D.A. Tierney Launches 2025 Re-Election Campaign
By Matt Meduri
The 2025 campaign season’s top race just became slightly clearer as District Attorney Ray Tierney (R) announced to a fired-up room of bipartisan supporters that he will, indeed, be seeking a second term.
Tierney became the County’s top prosecutor in 2021, when he ousted one-term incumbent D.A. Tim Sini (D) in a landslide victory of just under eleven points, a large margin that spoke more of a referendum on crime and safety in Suffolk County, compounded by the fact that Sini had be elected to the open seat vacated by the scandal-plagued Tom Spota (D) in 2017 by a landslide win of 62% over Raymond Perini (R).
With his 2021 win, Tierney returned control of Suffolk’s D.A.’s office to the GOP for the first time in nearly twenty years.
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Public Hearing Held on Town Code Changes for Rail Yard
By Matt Meduri
The proposal to build a rail yard near Old Northport Road in Kings Park has been the subject of heated debate and controversy for nearly two years. The goal of the proposal would be to address solid waste issues not only in Smithtown, but regionally across Long Island, especially with the recent closure of the Brookhaven landfill to construction and demolition (C & D) debris. The landfill is slated to stop taking ash in 2028.
Proponents of the project argue that such a facility, under the appropriate management and scrutiny, could alleviate that problem, while also bypassing the alternative of trucking the waste off Long Island, which would likely entail denser traffic, heightened air pollution, and a slower hauling process altogether. Opponents, of which there are many, say the rail yard passes a massive danger to the health, quality of life, and possibly the lives of themselves and their families, on top of potentially decreased property taxes and returns on property investments, and added truck traffic around the facility, namely on the arterial roads in Kings Park and Fort Salonga. Opponents also wonder where the buck would stop if such a project were to come to fruition, estimating that all of Long Island’s waste will end up at the plant, instead of being shipped directly off-island.
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D.A. Tierney announces his re-election candidacy on Tuesday afternoon in Riverhead
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Smithtown Matters
Thursday, January 9, 2025
Recycle Your Christmas Tree at the Curb with the Town of Smithtown
By Cait Crudden
As the holiday season wraps up, the Town of Smithtown is inviting residents to embrace eco-friendly practices by participating in its Christmas Tree Recycling Program. This annual initiative not only helps reduce waste but also supports sustainability and environmental conservation in the community. Residents have two simple options for recycling their Christmas trees: curbside collection or repurposing trees to protect sand dunes at Smith Point County Park.
The Smithtown Highway Department will collect Christmas trees placed at the curb throughout January. After collecting, the trees are mulched at the Municipal Services Facility (MSF), and the resulting mulch is made available to residents for free.
The Town requests you remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel, and plastics from the tree and place the tree at the curb for collection. Residents can collect prepackaged mulch (up to 10 bags per visit) or opt for loose mulch, which can be loaded into their vehicles free of charge after the trees have been mulched. Simply leave the tree at the curb, and the Highway Department will handle the rest. For more details, residents can call the MSF at 631-269-6600.
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“We’re proud to offer this service to our community as part of our commitment to sustainability, environmental stewardship and it takes a burden off the residents right at the beginning of the New Year… Simply place your Christmas tree at the curb, and our team will handle the rest. By participating in the Christmas Tree Recycling Program, you’re not only helping us create mulch for landscaping or reinforcing our coastline, but you’re also contributing to a greener, more sustainable future for everyone in our town,” remarked Highway Superintendent Robert Murphy (R-St. James).
Smith Point County Park offers another unique opportunity to recycle trees by using them to prevent dune erosion along the coastline. The trees can be dropped off at Smith Point County Park, East Booth, Shirley. This drop-off location will be available to residents daily between 8:00a.m. and 4:00p.m. The trees are placed along sand dunes to combat erosion caused by high tides. For more information on recycling your tree to help Long Island’s beautiful coastline from further erosion, call Smith Point County Park at 631-852-1340.
Smithtown residents can also take advantage of several other environmentally friendly programs at the Municipal Services Facility. The Town encourages residents to donate bicycles to the Smithtown Bicycle Co-Op, a nonprofit that refurbishes bikes and promotes health, safety, and education. It is also important to properly dispose of electronics such as computers, TVs, and batteries at the Town Recycling Center. You can also help neighbors in need by donating clothing and textiles at bins provided by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island. The drop-offs for these services will be at the Smithtown Municipal Services Facility, which is located at 85 Old Northport Road in Kings Park, and is open Monday through Saturday from 7:00a.m. to 3:00p.m.
Recycling your Christmas tree is a simple way to make a big impact. By participating in Smithtown’s Christmas Tree Recycling Program, you can contribute to a more sustainable future while helping the local environment thrive.
The Smithtown Messenger is a community newspaper serving Smithtown, Kings Park, St. James, Nesconset, Hauppauge, Commack, and Stony Brook
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The opinions expressed in byline articles, letters and columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of Messenger Papers, Inc, its publishers or editors. Pictures submitted for publication remain property of the publisher.
Postmaster: Send address changes to Smithtown Messenger, P.O. Box 925, Smithtown, NY 11787
Continued from front cover
D.A. Tierney Launches 2025 Re-Election Campaign
The 2025 campaign season’s top race just became slightly clearer as District Attorney Ray Tierney (R) announced to a fired-up room of bipartisan supporters that he will, indeed, be seeking a second term.
Tierney became the County’s top prosecutor in 2021, when he ousted one-term incumbent D.A. Tim Sini (D) in a landslide victory of just under eleven points, a large margin that spoke more of a referendum on crime and safety in Suffolk County, compounded by the fact that Sini had been elected to the open seat vacated by the scandal-plagued Tom Spota (D) in 2017 by a landslide win of 62% over Raymond Perini (R).
With his 2021 win, Tierney returned control of Suffolk’s D.A.’s office to the GOP for the first time in nearly twenty years.
The Suffolk Theater in Downtown Riverhead hosted an array of County, Town, and State officials, including Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard (R-Aquebogue) - who also led the ceremony in the Pledge of Allegiance - Suffolk County Republican Party Chairman Jesse Garcia (R-Ridge), Suffolk County Conservative Party Chairman Mike Torres, County Clerk Vincent Puleo (R-Nesconset), County Comptroller John Kennedy (R-Nesconset), Assemblyman Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills), Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James), Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park), members of the Suffolk County Legislature, various councilmembers from across Suffolk, and County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches), who spoke in support of Tierney ahead of the formal campaign announcement.
The Case for a Second Term
Tierney, flanked by his wife, Eric, two of his four children, Patrick and Sean, and, as the youngest of five, two of his four sisters, Joanne and Regina, laid out his record over the last three years, with still another to go in his current term.
“I’m not from a political background. I was never involved in politics; I was never a member of a political party,” said Tierney.
“But the people of Suffolk County put their trust in me and I’m so grateful to those supporters for standing behind me and coming up with constructive criticism, as well as ways we can do better.”
Within the D.A.’s office, Tierney outlined the re-establishment of the Homicide Bureau, the formation of the Gang Bureau - an “actual” Gang Bureau, Tierney notes, that “follows the violence in our streets.” The office also took a “task force approach” to the Gilgo Beach investigations, after only a year of which was a suspect - Rex Heuermann - produced. Since the July 2023 cracking of a stubborn cold case and of one of the most high-profile serial killings in the country, the D.A.’s office has alleged Heuermann’s responsibility in seven of the Gilgo Beach murders, including those of the original “Gilgo Four.” Other victims’ fates are still being investigated by the department.
“Our District Attorney has contributed to much to Suffolk County. We need people who are going to make sure that the laws are enforced, that criminals pay a price, and that the public is protected,” said Romaine. “That’s exactly what Ray Tierney. He is a great District Attorney and he will go down as one of our greatest district attorneys in terms of justice and fairness.”
D.A. Tierney was introduced on stage by two people with whom he has worked closely since last year.
Gene and Sue Murray have been steadfast advocates in campaigning for more effective laws to curtail the deadly scourge of opiates into Suffolk’s communities. Their daughter, Chelsey, tragically had her life cut short in 2022 due to a fatal mix of fentanyl and heroin. Tierney successfully prosecuted Jaquan Casserly, the defendant who sold Murray the lethal cocktail. He received ten years in prison and five years of post-release supervision.
However, the true work has come in the form of lobbying Albany to pass “Chelsey’s Law,” a bill crafted with Tierney’s input and sponsored by Assemblyman Stern. The bill would increase penalties on dealers who knowingly sell controlled substances that are likely to result in the death of another person.
“We’re just regular people, we’re not involved in politics or anything,” said Gene Murray, recounting how their proximity to such a pressing issue began in 2012, when they lost their son, Michael, to a drug overdose.
“Nothing happened,” said Gene. “Fast-forward to August of 2022, and our daughter Chelsey overdosed on fentanyl. We contacted the police, they did an investigation, and the D.A.’s office is in touch with us all the time. We met with him when he decided to introduce Chelsey’s Law, named after our daughter. Ray [Tierney] didn’t know us, but he cares about the people of this county. We’ve been to Albany with him and we see the amount of work he puts in behind the scenes. I don’t think that anybody else would be doing that for the residents of Suffolk County.”
Tierney then took the stage, calling the Murrays “emblematic of the victims’ families” that he and his team have come to know over the last three years since he took office.
“They’ve taken this personal tragedy and turned it into action, and the only thing they ask is that they don’t want another family to go through what they have.”
Tierney thanked his many inspirations and teammates, especially his executive team, Chief Assistant D.A. Allen Bode, and the various law enforcement agencies of Suffolk. Tierney also mentioned Officer Brendan Gallagher, who sustained heavy injuries after a high-speed, Sunday-evening chase near Exit 55 on the Long Island Expressway resulted in the reckless driver side-swiping Gallagher’s vehicle, causing him to careen off the side of the road and into a tree.
“The bare bones were there, but what was missing was a comprehensive approach and proper leadership,” said Tierney. “This is how we were going to treat not only a case such as Gilgo, but all of our cases. All of our cases resemble Gilgo in the level of comprehension, comprehensive preparation, investigation, and litigation that we do.”
Tierney referenced quality-of-life crimes that he immediately took to addressing upon taking the oath of office, such as organized retail theft and catalytic converter thefts, the former of which has been facilitated by wiretaps and a State RICO investigation, while both, Tierney says, weren’t just handled through “press conferences,” arrests were made and defendants were sentenced to “Upstate jail.”
“If you want to go into a store and you want to take whatever you want; if you want to impede those merchants’ ability to make a living; if you want to raise the prices of consumer goods; if you want to have stores shut down in compromised communities so the people in those communities aren’t able to shop, you’re going to bear the consequences of that,” asserted Tierney.
Tierney also said that his office has helped craft beneficial legislation, something he “never thought he would do.”
“In thirty years as a prosecutor, you’re taught that you go to court, you try your case, you investigate your cases, whatever the outcome is, you move on, keep your mouth shut, and try your cases,” said Tierney. “But what I soon realized once I got to this office, it was necessary for me to speak out because when you talk about socalled criminal justice reform, bail reform, or discovery reform, they were enacted with a lie. Those laws do not make us more safe; they do the very opposite. And until they’re changed, I’m going to keep on talking about it. I will not stop talking about it.”
Aside from Tierney’s steadfastness in speaking out against counterproductive criminal justice reform passed in Albany, other legislative initiatives from the D.A. include reimbursement penalties for those convicted of illegal dumping of waste in Suffolk, and the epidemic of illegal street racing, to which the County Legislature responded with a bipartisan bill to increase such penalties. Members of the Suffolk delegation to Albany promised in October to carry a similar bill this year.
“We have fought the opioid overdose crisis; we reinvented and reinvigorated our Overdose Task Force, our East End Drug Task Force, and our Fentanyl Task Force,” said Tierney. “We started a community outreach program with zero dollars and then we allocated the funds to it; now, we have a robust community outreach program.”
Tierney said the importance of such a program is needed to “introduce ourselves to the community,” and that it “allows them to have faith in what we do.”
“We have to educate our young people, our elderly, with regard to what’s happening out there, how they can keep themselves safe,” said Tierney, adding that accountability comes with showing the receipts and proof of concept to residents, even when the news from the D.A.’s office is positive.
“It’s one thing to do it [the job]; it’s another to hold yourself accountable to the
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Tierney joined by his family and Executive Romaine (Credit - Matt Meduri)
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D.A. Tierney Launches 2025 Re-Election Campaign
public, and we’re always going to do that. The very least we can do is hold ourselves accountable to the public and to let them know that we are going to enforce the law in a fair and evenhanded manner,” said Tierney.
Tierney outlined the robust units that were rolled out under his leadership, adding that “starting from scratch” in the D.A.’s office isn’t similar to “remodelling a home,” wherein everyone moves out, renovations are made, and everyone moves back in.
“You’ve got to change on the fly,” said Tierney, sharing that, despite the constant momentum of his office, the department was able to unveil a Bias Crimes Unit, an Animal Crimes Unit, and Environmental Crimes Unit, and a Human Trafficking Unit, owing to the help of his executive staff.
Statistics
Tierney shared some public safety numbers that he proudly delivered as proof of his effectiveness after just one term, and as proof of concept for another four years. He recounted the pushback he received from some officials in starting a ShotSpotter program, a gunshot detection system that uses microphones and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to identify and locate gunfire in real time. Information is relayed directly to law enforcement. Tierney revealed that some were skeptical of the program, as collecting gun violence statistics would make the County and its various departments “look bad.”
“If we address the problem, it won’t matter what the numbers are, because we’ll have the results,” said Tierney, stating from 2023 to 2024, shooting victims dropped 33%. In the two years prior to his oath of office, Suffolk saw eighty (80) shooting incidents per year. The average number between 2022 and 2024 was forty-six (46) shootings. In the past year, Suffolk saw twenty-six incidents.
Tierney shared additional figures: the number of persons shot fell from eighty-four in 2021 to thirty-two in 2024 - a 62% decrease. Incidents of shots fired, regardless of those shots produced victims and without ShotSpotter, was 280. In 2024, with ShotSpotter, the number fell to ninety incidents - a 68% decrease.
The homicide rate fell about 39% this year, cratering at just fifteen homicides this year, the lowest rate in Suffolk County since the State began keeping that statistic in 1960.
The overall crime rate per 100,000 residents is 89. For perspective, the rate in Nassau County is 162.2; Westchester, 167.7; Albany, 397.2; Queens, 526.3.
“Suffolk County is the safest ‘big county’ in the State and one of the safest ‘big counties’ in the nation,” said Tierney. “And to my earlier critics who said, ‘you shouldn’t do ShotSpotter because it will make you look bad:’ if you do your jobs properly, everyone will look good.”
Looking Forward
Tierney spared no expense in decrying the criminal justice reforms passed by the State Legislature, adding his views on what he as a County prosecutor would need to make the work for his department easier.
“Let prosecutors argue dangerousness. Don’t let discovery reform affect cases; don’t let cases be dismissed on petty procedural grounds. Let all cases be discovered on the merits. It’s an easy fix to change our speedy trial statute,” said Tierney.
Tierney also hopes for more clarity on regulations regarding driving while intoxicated on marijuana, an offense that can be difficult for officers with which to charge a driver based on grounds of probable cause and insufficient methods of testing intoxication.
“We’re not asking for an enhanced penalty for our driving-while-drugged laws. We just want to treat drugged driving like we treat drunk driving; it doesn’t mean we’re anti-alcohol. It doesn’t mean we’re anti-marijuana; we’re pro-public safety.”
Tierney says that while the Suffolk delegation to the Assembly and Senate have been “great partners” in advocating for such State changes and bringing legislation to the floor, the Legislature at-large has not been proactive in passing such bills.
Tierney also pledged to continue fighting for the passage of Chelsey’s Law, as
“we need to reflect what’s happening on our streets. We need to have our laws reflect what’s happening in our communities.”
D.A. Tierney closed by thanking the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), represented Tuesday afternoon by Deputy Commissioners Kevin Catalina and Belinda Alvarez-Groneman, as well as Lou Civello, President of the Suffolk Police Benevolent Association (PBA). He owes the SCPD “99%” of his department’s success in prosecuting their cases and making Suffolk safer. He also thanked the Medical Examiner’s Office and the Crime Lab for their work in this era of cold cases and the opioid epidemic.
“Our homicides in 2024 were fifteen (15); historically low, but still too high,” said Tierney, and while overdose numbers for 2024 are not yet prepared, the 2023 figure serves as a decent metric.
“We have 465 overdose deaths, and each of those individuals mattered. We will continue to fight for those individuals. We’re going to continue to work to make Suffolk County safe and we will work to make law enforcement fair, accountable, and effective. We’re going to do that not just for the North Shore, the South Shore, the East End, or the West End. We are going to do those things for all of Suffolk County.”
Tierney now has just one year left in his first term and will be on the ballot this November with the Republican and Conservative lines for another four years.
The laughs. It’s every special moment.
The Moloney Family
Gene and Sue Murray (Credit - Matt Meduri)
Republicans Avoid a PR Nightmare and Prove They Can Handle Their Mandate
Republicans in Congress have successfully avoided a massive public relations nightmare by electing a Speaker on the first ballot, with relatively little intraparty fighting visible to the public.
The significance of this cannot be understated. Voters gave Donald Trump (RFL) a clear win - while we won’t go as far as to classify it as a landslide, it was still a definitive win of historic proportions in many parts of the country - along with a Republican-led Senate and a Republican-led House. There wasn’t much of a question of leadership in the Senate. Not only did Republicans have their eyes on John Thune (R-SD) as the new Majority Leader over the clearly ailing and aged Mitch McConnell (R-KY), but, in relative terms, they have a much more robust majority in their chamber than their counterparts in the House. Their 53-seat majority is the largest any party has had in the Senate since Republicans flipped four seats - for a net gain of two - in 2018. While not a massive majority, at least compared to Democrats’ 57-seat majority in 2008, it’s majority that will likely be more conducive to their agenda.
68th Congress in 1923 was the last time it took more than one ballot to elect a speaker, and the 36th Congress in 1859 was the last time it took more than nine ballots to elect a speaker. For context and trivia purposes, the record is 133 ballots during the 34th Congress in 1855, owing to sectional conflicts over slavery, anti-immigration, and the collapse of the Whig Party in favor of the nascent Republican Party.
In short, Republicans’ displays in January 2023 handed voters a difficult pill to swallow regarding their ability to govern and agree to disagree to keep the House in session. Republicans then committed another PR misstep in October 2023, by moving to vacate the Speaker’s chair - the first such occurrence in American history - a move which precipitated four rounds of votes until the GOP unified around Mike Johnson.
A big question going into this year was just how an even thinner Republican House majority would play out, especially with Trump’s populism coming to roost in a little over a week and intraparty fighting over a spending package to avert a government shutdown.
Republicans also successfully defended all of their seats in one cycle for the first time since 2014, which is somewhat owed to the rotation of seats up this year, but still speaks to the mandate nonetheless, in our opinion.
The House, on the other hand, has been decided by historically tenuous margins in each cycle since 2020. Republicans defied media expectations of a Democratic wave in the House to cement their 235-majority, only to leave Democrats clinging to a 222-seat quorum. Democrats returned the favor by defying the midterm curse and holding Republicans to an identical margin. This year, it was even thinner, with the GOP packing just a 220-seat majority.
The 2022 midterms were seen as wholly damaging to the GOP’s electoral prospects, as Democrats not only carried the single-issue banner of abortion across the finish line, but Trump-aligned or endorsed candidates lost easily winnable races. It was the left’s proof of concept that Trump, his allies, his surrogates, or even just his policies and persona, were unelectable. It’s what made them bullish on Harris and company’s prospects in 2024, but the momentum didn’t carry over.
Instead, Trump scored a historic win and perhaps the most extraordinary phoenix-from-the-ashes comeback this country has seen, at least politically, Republicans created a firm lock on the Senate that might be tough for Democrats to pick over the next couple of cycles, and a House majority, albeit a razor-thin one.
But in the interim, Republicans had a difficult time governing with the barebones majority voters gave them in 2022. It took fifteen ballots to elect Kevin McCarthy (R, CA-20) as speaker. For context, only fourteen other speaker elections required more than one ballot, thirteen of which occurred before the Civil War. The
Despite these contentions, Johnson took the gavel on the first try, allowing the party to display that they can agree to disagree on some differences, especially when it means demonstrating to the American public their ability to manage themselves. After all, a party that can’t manage itself doesn’t exactly make a good case for managing the country.
But despite the obvious objections of certain party members, especially between those of the House Freedom Caucus and the more “establishment” wing of the party, it’s a breath of fresh air to see a party disagree.
That’s the point. Parties are supposed to disagree. They’re not supposed to toe every line and rubber stamp every bill. Disagreement and even discord, at times, is what drives genuine conversations and change. In a way, Republicans can also demonstrate strength through leading by example, as Americans are unlikely to agree on certain hot-button issues, but still need to keep the presses running and the lights on.
It’s also refreshing to see Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elon Musk, Cenk Uygur - creator and host of The Young Turks, a progressive alternative media source - and Donald Trump, Jr., all agreeing on X, formerly known as Twitter, than that Pentagon requires some serious scrutiny. After failing massive audits for the better part of the last decade, it’s an unusual, and equally welcome, solution to solving our nation’s biggest problems.
We might not agree on everything, but putting away the 95% of items on which we disagree and working together to solve the 5% on which we do agree is an excellent start.
The Holtsville Ecology Site CAN Be Done Correctly
Many remember the Holtsville Ecology Site as a nostalgic zoo to which the kids could be brought to tour the greenhouse, feed the goats, and view unusual species from around the country, and even the world, all in a taxpayer-funded center conveniently located in the hamlet of Holtsville.
To boot, the original premise of the site is an admirable one: housing injured, socially incompatible, or otherwise unreleasable animals into the wild. It’s a concept that we can get behind, especially in light of the points made by opponents of for-profit zoos. It provides a similar level of entertainment and education but with a more humanitarian aspect.
Unfortunately, it seems the center has long eclipsed its heyday. If these allegations are true - although the photo evidence is fairly damning - then it is a complete travesty that the animals were as neglected as they were for as long as they were. Furthermore, should the allegations be proven, it’s a further travesty that such a great concept right in our own backyards couldn’t uphold its very basic creed.
We agree that an investigation is necessary and we hope for a speedy, transparent one.
However, we don’t think this has to be the end of the Holtsville Ecology Site. The proof of concept is there, as similar sites across the country operate
professionally, and again, why can’t we have an educational community center that can benefit the residents and animals simultaneously?
After the review is complete, leadership of the Ecology Site proper should be dealt with accordingly, whether that entails criminal charges or public admonishment. The punishment should fit the crime, and we’re sure there have been a lot of moving parts within the facility for years for it to have gotten this bad.
But once the house - and the center - are cleaned, both figuratively and literally, the site should be remediated and returned to the public for their own enjoyment, but also as a legitimate haven for unreleasable animals.
This can be done. Granted, it might take time for the Town to find and vet the proper candidates, but zoologists, animal behaviorists, veterinarians, surgeons, and even the assistants should all be top-shelf to continue the great work that can be done with this type of facility. Habitats should simulate natural habitats. Toys, activities, and other items should stimulate the animals. If they can’t be released for legitimate reasons, it doesn’t mean they have to serve as prisoners.
Allegations are allegations, but if they do stick, some real reckoning is required in Holtsville.
Rep. LaLota presents Speaker Johnson with Yankees jersey at a summer fundraiser in Nissequogue (Credit - Matt Meduri)
By Jim Soviero
Lifetime Long Islander Lee Zeldin for the EPA
Lifetime Long Islander Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump (R-FL) to serve as Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It’s a big job at a critical government bureau that requires someone with both an exemplary personal profile and legislative experience.
Lee’s personal story is marked by character-building milestones that give insight into his integrity, loyalty, tireless, detail-oriented work ethic, courage, and patriotism. After attending public schools in the William Floyd School District, he went to SUNY Albany to become, at that time, the youngest person to get a law degree in New York State. Zeldin received an Army ROTC commission. While serving as a second lieutenant in the famed 82nd Airborne during the Iraq War, he was called home. Lee’s wife Diana was in labor with twin girls, born at 25 1/2 weeks, and weighing less than 1 1/2 lbs. each. Lengthy hospital stays ensued.
virtually his entire life, Lee has been active in promoting legislation to protect environmentally sensitive lands and waterways. Here are some examples:
1) Helped preserve the Long Island Sound by working across the aisle to pass the America’s Water Infrastructure Act, which included reauthorization of EPA Long Island Sound funding at $40 million per year.
2) Annually led a bipartisan coalition to secure funding for Sea Grant, which supports American fishermen and oyster growers, protects U.S. beaches, and bolsters marine science research essential to local economies and the environment.
3) Permanently secured protection for Plum Island by successfully getting a new law passed blocking the sale of the island to the highest bidder.
4) Supported clean and green energy on L.I. by getting monies for research at Stony Brook University and Brookhaven National Laboratory.
On September 18, 2021, Lee announced he’d been diagnosed the previous November with Leukemia, was “in complete remission” and the disease had no impact on his work or Army Reserve duties.
During a July 21, 2022, event, while campaigning for NYS governor, Zeldin was attacked on stage by a man wielding a double-bladed weapon. The attacker was subdued, and Lee continued his barnstorming schedule.
Mr. Zeldin, whether it be good times or bad, has the ability to remain remarkably calm, focused, and empathetic to those around him. Having lived close to the shoreline
5) Led Democrats and Republicans in getting permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
At 44 years of age, Lee Zeldin has balanced a remarkable professional resume of resiliency and legislative successes with a wonderful family life. Lee’s shown he has the energy, intellect, and empathy to successfully meet the most difficult challenges. He’ll do the same while leading the EPA.
Jim Soviero is a small business owner and former Special Education Teacher. He worked with Congressman Zeldin on a number of issues, including cleaning up the Long Island Sound, the fentanyl crisis, and supporting law enforcement.
Support Carpenter’s Plans to Connect Airport to LIRR
By Ernie Fazio
The discussion about having the Southwest Airlines terminal at Islip-MacArthur Airport adjacent to the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) goes back many years. Paul Townsend, who was the editor of Long Island Business News, made that argument since before the terminal was built.
The idea of having a train that services the airport and leaves you a mile from the terminal makes absolutely no sense. Whatever the reason the terminal was built where it is, can no longer be justified, if it ever could.
Islip–MacArthur Airport is more convenient to those of us in Nassau and Suffolk, but if we want to make it more attractive to people who live in Queens and Brooklyn, we need to make that airport easier to access.
One suggestion to make the terminal more accessible is building a light rail to connect the LIRR and Islip-MacArthur, but what is wrong with that idea is that it may be very costly, and it probably would not be able to handle a large volume of
passengers. Another problem is that it would necessitate another loading of luggage.
After examining the situation, the best resolution appears to be moving the terminal near the LIRR station in Ronkonkoma. That is what Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter (R-West Islip) had in mind. Her proposal would include funding to build a new terminal at the northwest section of the airport. Unfortunately, the town council shot down the proposal by a 4-1 vote.
It is disappointing to see the Town Council disapprove of a forward-thinking initiative that would encourage more visitors to the airport while reducing traffic congestion. One council member said they are considering other options but gave no specifics.
Kudos to Supervisor Carpenter for taking an innovative, proactive approach on this issue. Too bad the town council stood in the way.
Ernie Fazio is the chairman of LIMBA (Long Island Metro Business Action).
Letter To The Editor
Keep Those Letters Coming...
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Larry Penner Long Time Reader and Frequent Letter Writer Great Neck
McCaffrey, Flotteron Re-Elected to Legislative Leadership Positions
By Matt Meduri
The start of each year warrants a reorganizational meeting for the County Legislature, in which leadership elections are held, rules are adopted, County newspapers are designated, and certain aspects of the horseshoe’s business are settled to chart the course of the next year.
One of those points of business, and perhaps the most important, is the selection of Presiding Officer and Deputy Presiding Officer. Both roles are typically of the majority party, but are elected to the positions with a full quorum of the Legislature.
But before business was handled, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) (pictured right) addressed the Legislature, offering an at-aglance perspective of what he and the eighteenmember body have accomplished in just one year.
“I wish Washington and Albany would take lessons from us because the partisanship that we sometimes see on a state and national level is more or less absent here,” said Romaine, who began his political career on the horseshoe in 1986. “The one thing that dominates this body is its common sense, and I want to thank you. This past year, you’ve adopted more than a thousand pieces of legislation, a thousand resolutions. As county executive, I vetoed none.”
Romaine shared some statistics highlighting such bipartisanship: over 220 new police officers 30 new deputy sheriffs added; the County’s ability to stay within its tax cap; four bond rating increases; $15 million appropriated for open space; a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that is now near the top in the State, as opposed to the bottom where it once was; the training of CPS workers; and the purchasing of cyber insurance.
Legislator Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) has served as Presiding Officer since Republicans won a majority in 2021, the first time the GOP captured the horseshoe since 2005. He has been re-elected each year to serve as Presiding Officer (PO) of the Legislature, culminating in his final win this year, as his sixth and final term expires January 1, 2026. His nomination was motioned by Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R-Centerport), who did so with the “utmost pleasure,” followed by a second from Majority Leader Nick Caracappa (C-Selden).
Caracappa recounted a 2013 meeting with McCaffrey, who was a trustee for the Village of Lindenhurst at the time, looking to run for Legislature in a Democratic-held seat. Caracappa, at the time, was a labor leader.
“It was a very easy decision after sitting down and having a conversation with you, your dedication to your community as a trustee in the Village of Lindenhurst, your dedication and commitment to the hard-working middle-class families of your members and all those in your community,” said Caracappa, adding that all of his commitments and promises have been kept. “Years later [2021], I was elected to this Legislature and got to sit with you. You were Minority Leader at the time, and not only did you guide me, you guided our entire caucus and I’ll never forget some of those lessons… you were always forthright and I appreciate that.”
Caracappa also heralded McCaffrey’s bipartisanship, in that he has worked with each Legislator to ensure peak representation of Suffolk constituents.
McCaffrey was re-elected as Presiding Officer 17-0, with Legislator Jim Mazzarella (R–Moriches) not present due to an excused absence. At last year’s
reorganizational meeting, Mazzarella supported McCaffrey.
McCaffrey was administered the oath of office by Suffolk County District Administrative Judge, the
Honorable Andrew Crecca (R-Hauppauge), who had represented the Twelfth District in the Legislature from 1999 to 2004, and returned to the center of the horseshoe after making his election official with the signing of the Clerk’s book, with County Clerk Vincent Puleo (R-Nesconset) present.
“In 2025, I look forward to finishing the work we started over the last several years. As always, public safety is a priority. And this year, we’ll hire 200 more police officers,” said McCaffrey, adding that this year’s budget will “provide more resources” for District Attorney Ray Tierney (R) and Sheriff Errol Toulon (D).
McCaffrey outlined some legislative accomplishments of 2024, including, but not limited to, the horsehoe’s unanimous stance against coordinated street takeovers, strengthened a bill - sponsored by Legislator Dominick Thorne (R-Patchogue) - that prohibited faulty and uncertified lithium batteries from being sold in Suffolk, as well as the end of the widely-panned red-light camera program, which McCaffrey said was “more about generating revenue than preventing accidents.”
However, he said that traffic safety remains a priority of the Legislature, and that other programs can be further scrutinized, such as work to “refine” the school bus camera program to get rid of the “gotchas,” referencing a tendency for motorists on multi-lane highways to be nailed with school-bus tickets from across multiple lanes and even a median. McCaffrey also highlighted his leadership on Proposition Two, a measure that passed this November that began with legislative Republicans making good on their promise to reintroduce the 2023 measure with better ratios for sewer funding.
McCaffrey also spoke of plans to continue the work on the most ambitious sewer projects across the county, including Holbrook, Oakdale, Mastic Beach, Deer Park, North Babylon, and Smithtown.
The next order of business was to select a Deputy Presiding Officer, a role that has been held by Legislator Steve Flotteron (R-Brightwaters) since Republicans took control of the horseshoe in 2021. His nomination was motioned by Legislator Thorne, who called Flotteron a “man of great integrity, honesty, and hard work.” His motion was seconded by Legislator Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville), who worked for Flotteron as a legislative aide until his own election in 2019.
“Steve is a nonstop worker for his community, whether it’s constituent services or legislation,” said
Piccirillo of his former boss, who called his two years as Flotteron’s aide as “great years of learning experience.”
“He was able to spearhead the Fire Island Wastewater Program. His work on water reuse and recharge to make sure we protect our single-source aquifer is an unprecedented move county-wide,” said Piccirillo, adding that Flotteron “always makes it a point” to return constituent phone calls and that problems are “resolved immediately rather than dying on the vine.”
Like McCaffrey, Flotteron was re-elected as Deputy Presiding Officer in a 17-0 vote, followed by the oath of office from Justice Crecca and a signature in Clerk Puleo’s book. Flotteron shared that, as Chair of the Public Safety Committee, public safety remains his “number one” priority and “the most important function of our County government.”
“Over the years, [we went] from one time fighting for making sure we had enough officers on the streets and having enough people in our [police] class, to now working on their [police] infrastructure and doing a review of the police headquarters and the precincts to make sure they have the proper funding,” said Flotteron, adding that buildings are “a lot of times, in deplorable shape.”
“I believe we’ve all been working in the same harmony together, regardless of political affiliation,” said Flotteron, including water quality as another issue important to him.
“In twelve years, we had twelve bond rate downgrades. In one year, we have had four bond rate increases, and that is with this Legislature working with the County Executive’s office,” said Flotteron, offering his seasoned fiscal opinions as Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee. “That is some terrific work. When we have to repave a street or build a bridge, it costs us less, which everybody saves on.”
Some rule changes were accepted and discussed, most of which were formatting changes, although a new change prohibits signs, placards, banners, and similar items from the meeting chamber, while video or audio recordings will not be allowed to be played by public speakers at the podium without prior approval. Recording audio or video of the meetings, for the public or press, will still be allowed.
The concern, according to Legislative Counsel William Duffy, Esq., was born of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and “deep fakes,” in which video or audio is completely manufactured, but can sound or look shockingly realistic.
The concern of banning display items is that they have been a distraction to members of the Legislature, as well as members of the public, who have had their abilities to hear, see, and participate in the meetings hindered. To this, Legislator Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) suggested the position of a sergeant-at-arms for the Legislature, a position the body has never had, with typical decorum procedures at will of the sheriffs who are regularly on standby to maintain the law and remove hecklers.
“I think it’s time for us to consider the maturation of this institution,” said Englebright, referencing the relative youth of the Suffolk County Legislature, which held its first elections in 1969. He compares to it ageold institutions like the State Legislature - in which he served for thirty years as an Assemblyman - and the U.S. Congress.
The Legislature adjourned after and set the course for 2025, with the next elections for the body to be held in November.
National, State, and Local Temperature Checks
By Matt Meduri
National
Pursuant to the results of the 2024 elections, the new U.S. House and U.S. Senate have been seated. With the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump (RFL), Republicans will govern the next two years, at least, with a trifecta, supplied by a 220-215 House majority and a 53-47 Senate majority.
The first order of business of the new Congress is to elect a Speaker, a move on which the certification of the presidential results depended, as a joint-session of Congress is required to certify the results, and, if no candidate received a majority of the 270 electoral votes, Congress would need to preside over the contingent elections.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R, LA-04) won the gavel on the first vote, a stark departure from GOP consensus in the House, which resulted in the historic ousting of then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R, CA-20) in October 2023 after just ten months on the job and the third-shortest Speaker tenure in history. What followed was a contentious series of ballots that produced several other high-profile names in GOP leadership, such as Congressmen Jim Jordan (R, OH-04), Steve Scalise (R, LA-01), and Tom Emmer (R, MN-06).
Republicans did not decide on a new Speaker until they backed Mike Johnson with 220 votes on October 25, with no Republican defections.
This year’s Speaker vote seemed destined for a path of similar contention, as a nominee requires a simple majority of the entire House, not just his or her party’s caucus, to obtain the gavel. Without a majority of the quorum, a Speaker cannot be elected. Three Republicans backed alternative nominees, including Congressman Emmer, while six Republicans did not respond to the initial roll call vote. At roll call, Johnson at 216 votes, just two short of the required majority. Two holdhouts in Ralph Norman (R, SC-05) and Keith Self (R, TX-03) backed Johnson after phone calls from President-elect Trump.
The final count resulted in 218 votes for Johnson (50.23%), 215 for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D, NY-08) (49.54%), with just one vote for Tom Emmer, substantiated by Congressman Thomas Massie (R, KY-04). Fallout over the race for the gavel was anticipated by a near-miss of a government shutdown, which resulted in passage with the endorsement of a spending package about a tenth of the size of the original bill.
Since the House election was handled quickly, Congress was able to certify the results of the presidential election, with Vice President Kamala Harris (D-CA) presiding over the count. No sitting vice president has lost an election, nor has he or she presided over the certification of such a loss since Al Gore (DTN) lost in 2000.
This year’s certification of presidential results was markedly different from those past: not a single objection was raised to any state’s results, a clear contrast from that of the 2020 election, and those of 2016, 2004, and 2000, the latter three of which Democrats objected to at least one state’s result in each of them.
With no faithless electors, Donald Trump’s win is now official: 312 electoral votes to 226 for Harris, the greatest margin in the Electoral College for a Republican since 1988, and with the third-smallest popular vote margin (1.5%) since 1888.
In other national news, the U.S. has been gripped by multiple terror attacks within an extraordinarily short period of time.
The first came out of New Orleans, where, around 3:00a.m. just off of Bourbon Street during New Years’ Day celebrations, a man drove a pickup truck through a crowd, killing fourteen and injuring thirty-five before being killed by police in an ensuing shootout.
The suspect is Shamsud-Din Jabbar, an American-born resident of Houston whose truck was found with an Islamic State (IS) flag. The FBI has determined that Jabbar was influenced by the IS, now categorizing the attack as an instance of domestic terrorism, as there is, as of now, no evidence there was a foreign direction behind the attack. Jabbar, a U.S. Army Veteran, has allegedly posted videos pledging his allegiance to the IS hours before the attack.
The same day saw a Tesla Cybertruck explode outside Trump Tower in Las Vegas around noon on New Years’ Eve, resulting in the death of the driver and injuries to seven others. The
attacker has been identified as Matthew Livelsberger, a U.S. Army Veteran, who committed suicide by gunshot immediately before the explosion. Livelsberger, an American-born, activeduty Special Forces soldier from Colorado Springs, was on leave from overseas duty.
Two letters were obtained by the FBI from his burnt phone, in which Livelsberger denied being a terrorist and admitted using explosives to make a political statement. A December 31 email manifesto was sent to Samuel Shoemate, a retired Army intelligence officer, in which Livelsberger claimed that he was under surveillance by U.S. agencies due to his knowledge of covert military operations and an alleged cover-up of war crimes during a 2019 U.S. airstrike on Afghanistan.
Interestingly, the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks were both perpetrated within just hours of each other, both terrorists had served at Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg), and both vehicles were rented using the same peer-to-peer carsharing service, Turo.
Finally, another New Years’ attack took place outside the Amazura Concert Hall in Queens around 11:15p.m. The venue was full of about ninety attendees for a private event, a vigil for sixteen-year-old Taerion Mungo, who was shot and killed last October. The shooting unfolded when fifteen people were on line outside the at-capacity venue when four men approached the crowd and fired about thirty shots. Ten teenagers were hurt in the shooting, but all were transported to either Jamaica Hospital or New York-Presbyterian Queens with non-lifethreatening injuries. All are expected to recover while law enforcement is actively canvassing local medical centers for any gunshot victims who might have gone unaccounted.
The four shooters fled the scene to 143rd Place, where they left in a light-colored sedan with New Jersey license plates. The NYPD is asking anyone with information to contact their hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. All calls and website tips are kept confidential.
State
Albany has welcomed new editions to the State Legislature. Democrats flipped three seats, while Republicans flipped two, giving Democrats a net gain of one seat, securing their supermajority hold of the lower chamber.
From Suffolk, the only seat to see turnover was that of the Fourth District, where former Port Jefferson Village Trustee and Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay (D-Port Jefferson) unseated one-term Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson) by a razor-thin margin. Also in Suffolk, the Eleventh District, which contains much of western Babylon Town and a small part of Massapequa Park, produced freshman Assemblyman Kwani O’Pharrow (D-West Babylon), who defeated Joe Cardinale (R-Amityville) by a single vote in the Suffolk portion of the district.
On the East End, the First District, which includes the South Fork, Shelter Island, Southold, and a few parcels of southeastern Brookhaven, saw the retirement of long-time Assemblyman Fred Thiele (D-Sag Harbor). He is replaced by Tommy John Schiavoni (D-Sag Harbor), who served as a Southampton Town Councilman until his election in November.
Outside Suffolk, Daniel Norber (R-Great Neck) unseated Assemblywoman Gini Sillitti (D-Manorhaven), becoming the first Republican to win an Assembly seat in the Town of North Hempstead in over fifty years. Noah Burroughs (D-Hempstead) held an open seat in the Eighteenth District, while Judy Griffin (D-Rockville Centre) won a third consecutive rematch with Brian Curran (R-Lynbrook), who had represented the seat since 2010, lost to Griffin in 2018, but reclaimed his seat in 2022.
Patrick Chludzinski (R-Cheektowaga) and Aron Wieder (D-Spring Valley) flipped seats for their respective parties and are now official members of the lower chamber. Thirteen freshman members held open seats for their party, three Republicans and ten Democrats.
Assemblyman Joe Sempolinski (R-Canisteo) offers an example of a rather unusual pivot in politics. He previously served in the U.S. House after winning a special election to represent NY-23 from September 2022 until January 2023.
Meanwhile, in the Senate, Republicans picked up only one seat, but successfully cracked the supermajority. The sole flip came in the Seventeenth District, a Brooklyn-based seat represented for just one term by Hong Kong-born Iwen Chu (D-Dyker Heights). Chu won the open seat in 2022 by a razorthin margin, only to lose to fellow Hong Kong-born Steven Chan (R-Bensonhurst). Chan is the first Asian-American Republican elected to the State Senate and the first Republican since 2018 to represent a Brooklyn-based seat. Contrary to the close margin of 2022, Chan ousted Chu by just under ten points. Democrats enjoy a 57.6% voter registration advantage in a district that is 44% Asian. The district includes Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, Bath Beach, Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Kensington, and Gravesend.
“It is an exciting time to return to Albany as we welcome our newest members to the Assembly Minority Conference. Each individual has a proven track record of hard work, professionalism and a deep love and respect for this great state,” said Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay (R-Pulaski). “While much work is ahead, I’m confident these new members will be instrumental in achieving great things for their districts and for our Conference. We are eager and united in our commitment to tackling the state’s most pressing issue and building a brighter future for New York.”
Moreover, members of Suffolk delegation’s Assembly Minority Conference start the year in leadership positions. Jarret Gandolfo (R-Sayville) will serve as Minority Leader Pro Tempore, Doug Smith (R-Holbrook) will serve as Minority Whip, and Michael Fitzpatrick (R-St. James) will serve as Chairman of the Program Committee.
Local
Last month, Suffolk County Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) announced a project for sewage effluent reuse at the Bergen Point Wastewater Treatment Plant in West Babylon. The plan consists of using treated effluent to irrigate the adjacent golf course and for the plant’s own internal workings.
“This is one of ten county wastewater treatment plants that we are currently considering for water reuse,” said Romaine. “By utilizing what otherwise would have been a byproduct, we can decrease the pressure on our aquifer by hundreds of millions of gallons a year and even help recharge the aquifer.”
The project is based on a successful model from Riverhead, who utilized their town-owned plant to irrigate the nearby golf course. The reuse system at Bergen Point is expected to be operational within the next two years, and is estimated to save 20 million gallons of water per year on irrigation alone. Internal plant reuse can save up to two million gallons per day. Legislators Tom Donnelly (D-Deer Park) and Ann Welker (D-Southampton) joined Romaine to endorse the decision, as well as demonstrate the bipartisanship of the idea in tandem with Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) and Deputy Presiding Officer Steve Flotteron (R-Brightwaters).
CreditMatt Meduri
President Trump gestures at his crowd at Nassau Coliseum in September 2024 (Credit - Matt Meduri)
Angela’s House: Spreading Holiday Cheer to Those in Need
By Ashley Pavlakis
While the holidays were in full swing, between all the chaos of rushing around buying gifts and planning time to spend with family, the Spadalik family was fundraising to give back to Angela’s House in honor of their older brother, Jake, this holiday season.
The Angela’s House Fundraiser in memory of Jake Spadalik has raised $11,225, surpassing their goal of $10,000. All proceeds go directly to Angela’s House to help the children and their families.
“Our family has done a few different fundraising events in the past. This is the first year that Ricky and I have decided to do something on our own. We wanted to do something in memory of our brother and honor Angela’s House for their amazing work since it has been ten years since he passed,” the Spadalik family told The Messenger
In December of 2010, Jake Spadalik passed away. He grew up with a rare genetic disease called Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy. The disease affected his muscle control, vision, speech, and intellectual development. His younger siblings, Julia and Ricky, have since taken to giving back to Angela’s House in any way they can. The family is forever grateful for the organization and everything they did to help Jake during his time there.
“Jake was such a big part of our lives. We spent countless hours in his room—Julia reading him books while I, too young to read well, pretended to read by mumbling along. We watched him get on and off the bus every day and shared meals together when he and his nurse joined us for breakfast and dinner. In the summer, he’d float on a raft while we swam in the pool. Every holiday, we made it a tradition to decorate his room at Angela’s House, and every Christmas, when Jake lived at home, he was right there with us as we opened our presents. The best way to describe our relationship is simple: Jake was always by our side,” said R. Spidalik.
Angela’s House is a nonprofit organization that seeks to provide support and care to medically fragile children. The organization has three houses on Long Island equipped to provide the necessary extensive care for these children.
Aside from helping the children directly, they also help the child’s family. In doing so, they provide the proper medical supplies, assistive technology, home modifications, counseling, advocacy, and crisis assistance amongst other things.
“They seriously took a huge weight off my family’s shoulders now that we knew he was getting the best care he could. I realize now that I’m older that it would have been very difficult if they did not come into our lives at the time they did. With Jake’s genetic disorder (Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy), the life expectancy is about 5-10 years, he ended up living until he was 16 years old. Jake was definitely a tough cookie, but I also believe that his nurses, family, friends and the over-the-top care that Angela’s House provided had a lot to do with it.
Angela’s House is giving families the medical assistance they need to get through everyday life. The responsibility of taking care of a loved one is unique, to say the least. As humans, we’re only built to do so much before it becomes too much to handle.
Angela’s House makes it easier for families to provide the necessary care needed for their children by relieving that pressure.
“My mom used to do all the care for Jake herself and one day while she was at his school, someone asked her, ‘who is helping you?’ My mom was super confused and said ‘no one,’ to which the woman replied that she had to get in touch with Bob Policastro and Angela’s House. This ultimately changed my family’s life and Angela’s House began helping us to get the care, support, and equipment Jake needed. They even put Michelle in our lives, one of Jake’s nurses, who worked with him from a young age until he passed,” said J.Spidalik.
It’s the season of giving as they always say. Angela’s House made a difference to the lives of Jake Spidalik and his family in a multitude of ways. For that, they’re forever grateful.
In Memoriam: Louis J. DeBole
By Ashley Pavlakis
Longtime coach and member of the Smithtown Community, Louis J. DeBole passed away December 28, 2024. Debole was beloved by all who had the honor of crossing paths with him. He is survived by his sons, Stephen and Thomas, and his grandchildren.
DeBole grew up in Astoria in the late 1930s. In a true New Yorker fashion, Debole, a baseball guru, went on to play baseball at Queens College. During his three years with the Knights, DeBole pitched an 18-7 record before graduating in 1960. The righthanded pitcher set a few records in a Knights uniform, leaving his mark on the program was just the beginning of his legacy.
“He [DeBole] had a tremendous impact on a lot of the young baseball players as far as sportsmanship of the game. In that nature he’s impacted a lot of the youth here in the town of Smithtown with baseball instruction,” said Tom McCaffrey, the Superintendent of Recreation in Smithtown.
DeBole spent over thirty-five years as a member of the Smithtown Central School District in various capacities. He taught middle school science from 1964 to 1996 in addition to coaching baseball. Post-teaching, DeBole served as the Smithtown Township Recreation Department Baseball Camp Director, having held the position for roughly twenty-eight years.
Passionate, dedicated, caring, and kind-hearted are all characteristics that could be used to describe Louis J. DeBole. Whether it was on the diamond, behind the bench, or even just in everyday life, DeBole gave it his all in everything he did in his joyous 86 years on earth. Baseball was a large part of his life, one fact that remained true until the end.
DeBole found joy in playing and coaching. Youth sports are a wonderful thing,
especially when you get to watch a young child grow and mature into a quality athlete who has a strong love and passion for the DeBole continued to foster that development over the years. Every kid signed up to play meant the sport kept growing.
“The camps were very popular. There were three, two-week sessions held at Gaynor Park as well as an advanced camp that was held for two-week sessions at Browns Road Fields,” McCaffrey told The Messenger
DeBole was still present at camp this past summer, helping his staff load and unload the equipment onto the field.
A Louis DeBole Scholarship Fund has been created in honor of DeBole.
“It was created through the Smithtown Children’s Foundation. It’s basically a branch of it where, if you would like to donate in Lou DeBole’s name to help anyone looking for assistance for baseball camp, or assistance with college Smithtown East and West,” said McCaffrey.
Baseball and Louis DeBole were synonymous with each other, no doubt. While he’s no longer with us, his everlasting impact on the game of baseball and the Smithtown youth will forever be felt by those who step out onto the diamond each day.
“It was his passion [baseball] that he loved to pass onto others.”
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
County News
SCPD Officer Clinging to Life After Horrific Crash
By Hank Russell
A Suffolk County police officer is fighting for his life, and a suspect is under arrest after a horrific crash that sent the officer’s vehicle off the road.
On January 5, Highway Patrol Officer Brendon Gallagher was conducting a traffic stop on westbound Long Island Expressway, near exit 55, when Cody Fisher, who was driving a 2021 Ford Mustang, sped past the officer. Gallagher, who is a member of the recently created Street Takeover Task Force, activated his lights and sirens in an attempt to pull Fisher over, when Fisher lost control of his vehicle and sideswiped Gallagher’s SUV. The SUV left the roadway and overturned at approximately 6:10p.m.
The Mustang also went off the road and struck a light post. Two off-duty Nassau County police officers, Timothy Deegan and Matthew Walling – both of whom recently graduated from the academy — happened to be at the scene. One assisted in arresting Fisher, while the other helped get Gallagher out of the vehicle.
Fisher, 29, of Brentwood, was transported to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. He was released and charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, second-degree assault, second-degree unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle and second-degree reckless driving. He was arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on January 6.
At a press conference held on January 6 at Stony Brook University Hospital — where Gallagher was admitted after the crash and is still there — Acting Police Commissioner Robert Waring said Fisher was driving “at 95 to 100 miles per hour” when he struck Gallagher’s vehicle. Waring said it took emergency personnel on the scene “over 30 minutes to extricate [him] from the vehicle.”
Dr. James Vosswinkel, chief of the hospital’s Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care Center, said that, when Gallagher came in, he had “a belly full of blood” and a
tear in his abdominal wall that “I have never seen in my 23 years as a doctor.” He also said that Gallagher is currently on life support, so “the next 24 to 48 hours are very critical.”
Because Fisher hit the officer’s car, and not the officer himself, the offense was not baileligible, which did not sit well with those at the press conference.
“New York State failed this officer and now he is fighting for his life,” Suffolk PBA President Lou Civello, who called Gallagher “an absolute hero.”
“You shouldn’t almost have to kill a police officer to hold you on bail. These laws have no teeth. I’m telling the state Assembly and the state Senate: do your job!”
Civello called these vehicles like what Fisher drove “instruments of terror,” adding, “We should be taking these [vehicles] off the road and crushing them.”
County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) called it “a sad day” to have an officer like Gallagher on life support due to someone else’s recklessness. “[Someone like Fisher] endangers everyone’s life on the road and endangered the life of a police officer.”
This is not the first time Gallagher was injured on the job. In 2022, he was stabbed by a suspect in Medford. Waring said, when he returned to the job, he was offered “a desk job” until he was fully healed, but, instead, wanted to go back on patrol.
Gallagher has been on the force for three years, Waring said. He received numerous honors, including two department recognitions, a Purple Heart medal, a Combat Gold medal, and was named Cop of the Year. Waring also noted that Gallagher had “a great attitude, a great personality, and he made everybody laugh.”
Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) added. “As the dad of a police officer, my heart is sick. “[Gallagher] is the type of police officer we need.”
This article originally appeared in Long Island Life and Politics. For more from LILP, visit them online at lilifepolitics.com.
Officer Gallagher’s car the night of the crash (Credit - SCPD)
Continued from front cover
Smithtown Matters
Public Hearing Held on Town Code Changes for Rail Yard
The rail yard has been proposed by Toby Carlson of Carlson Corp., the current proprietor of the land. The Surface Transportation Board (STB), a federal agency tasked with overseeing the railroad industry, recently deemed the area suitable for the rail yard, followed by similar assent from the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
Currently, there is no application before the Town, nor has the project been approved for construction. The Town held their own public hearing for the purpose of collecting comments for their own environmental review and the potential Town Code changes to accommodate a project, should it be approved. The hearing dealt with amendments to Chapters 322 and 177 of the Town Code, the former entitled “Zoning,” and the latter entitled “Solid Waste Management,” to change the definitions of both as it relates to “rail freight terminals and rail transfer stations,” as well as wood chipping in relation to the former and mulching facilities in the latter.
“This public hearing is strictly code changes for the specific purpose of coinciding with the new comprehensive master plan that the Town Board has put in place,” said Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park) (pictured right).
“We’re here tonight because we agree with you; we do not agree with it either,” said Wehrheim at the end of the meeting regarding the result of the STB’s environmental study, the appeal of which, led by the Townline Association, was rejected last month.
opposed to the project. The few supporters of the project were heckled by the audience, often requiring Supervisor Wehrheim to intervene and the clerk to stop the clock.
A long-time Fort Salonga resident who described herself as having grown up in an “LIRR family” said her concern was of steel dust blown into the air from the tracks and wheels, stating it can lead to pulmonary problems with excessive exposure.
“We found some flaws in that system [STB] too, which is why we’re here to do a full environmental impact study by a consultant and all of your comments and concerns will be taken into effect again before this [Town] Board makes any decisions on whether or not this facility gets built.”
Peter Hans, Town Planning Director, presented the draft code amendments. The Town’s Zoning Ordinances currently prohibit rail transfer stations throughout the entirety of the Town, but the closure of the Brookhaven Landfill is stated as the primary reason.
“The Planning Department has been working in conjunction with the Town Department of Environmental Water Waste and the Town Attorney’s Office to draft several proposed ordinance amendments,” said Hans. The proposed ordinance amendment would allow rail transfer stations as a “special exception” use in the area zoned for Heavy Industrial (HI). “The amendment would allow such uses to handle uncontaminated recyclables, construction and demolition debris, incinerator ash, and some yard waste. However, it would maintain the prohibition of transfer stations for other waste streams, including municipal solid waste and hazardous waste. The proposed amendment includes ten criteria that would need to be satisfied in order to be eligible for special exception approval.”
Hans says that some of the criteria include requirements for buffers, height and size restrictions of train cars, environmental monitoring, and proof of compliance with DEC regulations. The proposed ordinance amendment would also include the addition of the term “rail freight terminal” to the zoning language.
“We’re also informed that there’s going to be a sports complex that’s going to be somewhere near this rail yard. Kids playing outside will be inhaling this,” said the resident. “They’re not informed that they’re going to be exposed to this,” she added, analogizing the situation to that of a coal miner, an adult who can make informed decisions about health risks from an environment. Children, to her point, cannot.
Nigel Lee, a Bread and Cheese Hollow Road resident, called the rail yard a “pet project” of Carlson Corp.
“They have a monopoly on the trucking facilities that are going to be built on the site,” said Lee. “I believe that we in Smithtown moved into this area and paid taxes based on the residential zoning laws. Now, we are arbitrarily changing them to heavy industrial, which will be adjacent to our houses, which will decrease the value of our houses. Therefore, our property taxes should be readjusted down.”
Another Fort Salonga resident, one who still lives in the same house that she grew up in, raised the issue of the train trellis, stating that her years-long commutes to and from New York City were “white knuckle” experiences for her.
“The train shook; I thought the whole bridge was going to collapse. I can’t imagine that trellis holding up with the weight that’s going to be on that if we’re pulling all the debris there,” said the resident, adding that residents of East Palestine, Ohio, received the same “environmental assurances.” The reference is to a February 2023 incident, in which thirty-eight train cars carrying hazardous materials derailed outside the Ohio town, prompting health and cleanup concerns for months.
“Essentially, this use is much like a warehouse that is served by rail. This use would only be allowed in the L.I., the light industrial, and H.I., heavy industrial zones, by TownBoard Special Exception use in the H.I. zoning district. It establishes four criteria that would need to be satisfied in order to be eligible for approval,” said Hans, listing limitations on maximum height, an area of outdoor storage, and screening. Hans added that the Department of Environment and Waterways has reviewed the amendment and has recommended a State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) Study, requiring an additional Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), owing to the numerous concerns with the proposed amendment.
Hans also says that when the STB released their draft environmental assessment for Townline Rail, the Town Planning and Environmental Departments outlined concerns in writing such as “effects on groundwater, noise, site operations, amount of material to be handled, air quality impacts, and impacts on the existing roadway network.”
“These environmental concerns require greater study and, therefore, it is being recommended that the SEQRA positive declaration (pos-dec) be adopted,” said Hans. Should the Town Board adopt all or some of the amendments, only then would Carlson Corp. be able to submit a proposal, but that proposal would have to satisfy the special exception criteria and would be the subject of its own public hearings.
Public Comments
The Eugene Cannataro Senior Center in St. James played host to a packed house that overflowed into the hallways and the lobby, full of residents eager to voice their concerns for the public record, the vast majority of whom have been and remain
Joanne Lukinski, a Smithtown resident and member of the Environmental Information Association (EIA) (pictured left), spoke in support of the project, calling it “an opportunity for our community to move forward with an innovative solution that balances development with environmental responsibility.”
“Their [STB] findings were based on rigorous analysis and scientific data that shows that this project combines environmental and physical goals of scientists and the community,” said Lukinski. “I believe the local SEQRA review would only confirm what the federal review has already demonstrated. We cannot let baseless objections hold back the growth and opportunities this project promises.”
Nicholas Chipollo, of Commack, accused the Town Board of, from “day one,” “not considering possible alternatives to the freight yard or of the impact it could have” on the community, namely impacts to wildlife and drinking water.
“What about the impact it could have on the value of our homes, which most Long Islanders have for their retirement plan? What about the health of our seniors and our children, which can be vulnerable if our single-use aquifer is tainted by toxic ash?” asked Chipollo.
Michael Masino voiced his opposition on the grounds that he lives just fifty yards from the boundary of the property and that he is “devastated” over the possibility of his young children being exposed to pollution from fumes, waste, light pollution, and noise pollution.
“What happens when one of these trains derails like it did in Ohio? Will it smash through my house? It’s close enough,” said Masino.
Will Flowers, representing “waste management,” said that among the near-three million people who live in both Nassau and Suffolk counties, each resident generates about five pounds of garbage per day.
“Smithtown is generating more than 580,000 pounds of waste every single day. So, we do need a system to manage that waste. We need to talk about every tool in the toolbox,” said Flowers, adding that the rail solution, while not the “only” one, is the most “environmentally sound” one.
“Rail does reduce congestion on roadways, it saves roads and bridges from damage from heavy trucks, it results in cleaner air - specifically less particulate matter, less volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and less greenhouse gases,” said Flowers.
A retired special ed teacher from Commack who lives behind the United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) center shared her concerns of truck traffic that could be generated from the plant.
“There are residents within the UCP Center who I am sure will have issues with noises from trucks at all times of day and evening. Currently, you can hear the sounds of large trucks making their way north and south on that road. In the summer, the smell of diesel can often be detected. We are also concerned with the increase of traffic in the area,
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Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
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Smithtown Matters
Public Hearing Held on Town Code Changes for Rail Yard
an area which has had numerous car accidents that have resulted in a loss of life,” she said, adding that Indian Head Road is a common route used by high-school students during the school year.
A Commack mother of two young children stated her reason for moving to the area was for the “safety and quiet” of Smithtown.
“What’s going to happen when it’s no longer safe for my children, or other children?” What’s going to happen when no more young families want to move into the town? There’s going to be no more community if no one wants to move here because this is here,” she said, asking if it would even be safe for her kids to play on the playground at their school with “constant trucks up and down the street.”
Her comments were echoed by a neighbor, who moved to Smithtown from the Upper East Side for the same reason, adding that she wants to expand their family but is “scared to be pregnant” if the rail yard should be constructed.
Charles Voorhis, of Nelson, Pope, and Voorhis, a Meville-based environmental planning firm (pictured left), spoke in favor of the “process” and the provision of “environmental context” from the Town Board.
“Railroad lines provide a major opportunity to promote intermodal transportation. Rail transport is more sustainable with less environmental impacts when compared to truck transportation. The ability to reduce truck traffic activity on roads within the town has the potential to provide community benefits,” said Voorhis. “Both Suffolk County and New York State support wider use of rail transport.
The New York State Climate Action Council of 2002 recommended wider use of rail freight. Suffolk County’s Comprehensive Master Plan, referred to as the ‘framework for the future,’ also seeks to build a Twenty-First Century transit network and one of those priority actions is to promote and expand freight rail use and reduce truck traffic.”
Voorhis added that the 2024 comprehensive master plan notes that “heavy industry only makes up about 1.3% of the entire town, with major areas located in Kings Park,” with a majority of the Town’s heavy industrial zones south of the tracks, north of Old Northport Road, and west of Sunken Meadow. Voorhis also believes that the special exception criteria is an “excellent way” to manage such a project.
Before closing, Voorhis stated that the Suffolk County Management Report for Solid Waste provides EPA estimates that “shifting 10% of long-haul freight from the highway to the rail would reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than twelve million tons.”
Joseph Tergiano, a six-year resident of Kings Park from Queens, then Seaford, said that he no longer wants to hear of children in his young son’s class becoming sick with cancer.
“A lot of that has to come from waste staying on site. We need to have a solution on both sides. Trucking is dangerous; if a truck spills, the hazard that it has on the roads, in the air, on the property, and anywhere nearby is horrendous,” said Tergiano. He said that if mitigation plans for noise, pollution, and dust contamination are in place, as well as if the plant would, as he has heard, keep the materials in barrels, that those factors “should try to help the solution with dust being in the air.”
“Let’s vote cleanly and clearly here; not just dollars and cents,” said Tergiano.
Linda Henniger, co-president of the Townline Association, asserted that there “is no crushing waste crisis in Suffolk,” that C&D debris can be taken to other facilities, and that Brookhaven will receive ash until 2028.
“There is time for thoughtful and regional consideration,” said Henniger. “Life is hard enough as it is without our own Town government making it harder.”
A fellow co-president said that a “regional freight yard and transloading facility located near 150 feet from people’s bedroom windows and on top of a deep recharge area of the sole source aquifer, which is strictly protected by Article 7 of the Suffolk County Sanitary Code, is totally inappropriate and irresponsible.”
Keith McCartney, President of the Fort Salonga Association, says that he has lived on Bread and Cheese Hollow Road since 1957, a time at which he says the area was “plentiful with shallow wells,” but now, the water is “no longer safe to drink” as a result of the pollution from south of Pulaski Road. He also says that the air is no longer breathable when the “wind blows from the south with visible particles” landing on cars.
“Now, we are taking a decision to promote the environment to be further polluted with the introduction of new contributors, if allowed,” said McCartney.
Diane Calderone, of Fort Salonga, called the plan a “square peg in a round hole,” while John Rigrod (pictured left) told The Messenger after the hearing that, while he can see the logic in shipping waste off-island via rail, he feels the proposal is “shooting a mouse with a shotgun” in terms of size and scope.
The meeting took an interesting turn when the man behind the project himself took the podium: Toby Carlson (pictured below).
“My family has been in this town since 1880,” said Carlson, sharing that his family has had to move due to eminent domain at request of the Town Board twice since then, the first time being when his family farm was replaced with the current Kings Park High School, and the second time from a factory that “invented the concrete cesspool in our town” when the Town create a municipal parking lot.
“In 1960, the town’s population was 60,000 people. In 1960, each person made three pounds of waste each; now, it’s six. But unlike our town and other towns, we are not prepared for it,” said Carlson. “The amount of waste that we have to move on a daily basis is staggering. We are working around the clock to keep things functioning. I am here not to propose something to happen, but I’m asking you and I’m asking the town board and the people to study it. I commit to you that if you study it under a full SEQRA environmental application and you can find something that is gravely wrong with this, we are not going to build it.”
Mike Rosato said that the rail terminal, if in compliance with Town Code, “would be the most transformative project in Smithtown in over fifty years,” adding that the project has been “carefully considered for several years as the most economically and environmentally sound method of removing our community’s waste after the last of Long Island’s operational landfills are permanently closed.”
Wendy Haverman, of Commack, accused Rosato and Carlson of having been business partners and that Rosato supports the project because his boss, Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) does. She also asserted that Carlson lives in New Jersey.
Rosato and Carlson both conferred to The Messenger that they were never business partners to any degree. Rather, Rosato served as a president and a vice president of the Kings Park Civic Association in the late 2000s to early 2010s, a time during which the group came to Carlson, then an industrial figure whose consultation the civic group would seek to address industrial problems, to help remediate the Steck-Philbin landfill, a twenty-five-acre facility located on Old Northport Road that was abandoned by its owners in the 1990s.
“The former owners used to let people come in the middle of the night and dump toxic material into that landfill. When I was president of the Kings Park Civic Association, I was told about the landfill and how it was sitting there idle and how the County was forced to pay the property taxes on the property and nobody was cleaning it up,” Rosato told The Messenger. Rosato tried to bring the site to the County’s attention, eventually grabbing the interest of Sarah Lansdale, who had just taken over the County’s Planning Department at the time.
Rosato proposed to the County that the site become part of the County’s Land Bank, who he said “struggled” to get the Lank Bank going.
“I went to Toby and asked if he could help remediate the property and reuse it for a solar farm. Toby has all the materials, machinery, and the know-how,” said Rosato, at this point, several years after his initial conversations with Lansdale. “He [Carlson] took part in the capping of the Smithtown landfill, so I knew he would be the perfect guy, considering he’s local.”
Rosato says that the plan to remediate the site was eventually killed by Linda Henniger, co-president of the Townline Association, over what he recalls as Henniger’s complaints of “disturbing the vegetation.”
“The County refused to sign our contract and we put in a bid for the adjacent site of the former Izzo Tire Dump, five acres right next to the Steck landfill,” said Rosato. “The property was then sold to Michael Cox, who has never been in compliance with Town Code for thirty-five years.”
Rosato currently works for Legislator Trotta two days per week specifically on open space preservation.
Carlson told The Messenger he moved back to Kings Park four years ago.
Public comments on the Town Code changes for the rail project may be submitted in writing to the Town Clerk at 99 Main Street in Smithtown until January 21, 2025.
Thursday, January 9, 2025
The Necessary Standard for American Education
The Electoral College Vote Count
By Matt Meduri
Making the results of the presidential election official is a quadrennial process that is rooted in the U.S. Constitution. The process culminates in Congress’ certification of the vote count, making it the last obligation before a new President is sworn in.
Background
Donald Trump (R-FL) was elected as the Forty-Seventh President in November, capturing 312 electoral votes from thirty-one states (and one congressional district in Maine) to Vice President Kamala Harris’ 226 from twenty-nine states (and one congressional district in Nebraska, as well as the District of Columbia).
This column will seek to address the long-forgotten concept of civics and how it relates to American government in general, from the federal level to the local level. This column will explore Constitutional rights, the inner workings of government, the electoral process, and the obligations and privileges of citizens.
Contrary to popular belief, the public does not directly elect their presidential candidates; rather, they vote for a slate of electors who pledge to vote for their party’s candidate should the public instruct them to. Each state’s political parties produce their own slates of electors, which consist of elected officials, party leaders, dignitaries, or close friends of the candidates. The party who wins a state will see their respective slate of electors vote to certify the results in their candidate’s favor.
For example, New York produced two slates of electors, one in the event of Harris win (which is what occurred) and one for a Trump win. Had Trump won New York, an entirely different slate of electors would have voted to certify his win.
The electors meet in their respective state capitals to produce two documents to be sent to Congress, a Certificate of Ascertainment and a Certificate of Vote. The former certificate is an official document that identifies the state’s appointed electors to the Electoral College, usually by writing the tally of popular votes each slate of electors received, denoting which one was the victorious slate. The Certificate of Ascertainment is signed by the governor and is then sent to the Archivist of the United States. The certificate must bear the state seal, but the states have the liberty to decide the physical layout and other details of the document.
The Certificate of Vote is the document signed by each of the electors. The document must also bear the state seal.
The Office of the Federal Register inspects the documents to ensure all necessary information is present. Each state is required to produce seven original certificates with two certified copies, for a total of nine originals. Both the House and the Senate receive one of the copies that are sent to the Archivist.
One pair of the documents is sent to the President of the Senate - the U.S. Vice President - two pairs are sent to the Archivist, two are sent to each state’s secretary of state, and one pair is sent to the chief judge of the closest U.S. District Court. One of each of the two pairs sent to the Archivist and the secretaries of state are used for public display and inspection. The other copies are “held subject to order of the President of the United States Senate.”
The Counting Procedure
The Electoral Count Act of 1887 sets the rules of procedure. Once the electoral results are finalized and certificates are produced and sent to the Archivist, the final step in the process is for the sitting vice president,
that is, not the vice presidential nominee just elected, must receive and open each envelope of certificates, read them aloud to a joint session of Congress, and open the floor to objections in each state.
Under Section 4 (3 U.S.C. §15), Congress is required to be in session on January 6 following the election. Under the Twentieth Amendment, the joint session is conducted by the newly elected Congress, rather than the outgoing Congress, for the purpose of certifying the new president and vice president under the most representative Congress. A lame-duck Congress might be of different partisan composition, or majority parties might have changed during the concurrent presidential election. Not only does this change the power dynamic when it comes to possibly objecting to presidential results in each state, but a lame-duck House would also have the power to choose the president, the lame-duck Senate would chose the vice president, in the event that no candidate received 270 electoral votes, a majority of the 538 available.
This creates extra pressure for the House and Senate to elect leaders, primarily a House Speaker. This year, Republicans entered the new Congress with a razor-thin 220-seat majority. Speaker Mike Johnson (R, LA-04) won on the first round of voting, a stark departure from the 2023 reorganization, where Kevin McCarthy (R, CA-20) was elected on the fifteenth ballot. Without a House Speaker, the rules are suspended, no legislation moves the floor, and the Clerk of the House acts as presiding officer until a Speaker is selected.
Since the House chose a Speaker, Congress was able to convene in a joint session to certify the results. Had they not, a Speaker pro tempore could have been selected to continue the count, with the House returning to the Speaker election afterward. Even without a congressional certification, the Twelfth and Twentieth amendments stipulate that Biden’s and Harris’ terms would have expired at noon on January 20. Constitutional language is sufficient to supply Trump and Vance with a transition of power, even if Congress hadn’t determined the winner of the election.
However, some commentators argue that under the Twentieth Amendment and the Presidential Succession Act would mean that if no president and vice president are selected under the Electoral Count Act, the Speaker of the House would serve as acting president. Without a House Speaker, the line of succession falls on the President pro tempore of the Senate, a position elected by the entire body and one that is usually reserved for the most senior Senator of the majority party. It is a
constitutionally mandated position, but without formal specifications on who can serve. The president pro tempore cannot cast tie-breaking votes in an evenly-divided Senate, as opposed to the vice president.
Under this theory, had Congress not certified the presidential results, and had the House not elected a Speaker, President pro tempore of the Senate Chuck Grassley (R-IA) would have served as acting president.
Two “tellers” - vote readers - must be “previously appointed” by the Senate, and two by the House. The vice president then opens all certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical state order. The contents are then handed to the four tellers.
The vocal counting allows for members of Congress to object to a state’s results. Objections must be resolved before counting continues. For objections to be considered and voted on, it must be made in writing and made by at least one member of the House and one member of the Senate. Notable objections include those of Democrats to Ohio’s results in 2004 - the state had backed President Bush (R-TX) - as well as those in ten states won by Trump in 2016. Republicans attempted objections in six states flipped by Joe Biden (D-DE), while two - Arizona and Pennsylvania - were defeated.
The 2024 election results saw no objections on Monday, and Kamala Harris became the first sitting vice president to preside over his/her own loss since Al Gore (D-TN) read aloud the results in 2001.
With the House and Senate now sworn in and with elected leadership, and with the results certified and heard, Trump and Vance are now set to be sworn in on January 20.
What Happens During Objections?
Should at least one member of the House and at least one member of the Senate provide their objections to a state’s results in writing, the chambers meet separately to deliberate. Each objecting member may speak on the matter for five minutes individually. After two hours of debate, the presiding officer of each chamber must “put the main question without further debate,” with Section 7 stating that the joint session of Congress cannot be dissolved “until the count of electoral votes shall be completed and the result declared.”
The two chambers then reconvene to vote by a simple majority to concur with the objection. If both chambers affirm the objection, and if such an objection(s) results in neither candidate receiving at least 270 votes, the Twelfth Amendment dictates that the House select the president in voting bloc fashion. Members would cast one vote per state based on the partisan makeup of their delegation. This is a reason why winning a majority of House seats within a state can be a valuable insurance of a party, should their candidate be in the historically rare position of a contested election.
This was almost a reality in 2004, when thirty-two Democrats voted to throw out Ohio’s twenty electoral votes, which would have brought President Bush under 270 electoral votes, all other states’ votes intact. Senators, on the other hand, pick the vice president, one vote per Senator.
Three Village Students Give Back with Stuff-A-Bus Initiative
The Murphy Junior High School student government carried out its annual Stuff-A-Bus campaign on December 17, collecting hundreds of toy donations from students across the district. Murphy students rode in a school bus to Mount, Minnesauke, and Arrowhead Elementary Schools, collecting donations the elementary students received during their respective toy drives. They loaded up the bus with toys, puzzles, books, and games, which were brought to the Gerald J. Ryan Outreach Center in Wyandanch.
Hauppauge Students Bring Biology to Life with Frog Dissection
On December 18, seventh grade students in Mr. Pernice’s Regents living environment class at Hauppauge Middle School had the exciting opportunity to dissect a frog as part of their hands-on science curriculum.
The dissection marked the culmination of a unit focused on human body systems. Before the frog dissection, students first practiced
their skills by dissecting a chicken wing and then a sheep’s heart after learning about the cardiovascular system.
In preparation, students participated in a virtual dissection to familiarize themselves with the process and body parts they’d encounter. In the spring, the class looks forward to continuing their studies with an owl pellet dissection.
Local History
January 9, 2025
Year-End Traditions
By Ellyn Okvist, B.Sc.
“Tradition: the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way.”
Tradition stories are not merely entertainment; they are the lifeblood of tradition and can carry the wisdom and values of a community forward. Traditions, both the well-rooted and new, provide a sense of continuity, connecting us to our past, present, and future. They help build a shared understanding of who we are as individuals and as a community. All traditions become history as a family repeats the cycle. These memories include culinary traditions, bringing companionship and ideas together and a personal way of bringing loved ones together as they repeat traditions.
Lake Ronkonkoma families hold diversity which has been apparent for multigenerations. Families established themselves when they chose the historic Lake Ronkonkoma area to place roots and start a family.
Over the past few weeks as we visited with our local friends and their families to share a little cheer and a holiday meal, I realized that the traditions each family was celebrating were the same as years prior, that we have spent together, not just the way our friends set the table or prepared the entertainment for the night. Once accepting them as annual family traditions, we were now realizing they are so much more. The awareness that I now hold their traditions in my heart is overwhelming. Because of this, I decided that sharing the traditions would be interesting to the public.
The following are distinct local families, some here for over 350 years, as told by the continuing member of the family that has become the one to keep the traditions going. Just a few lines, but so full of memories. There are many similarities, such as the 5:00p.m. Christmas Eve Celebrations, Christmas feasts, and the food included in each, and family interaction to the widespread traditions. Very much to be suspected, as the cultures have been in existence and intertwining for thousands of years.
Hallock: “According to Hallock family lore, the making of Christmas eggnog dates to the 1640’s in the new land, and prior to that in Suffolk, England. I remember my brother and sister assisting my father in this tradition. Later my turn came. Now it’s Jace David’s turn to help his Papa make the Hallock eggnog.” – Richard Hallock
Okvist: “Motala, Ostergotland Sweden was the origin of the Oquist family preparing glögg, and went back prior as recorded to the 1400’s. Ivar Okvist would begin the preparations, assisted by his brothers, Eric and William. They would cook and store the product, and Elsie, Ivar’s wife, would use the strained fruit for pies. No one was safe, and as the years went by, more friends would look forward to their bottle. Some joke that it should have been banned in Lake Ronkonkoma! Ivar’s death led to his sister Cecil calling the ‘shots’, and those of us who were taught still prepare the glögg in his house today.” – Ellyn Okvist
Embro: “My family follows the tradition with a Christmas Eve celebration of a hearty meal consisting of ham, fresh vegetables, and bread. After exchanging gifts, we would all go out to see the holiday decorations and lights and listen to caroling in the neighborhood. My grandparents would tell stories of the past, and my parents would instill our tradition year after year.” – Eric Embro Davis (James): “Traditions were brought from England, Wales and Scotland. Each adult woman would bake cookies and would bring them to the Christmas Eve celebration. All the food would land on Grandmas 24-foot table, and it was ‘choose-what-you-wish.’ The coal heated house was warm and decorated. Grandpa James E. Davis, a devout Christian, gave thanks for the food. As gifts were unwrapped, colorful wrapping paper would become a mound in the center of the room.”
– Barbara Cook
Winters: “Growing up Catholic, Christmas was always a very holy time for my family. My parents were into ceramics and even had their own kiln. When we were young, my parents made a beautiful nativity set with a manager. (pictured right) Each Christmas it was put out and on Christmas Day we looked forward to placing the baby Jesus in the manger to celebrate His birthday. My parents made me a nativity set when I got engaged and have since gifted it to our daughter, who now puts it out each Christmas, carrying on the same tradition.” - Margaret Winters Bonhote
Paqua: “My Mom and Grandma would cook our wonderful Christmas menu, and like every year they would sip and get tipsy on Uncle Joe’s homemade wine. My Dad would always try to lob a meatball into someone’s wine glass. The day was not complete until I gave my piano recital for the holiday, which many would sing along.” - Suzanna Paqua Carr
Guida: “My mother and aunts were at their best for the holidays, preparing Italian specialties, including my favorites, such as manicotti, zeppole’s, and meatballs. With four of them working together, the bounties were huge. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years were always delicious and full of food. My father is from the Guida Dairy establishment in Italy. He was taught at an early age to make dairy products, and his handmade mozzarella was perfect. The craft was handed down through the ages.” - John Guida
Hethy: “The Hethy family would gather all the dolls in the home, either on display or packed away, and carefully remove all clothing and accessories. My grandmother, mother, and the girls would wash each piece of clothing with a light soap. They would air dry and then be carefully ironed and ready to redress the dolls. Each doll was washed up like new, being careful to maintain its delicate structure. The house was always full of the beautiful dolls.” - Helen Hethy Mulvihill
Mulvihill: “There has always been a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas Day at our home. First and foremost, we give thanks and celebrate the birth of Jesus.” -Irene Mulvihill Congdon
Brandi: “Vincenza “Jennie” Brandi (pictured right) lived until 106 years old, and Cleveland St. in Patchogue was named for her. Her kitchen is still exactly the same, and her picture shows her making zeppole’s. She baked cakes, Italian pastries, and authentic Italian food. She could also be found making wedding gowns and dresses for many local brides. She was a proud Italian, but prouder to be an American Citizen. Her family has maintained the traditions and are still introducing them to the newest generation.” - Jessica Brandi Hickey Kentner: “As a young girl, our mother was given an angel topper for the Christmas tree. This year, it was showing its age, and my brother engaged a seamstress to do an overhaul on the piece. The completed angel topper is ready to provide a century or more of joy. While the repairs were being done, it was discovered that it may be significantly older than originally thought.” - Robert Kentner.
Hawkins Vollgraff: “As kids we always went to my grandparents’ house on Hawkins Ave. My grandparents had 26 grandchildren. This went on for me until I was 18, the others I guess kept going but I went into the Navy on December 8, so when I got out, Christmas was spent with my parents and siblings. Then year by year, we, the siblings, got married and we would do the typical every-otherholiday with the spouses’ families. As for eggnog, my Aunt Margaret had the best I have ever had. My tradition for Christmas now that my parents are gone, we no longer go to Florida as we always host my son, his wife, and our two grandchildren and up until this year, we also had my daughter, her husband and other two grandchildren from them. This year they had moved to Iowa, so we saw them on Christmas Day at the in-laws’ house as we do every Christmas Day since my parents are gone.” - Samuel Hawkins Vollgraff Establish new traditions for the future. Make it happen with family, friends, a group or club. The traditions we follow are now our history. Share them with everyone.
L.I. Limo Association Advises Against Unlicensed Chauffeurs
By Matt Meduri
Transportation isn’t nearly the headache it once was. Rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft, as well as the ease of finding freelance drivers on Facebook Marketplace have made finding a ride in a pinch or ahead of a celebratory night much simpler.
However, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be, warns the Long Island Limousine Association (LILA), particularly ahead of New Year’s Eve, one of the busiest nights of the year for drivers. Whether it be airport pickups for holiday travelers, or designated drivers for those who wish to bring in 2025 with a bit of indulgence, LILA warns that for-hire drivers who use their own personal vehicles with no other bona fides. This is opposed to the rideshare apps, where drivers are commercially insured for medical and other expenses up to $1 million. Free agent drivers, who are often simply looking to earn extra income and possibly take an intoxicated driver off the road, are doing so without understanding the risks of operating as an unlicensed chauffeur.
Members of the LILA executive board held a press conference on Friday afternoon ahead of New Year’s Eve at All-Star Limousine in North Amityville to address these specific concerns. Despite the holiday-centric theme of the message, it still resonates even after the New Year.
“We have over one hundred members and over one thousand vehicles on the road,” said LILA Board President Tom Gouldsbury. “Our association is very beneficial to the Island and our industry,” he added, referencing LILA’s foundation. The group was chartered in 1976 to address the “never ending insurance problem” with a charter group of twenty-four owners to “provide a media for owners of limousines to unite for a common cause and promote goodwill and understanding amongst all,” according to their website.
“Unlicensed operators are the drivers who do not follow the rules, are not properly licensed, do not have background checks, and do not have the proper insurance,” said Gouldsbury (pictured left). “People are unaware of what is going on.”
Gouldsbury advised against finding drivers for hire on social media, particularly “mom’ groups,” on Facebook, a common type of community page, usually inclusive of a particular hamlet or village, where residents can exchange information, ask questions, and raise awareness to certain issues, public hearings, and public projects. While the intentions of those in the “mom’s groups” are often altruistic, accuracy of information from such groups is also frequently scrutinized.
“God forbid there’s an accident, these drivers are not covered. Plus, even if the person driving has their own personal insurance, it won’t cover for-hire vehicles,” said Gouldsbury.
To legally transport passengers in the State of New York, the operator must have a TLC Driver’s license from the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to operate large or heavy vehicles, such as buses, vans, or stretch limos, pass background checks, and submit the vehicle for inspections every six months. The NYS Department of Transportation website shows such requirements, such as those to complete taxi school, complete a wheelchair-accessible class, complete a defensive driving course, and submit a medical history (Form B) signed by a doctor, attesting to medical fitness to drive a taxi or passenger vehicle.
Gouldsbury also says that emergency training is a crucial component that shows the stark contrast between licensed operators and unlicensed, for-hire drivers.
“Drivers have specific rules to protect their passengers. They’re trained to use a first-aid kit, a fire extinguisher, and an emergency hammer (a glass-break tool),” said Gouldsbury. “But licensed drivers are also required to have livery insurance, and providers carry $1 million in coverage at minimum.”
But perhaps worst of all, passengers harmed or even killed while using the services of an unlicensed driver will have no recourse through the driver’s or even their own insurance.
“Any insurance company a driver might have will deny the claim,” said Gouldsbury.
“And unfortunately, whoever is in the car might have incurred liability. They’re basically all on their own.”
Gouldsbury offered some tips for riders to identify a legitimate driver: proper licensure, which can be produced upon request, a license plate labeled “Livery” or “Commercial,” an absence of which Gouldsbury says is a “dead giveaway,” and no visible endorsements from TLC, NYSDOT, or Nassau or Suffolk counties.
Gouldsbury recounted a recent call of an illegal operator found at John F. Kennedy Airport.
“He was caught at JFK, reportedly illegal[ly operating], they put his Mercedes Sprinter out of service, which had numerous violations, and unfortunately, the people he was picking up, had to find another way home,” said Gouldsbury, adding that simply writing the driver a ticket and allowing him to take the passengers home could have resulted in an accident where the passengers were not covered by the driver’s insurance.
“We call New Year’s Eve ‘amateur hour,’” said Gouldsbury, referring to the larger numbers of unlicensed drivers operating illegally, adding that LILA’s pre-employment measures help alleviate a gap in the market on the industry’s biggest night of the year. “We’re not a taxi service; we work very hard to deliver a higher standard than other people,” adding that all drivers of LILA’s members abide by drug testing, in addition to background checks pursuant to Megan’s Law, a 1994 federal law that requires law enforcement to publicize information about registered sex offenders.
“The brokers’ responsibility is to monitor the track record of each driver on a quarterly basis, and if that driver has issues, whether it be a DWI or a bad driving record, we’ll pull the driver off the road instantly,” said Joe Marotta, a LILA Executive Board member and insurance broker (pictured left) who represents several companies that insure this industry.
Marotta shared how he conducts quarterly driver training, which entails safety training with emergency supplies and tools, but also the mint-on-the-pillow aspects of a legitimate transportation service.
“How to take the luggage out of a vehicle so the passenger doesn’t have to do it, how to disembark a passenger at an airport so he doesn’t open the door in the traffic; it’s a lot of different things,” said Marotta. “I had a situation where a driver opened the door, the passenger stepped out, and he was clipped by another vehicle. This training is all in the best interest in the customer, because there’s a lot more than just driving the vehicle.”
LILA has a hotline set up to report suspected unlicensed drivers: 631-944-8448, or by contacting lilalongisland@gmail.com
Additionally, the site of the press conference, All-Star Limousine, provides licensed transportation, ranging from weddings, celebrations, wine tours, airport services, and corporate engagement, with a large fleet of vehicles from which to choose, including party buses, classic limos, sprinter vans, nondescript and sleek corporate vehicles, and classic automobiles.
All-Star Limousine is located at 380 New Highway in North Amityville.
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, January 9, 2025
Mark Zuckerberg Is Having an Elon Musk Moment
By Shane Harris | AMAC Outside Contributor
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg appears to be undergoing a political awakening, which may pose an existential threat to the left-wing censorship regime.
In a five-minute video posted online this week, Zuckerberg announced sweeping changes to so-called “content moderation” policies across the suite of apps owned by Facebook’s parent company Meta, including photo-sharing giant Instagram. In the clip, Zuckerberg, who has faced criticism for enabling censorship of right-of-center views on his platforms, effectively acknowledges that conservatives have been right all along about biased “fact-checkers” and the suppression of free speech – and outlines steps he is taking to address those concerns, including working closely with President-elect Donald Trump.
“It’s time to get back to our roots around free expression on Facebook and Instagram,” Zuckerberg says in the video. “A lot has happened over the last several years. There’s been widespread debate about potential harms from online content, governments and legacy media have pushed to censor more and more.”
Zuckerberg goes on to acknowledge that the “complex systems” Meta built to filter out “harmful content” have now reached a point where there are “too many mistakes and too much censorship.” Moreover, he says “the recent elections also feel like a cultural tipping point towards once again prioritizing free speech.”
In perhaps one of the most shocking admissions ever made by a Big Tech executive, Zuckerberg acknowledges that “fact checkers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they’ve created” – specifically as it relates to the narrative that Donald Trump is a “threat to democracy.” As a result, Meta is “going to get rid of fact-checkers and replace them with community notes similar to X.”
In another astonishing display of self-awareness, Zuckerberg also announced his intent to “simplify our content policies and get rid of a bunch of restrictions on topics like immigration and gender” because “what started as a movement to be more inclusive has increasingly been used to shut down opinions and shut out people with different ideas, and it’s gone too far.” To guard against the left-wing monoculture that pervades Silicon Valley, Meta will also be moving its content moderation team from California to Texas.
“Finally,” Zuckerberg concludes, “we’re going to work with President Trump to push back on governments around the world” that are “going after American companies and pushing to censor more.” In a not-sosubtle shot at the Biden administration, he notes that this has been “so difficult over the past four years when even the U.S. government has pushed for censorship.”
If Zuckerberg and Meta faithfully execute these changes – an outcome that is by no means guaranteed – it is difficult to overstate how significant of a victory it would be for conservatives and upholding the right to free speech generally, particularly within the context of Elon Musk’s overhaul of Twitter/X.
Social media is now the place where most Americans communicate with one another and obtain their information. Since their rise in popularity in the early 2000s, but especially since 2016, these platforms have become increasingly captive to left-wing ideology, and by extension Democrats’ partisan political agenda.
The 2020 election and COVID-19 pandemic represented the culmination of this trend. Zuckerberg himself played a key role in a conspiracy that spanned Big Tech, the corporate media, the intelligence community, and the Democrat Party establishment to falsely label the Hunter Biden laptop scandal “Russian disinformation.” After the election, the Biden administration then worked in coordination with Facebook and other Big Tech companies to censor opposition to their pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates.
Zuckerberg, once a strident backer of liberal causes, later acknowledged that Facebook was wrong to censor the laptop story and go along with the government’s COVID censorship – a moment that perhaps marked the beginning of his disillusionment with the left. Following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania last year, Zuckerberg also called the president-elect’s response to the shooting “badass,” another indication of a potential political realignment.
Conservatives should not now suddenly view Zuckerberg as a great “MAGA” champion – after all, he still declined to endorse Trump last year and has a long history of boosting Democrats. But what has become clear is that Zuckerberg wants to be an ally to the conservative cause of protecting free speech against leftwing censorship.
The changes Zuckerberg announced for Meta
make Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter back in 2022 all the more significant. At the time, tech industry “experts” predicted Musk would drive Twitter into the ground. Democrats and the Biden administration weaponized the government against him, while liberal governments around the world buried X in a pile of lawsuits and fines for daring to allow free speech on the platform.
Despite all of that, Meta is now changing its fact-check operations to model X’s “community notes” system – vindicating Musk’s heroic stand for free speech. With more than three billion monthly active users, Meta’s Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world, and it has now committed to better preserving the right of those users to speak their minds without fear of reprisal. Elon Musk’s courage is contagious, and the leftwing censorship regime is now clearly in decline.
The fact that these changes come just days before Trump is set to take office for the second time also highlights once again just how significant his victory was last November – not just for
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The Association of Mature American Citizens represents Americans 50 plus. AMAC is centered on American values, freedom of the individual, free speech, and exercise of religion, equality of opportunity, sanctity of life, rule of law, and love of family, with benefits at all levels.
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the economy or the border, but for the survival of the very principles this country was founded on. As Zuckerberg himself says, the U.S. government under Biden actively hampered Meta’s efforts to protect free speech. Should Kamala Harris have won last year, there is no doubt that it would have been more of the same for the next four years.
Democrats and the corporate media will undoubtedly portray Zuckerberg’s announcement as a political move from a CEO kowtowing to an incoming administration. But the more liberals lose their minds over social media companies protecting free speech, the more they acknowledge what conservatives have been saying all along – that in a free and open marketplace of ideas, the left will always lose.
Given the long history of Big Tech censorship, conservatives have plenty of reason for a “trust but verify” approach when it comes to promises of reform. But there is nonetheless now have real reason for optimism that free speech might yet prevail in the online public square.
JUL 10 THROUGH AUG 24 2025 MAR 13 THROUGH APR 27 2025 MAY 15 THROUGH JUN 29 2025 NOV 14– DEC 29
WORD OF THE Week
Etymology: early 17th century: from Latin esculentus, from esca ‘food’, from esse ‘eat’.
Synonyms: edible, comestible
ESCULENT
Adjective / Noun
Pronounced: eh·skyoo·lint
Definition:
(adjective) edible, fit to be eaten; (noun) something fit to be eaten, typically referring to a vegetablecharacterized by strong winds.
Example: “The plant was found to not only be esculent, but highly nutritious.”
Antonyms: inedible, indigestible
Source: Oxford Languages
WORD WHEEL
I N O T A L
See how many words you can create. Must have center letter in word and can use letters more than once. 4 letter word minimum.
SUDOKU
See bottom left for the answers (please don’t cheat!)
This Week in History
January 10, 1958: Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire” reaches #1 on the U.K. pop charts.
January 13, 1888: The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., for “the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge.”
January 11, 1922:
January 12, 1966: “Batman”, starring Adam West as Batman, Burt Ward as Robin, and Cesar Romero as The Joker, debuts on ABC.
Insulin first used on humans to treat diabetes, Frederick Banting (left) injects fellow Canadian Leonard Thompson, aged 14. (right)
January 14, 1784: U.S. Congress of the Confederation ratifies the Treaty of Paris, signed September 3, 1783, ending the Revolutionary War, and forwards it to Great Britain.
January 9, 1954: Lance Hoppen, American rock bassist (Orleans - “Still the One”; “Dance With Me”), born in Bay Shore.
January 15, 2001: Wikipedia, a free Wiki or content encyclopedia, is launched by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger.
By PJ Balzer
The Real Cost of the Extra Room
In the past few years, native New Yorkers have been fleeing to the Southern states. I know around a dozen families that have quickly sold their homes here and purchased an even bigger prized possession down south or in the Midwest. A few have had the luxury of moving down with their both immediate and extended families, but most have left extended family along with some close friends behind in the pursuit of comfort at half the price.
Initially, that sounds like a dream come true.
Who wouldn’t want to sell their home and buy a larger one for half the price, some purchased newly constructed homes in gated communities for what you’d barely buy a fixer upper for here? Yet as time ticks away, I’ve personally seen and felt the real cost of gaining more concrete, wood, and grass while leaving loved ones behind, hours away. What seemed sound financially ended up costing heavily in the currency of the heart. Distance doesn’t always make the heart grow fonder. Sometimes, it actually creates strangers.
While there certainly isn’t anything inherently wrong with making a move that increases your personal comfort and gives your immediate family some extra space, there are unseen costs that most don’t factor in and the real estate agent never mentions. You’re moving hours away from people whom you may need the support of in one season of life or another.
My wife and myself both have had family make the move with the major selling point being, “the extra room.” They gained a beautiful spare bedroom many hours away, a large playroom with a ton of toys, and even an extended garage for an extra car.
But because of the distance, all the “extra room,” has been mostly empty of loved ones. I’ve never slept in that spare bedroom, spent quality time playing in the toy room, or parked my car in the empty, extra parking space. Family members and their children have aged and grown up right before us, yet only on a screen. I’m sad to say that if I passed by them in a grocery store, they wouldn’t recognize me, because I’m a stranger who lives nearly half of a country away.
On the contrary, both of my siblings live about thirty minutes away from me. A few weeks ago, my wife and I were invited by my nephew to his classroom for their Christmas party. He was so excited when we walked into the classroom; excited we were able to show up, excited for his family life to merge with his school life. He was excited to walk us through the hallways he travels in each day while pointing out to us his displayed artwork. Their children know us, not through a FaceTime screen, but in real life. By God’s Grace, we’ve been privileged to be a part of their childhood and their upbringings.
More recently, they have both been mentioning moving even closer to us, close enough that we’d be able to take a quick ride to their bus stops in the morning and to the baseball or soccer field in the evening. Even a half hour away has a little bit of a distance limitation to what we’re able to attend and be a part of. How much more does a ten-hour drive down to South Carolina or a few days’ journey to Texas?
The more I live and experience, the more I’m convinced that the extended family unit was meant to be closely knit in heart and somewhat close in proximity. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins were meant to be a vital part of their family members’ everyday lives. God created it that way and for a good purpose. The children in our family need older family members that they trust involved in their lives, daily, weekly, practically, and tenderly of course. Adolescents, teenagers, and young adults need family members they can run to when things are a little rough at home. Distance, despite possibly giving us an extra room in our home, quenches all that extra love and care the children need, especially in this time and generation, and using a screen to do so just isn’t the same. Humans were created to be embraced by a familiar hand on their shoulder both when times are good and not so much.
This certainly isn’t a suggestion not to enjoy everything you’ve worked so hard for. It’s only a reminder to make the family unit a main priority again, like our society has in decades long past. We’ve all so easily strayed away from many things that make life truly rich and fulfilling, in the pursuit of the extras. If you’ve been planning your great escape to your personal promise land, I only encourage you not to forget to factor in the hidden costs of the extra room you’ll gain in your home.
Images by Freepik
Having a ‘Ball’ in 2025
Students at Dogwood, Mount Pleasant and Mills Pond elementary schools celebrated the new year on January 3, with food, music, dancing .and fun.
Each school had its own “New Year’s Ball” with refreshments provided by the school PTA groups. Many students have also worked with teachers to set goals for the second half of the school year and a plan to achieve those goals.
Culture and Cuisine for Smithtown High School West Students
Students in Mrs. Sallie Culloton’s German IV and V classes at Smithtown West High School, embarked on an artistic and cultural adventure at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on December 16.
The students participated in a “Selfie Scavenger Hunt” to take pictures with the German and Austrian Masterpieces located throughout the MET, sending Mrs. Culloton selfies with the various masterpieces. Afterward, students had lunch and enjoyed some NYC Holiday Culture with a visit to the Columbus Circle Holiday Market, inspired by the Christkindlmarkt in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
Mrs. Culloton said, “Despite the deluge of rain, a wonderful time was had by all!”
By Cait Crudden
Congressmen Garbarino and LaLota Vote to Prevent Government Shutdown
Congressmen Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) and Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) joined a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in voting for the American Relief Act, a measure that ensures federal government operations remain funded through March 14, 2025. The vote, which averts a looming government shutdown, highlights a commitment to fiscal responsibility while prioritizing essential services for Americans.
After passing the bill, Congressman LaLota expressed his support for the legislation and its importance to both national and local priorities.
“Yesterday, I joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in passing the American Relief Act, which keeps the government open while providing critical support for our troops, safeguarding Social Security, and ensuring millions of Americans have access to essential healthcare. The bill also delivers much-needed aid to our nation’s farmers and disaster-stricken states,” said LaLota. “Looking ahead, Congress must address the nation’s growing debt and deficit, while prioritizing key New York spending needs, including securing supplemental funding for the World Trade Center Health Program to prevent an expected shortfall in October 2027.”
The legislation allocates funding for a wide range of programs and initiatives critical to Americans, including national defense, which ensures military readiness and providing resources for troops. It also addressed maintaining funding for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs to support millions of beneficiaries for now. The bill offers aid to farmers and states recovering from natural disasters and addresses the continuation of the National Flood Insurance Program through March of 2025.
Congressman Garbarino, a staunch advocate for New York interests, joined LaLota in supporting the bill. His voting record underscores his commitment to protecting Long Island’s families and ensuring the federal government remains operational.
“A government shutdown is bad for the American people, plain and simple. While I am frustrated by the absence of 9/11 health funding and other important provisions that were included in the initial CR, I voted for the final package to keep the government open for the next three months, prevent a lapse in government resources, and ensure that our troops, border patrol agents, and tens of thousands of federal employees living on Long Island would not have to go without pay over the holidays. There continues to be widespread bipartisan and bicameral support for preventing impending cuts to the World Trade Center Health Program, and I remain confident in our ability to secure a path forward in the next Congress,” stated Congressman Garbarino.
The American Relief Act’s passage was critical in averting a potential government shutdown, which would have disrupted vital services, furloughed federal employees, and strained essential programs nationwide. The bipartisan nature of the legislation reflects lawmakers’ ability to find common ground despite political divides.
For Suffolk County and the broader New York Community, the bill carries significant implications. The inclusion of disaster relief funds is particularly important as the region continues to face the impacts of climate-related events.
While the American Relief Act offers temporary stability, lawmakers acknowledged the pressing need for comprehensive fiscal reform. Both Garbarino and LaLota emphasized the importance of addressing the national debt and deficit while ensuring that New York’s unique needs, including infrastructure investment and healthcare funding, remain priorities in future budget discussions.
The bipartisan effort to pass the American Relief Act demonstrates a collective commitment to ensuring the federal government continues to function effectively while delivering for the American people. As Congress prepares for future budget negotiations, Representatives Garbarino and LaLota are expected to play key roles in advocating for Suffolk County and New York’s interests.
Congressman LaLota’s Bipartisan Bill to Combat Fentanyl and Xylazine Epidemic Heads to President’s Desk
By Cait Crudden
Congressman Nick LaLota (R-Amityville), a member of the Homeland Security Committee, announced a significant legislative victory as his bipartisan bill, the Detection Equipment and Technology Evaluation to Counter the Threat of (DETECT) Fentanyl and Xylazine Act, cleared both the House and Senate. The groundbreaking legislation is now headed to President Biden’s desk for final approval.
The DETECT Act is designed to combat the escalating crisis of fentanyl and xylazine, a deadly combination that has ravaged communities nationwide. By enhancing law enforcement’s access to research, resources, and advanced detection technologies, the bill aims to curb the flow of these dangerous substances into the United States.
In a statement following the bill’s passage, Congressman LaLota emphasized the urgency of addressing the epidemic.
“The passage of my bipartisan DETECT Fentanyl and Xylazine Act, by both the House and Senate, is a critical step in combating the devastating epidemic of illegal narcotics flooding into our country, tearing apart families and communities,” said Congressman LaLota. “This legislation equips our dedicated Law Enforcement officers with the tools they need to fight these deadly drugs and protect American lives. I’m proud to see this bill advance to the President’s desk and urge its swift enactment into law. Now is the time to act decisively, prioritize public safety, and take bold steps to prevent further tragic and unnecessary loss of life.”
The bill comes at a crucial time as the nation grapples with a surge in drug overdoses linked to fentanyl and xylazine. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is fifty times more potent than heroin and has become
a leading cause of overdose deaths in the U.S. When mixed with xylazine, a veterinary sedative not approved for human use, the combination becomes even deadlier, often rendering life-saving interventions like naloxone ineffective.
According to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fentanyl-related deaths have surged in recent years, contributing to more than 100,000 overdose fatalities annually. The presence of xylazine in drug supplies has further compounded the crisis, creating new challenges for first responders and healthcare providers.
The DETECT Act focuses on empowering law enforcement agencies by advancing Research which will facilitate studies to understand the evolving composition and impact of synthetic drugs like fentanyl and xylazine. Developing detection tools is crucial and this legislation provides funding for cutting-edge detection technologies that can identify these substances more effectively at points of entry and in local communities. There is also an emphasis on enhancing collaboration and promoting information sharing between federal, state, and local agencies to ensure a coordinated response to the epidemic.
The bill’s bipartisan nature underscores the shared urgency across party lines to address the crisis. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have praised the DETECT Act as a meaningful step toward safeguarding communities and saving lives.
As the bill awaits the President’s signature, Congressman LaLota remains committed to combating the opioid epidemic and ensuring public safety. The swift enactment of the DETECT Act could mark a pivotal moment in the fight against the deadly scourge of fentanyl and xylazine.
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