New York City echoed with the voices of the Newsies, carrying the banner and bringing you the news for a penny a paper. But when the newspaper moguls raised the price of the papers, the Newsies went on strike. Although a trying and difficult time in our nation’s history, it has now become the underlying story line for an amazing way to spend your afternoon reliving the events through great acting, song, and dance.

The Smithtown Performing Arts Center (SPAC) located at 2 East Main Street Smithtown had their opening night this past weekend with the Disney Production of Newsies.

Originally opened in 1932 as a five-hundred-seat movie theater that ran plays, musicals, and concerts, the SPAC building has been bought and sold a few times over the years yet continues on with the tradition of live theater. Most recently, in 2021, the current board of directors, all volunteers, took over ownership to allow the show to go on.

the most senior team member at 52, Jason Snair as Snyder, with one just as capable as the next. For those who know the show - there is a complicated tap scene involving the newsies, which the cast agreed is the most logistically difficult scene in the show. Many of the actors, who are not tap-dancers, learn the dance routine in less than five weeks from audition to opening night. Kevin Burns, director and choreographer of this production said they mastered it in three weeks, amongst the small task of learning the entire show. That’s a testament to both the choreographer and the performers’ talent and drive.

This now-historic building has been and is receiving some tender loving care while still producing quality live theater. Entertaining the masses and providing an amazing creative outlet and opportunity to many people of all ages.

Courtney O’Shea, who played Katherine Plumber, the journalist in Newsies, told us the auditions were tough. Many auditioned, coming from near and far, but only a few make it to the stage.

Her counterpart, Mike Shapiro, who plays the lead Jack Kelly - more like nailed the part of Jack Kellyleft you realizing they are the best of the best. Truly talented local young adults, not just local kids who have some talent, but talented to the point of next stop Broadway!

O’Shea, 25, of Merrick, says that theater is one of her passions, but has a career in digital marketing for Major League Baseball.

O’Shea said that working with director and choreographer Kevin Burns is “utterly fantastic,” and that playing Katherine Plumber in Newsies has been on her bucket list since she first saw the show in 2012 on Broadway.

You may notice a comfortable chemistry on stage between O’Shea as Katherine and Shapiro as Jack. We learned that they have been in a few productions around the Island as the leads opposite each other. In speaking with the actors after the Sunday matinee - you could simply feel their love for their craft, they all spoke of the camaraderie that comes with being one of the cast and that no one was more important than another. They were a team and it showed.

Mike Shapiro, 23 of Farmingville, says that his end game is Broadway and that he has auditioned for national tours, regional theaters, television, and film. Shapiro just graduated from LIU Post with a degree in marketing, but describes it as his “backup plan.” Shapiro adds that West Side Story is his “all time” favorite musical, as it was the first and second show he ever did.

“There’s not a lot of shows where you’ve got that brotherhood, sisterhood, and all-around camaraderie with everyone. It’s a really good feeling,” Shapiro told The Messenger of his time on Newsies. Interestingly, he added that holding a 1900s New York City accent throughout the show is one of the toughest aspects of the role.

Actors ranged from John Edwards, the youngest aged 11, as Les, to

They actually answered some of our interview questions, in unison, as one. They also appeared very humbled by the response they received from the audience, they were genuinely invested in knowing the audience enjoyed the performance just as much as they enjoyed putting it on.

Cast members mentioned their favorite musicals besides Newsies, including Sweeney Todd, Les Miserable, A Chorus Line, and Hunchback of Notre Dame.

But back to the story line, they were newsies, just trying to make a few cents to get through each day. They didn’t mind “Carrying The Banner’ - they deemed it “A Fine Life” and learned that you need to “Seize The Day” when the opportunity arises. That, sometimes, you have to strike when the owner is only concerned with his “Bottom Line” and if you make the “Papes” you too can be the “King of New York”.

This show is truly one of those productions that you just want to see again and again, you find yourself truly rooting for the little guy. The songs are so engaging and powerful that you will find them on YouTube and play them over and over again, so I’ve heard. You will tell everyone you know to not miss the chance to see this show. You will realize that local, live theater is a true asset to your community in so many ways and should be supported. It provides a healthy and creative activity for the performers, especially our youth, just as much as it gives a family something unique to enjoy together. It makes for a great date night or night out with friends. You will leave uplifted and entertained and in addition to being local, it is also an affordable night out where every seat is a great seat.

This is the one that “The World Will Know.”

Photo

By Ashley Pavlakis - Originally

High School Sports: Fall Season Roundup

published 11/14/2024

It feels like yesterday we were just starting a new school year and fall sports were back in session. But now, the leaves are changing color, and most fall sports are winding down or have ended already. Long Island High School Sports are a member of Section XI, which is part of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA).

Section XI was formed in 1938 to provide a formal organization for high school athletics in Suffolk County. At least 60 high schools and 77 middle schools are part of Section XI. The not-for-profit organization is led by Executive Director Thomas Combs, who is accompanied by a 15-member board team.

Let’s look back at the 2024 season amongst fall sports happening around the eastern parts of Long Island. The Messenger spoke with various high school coaches this season, and we’re happy to report a majority of those teams went on to take home a title in their respective sports.

On the girls’ side, we’re kicking it off with soccer. The girls at Shoreham-Wading River capped off their 10-2-2 season with a 1-0 win over Sayville in the Class A Suffolk County championship. In the Class AAA championship, the title was taken home by Ward Melville who defeated Commack with a score of 3-1. Class AA was won by West Islip, who claimed the title with a 1-0 victory over Eastport-South Manor.

Volleyball served up some quality matches this season. Of note, Port Jefferson took the title home in the Class C championship and Ava Rielly notched her 1,000th career assist. Ward Melville had a season for the record books, going undefeated on their way to the Class AAA title with a win over Commack. And finally, Sayville took home the prize in the Class A championship after beating West Hampton.

On the turf, Sachem East secured the Long Island championship in field hockey with a win over Ward Melville in Class A. Sachem finished the season undefeated en route to the title win. The Arrows will move on to the New York State

CreditFreepik

tournament where they’ll face Harborfields.

Swimming was a no-brainer as Hauppauge-Smithtown’s swim and dive are simply unmatched. The girls took home their fourth-straight Suffolk County title in an undefeated season. They also earned their fifth straight League I championship.

Beam, bars, vault, or floor, the Smithtown varsity gymnastics team conquered them all on their way to a Suffolk County Championship title. In addition, they’ll be sending Bayla Goldberg, Amanda Burns, Brooke Dunn, and Mary Saul to States in March.

On the tennis courts, Bayport-Blue Point girls tennis took home a County Championship after defeating Ross, and a Long Island Championship with a win against Cold Spring Harbor. There was plenty to cheer for this season, and cheerleading does it best. Ward Melville scored the Class A title and Shoreham Wading River took home the Class B title.

The boy’s fall sports are still wrapping up with football games still left to be played. Let’s take a look at the championships that have been won at those eastern Long Island high schools.

In boys’ cross country, Port Jefferson took home the county championship for the eighth straight season. The boys will advance to the Class C championships that take place on Saturday at Queensbury High School.

In volleyball, Ward Melville took home the Division I title with a victory over Sachem North. Kyle Fagan notched his 1000th career kill this season for the Patriots. Eastport-South Manor followed up with a win of their own over East Islip in the Division II championship.

Finally, boys’ soccer saw Comsewogue win the Class AA championship after beating West Islip.

All in all, the 2024 season of fall high school sports was competitive and entertaining, to say the least. Teams put together quality seasons and were rewarded for their hard work with a championship win.

To our readers and advertisers,

Thank you for your support and readership throughout this year. We appreciate you all.

From all of us at TheMessengerPapers , we wish you a Merry Christmas!