Smithtown Messenger Archive Feb. 19, 2026

LaLota, Garbarino Earn Party Nods for Congress

By Matt Meduri

Last Friday’s convention of the Suffolk County Republican Committee at their Medford headquarters saw the GOP nominate their official slate of candidates at the congressional, state, and local levels. Chief among those picks were the overwhelming nominations of incumbent Congressmen Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) and Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) for this year’s midterm elections.

Continued on page 5

Puleo, Mattera,Fitzpatrick to Run for Re-Election

By Matt Meduri

The Suffolk GOP held its convention last Friday in Medford and designated its slate of candidates for the 2026 federal, state, and local elections.

For Smithtown, the cornerstone of the Suffolk County Republican Party, three well-known names and life-long community members have earned the party’s nod to run for reelection.

Continued on page 10

County Clerk Vincent Puleo (R-Nesconset)

, Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick (R-St. James) (Credit - Matt Meduri)

Congressman Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) (left), Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) (right) (Credit - Matt Meduri)

WINTER EVENTS

Creative Community Class at Spirit of Huntington Huntington Station

February 19, 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM

Hot Cocoa Crush 5K Long Island at Eisenhower Park Field 2

February 21, 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM

Superheroes of the Sky at Sweetbriar Nature Center

February 21, 11:00 AM

Psychic Fair and Gift & Craft Show at The Radisson Hotel

February 22, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Winter 2026 Ceramics for Adults & Teens at Gallery North Setauket

February 22, 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM

LI-Kick: Trivia Roulette at Great South Bay Brewery

February 26, 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM

Long Island Pet Show 2026 at Suffolk Federal Credit Union Arena, Brentwood

February 28- March 1, Times may vary

Camp W Open House Camp W Melville

February 28, 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Rumours ATL: A Fleetwood Mac Tribute at the Paramount Huntington March 5, 8:00 PM

Stand Up Comedy Show at Po’Boy Brewery, Port Jefferson Station

March 7, 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM

NY Blood Drive at Christ Lutheran Church, 117 Carleton Ave, Islip Terrace

March 9, 3:30 PM to 9:00 PM

Rhythm of the Dance at Staller Center for the Arts, Stony Brook March 14, 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM

(631) 269-6421

WHERE TO FIND OUR PAPER

COMMACK

Bagel Chalet

Bagel Toasterie (Mayfair Shopping Center)

Candlelight Diner

HAUPPAUGE

Hauppauge Palace • Shop Rite (Smithtown Bypass)

KINGS PARK

3 Sons Deli • Bagel City Company Kings Park Card Shop

Kings Park Manor • Linda’s Pizza

LIRR Kings Park Train Station Park Bakery • Raleigh Poultry Farm

LAKE GROVE

Lake Grove Village Hall

RONKONKOMA

718 Slice Pizzeria (719 Hawkins Ave)

SMITHTOWN

American Legion

Hot Bagels • LIRR Smithtown Train Station

Maureen’s Kitchen • Millennium Diner

Smithtown Bagels

Smithtown Seniors Center

Smithtown Town Hall Stop & Shop • Sweetwaters

ST. JAMES

50% Cards Store (Lake Avenue)

7 Eleven (356 Lake Avenue) Lake Ave Deli

LIRR St. James Train Station

HAUPPAUGE:

Winter Festival- February 21, 12:00 PM

Erupt Your Imagination with Volcanoes- February 26, 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM

COMMACK:

Weather Wind

- February 26, 4:15 PM to 5:00 PM

Shamrock Silliness - March 12, 4:15 PM to 5:00 PM

NESCONSET:

Adult Writer’s Group- March 3, 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM

KINGS PARK:

Snowman Surprise- February 19, 3:30 PM to 4:00 PM

Baby Bookworms- February 23, 10:30 AM to 11:15 AM

SACHEM:

Study with a Dog- March 5, 5:30 PM to 6:15 PM

Murder Mystery- March 7, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM

On the Campaign Trail

Suffolk GOP Nominates Dan Losquadro for County Comptroller

By Madison Warren

Last week, the Suffolk County Republican Committee announced their slate of candidates for the 2026 election at their headquarters in Medford last Friday.

The open question has been who will succeed the term-limited Comptroller John Kennedy (R-Nesconset), who was first elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018 and 2022.

The GOP has put forth Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro (R-Shoreham) as their nominee for Suffolk County Comptroller. Losquadro has been a presence in Suffolk County for the past few decades and now has the GOP’s backing to continue making strides and an impact in this election.

The Shoreham Republican is no stranger to government or serving his community. With a long résumé in local and state politics, he points to years of experience as a foundation for his 2026 campaign. Since 2013, Losquadro has served as Brookhaven Town Superintendent of Highways, a role responsible for maintaining more than 3,500 lane miles of roadway across the town.

Under his leadership, the Highway Department has undertaken large paving initiatives, including the resurfacing of 33 roads in Sound Beach as part of broader efforts to improve safety and infrastructure townwide. His more than decade-long tenure in the position reflects continued voter support and confidence in his work.

Before leading the Highway Department, he

previously served in the Suffolk County Legislature, representing the Sixth District, and later in the New York State Assembly, representing the First District.

Throughout his time in government, he has emphasized constituent services, local infrastructure, and fiscal oversight. That combined legislative and administrative experience has helped shape his approach to public office and continues to inform his current campaign.

Now, he is ready to head this election head-on. Losquadro said his campaign for Suffolk County Comptroller is rooted in promoting honesty and transparency in county government, while also praising current Comptroller Kennedy and saying he has “done a fabulous job” in the role.

He pointed to his experience managing

Brookhaven Town’s roughly $160 million highway budget and overseeing numerous State- and federally funded projects that require internal auditing and strict compliance. He also highlighted his past service in the Suffolk County Legislature and New York State Assembly, where he worked on budget reviews, saying those roles prepared him to handle the scale of county finances. Losquadro also emphasized his role in digitizing the Highway Department and his familiarity with implementing new technology and cybersecurity protections.

“I’m used to dealing with large budgets and large numbers, and the type of challenges we face in Suffolk County are things that I’m accustomed to,” Losquadro told The Messenger “I’m very familiar with bringing new systems online and integrating electronic systems into areas where they never existed before; it’s a challenge I’m very much looking forward to.”

GOP Chairman Jesse Garcia (R-Ridge) has voiced confidence in the Republican slate, signaling party support behind Losquadro as the race moves forward. With the formal backing of the Suffolk County Republican Committee, Losquadro enters the campaign season with support and a countywide network already in place. As the campaign unfolds, Losquadro has indicated he plans to highlight his record in government and his familiarity with the scale and complexity of Suffolk County’s finances as key assets for the comptroller role.

The Moloney Family

Continued from front cover

On the Campaign Trail

February 19, 2026

LaLota, Garbarino Earn Party Nods for Congress

The stakes for both parties couldn’t be higher. For the Republicans, defending their already-tenuous House majority to continue President Donald Trump’s (RFL) agenda in earnest; for the Democrats, clawing back that majority to deny a lame-duck Trump his legislative platform for the final two years of his term.

For Suffolk County, a plausible path to that majority for both parties is on the table, as it was in 2022, when the GOP rode the coattails of then-Congressman Lee Zeldin’s (R-Shirley) near-upset bid for governor that single-handedly delivered control of the House to the Party of Lincoln. While not in the eye of the hurricane this year, the nation’s largest suburban county will likely yet again make its presence known on the national stage this November.

The string of victories is also credited to GOP Chairman Jesse Garcia (R-Ridge) (pictured top right), who rose to the position of Chairman in 2019 and has since brought the long-dormant Suffolk GOP out of extinction. Republicans had been a minority in the County Legislature for nearly fifteen years, until the red wave of 2021, which also saw Ray Tierney (R) elected the county’s first Republican District Attorney in about the same amount of time.

In 2023, Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) was elected the ninth Suffolk County Executive, the first Republican in that position this century.

Under Garcia’s leadership, Suffolk County backed President Trump in all three of his White House runs, the largest county by population in the country to do so.

Congress: NY-01

The First District includes the entire towns of East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Smithtown, Southampton, most of Huntington, and the northern half of Brookhaven.

LaLota notched his first term in Congress in 2022, replacing Zeldin and quickly solidifying himself as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress. In 2023, the Lugar Center’s Bipartisan Index tracked LaLota as the 65th-most bipartisan member of the House and the 15th-most bipartisan freshman of either party.

A Navy Veteran, LaLota defeated then-Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac) by an eleven-point margin, despite the district having gotten bluer after the 2020 redistricting cycle. LaLota was re-elected by a similar margin in 2024 over John Avlon (D-Gramercy Park).

Eying a third term, LaLota was recently appointed to the House Appropriations Committee, becoming the first New York Republican to serve on the body since 2009. LaLota has also staked his tenure on delivering hundreds of millions of federal dollars to Suffolk for infrastructure, safety, and research,

preserving Plum Island, working on behalf of Veterans, and working across the aisle to protect the Long Island Sound.

“We govern in a manner that’s responsible,” said LaLota, accepting his nomination. “But in 2026, after we’ve won a lot, it’s time that we protect those seats.”

LaLota added that the Democratic Party will be “coming after” the GOPheld seats and that “it’s time to protect” those seats. He called the since-2022 GOP House majority a “commonsense, conservative firewall” against the “lunacy that’s going on in Washington,” and that he was part of a five-member group of Republicans who had won seats carried by then-President Joe Biden (D-DE) just two years prior.

“[In 2024] Republicans won the trifecta and put this country on a much better path. We have zero illegal border crossings. Inflation is down from Biden’s 4.95% to Trump’s 2.5%,” said LaLota. “America’s presence overseas is stronger than it’s ever been and we are on the right track right now as a party and as a country.”

Congress: NY-02

NY-02 includes the entire towns of Islip and Babylon, the southern half of Brookhaven, and parts of Oyster Bay.

A rising star in the national party, Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) is eying a fourth term.

Elected in 2020 to succeed the legendary Congressman Peter King (R-Seaford), Garbarino, then a State Assembly since 2013, had big shoes to fill. This past summer, Garbarino rose to national prominence by earning the gavel of the powerful House Homeland Security Committee. Garbarino has also earned high bipartisan rankings, with the Lugar Center’s 2023 report clocking him as the 23rd-most bipartisan member of the House.

Garbarino won the open seat in 2020 by a narrow seven-point margin over Jackie Gordon (D-Copiague). He defeated Gordon in a rematch in 2022, this time,

however, by a landslide twenty-point victory. Garbarino repeated that margin in 2024 over Rob Lubin (D-Lindenhurst).

“We’ve done a lot of great things down in Washington, and there’s still a lot left to do,” said Garbarino, warning that electoral history portends spending and energy from the opposition party. If Democrats take back the House, Garbarino predicts that their “first” objective will be to impeach Trump a third time.

“They’re going to open our borders again. They’re going to go against every right that we have gotten back,” said Garbarino. “We need to keep the majority.”

With the three Republicans running for the House in Suffolk, Garbarino said that the House majority was effectively in the room. Democrats only need a net gain of three seats nationwide to gain the Speaker’s gavel.

“Democrats have the enthusiasm right now. They think they’re going to win; they feel great,” said Garbarino. “But there’s two things they don’t have: they don’t have the issues; we own the issues. And they don’t have the Suffolk County Republican Committee.”

Congress: NY-03

NY-03 contains the City of Glen Cove, the Town of North Hempstead, most of the Town of Oyster Bay, a portion of the Town of Hempstead, a portion of northeast Queens, and the Huntington communities of Cold Spring Harbor, Huntington, Huntington Bay, Huntington Station, Halesite, and Lloyd Harbor.

The Suffolk GOP Committee is going with former Assemblyman Mike LiPetri (R-Farmingdale) (pictured right) to take on the political titan of Nassau County, current Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove). The stage is set for a rematch, as LiPetri only narrowly lost to Suozzi in 2024. Suozzi had won the special election in February 2024 to fill the vacancy left after George Santos’ (R-Queens) historic expulsion from Congress. Previous studies published by The Messenger found that had the 2022 district lines been used, LiPetri would have defeated Suozzi in 2024.

But Suozzi finds himself in a more challenging political environment. The rapid rightward shift of Long Island and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s (R-Atlantic Beach) coterminous bid for governor might not provide Suozzi with the local insulation to which he’s typically accustomed. Moreover, Suozzi is facing mounting public backlash from liberal constituents who do not believe he’s doing enough to stand up to the Trump Administration.

The rock-and-a-hard-place scenario for the entrenched Democrat provides a possible opening for LiPetri, 35, who served just one stint in the New York State Assembly from 2019 to 2021.

“We have two percentage points that we need to flip, two percentage points to make sure we protect America,” said LiPetri, referencing the surprisingly-close margin in the 2024 contest. “Right here, we get to grow the House. This November will be a day of reckoning. We will create a safer America, a stronger America, a better America, and it all starts with the Suffolk County Republican Committee.”

Here’s the Count

The stage in Suffolk is now set for the Republican ticket to defend the GOP’s razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives. The two incumbents also have considerable defense strategies in the corner.

For LaLota, NY-01 has been red since flipped by Zeldin in 2014, and he boasts a $2.5 million war chest as of December 31, 2025, FEC filings. Only three Democrats have filed to run, including air traffic controller Army National Guardsman Chris Gallant (D) and Lukas Ventouras, a member of the Huntington Democratic Committee.

For Garbarino, he has an ancestrally red part of the county that has shifted even more to the right in local and federal races since 2020. He also has $2.3 million cash on hand as of December 31.

Garbarino has two prominent Democratic challengers: former Suffolk County Executive Pat Halpin (D-Oak Beach) - who has not held elected office since leaving that position in 1991 - and Garrett Petersen (D-East Islip), Vice Chair of the Islip Democratic Committee and candidate for New York State Assembly in 2024.

For LiPetri, his race is much more challenging. Suozzi has a territorial advantage in having been the Mayor of Glen Cove and the twice-elected Nassau County Executive. He’s run twice unsuccessfully for governor, but he’s been elected to two separate stints in Congress. LiPetri, however, has the endorsements of President Trump, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), Nassau County Executive Blakeman, and the Nassau and Suffolk GOP Committees.

The Hochul-Mamdani Rundown

As New York State balances, not so carefully, on a precipice of disaster, the State’s top two leaders - and ostensible party standardbearers in years to come - are in a quiet, yet mounting rundown.

Governor Kathy Hochul (D-Hamburg) is running for a second full term. After barely surviving what would have been the greatest upset of the night in 2022, she’s struggled to get her approval ratings into decent positions. However, as the campaign continues to solidify and Republicans have nominated Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R-Atlantic Beach), Hochul’s numbers have stabilized. The Siena College finds that while her marks are not overwhelming, they’re the best they’ve been since she was elected almost four years ago.

Since then, Hochul has struggled to strike a balance between an increasingly-progressive State Legislature and a middle and right who are continuously growing agitated under exorbitant living costs, backwards criminal justice reforms, and one boneheaded decision after another. Moreover, she has been in the unenviable position of filling the power vacuum left behind by Andrew Cuomo (D-Sutton Place), who resigned in disgrace when it became clear that the old guard of the Democratic Party were no friends of the new progressive front.

Hochul has failed to galvanize the respect of the full legislature as she becomes more and more of a pushover. To her credit, she fought hard to roll back some of the disastrous provisions of bail reform earlier in her term, but progressives deadlocked Albany and waited Hochul out as the government shutdown loomed into the spring of 2023.

On the other hand, New York is trending towards battleground status. It will likely take a few more swings of the wrecking ball to collapse this section of the blue wall, but the concept of spending money and knocking doors in a state considered a foregone conclusion is nonetheless foreboding to Democrats.

Enter New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria), who dispatched Cuomo not once, but twice for the keys to Gracie Mansion. That shift

represented the same populist credo chanted by right and left alike: down with the corporate insiders and establishment politicians, up with the outsiders who pledge to fight tooth and nail for the little guy.

Mamdani’s election wasn’t just a shift towards socialism; it was emblematic of the internal blue wall continuing to collapse.

But for Hochul, she’s now on borrowed time. While history portends that she’s favored to win reelection this year, the question is how effective she will be after November, and if a Democrat is elected president in 2028, Republicans might finally have their break to flip New York in 2030.

For now, Hochul is an a rundown of monumental political proportions, and Mamdani is playing shortstop.

Hochul is effectively about to round third to head home - four more years. But while establishment Democrats are camping third, not to much avail, Mamdani is interfering for the party’s identity going forward. If Hochul runs back to second, she’s met with the ire of the growing middle and right in New York who were not keen to elect her in 2022 and who made New York shift right more than any other state in 2024.

Hochul will keep bouncing back and forth between the mainstream Independents and the progressives, each with their own wish lists and each with their own sects of political power. While the progressives arguably have the upper-hand in such a fundamentally blue state, second base might grow more inhospitable for the indecisive Democrat.

Hochul continues to try to appease all but disappoint all by trying to cater to everyone’s demands. It’s not all on her. You can never make everyone happy; that’s politics. But Hochul can’t seem to pick a lane, and while Hochul might be able to secure a second term, the rundown is for the future of the party.

Moreover, Hochul seems intent on tabling some of Mamdani’s more radical proposals, at least until after she’s re-elected in November. Time will tell if

she’s genuinely pumping the brakes on runaway ideas, or if she’s just ensuring that New York City and the immediate bedroom communities won’t revolt against her this November, and against Democrats in the national midterm environment.

The GOP must be careful as well to not fall into the fearmongering trap. While Mamdani’s collectivist ideology is inherently incompatible with many aspects of American life and commerce, to most degrees, the GOP has been quick to assert he will destroy New York City.

But what happens if and when that doesn’t happen in time for elections? Hochul reins in Mamdani just long enough to not have caused too much damage, and the Republicans only appear to have verbal ammunition and no damage to advertise.

However, Hochul must take this calculation seriously, lest it backfire and progressives abandon her for her hand-picked Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado (D-Rhinebeck). Hochul seems in much less immediate danger of losing the primary to Delgado than she does the general election to Blakeman, but if two weeks is an eternity in politics, then forget what four months is.

Some fissures have already come up, with the Brooklyn Democratic Committee rescinding their endorsement of Hochul over her pick in running mate Adrienne Adams (D-Hollis), a radical progressive who championed some unconscionable legislation during her time on the New York City Council. The Brooklyn fiasco seems to have notes of personal beef to it, but it’s certainly not a welcome image for a party going into a year in which they should be on a glide path to victory.

Democratic energy at their convention was reportedly mum, as Democrats seem to think they have the textbook enthusiasm, but they know their issues are unpopular in the long-term.

Will Mamdani sabotage Hochul’s rounding of third base by defenestrating her just as progressives did to Cuomo when he was no longer useful to them? Or will he play ball and bide his time until November 6?

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Save the Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway

By Will Sussman

The Setauket–Port Jefferson Station Greenway isn’t just 3.3 miles of green space. It’s morning jogs, bike rides, strollers, and dog leashes tangled in friendly conversation. It’s nature walks with my synagogue and neighbors who wave to each other. It’s a community treasure.

And Albany wants to bulldoze it.

Last year, Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay (D–Port Jefferson) quietly introduced legislation that would pave the way—literally—to build a highway over the Greenway. Not alongside it. Not near it. Over it.

Her bill, dressed up as the “Furthering Rail Transit in Suffolk County Act,” would grant the MTA control over a large portion of the Greenway in order to construct an electric railyard, and preserve the state’s authority to build a Route NY-25A bridge over it. In other words, the bill would guarantee that Albany can destroy the trail. A more accurate title would be the “Greenway Destruction Act.”

You don’t “further New York State’s green transit goals” by destroying green space. You don’t save the planet by pouring concrete over a community treasure.

Kassay’s bill passed the Assembly 134-0 and was delivered to Governor Hochul (D-Hamburg) in December. The governor vetoed it—not because she opposes the highway, but because she believes Suffolk County should be the one paying for it.

Let that sink in: destroy the Greenway, and send Suffolk the bill.

Now, in an election year, we’re told not to worry. Kassay reportedly says it will “never” happen. But she authored the bill. She introduced the threat. While showing up to civic meetings and talking about listening to the community, she was advancing legislation that would have erased the Greenway from the map.

You can’t light the match and then take credit for putting out the fire.

Realizing that she’s run into a brick wall of public opposition, she’s doing damage control. “Everybody in this community knows it’s not a possibility.” Except it was—until voters found out.

The saga is far from over. A 134-vote majority is veto-proof. Without permanent protection, the Greenway could still be sacrificed in a future Albany maneuver.

That’s why Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches)—a longtime advocate of preserving green spaces— has proposed a simple, commonsense solution: transfer ownership of the Greenway from the State to the County. Let Suffolk manage it as parkland. Electrify the Port Jefferson train line, but don’t condition much-needed rail improvements on destroying a community treasure.

As the Three Village Civic Association put it, transferring the Greenway “would preserve it as permanent parkland and remove the threat of future roadway construction once and for all.”

Romaine’s proposal has bipartisan support. At the Port Jefferson Civic Association meeting last week, Suffolk County Legislator Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) praised the county executive’s efforts to protect the Greenway. Englebright isn’t new to this issue—he secured $2.1 million for the trail’s original design and construction when he held Kassay’s seat.

The Greenway is not a bargaining chip. It belongs to the people who use it every day. The Three Village Civic is asking its members to contact Kassay and “urge her to support the permanent transfer of the trail to Suffolk County.”

Consider this essay my call to action—and remember who sought to destroy our beloved Greenway.

Will Sussman (R-Port Jefferson) is a professor at Yeshiva University and the Republican nominee for New York State Assembly District 4.

Op Sail 1976

By Harry Swanson

This Fourth of July, New York City will celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary. “Sail 250” will include thirty-plus tall ships, Blue Angels, fireworks, food festivals, and much more. I experienced this exact type of event once before in 1976. That event then was called Op Sail 76.

Although it was 50 years ago, I still have incredible memories of watching “Op Sail 76”. I watched from a tree limb, along the shoreline of the Hudson River down at Battery Park. I shared that tree with a good friend and our girlfriends, whom we would later marry. Soon, endless people followed our lead and perched in the trees for the incredible views.

I have great memories of that day. I recall that it was a somewhat hot and hazy day with occasional showers in the late afternoon. The networks expected a huge national TV audience. Battery Park offered bleacher seating for 17,000. It was reported that 6 million people were in line along the shore. They read the Declaration of Independence and Washington’s Farewell Address at Fraunce’s Tavern in Lower Manhattan. A massive American flag was hung off the Verrazano Bridge. I believe it was ripped to shreds by the wind before the first tall ship sailed under it.

I recall military ships from many different nations lining each side of the Hudson for the tall ships to pass through. The newspapers estimated that 30,000 smaller pleasure boats and yachts anchored joining endless kayaks and rafts that filled the harbor. I recall smaller gun boats firing 21-gun salutes with smoke blocking their view. Red, white, and

blue were everywhere - flags, banners and tee shirts. It was standing room-only.

This was some birthday party, a thrill of a lifetime. It was super patriotic, morning speeches by Mayor Beane, cannon salutes, bands playing, food, and wall-to-wall people. Best of all was watching the tall ships sail up the Hudson past the Statue of Liberty with their crews in full dress uniforms standing out on the rigging yard arms. Some of the most impressive and spectacle tall ships were Amerigo Vespucci (Italian), Danmark (Danish), Kruzenshern (German), and the host ship Eagle for the United States. It was reported that there were 15,000 sailors from 32 nations aboard these ships.

The day had an everlasting impact on my life. That American patriotic charge never diminished. Over the years, I began writing short articles on the Founding Fathers and their dependence on Christian precepts and faith. Several books would follow on the same. Recently, I had the pleasure to view the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., along with tours of Arlington Cemetery, the U.S. Capitol, and the White House. Then, there are some of the Memorials like Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln, just to mention a few.

I urge you to try to attend “Sail 250”. It should unite the country. Don’t miss it.

Humbled to Serve

By Assemblyman Keith Brown

After three terms representing the people of the Twelfth Assembly District, I have decided not to seek reelection for a fourth term. This decision was a difficult one, but it is time. I am proud of the work we have done these past five years, and I really loved being your assemblyman!

I am truly humbled. It has truly been an incredible honor, and I have loved serving the community where I grew up in the New York State Legislature. I am proud of my accomplishments, having delivered real results. As a ranking member of the Assembly Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Use, I fought for our children, our most vulnerable and for families. I was voted one of the most bipartisan members of the New York State Assembly two years in a row! I secured over $1 million in grant money!

I drafted and introduced over 120 bills, the most in the Minority Conference by a far margin, and saw the passage of my cell phone ban in schools, as well as property tax relief for widows and widowers of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, new policies for people with co-occurring mental health and substance use issues and other important measures. I helped establish high school mentoring programs in six out of 10 school districts in AD-12. I established the Long Island Drug Coalition, organized four Co-Occurring Disorder Conferences and, most recently, formed the LI Co-Occurring System of Care Committee, and worked with Western BOCES to establish a Co-Occurring Disorder Curriculum for our schools. I worked with Town of Huntington officials to strengthen our vaping laws. I worked closely with our partners in government to revitalize our waterfronts in Halesite and Northport. I worked with our town partners in government to clean up our Revolutionary War cemeteries and create an innovative Revolutionary War Trail app in time for the 250th Anniversary of our nation’s founding. I established a Veteran Mental Health Coalition for Long Island and

worked on veteran suicide prevention by integrating care for our veterans! I dealt with thousands of cases for constituents, helping them negotiate the labyrinth of state government.

Thank you to my family, staff, colleagues, our town and county GOP and Conservative chairmen and, most importantly, the constituents who placed their trust in me. I look forward to continuing to serve our community on the projects I have initiated, refocusing on my law practice and being with my family! May God bless you, our great state and these United States!!!”

Assemblyman Keith Brown (R-Northport) has represented the Twelfth District in the New York State Assembly since 2021. Within the Town of Huntington, the Twelfth District includes Asharoken, Centerport, Crab Meadow, East Northport, Eaton’s Neck, Halesite, Huntington Bay, Lloyd Harbor, Northport, and parts of Cold Spring Harbor, Commack, Dix Hills, Elwood, Fort Salonga, Greenlawn, and Huntington hamlet. Within the Town of Babylon, the district includes most of Deer Park. Within the Town of Islip, the district contains parts of Brentwood, Baywood, Edgewood, North Bay Shore, and Pine Aire.

Assemblyman Brown serves on the committees on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse; Environmental Conservation; Housing; and Judiciary.

The Twelfth District office is located at 6080 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 310, in Commack and can be reached at 631-261-4151.

Samaritan University Hospital.

WHERE BETTER NEVER STOPS.

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Here at Good Samaritan University Hospital, “better” isn’t a finish line. It’s a starting point. A new beginning. A symbol of transformation our community deserves. And while our Patient Care Pavilion will feature an all-new, expanded emergency department, technologically advanced operating rooms, reimagined private patient rooms, and enhanced Trauma and Stroke centers, we know that better care isn’t just about the building. It’s about the people inside, and the hands that heal. Because better is something we live every day. And it never stops.

Thursday, February 19, 2026

National, State, and Local Temperature Checks

By Matt Meduri

National

Debate unfolds in Washington as both parties debate the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.

The bill, if passed, would amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require “documentary proof of United States citizenship” to register to vote. The stated purpose of the proposed legislation is to prevent non-citizens from voting in federal elections.

The SAVE Act outlines five valid documents for verifying citizenship: an enhanced driver’s license or Real ID; a valid U.S. passport; an official U.S. military identification card; a valid government-issued photo ID card that displays citizenship status; or any other valid government-issued photo ID card together with a birth certification, naturalization certificate, or Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA).

Enhanced driver’s licenses are only available in five states: Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington.

The bill was first sponsored by Congressman Chip Roy (R, TX-21) in April 2025, but the latest version, called the SAVE America Act, was just passed by the House in a 218-213 vote. Congressman Henry Cuellar (D, TX-28), who represents a Rio Grande Valley seat, was the only Democrat to vote with Republicans to approve the bill.

The Senate version of the bill is sponsored by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and co-sponsored by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). The bill is expected to face a serious challenge in the Senate where 60 votes are required for its passage. It remains to be seen if Republicans change the rules on the filibuster so the bill can be passed with a simple-majority vote.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-Park Slope) has slammed the legislation as “Jim Crow 2.0”, while Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), who has notably broken with his party several times since President Donald Trump (R-FL) returned to the White House, has slammed those classifications. Fetterman has said that “many states” already request that “basic IDs” are shown to vote.

Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), perhaps the Senate’s most notable maverick, has signalled support for the bill but not for nuking the filibuster.

Speaking of Collins, the old-fashioned moderate recently announced her intention to run for a sixth term to represent Maine in the U.S. Senate. The race is shaping up to be one of the marquee races of the cycle and is tantamount to Democrats’ long-shot odds of taking control of the chamber.

But just as Republicans were relieved to secure the commitment from one of their top overperformers, they were also dealt a blow in the Land of Enchantment.

The New Mexico GOP might have to sit 2026 out as their only candidate to take on one-term Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) was disqualified from the ballot. Christopher Heuvel (R), one of four Republicans who filed to run for this seat, was the last man standing this week. New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver (D) ruled that the four candidates did not submit enough qualified voter petitions to appear on the June primary ballot.

The shakeup means that unless the GOP has a contingency plan on deck, it would be the first time in history that New Mexico will feature only one major-party candidate on the November ballot.

The blue-leaning battleground hasn’t sent a Republican to represent them in the Senate since the legendary Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) won his final term in 2002. He had represented the Land of Enchantment since 1973. New Mexico hasn’t backed a Republican presidential candidate since George W. Bush (R-TX) narrowly won the state in 2004.

While the Senate race in New Mexico wasn’t shaping up to be one of the bigger contests, its notable rightward shift in statewide elections since 2022 begged the question whether the GOP could create a “sacrificial lamb” scenario, one in which a Republican candidate could, at worst, siphon Democratic resources from other states, or, at best, spring a national upset. If the GOP cannot field a last-minute candidate, it would also likely complicate their odds at flipping the open gubernatorial seat. Since the 1980s, New Mexico has alternated their governors’ parties nearly every eight years. Despite its blue hue, there is historical reason to believe this race could be competitive, but the lack of statewide presence on the ticket might hurt the GOP’s efforts in that regard.

In the U.S. House, Republicans notched their thirtieth retiree in Congressman Mark Amodei (R, NV-02).

In 2010, Amodei was elected to represent NV-02, a sprawling district that covers the northern third of Nevada and Reno, the state’s second-largest city. Amodei has never won with less than 55% of the vote and since 20197, he has been the only Republican from Nevada’s congressional delegation.

Some Democrats are optimistic that the open seat, coupled with the midterm environment, could help them flip a longheld Republican bastion.

In the nationwide redistricting “arms race,” Virginia Democrats got a green light, for now, on their efforts to carve up the Old Dominion to oust four Republicans in this year’s midterms.

The motion to hold a referendum was put on hold by a Tazewell County judge who ruled that Richmond Democrats had to pass the bill to override the constitutional amendment on redistricting in another session of the legislature, as opposed to how Democrats passed the first measure in late 2025 and the second earlier this year.

But the Virginia Supreme Court said that the public referendum can be held on April 21. Voters will decide whether the congressional map goes from 6D-5R to 10D-1R for this year. Litigation is expected to go down to the wire, as the Supreme Court could uphold the ruling from Tazewell County that delays the process further.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D, NY-08) has already pledged “tens of millions of dollars” to ensure that “Republicans do not successfully manipulate voters in Virginia.”

The proposed map would contort the red seats of VA-05, Richmond suburbs to the North Carolina border, and VA-01, taking in the northern Hampton Roads region, into seats highly likely to elect Democrats

The proposed Virginia gerrymander, gains for Democrats in light-blue

in November. It also stretches the Richmond-based VA-07, a swing seat currently held by a Democrat, into the Northern Virginia (NoVA)-suburban D.C. area. The map would also dismantle the safe-red VA-06, based in the northwestern coal country. The proposed boundaries for that district carefully take in blue cities within the ruby-red territory, such as Waynesboro, Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Roanoke, and Radford.

Only VA-09, based in the southwestern corner of the state, would remain a Republican seat, owing only to the fact that it’s nearly impossible to draw a blue seat in that part of the commonwealth.

In non-political news, legendary actor and filmmaker Robert Duvall passed away on Sunday. He was known primarily for his role as Tom Hagen in The Godfather (1972), and made his feature film debut as Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). He was 95.

Another notable passing also occurred this week in the Reverend Jesse Jackson. The passionate civil rights activist rose to prominence on the international stage in the 1980s and would serve as a shadow Delegate and shadow Senator from the District of Columbia. He passed away in Chicago. He was 84.

State

Governor Kathy Hochul (D-Hamburg) on Monday announced a massive $1.5 billion investment to help New York City stabilize its finances. The funding is set to be delivered over the next two years. The funding came just one day before Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria) released his budgetary proposal.

Gothamist reports that the funding will cover costs that have shifted from the State to New York City, with $300 million for youth programming, $150 million in restored sales tax revenue, and $60 million for public health. Another $500 million is slated for “shared priorities” at the determination of the City and the State.

Mamdani entered office claiming a $12 billion budget shortfall left behind by his predecessor, Mayor Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn). Mamdani has used that point to call for tax hikes for the city’s millionaires and an increase of the State’s corporate tax rate. Hochul, on the other hand, remains opposed to such

endeavors.

However, that $12 billion hole later shrunk to a $7.2 billion deficit due to higher-than-expected, end-of-year tax revenues.

Local

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) has announced that the County’s Downtown Revitalization Grant Program will launch on February 19. Applications will remain open until May 15.

Eligible applicants include local municipalities, chambers of commerce, civic associations, historical societies, beautification societies, local development corporations, and all organizations representing downtown areas. The competitive application process will culminate in recipients’ selections by the Suffolk County Downtown Revitalization Citizens Advisory Panel.

Towns and villages who partner with community organizations must pass resolutions supporting the project on which the two entities partner. Projects must be capital in nature and have a “significant and sustainable impact that enhances economic activity,” according to the County.

“Suffolk County’s downtowns are the heart and soul of our region, and we are committed to help our local municipalities and community partners prosper and help attract new visitors to spur our local economy,” said Romaine in a statement. “The County Downtown Revitalization Program not only serves as one of our legacy grant programs, but it signifies our commitment to continuously invest in our communities.” Projects in mind are public parking facilities, curb and sidewalk construction, pedestrian walkways, street lighting, public restrooms, accessibility improvements, cultural facilities, and renovations to existing structures.

Criteria for eligible projects must have a funding request of at least $10,000 and the project life-span must be at least fifteen years.

The Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning will host an informational session for applicants on Wednesday, March 11. Applications and guidelines can be found on the department’s website.

On The Campaign Trail

Puleo, Mattera, Fitzpatrick to Run for Re-Election

By Matt Meduri

Suffolk County Clerk

The role of the County Clerk is the “cover on the book” of local government. The officeholder serves as the County’s chief record-keeper and administrative head for the County. Overseeing transitions of power, land records, vital records, various forms of licensure, and recording court proceedings are just some of the vital tasks performed by the office.

Smithtown Town Clerk Vincent Puleo (R-Nesconset) ascended to the County office in 2022, when he defeated Lisa Jimenez (D-Medford) by a whopping seventeen-point margin - 58.78%41.22%. The heated primary in 2022 saw the Suffolk GOP go with Puleo over then-Clerk Judy Pascale (R-Moriches), who had been viewed by party leadership as more in line with Democrats over the response to COVID-19.

Puleo handily defeated Pascale in the June primary by a 60%-40% margin. Puleo was first elected Smithtown Town Clerk in 2005, never winning with less than 58% of the vote. He earned his fifth and final term in that capacity unopposed in 2021.

Puleo is a decades-long member of the Nesconset Fire Department and integral member of the Nesconset Chamber of Commerce.

State Senate, District Two

The Second Senate district includes the entire townships of Smithtown and Huntington.

For this race, it was no contest. The Suffolk Republican Committee overwhelmingly backed three-term Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James).

Mattera filled the shoes of former Senate Leader John Flanagan (R-East Northport) upon his retirement ahead of the tumultuous 2020 election cycle. Mattera won the open seat, defeating Mike Siderakis (D-Nesconset) by thirteen points. Mattera would cruise to re-election in 2022 over former Suffolk County Legislator Susan Berland (D-Dix Hills), and again over attorney Craig Herskowitz (D-Northport) in 2024.

Mattera is the Ranking Member on the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee. He has been perhaps one of the staunchest advocates for conservative and innovative energy policy. He’s called for creative uses of carbon capture, renovating the antiquated grid, and opening the Constitution and NESE natural gas pipelines to drive down utility costs and get hundreds of trucks off the roads. A devoted union man and former leader for Plumbers Local 200, Mattera is known for his signature slogan, “Be Vocal with Governor Hochul!”

Additionally, Mattera has railed against greenenergy mandates to phase out natural gas in new buildings and has been vehemently opposed to the construction of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Facilities at-large, but particularly the proposed project on Rabro Drive in Hauppauge. For renewable energy, Mattera regularly states, “we need a plan, not a ban!”

State Assembly, District Eight

The Eighth Assembly District includes the entire Town of Smithtown and portions of Central Islip, Hauppauge, and Islandia.

The venerable Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick (RSt. James) is running for a thirteenth term representing the reddest town in Suffolk. Fitzpatrick, first elected in 2002, is known for his congenial nature with both sides of the aisle and for his status as the most conservative member of the Assembly. Fitzpatrick is no-nonsense when it comes to fiscal policy and labor relations and has been spearheading an overhaul of the State’s university system.

Fitzpatrick has been handily re-elected every time he’s run; he’s never won with less than 60% of the vote. In 2024, he defeated first-time candidate Steven Basileo (D-St. James) by a 66%-34% margin.

Meet the Smithtown Animal BABS!

Meet the Smithtown Animal Shelter’s Pet of the Week:

Love comes in many forms… and sometimes, it has four paws and the most soulful eyes you’ve ever seen.

This Valentine’s season, meet Babs — a stunning young female black Cane Corso, only 11 months old, whose heart is just waiting for the right family to help it shine. Babs found her way to the shelter as a stray and sadly, never claimed.

Beneath her timid exterior is a sweet, sensitive soul who simply wants to feel safe and loved. It takes time for her to let her guard down, but when she trusts you, she is pure devotion.

In a home, Babs becomes what we lovingly call a “stage 5 clinger.”

She is a shadow to her people — following from room to room, quietly watching, softly whimpering if she feels left out. She bonds deeply and loves wholeheartedly. Once you’re hers, you are her whole world.

Babs will thrive with a committed family who understands her breed and is ready to invest in her confidence. She needs mental and physical stimulation, guidance, and support to grow braver and expand her horizons. With patience and encouragement, this intelligent, loving girl will blossom into the incredible companion she is meant to be.

Because Babs loves her people so deeply, she prefers to keep all of that love (and the toys!) to herself. She’s happiest being the one and

only furry queen of her castle, soaking up all the attention as your spoiled, devoted companion. She would do best in a home with children 14 and older, as younger kids can be a bit too fast and loud for her sensitive nature.

If you are interested in meeting Babs, please call ahead to schedule an hour to properly interact with her in a domestic setting, which includes our Meet and Greet Room, the dog runs and our Dog Walk trail.

Thinking About Adoption?

The Smithtown Animal Shelter’s primary concern is finding the perfect home for each animal that finds his/her way to us. The Animal Control Officers at the Smithtown Animal Shelter will go out of their way to ensure both the rescued and rescuer are made for one another. If you have other pets, you can arrange to bring your four-legged family member into the shelter, or we can set up an at home meet & greet to see how your prospective new addition does with other family members, pets, or the household itself.

Walk-In hours at Smithtown Animal Shelter are currently Monday through Friday 8:00a.m. to 4:30p.m. and Saturday 8:00a.m. to 3:30p.m. (Sundays by appointment only). To Inquire about the Pet of the Week or to meet your potential soulmate, please call the Smithtown Animal & Adoption Center at 631-360-7575.

Down Ballot

Ratings Changes: Democrats on Cusp of House Majority

By Matt Meduri

We’re making our first ratings changes update to the Down Ballot column of the cycle, this week bringing an updated forecast for control of the U.S. House.

As per our last forecast, The Messenger rated 213 seats as favoring the Democrats, 208 favoring the Republicans, with 14 seats considered Toss Ups. 218 seats are needed for control; the GOP started 2025 with a razor-thin 220-seat majority.

This week, we’re shifting the ratings in six races, five of which favor Democrats.

AK-AL: Toss Up to Leans R

FL-07: Safe R to Likely R

NY-19: Toss Up to Tilts D

NY-22: Leans D to Safe D

TX-28: Toss Up to Tilts D

VA-02: Toss Up to Tilts D (Flip)

What Are Ratings Changes?

These are mid-cycle updates that we will announce as the campaigns continue to develop. A ratings change indicates that a seat is moving in a certain direction, always to the benefit of one party and the detriment of the other. Ratings changes can be promulgated by a shift in the national environment, candidate quality, fundraising, polling, state environments, scandals and controversies, or all of the above.

This week, most of these changes come as a product of the developing national environment, some siloed state environments, and as a reaction to the special state election in Texas, where Democrats not only flipped a red seat but one that Donald Trump (R-FL) had won by nearly twenty points in 2024.

AK-AL: Toss Up to Leans R Alaska’s at-large (AL) congressional district covers the entire state. No Democrat had represented the Last Frontier in the House until Mary Peltola (D-AK) won a 2022 special election based on ranked-choice voting and two Republicans, including Sarah Palin, vying for the spot. Peltola was re-elected handily in the 2022 general election.

In 2024, however, Trump’s coattails in the reliably Republican state were enough to drag Peltola underwater, but the difference in margins are stark. While Trump carried Alaska in the presidential contest by about 14 points, Peltola only lost by less than three points on the same night. Still, it represented one of several Republican flips that landed nowCongressman Nick Begich III in Washington.

Begich’s name recognition might be a boon to his re-election prospects. A scion of one of the state’s most notable political dynasties, he was seen as the more mainstream pick who might have been able to win in the 2022 special. Polling is limited and the only Democratic who has filed paperwork, as of press time, is Anchorage pastor Matt Schultz (D). An October poll by Data for Progress finds Begich leading Schultz 48%-37% (R+11) - with 15% opting for other candidates or undecided.

What makes us shift this race from Toss Up to Leans Republican is former Congresswoman Peltola’s pass on a rematch. She instead opted to run for U.S. Senate, challenging two-term Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK). That race is already generating significant buzz among pundits and online prognosticators, but the political calculus is debatable.

Some Democrats are optimistic that Alaska could flip in November. They’re not entirely off base, as Alaska has raced to the left in the Trump Era. In a state where George W. Bush (R-TX) won with over 60% of the vote in 2004, Trump never eclipsed 55% in all three of his White House bids.

Despite Alaska becoming possibly more fertile territory for Democrats, it still remains a reach, as it is ancestrally Republican and more Independentleaning than conventionally partisan. Moreover, campaigning here takes infrastructure that is virtually foreign to other states. In other words, the juice might not be worth the squeeze.

Democrats are hoping to parlay the proven overperformer in Peltola to, at worst, be a sacrificial lamb for Republicans to divert resources from other engaged Senate races, or, at best, stage the biggest upset of the night by becoming the first Democrat to win a Senate race in Alaska since 2008 - all at the cost, however, of possibly clinching the House through the Last Frontier.

Democrats’ logic here might be that their winning House majority could come from other seats though, and because of that, we’re slightly more optimistic that the GOP retains this seat. The other curveball, despite 15% of respondents in the only poll conducted, so far, is Bristol Bay fisherman Bill Hill, who is running as an Independent. In a state where unaffiliated voters make up about 60% of the state’s electorate, anything goes.

FL-07: Safe R to Likely R

This seat runs from the northern Orlando suburbs to New Smyrna Beach. The former swing seat was gerrymandered to be more Republican leaning in 2022, where Cory Mills (R) won handily. In 2024, he was re-elected, albeit by a thinner 13-point margin. We don’t think this seat is in any immediate danger of flipping, owing to Florida Democrats virtually giving up on the state, and Mills’ decent margins in his last two runs.

But that 10-15-point range he’s in makes us wary of a thinner-than-usual margin. This rating change is an abundance of caution at this point.

NY-19: Toss Up to Tilts D

This Hudson Valley seat stretches from Albany exurbs all the way to the Finger Lakes. Democrats in 2024 carefully redrew this seat to take in more of uber-liberal Ithaca, which more or less sealed the fate of one-term Congressman Marc Molinaro (R-Catskill). Molinaro lost to nowCongressman Josh Riley (D-Ithaca) by

just two points. While still a competitive seat, this area flipped blue in the 2018 midterms. The more affluent, socially liberal parts of the lower Hudson Valley and college towns of Binghamton and Ithaca should give Riley a decent firewall, even in a slightly-blue national environment.

NY-22: Leans D to Likely D

Republicans had held down the Syracuse area even in the staunchest defiance of national environments. Notable maverick John Katko (R) was one of just two incumbent Republicans to survive the 2018 midterms in a district Hillary Clinton (D-NY) had carried just two years prior. Katko hung it up in 2022, leaving Brandon Williams (R) tough shoes to fill.

But Williams lost handily to thenState Senator John Mannion (D-Geddes). The area backed Kamala Harris (D-CA) by a similar ten-point margin. We don’t think this race is nearly as dynamic as it was four years ago. Furthermore, Republicans’ failure to court a significant candidate, along with Mannion’s $1.3 million cash on hand, likely means the GOP is taking a pass on this seat this year.

TX-28: Toss Up to Tilts D

This Laredo-based seat has raced to the right in the Trump Era, along with the rest of the Rio Grande Valley. Congressman Henry Cuellar (D) has represented the seat since 2005, back when it was one of the bluest parts of the country. While South Texas in general has been lurching right since 2020, Cuellar has always overperformed. In a seat where Republicans didn’t run a candidate in 2018, Cuellar was re-elected by just under six points in 2024.

The mid-decade Texas gerrymander made this seat more Republicanleaning, however; the current boundaries would have been a Trump +7 seat in 2024. In May 2024, Cuellar was indicted on money laundering, bribery, and conspiracy charges that alleged he accepted nearly $600,000 from the Azerbaijani government to influence U.S. foreign policy. President Trump pardoned him in late 2025 before the case could go to trial.

What was described as a curveball by some and a tectonic political miscalculation by others might be Cuellar’s saving grace amidst a brutal gerrymander. We outlined that seat as certainly competitive, and still do, but the only Democratic-held seat on the new map where the Party of Jackson could conceivably thread the needle.

Moreover, Cuellar’s recent decision to be the sole House Democrat to vote in favor of the SAVE Act, which would mandate proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, might curry enough re-election favor in this part of the country that’s seen the border crisis firsthand.

VA-02: Toss Up to Tilts D (Flip)

This Virginia Beach-Hampton Roadsbased seat was once a Republican stomping ground. Between 2000 and 2016, Democrats won it only once in the blue wave year of 2008. But in 2018, Elaine Luria (D) ousted a notable Republican incumbent and was reelected in 2020.

Similarly, Trump carried the seat by six points in 2016, only for Joe Biden (DDE) to narrowly flip it in 2020. Trump clawed it back in 2024, but by an excruciatingly close margin. Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R) flipped this seat in 2022 and held it in 2024. Luria is now running to reclaim her spot in the House.

While this will certainly be one of the marquee races of the cycle, we think this seat follows a “usual suspect” pattern: a perennially competitive seat in a swingy part of the country that has predictably oscillated between both parties in recent years. There’s no reason to think VA-02 won’t be competitive, but we now consider it as slightly primed to flip. It’s just one of those seats that tends to flip in a midterm environment, and Democrats won’t need a blue tsunami to do so.

Here’s the Count

Our new forecast shows Democrats with 216 seats, just two shy of capturing the majority. Republicans sit at 209 seats, with 10 seats now considered Toss Ups, seven of which belong to the GOP and three to the Democrats.

Dear Editor,

Letter to the Editor

February 19, 2026

Biased Coverage on Stump Pond Dam

As a loyal Newsday customer, it is so disappointing to see such a one-sided headline, “Blydenburgh Park Dam Rebuild can move ahead without environmental review Committee rules…”

This gives the reader the impression that no environmental reviews were done. Untrue. In fact, the Suffolk County Department of Public Works and their environmental engineers filled out the environmental assessment and justification (hundreds of pages) that addressed many environmental issues raised. This group and its environmental experts concluded that the project will not have significant adverse environmental impact, and they are prepared to address them if they arise. Hence the reason the vote supported it. Why wasn’t this in the article? Why were none of the Public Works Environmental Engineer experts interviewed? Disappointing.

Newsday also claims that in the 17 months since the dam was breached, the muddy and barren pond basin has been transformed into a wetland meadow, a flourishing habitat for plants and wildlife. Flourishing? Have you seen it? Mud, weeds, and a brook where a 100-acre lake was. Is this your conclusion or a quote from one of the opponents of the dam rebuilt?

Also highlighted were a coalition of 21 local, state, and national conservatory groups that cataloged “more than a dozen ecological harms” that would result in rebuilding the dam. These ecological harms” were discussed and were mainly addressed in the SCD of Public Works document. Why wasn’t this mentioned?

Simply said, the article and others from Newsday on this topic have been unbalanced and not a true representation of what is actually happening. Those who wish to rebuild the dam have the same love for nature as those who don’t want the rebuild. We all agree that the park will ultimately be beautiful but very differently beautiful. The 100-acre pond, while

man made over 200 years ago, was taken over by nature: fish, birds, eagles, swans, ducks, snakes, migrating birds, vegetation, etc. It is also an integral part of a historical landmark and a primary recreational body of water that serves thousands of Long Islanders with kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and camping opportunities. All while being designed to be environmentally sound. Why wasn’t this in the article?

Lastly, the slogan of letting the “Nissequogue River” run free, please know that the river is barely a stream that runs through a 100-acre footprint in Blydenburgh. The rest will in fact be vegetation, some beautiful, some not, just as many weeds, overgrowth in mudanother field, meadow on Long Island instead of a 100-acre body of water.

Thank you,

Rich Scatoni Smithtown Resident, Neighbor, and Taxpayer

Smithtown Central School District WiT Graduates

Smithtown Central School District is proud to announce that six students from Smithtown High School East and West recently graduated from the BAE Systems Women in Technology Program— the district’s largest graduating group to date. Smithtown High School West students Asha Andrews, Veronika Leshko and Giuliana Panzini along with Ela Tezgiden, Isabella Scioscia and Varshitha Prithivi from Smithtown High School East completed the nine-week program that had them explore mechanical, electrical, software and systems engineering while completing hands-on projects.

They also designed and 3D printed models using Fusion 360 and created electronic systems to solve real-world problems, including sensors, games and electronic locks. They also toured BAE Systems facilities and learned about advanced technologies such as AI and manufacturing systems.

“Our students have used the skills taught in our CTE Technology program to apply to real world situations,” said Smithtown Central School District Career and Technical Education Director, Christine LoFrese. “The collaboration between BAE Systems and the Smithtown CTE Department continues to provide vital mentorship and practical opportunities for our future innovators.”

The WiT Program is a partnership between local high schools and BAE Systems that provides mentorship and hands-on STEM experiences for young women.

Hauppauge High School Senior Named 2026 Coca-Cola Scholar

Hauppauge High School senior Jacob Wolmetz has been named a 2026 Coca-Cola Scholar, earning a $20,000 college scholarship and recognition as one of the nation’s most outstanding student leaders. The Coca-Cola Scholars Program honors students across the country for their academic achievement, leadership and service to their communities.

Jacob’s journey to becoming a Coca-Cola Scholar began in September when he completed the initial application. In October, he learned he had been selected as a semifinalist, an accomplishment in itself in an extremely competitive national pool of applicants. From there he advanced through multiple rounds that included extensive essays, recommendations, transcripts and detailed descriptions of his school and

community involvement before being named one of just 25 regional finalists in the northeast and advancing to the final interview.

“I knew it was an incredibly competitive process, but in early October, I was super excited to find out I had been chosen as a semifinalist,” said Jacob. “I went into the final interview being very authentic and true to myself. I think my interviewers especially appreciated that I wasn’t performing for them. I talked about my motivations, extracurriculars and passions, including a brief discussion of Taylor Swift…I’m so grateful for this opportunity.”

Just days after the interview, Jacob received the news that he’d been selected as a 2026 Coca-Cola Scholar.

Smithtown High School West Student Magazine Recognized as Excellent

Out of 456 student literary magazine submissions from schools across the country, Penumbra, produced by students at Smithtown High School West, has been recognized as an “excellent” literary magazine by the National Council of Teachers of English.

This distinction is awarded through NCTE’s Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines program, which honors outstanding student-produced

literary magazines created with the support of dedicated educators. The REALM program encourages schools nationwide to develop publications that celebrate the art, craft and power of student writing. Congratulations to Smithtown High School West English teacher Rob Kuletsky and the student editors and contributors: Noah Millar, Maxwell Alpert, Iman Khan, Kaitlynn Jho, Sophia Marmara, Alexis DiBernardo, Mariella Myers, and Gwen Fitzpatrick.

Civics 101

The Necessary Standard for American Education

The Department of Justice

By Matt Meduri

We’re continuing our mini-series on the federal executive departments this week with one that’s had considerable news presence lately, the Department of Justice (DOJ).

History and Origin

The Judiciary Act of 1789 established the office of the Attorney General as a part-time job for one person. The position acted as legal counsel to Congress and the president, but became more of an advisor to Congress in 1819. Edmund Jennings Randolph was appointed the first U.S. Attorney General in September 1789. Before he was tasked with defining the role of the nation’s top lawyer, he was credited with introducing the Virginia Plan to the Constitutional Convention. That compromise proposed a bicameral (two-chamber) legislature that proportionally represented the people.

As the nation’s first Attorney General, Randolph would advocate for the department to consolidate all government litigation. That broad scope of the DOJ wouldn’t be acted upon, however, until after the Civil War.

The office was so small in scope that attorneys general would often run their own private law practices simultaneously. By the Lincoln years, the DOJ had a staff of just six, and the Attorney General had no authority over U.S. Attorneys across the country.

What would become the DOJ would in 1855 become the primary authority of civil claims. Until then, the defense of civil cases were dispersed throughout the federal government, but were primarily overseen by the Treasury Department.

But by 1867, calls to make the office full-time came to a head. Congressman William Lawrence (R-OH), then Chair of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, advocated for the creation of a “law department” to be run by the Attorney General and staffed with U.S. Attorneys and department solicitors. President Ulysses S. Grant (R-OH) would sign the law to create the Department of Justice in 1870.

That act gave the DOJ control over all federal law enforcement and all “criminal prosecutions and civil suits in which the United States had an interest,” according to the DOJ’s website. U.S. Attorneys, who had been under the purview of the Department of the Interior, were now under the supervision of the Attorney General. The Office of Solicitor General was also created to supervise and conduct federal litigation at the Supreme Court.

Under President Grant, the DOJ served as the primary force to preserve civil rights and prosecuted domestic terrorists who retaliated both violently and litigiously in opposition to the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments.

In 1884, the DOJ assumed oversight of federal prisons from the Interior Department, and the Federal Prisons System would be established in 1891.

The Twentieth Century would see the DOJ become a broad-focused federal department. In 1908, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) would be created by Attorney General Charles Bonaparte (R-MD). In 1924, the legendary J. Edgar Hoover would be appointed by Attorney General Harlan Fiske Stone (R) to be acting FBI director. Hoover, 29, would lead the bureau for almost fifty years.

The DOJ Today

Today, the DOJ employs more than 115,000 federal workers across their forty separate organizations and divisions. Their FY2024 budget consisted of $37.52 billion.

It is led by Attorney General Pam Bondi (R-FL), who

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.

assumed the office on February 5, 2025, after confirmation by the Senate in a close 54-46 vote. She was President Trump’s second pick to lead the DOJ, after then-Congressman Matt Gaetz (R, FL-01) withdrew from consideration.

Bondi got her start as a prosecutor in Hillsborough County, Florida, as an assistant state attorney. She rose to prominence for prosecuting former MLB player Dwight Gooden for substance abuse and probation violations in 2006.

In 2010, she was elected Florida Attorney General by a wide margin and was re-elected in 2014. In that capacity, she led 26 other state attorneys general in an unsuccessful lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) in Florida et. al. Vs. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Bondi and company argued that the individual mandate provision of the ACA was unconstitutional.

After her time in Tallahassee, Bondi was hired by the lobbying firm Ballard Partners and registered as a foreign agent and lobbyist on behalf of Qatar to combat human trafficking ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup hosted in Doha. She broke from that project to take up temporary work for the White House Counsel during the first impeachment of Donald Trump in 2019. Bondi would later lobby on behalf of Kuwait.

Bondi’s tenure as U.S. Attorney General has been tumultuous to say the least, particularly as the administration continues its immigration policies. Bondi came under fire for pledging to “target” those who use hate speech in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. More recently, the DOJ has been panned by both sides of the aisle with regard to their release and investigation of the Epstein Files.

Litigating Divisions

Law Enforcement Divisions

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF): prosecutes and dismantles “firearms traffickers, gang members, drug cartels, illegal aliens, and terrorist organizations,” partners with state and local law enforcement to these degrees.

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA): enforces controlled substances laws and regulations and prosecutes those who grow, manufacture, or distribute controlled substances “appearing in or destined for illicit traffic” in the U.S., and recommends non-enforcement programs to reduce availability of illicit substances on domestic and international markets.

The DOJ has a complex organizational chart. Under the AG sits the Deputy AG, under whom sits the Solicitor General, the Associate AG, and six offices: Legislative Affairs, Legal Counsel, Legal Policy, Public Affairs, Justice Management, and Tribal Justice.

Antitrust Division: “promote[s] competition in the U.S. economy through enforcement of” antitrust laws and principles, according to the DOJ website.

Civil Division: represents the U.S. in “any civil or criminal matter” within the scope of its oversight, protects the U.S. Treasury, preserves the “intent of Congress,” and advances the “credibility” of the government before the courts.

Civil Rights Division: enforces laws prohibiting discrimination in education, employment, credit, housing, public accommodations, voting, and some federally funded and conducted programs.

Criminal Division: enforces criminal statutes, conducts general supervision of all federal criminal laws except for statutes assigned specifically to other divisions.

Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD): enforces the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and hazardous waste laws.

National Security Division (NSD): protects the U.S. from national security threats.

U.S. Attorneys’ Offices: composed of 93 U.S. Attorneys (USAOs) to enforce federal laws nationwide. Each USAO is appointed by the president to the 94 federal districts.

U.S. Trustee Program: promotes “integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system” for the benefit of all stakeholders.

Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI): the only member of the Intelligence Community with “broad authority to address criminal and national security threats to the Homeland.”

U.S. Marshals Service (USMS): supports “virtually all elements of the federal justice system” by facilitating security of courts, judges, and personnel, exercises custody of federal prisoners, executes federal court orders, seizes, maintains, and disposes of illegal assets, and ensures safety of government witnesses and their families.

Corrections Divisions

Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP): oversees how and where federal offenders serve their sentences.

National Institute of Corrections (NIC): the “center of learning, innovation, and leadership that shapes and advances effective correctional practice and public policy.”

Office of the Pardon Attorney (PARDON): assists the President with the use of executive clemency, which extends only to federal criminal offenses. All requests for clemency are reviewed by the Pardon Attorney for investigation and review and prepares the DOJ’s final recommendations to the president for each application.

U.S. Parole Commission (USPC): promotes “public safety, justice, and fairness” to release and revoke offenders under its jurisdiction.

Grants, Victim Services, and Programs

The DOJ has dozens of other programs and offices within its scope. Its grant and support programs include the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency (OJJDP), the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART), and the Office of Violence Against Women (OVW).

Victim services include the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission, the National Center for Disaster Fraud, the Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism, the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terroris Fund, and the U.S. Victims of Terrorism Abroad Task Force.

The DOJ also has several specialized task forces and initiatives, including the Elder Justice Initiative, Project Safe Childhood, Project Safe Neighborhoods, and the Executive Office for Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces. Additionally, separate task forces handle issues of hate crimes, human trafficking, reducing gun violence, heroin and opioid awareness, and tribal justice and safety.

‘A Scoop for Love’ Campaign Turns Valentine’s Day into a Community Effort for Shelter Pets

Valentine’s Day in Smithtown was sweeter than ever this year, as students, local businesses, and Town leaders came together to turn ice cream into a message of compassion.

The Town of Smithtown partnered with Teacher Joe Toth and his Smithtown High School East’s Student Leadership Class and Mickey’s Ice Cream Kitchen to launch “A Scoop for Love,” a creative community-based marketing campaign designed to help long-term residents of the Smithtown Animal Shelter find the loving homes they’ve been waiting for.

Throughout the afternoon, students transformed ice cream pint cartons and to-go bags into messages of adoption and hope. Special Valentine’s Day stickers featuring Betty Boop, one of the shelter’s longest residents who has been waiting over six years for a family, were

placed on packaging. Additional stickers spotlighting fellow long-time residents Norman Rockwell and Sugar were added to the To-Go and delivery bags, allowing the message of adoption to travel far beyond the ice cream counter and into homes across the community.

Sticker printing was generously donated by Mickey’s Ice Cream founder Brendan Fleming, who opened his doors to support the student-led initiative and the mission to give shelter pets a second chance.

The day also included a special visit from Shiloh, an adoptable 2-year-old Rottweiler pup from the Smithtown Animal Shelter, who stopped by to enjoy a few pup cups and plenty of attention — a joyful reminder of the lives this campaign hopes to change.

Town officials say the Valentine’s Day effort marks the beginning of a larger, year-long marketing initiative led by

students. Future plans include TikTok campaigns, adoption events, and partnerships with local restaurants to feature adoption messaging on pizza boxes and delivery packaging throughout the month.

“A Scoop for Love” blends student leadership, local business partnership, and grassroots marketing to shine a spotlight on adoptable pets and encourage the community to help them find their “furr-ever homes” when love is in the air on Valentine’s Day. At its heart, the message behind “A Scoop for Love” is simple: sometimes the sweetest way to celebrate love is by helping it find its way home.

Arrow Security Launches Hands-on Roadshow of Physical Security & Advanced Technologies

Arrow Security, one of the nation’s leading providers of physical security solutions, is proud to announce the launch of its Arrow Security Roadshow & Technology Seminar Series. The inaugural event will take place on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, from 5:30-8:30p.m. at the Cradle of Aviation Museum, located on Charles Lindbergh Boulevard in Garden City.

As investigators work to solve the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping, advanced technologies such as AI-powered video surveillance, facial recognition and behavioral analytics continue to demonstrate their real-world value, helping surface critical leads and supporting faster identification of potential suspects.

Arrow Security will be joined by industry leaders E-Connect, i-PRO, Telanet and Xtract One for this exclusive and interactive learning experience. The program will feature live demonstrations, real-world scenario applications, and expert panel discussions designed to provide practical insight into today’s most advanced security solutions.

The event is geared toward property managers; school district and building administrators; chiefs of police;

directors of public safety for universities, both public and private schools, and municipalities; chief security officers; risk and asset prevention leaders; directors of corporate security and vice presidents of global security; and facility managers. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore a wide range of technologies that enhance professional physical security solutions, gain a clearer understanding of how these systems integrate in real-world environments, and leave with actionable knowledge to support informed decision-making.

“This roadshow offers security decision-makers a perfect opportunity to see these technologies up close in action,” said AJ Caro, CEO of Arrow Security. “We’re proud to partner with eConnect, i-Pro, Xtract One, and Telanet to demonstrate how people, process and technology come together to form a unified security strategy.”

Registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and space is limited. To reserve your seat, please visit: https://www.punchbowl.com/parties/ 326a5ce0e992182b7417

Each vendor brings expertise and more: Arrow Security is a full-service security provider offering

trained security personnel, customized physical security programs, and integrated solutions to protect people, property and assets. Darren Claphan, Arrow’s Chief Security, is a former U.S. Marine and former Senior Vice President of Security and Aviation for Madison Square Garden, bringing more than 20 years of security leadership across public and private sectors.

eConnect Global is an AI-driven facial recognition and behavioral analytics platform that enhances security, fraud prevention, and real-time operational awareness. Henry Valentino, eConnect’s Chief Executive Officer, is a leader of global AI and facial recognition technology company transforming how organizations detect and respond to threats.

i-PRO is a global manufacturer of AI-enabled video surveillance cameras and security systems that deliver advanced analytics and actionable insights. Bill Brennan, Chairman of the Board for i-Pro Americas Inc., is a 30-year security and IT veteran who helped shape i-Pro into a leader in intelligent surveillance and cybersecurity-driven security technology.

Telanet is a security systems integrator specializing in the design, installation, and ongoing support of enterprise-level security and life safety solutions. Daniel Silverman, President of Telanet, has led unified communications and security innovation for more than 30 years. He built Telanet into a global provider of integrated security, cyber security, and communications solutions. Daniel also brings 35 years of law enforcement experience.

Xtract One is an advanced, non-invasive weapons detection technology paired with real-time analytics to identify threats quickly and improve screening efficiency. Peter Evans, Chief Executive Officer of Xtract One Technologies, has 25 years of experience leading digital transformation across telecom, cloud, SaaS, and security, now advancing physical security technology while improving patron experience.

Caro added, “Arrow Security is responsible for showing how highly trained security officers and advanced command center operations integrate with emerging technologies. These tools are not designed to replace people, but to enhance their effectiveness and strengthen overall security outcomes.”

This roadshow will be heading to Boston in April, Philadelphia in June, Charlotte in August, New York City in October and Miami in December.

Mickey’s Ice Cream Kitchen is located at 370 Lake Avenue in St. James.

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Jo Molinari

July 6, 1929 – February 12, 2026

“Josephine Nanette Molinari (née Gulotta), 96, of Blue Point and longtime resident of Ronkonkoma, New York, passed gently February 12, 2026. Born July 6, 1929, in Brooklyn to Gasper and Mary, she spent summers here in Ronkonkoma with her sister Vivian and brother Gasper.

“Well known for her prolific career as an artist in various mediums, Josephine’s retirement years with her husband, Robert were fixtures in Lake Ronkonkoma at the American Legion Post 155, Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society, Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Association and Lake Ronkonkoma Heritage Association. She received a Certificate of Appreciation and ‘OWLS Lake Ronkonkoma Citizen of the Year 2014’ for her generous and dedicated work towards the betterment of the Lake Ronkonkoma community. Josephine loved traveling and through the decades visited stateside and abroad with her mother, sister, daughters, and granddaughter. Her bright personality and sense of fun shone through in all she did.

“A graduate of Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, Josephine worked at Pfizer before motherhood. While raising their 5 children, her career as a painter found her powerful paintings spread across America from the many juried art shows in Greenwich Village. She was predeceased by her husband Robert, son Paul, and daughter Eve. She is survived by son Bruce, daughter Judy and son-in-Law Ronald Tramontano, and daughter Lynn and son-in-law Michael Bonadonna, grandchildren Michael, Christine, Nicholas, great-grandchildren Kris, Michaela, and Liam.

In lieu of Flowers, Donations to The American Legion Post 155 are appreciated”

During your lifetime, you may have the opportunity to meet a few magnificent people, the type that really should not be on earth but in heaven where people like this belong. One of those people for me and those close to me were honored to know and respect was Josephine Nanette Molinari, a Lake Ronkonkoma icon. She passed peacefully and now is in the hands of our Lord.

Her accomplishments are vast. An artist, a dear friend, an inspiration for our village, and a strong mentor for me and others. Oh, how my heart aches with this news. At this time, we feel profound loss. But realize we have met a truly heavenly woman who cared for each and every one of us. The best response to her passing is to take her teachings and fit them into your daily life: Love yourself and love others. This was the message that Jo taught us.

Robert and Jo Molinari were everywhere. They were active in the William Merritt Hallock American Legion for years. Their hard work and determination helped strengthen the Hall, and brought laughter, success, and reality to each meeting and event.

Jo and Robert Molinari had their hands in the original Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society (LRHS). Ellyn Okvist prepared the Newsletter for the LRHS for 20 years, and it was commonplace for the two Molinari’s to be thanked or noted for their volunteer work in every issue. Jo would start small plants in time for the Memorial Day Parade, and the proceeds of the sales would go to the cause.

Jo Molinari was mindful of the Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization, where she studied and absorbed the works that they would improve the community by managing public spaces like zoning issues, public safety, and participation in local government.

The Civil War history in our village is small yet significant. As the Lake Ronkonkoma Heritage Association planned the Civil War Cemetery Walk, held August 23, 2014, Jo jumped in and assisted with the research, format of the program, and service to the community that day. Complete in costume, she spoke to most of the visitors and stressed our companionship as a community. Leave it to her to transform a program into a teaching base for residents.

On April 15, 2014, I was asked by the Town Supervisor to bring two long time members of Lake Ronkonkoma to an announcement at Ronkonkoma Lake. Jo Molinari and Geroge Allen Okvist were the two that I felt fit the bill, both residents since birth/summers. So close in age, Jo and George had a great time that day. There was an immense amount of goose dung on the floating dock (pictured above), and although there were many residents there, it was Jo and George who cleaned it up, removed it in cardboard boxes they discovered on the beach, and then enjoyed the remainder of the day. Not one person gave them a hand. They were true Lake Ronkonkoma residents. Reporters asked the dynamic two if they ever imagined the water would be as clean as when they were children. George and Jo studied each other’s faces, and then said no. George added that he could throw a penny into the water and read the words from the surface.

Ashley Okvist tells of her days with Jo. One particular occasion was on September 10, 2017, as the Lake Ronkonkoma Heritage Association and Brookhaven Town Clerk Donna Lent held a 100th Anniversary Parade and Rally to honor the 1917 Suffrage movement here in Lake Ronkonkoma. Ashley volunteered to be Jo Molinari’s assistant in the American Legion outdoor kitchen, and they were expecting to serve over 700 people. Right from the start, as Ashley walked into the kitchen, Jo put her foot down with the rules and proper way to do everything from cooking the hotdogs, displaying the snacks, drinks, condiments, and the proper movement that would be accepted in the kitchen while preparing. Jo was a tough cookie but look at the results. Ashley Okvist was the only person who was trained in “the Molinari

Way” of handling any event in that American Legion outdoor kitchen, trained by Jo Molinari herself, and now Ashley Okvist can share her knowledge and expertise to anyone else that wants to participate. Overall, Ashley does tell of the magical yet regimented day with Jo, and on other occasions, was sure she was put on Jo’s team. Life’s teachings from our community, elder to youth. Priceless.

The OWLS Award, given only under special circumstances, has been in our village for over 100 years. It is an exceptional award presented to exceptional people. Past awardees were Charles Hawkins, Lillian Devere, Jo Molinari, and Kevin Hyms. The criteria and honor that leads to a recipient is crucial. Jo received her OWLS award in June 2014. It was a lovely day, sunshine, blue skies, and surrounded by family. Jo and the four other OWLS recipients will be honored with a custom memorial on June 14, 2026, the day of our 250th Celebration, parade, servicemen recognition, and festival.

One more piece of Jo’s life was her Army Military Jeep. Her desire for this jeep is well rooted. As a young child, she would walk to the Lake with young relatives and friends, all excited to spend time swimming and frolicking. MacArthur Airport (ISP) was an active Army base, and the soldiers preparing to go overseas to war would have brief training there. As the girls walked, most of the time the soldiers would pick them up and give them a ride to the beach. This became a deep remembrance for Jo, as she admired their valor and their unwavering commitment to our country. Her husband Robert bought her dream to fruition; it became not only a testament to the soldiers but added Jo’s jeep as a staple to the community. We hope to have arrangements made with her son Bruce Molinari to have the Jeep in our 250th Parade and Festival in June.

Jo no longer being with us will be a hard change for me. At any event or meeting, once I saw Jo arrive, I was at ease. But now I will no longer be looking over my shoulder for her arrival, but up to the Heavens where she will be looking down on us. Rest in Eternal Grace, safe in God’s hands, dear friend.

Jo Molinari and her signature jeep (Credit - Matt Meduri)

When AI Surpasses Human Benchmarks, Does Our Rubberstamp Get in the Way?

By Mollie Barnett

The evidence is beginning to mount, Artificial intelligence is starting to outperform humans in a number of decision-making areas and in real life applications, from autonomous driving, medical diagnostics, and other highstakes domains. Are our own biases, egos, standards and even greed getting in the way?

Legal frameworks, professional paradigms, and regulatory systems remain designed for a world where human judgment was our best available safeguard. That assumption no longer holds. The collision between statistical reality and institutional inertia is forcing an uncomfortable reckoning.

• Waymo’s autonomous vehicles have logged over 100 million driverless miles with 90% fewer serious crashes and 96% lower injury rates at intersections compared to human drivers in the same areas.

• Healthcare AI systems now match or exceed specialist radiologists in stroke detection, fracture identification, and cancer screening.

• A 2025 analysis found AI diagnostic accuracy at 52% across general medical queries, competitive with non-specialist physicians and improving rapidly.

These gains come from better algorithms, larger datasets, and careful real-world deployment.

The question is no longer whether AI can match human performance in certain domains. The data shows it already exceeds it. What we really need to grapple with is when human oversight actually reduce safety instead of improving it? And also, whether our need for blame outweighs our desire for better outcomes.

The Problem With Human Judgment

We trust human judgment because we value discretion, empathy, and moral reasoning. Yet the research reveals consistent flaws that challenge this default position.

Cognitive biases contribute to diagnostic errors in 36-77% of studied medical cases. These include overconfidence, anchoring to initial impressions, and relying too heavily on recent examples.

In driving, human factors cause approximately 94% of crashes: distraction, fatigue, aggression, impairment. Autonomous systems eliminate these

problems entirely.

Human judgment handles ambiguity and ethical complexity well. Legal decisions vary widely based on the judge’s background, workload, even the time of day. Medical diagnoses differ between equally qualified doctors reviewing identical cases.

This creates a paradox. We want AI to reduce human bias, but we require human oversight because we don’t trust machines. As AI error rates drop below human error rates in more applications, this reasoning breaks down.

When Liability Frameworks Fail

Current accountability systems were built for human operators. They produce strange outcomes when AI delivers better results but still make occasional mistakes.

Automakers typically accept product liability when autonomous systems fail. Doctors remain personally liable under “reasonable physician” standards, which encourage them to use AI only for confirmation rather than genuine collaboration.

Self-driving cars follow traffic rules strictly, reducing many crash types. But that same caution can cause problems, like conservative braking that leads to rear-end collisions from following human drivers.

A single dramatic AI failure creates headlines and regulatory panic. The statistical reality tells a different story.

Comprehensive analysis of system logs shows consistent safety advantages at scale. Current frameworks can’t balance one visible failure against hundreds of invisible lives saved through better baseline performance.

This gap between dramatic individual cases and aggregate statistical improvement fuels the resistance to change.

The Automation Trap

Human oversight only helps when humans actually exercise judgment. Automation bias turns oversight into a formality. People approve AI recommendations without real scrutiny, especially under time pressure or when the system seems confident.

Healthcare and transportation studies show operators missing AI errors regularly. The problem gets worse with cognitive load and when algorithms project certainty. Solutions include training on AI limitations,

tracking how often humans override the system, using diverse review teams, and designing interfaces that encourage independent thinking.

The typical regulatory response demands more human involvement. The data suggests this may worsen the problem by creating false confidence while preserving inferior human performance.

Beyond Driving and Medicine

The same logic applies to governance. If AI can provide genuinely impartial analysis that is consistent, comprehensive, and free from corruption, it becomes useful for judicial support, policy analysis, and administrative decisions.

Straightforward legal interpretation fits AI’s strengths and could reduce bias. Complex interpretation requiring contextual judgment still needs human wisdom. AI judges remain premature. But AI assistance that flags potential biases, models policy outcomes, and retrieves relevant precedents offers immediate value while keeping humans accountable for final decisions – in this case, are we keeping AI in the loop?

Each domain where AI proves superior raises the core question: when does insisting on human control despite worse outcomes serve real safety rather than just psychological comfort?

What Safeguards Look Like

Better outcomes require careful design across multiple layers.

Technical safeguards include multiple models that cross-check each other, diverse sensors, explainable decision processes, extensive simulation testing, and ongoing bias monitoring. These create backup systems against single failures.

Human oversight should be tiered. Require full human approval for high-stakes decisions. Monitor routine operations. Set clear triggers for escalating to human review when the system encounters uncertainty.

Procedural safeguards prevent skill loss through regular practice exercises. Track how often humans override AI to catch rubber-stamping. Use diverse oversight teams to avoid groupthink.

Legal frameworks need updating. Consider shared liability between manufacturers and operators. Explore nofault insurance for autonomous vehicles.

Create regulatory sandboxes for controlled testing. Update professional standards to recognize when AI assistance outperforms unaided human judgment.

These combined measures provide defense against different failure types while acknowledging political realities. Technical solutions face institutional resistance, professional turf protection, and legitimate concerns about accountability.

The Choice Ahead

The numbers increasingly favor algorithmic decision-making where consistency, pattern recognition, and avoiding fatigue matter most. Human judgment remains essential for ambiguous situations requiring empathy, context, and ethical reasoning beyond rule-following.

The burden of proof is shifting and institutions are not ready.

The question is no longer whether AI matches human safety. Data confirms it exceeds human performance in growing areas.

The real question is, does keeping mandatory human control despite worse outcomes actually improve safety, or does it just preserve existing power structures and outdated liability rules?

This is not about replacement. It is about integration. Using superior tools where they work best and keeping human judgment where it adds real value.

Getting there means confronting hard truths about human limitations. It requires redesigning liability systems that currently block better outcomes. It means accepting that our comfort with human control may conflict with actual public safety.

The data supports careful progress. The test is whether institutions can adapt before regulatory delays and professional resistance cost lives that AI systems could demonstrably save.

The debate is reaching peak intensity. Moving forward requires more than technical innovation and demands institutional willingness to act on evidence that challenges basic assumptions about judgment, accountability, and control.

The evidence is clear. The path forward is not.

What happens next will determine whether we optimize for real safety or just the appearance of it.

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Dr. Benson Offers Winter Safety Advice for LI Pet Owners

By Madison Warren

This winter season for New Yorkers has felt different from the past few years, and for many, it has been a tough one. Between freezing temperatures, icy conditions, and relentless snowfall, the season has made its presence known. It hasn’t just been challenging for people; our animals feel it too. As an animal lover with quite a few of my own, keeping their safety and comfort a top priority during harsh winter weather can be nerve-racking.

To help keep pet safety a priority during the final stretch of winter, The Messenger spoke with Dr. Lauryn Benson (pictured right), a veterinarian with VEG ER for Pets, about the steps owners should take and what to watch for to keep their pets happy and healthy during the colder months.

Dr. Benson has been in the veterinary field for many years. She graduated in 2012 and went straight into emergency medicine, where she has built much of her career. For the past seven years, she has worked with VEG. Her connection to the field started early, as her father is also a licensed veterinarian, giving her exposure to the profession from a young age.

Unfortunately, Dr. Benson has seen her share of difficult cases in animal care and understands firsthand how harsh winter weather can impact pets. Drawing from that experience, she shared a helpful list of things pet owners should keep in mind during the colder months.

One major point Dr. Benson shared was that while we bundle up and protect our feet when going outside, our pets do not, and that’s something owners need to keep in mind. Protective booties can be extremely beneficial for walks or even quick trips outside to use the restroom. If a pet isn’t very cooperative with wearing booties, Dr. Benson recommends being mindful of how long they stay outside and paying attention to what surfaces they may be stepping on.

Along with booties, Dr. Benson recommends bundling pets up in something that will help keep them warm. Just as we layer up or wear heavy jackets in the cold, pets can benefit from sweaters or winter coats, too. Not only can they look adorable, but these layers also help maintain body temperature and reduce the risk of health issues such as hypothermia and frostbite. While some breeds are naturally built for colder weather, many are not, so it’s important to be mindful of that. If a pet isn’t wearing protective gear, owners should limit the amount of time they spend outside.

Dr. Benson noted that she sees many paw pad injuries in the winter, especially in dogs. Often, this happens when dogs get excited by a backyard covered in fresh snow and rush outside to run around. What owners may not realize is that snow can hide hazards that can injure their pets. Checking the yard for sticks, branches, and other sharp objects before letting dogs out can help prevent injuries that no pet or owner wants to deal with.

The last point Dr. Benson shared was less common but very serious, and something many pet owners may not be aware of. She warned about the

toxicity of antifreeze used in cars. Because it has a sweet taste, pets, especially dogs and cats, may accidentally ingest it, which can lead to severe health issues such as kidney failure. She stressed the importance of properly storing antifreeze and other winter-related chemicals and cleaning up any spills so pets cannot access them. She also noted that salt can be harmful if pets ingest too much. Traditional rock salt used for ice can be toxic in large amounts and can also irritate paws. Dr. Benson recommends using pet-safe ice melt made with safer compounds that are less harmful if they come into contact with pets’ skin or are accidentally ingested.

For those in need of emergency veterinary care, VEG ER for Pets serves the Long Island community with 24hour locations at 2043 Middle Country Road, Suite 13, in Commack and 244 Glen Cove Road in Carle Place. With its open-concept model and around-the-clock care, the hospital aims to provide both medical support and peace of mind when pets and their owners need it most.

For pet owners, the takeaway is simple: a little extra awareness in the winter can go a long way. From protecting paws and bundling up against the cold to keeping harmful chemicals out of reach, small precautions can prevent serious emergencies. As winter continues, Dr. Benson encourages owners to stay observant and proactive so their pets can remain safe, healthy, and comfortable until warmer days return.

Traditional rock salt used for ice can be toxic in large amounts and can also irritate paws.

Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.

Thursday, February 19, 2026

MONUMENTAL: Trump Admin Unleashes American Energy With Key Regulatory Move

By Tyler O’Neil | AMAC Outside Contributor

It’s hard to wrap your head around the massive news President Donald Trump and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Thursday.

Trump and Zeldin estimated that the EPA will save taxpayers over $1.3 trillion by eliminating the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding, which served as the bedrock for a host of greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles in model years 2012 to 2027.

The Clean Air Act of 1970 directed the EPA to regulate “any air pollutant” that could “endanger public health or welfare.”

In 2006, Massachusetts and 11 other states sued the agency, demanding that it regulate greenhouse gas emissions on the theory that the emissions contribute to climate change and therefore endanger public health. The Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that the EPA must consider “whether greenhouse gas emissions contribute to climate change,” and the Obama administration issued the Endangerment Finding in 2009.

Trump and Zeldin gave two strong reasons for reversing course on the finding.

The Climate Data

They noted that the climate alarmist predictions of harm from the burning of fossil fuels “did not materialize.”

“Using the same types of models utilized by the previous administrations and climate change zealots, EPA now finds that even if the U.S. were to eliminate all GHG emissions from all vehicles, there would be no material impact on global climate indicators through 2100,” the agency’s press release notes.

Indeed, various studies have shown that the burning of fossil fuels does not pose the existential threat that alarmists have repeatedly claimed. Climate models from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change significantly overestimated warming trends, in part because they neglect to consider natural factors that play substantial roles in climate variability.

Contrary to alarmist claims, climate change is not making hurricanes worse. Historical records of major river systems reveal patterns of variability, rather than consistent trends linked to human emissions. Furthermore, moderate warming and elevated carbon emissions can yield net benefits, such as reducing cold-related mortality and extending growing seasons.

The Endangerment Finding Was Illegal

Trump and Zeldin also weighed the legal foundation of the Endangerment Finding and found it wanting.

Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act “does not provide statutory authority for EPA to prescribe motor vehicle and engine emission standards in the manner previously utilized, including for the purpose of addressing global climate change,” the press release argues.

“A policy decision of this magnitude, which carries sweeping economic and policy consequences, lies solely with Congress.”

A Huge Blow to the Climate Industrial Complex Climate activists have long used the federal bureaucracy to push their agenda, often circumventing Congress.

As I describe in “The Woketopus: The Dark Money Cabal Manipulating the Federal Government,” climate alarmist groups fed staff and ideas into the Biden administration, pulling the levers of power while the president was asleep at the wheel.

The EPA is often ground zero for this grift. Climate groups would sue the EPA, claiming that it did not regulate enough of the economy. EPA staff, who largely supported the regulation, would settle the lawsuits, agreeing to implement the alarmist policy and pay the activist group in a settlement.

Under Biden, the EPA managed the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a $27 billion fund administered through Citibank as part of the so-called Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The EPA rushed $20 billion to eight nonprofit groups after Trump won the 2024 presidential election. Zeldin has fought to claw back some of this money, and he confronted left-leaning journalists for repeatedly claiming that he had no evidence of waste, fraud, or abuse.

A Win for Affordability

Democrats talk a great deal about “affordability,”

but they seem not to be concerned about how regulating oil and gas makes travel, electricity, and goods and services more expensive.

According to the Energy Information Administration, 60% of American energy comes from fossil fuels, with 18.6% coming from nuclear energy and another 21.4% from wind, hydropower, and solar.

As the federal government drops restrictions on the largest sources of energy in the country, that won’t just make it cheaper for you to fill up your gas tank—it will also decrease the cost of transporting goods and services, and it will decrease the cost of energy production, in general.

Meanwhile, fewer government handouts for “clean energy” companies also means one less driver of inflation.

Overview - AMACThe Association of Mature American Citizens

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

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

The market will adjust for more companies to meet consumer demand, and if solar and wind truly are the way of the future, they should be able to compete on a level playing field.

Trump’s all-of-the-above energy strategy will likely make Americans wealthier and give us more options for how to spend our money. Repealing the Endangerment Finding will spread positive ripple effects throughout the economy, and I, for one, am excited about what the future holds.

To view Zeldin confronting left-leaning journalists for repeatedly claiming that he had no evidence of waste, fraud, or abuse scan the QR-Code at right.

20 Bits & Pieces

WORD OF THE Week

Etymology:

late Middle English: from Old French eschiver, ultimately of Germanic origin and related to German scheuen ‘shun’, also to shy1

ESCHEW

verb

Pronounced: /uh·shoo/

Definition: deliberately avoid using; abstain from.

Example: “The panel was dissolved as they were keen to eschew their responsibilities.”

Synonyms: renounce, abjure, relinquish

Antonyms: face, embrace, take on

Source: Oxford Languages

WORD

WHEEL

G E

N R S O

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

SUDOKU

See bottom of page for the answers (please don’t cheat!)

This Week in History

February 19, 1878:

Thomas Edison is granted a patent for his cylinder phonograph.

February 21, 1848: Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels publish “The Communist Manifesto” in London.

February 20, 1872: New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art opens.

February 13, 1945:

U.S. Marines raise the flag of the United States on top of Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima. Pulitzer Prizewinning photo by Joe Rosenthal later becomes iconic, inspiring the Marine Corps War Memorial sculpture.

February 24, 1607: Claudio Monteverdi’s opera “L’Orfeo” premieres in Mantua, the oldest opera still regularly performed.

Source: Onthisday.com.

February 22, 1856: Republican Party holds its first national meeting in Pittsburgh.

February 25, 2018:

Marit Bjørgen of Norway wins gold in the 30k crosscountry and becomes the most successful Winter Olympic athlete of all time with 15 medals.

Carrying This Heart Around

By PJ Balzer

My wife and I had a very casual Valentine’s Day this year. We went out to galivant around, doing the activities that we like to do on a regular basis, a simple daytime date with food, laughs, and spontaneous stops along the way.

“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and savessuchashavea contritespirit.” - Psalm 34:18

process would replace much sadness and sorrow with a renewed hope and joy. I’m praying that your heart would come back to life and that God would redeem your story and use it to help out someone else walking on a similar journey behind you.

Even though you’re undeniably carrying this broken heart around, God promises to be near to the brokenhearted and to bind up each wound. There is someone making it a point to pray for you specifically.

You don’t have to carry it alone.

“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” - Psalm 34:18

Bereavement Support Groups

Will be offered at St. John Nepomucene and are open to people of any faith

Loss of Spouse

General

Loss

Loss of an Adult Child

Thursday, March 5th – April 30th at 7PM

(Note: there will be no meeting April 2nd as it is Holy Thursday)

The General Support Group & Loss of a Spouse Group is open to anyone who has suffered a loss at least three months prior, which would be December 5, 2025.

The Loss of Adult Child Group has no wait requirement.

Each group meets weekly for 90 minutes followed by refreshments and hospitality. There is no cost but a commitment to attend each meeting throughout the program is required. All groups are offered in a closed and confidential setting with highly trained f acilitators and are limited to 12 people.

Pre-registration is required. Please call 631-589-0540, ext. 250 for more information or to reserve your seat for the group you would like to attend.

Kusiak Joins Ducks Roster

By Raheem Soto

In baseball, numbers travel first. The player arrives later.

Henry Kusiak’s résumé made the trip to Central Islip before he did — .309 average, 12 home runs, 97 hits, Rookie Hitter of the Year in the American Association. The arithmetic is persuasive. The glove, too: a .967 fielding percentage while toggling between shortstop and third base. That kind of versatility tends to find work.

On Tuesday, the Long Island Ducks made it official, signing the 24-yearold infielder for the 2026 Atlantic League season. If winter is a season of transactions, this one carries the tone of intent.

“Henry has been a terrific hitter and defender throughout his career,” Ducks Manager Lew Ford said in the club’s release. “He is excited at the opportunity to play in the Atlantic League, and we look forward to having him in our lineup this season.”

Kusiak spent last year with the Chicago Dogs, where his bat did not require an introduction. He was named the league’s Rookie Hitter of the Year and earned an All-Star nod — the sort of hardware that suggests both production and durability. Before that, he broke into pro ball with the Windy City ThunderBolts, and before that, he rewrote the record book at Missouri Southern State, leaving behind school marks in hits, RBIs, runs, and games played.

The Ducks, entering their 26th season, have built a habit of betting on players who can handle both the box score and the moment. Kusiak sounds prepared for both.

“I am excited to be with one of the best organizations in professional baseball,” he said. “I am looking forward to learning from teammates and coaches and being amidst the culture of success surrounding the Ducks.”

The numbers have arrived. Now comes the season.

Wrangle Up The Wrestlers in Suffolk County

By Ashley Pavlakis

The Suffolk County Wrestling championships took place over the weekend, and plenty of Eastern Suffolk County Wrestlers performed on the mat with rewards for their efforts.

Hosted by Stony Brook University, the boys (Division I) and girls varsity wrestlers from across Suffolk County took to the mat inside Island Federal Credit Union Arena. Team and individual matches took place over the span of a two-day period.

Let’s start with the elephant in the room, Sachem North. A team that appeared destined to win all season long. The Arrows are fresh off a League II title and came to win. As a team, the team notched its first Suffolk County Team championship since 1992. The Arrows also celebrated the wins of two individual champions in Tommy Vecchio (175lbs) and Valdey Pierre (285lbs). Vecchio earned his 44th win as a senior, having yet to lose a match. To continue the good news trend, senior Jack Cusumano made some history of his own, becoming the winningest wrestler in school history, surpassing a two-decade-old record with 137 wins.

Across town, Sachem East’s Jon Schroff won the 165lb individual championship. Enroute to victory, Schroff wrestled three state-ranked wrestlers to claim the title.

Bellport Camryn Howard (138lbs) slimmed down from last season, competing in a new weight class and dominating. He took home the title for the Clippers.

East Islip’s Rocco Destefano (132lb) notched 100 career pins on his way to a Suffolk County title. Alongside him, four of his teammates finished top five for the tournament.

Ward Melville’s Chase Phillips (118lbs) got his redemption this year,

claiming the Suffolk County title after falling short last year.

Last but not least, Smithtown East’s Matthew McDermott (144lbs) earned himself the title with a win over Patchogue-Medford.

The female wrestlers in Suffolk County also competed over the weekend. Eastern Suffolk saw some of their own take home the title in their respective weight class. Of the 13 winners, eight are repeat champions.

Starting off at Rocky Point, the Hernandez sisters helped the Eagles win two titles. Zoey Hernandez (94lbs) and Julianna Hernandez (126lbs) were crowned champions of their weight classes.

Over at East Islip, Alicia Cardona (107lbs) and Ava Philips (120lbs) each won their class title. Cardona was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.

Bellport saw five of its wrestlers compete and saw five come home with the first-place title. Olivia Angelo (100lbs), Caitlin Maragiolo (132lbs), Veronica Sky Williams (145lbs), Aaliyah Morrow (152lbs), and Miiko Foster (185lbs) all made the Clippers proud.

The Bayshore Marauders saw Brooke-Lynn Murray (138lbs), Melody Medina (165lbs), and Sydney Fisher (235lbs) bring home individual titles.

Stony Brook packed the house for the Section XI wrestling championships and did not disappoint. The two-day event was jampacked with action, crowning champions, and qualifying wrestlers for states. A number of wrestlers will head to Albany at the end of February to compete in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) championships held at MVP Arena. Congratulations to those who took home a Suffolk County title!

By Raheem Soto

Suffolk Playoff Basketball Begins

February on Long Island does not ask politely. It arrives with a bite in the wind and a glare off the frozen pavement, and somewhere inside warm gymnasiums, boys in sleeveless jerseys run toward spring the only way they know how — one possession at a time.

The playoffs are here. No trumpets. No parades. Just the hollow drum of a basketball on hardwood and the thin whistle of a referee cutting through the air like a harbor buoy in fog.

On Thursday at noon, the doors swing open at Bay Shore High School. The Marauders, home and hopeful, welcome Ward Melville High School for a varsity playoff that will begin long before the opening tip. It begins in layup lines, in the way a senior tightens his laces twice instead of once, in the silence before introductions when the gym seems to inhale.

At the same hour, three towns over, North Babylon High School hosts Commack High School. Another noon whistle. Another winter sun slanting through high windows. Playoff basketball is a simple bargain: forty minutes to extend a season or fold it neatly into memory.

Meanwhile, William Floyd High School prepares its floor for Sachem High School East. The bleachers will creak. The student section will try to rattle the rim from the rafters. But the game itself will be decided not by noise, only by nerve — by who keeps their dribble when the trap snaps shut.

By evening, the stage shifts to Walt Whitman High School, where Copiague High School arrives for a 5:00 PM showdown. Twilight outside, bright light inside. A playoff game at dusk has its own temperament — restless, urgent, as if the night itself is pressing against the glass.

Friday offers no relief.

At 5:00 PM, Deer Park High School faces Smithtown High School East. Across the county, Half Hollow Hills West High School hosts Northport High School, while Westhampton Beach High School welcomes Half Hollow Hills East High School. In Smithtown High School West, the home side meets West Islip High School under the white glare of postseason expectation.

Playoff basketball is geography reduced to inches. A Suffolk County map shrinks to the painted lane. The arc becomes a frontier. A rebound is contested like territory. Coaches speak in low tones about matchups and tempo, but the truth is more primitive: who can breathe when breathing is hardest?

Then on Saturday morning, at 11:00 AM, Southampton High School (MAIN GYM) hosts Bridgehampton Middle/high School in a scrimmage with officials. It is not a playoff, but it is no less meaningful. The whistles will be real. The stakes will be quieter. For some, it is preparation. For others, it is the first glimpse of what March might demand.

In February, there are no guarantees. The nets will not remember who cut them down. The floor will not recall whose sneakers squealed loudest. But for a few cold days, in gyms from Bay Shore to Southampton, winter will echo with the sharp percussion of competition.

And somewhere in the final seconds of one of these games, a ball will hang in the air — suspended between hope and history — before deciding which town keeps playing and which one starts counting the days until next year.

Eastern Suffolk County Sweeps Section XI Cheerleading

By Ashley Pavlakis

The best hand to have in cards is a royal flush. That’s what it feels like to see five Eastern Suffolk County Schools take home the Section XI cheerleading championship for their respective classes. Suffolk Strong, indeed!

Taking home the titles this season were Class A: Sachem East, Class B: Hauppauge, Class C: Mt. Sinai, Class D: Port Jeff, and Coed: Ward Melville.

Sachem East has notched a three-peat, winning its third consecutive Class A championship. The girls are led by the Aghabekian twins, Brianna and Victoria. The Messenger spoke with the sisters last season after they secured their second consecutive Class A title. The [East] Arrows will advance to States that’ll be held in Binghamton at the beginning of March.

The Hauppauge Eagles followed suit, casting a repeat of their own with the claiming of their second consecutive Class B title. The gals took home the game day title in the fall and captured the traditional title this winter. According to the team, the Eagles earned the highest score amongst all participants and all divisions. Hauppauge is coached by Laura Candela and Matt Jones.

Class C was taken by Mt.Sinai, a team The Messenger reported on earlier this season. The Mustangs are coached by Megan Wesolowski and Matt Kenefick. Their trophy case is impressive, considering they were only established ten years ago. With this title, they are now nine-time county champions.

For Class D, the title went home with Port Jefferson. Led by Emily Koplar, the Royals established themselves as a top-five team in New York State when they competed at States last season. The Royals followed up a states appearance with a 2025-26 Suffolk County title.

Last but not least, taking home the coed title was none other than the Patriots of Ward Melville. The girls and Ian are led by Georgia Curtis and Maggie Hurley. The Messenger was fortunate enough to speak with Curtis and a handful of her cheerleaders a few weeks ago to get their thoughts on what it means to compete for Ward Melville on the mat.

With counties all squared away, sights are set on states. All five teams have experience at the state level, having competed in past seasons. Sachem East won in ‘24 & ‘25. Mt.Sinai is a six-time state champion, with their most recent one coming in ‘24. Hauppauge claimed a state title in ‘19 & ‘20. Ward Melville took home the title in both ‘24 & ‘25. Port Jefferson competed in 2025 and finished in the top five at the competition.

Game Day or Traditional, it makes no difference to these teams. They’ve honed their craft and have shown what it takes to be the best in their class. The teams have a few weeks left before they leave for states, the perfect amount of time to perfect their routines.

The 2025-26 New York State Championships will be held the weekend of March 7, at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton, NY.

Congratulations to Sachem East, Hauppauge, Mt.Sinai, Port Jefferson, and Ward Melville for winning their respective 2025-26 Suffolk County titles this season!