ADVERTISE
YOUR
BUSINESS
HERE
Email publisher@ messengerpapers.com
Thursday, August 27, 2026 ~ Volume 138 ~ Issue Number 41 ~ $1.00
State GOP Ticket Stumps in Suffolk By Matt Meduri With just about two months to go until Election Day, all bets are off in the tumultuous national environment and the crucial 2026 midterms. But in New York, a different battle is afoot - one against Governor Kathy Hochul (D-Hamburg), who is seeking a second full term, two other statewide officials, and the Democratic majority in the State Legislature. Democrats gained a trifecta in New York after the 2018 elections, when the Party of Jackson flipped 8 seats to take control of the chamber that had otherwise been institutionally Republican for decades. (Left to right) Comptroller candidate Joe Hernandez, Nassau Co. Exec. Bruce Blakeman, A.G. candidate Saritha Komatireddy in St. James on Thursday (Credit - Matt Meduri)
Continued on page 5
Main Street Gains Another Business By Matt Meduri The long-term strategy of Town Hall is to revitalize its downtown corridors, retain its youth, and attract new clientele to its vacant storefronts. The Lofts at Maple and Main are a prime example of Smithtown’s experiment with mixed-use zoning: apartments on the upper levels, commercial on the ground level. The complex already hosts Beauty Bomb and Dirty Cheesecake, and on Thursday, another business opened its doors just across the street from Town Hall. Taste Buds Kitchen offers not only an educational asset to the average passerby, but a unique venue that rewrites the typical party playbook. They offer cooking classes from its varied menu with a state-of-the-art kitchen and every tool and appliance a good chef needs, but those same services are offered for birthday parties, corporate events, one-on-one classes, or the average get-together. Taste Buds Kitchen opened its doors last Thursday, alongside a warm welcome from the neighborhood and officials. Continued on page 10
Taste Buds Kitchen opens their doors on Main Street in Smithtown on Thursday (Credit - Matt Meduri)
FULL STORIES ON:
State Reps. Push Bail Reform Page 4
HSW Junior Wins STEM Prize Page 13
Life-Saving Mom-Son Duo Honored Page 15
2
Messenger Papers Thursday, August 27, 2026
Messenger Papers Papers Inc. Inc.
SUMMER EVENTS Sayville Farmers Market at the Islip Grange: Every Saturday until November, 9:00a.m. to 2:00p.m. Port Jefferson Farmers Market: Every Sunday until November, 9:00a.m. to 2:00p.m.
Just a Hike (Serpentine): Sunday, September 13, 9:45a.m. to 12:45p.m. at Caumsett State Park. Fossil Finds at Connetquot River State Park: Wednesday, September 2, 10:30a.m. to 11:30a.m. Trees for You and Me at Sunken Meadow State Park: Thursday, September 3, 10:30a.m. to 11:30a.m.
Islip Farmers Market at Town Hall: Every Saturday, 7:00a.m. to 2:00p.m. Suffolk County Farmers Market at the H. Lee Dennison Building: Thursdays through October 1, 10:00a.m. to 2:00p.m. Tiny Tots – “Nature Discoveries”: Every Thursday, 10:30a.m. to 11:30a.m. through September at Nissequogue River State Park Citizen Science – Monarch Tagging (Free Adult Program): Wednesday, September 9, 9:00a.m. to 10:30a.m. at Robert Moses State Park
Dockside Family Festival at Captree State Park: Saturday, September 12, 11:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. (rain date September 13). Geology Rocks: Nissequogue River State Park, Thursday, September 24, 10:30a.m. to 11:30a.m. Pitch & Putt Tournament at Robert Moses State Park: Open to first 72 registrants. Tee-off is 10:00a.m. on Sun., Oct. 4. Rain date for Sun., Oct. 11. Entry fee is $40 per person, $160 per foursome. Deadline is September 25.
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
SMITHTOWN | BROOKHAVEN | ISLIP SMITHTOWN | BROOKHAVEN | ISLIP PUBLISHER Diane Caudullo
SCAN QR
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Matt Meduri
ART PRODUCTION MANAGER Sergio A. Fabbri
ONLY Delivered $CODE TO SUBSCRIBE To Your MESSENGER A YEAR! PAPERS Door!
35
Delivered $ ONLY To Your A YEAR! Door!
CONTRIBUTORS PJ Balzer Jacob Infald Ashley Pavlakis
35
Name: ____________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Phone: _____________________ Email ________________________________ CHOOSE ONE:
METHOD OF PAYMENT:
IN COUNTY
Credit card information:
12 Months - $35.00 24 Months - $65.00
Name: _______________________________ Card Number: ________________________ CVV: __________________
36 Months - $90.00 Name: ____________________________________________________________ OFFICE MANAGER & Signature: ______________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________ OUT OF COUNTY Feel free to call (631) 265-3500 or pay by check ACCOUNTS __________________________________________________________ 12 Months - $50.00 (Make out to Messenger Papers) Call Us Phone: _____________________ Email ________________________________ RECEIVABLE Messenger Papers, Inc. CHOOSE ONE: METHOD631-265-3500 OF PAYMENT: Cut this out P.O. Box 925 Kim Revere IN COUNTY and send to: Credit card information: Smithtown, NY 11787-0925 Expiration: _____________
12 Months - $35.00
SOCIAL MEDIA 24 Months - $65.00 JACK Creative 36 Months - $90.00 Marketing Services
In Person subscribe@messengerpapers.com
Name: _______________________________
558 Portion Rd., Ronkonkoma, NY 11779
Card Number: ________________________ CVV: __________________
Expiration: _____________ Signature: ______________________________
Box 925, NY 11787 OUT OF COUNTY Feel free toP.O. call (631) 265-3500 or paySmithtown, by check 12 Months - $50.00 Messenger Papers) DISTRIBUTION & (Make out toDisplay Advertising CIRCULATION Messenger Papers, Inc. Cut this out Publisher@MessengerPapers.com P.O. Box 925 and send to: MANAGER Smithtown, NY 11787-0925 Legal Notices & Tim Walz subscribe@messengerpapers.com
Classifieds Advertising
DELIVERY PERSONNEL PJ Balzer Joe Cuminale
Legals@MessengerPapers.com
News Tips or Leads
Editor@MessengerPapers.com
The Moloney Family
Request Your FREE Planning Tool Kit Online At
Celebrate the memories The love. The laughs. It’s every special moment. When you plan a service with us, we don’t want you to think about just a funeral or cremation. We want to create a priceless memory for your family.
MOLONEYFH.COM/PLANNINGTOOLKIT OR MAIL IN COUPON BELOW
Name
Phone
(631) 450-3913 Serving all of Long Island with locations in: Bohemia, Central Islip, Holbrook, Lake Ronkonkoma, Center Moriches, Port Jefferson Station, and Hauppauge.
Address MAIL TO: 132 RONKONKOMA AVENUE · LAKE RONKONKOMA, NEW YORK 11779 FREE PLANNING TOOL KIT. OF COURSE, THERE IS NO COST OR OBLIGATION.
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Town News Thursday, August 27, 2026
USPS No. 499220
One of the Official Newspapers for County of Suffolk, Village of Head of the Harbor, Village of Nissequogue, Inc., Village of the Branch, Hauppauge, Kings Park, Commack, Smithtown School District. Periodicals Postage Paid at Ronkonkoma, NY and additional entries.
Smithtown Messenger August 27, 2026 (USPS No. 499220) is published weekly for $35 per year by Messenger Papers Inc., 558 Portion Road, Suite B, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779. Periodicals postage paid at Ronkonkoma, NY and additional mailing offices.
The Smithtown Messenger is a community newspaper serving Smithtown, Kings Park, St. James, Nesconset, Hauppauge, Commack, and Stony Brook
3
This newspaper will not be liable for errors appearing in any advertisement beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. 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
Suffolk Matters
4
Thursday, August 27, 2026
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Senator Ramps Up Bail Reform Effort Since Democrats established a trifecta in Albany in 2019, New York’s criminal justice reform was passed. The so-called “bail reform” attempted to even the playing field between poorer and more affluent defendants, but instead has been lambasted as handcuffing local law enforcement and judges by amending the list of bailable offenses. One of Senator Dean Murray’s (R-East Patchogue) (pictured right) specialities is advocating for crime victims. He’s one of the foremost voices in Albany to get the pendulum on bail and criminal justice reform to a more palatable center. The next legislative session kicks off in January, and Murray is going to the capital prepared to renew the fight. He unveiled legislation in Mastic Beach on Wednesday morning. S.10769, sponsored by Murray and co-sponsored by Senators Mario Mattera (R-St. James) and Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk), is in response to a crime that sent a dozen middle schoolers in the William Floyd School District to the emergency room in March 2025. He calls children the “most vulnerable crime victims” of repeat offenders. That incident saw a dozen students aged 12-14 start vomiting, feeling dizzy, and experience racing heart rates. Investigators later found that the students ingested marijuana edible gummies. Those gummies were procured through an Instagram account run by 23-year-old Wilmer Castillo Garcia. He pleaded guilty to the charges
of Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Selling a Controlled Substance. Garcia, of Mastic, was released without bail on his own recognizance since those charges were considered non-bail eligible under State law. He later attempted to flee the country but was apprehended by agents at the Canadian border. Garcia is a Guatemalan national who is in the U.S. illegally. After his arrest near Niagara Falls, he was placed into federal custody. D.A. Tierney’s office requested a temporary return to face local prosecution. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has an active detainer against him. He pleaded guilty in July and is expected to serve a two-year prison sentence, after which he will formally be deported to Guatemala. His bill would provide more authority to the courts by making any crime in which the defendant is alleged to have caused “physical, psychological, or emotional harm” to a minor a qualifying offense for the purposes of New York’s bail laws. “This bill is about protecting our kids and that shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Judges need to have the ability to keep repeat offenders or those who pose a danger to society off the streets, especially in cases where children are the victims,” said Murray in a statement. “There’s no reason to automatically put suspects back on the streets where children and others can be victimized over and over again.” Murray was joined by State colleagues Assemblyman Joe DeStefano (R-Medford) and Assemblywoman Jodi
“
This bill is a first step, not a solution. For years, Albany’s approach to bail reform has left law enforcement, victims, and communities to absorb the consequences of a system that too frequently prioritizes the offender over the victim,” said Hnat. “Senator Murray’s bill corrects one of those injustices. What New York still needs is a comprehensive, honest re-examination of these laws, one that restores judicial discretion and public safety as guiding principles.
“
By Matt Meduri
PBA First Vice President John Hnat
Giglio (R-Baiting Hollow). DeStefano (pictured left) said the legislation “restores common sense discretion to the courts by making these serious crimes bail-eligible while still allowing judges to consider the facts of each individual case.” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney (R) (pictured below), joined by Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) and Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina, finds the current circumstances “unconscionable.” “The fact that under New York’s bail laws my prosecutors cannot ask for bail on a defendant targeting kids with drugs and sending a dozen middle schoolers to the hospital is unconscionable,” said Tierney. “Prosecutors must have the ability to hold such defendants in custody before they harm another child. Our
children deserve nothing less than a justice system that prevents repeat offenders from getting multiple chances to harm them.” The Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association (PBA), represented in Mastic Beach by PBA First Vice President John Hnat, endorses the legislation. “This bill is a first step, not a solution. For years, Albany’s approach to bail reform has left law enforcement, victims, and communities to absorb the consequences of a system that too frequently prioritizes the offender over the victim,” said Hnat. “Senator Murray’s bill corrects one of those injustices. What New York still needs is a comprehensive, honest re-examination of these laws, one that restores judicial discretion and public safety as guiding principles.”
On The Campaign Trail Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
5
Thursday, August 27, 2026
Continued from front cover
State GOP Ticket Stumps in Suffolk
Credit - Matt Meduri
our children and grandchildren in the eye and say, ‘we made a better state for you, just like our parents and grandparents made for us.’” Nassau’s County Executive is known for his tongue-in-cheek humor and blunt mannerisms. His speech in Suffolk last Thursday was no exception. He decried the Democrats’ last-minute move to alter State language. That move replaced the State’s recognition of “father” and “mother” with the terms, respectively, “non-gestating parent” and “gestating parent.” “Last I checked, the Ten Commandments said, ‘honor thy father and mother,’ not ‘honor thy gestating parent and non-gestating parent.’ We have to stop this nonsense. We need a state where boys play with boys and girls play with girls, cut taxes, lower electric bills, and back the blue.” For Blakeman, Suffolk County is not only his next-door neighbor, but an indispensable ally in an uphill political fight. “Suffolk County was there for me in the beginning, and Suffolk County will be with me on the podium on election night when we declare the greatest victory we’ve ever had.” Suffolk played host to the entire statewide GOP ticket. Blakeman was joined by Saritha Komatireddy (R-Upper East Side) (pictured left), who is making her first bid for public office by taking on two-term Attorney General Letitia James (D-Clinton Hill). No Republican has held the spot of the state’s top prosecutor since Dennis Vacco (R-Buffalo) left office after one term in 1999. In the 1998 election, Vacco was narrowly defeated by Eliot Spitzer, who would later succeed Pataki as governor in 2006 and quickly resign amid a personal scandal. Completing the trio was Joe Hernandez (R-Upper West Side) (pictured bottom left), who has the herculean task of knocking off Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (D-Great Neck Plaza), an institution in New York politics who has served as the state’s chief financial officer since 2007. The last Republican to serve as New York Comptroller was Edward “Ned” Regan (R-Orchard Park), who served from 1979 until his resignation in 1993.
Credit - Matt Meduri
“
Last I checked, the Ten Commandments said, ‘honor thy father and mother,’ not ‘honor thy gestating parent and non-gestating parent.’ We have to stop this nonsense. We need a state where boys play with boys and girls play with girls, cut taxes, lower electric bills, and back the blue.
“
Credit - Matt Meduri
Meanwhile, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R-Atlantic Beach) (pictured right) is vying to be the first Republican governor of New York since George Pataki (R-Elmira) left office in 2007. Public polling on Hochul’s election lead and job performance have been bipolar, but it will be an uphill battle for the GOP to combat brutal political headwinds in a historically deep-blue state. Blakeman is hoping to capitalize on voters’ wavering opinions on Hochul regarding crime, affordability, immigration, and a Legislature unbridled without a firm executive. He’s hoping to leverage his record as Nassau County Executive, first elected in 2021, and ride a downstate surge to Albany. Part of that surge is a strong Republican turnout in Suffolk County. “Suffolk County is the tip of the spear,” said Suffolk GOP Chairman Jesse Garcia (R-Ridge) at the annual GOP Lobsterfest last Thursday in St. James. He’s used the phrase throughout his career running the Suffolk arm of the Republican Party to describe Long Island’s necessity in making New York a perennial battleground. In 2022, then-Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) nearly staged a massive upset for governor against the then-successive incumbent Hochul. In 2024, Donald Trump (R-FL) held Kamala Harris (D-CA) to just a 12-point margin, about half of Democrats’ usual statewide margins in presidential politics. Suffolk County was instrumental in both overperformances. “We talk the talk, but we walk the walk,” said Garcia of Republican governance. In 2019, when Garcia was first elected Chair, Republicans were an electoral minority across the nation’s largest suburban county. Now, the GOP controls the County Legislature 11-7, they won the County Executive’s seat in 2023 for the first time since 1997, and the District Attorney’s seat in 2021. Throughout the era, the GOP has made inroads in communities previously considered off the table, such as Three Village and the Town of Babylon. Garcia lambasted the “one-party rule” in Albany and said that Long Island’s needs would “be received” if Blakeman is elected governor in November. Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) had a simple message in favor of Blakeman: “S.O.S. - save our state.” Blakeman summed his campaign message based on what he’s heard from voters throughout the campaign. “No matter where I go in New York State, people are miserable under Kathy Hochul,” said Blakeman to a fired-up crowd in St. James. “We are the most overtaxed state in the United States. Our electric bills are 70% higher than the national average. Kathy Hochul is the most pro-criminal governor in the United States. She doesn’t back the blue; she backs those who want to defund the police. And now, she won’t even let us cooperate with ICE.” He invoked New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria), whom Blakeman labelled a “communist,” one whom Kathy Hochul endorsed and who, in turn, endorsed Hochul. “They spent billions of dollars on illegal migrants. Kathy Hochul gave Zohran Mamdani $5 billion to bail out New York City without requiring him to cut one penny in spending,” said Blakeman. “We need to turn this state around so we can look
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman
6
Editorial Thursday, August 27, 2026
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Long Island is the Last Place for Data Centers Like any nationalized, hot-button issue, Long Island is almost certain to have its own place in the conversation. This week’s model is none other than the Artificial Intelligence (AI) data center argument. Proponents say these facilities are necessary to keep up with changing times and to keep the American economy internationally competitive. They add that the fear of job displacement is no different than the same concerns around the Dot-Com Boom and the Industrial Revolution. Opponents take issue with the massive blight and affront to nature that these data centers pose. More importantly, they haven’t been satisfied with the lack of substantive projections on just what jobs AI will create. They fear not only a loss of industries undercut by machines, but also a loss of creativity and purpose that drives the human race. Two Suffolk towns have already taken substantive steps to not put the cart before the horse. Brookhaven and Islip have passed 18-month moratoria against all data center facilities within their towns. Both towns passed their measures unanimously and with little-to-no opposition from the citizens. This Editorial Board has tried to be open-minded about the possibility of a new technological era, one in which humans and robots can coexist with minimal long-term disruptions to the economy. The sheer progress at stake is undeniable; serious illnesses, injuries, and birth defects could become a thing of the past, while research and transparency could reach unfathomable heights. But we’re reasonably skeptical just as millions of Americans are. We’ve already seen first-hand reports of less nature, less bugs, and less wildlife in areas where data centers have been constructed, on top of constant humming noises, pollution from diesel generators used through loopholes in municipal law, and, above all, no substantive direction on just how the economy will shift in response. It seems to us that the data centers are being pushed by the technocrats and billionaires in a de facto “arms race” - who can control most of the new technology first and therefore set the terms of use. Even they’re not entirely sure of just how good or bad this technology will be. The American people cannot be blamed for being skeptical and even outraged that this is being passively accepted without nearly as much forethought and caution as such a proposal would normally entail. But for Long Island, there’s a fairly easy question to answer: is this the place for these facilities? The answer, we think, is a resounding no. Large data centers, like the one proposed in Yaphank that was later halted by Brookhaven’s moratorium, can consume between 300,000 and 5 million gallons of water per day. The supercomputing power requires many servers that require immense cooling power. Even a mid-sized data center
can consume as much water in a day as 1,000 households do. Long Island’s foremost problem for decades has been our sole-source aquifer. It’s the cornerstone of any water quality and infrastructure projects on our densely-populated sandbar. Data centers are being pushed to operate a closed-loop system, one in which they provide their own electricity and water without touching the municipal supply. That sounds good on paper, but there have already been instances where these modern robber barons, in our opinion, have been caught violating that deal. In Cheyenne, Wyoming, a data center backed by Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta was found to have contaminated the local sewer system with a rare bacterium by illegally dumping their wastewater. In northern Virginia, schools this summer experienced rolling blackouts due to the unparalleled power draw these facilities require. Moreover, developers of these facilities are seeking tax breaks from local Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs). Why would any municipality be required to foot the bill for a data center that many people largely don’t want, for a product of which many are skeptical, at best, or downright oppose, at worst, when those same facilities are constructed by billionaires who are notorious for playing nicely in the sandbox regardless of which party controls Washington? The other issue is land usage. The now-dead-in-the-water Yaphank proposal was slated to be 71 acres on the corner of Sills Road and the Long Island Expressway. The 549,000-square-foot facility, while perhaps not located in an area of prime real estate, does take away conceivable acreage for single-family homes and/or services that are required to cool the housing market and perhaps keep those services closer to home to moderately quell local traffic problems. We already have a suburban sprawl problem, but the “last house on the block” mentality is also a problem. Long Island only has so much space; we can’t expand into the flatlands like the cities in the Texas Triangle can. Why waste it on a massive facility that may very well already be obsolete if fractal quantum computing has anything to say on the matter? Another problem we find, the Yaphank facility would have cost at least $1 billion, but only to produce 50 permanent jobs. That’s a trade-off we can’t rationalize with all other variables considered. If New York wants this in their economy, there’s plenty of land Upstate. If the U.S. wants it, there’s plenty of land elsewhere. Long Island doesn’t have the infrastructure, low density, housing stock, environmental security, and risk tolerance for these types of facilities. We believe Islip and Brookhaven made the correct move in passing moratoria. We can only hope that after their 18 months of research are complete, they find that Long Island is no place for the next frontier regardless of how correct or incorrect the critics might be.
Blakeman Must Campaign in the City New York has long been considered one of Democrats’ three “blue strongholds” in the country, the other two being Illinois and California. That’s why the 2022 gubernatorial election and 2024 presidential election were so head-turning. Then-Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) came within ten points of turning New York red in nearly 20 years, while President Donald Trump (R-FL) galvanized hundreds of thousands of votes to make New York the most rightward-shifting state in the 2024 election. They both had one thing in common: they went into New York City. Trump held three rallies in New York: the Bronx, Nassau County, and Madison Square Garden. Zeldin, on the other hand, made regular trips into the Big Apple, particularly by visiting subway stations that were hotbeds for violent crime. For starters, campaigning in territory typically inhospitable to one’s political party is only necessary in trying to make a safe state competitive. Without it, one party can’t bemoan their minority status without pitching themselves to voters who would otherwise never consider their candidacy. We’re well aware of the “illusion of choice” at the federal level, but that illusion only becomes reality when one party routinely eschews a possible new base. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R-Atlantic Beach) in his campaign for governor this year must campaign in New York City. In fact,
we think he should center most of his time within the four Democratic boroughs. The Bronx and Queens are the most fertile grounds for attracting new voters, especially those who are dissatisfied with Governor Kathy Hochul (D-Hamburg) as she campaigns for a second full term. The Bronx experienced one of the sharpest rightward swings in the state in 2022 and in the nation in 2024. While Republicans will likely continue to get blown out of the water there, the populous borough can still give any Republican a significant number of votes to buoy their statewide total. In other words, a Republican would rather take 30% of the Bronx than 10% on any day of the week. For Queens, we see a scenario, if Republicans play their cards right, in which the GOP can actually draw the borough to a single-digit margin. Trump and Zeldin approach an unprecedented 40% of the vote in both of their runs. Blakeman, running neighboring Nassau, has no excuse for not hitting every single neighborhood and talking to people on their front stoops directly. If the GOP is serious about this year’s race, Blakeman will go into the city. If they’re serious about the long-term viability of the Republican Party in New York, Blakeman will go into the city. If our state truly wants to be “saved” by the GOP, they will focus on the city more than they ever have.
Op-Ed Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
7
Thursday, August 27, 2026
I am an American By Ken Navoor | LIMBA America celebrated its 250th anniversary, or Semiquincentennial, on July 4, 2026. This special day marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Fourth of July is, therefore, an important day for the citizens of the United States as the country became free and declared its independence from tyranny in 1776. This could not have been made possible without the efforts of our leaders and the sacrifices our soldiers made. It is a day to celebrate freedom. We also recognize that, on July 4, 1802, the U.S. Military Academy officially opened at West Point. The military forms an integral part of a country. Without a military, the people of the nation cannot live in peace and safety. The military is responsible for the security of the country and works tirelessly and selflessly with a sense of pride. Every soldier in the military is the personification of sacrifice, bravery, courage, and dedication. They are away from their families, with only the safety of the nation in mind. Every soldier in the military has to be saluted by all the citizens and given the highest respect and honor. The strength
of a country’s military depends not on the number of soldiers, but on the courage they possess. As General Eisenhower said, “What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight — it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” “The Star-Spangled Banner” is the national anthem of the United States. Its history began the morning of September 14, 1814, when an attorney and amateur poet named Francis Scott Key watched U.S. soldiers — who were under bombardment from British naval forces during the War of 1812 — raise a large American flag over Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland. By the 1890s, the U.S military had adopted the song for ceremonial purposes, playing it to accompany the raising and lowering of the colors. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed an executive order designating it “The National Anthem of the United States.” In 1931 — more than 100 years after it was composed — Congress passed a measure declaring “The Star- Spangled Banner” as the official national anthem. Even before the song’s designation as the national anthem, it had been one of America’s most popular patriotic tunes for more than a century.
Freedom is a gift, given to us by our freedom fighters. They had to struggle to win independence and they sacrificed their whole lives so that we could live in a free country. Let their sacrifice not go in vain. Let us promise to work hard towards making America a better nation each and every day — free from corruption, violence and the ever-increasing threat of terrorism. Happy 250th to all and especially to our brothers and sisters around the world — some of whom are in harm’s way — that they get home safe and enjoy this day here with their families. Our prayers are with You. God Bless you and God Bless America. Ken Navoor is President and Chairman of Long Island Metro Business Action (LIMBA). Since 1968, LIMBA has been Long Island’s catalyst for economic investment and improvement, sponsoring lively breakfast forums featuring Long Island business activists and government officials. For donations, visit www.limba.net. For sponsorship information, please contact info@limba.net or (631) 626-4659.
Crazy Pols In NY, CA Want to Decriminalize Shoplifting By Steve Levy | Long Island Life & Politics Remember how crime skyrocketed after COVID? It was mostly due to the policies imposed by crazy leftist Democrats and their woke allies who made the ridiculous claim that enforcing the law was racist. If people were shoplifting toothpaste or clothes, it wasn’t because they made a poor decision. It was because they were forced to do so due to the poverty inflicted upon them by a racist, colonialist, capitalist system. And so, we had drugstores such as CVS and Walgreens locking up their toothpaste behind locked plastic encasements. We also saw video after video in which miscreants ran into the stores with huge duffel bags, brazenly emptied the shelves, and walked right past the security guards. It became so crazy that, if the security officer tried to intervene, it would be the guard who would be disciplined. And who suffered? It was the poor people who lived in
that area, that’s who. These bodegas and drug stores that were surviving on such small profits could not withstand the constant theft. So, they closed their doors in these violent neighborhoods. Meanwhile, violent crime was increasing because the criminal element realized that if nothing was happening to them when they were shoplifting or jumping the subway turnstiles, nothing would happen to them when they committed armed robbery. Consequently, murders and violent crimes went through the roof. But things started to get better recently as “defund the police” started to lose its credibility and no-bail laws were tightened up a bit. Then the murder rate really dropped precipitously when President Trump closed the border and started the deportation of hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens. The correlation on the graph is remarkable.
And yet we saw last week an Assemblywoman from New York City and a lawmaker in California calling for the decriminalization once again of shoplifting. Just when you thought we had turned the tide against the woke crazies, they keep coming back. Perhaps they are being emboldened by the victories of the new wave of socialists, or perhaps it’s because there’s a little pushback from the legacy media. In the end, it’s up to the normal people in this country to vote for common sense over crazy. If we continue to reelect the same wacky woke officials who defunded the police years ago, we will be getting what we deserve. This op-ed originally appeared in Long Island Life & Politics. For more from LILP, visit them online at lilifepolitics.com.
– Letters to the Editor – Blue Sky Days Dear Editor, The closing weeks of this summer brought us beautiful clear blue-sky days. It brought me back to another blue-sky day that has special relevance in light of recent events. When I read that our president was considering giving nuclear assistance to Saudia Arabia, I did a gasp. You have got to be kidding. This cannot be. Surely, we all said NEVER FORGET and meant it. I know I will never forget that 15 of the 19 September 11 terrorist hijackers were Saudi nationals. We are not talking one bad egg from Saudi basket that could be forgiven as a fluke. 15 is more than a baker’s dozen. I will never forget that country was a cesspool of anti-American and anti-Israel hate. The terrorists followed the instructions of Osama bin Laden to kill as many of our fellow citizens as they could in a three-hour attack. They were instructed to appear as clean-cut Arab tourists in khakis to board our planes drawing no suspicion on 9/11. More recently, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Price
Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) was deemed by our CIA to have been behind the 2018 dismemberment of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. President Biden named him a pariah on the world stage. That was until the fist bump that echoed around the world he gave him a few years later. As our president, he had to make nice with the oil king to keep our economy humming. That is the country of origin that sent countless thousands of Americans to their deaths that day and more from 9/11 illnesses still. They sent our fellow New Yorkers to death in the dust that fateful morning. Those dusty, smokey remains clung to the coastal harbors of Long Island in the morning mist for days. I saw it, I smelled it. I felt it on my skin. I will NEVER FORGET. Recently, I saw a comic of MBS depicted holding a bloody hatchet. Never forget means never.
Town Hall?
Dear Editor, It’s been at least 3 years since our representative in the First Congressional District has held an in-person town hall meeting. I guess he has given up on his constituents, because after several telephone town halls, there were no more events. However, on August 9, over 100 people heard the word “constituent” in an open town hall. That was in Riverhead, and it was led by the Democratic challenger Chris Gallant. He briefly gave his background, and then he opened the session to us - we, the people. He wanted to hear what we thought so he could represent us. It was lively and refreshing. It was the way a constitutional republic should be. Who will you vote for?
Respectfully submitted,
Sincerely,
Jamie Hanja Lake Grove
Joel Reitman Peconic
Small Business Spotlight
8
Thursday, August 27, 2026
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Ear Works Audiology
By Diane Caudullo August 2001: Drs. Victoria Kopec and Toni Zanetti (pictured right), then-recent classmates at Hofstra University and nowcertified audiologists, came together to start Ear Works Audiology. Fast-forward 25 years to August 2026, where they are celebrating what are now 10 successful locations across Nassau and Suffolk - and they should celebrate, and be celebrated, as it is quite an accomplishment. Ear Works Audiology is the largest privately owned chain of audiology offices here on Long Island. Together, they employ 37 people, consisting of diagnostic and hearing aid technicians as well as administrative staff. Their offices are strategically located to provide simple and nearby access to as many people as possible. Victoria emphasizes that not all hearing loss is the same. While many have diminished hearing due to aging and hearing aids are the perfect solution, some have loss due to varying medical conditions. The way to determine whether hearing aids are right for you is with the very detailed diagnostic testing that Ear Works provides. If medical issues are suspected, the audiologist will point you in that direction; only when the hearing aids are deemed the appropriate solution will they suggest them. With a set of hearing aids, routine visits are included in the package, as a person’s hearing can
continue to diminish or change over time, and the settings on the aids themselves can be tweaked to accommodate. In addition to the diagnostics and hearing aids, each location is equipped with the ability to assist with certain professional needs, such as swimmers’ and musicians’ plugs, as well as plugs
Family Owned & Operated Family Owned & Family Owned & Operated Operated for Nearly 125 Years for Nearly 125 Years for Nearly 125 Years Family Owned & Operated A Family of Funeral Directors for NearlyLegacy 125 Years A Family Legacy of A Family Legacy of Funeral Funeral Directors Directors Spanning Four Generations A Family Legacy of Funeral Spanning Four Generations Spanning Four Generations Directors Spanning Four Generations Conveniently Located, Modern Facilities Conveniently Located, Modern Facilities and AmenitiesLocated, including Hudson, Conveniently Modern Facilities and Amenities including Hudson, our Certified Grief Therapy Dog and Amenities including Hudson, our Certified Grief Therapy Dog our Certified Grief Therapy Dog
Four Generations of Hope, Guidance Four Four Generations Generations & Compassion of of Hope, Hope, Guidance Guidance & Compassion & & Compassion Compassion
Let Our Family, Serve Yours. Let Our Family, Serve Yours. Let Our Family, Yours. CONVENIENT LOCATIONS: LetOUR Our Family, Serve Serve Yours. OUR CONVENIENT LOCATIONS:
Branch Funeral HomeOUR CONVENIENT Branch FuneralLOCATIONS: Home Branch Funeral Home of Branch Funeral HomeOUR CONVENIENT Branch FuneralLOCATIONS: Home Branch Commack Funeral Home of of Miller Place of Smithtown Branch Funeral Home Branch Funeral Home Branch Commack Funeral Home of of Miller Place of Smithtown Branch Funeral Home Branch Funeral Home Branch Funeral Home of of Miller Place Commack of Smithtown of Miller Place Commack of Smithtown
BRANCHFH.COM BRANCHFH.COM BRANCHFH.COM
for sleeping. Their audiologists are known and loved by many of their clients, which is so important that the clients feel they can truly express the difficulties they are experiencing because everyone’s situation is different. The technology is also so advanced now that the audiologist can make adjustments right there in a computer program to address those very specific needs. Knowing that hearing aids are not always obtainable by all, Victoria and Toni created a program to give back to someone deserving in their community. They dubbed it their Gift of Hearing. Each holiday season, they ask people to nominate someone deserving of a free pair of hearing aids. Anyone can submit a short letter about someone they believe could really benefit from this very generous gift. Each year, one person is chosen by the staff, and in some cases, it is life-changing for the recipient. That end-of-year time frame is coming up soon, so if this brings someone to mind, even yourself, start writing that letter. Ear Works staff, many of whom have been with Victoria and Toni for over 10 years, regularly participated in the Breast
Cancer walks. They raised funds and walked for the cause as a team effort. A few years back, however, Victoria lost her brother John Kopec to multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. He was only 45. Sadly, too many of her staff understood her loss personally, as they too had lost family and friends to similar diseases. Since then, the team has shifted their fundraising efforts and now join in the walks for Blood United. It highlights the true team mentality of the overall operation, they move as one in their services to assist people with their hearing and they move as one where it matters most, supporting each other through real life experiences. Lisa, the ever-smiling joyful presence you see and feel, when you enter their Nesconset office has been heard saying to new patients on their way out after the first visit, “Welcome to the family!” And she absolutely means it. To learn more about Ear Works Audiology and to find one of the 10 locations throughout Nassau and Suffolk visit EarWorksAudiology.com.
This Week Today Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
9
Thursday, August 27, 2026
National, State, and Local Temperature Checks By Matt Meduri National
after a short battle with cancer. She was 80. Parton was quickly mourned by the country who heralded her unifying messages, contagiously positive persona, and reinvention of the Southern look and culture into a charming, country-chic brand. She joins her late husband, Carl Dean, who passed last year and whom she married in 1966.
The weekend’s storms brought a natural rarity to Long Island: twisters. The Mid-Atlantic played host to the weather anomaly amid torrential downpours late Thursday night. Two waterspouts formed off the coast of southern Queens and Nassau’s Atlantic Beach before moving onshore as tornadoes. The Atlantic Beach twister damaged cabanas and buildings at Sun and Surf Beach Club, forcing its temporary closure. Silver Point Beach Club also saw property damage. The Inwood Fire Department said about 50 cabanas were damaged and roofing and walls were pulled apart. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R-Atlantic Beach) said that there were no serious injuries or casualties. “It’s not something that you plan for, tornadoes form in an instant,” said Blakeman at a press conference on Friday morning. Eyewitnesses said the waterspout in Nassau briefly moved onto land before moving back out to sea. Dover, Delaware, and southeastern Pennsylvania also received twisters, according to the National Weather Service.
(Credit - Kristopher Harris, Flickr, wikimedia commons
State Senator Jessica Ramos (D-East Elmhurst) (pictured left) has been charged by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office for her billing practices. She is alleged to have double-charged her campaign and the State Legislature for the same travel expenses. The New York Times reports that two staff members who worked for Ramos, the Chair of the Senate Labor Committee, said that it was standard practice for her to double-bill hotels and transit fare. Ramos is alleged to have racked up $30,000 in overlapping charges. Democratic officials in Albany are keen to refer this case to the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government. Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (D-Great Neck Plaza) is reportedly reviewing the billing practices. Ramos was first elected in 2018 after defeating then-Senator Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights) in a highstakes primary. Ramos was part of the progressive insurgency that took out New York City Democrats who were establishment-aligned or outwardly centrist in their positions. Since 2018, Ramos has never been elected with less than 78% of the vote.
Credit - Instagram @docdondon
On the same day, English actor Tim Curry (pictured above) passed away in Los Angeles. He was also 80. Curry was known for his eccentric roles, notably Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island (1996), Wadsworth in Clue (1985), and Mr. Hector, the concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). Curry had long struggled after a stroke in 2012 left him wheelchair-bound and dealing with mobility and memory issues. State
GOP smaller-than-usual margins in what’s typically a slam-dunk state for their party. The primary was also a hallmark of significant campaign spending; both wealthy candidates poured millions of their own money into the race. Drummond far outraised Mazzei in contributions, however, $7.1 million to $1.5 million. Mazzei will face Oklahoma House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson (D), who represents an Oklahoma City-based district. She has made education and teachers’ compensation a cornerstone of her campaign, reintroducing a perennial issue in the state to this year’s contest. Democrats last won a gubernatorial race in Oklahoma in 2006, when Governor Brad Henry (D) won a second term in a landslide. In sudden domestic news, two pop culture icons passed away. Singer-songwriter and country music legend Dolly Parton (pictured left) passed away on Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee,
Last year, she briefly ran for mayor before endorsing former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-Sutton Place). This had surprised observers and is said to have ostracized her from Democratic circles in New York City. In June, she lost her primary to Assemblywoman Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas (D-East Elmhurst) 48%-37%. Local Credit - Alan Light, Flickr, wikimedia commons
Credit - New York State Senate
The trade war between the U.S. and Canada escalates, as Canada is imposing retaliatory tariffs on 15% to 50% of about $28 billion of U.S. goods, effective September 8. Canada’s move is a dollar-for-dollar response to U.S.-imposed 50% tariffs on roughly $28 billion in Canadian goods that was announced on August 22. The Trump Administration is citing Canadian policies on auto production, provincial bans on American liquor, and high tariffs on dairy products as discriminatory against U.S. commerce. Canada is targeting roughly 700 American products, mostly steel, aluminum, appliances, dairy, seafood, clothing, and agricultural tools. The two nations’ trading relationship is worth about $900 billion a year. The trade war comes as bilateral trade negotiations have collapsed. Meanwhile, long-term bond yields have hit 20-year highs, which in turn raise the costs of mortgages, business loans, and government debt. The U.S. Treasury announced that they are doubling the amount of longer-dated Treasury bonds that it would buy back from investors, going from $2 billion to $4 billion between September 9 and November 4. According to a press release from the Treasury, the move reflects their desire to “provide greater liquidity support in longerdated nominal sectors where there is consistent strong partnership from market participants, as evidenced by the significant volume of high-quality offers” that the Treasury “routinely receives.” Senator Darline Graham Nordone (R-SC) won the Republican runoff on Tuesday to succeed her late brother Lindsey Graham (R) in the U.S. Senate. Graham competed in a special primary that turned into a runoff with Congressman Ralph Norman (R, SC-05). She won Tuesday’s contest narrowly with just 52.5% of the vote to Norman’s 47.6%. Over 360,000 Palmetto State Republicans cast ballots. Graham will meet pediatrician Annie Andrews (D) in November’s general election. Democrats haven’t won a Senate race in South Carolina since Fritz Hollings (D) won his sixth and final term in 1998. South Carolina is considered a medium-red state, one where Democrats consistently lose but rarely get blown out of the water. The late Graham won his fourth and final term in 2020 by just about 10 points, one of the closest elections in his
Senate career going back to 2002. Senator Graham Nordone went into the primary fresh off a debate gaffe. When pressed by Greta Van Susteren on a foreign policy question regarding China’s perceived advances on Taiwan, Graham said she’s “not that informed on national security.” In Georgia, Democrats added to their House quorum through a special election in a deep-blue Atlanta district. Everton Blair, a former education chair in Atlanta’s Gwinnett County, defeated Marcye Scott, the daughter of this seat’s previous representative, Congressman David Scott (D). Blair defeated Scott 54%-46% in Tuesday’s special election. In Oklahoma, President Trump scored a win for his endorsement scorecard, which has not had the best record as of late. In the Republican runoff for governor, State Secretary of Budget Mike Mazzei (R) defeated Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond (R) in a razor-thin race. Of over 370,000 ballots cast, Mazzei prevailed 50.3%-49.7% - a 0.6% margin of victory. Mazzei prevailed in the deeply conservative southeastern part of the state - often called “Little Dixie” - while Drummond narrowly won the northern and western parts of the states, which included marginal wins in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The race for governor of the Sooner State is a sleeper, as Democrats have had winds to their backs in both 2018 and 2022. Controversial incumbents have given the
10
Smithtown Matters Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
Continued from front cover
Main Street Gains Another Business
The business is owned and operated by Cesar and Ximena DelCarpio. Cesar is originally from Queens, while Ximena grew up in Colombia. Both have called Setauket home for the last twelve years. Interestingly, it wasn’t cuisine as a profession that led them to Taste Buds’ grand opening; rather, a love of cooking and food in general. “I’m a chef by night, I like to say,” Cesar told The Messenger. He has a corporate background as a marketer by trade, while Ximena works in finance. “We’ve had corporate backgrounds for the last thirty years and wanted to jump into entrepreneurship and small business ownership, and we thought that this model was perfect with combining our passions for business with our passion for the culinary.”
Cesar’s personal cuisine tastes are quite broad, but that’s only added another asset to Taste Buds. The kitchen offers classes for those looking to cook an entire, international spread, from Thai food, fresh handmade pasta, sushi and dumplings, and French country-style coq au vin. Cesar is also known for his Thanksgiving turkey, leaving much speculation for what Taste Buds’ holiday menus will offer. “We’ve gotten a very, very great response from the community. In our first week of bookings, we sold all of our VIP coupons out. The community has been very welcoming,” said Cesar, adding that June’s Smithtown Day festival was a valuable indicator for enthusiasm. In contributing to Smithtown’s overall metamorphosis, Cesar said
being a part of that transition has been “energizing.” “This is the first spot we fell in love with,” said Cesar of the convenient location right on Main Street. “We have trained chefs who also want to bring the joy of cooking to all ages. We’re offering ages 2 to 99.” Katie, Taste Buds’ general manager and lead culinary instructor, said that the kitchen can change based on the type of event being held and based on what dishes are selected for instructions. Adult courses can even include wine pairings with the meals in question. For Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park), Taste Buds’ arrival is a testament to Smithtown’s business-friendly environment and more proof-of-concept for a downtown renaissance.
Assemblyman Fitzpatrick with Cesar and Xenia DelCarpio (Credit - Matt Meduri)
Katie, lead chef (Credit - Matt Meduri)
“We want to see business thrive. Certainly, it’s good for us [the Town] economically, but we want to see you prosper as well,” Wehrheim told the DelCarpios. Wehrheim was joined by members of the Town Board, Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick (R-St. James), Suffolk Legislators Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) and Sal Formica (R-Commack), and County Clerk Vincent Puleo (R-Nesconset). MaryEllen McCrossen, Executive Director of the Greater Smithtown Chamber of Commerce, was also on hand to welcome Taste Buds to the community fold. “If you go back to ten years ago in Smithtown, you can never dream of what you see happening here,” said Legislator Formica of the ongoing rebirth of the town’s business corridors. “Feed a man, you feed them for a day; teach them to cook, they’ll eat for a lifetime,” said Assemblyman Fitzpatrick. Taste Buds Kitchen was founded in 2007 by Jessi Brelsford. At the time a Wall Street employee, Belsford hosted her first cupcake-making birthday party at a friend’s loft in SoHo. The party “was a hit, a dream took hold, and Taste Buds Kitchen was born,” according to the website. In the last 17 years, Taste Buds has expanded with franchise locations across 19 states. On Long Island, Taste Buds has another location in Greenlawn. Taste Buds Kitchen is located at 102 W Main Street, Suite H, in Smithtown hamlet, directly across NY-25 from Town Hall. For their culinary schedule, visit Taste Budskitchen.com/smithtown.
Long Island Locavore Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
11
Thursday, August 27, 2026
Zucchini: Three Ways to Love Summer’s Most Abundant Squash By Nancy Val | Long Island Locavore
Crispy: Eden Eats Summer Squash Crisps with Harissa Mayo If you need to convince someone to get excited about zucchini, frying it until golden and serving it with spicy harissa mayo is a pretty good place to start. Chef and cookbook author Eden Grinshpan’s Summer Squash Crisps with Harissa Mayo, Sage and Basil coats thick slices of summer squash in flour, egg and panko before frying them until crisp. A dipping sauce of mayonnaise, harissa, lemon and garlic brings the heat, while fresh basil and quickly fried sage reinforce those summer garden flavors. The contrast is what makes this recipe: crunchy coating gives way to tender squash while the creamy harissa sauce delivers heat and acidity. This is zucchini that can disappear from the platter before you have a chance to tell anyone they’re eating vegetables.
Know Your Zucchini Don’t overlook zucchini’s relatives when shopping at local farm stands. Classic green zucchini is just the beginning. Yellow summer squash brings brilliant color to the plate, while striped and pale-green varieties offer subtle differences in texture and flavor. And then there are the blossoms. Those beautiful golden zucchini flowers are edible and highly prized. They can be stuffed, battered and fried, folded into pasta or risotto, or simply torn over a summer dish. Whichever variety you choose, buy summer squash while it is firm and fresh and don’t let it linger too long in the refrigerator. This is produce meant to be enjoyed during its moment. Three preparations. One humble vegetable. Crispy with fiery harissa mayo. Marinated Roman-style with vinegar, garlic and herbs. Puréed with fragrant summer basil. That’s the beauty of eating with the season. When our local farms and gardens give us an abundance of one ingredient, the challenge isn’t figuring out how to get rid of it. It’s discovering just how many delicious things it can become. So, when someone offers you another zucchini from the garden, don’t run - take two!
Credit - Nancy Vallarella
There comes a point in the season when zucchini seems to be everywhere. Farm stands are piled high with it, backyard gardens are overflowing, and gardeners begin arriving at friends’ homes bearing zucchini like hostess gifts. Fortunately, this prolific summer squash is also one of the most versatile vegetables in the kitchen. Zucchini is harvested while young, when the skin is tender enough to eat. While those enormous garden specimens can be impressive, bigger isn’t necessarily better. Look for small to medium zucchini that are firm and heavy for their size with smooth, unblemished skin. They’re generally more tender, with smaller seeds and less of the watery interior found in oversized squash. And don’t peel them. The colorful skin adds texture, nutrients and visual appeal. When zucchini is abundant, I like to move beyond zucchini bread and the grill. These three recipes take the same humble vegetable in completely different directions: crispy and spicy, tangy and herbaceous, and finally, light and creamy.
Eden Eats Summer Squash Crisps with Harissa Mayo, Sage, and Basil Harissa Mayo: Ingredients • One-third cup of avocado oil mayo • Half-cup lemon, juiced • One-half clove of garlic, grated • 1 Tbs of harissa paste Squash Crisps: Ingredients • 2 medium summer squash, sliced into medallions ½ inch thick • 2 eggs • 1 cup all-purpose flour • 1 cup panko bread crumbs • One-quarter cup fresh sage leaves • One-quarter cup fresh basil leaves • Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste • Neutral oil for frying Directions: 1. In a medium sized bowl, mix your mayo with the lemon juice, garlic, harissa paste and season with salt and black pepper. Set aside in the fridge. 2. Slice the summer squash into half-inch thick medallions. 3. Take out 3 wide bowls. In one, place the flour and season with salt and cracked black pepper. In the second bowl, crack in the eggs and whisk well. In the third bowl, add in the panko and season with salt and cracked black pepper. 4. Bread your squash. Place the sliced squash into the seasoned ap flour, and then dip into the whisked eggs. Place in the seasoned panko and cover the squash all over. Place on a lined tray and continue until all the squash is breaded. 5. Heat up a pan and add in the oil. When the oil starts to ripple, turn down to medium heat and add in enough squash to cover the pan in one layer, don’t overcrowd. Fry until golden around 2 minutes and then flip over and fry on the other side. When both sides are golden, remove and place on a paper towel lined plate. Season with sea salt and finish frying the rest. 6. After all squash is fried, add in the sage and fry for 10 seconds, remove from the oil and place on plate. 7. Place the squash and sage on a plate with harissa mayo and sprinkle over fresh basil.
Tangy: Roman Concia di Zucchine My second zucchini preparation pick travels back much further. Concia di Zucchine is a traditional dish of the Roman Jewish kitchen in which zucchini is fried until golden and then marinated with vinegar, garlic and fresh herbs. Traditional Roman preparations often use zucchine romanesche, a small, pale-green striped variety, along with mentuccia, the intensely aromatic Roman mint. This is where patience becomes an ingredient. Rather than eating the zucchini immediately after frying, it is allowed to marinate for several hours-or overnight-giving the squash time to absorb the vinegar, garlic and herbs. The result is simultaneously rich, bright and surprisingly refreshing. And don’t worry if you can’t find Roman zucchini or mentuccia. Our locally grown zucchini and fresh garden mint or basil will still make a delicious dish. Serve concia at room temperature as an antipasto or side dish, pile it onto grilled bread or tuck it into a crusty sandwich. It’s also an excellent make-ahead dish for summer entertaining. Long Island Locavore tip: When life gives you too much zucchini, marinate it. How To Make Stanley Tucci’s Concia di Zucchine Ingredients: • 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil • 1 large zucchini, thinly sliced (in rounds or lengthwise) • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 1 Tbs white wine vinegar • Basil and mint leaves, to taste Directions: 1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and garlic; cook until zucchini is lightly browned and tender. 2. Transfer zucchini to a bowl; sprinkle with white wine vinegar and mint leaves. 3. Chill in the refrigerator until cool. Serve.
Creamy: Maxi’s Kitchen Healthy Zucchini Basil Soup 10 minute prep time / 30 minute total time. Recipe serves 4 After frying and marinating, our third preparation shows zucchini’s softer side. Maxine Sharf of Maxi’s Kitchen is known for approachable, vegetableforward recipes designed to make home cooking less intimidating. Her zucchini basil soup brings together two ingredients that tend to be abundant at precisely the same time: zucchini and fresh basil. Pureeing cooked zucchini creates a remarkably smooth texture without requiring a heavy cream-based soup. Onion and garlic provide the savory foundation while basil gives the mild squash the fresh, unmistakable flavor of summer. It’s also a clever answer to the inevitable question: What am I going to do with all this zucchini? Make a pot for dinner and enjoy the leftovers for lunch. A simple zucchini-basil soup is equally at home alongside a sandwich or salad and makes an easy transition from the warm days of late summer into the first cooler evenings of fall. Maxi’s Kitchen Healthy Zucchini Basil Soup : • 3 Tbs olive oil, plus more for serving • 1/2 a large yellow onion, diced small • 2 lb. zucchini, chopped • 3 garlic cloves, chopped • 2+1/4 tsp kosher salt • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper • 3 cups water • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves • freshly grated parmesan, for serving • olive oil • crusty artisan bread, slice
Created by Nancy Vallarella, who brings farm-fresh recipes and local food knowledge to Long Island through farmers’ markets, demos, and more. For more recipes or to connect: DM @lilocavore495 on Instagram or email lilocavore495@gmail.com
1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering, then add the onions. Cook the onions until they are starting to soften and become translucent, 3-5 minutes, then add the zucchini, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5-7 mins until the zucchini is starting to become tender, then add the water. 2. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10-15 mins until the zucchini is tender. 3. Carefully transfer the soup to a blender and add the fresh basil leaves. Blend until completely smooth and cover to keep warm. 4. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a drizzle of high quality olive oil and a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan. Serve with bread on the side.
Community Spotlight
12
Thursday, August 27, 2026
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Centereach School Goes All In on the Arts Located on Mark Tree Road just north of NY-25 sits Our Savior New American School (OSNAS). Its Lutheran Church, formed in 1958, began its Christian private school in 1992 as a de facto refuge from the public school hegemony - similar to the presentday battle. The school began as a one-room schoolhouse under the leadership of Rev. Ronald Stelzer, who served until 2019 as Headmaster, and Principal Dolores Reade, who also served until 2019. With only $5,000 in the bank, a mission was born. Since then, the school expanded into an accredited institution and a late-1990searly-2000s annex constructed dozens of classrooms, a computer lab, a science lab, and a gymnasium. Its basketball team was nationally recognized for decades, and its alumni went on to play in national sports, sing at Carnegie Hall, and even enter local journalism. Editor’s Note: The Messenger’s editor is a proud alumnus (‘18) of OSNAS. But leadership change around the time of the pandemic has brought about reconstruction in the school. Economic hardships have depressed enrollment, and the sports scene is now in its heyday, but OSNAS nonetheless persists in attracting students beyond offering a classical Christian education. The arts are now on the rise for this private academy in the heart of Centereach, and the unassuming brick building has a wealth of experience and knowledge within its walls. Meet the Director Ray Knehnetsky (KEH-NET-SKEE) has served as the church’s liturgical music director and the school’s music director since 2016. He’s a graduate of Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music and has had a varied career that’s taken him to Hollywood, Las Vegas, and Paris, trading cards with big names along the way - Barbara Eden being one. His current gig is serving as the band leader and keyboardist for Frankie Avalon, but he’s contributed orchestration works to television’s MacGyver and Miami Vice, the score for the 1983 film Joysticks, and directed music for a Los Angeles church before finding a home in Centereach. After his L.A. church subsidized his theology studies at Concordia, organizational differences led to his severance, giving way for Pastor Stelzer and the OSNAS body to place the call. Knehnetsky invited OSNAS leadership to a Frankie Avalon concert in New Jersey to meet for the first time. They offered to pray over him and Avalon before the concert. “No sooner did I get in the car, the phone rings and it’s Frankie. He says, ‘Ray, if they offer you a job, take it,’” Knehnetsky told The Messenger. Avalon has since tailored his concert schedule around Knehnetsky’s job at the church and school. He’s been playing with Avalon for over 30 years. Fighting the Good Fight But Knehnetsky’s life wasn’t always elbow-rubbing with the Hollywood elite. When he and his band were tapped to go on tour with The Rolling Stones, they opted for a then-nascent band - Earth, Wind, and Fire - and he and his crew were left marooned in Paris. Knehnetsky faced homelessness, paying off a debt to a Parisian hotel manager, and having his top-of-the-line
Credit - Matt Meduri
By Matt Meduri
equipment confiscated as collateral. Through the rough-and-tumble world of 1980s show business, Knehnetsky has held a biblical principle in mind. “2 Timothy 4:7, ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith,’” said Knehnetsky. That adage is what kept him fighting for his career in Paris, which abounded with work and an eventual ticket back to the States. He says that’s what continues his work, with his current role at OSNAS as the most “important” of his career. “Of all the things I’ve done in Hollywood, Broadway, TV, and film, and I’ve had some accomplishments, none of them are as important and touch my heart as much as what I do here. None of them. A lot of schools are cutting down music programs. Parents need to know that there’s someone who cares about their kids’ musical education [at OSNAS].” Knehnetsky stipulates that he doesn’t expect “everyone to come out to be a musician or top vocalist,” but the service and potential is there at OSNAS. “I can’t teach talent. You have to have it; God gives that to you. But I can take that talent and nurture it like a piece of clay.” An added challenge for Knehnetsky is a small student body, which requires him to pivot year after year to cater to each students’ musical needs and talents, but it’s something he figures out each time. This past year, three girls were in his program - no boys. That led him to call the group The Three Esthers, and they worked on secular music, some with Christian parodies, from the 1950s to the 1990s. Not only do students get a one-on-one experience with a well-credentialed musical professional, but they get a frontrow seat to vocals, musicology, learning instruments, and even writing original music and parodies. “The students are part of the whole process.” Knehnetsky’s connections to the greater musical world are also a hidden gem of OSNAS. He’s been able to connect student musicians with prestigious shows at Carnegie Hall. He recently coached a vocalist, OSNAS’ 2026 valedictorian, to make the U.S. Navy’s choir. Another student was able to secure a scholarship to pursue music as a minor in addition to her passion as an educator, courtesy of Knehnetsky’s prowess. The Christian environment is the crux of OSNAS’ mission, but Knehnetsky marries that with a subtle truth: “In church, you come out humming a hymn; you don’t come out humming a sermon.” Our Savior New American School is located at 140 Mark Tree Road in Centereach and can be reached at 631-588-2757. Visit osnas.org for more information.
News Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
13
Smithtown Junior Is App-Solutely Fantastic Credit - Smithtown CSD
Smithtown High School West junior, Aaron Matvenko is making big strides in the world of STEM after taking 1st place at Cooper Union’s Summer STEM Pitch Competition with his medical app, Medisaurus. The app connects with medical databases, including the FDA, to help determine whether different medications are compatible or potentially incompatible with one another. After advancing through multiple rounds and competing against 95 other teams, Aaron took the top prize and earned a $1,500 scholarship. Aaron is not stopping there. He has filed for a patent for Medisaurus and hopes to make the app available to the public in the near future.
OPEN DURING CONSTRUCTION! NEW EXPERIENCE COMING IN 2026!
WHERE LONG ISLAND WINS! Slot Machines • Electronic Table Games Off-Track Betting • Dining • 200+ Hotel Rooms
Jakes58.com | 631.232.3000
3635 Express Drive North | Islandia, NY 11749
Copyright© 2026. Must be 18 to enter gaming floor, play video gaming machines, or wager on horse racing. Must be 21 or over to book a hotel stay. Must be 18 or over to stay in the hotel. Please play responsibly. If gambling is a problem for you or someone you care about, please call the 24-hour toll-free helpline at 1-877-8HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369).
Civics 101
14
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
The Necessary Standard for American Education The National Parks System
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.
By Matt Meduri In light of National Parks Week, we take a detour to discuss one of the United States’ foremost assets: the National Parks System. History and Origin The first documented suggestion of a national park was made in 1832 by artist George Catlin during a trip to the Dakota Territory. Catlin noticed that wildlife, the Native American civilization, and natural beauty of the country were all endangered, he wrote, unless they could be preserved “by some great protecting policy of government…in a magnificent park…a nation’s Park, containing man and beast, in all the wild and freshness of their nature’s beauty!” Henry David Thoreau, a leading transcendentalist during the mid-1800s, proposed a “national preserve” for animals, landscapes, and the Native Americans. The idea of the national park was further bolstered by many American Indian wars which led public support for nationally administered reservations. The “national park” would be seen as a refuge for wilderness free of human activity. The first national park created was none other than the legendary Yellowstone National Park. Located in the northwestern corner of Wyoming, the park was created in 1872 under President Ulysses S. Grant (R-IL). The area had been rumored to be a place of unusual features, such as boiling mud, steaming rivers, petrified trees, and geothermal activity. John Colter, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, is said to be the first American citizen to have entered the park. Many of these claims would be confirmed by the Cook-FolsomPetersen Expedition of 1869, which explored Yellowstone proper. They also found a geyser with a penchant for erupting every 90 minutes - Old Faithful. Explorers then predicted that Yellowstone would become an internationally heralded part of the country. Since Wyoming wasn’t a state at the time, Yellowstone was managed by the federal government through the Army, including the Buffalo Soldiers. Business magnate and conservationist Stephen Mather and journalist Robert Sterling Yard would begin the publicity campaign for the Department of the Interior to create a separate federal agency to manage the nation’s parks. At the time, these efforts, especially in Yellowstone, were hard fought by the miners and loggers who populated the Rocky Mountains. On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson (D-NJ) signed the National Park Service Organic Act that mandated the National Park Service (NPS) to “conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manager and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” Stephen Mather became the first director of the NPS. Under Franklin D. Roosevelt (D-NY), the NPS gained maintenance duties of American Civil War sites, taking that role from the War Department; national
monuments were taken from the Department of Agriculture. After World War II, the national parks were overburdened with demand and park facilities were not up to standards of visitors’ expectations. Under President Dwight D. Eisenhower (R-KS), Mission 66 was begun. It was a ten-year effort to upgrade and expand park facilities in time for the fiftieth anniversary of the NPS. In 1963, a five-member advisory board on wildlife management prepared a report, “Wildlife Management in the National Parks.” Called the Leopold Report, named for the board’s chair and conservationist A. Starker Leopold, the fourteen-page document established ecosystem management and would not be revisited until 2012. In 2012, the twelve-member NPS Advisory Board Science Committee revisited the Leopold Report, publishing a 23-page report, “Revisiting Leopold: Resource Stewardship in the National Parks.” They found that knowledge of “new and emerging scientific disciplines - including conservation biology, global change science, and genomics” were “essential” for the NPS to be “science-informed” and keep the parks system running while “confronting uncertainty.” The National Park System The entire NPS encompasses over 85 million acres, of which 2.6 million remain in private ownership. The largest unit is Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in southeastern Alaska, clocking in at 13.2 million acres - over 16% of the entire system. The smallest unit is the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at just 0.02 acres. Oceans, lakes, and reservoirs account for over 4.5 million acres of the NPS’ stock, over 85,000 miles of perennial rivers and streams, over 68,000 acres of archaeological sites, 27,000 historic structures, and over 121 million objects in museum collections. Most NPS units are established under an act of Congress, although the president, under the Antiquities Act, is allowed to designate and protect areas, such as national monuments, by executive order. A potential park should meet all four criteria set by the NPS: an “outstanding example of a particular type of resource; exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the natural or cultural themes of the nation’s heritage; superlative
opportunities for recreation, public use, enjoyment, or scientific study; and it retains a high degree of integrity as a true, accurate, and relatively unspoiled example of the resource.” There are 63 national parks, accounting for over 52 millions acres and over 92 million annual visitors. In the NPS’ stock is 87 national monuments, 3 national lakeshores and 10 national seashores, 31 national memorials, 19 national preserves, 2 national reserves, 18 national recreation areas, 4 national rivers, 10 national wild and scenic rivers, 4 national parkways, 76 national historic sites, 9 national military parks, 9 national battlefield parks, 11 national battlefield, 6 national scenic trails, 11 sites that fall under a miscellaneous category. The NPS also holds unique items in their fold. There is only one asset designated as a National Battlefield Site: the Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site in Baldwyn, Mississippi, where in June 1864, the outnumbered Confederate forces defeated the Union force. There is also only one International Historic Site within the NPS, St. Croix Island in Maine. The 6.5 acre site sits on the Canadian border with New Brunswick. It’s recognized as the first permanent French settlement in the New World and as an influence on both Canada and the U.S. in the nations’ fledgling days. Where are the National Parks and Who Visits? For 2025, Great Smoky Mountains National Park along the Tennessee-North Carolina border regularly tracks as the most-visited national park. In 2025, the Great Smokies took in over 11.5 million visitors. In second place for last year, Zion National Park in Utah received just under 5 million visitors, followed by Yellowstone (4.7 million), Grand Canyon, Arizona (4.4 million), and Yosemite, California (4.2 million). Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Acadia National Park in Maine, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, Olympic National Park in Washington state, and Glacier National Park in Montana made the top-ten in 2025. California claims the most parks of any state. They have 8 parks located entirely within the state, and share Death Valley with Nevada. Behind California is Alaska, with 8 parks. Alaska’s parks are often the least-visited, due to their remote locations and expensive means of visitation. Alaska’s Gates of the Arctic net just under 12,000 visitors in 2024, followed by North Cascades in Washington at over 16,000. The map above shows how many national parks reside in each state. Most have just one park each or lay claim to a park mostly located within another state. The U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa also have one national park each. Since 2000, eight new parks have been established. The most recent was New River Gorge in south-central West Virginia, established on December 27, 2020.
Around Town Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
15
Hauppauge Industrial Park Further Broadens Rebranding By Matt Meduri The Hauppauge Industrial Park is considered the second-largest industrial park in the country. Home to about 1,300 companies, the park employs some 55,000 Long Islanders and generates more than $13 billion in economic output. The park is notably home to Amneal Pharmaceuticals, a major speciality pharmaceutical manufacturer, GSE Dynamics, a nationally recognized defense and aerospace manufacturer, and VOXX International, an international manufacturer of automotive and consumer electronics. In fact, GSE Dynamics was a major supplier to Long Island’s former most-esteemed employee, Grumman. In the spring, the park welcomed Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) to see the economic impact for herself, and last Thursday, the park continued its rebranding efforts with a monument sign welcoming visitors to such a regional economic powerhouse. The new sign is located at 410 Motor Parkway in what the Hauppauge Industrial Association-Long Island (HIA-LI) says is an “important step” in the rebranding of the former Hauppauge Industrial Park into Long Island Innovation Park. HIA-LI has been rebranding since 2019. That year’s Hauppauge Industrial Park Regional Competitiveness and Growth Strategies report recommended the park “reinvent” their “brand and identity with upgraded signage and wayfinding systems” as part of the “broader strategy to position the Park as a modern, forward-looking economic hub.”
“This sign will serve as the beacon to the entrance of this magnificent industrial center,” said HIA-LI First Vice Chair Kevin O’Connor. The Hauppauge High School alum added that he hopes to move his company’s, Hanover Bank, headquarters exclusively to Hauppauge; they are currently split between Hauppauge and Mineola. “This is one of the most important parcels of property that we have in Smithtown,” Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park) told The Messenger. “It’s important to Smithtown, Suffolk County, and all of New York, quite frankly.”
Senator Mattera Presents NYS Senate Liberty Medals to Mother and Son for Heroic, Life-Saving Actions Credit - Office of Senator Mario Mattera
New York State Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James) proudly presented the prestigious New York State Senate Liberty Medal to Natechia Campbell-Moss and her son, Jovani Moss, in recognition of their extraordinary courage, selflessness, and life-saving actions during a devastating house fire in their neighborhood. The Liberty Medal is one of the highest civilian honors awarded by the New York State Senate and recognizes individuals who have exhibited exceptional, heroic, or humanitarian acts on behalf of their fellow New Yorkers. On the morning of March 31, 2026, at approximately 6:30a.m., 15-year-old Jovani Moss noticed that a neighbor’s home across the street was engulfed in flames. Without hesitation, he immediately contacted his mother and then called 911, calmly providing emergency dispatchers with critical information. At the same time, Natechia Campbell-Moss rushed from her home and ran across the street to alert her neighbor. Despite repeatedly ringing the bell, knocking on windows, and pounding on the door, there was no response. Realizing every second mattered, Mrs. Campbell-Moss forcefully kicked in the door and was able to alert the homeowner, who was unaware that her house was on fire and rapidly filling with smoke. Mrs. Campbell-Moss safely escorted her neighbor from the home. When the neighbor ran back inside in an attempt to rescue her cat, Mrs. Campbell-Moss courageously followed her in, helping ensure both women escaped safely. Throughout the emergency, Jovani remained on the phone with 911, providing updates to first responders and refusing to board his school bus until he knew his mother and neighbor were safe. After more than 50 firefighters arrived on scene, he continued assisting emergency personnel and Suffolk County Police officers by answering questions and providing important details regarding the incident. Beyond their heroic actions that day, both honorees exemplify leadership and service within their community. Jovani Moss, a 15-year-old honor roll student at Half Hollow Hills High School East, was recently recognized as “Student of the Month.” He is an accomplished football and track athlete, a young leader grounded in faith, and an aspiring entrepreneur preparing to launch a clothing line focused on empowering young people through confidence and selfexpression. Natechia Campbell-Moss is a dedicated Patient Services Representative at Mount Sinai Doctors and a former Case Manager who provided critical support to individuals living with HIV/AIDS. She is also a Fintech Business Consultant committed to empowering underserved communities through financial education and access to entrepreneurship opportunities. In addition, she owns Techia’s Cake World, a business known for creating custom cakes that celebrate life’s most meaningful occasions. Throughout her professional and personal endeavors, she has remained devoted to community service and helping others.
“The actions of Natechia and Jovani Moss demonstrate extraordinary courage, compassion, and selflessness,” said Senator Mario R. Mattera. “In a moment when many would have been paralyzed by fear, they acted decisively to save a life. Their heroism on that morning is a testament to their character and reflects the very best of our community. Natechia’s willingness to put herself in harm’s way to protect a neighbor and Jovani’s calm, responsible actions under immense pressure are truly remarkable. It was my distinct honor to present them with the New York State Senate Liberty Medal and recognize the incredible example they set for all New Yorkers.” Reflecting on the experience, the Moss family expressed gratitude that they were able to help during a critical moment and emphasized the importance of looking out for one another. The recognition ceremony served as a powerful reminder that acts of bravery and compassion can come from ordinary citizens who are willing to step forward when their neighbors need them most. Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James) has represented the Second District in the New York State Senate since 2021. The Second District contains the entire Townships of Huntington and Smithtown. Senator Mattera serves as Ranking Member on the Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions Committee and on the Energy and Telecommunications Committee. He also serves on the committees on Cannabis; Civil Service and Pensions; Labor; and Transportation. The Second District office is located at 180 East Main Street, Suite 210, in Smithtown and can be reached at 631-361-2154.
16
Local History Thursday, August 27, 2026
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Our Post Office By Ellyn Okvist, B.Sc. When the new Lake Ronkonkoma Post Office was established, it bought additional customers to the store known as Hallock General Store. Willis Newton Hallock was appointed as the first Post Master of Lake Ronkonkoma on Tuesday evening, February 7, 1905. “A new Post Office, to be known as Lake Ronkonkoma, has been established at the lake, with Willis N. Hallock as postmaster. Mr. Hallock received his appointment on Tuesday night. This is the outcome of a citizens’ petition which asked to have the post office at Ronkonkoma station moved to a point one mile to the northwood. It results in both offices being maintained, with Postmaster G.C. de Groot in charge at the station office. The establishment of office No. 2 is especially favored by the summer residents about Lake Ronkonkoma who have long protested against being obliged to go a full mile to the station office for their daily mails. The new office is quite near Sandy Garth, the country home of Maude Adams, who, it is said was leader among the influential petitioners for the new post office.” The mail was brought by horse and wagon and delivered through a side window. Then it was distributed into pigeon-hole letter boxes by the postmaster. The General store was sold in 1907, and the new owner was Walter Emmett Coleman. He automatically became the Postmaster of the existing Lake Ronkonkoma Post Office in the building. He continued the duties of Postmaster and served the Village on a day-to-day basis. The volume of mail had increased 400-fold, and the summer months required extra effort into the distribution. Once again, another new owner of the General Store appeared, it was now the duty of James Agnew to become the Postmaster of the existing Lake Ronkonkoma Post Office in the building. James had declared his intention to become a U.S. citizen on November 14, 1906, which worked out fine for the position. The Post Office continued to be housed under Agnew and Taylor’s roof until 1932, and that year’s presidential election. The office of the Postmaster in small towns was considered a political plum awarded to deserving members of the party in power in Washington. When Franklin D. Roosevelt (D-NY) was elected in 1932, the post office was promptly moved out of Agnew and Taylor and given to Gus Gehweiler, a Democrat. Gus followed the post office regulations and put up “No Loitering” signs, ending the era of friendly town gatherings at the mailboxes each evening. In 1943, the Post Office was moved across the street, and Mrs. McKernon was postmistress for seventeen years until the newly renamed Ronkonkoma Post Office building was opened on Portion Road on July 1, 1959. Parallel to the Lake Ronkonkoma Post Office, which held its place in post office history from February 7, 1905, to June 18, 1959, we have the originally established Lakeland Post Office established in 1851. It covered our entire area until the name was changed to Ronkonkoma Post Office on April 25, 1870, and has remained as such until today. Postmaster Salaries were published in The Long Islander (Huntington), 1839-1989; and the endorsements for office, made by the Republican County Committee. A few pertinent towns were Northport $2,000 (the highest); Terryville $58 (the lowest), Lake Grove $239, and Ronkonkoma $316.
Newspaper coverage reports when the matter at Lake Ronkonkoma and Willis N. Hallock was appointed Postmaster and was to move the office a mile and a quarter from the train station, the present location. This raised a storm of protest. The County Committee unanimously endorsed Giles C. DeGroot, the then-Postmaster of Ronkonkoma, and that office would continue in its present place. The decision was made by the Post Office Department in Washington. On February 15, 1905, the official word came down from Washington, D.C., establishing the Lake Ronkonkoma Branch. The article gave all credit for efforts to Maude Adams and other spirited residents, stating they wanted a centralized location that was a half mile to the lake and equal distance to Maude Adams home. This has been refuted by others, and on February 24, 1905, the Post Office at Washington issued a statement that would clarify the incident. The only truth of the articles and gossip was that there will be a new Lake Ronkonkoma Post Office, and the Ronkonkoma Post Office will remain. There was never a petition circulated to support the Lake Ronkonkoma branch. The Post Office Inspectors saw that both branches were needed for the growing community. Clearly stated, “While Miss Maude Adams owns a country seat here and is a very clever young woman in the theatrical world, her magnetic influence, however, was not brought to bear upon the Post Office Department at Washington, nor upon the local politicians, as intimated by the articles. If the Times would kindly make the above correction, it would let our brothers of Ronkonkoma station and vicinity know that we did not try to steal their Post Office.” This press release would exonerate the use of Maude Adams’ name and untrue statements used to force the new post office, so she did not have to travel as far to collect her mail. All lies. The announcement made on March 12, 1948, to begin groundbreaking on the new Post Office was underway. With an expected cost of $16,500, its location was the west side of Hawkins Avenue where the road was widened last year. Once the building was completed, Lake Ronkonkoma’s first rural free delivery route would be established. The Lake Ronkonkoma Post Office became a branch of the Ronkonkoma Post Office on July 1, 1959. The Lake Ronkonkoma branch would be used as the administrative branch. Delivery service for certain sections of Lake Ronkonkoma began October 1, 1959, per McKernan, Postmaster. The dedication of the new Ronkonkoma Post Office was held on November 26, 1961, complete with a parade and entertainment. The new Post Office was at 12 Garrity Avenue, near the railroad station. On May 9, 1981, our new Post Office once again consolidated Lake Ronkonkoma and Ronkonkoma. All thirty-three routes would be in that one building, and the newly introduced ZIP codes would use 11779 for both areas. At the ceremonies, the “customer” was referred to as the “most important individual to the Post Service.” The one thing that comes to mind is jumping from one building to another. Many of us are still wondering “where do I live? Lake Ronkonkoma or Ronkonkoma?” Take a look at your deed, it may answer your question.
Technology News Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
17
Confusion Is Expensive. AI Is Moving Fast Again. Start in Your House AI_generated_CHATSCAN
By Mollie Barnett You’re not imagining it. AI sped up again. New models keep landing. Voice AI feels like a conversation. The same apps that used to just chat are filling out the form, opening the portal, and sitting with the pile you have been sliding from the counter to the drawer. If you feel behind again, you are not alone. The frontier models turned the fire hose back on again. Try not to think of it as being behind; you are just unstarted. If you don’t know where to begin, begin smaller than the digital world is telling you to begin. Start in your house. Start with ChatGPT. ChatGPT is the Preferred Front Door Gemini is often less expensive, especially if you already live in Gmail, Docs, and Drive. It is also a little more cumbersome. The useful parts are scattered across Chat, Workspace, Search, and Spark. It is powerful once you know where Google hid all of the buttons, but it is not the friendliest first five minutes, so unless Google is a very familiar environment, I would start here. ChatGPT is the all-rounder - one app, a voice that can go back and forth, writing, photos, files, research, and the everyday mess of a Tuesday in the same place. The reason to start here is the voice. Talking is the fastest bilateral exchange — you speak, it answers, you correct it, it adjusts. You learn the edges of the tool while you cook, fold laundry, or sit in the car. Typing is useful. Voice is how most people realize the everyday applications. The other frontier models are not consolation prizes. Claude is excellent on long documents and careful work. Gemini is native to Google. Grok is direct and current. Perplexity is built for research with sources. You can connect several of them to the same kitchen — Gmail, Drive, Slack, Notion — through connectors and MCP, the shared plug that lets more than one assistant reach the same apps. That is the real version of “link ChatGPT and Claude and Grok.” It is not one fused brain. It is three chefs with keys to the same drawers. Do not build that mesh this week. Open one door. Start free if you need to. If you reach for it more than a few times a week, pay for it. I have personally had a better return once billing is in the mix: fewer limits, better voice, less of the cap that kills a new habit. The subscription is not magic. Friction is what stops people. Paid removes some of the friction. It is a tool. Not a devil. Some people use AI lazily. Some use it in ways that are actually bad. Some use it for good. That is true of email, cars, and hammers. The tool does not get a halo or horns. You stay in the loop. You choose the job. You check the output. You do not hand it your bank login, your private family business, or a decision you are not willing to stand behind. You do use it to clear the pile so your attention can go where a human is required. What It Frees You From To me, the win is not “become an AI person.” The win is getting free of the things that used to freeze you. Legal papers. School forms. Insurance letters. Warranties. Medical bills. The PDF written to cover the sender, not to help the person holding it. Photograph the page. Open Voice. Say: Read this like I’m not a lawyer. Tell me in plain English what they want, what I have to do, what’s optional, what’s a deadline, and what happens if I ignore it. Then give me the three questions I should ask before I sign or pay. That is not legal advice. That is translation. You get the plot. You get the clock. You get the trapdoors, auto-renewals, fees that look small, language that sounds friendly and isn’t. You get a first draft of the reply. If money, housing, custody, or a court date is on the line, use the tool to get unstuck, then have a licensed human look at it. Keep Social Security numbers and bank details out of the chat. Don’t sign because the summary “sounded” fine. This is your friend with solid advice, not the expert. Ethan Mollick said the quiet part on LinkedIn this week: for everyday usefulness and saving time, Codex and Claude Code can now take “fill out the forms that I got an email about” and do
it, often without another nudge. Low-risk, time-consuming stuff that scatters your attention. To make that work you run ChatGPT or Claude on the computer, turn on browser control, and you have to trust the model enough to let it click. Check the work until you know where it fails. He bets you still get the time back. He has been saying the same thing in a wider frame: life is full of systems that are hard to navigate by complexity, design, lack of care, or the hours they demand — healthcare, government, personal finance, school forms. Consumer AI is underrated because people muddle through that fog alone. Agents are getting good at irregular, draining tasks: a medical bill, a credit dispute, tedious forms. Start with translation. Then, if the task is low-risk and you are watching, let it fill the boxes. You keep the last click. Look at what is actually in the fields. Don’t ask the model if it did a good job. Look. Confusion is Expensive It does not show up as a line item. It shows up as the late fee, the signature you should not have given, the warranty you never used, the appeal you never sent, the week the envelope traveled from the counter to the drawer. Time is the obvious cost. Attention is the quieter one. The half-finished form sits in your head while you cook and while you try to sleep. Money follows the fog. Dignity does too — feeling stupid in front of a page written to make you feel stupid. Clarity is cheaper than confusion. That is the return. Not a miracle. A flashlight. A First Week So You Stop the Starting Line Day 1. Download ChatGPT. Turn on Voice. Talk for five minutes about something in the house. Day 2. Photograph one real letter or form. Ask for the plot, the clock, and the next step. Day 3. Use it while you do a chore. Meals. Packing. The plant that looks sad. Day 4. Rewrite something you already wrote so it sounds like you, only clearer. Day 5. Talk through a decision you are stuck on. Ask for tradeoffs, not a pep talk. Day 6. Tell it how you like things: more direct, no flattery, one clarifying question first. Day 7. Repeat the most useful thing from the week. That is the habit. You do not need to catch the whole wave today. You need one useful conversation and one less confusing page. AI is moving fast again. You’re not imagining it. It is a tool. Confusion is expensive. Start in your house.
Mollie Barnett - is the Founder of State and Signal, Decision Architect TM and Founder of AI Systems. Mollie helps businesses find clarity and recalibrate their operational stance for the new frontier.
Messenger Perspectives
18
Thursday, August 27, 2026
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Drink Your Juice and Make Your Appointment By PJ Balzer
My life has always received a very mixed message regarding medicine and the medical industry. The first message being that my mother, two of my aunts and both of my siblings were or are currently practicing nurses. I’ve witnessed and heard stories about them caring for patients who needed it. I’ve seen both my mother and sister render care to people who have collapsed in a public place at a random and unforeseen time. The opposing message was that the medical industry is “just a big business.” The food in the supermarket makes us sick, the doctors and insurance companies are all about profit, and there’s some CEO hoarding his billions in a bank account in Switzerland.” He or they are getting rich off our sicknesses and we’re being led around like sheep to the slaughterhouse. To be honest, the latter message resonated with me for many years, especially after my first encounters with the doctors when I was young. Even the simplest and most routine visit for a sports physical for school would make me nervous. I hated walking into the office. I hated the anxious feeling of waiting for the doctor inside the room the nurse placed me in. I felt that
(631) 269-6421
I could do without the doctors and did so for many years. With that mindset, it was convenient to grab onto the sole theory that the medical industry was out to get me and get rich while doing it. Doctors were for the simple-minded sheep and that definitely wasn’t me. In my early twenties, I started developing a really healthy lifestyle. I was an avid gymgoer and even competed in bodybuilding at one point. After the on-stage bodybuilding phrase was through, I still kept in great shape. I simultaneously started to get more into nutrition with the goal of keeping my body free and clear of disease, sickness, and weakness. This eventually led me into the vegan lifestyle which I was able to keep strictly for several years. The goal and vegan promise was that clean eating, fasting on carrot juice and green juices would guarantee me that I would never need a doctor. That further fit my theory and lifestyle because I hated the doctors anyway. In 2011, out of nowhere, I started choking on and throwing up my food. The first time it happened I was scared but also figured it was simply a mishap. Maybe this was just an off day and a random occurrence. I was strictly keeping my body clean and free of toxins and the Big Pharma poisons. There’s no reason at all I should be getting sick. But this kept happening and I was progressively losing the ability to swallow solid foods. I tried natural remedies, herbal teas, different foods, and nothing would go down. I became used to vomiting while eating, and it became a horrible experience every time I tried. The ironic thing is that the only food I was able to get and keep down at one point was ice cream - definitely not vegan-approved or looked fondly upon by the super health conscious, but I needed any nourishment I could get, so Turkey Hill ice cream it was. After wrestling with my theories about doctors, hospitals, and medicine, I was forced to give up the fight. I arrived at a point where I needed a doctor. I tried everything else and was watching myself waste away in the mirror. I was losing weight so rapidly that people around me thought I either started using hard drugs or had cancer. Fasting on carrot juice or green juice is certainly a healthy practice, but it wasn’t going to fix this one. I needed a doctor to tell me what was happening to me and why. If he or she didn’t, I most likely wouldn’t live another year. After dreadfully yet willingly going through some testing at a local Brookhaven medical office, I walked into Stony Brook Hospital and sat in the admissions office. The lady who did my intake interview was really nice and also seemed to be genuinely concerned about me. Before I walked out of her office to head towards the elevator she reassured me with, “He’s a great doctor and you’re in a good place. We’re going to help you here.” She was right. He was an amazing doctor, and they did help me and continue to. My wife and I are so grateful for what an amazing doctor that God led us to as we prayed for help and intervention. I could never forget how he treated me in his office, both before and after my life saving surgery. How kind and compassionate he was beyond just the long white surgeon’s coat. How nice his assistant was and how they helped me get all of the testing I needed done in a rush. They weren’t out to harm me or make me sicker for profit after all. They did just the opposite. That whole process changed my heart and gave me a balanced view of the medical industry at large. I do understand that there’s some truth in the first theory and some greed in every industry. Yet coming to the end of myself was the best thing that could have happened and ultimately ended up preserving my life. I can’t forget to mention all of the wonderful secretaries, medical technicians, nurses, and staff who cared for me during the testing, surgery and hospital stay. They all helped change my mind. If you’re not feeling well and know something is off, drink your healthy juice and make your doctor’s appointment too. Thank you, Dr. Lionel D’Souza.
AMAC Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Overview - AMAC The Association of Mature American Citizens
Thursday, August 27, 2026
While Trump Sharply Cuts Foreign Aid, Past Abuses From the Obama-Biden Era Keep Piling Up By John Solomon | Reprinted by AMAC from Just The News A half billion dollar fraud and bribery scheme conducted by a USAID contract officer and three conspirators that went undetected for a decade. American-bought equipment stolen by a terror group. Millions of dollars in food that spoiled in warehouses. These are but a few of the wasteful — if not corrupt ways -- millions of USAID dollars have been lost. While President Donald Trump has sharply cut foreign aid from the auspices of USAID and shifted what remains to the State Department, the massive abuse of America’s generosity to foreign countries over a decade of Obama-Biden governance is coming into clearer focus. A Just the News review of audits and investigations of the USAID and State Department inspectors general over the last year chronicles billions of dollars lost, stolen, defrauded, or wasted because of mismanagement or years of neglect. In many cases, tax money was given away without regard to whether the recipients could responsibly spend it or could keep it out of the hands of terrorists or other enemies, the audits show. For instance, the USAID inspector general recently revealed that the federal government kept funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) despite evidence that 101 of its employees or associates had ties to terror groups like Hamas, including: • A deputy school principal serving as an al-Qassam deputy company commander in the Ain Gallout/5th infantry battalion. • A deputy school principal serving as squad leader for the Khan Younis Brigade/2nd infantry battalion. • A teacher serving as squad leader in Hamas’ military security department/intelligence unit who tracked assignment of explosive devices. • A teacher serving as a platoon commander of the Central Brigade/Al Quds 2nd Battalion. • A math & computer teacher with ties to an al-Qassam intelligence squad. • A teacher with expertise as a sniper for Hamas. • A teacher and Hamas soldier with orders to bring two anti-tank missiles to a prescribed location during the October 7 terror attacks • A school principal who served as an operative of the Hamas East Jabaliya Battalion, and coordinated communications with other suspected Hamas members during the October 7, 2023 atrocities committed against Israel Similarly, the same USAID watchdog revealed that the Yemenbased terror Ansar Allah — also known as the Houthis—walked away with about $122,000 worth of U.S. government-funded equipment from a USAID-funded aid organization. $17 million of the $21 million of food aid stored in warehouses was not distributed to emergency food providers. Some good-intentioned aid also was wasted by bad management and logistics, the audits show. For instance, about $17 million of the $21 million of food aid stored in Djibouti warehouses was not distributed to emergency food providers. That included $10 million of goods at risk of reaching its bestused-by date prior to arriving at its intended destination. About $2.9 million of food aid had already spoiled due to significant packaging defects by the vendor, investigators reported. To make matters worse, taxpayers incurred at least nearly $500,000 in storage costs for spoiled, unusable food. And another $1.5 million in food became infested because USAID “did not enforce temperature control requirements,” eventually requiring additional fumigation costs, the memos stated. U.S. food aid in Ethiopia ended up being sold for pennies on the dollar Some U.S. food aid in Ethiopia also ended up being sold for pennies on the dollar in online stores instead of reaching people in need, one report revealed. “The investigation identified indicators of potential vulnerabilities across multiple stages of the supply chain that could allow for diversion,” USAID’s inspector general said. Lack of common sense was cited at USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance when it provided food and healthcare plus good old-fashioned cash payments to help support displaced people in the West Bank and Gaza. “Although providing cash can be flexible and more cost effective than providing in-kind commodities, it is also susceptible to fraudulent activity such as misappropriation and theft,” the IG warned. “Having controls over cash assistance is important for mitigating risks of fraud in humanitarian aid programming, such as diversion to U.S.-designated terrorist organizations.” Trump’s historic reduction of foreign aid has touched off a political firestorm among Democrats, who accuse the administration of starving struggling nations overseas for fraud they claim is minuscule in the big picture of government. But the fraud examples uncovered by the federal agency watchdogs has provided Republicans a powerful counter narrative about the victimization of generous American taxpayers. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer recently told Just the News he thinks Democrats have a pecuniary interest in keeping foreign aid going despite strong indicators of fraud, suggesting nonprofit recipients of federal largesse are big Democrat donors. “Well, I’m seeing a direct correlation of us cutting off the NGOs and the amount of money going to Democrat candidates and being funneled through,” Comer said. “…There was a reason I believe the Democrats raised all sorts of heck over Republicans wanting to dismantle USAID.” Sometimes even when fraud is uncovered, prosecutions don’t occur, the memos show. History of declining prosecution When USAID’s Office of Inspector General determined a top official in Zimbabwe embezzled Pay As You Earn (PAYE) taxes from the salaries of local employees for his own use, no prosecution occurred in America. “Although the Finance Director was arrested and charged with theft (among other charges) by local authorities, the Country Director fled, and their location remains unknown,” the IG recently reported. “The Department of Justice declined to pursue Federal prosecution.
OIG also referred the individual to USAID for consideration of suspension and debarment action. However, no action was taken.” Likewise, a top official at a US-funded nonprofit in Zambia allegedly embezzled approximately $193,295 through altered bank account transactions. While the nonprofit reimbursed for some of the lost funds, “the Department of Justice Office of Foreign Litigation and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colombia declined to pursue Federal or local prosecution,” one memo disclosed. Since the Trump administration took over, efforts to recover funds lost to foreign fraud have ramped up. For instance, a woman convicted in 2024 of defrauding a US-funded global nonprofit of approximately $425,000 over many years entered into a civil settlement last month with the Department of Justice and agreed to pay $160,000 to resolve allegations that she violated the False Claims Act. Last fall, a Pakistani man was sentenced for conspiracy to commit theft while working as a contractor la USAID-funded power distribution program in
O N
19
The Association of Mature American Citizens represents Americans 50 plus. AMAC is centered on American values, freedom of the individual, free speech, and exercise of religion, equality of opportunity, sanctity of life, rule of law, and love of family, with benefits at all levels.
AMAC plays a vital role in helping build the services that will enrich the lives of America’s seniors. AMAC Action, a 501 (C)(4) advocates for issues important to AMAC’s membership on Capitol Hill and locally through grassroots activism. To Learn more, visit amac.us Pakistan that involved a years-long kickback scheme that went infected. The man allegedly arranged for local vendors to provide services for substantially less than the rates in the purchase orders and kept the difference, prosecutors said. One of the largest foreign aid grifts uncovered in the last couple of years finally was unmasked last summer, ultimately costing taxpayers a half billion dollars, officials In the scheme that dates to the Obama-era of foreign aid, a federal contracting officer and three businessmen pleaded guilty to bribes involving cash, NBA tickets, and a country club wedding to secure lucrative contracts that totaled about $550 million. The defendants were about to score again in November 2023 under President Joe Biden’s open border policies, with one of their companies being awarded a contract worth up to $800 million to among other things address “a variety of issues affecting the root causes of irregular migration from Central America to the United States.” USAID’s watchdog, however, prompted the cancellation of the contract based on “evidence of conduct of a lack of business honesty or integrity.”
S T A G E
SEP 10– OCT 25 U P
N E X T
By William Goldman Based on the Novel by Stephen King
JAN 14–FEB 28 M
NOV 12–DEC 27 C H I L D R E N’S
SEP 26–OCT 25
T H E A T E R
Frosty NOV 21–DEC 27
Bits & Pieces
20
WORD OF THE
Week
Etymology: 1620s, “white, bright,” from Latin candidum “white; pure; sincere, honest, upright,” from candere “to shine.” In English, the metaphoric extension to “frank, honest, sincere” is recorded by 1670s (compare French candide “open, frank, ingenuous, sincere”). Of photography, “not posed, informal,” 1929.
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
SUDOKU
CANDID adjective Pronounced: /kan·duhd/ Definition:
Expressing opinions, feelings, etc. in an open, honest, and sincere way
Example:
“He described his checkered past in a humble, candid manner.”
Synonyms: blunt, forthright, outspoken Antonyms: biased, dishonest, tactful Sources: Merriam-Webster, Etymonline.com.
See bottom left for the answers (please don’t cheat!)
This Week in History August 30, 1979:
August 27, 1950:
WORD WHEEL
August 29, 1883:
T
S
Seismic sea waves created by the Krakatoa eruption cause a rise in the English Channel 32 hours after the explosion.
I
R A See how many words you can create. Must have center letter in word and can use letters more than once. 4 letter word minimum.
First recorded occurrence of a comet hitting the Sun releases energy equal to one million hydrogen bombs.
First transmission of a TV program from continental Europe airs on the BBC.
U L
September 1, 1878:
First female telephone operator starts work, Emma Nutt, for the Edwin Holmes Telephone Dispatch Company in Boston.
September 2, 1864:
Union General William T. Sherman captures and occupies Atlanta, Georgia, ending the Atlanta Campaign in the Civil War.
August 31, 1909: A. J. Reach Co. patents cork-centered baseball.
August 28, 1830: First American-built locomotive, “Tom Thumb,” races horse-drawn car from Stockton & Stokes stagecoach company from Baltimore to Ellicott Mills; due to mechanical problems, the horse wins!
Source: Onthisday.com.
Bits & Pieces Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
NATIONAL Two measles deaths have been reported in Pennsylvania. Wildfires near Reno, Nevada, have forced tens of thousands to evacuate. The Washington Post was ordered to rehire a columnist who was fired for social media posts over Charlie Kirk’s assassination. The Supreme Court has allowed construction of the White House Ballroom to temporarily continue. A drone that killed three Ukrainians was guided entirely by AI. The Supreme Court temporarily allowed the Trump Administration to restrict mail-in voting. Canada is reporting 582 active wildfires. 31 are considered out of control across western and northern Canada. President Trump has teased renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America, saying he doesn’t expect to do “much business with Ontario any longer.”
STATE Governor Kathy Hochul cut the ribbon on the new Future Farmers of America (FFA) building at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse on Wednesday. Governor Hochul called Trump’s Lake Ontario renaming tease as “silly talk.” Tuesday marked the deadline for local law to end formal cooperation agreements with ICE. The State remains defiant against local sheriffs in banning cooperation with ICE.
LOCAL The State Comptroller found that Brentwood School District officials could improve how they manage and monitor building access accounts and devices to mitigate unauthorized access risks. A Hampton Bays man faces up to 7 years in prison for assaulting two police officers. A Copiague family was rescued from a boat that had run aground near the Fire Island Inlet on Sunday. Stop & Shop donated $10,000 to support Suffolk Community College campuses in Brentwood, Riverhead, and Selden. A man was shot in the leg in Mastic Beach by a homeless man on Sunday night. A Wading River man was arrested for selling alcohol to a minor at an Eastport gas station. A local newspaper rehired their former publisher.
WORD SEARCH
21
Greenlawn Native Launches
Thursday, August 27, 2026
New Soccer Initiative on Long Island Long Island always finds a way to be part of some historic moment in sports. Sara Whalen Hess, a native of Greenlawn, played for the ‘99ers’ in the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The iconic moment paved the way for future generations of female athletes. Sara Whalen Hess is launching a new soccer initiative called USL Long Island, a professional men’s soccer league team in 2028. Sara Whalen was born in Massachusetts, but was raised on Long Island in Greenlawn. She grew up attending Harborfields High School. She was a multisport athlete, playing varsity soccer, basketball, and running track. Soccer was her main focus when she moved onto the collegiate level. UCONN, normally a basketball hotbed, was the school of choice for Whalen in terms of soccer. She played defense for the Division I Huskies from 1994 to 1997. Whalen had an outstanding career in Storrs, notching 23 goals and 43 assists. Her accolades include being named a three-time All-American, twotime Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Hermann and M.A.C
trophy finalists, Honda Sports Award winner, and was honored with having her number 8 jersey retired. She earned her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Psychology, eventually opening up her own practice. The defender amassed a decent playing career for club, playing for the Long Island Lady Riders and the New York Power. Whalen was a founder of the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA), the first women’s professional soccer league to pay its players. The Long Island native was inducted into the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame in the Class of 2001. In ‘97, Whalen received her first callup to the United States Women’s National Soccer Team. Her first cap came against France. Her tenure with the national team spanned from ‘97 to ‘00, where she was a versatile player on the field. Whalen played the entirety of extra time in the World Cup final against China, being the first to embrace Brandi Chastain when they won. Whalen went on to earn silver in the 2000 Olympics with Team USA. The new club will operate out of Hofstra University in Hempstead, with all their home
Credit - Joe Orovitz, Hofstra Works
By Ashley Pavlakis
matches taking place at James M. Shuart Stadium. The 13,000-seat facility is packed with history from years of competition. “Long Island is where I fell in love with soccer, and after everything the game has given me, bringing a professional soccer club home is a real full circle moment for me,” said Whalen. “I’ve come to realize that soccer was never just about winning championships. It was always about people and creating connection, belonging and community.
That’s the culture we’re building at USL Long Island. We want every player, every family, every volunteer and every fan to know they have a place where they matter. Today we’re announcing a professional soccer club, but what we’re really building is a home.” Whalen Hess is Co-Founder and President of USL Long Island along with Dix Hills native, Principle Owner Glenn Schneider. The team’s identity has yet to be unveiled in terms of name, colors, etc., but Long Island will be at the heart of what’s to come.
Islanders’ Jersey Contest Winner:
A Beacon of Blue & Orange
By Ashley Pavlakis NHL teams are constantly changing their jerseys each season. With that comes different color schemes, different logos, etc. The team’s identity is best portrayed through the jerseys they wear on the ice each night. The New York Islanders recently announced a fan-driven contest to decide their third jersey that will be worn in the 2027-28 season. The New York Islanders were established in 1972 as an NHL organization, becoming the 15th team to join the league. They entered the league in roaring fashion, executing 14 straight playoff berths and winning four straight Stanley Cups from 1980-1983. New York is home to many things, particularly the Montauk Lighthouse. A true focal point and iconic history driven piece of Long Island. Since 1972, the Islanders have had different variations of jerseys. The love/hate relationship with the ‘fisherman’ jerseys, the ‘NY’ hockey stick logo, the Islanders crest, ‘Islanders’, etc. No matter what the crest possessed, it was always made with a blue & orange color scheme.
The Islanders’ most recent ‘third jersey’ was its 2024 Stadium Series Jersey. The navy-blue jersey featured ‘Islanders’ written horizontally across the chest on an orange stripe. The Islanders unfortunately lost that outdoor game to the New York Rangers 6-5 in OT. Regardless, the jerseys for that matchup were quite impressive. Needless to say, the Islanders were long overdue for a new jersey in their closet. With their relatively new home at UBS Arena [2021] in Elmont, they needed a new jersey to represent their new home. On July 8, the New York Islanders announced a fan driven contest where fans could design their own Islander jersey to be worn for the 2027-28 NHL season. The organization provided a digital design tool equipped with logos, colors, and different jersey patterns that fans could mix and match to create their own design. The contest drew 80,490 submissions, a historic first for an NHL team. 80k was narrowed down to 8; a bracket was formed
for fans to vote on the chosen jerseys. The bracket progressed down to a final two. ‘Jersey A’, a navy-blue jersey with blue and teal stripes on the bottom and the sleeves with a lighthouse logo on the chest. ‘Jersey B’ is also a navy-blue jersey with a cream colored patch on the chest, ‘Islanders’ spelt out horizontally two optimal designs created by two fans. The players have taken part in this contest throughout, sharing their favorite designs throughout the process. It was only fitting for the jersey winner to be announced by none other than Matthew Barzal. In a video posted on Islanders social media on Thursday night, the navy lighthouse jersey emerged victorious. The name of the winner has yet to be announced, but they are in for a real treat. They’ll receive a teamsigned jersey and tickets to an Islanders home game. That’s just a bonus; having your favorite NHL team wear a jersey you designed is unbelievably special and a great honor.
Eastport-South Manor StudentAthletes Sharpen Skills This Summer 23
Eastport-South Manor students spent the summer staying active and building their athletic skills through the district’s athletics youth summer camp program. Open to students ages 6-13, the camps are held over eight weeks, offering instruction in a variety of sports and giving participants the opportunity to develop fundamentals, improve their confidence and enjoy friendly competition. The camps are led by ESM coaches with assistance from high school student-athletes.
Center Moriches High School Named ScholarAthlete School of Distinction Center Moriches High School has been named a New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) School of Distinction for the 2025-2026 school year, a prestigious designation that recognizes a school’s exceptional commitment to academic achievement across their athletic programs. “This recognition reflects the culture we strive to build throughout our district, a culture where students understand that success in the classroom and on the field go hand in hand,” said Dr. Ricardo Soto, Superintendent of Schools. “Our student-athletes, coaches, teachers, and families all share a commitment to high expectations, and this achievement is a testament to their hard work, discipline, and dedication. We are incredibly proud of our students for representing Center Moriches with excellence in every aspect of their educational experience.” To qualify for the honor, every varsity team at a school must earn NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete Team recognition during its respective sports season by meeting the organization’s academic standard: at least 75 percent of each team’s active roster must achieve a collective grade point average (GPA) of 90.00 or higher during the official marking period or sports season. Center Moriches High School is one of only 118 schools statewide that received the School of Distinction Award for the 2025-2026 school year, placing the schools among a select group recognized for fostering a culture where academic success is a shared achievement across all varsity athletic programs. For more information on the Center Moriches Union Free School District, visit the district’s website at cmschools.org. Happenings in the district can also be found on the district’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/cmschools.org/ #CMSchools
Smithtown Messenger - Brookhaven Messenger - Islip Messenger - Thursday, August 27, 2026