CarlsonCorp Takes Action Against Trotta, Semprini
By Matt Meduri
Last month, a video was posted on Facebook by Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) to bolster his candidacy in the Republican Primary against Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park). In the video, Trotta claims to be on the “ugly side of Smithtown”, standing before large mounds of dirt and topsoil, claiming to see “construction debris, bags, plastics, God knows what.”
SUMMER EVENTS
Port Jefferson Summer Farmers Market at Harborfront Park
Mother's Day Brunch at Long Island Aquarium
May 11, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM
May 18-November 28
9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
2025 Islip Chamber of Commerce Street Fair
Bird and Breakfast at Connetquot State Park
May 11, 8:00 AM to 11 :00 PM
June 22, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Fleece and Fiber Festival at Hallockville Museum Farm
Islip Farmers Market at Town Hall
June 7-November 22
Alive After Five in Patchogue
May 17, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
June 26, 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
7:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Nesconset Spring Fling
May 18, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Grooves on the Green in Ronkonkoma
Jones Beach Air Show
Hoshyla Farms Lavender Festival
June 28-29, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
May 24-25, 10:00 to 4:00 PM
PUBLISHER
Diane Caudullo
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Matt Meduri
STAFF REPORTERS
Cait Crudden
Raheem Soto
ART PRODUCTION
MANAGER
Sergio A. Fabbri
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Colin Herr
CONTRIBUTORS
PJ Balzer
Tim Walz
DELIVERY PERSONNEL
PJ Balzer
Joe Cuminale
Colin Newman
Ashley Pavlakis
Madison Warren
OFFICE MANAGER &
ACCOUNTS
RECEIVABLE
Kim Revere
PROOFREADER
Giavanna Rudilosso
SOCIAL MEDIA
Madison Warren
By Matt Meduri
LaLota, Vets Demand V.A. Treat Vietnam-Related Cancer
Although the Vietnam War ended fifty years ago, the physical, mental, and emotional complications still remain for those who served.
The latest point of umbrage comes from the Veterans Affairs’ (V.A.) lack of treatment for Vietnam Veterans diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer. Studies have alleged that the cancer is a product of parasitic worms ingested through raw or undercooked freshwater fish, while other research points to water quality and scarcity in Southeast Asia being the culprit.
Studies have shown that the cancer is about 30% more prevalent among Veterans who served in Vietnam than those who did not, enough of a statistic to create a clear link between that particular war and this particular cancer.
However, the V.A. has not officially established the connection.
On Wednesday afternoon, Congressman Nick LaLota (R-Amityville), joined by Vietnam Veterans, Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point), and a representative for Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa (C-Selden) at the VFW Post #6249 in Rocky Point to shed light on the subject.
“It’s only right that we do right by our nation’s Veterans who signed their names on a dotted line saying they would risk anything up to their own lives to ensure the defense of our great nation. The very least we can do is to ensure that our veterans get the health care they need when they come home,” said LaLota. “I wish that the V.A. just took it upon themselves to ensure that our Veterans, and especially our Vietnam Veterans, got the care that they earned - not as an entitlement or a giveaway.”
LaLota has been on the trail in Washington to ensure legislative success on this matter. His bill passed the U.S. House twice, only to die in the U.S. Senate. The bill would put language into V.A. Appropriations Bills - LaLota is a member of the Appropriations Committee - to put the V.A. on the path to ultimately deliver coverage. He credited one Veteran in particular with that success.
Vietnam Veteran Gerald Wiggins (pictured left) is positive for the cancer and has received treatments for it at Sloan Kettering, a world-renowned cancer treatment center in New York City. LaLota credits Wiggins with bringing the issue to his attention.
“We fought for two years with the Northport V.A.; they refuse to test us. We had a big meeting with them; they laughed at us,” said Wiggins, adding that the V.A. would be “shocked” if one of the fifty Vietnam Veterans came back positive for bile duct cancer.
Twelve of the fifty came back positive.
Wiggins underwent operation in 2017 to remove two cysts from his bile duct. The disease is also known to persist for decades, sometimes upwards of fifty years. Time is of the essence with bile duct cancer, as once it spreads to the liver, death is essentially a foregone conclusion.
“Of course, they say that Vietnam Veterans are alcoholics and drug addicts, so that’s why their liver went bad,” said Wiggins, taking issue with the politics of solving the issue, but achieving no results. He called out Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), as well as Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove).
“There are 134,000 Veterans on Long Island. If you [elected officials] push this bill through, you’re a hero. But it’s denied over and over again,” said Wiggins, praising LaLota (pictured below) for pushing it through the House.
Wiggins also says that the doctor who owns the rights to the test is in Seoul, South Korea, and he will not relinquish the rights.
“I’m 77. The longer they wait, the more Veterans will die and the less money they have to give out,” said Wiggins. “It’s the way the government works.”
Wiggins was drafted in 1968, recalling how he was told that upon his return to the States, he’d “get everything.”
“We got nothing, and there’s no reason for this,” said Wiggins. “We’re not asking for a giveaway. We’re just asking for what we deserve,” he said, adding a large-scale protest in Washington might be warranted - although he himself is not a “protest person.”
Wiggins continues to be screened every six months at Sloan Kettering.
“We’ve advocated towards the Senate multiple times, both last session and this session,” LaLota told The Messenger “Sometimes, it takes multiple Congresses to get things onto the Senate’s radar. I’m going to continue to advocate towards New York to United States Senators, but also the rest of the Senators throughout the country who have Veterans like ours who had that service in Vietnam decades ago, but yet are still suffering from this ailment. There should be a holistic approach that we take towards the legislative push and my office is doing just that.”
“A lot of the caretakers, in my view, locally here, do have a passion to actually care for the Veterans,” said LaLota, clarifying that the incredulity should be directed at V.A. bureaucrats.
LaLota adds that the V.A. could have accomplished this “years ago with the stroke of a pen”, merely to “honor” the connection between Vietnam and bile duct cancer.
“We’ll take whatever way we can get it - executive action within the V.A., an Appropriations bill, a standalone bill,” said LaLota.
(L-R) Congressman LaLota, Gerald Wiggins, Councilwoman Bonner (Credit - Matt Meduri)
LaLota, Stefanik Lead Push Against Congestion Pricing Plan Trump Backing
By Cait Crudden
Congressman Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R, NY21) are spearheading a renewed congressional offensive to block New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s (D) controversial congestion pricing plan, with robust support from President Donald Trump (R-FL) and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy (R-WI).
In a joint letter sent this week to President Trump and Secretary Duffy, LaLota, Stefanik, and members of the New York and New Jersey congressional delegations expressed their gratitude for the administration’s efforts to halt what they are calling a “commuter tax” that unfairly punishes suburban families, small businesses, and middle-class workers.
“Hochul’s commuter tax was never about improving transit—it’s about squeezing hardworking suburban families to paper over the MTA’s bloated, mismanaged budget,” said Congressman LaLota. “She’s forcing law-abiding, taxpaying commuters into a system riddled with crime, delays, and dysfunction—without demanding a shred of accountability. I’m proud to stand with President Trump and Secretary Duffy in the fight to stop Hochul’s commuter tax and protect our constituents from this reckless and unfair scheme.”
Congresswoman Stefanik added her voice to the growing chorus of opposition.
“I stand strongly with President Donald Trump, Secretary Sean Duffy, and my fellow New Yorkers fighting Kathy Hochul’s insane and costly congestion pricing tax scheme that harms New York workers and families — all while Hochul further exacerbates subway crime! New Yorkers across the political spectrum oppose this insane and costly failed policy.”
well within its legal discretion to rescind the Biden Administration’s rubber-stamping of this tax,” said Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R, NY-11). “We’ll keep fighting this cash grab by using every tool at our disposal and look forward to working with President Trump and Secretary Duffy.”
Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) also weighed in, calling congestion pricing a “shameless cash grab—punishing hardworking New Yorkers to cover up her own mismanagement” and commended the Trump Administration for pushing back.
“I’m grateful to President Trump and his Administration for standing up for our commuters and pushing back against this disastrous plan, and I urge them to keep up the fight,” said Garbarino.
From across the river, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (R, NJ-07) denounced the
First announced under the previous administration, New York’s congestion pricing charges vehicles a toll to enter Manhattan’s central business district during peak hours. Opponents argue it would create an unfair financial burden on commuters from Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and New Jersey who rely on personal vehicles due to limited or unreliable transit options.
“The MTA’s reckless mismanagement has left law-abiding commuters to foot the bill, while fare evasion skyrockets, service and public safety decline — yet the Governor refuses to take responsibility. The Trump Administration is right and acting
“We must put an end to this extremely dysfunctional program, created by Governor Hochul and New York State Democrats, which places many commuters at a disadvantage—especially New Jersey residents, who already pay some of the highest taxes in the nation,” said Kean, Jr. “I am committed to standing up for New Jersey taxpayers to ensure this unfair burden is lifted, and I will continue working closely
Bureaucracy Has Consequences
One of our top stories this week discusses a bureaucratic wing of the federal government that not only reneges its promises to take care of its bravest, makes the rank-and-file out to be incompetent and/or heartless, and, most severely, has significant health consequences for some.
Death is even on the line for others.
The Veterans’ Affairs Department has been the subject of calls to remove their red tape to make certain forms of care accessible. Over the last couple years, one example has been that of cholangiocarcinoma - bile duct cancer caused by a parasitic infection of liver fluke, usually caught by drinking contaminated water or eating raw or undercooked fish infected with the bug.
This specific type of cancer has been linked to the Vietnam War, with studies showing a 30% correlation between the locale and the illness as opposed to troops who did not serve in Vietnam.
Much of the consternation has come from a lack of study, or at least inadequate correlation-causation data. We can understand that from a statistical point of view.
But as Congressman Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) said on Wednesday morning, joined by Vietnam Veterans - including one who is currently battling the form of cancer - the time for research and fact-finding has long been eclipsed by solid data.
The Veteran in question, Gerald Wiggins, claimed that the people at the V.A. with whom he met literally “laughed” at him and others when asked if they would test a group of Vietnam Vets. After thinking they wouldn’t find one sample out of fifty, they found twelve.
One would think that would be enough for the V.A. to start moving.
Particularly concerning is the fatality rate of this disease once it spreads to the liver, which Mr. Wiggins says was essentially written off by the V.A. bureaucrats since Vietnam Veterans’ substance abuse problems are likely the culprits.
It seems that the V.A. not only wants to give the Veterans deep paper cuts, but also squeeze lemon juice over them.
Unfortunately, the best tool for this is likely Congress, something LaLota has taken up since he got into office three years ago. However, he’s succeeded where others have failed: getting it passed through the U.S. House - twice.
The Senate is now the problem, which is somewhat understandable given the upper chamber is intended to move slower as virtually unlimited debate is encouraged for the purpose of hashing out the details.
But this is really a no-brainer. It’s a shame to think that Uncle Sam instilled in young, selfless men to risk their lives for their country, promising care and benefits upon their return. And as Mr. Wiggins stated, he and his fellow Veterans aren’t looking for handouts or
giveaways - they just want what was promised to them. One could superimpose the word “promised” with “owed”, but we think “promised” is the operative word here. “Owed” comes into play if the veterans loaned the government lunch money. This was a conscientious exchange of safety, well-being, and even life itself, for a gift basket of care that could hardly measure up to what they would experience. It’s already bad enough that the Vietnam Veterans returned home the most denigrated militia in our history.
The question now stands, why does Congress need to act, and why doesn’t the V.A. just “follow the science” and begin treating patients.
For one, the individual who owns the rights to the test will not give it up.
Typical.
For another, we believe there are V.A. bureaucrats who realized their predecessors’ egos wrote checks that the current government couldn’t cash. It’s not the current administration’s fault at face value, but just how complicit have some of them been in denying treatment until treating the remaining population becomes more cost-effective?
LaLota deserves kudos for making this an important issue and getting it sailed through the House twice. His powerful position on the House Appropriations Committee will likely come in handy with these issues as time goes on, bureaucrats or no bureaucrats.
Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) should also probably stop barnstorming across the country in order to obtain the worst approval ratings out of all of the congressional leaders and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) should probably try to do more than just exist.
Overall, it’s particularly sick to witness an abuse of power like this, especially as the V.A. has regularly moved the goalposts over the years over what causes the illness, how prevalent it is, and how hardy the link is to Southeast Asia.
It also sheds light on how much government over-promises and under-delivers, especially in an age of perpetual handouts and incentives for some to do as little as possible. We’re all for a safety net, but there needs to be limits and meritocracy to it. The federal government has no problem wasting trillions and continuing to deficit spend, while simultaneously refusing to hold up perhaps the most important bargain they made.
In the end, we believe the V.A.’s various stance changes on what should be an openand-shut issue are as arbitrary as they are disheartening - not to mention the rank-andfile V.A. nurses at Northport who genuinely care for the patients, who now seem either incompetent, indifferent, or both.
All politics is and remains local, we suppose…
Does Hochul Want to Lose in 2026?
We’ve seen candidates do and say some wild things, some for mere shock value, others because they’re just not comfortable in their own skin. Oddly enough, both of those qualities describe Donald Trump (R-FL) and Kamala Harris (D-CA), respectively.
But then there are those moves that really make us consider if a candidate is intentionally trying to sink their chances of winning an election.
We’ve expressed these concerns about Governor Kathy Hochul (D) earlier this year, when a troubled woman was burned alive by an illegal immigrant while sleeping in an NYC subway car. Just hours later, Hochul posted on X a picture of her posing with National Guardsmen, with a caption describing just how safe the subways are.
First, if the National Guard is patrolling the subways, they’re not safe.
Second, there was not a mere mention of the victim who died an unimaginable death by someone who, by all accounts, should not have been protected by New York.
Hochul didn’t hold up under the pressure of Congresswoman - and hopefully her successor - Elise Stefanik (R, NY-21) when she and her Democratic gubernatorial counterparts were grilled on their sanctuary state and city policies. Hochul failed to deliver a sound defense of her political perception, much less the state’s retroactive sanctuary policies that one could argue was the sole reason New York shifted rightward more than any other state last election.
But now the problems reach new heights.
New York City Comptroller and NYC Mayoral
candidate Brad Lander (D-Brooklyn)
was arrested on Monday for attempting to escort a man out of immigration court, shielding him from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Videos show Lander linking arms with the man who was the target of detainment by federal officials. Lander reportedly asked for a warrant before he was arrested for assault and impeding agents.
After four hours in custody, Lander emerged from 26 Federal Plaza alongside Hochul, who called his arrest “bulls–t.”
In an apparent response to the federal immigration policies, Hochul is touting an extra $50 million to “cover legal services for people who are finding themselves in this situation.” The money was already earmarked in the recently-passed budget. Some reports show that Hochul low-balled the actual number, at $64.2 million. If that’s not enough, Lander and his equally-progressive allies are asking for closer to $130 million in funding.
As if the $5 billion the State has spent since the start of the self-inflicted migrant crisis wasn’t bad enough…
Imagine charging your taxpayers exorbitant amounts of money in a state that’s already broke and deficit spending, while advocating for the mass-shipment of foreigners into said state, while simultaneously not encouraging or enforcing assimilation or an orderly process, all while the National Guard patrols the subways, union jobs are lifted, and motorists are charged to drive south of 60th Street… …and you think you’re re-election material?
Credit
-Diane
Caudullo
By Brianne Wakefield
There are two powerful scriptures in the Bible that I would love to share, especially for a time such as this.
The first is in the book of Matthew, where Jesus says, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand” (Matt 12:25).
The second is Psalm 133:1, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
It’s Time
I believe Republican New Yorkers, in particular, need to pay attention to the wisdom that’s in these two verses. These scriptures focus not only on the importance of unity and the dangers without it, but also the good that comes from it. For nearly twenty years, Democratic Governors have held control of our state. And before Governor George Pataki (R) served from 1995-2007, it was over thirty years of the same. We know that the city is winning our gubernatorial elections, and it’s very frustrating that it does not reflect the morals and values of Long Island and other parts of New York.
If Republicans hope to reclaim the Governor seat, a unified party is essential. We must be vigilant of social media and the “fake” news, looking to always divide us and amplify every disagreement. We need to rise above the noise. We need to internally lay aside some of our minor differences, nitpicking, and slandering and fix our eyes on the future. Like never before, we need to come together and refocus our efforts on our state and strengthening our communities.
Remember, no one is perfect. No public servant will ever be completely ideal, but when we lead with integrity and stand united, we can achieve far more than we ever could divided.
To the Editor,
As a Smithtown resident for 50plus years and with family ties to Kings Park nearing 100 years, I am proud to call this town my home. My family has fond memories of growing up in Kings Park and working at the hospital all while watching the town evolve and adapt to change. (My father used to talk about how he had to dig and set the foundation for the family home when Indian Head Road was expanded from two lanes to four….). I watched as the town started to stagnate and fall behind the times and longed for someone to come along and be the change the Town desperately needed from its longtime Stupor-visor.
I applauded when Ed Wehrheim won his primary challenge against the longtime incumbent and began to undo the decades of neglect this Town held. I watched as the playground in the Town park nearby my house was updated for the first time since I
The gubernatorial race is next year and there is too much at stake to sit back. Right now, we’re witnessing the future of our state unfold before us. If you are someone who is calling yourself a Republican then I ask you to look out onto the horizon of the future of New York and mend what’s broken, unite around our shared values, and fight for our state back. What do we want to see restored back to New York? What are we fighting for?
For me, the answer is clear.
- I want to see the Constitution of our great country respected and upheld.
- I want our God-given freedoms to not be threatened, but celebrated.
- I want religious exemptions restored—because they are our rightful liberties.
- I want our schools to go back to teaching the foundations of education and not indoctrination.
- I want us to be a state that protects the unborn, that defeats the drug epidemic, and helps to restore mental health.
- I want our senior citizens to be cared for and not mistreated.
These are just a few things, and maybe you think this sounds like an impossible feat, but I have hope for New York, however it will not come without work. If we really want to see a change in our state, it will take a fully united front. It’s time for the Republican party to come together as never before and boldly change the direction of New York to a brighter more hopeful future.
Letter to the Editor
Wehrheim for Supervisor
moved to town in 1973. The revitalized park now has people socializing while enjoying the pickleball court, the enhanced basketball, tennis, and deck hockey courts and best of all, the new playground equipment that entices kids to play and meet new friends. I regularly count over 100 people using the facilities when ten years ago there would be 10–15 people. This was repeated at all the parks across the town which improves the value of my home.
I cheered when the town purchased the land across from the Bull and closed the eyesore gentlemen’s club and began creating a welcome center that will provide food and bathroom facilities for people kayaking, canoeing, or just wanting to sit by the river and enjoy a quiet moment. This is a major improvement initiated and created by the current Town Board.
I watched as the long-anticipated sewer system was finally enacted after years of foot-dragging by the previous administration. I know that having this
system will allow the Smithtown and Kings Park downtowns come back to life from their moribund existence. I look forward to seeing what this improvement will bring to our town. This progress will be incremental, and will not lead to overdevelopment as the primary challenger and his minions keep repeating.
Other than these changes that are visceral the current members of the town board have worked tirelessly to enhance the town in other ways.
Councilwoman Lynne Nowick has worked to further her work with addiction issues among our youth to help families avoid the heartbreak that results from drug usage. This work was a continuation of her efforts while a Suffolk County Legislator and illustrates her commitment to all aspects of our community.
Councilman Thomas McCarthy has devoted his time and energy to keeping Smithtown affordable and promoting smart growth of our downtowns. Each member of the Town Board brings
energy and commitment to issues that are important to residents, and all are accessible and listen to what the residents say.
As a Town, we cannot afford to turn to a Supervisor who has made more headlines for arguments, bullying, and altercations than actual legislative accomplishments. Smithtown has made significant progress in the past seven years to shake off the rust and lethargy that marked the previous administration. To elect a man who tries to intimidate rather than mediate, bloviates rather than contemplates would return our town to a downward spiral.
I am voting for the team of Supervisor Ed Wehrheim, Councilman Thomas McCarthy, and Councilwoman Lynne Nowick to continue to move Smithtown forward in a responsible, responsive fashion. I urge all of my fellow Republicans to do the same.
Sincerely, Dave Ryan
8 State News
Stefanik, Senate, & Assembly Slam Albany Over Inaction and Bloated Budget
By Cait Crudden
At the close of the 2025 legislative session, Republican lawmakers gathered at the State Capitol to deliver a blistering critique of Governor Kathy Hochul (D) and Albany Democrats, accusing them of prioritizing political protection and radical agendas over the pressing needs of everyday New Yorkers.
Led by Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt (R-North Tonowanda) and Assembly Republican Leader Will Barclay (R-Pulaski), joined by House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R, NY-21), Republican lawmakers laid out a scathing assessment of what they call the “failure of one-party Democrat rule” to provide relief from soaring costs, public safety concerns, and runaway government overreach.
“Albany Democrats are wrapping up another session with record spending, radical mandates, and zero results for struggling New Yorkers. Governor Hochul’s $254 billion budget does nothing to lower costs, but everything to drive up energy bills, grocery prices, and the cost of doing business. While families are getting crushed, Democrats created a $10 million legal slush fund to protect their political allies. They doubled down on pro-criminal policies and turned a blind eye to rising antisemitism, illegal immigration, and collapsing public safety,” stated Senate Minority Leader Ortt. He continued, “The message from Albany is clear: if you’re a criminal or a bureaucrat, you’re protected; if you’re a hardworking taxpayer, you’re on your own. Senate Republicans are fighting for a better path, one that puts law-abiding New
Yorkers first, restores public safety, and makes this state affordable again.”
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a potential candidate for the Governor’s race, echoed Ortt’s frustration and blasted what she described as Governor Hochul’s far-left agenda.
“Kathy Hochul’s radical far-left Democrat agenda is driving businesses and hardworking families out of the state. Enough is enough. New Yorkers deserve better. It is time for new leadership in New York State,” said Stefanik
Assembly Republican Leader Will Barclay criticized the session for lacking transparency and refusing to address core issues such as affordability, crime, and public trust.
“We’re approaching the end of another legislative session and unfortunately the major issues plaguing New York will persist for another year. Albany’s OneParty Rule has failed to deliver on opportunities to lower the cost of living, address public safety, or govern with any semblance of transparency, efficiency and public participation. Democrats’ signature achievement in 2025 was passing an astronomical $254 billion budget, to be paid on the backs of already-overburdened taxpayers. New York has a dwindling population and stagnant economy because Democrats refuse to change course. Instead of solutions, they prefer the status quo, and that’s a disservice to the people of the Empire State,” stated Barclay.
Republicans outlined five key takeaways from the 2025 legislative session. The first was that the affordability crisis has worsened. New York continues to rank among the most unaffordable states in the nation. This year’s budget increased by $11 billion from last year and piled on new costs through environmental mandates, including the HEAT Act and Packaging Reduction Act, legislation Republicans say will spike utility bills and add hundreds to household expenses annually.
The second was pro-criminal agenda advances statewide. GOP lawmakers sounded the alarm on progressive criminal justice bills like the Earned Time Act and Elder Parole, which they say prioritize violent offenders over victims.
The third was Albany Democrats failure to confront antisemitism statewide. As antisemitism spreads across New York’s college campuses, Republicans criticized Democrats for failing to pass meaningful protections for Jewish students.
The fourth was the continued public safety threats by sanctuary state and city policies. Republicans blasted Democrats for refusing to repeal sanctuary city policies that prevent local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
Lawmakers also denounced the recent creation of a $10 million taxpayer-funded legal defense fund to aid embattled Attorney General Letitia James. The legislators slammed it as a legal slush fund for Albany insiders.
Smith Condemns ‘Judicial Gerrymandering’ by Albany Democrats, Calls for Federal Intervention
With just days left in the 2025 legislative session, Assemblyman Doug Smith (R-Holbrook) is raising the alarm over a controversial bill he says would give Democrats sweeping influence over New York’s courts—and by extension, its elections.
Smith is blasting Senate Bill S.8418, introduced by Senator Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria), as a “brazen act of judicial gerrymandering” that threatens the independence of the judiciary and undermines voter trust. The legislation would redraw judicial districts in Western New York, creating a new configuration that, Smith argues, would all but guarantee Democratic control over election-related court decisions.
“This is a shameless, cynical ploy to hijack New York’s judiciary,” Smith said. “Albany Democrats are rigging the system to control election outcomes.”
Court Redistricting Plan Sparks Accusations of Partisan Engineering
At the heart of the controversy is the bill’s restructuring of the Fourth Judicial Department. The proposal isolates Erie County—home to the heavily Democratic city of Buffalo—as its own judicial district, while carving out more Republican-leaning rural counties like Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua into a separate, newly-created Fifteenth Judicial District.
Critics say this move will allow Erie County’s predominantly Democratic electorate to single-handedly choose all eighteen Supreme Court Justices for the Eighth Judicial District. Compounding concerns is a 2023 law that mandates all Election Law constitutional challenges in the region be filed in Erie County—effectively ensuring that any case involving voting, redistricting, or election disputes is heard by judges elected in a deep-blue county.
“This isn’t about fairness—it’s about consolidating power,” Smith said.
“They’ve designed a system to guarantee favorable rulings on any future election law challenge.”
Supporters of the bill have defended it on the grounds of improving diversity on the bench, but Smith dismisses that as a “flimsy cover story.” He notes that the legislation contains no actual provisions to ensure diversity, calling the justification “politically convenient and legally hollow.”
Federal Action Urged as Bill Advances
In an unusual step for a state legislator, Smith is calling on national leaders—including President Donald Trump (R-FL), Congress, the Department of Justice, and federal courts—to take action.
“This is not just a state issue—this is a national threat to election integrity,” Smith said. “New Yorkers deserve courts that are impartial and free from political manipulation. I urge federal authorities to act swiftly to protect our democracy.”
Smith is also urging the public to speak out before the legislative session ends. “The people of New York need to know what’s happening behind closed doors in Albany. Call your representatives. Demand accountability. Our judicial system depends on it.”
What Comes Next?
The bill is currently under consideration as lawmakers race to finish legislative business before the session closes. If signed into law, it could reshape the judicial landscape in New York for years to come—potentially impacting how election laws are interpreted and enforced across the state.
National, State, and Local Temperature Checks
By Matt Meduri
National
The nation was shocked on Saturday as a targeted shooting left two Minnesota lawmakers dead and two others wounded.
Vance Boelter, 57 (pictured right), was apprehended Sunday night after what local law enforcement are calling the “largest manhunt in state history.”
Boelter is accused of stalking the homes of four Minnesota state legislators with the intent to kill them. He was disguised as a police officer, pulling up to the residence of State House Democratic Leader Melissa Hortman (D) - the former Speaker of the Minnesota House - in a black SUV with emergency lights flashing. He shot and killed Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their Brooklyn Park home.
The couple leaves behind two children.
For decades, the Virginia gubernatorial race has been seen as a national barometer against the White House incumbent. Only once since 1977 has Virginia elected a governor of the same party as the president. In 2021, Virginia was seen by some as ready to break the contrarian streak - as it has become an obdurately blue, yet still somewhat competitive, state. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) won the race over former Governor Terry McAuliffe (D-VA), which some saw as a slight upset in a state that had backed then-President Joe Biden (D-DE) by ten points in 2020 - a historically large margin for a Democrat in a once solidlyRepublican state.
The contrarian streak remains alive, and the race has two strong contenders vying for the position.
and Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado (D) are vying for the Party of Jackson’s nod. Meanwhile, Bethany Town Supervisor Carl Hyde, Jr. (R) and Patrick Hahn (R-Suffolk County) are the only declared candidates for the Republican nomination.
But the speculative field is shaping up, with Congressman Ritchie Torres (D, NY-15) having long postured to run against Hochul. However, Torres says that he will not run for governor if State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria) wins the Democratic primary for New York City Mayor.
The two frontrunners for the Republican nomination, should they make their candidacies official, are Congressman Mike Lawler (R, NY-17) and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R, NY-21). Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R-Atlantic Beach) has also been included in initial horserace polls.
A new poll obtained by the New York Post shows that Lawler has significant strength in beating Hochul over Stefanik, as Lawler, according to the poll, fares better among moderates than his congressional colleague.
Boelter is also accused of having shot State Senator John Hoffman (D) and his wife, Yvette, in their home in Champlin. However, the Hoffmans survived, with Yvette Hoffman reportedly having shielded her daughter from the barrage of bullets.
Boelter’s vehicle was found to have contained a hit list that is said to have included nearly seventy other names of Minnesota Democratic politicians, abortion rights advocates, and notable politicians, including Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Congresswomen Ilhan Omar (D, MN05), Rashida Tlaib (D, MI-12), and Hillary Scholten (D, MI-03), and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D).
His car is also said to have contained flyers for the “No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump (R-FL), which were to be held at the Minnesota State Capitol on the same day of the shooting.
Many are calling the assassinations and attempted assassinations politically motivated, as Boelter was reportedly staunchly anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ.
Others are pointing out the timeliness of the attacks on Hortman, as days earlier, she had cast the decisive vote on a State budget bill that strips access to MinnesotaCare benefits for illegal migrants over the age of 18. The Minnesota State Legislature is one of the most divided in the country, with Democrats controlling the Senate 34-33. The House was at a deadlock - 67-67 - until Hortman’s assassination. Republicans now have nominal control of the House until the vacancy is filled. Even with the deadlocked chamber, the House elected a Republican speaker in 2024.
Boelter also allegedly sent his last text message to a friend, David Carlson, at 6:00a.m. Saturday, a few hours after the shootings.
“David and Ron, I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both, and I wish it hadn’t gone this way,” the text as obtained by the Minnesota Star Tribune reads.
Boelter, despite his anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, accompanied with trips to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to preach his views on those subjects, was appointed to the Governor’s Workforce Deployment Board in 2016 by thenGovernor Mark Dayton (D-MN). He was one sixty members on the unpaid advisory board, and was re-appointed to a fouryear term by Governor Walz in 2019.
“Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi (R-FL), and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law. Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!” wrote President Trump on Truth Social.
In other national news, Tuesday saw the Virginia Primaries unfold. However, the key race in the Old Dominion, and perhaps the marquee race of the 2025 cycle, is already settled. For the open seat of the Governor of Virginia, former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D, VA-07) will face off against Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears (R). The winner in November will become the commonwealth’s first female governor.
Spanberger was elected to Congress in 2018, ousting a Republican in the Richmond-based VA-07. Spanberger was able to hold down her seat in the competitive elections in 2020 and 2022, even going so far as to torch her party for their near-loss of the U.S. House in 2020, a result that was widely unexpected. Spanberger forewent re-election to the House in 2024 to focus on her gubernatorial campaign. She was succeeded by Eugene Vindman (D, VA-07).
Spanberger’s strengths play into her more moderate overtones, willingness to buck her party for tainting their own national brand, and her ability to win in a crucial suburban part of the state that is somewhat responsible for its overall leftward shift. The Richmond suburbs continue to be Democratic-leaning.
On the other hand is Earle-Sears, a Jamaican-born Marine Corps Veteran and businesswoman who became the first black female to hold statewide office in Virginia upon her election in 2021. In Virginia, governors and their lieutenants are elected on separate tickets - not as running mates - meaning Earle-Sears has already been elected in her own right. Earle-Sears is notably pro-Second Amendment and hearkens to a more classically conservative profile that resonates in a state like Virginia. She is also a former Democrat, having switched the GOP in 1988.
Hochul leads Lawler 48%-41% on the initial ballot, but the race becomes a practical tie when participants are informed of their records, with Hochul leading 44%-43.4%.
Meanwhile, Hochul leads Stefanik 50%-39% in the initial round, but her lead shrinks to 46%-42.6% once participants are informed of their records.
Lawler’s advantage is +20 over Hochul on Long Island, compared to Hochul +15 over Stefanik.
In the Hudson Valley, Lawler’s home turf, he trails Hochul by just five points, as opposed to Hochul’s +13 gap over Stefanik. Stefanik and Lawler both lead Hochul by one point in the Upstate regions of Albany, North Country, and Central New York - Stefanik’s home turf.
For context, Virginia was once a reliably Republican state, having backed every Republican presidential nominee from 1968 to 2004. It broke for Barack Obama (D-IL) in 2008 and has been trending left ever since.
If elected, Earle-Sears would become the first black woman in American history to serve as governor of a state.
The open seat of lieutenant governor is being a race between John Reid (R), a radio talk host, who is unopposed for the Republican nomination after Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity (R) withdrew his candidacy for health reasons. State Senator Ghazala Hashmi (D) appears to have won the divided primary with 27.5% of the vote in a six-way race, as of press time.
Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) (pictured above) is seeking a second term. Upon his 2021 election, he became the first Hispanic elected to statewide office in Virginia. His opponent, as of press time, appears to be former State Delegate Jay Jones (D), who leads Henrico County Attorney Shannon Taylor (D) 50.9%-49.1%.
Primaries were also held for the Virginia General Assembly, both chambers of which are narrowly divided. Democrats hold a 21-19 advantage in the Senate and a 51-49 edge in the House of Delegates.
State
A new poll better gauges the political landscape ahead of the crucial 2026 gubernatorial election in New York.
As of press time, there are only two declared candidates on either side. For the Democrats, Governor Kathy Hochul (D)
Creditnaag.org
In the Western New York-Buffalo region, Stefanik is up +2 over Hochul, while Lawler is up +3.
Finally, in New York City, Hochul is up +41 over Stefanik, but up just +35 over Lawler.
Moderates involved in the survey had a composition of 51% Democratic, 21% Republican, and 28% blank. This is all despite a twenty-point advantage Stefanik has over Lawler in name recognition.
Brock McCleary, founder of Harper Polling, said the poll was conducted for a right-leaning client and not a particular campaign. McCleary has not disclosed the client for whom the survey was conducted.
“The upstate polling numbers alone are laughable,” said Alex deGrasse, Stefanik senior campaign adviser Alex deGrasse. The poll also shows Hochul with a job approval rating of 59%-38%, matching President Trump’s rating in the Empire State. 29% of voters support her re-election, while 66% prefer someone else.
The poll was conducted among 600 likely voters from May 7-9 and has a margin of error of +/- 4%.
Local
Suffolk County Community College’s Brentwood campus will play host to the 2025 Larry Swanson Long Island Environmental Symposium next week on Wednesday, June 25, from 8:00a.m. to 12:00p.m.
The symposium will be held by Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches), Stony Brook University’s Waste Reduction and Management Institute, and the Evan R. Liblit Scholarship Fund.
Topics of discussion for the third annual event include a regional solid waste management plan, the role of wasteto-energy facilities regarding solid waste management, development of a glass recycling master plan, regional recycling, and removing food from the waste stream.
“There are many obstacles related to solid waste on Long Island that impact our regional economy and environment,” said Romaine in a statement. “We must continue to discuss the challenges that are in front of us and lay ahead to preserve our future while ensuring we take a coordinated approach to dispose solid waste and recycle glass and ash responsibly.”
Attendance is free, but guests must register by contacting wrmi@stonybrook.edu.
Lake Ronkonkoma
First Tuesday of the month
Time: 7-8 p.m.
Location:
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
307 Hawkins Ave
Lake Ronkonkoma, NY 11779
Ronkonkoma AM
Last Friday of the month
Time: 10-11:30 a.m.
Location:
Day Haven Adult Day Services
2210 Smithtown Ave Ronkonkoma, NY 11779
Ronkonkoma PM
Second Monday of the month
Time: -7:30 p.m.
Location:
Day Haven Adult Day Services
2210 Smithtown Ave Ronkonkoma, NY 11779
00.272.3900
The County Committee That Keeps You Safe — Even If You’ve Never Heard of It
By Raheem Soto
Most people don’t spend their day thinking about county committees. But when you call 911, wait for an ambulance, or depend on a police officer to respond—you’re relying on decisions that often begin in Suffolk’s Public Safety Committee.
Led by Legislator Steven Flotteron (R–Brightwaters), the committee doesn’t seek headlines. It operates quietly, but its work shapes how public safety functions throughout the county—from patrol cars and correctional facilities to communication systems and victim support services.
“This committee’s responsibility is to ensure our first responders and law enforcement professionals have the tools they need to serve the public,” Flotteron told The Messenger “It’s about smart, practical planning—not just reacting to emergencies.”
The committee’s jurisdiction is wide-ranging. It oversees the Suffolk County Police Department, Sheriff’s Office, Office of the Medical Examiner, County jails, Probation Department, Auxiliary Police, Police District, and the District Attorney’s Office. It also reviews legislation related to domestic violence, orders of protection, and services for victims. Matters involving forfeiture and seizure laws, the alarm permitting program, and “crack house” enforcement also fall within its scope. Any appointments to public safety-related boards, commissions, or agencies must come through this committee.
In 2024, the committee advanced several key initiatives to strengthen emergency response systems across Suffolk.
One major project funded the purchase of new defibrillators for patrol vehicles, providing officers with life-saving equipment to respond to cardiac arrests
“When someone’s heart stops, every second matters,” Flotteron said.
The committee also supported building a redundant 911 communications center, which would serve as a backup in the event the main dispatch system failed. “Emergencies don’t wait for systems to reboot,” Flotteron added. “We need to be prepared.”
Several precinct facilities—some built decades ago—received funding for renovations. Needs assessments and input from law enforcement guided these upgrades. “Our officers need facilities that are safe, efficient, and up to today’s standards,” Flotteron said.
The committee also approved continued upgrades to the 800 MHz radio system, the
critical network connecting police, fire, and EMS during emergencies. Improvements to the county’s firearms training range were also approved, along with investments in marine and helicopter rescue equipment—vital for a coastal county like Suffolk, which has nearly 1,000 miles of shoreline.
When Suffolk received a fully federally funded grant for bodyworn police cameras, the committee amended the budget to accept it.
“This is the kind of transparency tool we support—especially when it doesn’t burden local taxpayers,” said Flotteron.
Flotteron emphasized that the committee’s job goes beyond signing off on the funding. “We ask questions. We weigh outcomes. Public safety is about preparation—not politics.”
He also credited County Executive Ed Romaine’s (R-Center Moriches) administration with improving oversight and interdepartmental coordination. “There’s more alignment, and we’re seeing better planning and resource deployment.”
For most residents, the committee’s work stays in the background. But when emergency systems function as they should, it’s not by accident—it’s because someone asked the right questions before the crisis happened.
That’s what the Public Safety Committee is built to do. And right now, it’s doing it.
Continued from front cover
Smithtown Matters
Thursday, June 19, 2025
CarlsonCorp Takes Action Against Trotta, Semprini Over Alleged Trespass
Trotta also claims that the property is residentially zoned and is “out of compliance” with Town code. He also says that the issue hadn’t come to light until the Kings Park Civic Association wrote a letter threatening to sue the Town over the noncompliance. Trotta closes the video by calling the land a “toxic dump.”
The property’s owner, Toby Carlson, of CarlsonCorp., takes umbrage not only with the alleged trespassing of Trotta and his running mates onto private property, but the “slander” within the video that affects his company’s long-term credibility.
“Once you say something is toxic, it’s not ‘I think this is,’ or, ‘it could be,’” Carlson told The Messenger. “We’re not a toxic dump. We have our permits and we’re not permitted to handle toxic materials. I’ve spent millions of dollars on site plans before the Surface Transportation Board, along with environmental assessments.”
Carlson calls it a “smear tactic” to bolster Trotta’s campaign, adding that an elected official, especially one running for office, has a “responsibility” to speak factually. It was definitively a smear tactic.
He also believes that the “political stunt” was yet another blow between CarlsonCorp and the Townline Civic Association, of which Trotta’s running mate for Town Council, Bob Semprini (R-Commack), serves as President. Carlson says that the civic group lost three separate lawsuits against CarlsonCorp during the rail yard saga. Those lawsuits were dismissed on the basis that the environmental concerns raised by the civic group did not pan out, as the STB found no hazardous materials on the site. The ruling called the civic group’s claims “speculative” and lacking “factual support.”
“We [CarlsonCorp] did not want to pursue litigation, so about ten days ago, we sent Mr. Trotta and Mr. Semprini a letter requesting them to remove the video and issue an apology for slandering my company and what was written in The Smithtown News,” said Carlson. “Everybody makes mistakes, but this is not fun and games. We have an operation to run; we have municipal contracts. We asked for a response and didn’t get one. The video is still up and every time someone sees that, it damages our reputation.”
Carlson says the bulk of the site consists of topsoil and organic waste.
“It’s organic material that we screen. We recycle yard waste; we make mulch and topsoil out of it,” said Carlson. “He knows he was not anywhere else but on our property. We have signs about every 600 feet.”
Carlson also says that his State inspectors have been inquiring about the allegations, concerned of CarlsonCorp’s overall reputation.
“The real damages are yet to come when we start submitting our site plan applications, and the civics come out and say the land is toxic. It cost me $600,000 in legal fees alone in fighting the Townline Association, and now Trotta gave them more cannon fodder. The damages only accrue. As the lawsuit proceeds, we’re going to be calculating our damages every time we run into resistance.”
Carlson also vows to continue the legal process to “fullest extent of the law”, with CarlsonCorp being the lead plaintiff.
I couldn’t have been more than ten feet in on eighty acres. It’s ridiculous,” said Trotta. “CarlsonCorp out of compliance; how come they just got forty summonses after the Town was threatened with a lawsuit? He’s using residentially zoned property. 90% of the material I picked up wasn’t even dirt; it was crushed up garbage, metal, plastic, wood.”
Trotta also claims that the property can be viewed as residentially zoned on the Suffolk GIS website, although our search found it’s zoned as industrial. (pictured below)
Trotta says that the summonses were made by the Kings Park Community Association, the President of which is Mike Rosato, Trotta’s legislative aide and current campaign manager.
When asked about the letter of support he wrote for the Townline Rail Terminal spur, Trotta said, “I didn’t know what was going on [at the site] when I wrote the letter. After this started happening, after it got out of control, Toby essentially lost his mind. We only went there after he got the summonses. I didn’t know how bad it was. I know that no one is in compliance down there; it’s been like that for decades. When Wehrheim ran, he said he’d take care of right away. All he did was cash campaign checks. Toby gave me money, I sent it back.”
Trotta says he’s received legal documents from CarlsonCorp’s attorneys, but that he doesn’t read them and gives them to his legal counsel.
“I got the cease and desist, I went to a lawyer, my lawyer said I didn’t do anything wrong. I just give what they send me to my lawyer. I don’t read it. I’ve been in law enforcement for twenty-five years; I know the law,” said Trotta. “This is Toby [Carlson] worried about me winning the election. I got served with something two weeks ago, I read it quickly. The video is still on my Facebook page; I didn’t take it down. It’s something called the slap lawsuit; you can’t have a frivolous lawsuit against an elected official. This is a game he’s playing. I’m planning on filing a counter-suit if it ends up going anywhere. His lawyer is probably taking advantage of him.”
A spokesperson for the Town weighed in on the zoning history of the Old Northport Road corridor.
“The Master Plan puts that whole area on a road to compliance. The Old Northport
Carlson takes issue with Trotta’s September 2022 letter endorsing the Townline Rail Terminal proposed rail spur, stating it would “reduce costly and environmentally unfriendly long-haul traffic.”
“Why support the project on land that is now apparently toxic?” asked Carlson. “Trespassing on someone’s property is against the law; he should know that having been in law enforcement. Our attorney feels optimistic for a case of malicious intent.”
Legislator Trotta gave his side of the story.
“There’s no signs, no fences. As a Legislator, I found out they were doing illegal activities, and they got about forty summonses. I went up to a little hill [on the property] and recorded it. He called the police. There’s no crime, period,” Trotta told The Messenger, although he added he “doesn’t know” what the exact “illegal activities” are, but that they were reported by David Ambro in The Smithtown News.
“It’s residentially zoned property, and there’s commercial activity going on. I went there after the summonses. You don’t know where the property line begins or ends.
Corridor used to be on Main Street, going back over fifty years ago,” the spokesperson told The Messenger. “They were relocated to the current corridor area, back when Pat Vecchio (R) was in office. Vecchio tried to kick them all out for this very same reason, noncompliance. The court ruled that the Town can’t kick them out. The court said that while the Town might have had the plots zoned incorrectly, the Town still let them operate there for over fifty years. They were allowed to stay and operate in compliance.”
The spokesperson said that there are about 200 open summonses on properties in the industrial corridor in Kings Park.
“The Town spot zoned before we put together the master plan. The Master Plan fixes that and lays out a path to legalize all of those properties and put them in the proper zoning. It also includes a plan that, when property is turned over, it has to be cleaned up environmentally. There’s a myriad of things involved,” said the spokesperson, adding that a private property owner can’t be blamed for operating a light industry company with residential zoning on it because of incorrect zoning from generations ago, upheld by the courts.
RFK Jr. Replaces CDC Vaccine Panel with New Slate of Advisers
By Cait Crudden
In a sweeping shakeup of federal health policy, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (I-CA) has named eight new members to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), just days after controversially removing all 17 sitting members of the influential vaccine advisory panel.
The move, which Kennedy says is aimed at restoring “public trust” in vaccination policy, marks an unprecedented overhaul of the committee that helps shape the U.S. immunization schedule, a guide used by medical providers, schools, and insurers nationwide.
“All of these individuals are committed to evidence-based medicine, goldstandard science, and common sense,” Kennedy said in a post on X, “They have each committed to demanding definitive safety and efficacy data before making any new vaccine recommendations.”
Among those newly appointed are psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr. Joseph R. Hibbeln, epidemiologist Martin Kulldorff, MIT professor Retsef Levi, vaccine critic Dr. Robert Malone who conducted early research on mRNA technology, Dr. Cody Meissner of Dartmouth who is a professor of pediatrics, Dr. Michael A. Ross, Emergency Medicine physician Dr. James Pagano, and Vicky Pebsworth, a nurse with a PhD in Public Health and previously served on vaccine advisory committees.
The decision to sweep out the full roster of vaccine advisers has drawn sharp criticism from leading medical organizations and public health experts. Some question the vetting process and transparency with larger concerns of the overall expertise needed to advise Americans on vaccine recommendations
and their capability to protect their health. Still, supporters of the overhaul welcomed the change. Many believe that this is a huge win for the medical freedom movement.
The new members have diverse backgrounds, but many gained national attention during the COVID-19 pandemic for opposing federal public health mandates and casting doubt on mRNA vaccine safety. For example, Kulldorff co-authored the controversial Great Barrington Declaration, which rejected lockdowns and advocated for herd immunity through natural infection.
Dr. Robert Malone, a scientist who worked on early mRNA technology, has become a prominent figure in anti-vaccine circles. Retsef Levi, of MIT, has called for a halt to all mRNA vaccinations, citing safety concerns that mainstream scientists say are unfounded.
Kennedy also replaced the committee’s executive secretary, Melinda Wharton, with Mina Zadeh, a longtime HHS staffer with a background in microbiology and infectious disease research. While some questioned her experience in vaccine policy, an HHS spokesperson defended the appointment, referring to her as a seasoned leader with over 27 years of public health service.
However, with only eight of nineteen members appointed, the committee cannot reach quorum without interim voting rights for ex-officio members from other federal health agencies. The ACIP’s next meeting, scheduled for June 25–27, may require emergency procedural changes to proceed with official business. Kennedy, long known for his controversial views on vaccines, has defended the move as necessary to rebuild faith in the CDC and on his quest to Make America Healthy Again. As the fallout continues, the medical community remains divided on whether this is reform or regression.
14 Candidate Spotlight
By Matt Meduri
Frank Black
Candidate: Frank Black Residence: Smithtown hamlet
Position Sought: Suffolk County Legislator, District Thirteen (Republican Primary) Prior Elected Office: None.
Endorsements: Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga), Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick (RSt. James)
Frank Black is making his foray into politics with a run for the open seat of the Thirteenth District of the Suffolk County Legislature. But first, he would have to advance from Tuesday’s primary to earn the GOP nod for November. Black sat down with The Messenger for this candidate spotlight interview.
Q: What is your professional background and how does it equip you for Suffolk County Legislature?
A: I’ve worked for the Town of Huntington for thirty-one years. I am the number-two guy in the trades department. I’ve been a building trades supervisor, with close to 120 buildings in our infrastructure. I’m in charge of plumbers, carpenters, electricians, painters, masons, and I answer to our director of operations. We are a very busy group; Huntington is a very big town. Four of those years, I had worked for the Highway Department when Pete Gunther (R-Centerport) was Superintendent. I was a foreman of paving crews, line striping, et.c I worked nights and lots of crazy hours. I also had a hand in general services and the operating budget for several years. I’m pretty well-rounded as far as government is concerned.
Q: What would you say is your proudest professional accomplishment?
A: I’m a martial arts instructor. I am one of the most sought-after instructors in the U.S. in karate. I have taught seminars across the East Coast, and I am recognized as a ninth-degree black belt in the four biggest organizations in the U.S. That’s my soul and who I am, not so much what I do for a living. I’ve put forty-five years into the martial arts. I’ve taught many championships. I was inducted into the World Karate Union Hall of Fame in 2023, along with people from all over the world. I’m also the President of Essence of Isshinryu, with about 500 members in our association. I’m more proud of that more than anything.
Q: What would you say is perhaps the most important issue(s) facing
stores there and a hardware store, and that little space right by the platform is only 0.5 acre. This project seems like an overreach and nowhere [in Suffolk] do we have underground parking, except in Patchogue. They’re talking four stories and underground parking for the old bowling alley on Landing Avenue. I don’t see how the infrastructure and Landing Avenue can handle it. But they’re not going to knock down the businesses there to shoehorn this building in there. I think that’s the plan for St. James. My big problem with transit-oriented development is there won’t be any ownership. We’re not talking 55over, we’re talking folks renting permanently. We’re going to deny generations for creating any wealth for them. My daughter is 31. If Tanzi apartments are starting at $2900, she couldn’t afford $3K in rent and couldn’t save for a house.
Union activity can be an issue too, the PBA for instance. I was a shop steward for twelve years and was part of the negotiating process. I know the PBA is kind of at its wits end with Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) and Mike Fitzpatrick (R-St. James). There’s got to be some middle ground. My senior black belt is an elected official of the Suffolk Detectives Association. They make a great salary, but unfortunately, what do you tell a senior citizen that’s on a fixed income? I have several police officers that have been students of mine and black belts; I understand their issues. Again, there has to be negotiation and middle ground. We need to be friends with them, but it’s about fiscal responsibility being first and foremost.
Q: Recently, you posted a comment to Facebook saying that your opponent has only lived in the district for eighteen months. Could you clarify your argument there?
A: He’s lived in LD-13 for eighteen months. When the campaign started, Sal approached me and said, ‘no hard feelings.’ I would never hold that against him. He’s a good guy. He’s my opponent, this is politics. The one thing he’s not, he’s not a lifetime resident of the district. He’s been in the district a couple years. That was not meant to be a shot at all. I’ve been here 65 years. I graduated from Smithtown West, class of 1978. My father, who also did some work for The Messenger and The Smithtown News, King Pedlar, was one of the founders of the Heritage Museum. He was a photographer who worked at the Psych Center for 35 years. That was my birth name; I was adopted by my grandparents when I was 18 months old. I lived in San Remo.
By Matt Meduri
Sal Formica
Candidate: Sal Formica
Residence: Commack
Position Sought: Suffolk County Legislator, District Thirteen (Republican Primary)
Prior Elected Office: None.
Endorsements: Local 138, Local 200, Local 638, all police unions, County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches), Mario Mattera (R-St. James), Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst)
Sal Formica is making his foray into politics with a run for the open seat of the Thirteenth District of the Suffolk County Legislature. But first, he would have to advance from Tuesday’s primary to earn the GOP nod for November.
Formica sat down with The Messenger for this candidate spotlight interview.
Q: What is your professional background and how does it equip you for Suffolk County Legislature?
Candidate Spotlight
A: I started my professional life in banking, I worked at Chase Manhattan Bank with about ten years of cumulative experience. I got my financial footing and knowledge there. In 1990, I went into the NYPD, started out in the 17th Precinct, covering the U.N. for my first seven years. That was where I got my first look at what politics is about, especially in protecting U.S. presidents. My goal was to get into the Elite Emergency Services Unit, a call I got in 1997. It was a very challenging eight months of training, especially for high-profile dignitaries. I was sent to FBI school to become a sniper and I retired as a second-grade detective. I moved into Commack thirty-six years ago. About three years in, my son was choking and the fire department showed up. Shortly thereafter, they were knocking on my door for me to join. I joined and I’ve been a member for thirty-two years, and I’m an ex-chief of Commack F.D. I also have an array of experience on the EMT, although my license is currently expired. I was also president of the Commack South Little League for fifteen years. Working with young children was rewarding for me. My whole career has been built around public safety, managing people, and responsible budgeting. I also had my own business, Sal’s Ristorante, on Jericho Turnpike in the Smithtown-Commack area for thirteen years. I had to budget finances for all three, manage people, and worked as a chef. I sold the restaurant in June 2023 to prepare myself to run for Legislature.
Q: What would you say is your proudest professional accomplishment?
A: First and foremost is Emergency Services, where I spent thirteen years. It was truly a dream to join an elite unit like that. When the community needs help, they call
Q: Specifically, what do you have in mind for solving said issue(s)?
A: I always feel we don’t do enough for Veterans. Specifically, in housing, like my running mate, Laura Endres (R-South Setauket) [District 5], housing for Veterans is very important. On the other end of it, the law enforcement-first responder housing. It’s creating affordable housing for the folks who protect us on a daily basis. We have to figure out through incentives or a rental system, where we give discounts. We don’t want a situation where all of our young people, especially law enforcement, are traveling an hour to work because that’s all they can afford. It is important that we address that. Additionally, we have to make sure our infrastructure is up to the task. County Executive Ed Romaine has already put the wheels in motion, and I want to add more to it by being fiscally responsible. 75% of this county is on cesspools; you cannot expand unless we have the right infrastructure in place. These cesspools and tanks are so outdated, it’s ridiculous. They do not help our nitrogen pollution and water quality. We’re dead in the water if we don’t have good drinking water (no pun intended) and marine life. It’s not only part of the beauty here, but it’s what advances us. We have to take a serious look at how we expand what Romaine has already put in place. It’s a great starting point, we just have to figure out how to kick it up a notch.
Q: A big question facing the county right now is housing. There are several ideas in the works or already signed, such as workforce housing requirements for certain developments? What ideas can you bring to the table to ease the housing market in Suffolk and provide paths to ownership and youth retention?
A: This is something I’ve discussed with Supervisor Wehrheim (R-Kings Park); we have to find a comfortable balance. Flash words like high-density, “Queen-sification”, and density - I’m not for that. The Supervisor isn’t. I wouldn’t be running on the ticket with him if he thought otherwise. My parents are in their 80’s now; they sold their home and moved into a community environment. It allows the seniors to be able to stay within the community while their families are here, without having the expenditures of running a household. It creates the ability to have houses come on the market at a premium. Everyone knows if a house goes on the market in Suffolk, it lasts a few days and sells for $50K above price. It’s great for equity, but if we don’t control it, all the young folks start out in an apartment. I bought a three-bedroom ranch when I moved into town, and as I started to make more money, I expanded. I was able to stay in the community I love for thirty-six years. The only way those homes become available is to give our seniors an option of where they live in the community. Parents are struggling to stay here.
The Necessary Standard for American Education
The Twenty-Seventh Amendment
By Matt Meduri
We wrap up our mini-series on the amendments to the U.S. Constitution with the final and most recently-ratified one, the TwentySeventh Amendment. It codifies a housekeeping issue of congressional compensation, particularly salary increases or decreases as they pertain to a subsequent slate of lawmakers.
Interestingly, despite being the most recently adopted amendment, it was actually one of the first amendments ever proposed.
History and Origin
The First Congress submitted this amendment to the states for ratification on September 25, 1789, along with eleven other proposed amendments. The last ten items were ratified in 1791 to become the first ten amendments to the Constitution, also known as the Bill of Rights. The other two proposals, the one that would become the Twenty-Seventh Amendment and another regarding congressional apportionment, were not ratified by enough states to be added to the Constitution.
In the early days of the republic, several states raised the issue of congressional salaries as being enshrined in the Constitution as they were considering the other proposals. North Carolina’s convention proposed several amendments, including a law “ascertaining the compensation of Senators and Representatives, for their services, shall be postponed in their operation until after the election of representatives immediately succeeding the passing thereof; that excepted which shall first be passed on the subject.”
In other words, the North Carolina proposal, which was followed by an identical amendment proposed by Virginia, posited that salary increases or decreases passed by Congress would take effect for the next legislature, not the current one. New York also climbed aboard in this proposal’s interest.
This amendment was one of several that was introduced by James Madison in 1789. Madison’s intent was for it to be added at the end of Article I, Section 6, Clause 1 of the Constitution, which codified congressional compensation. The states deliberated in their committees, and the state legislature subsequently added amendments to the twelve-item package. The language that would later become the Twenty-Seventh Amendment was listed second of the twelve items. Proposals three through twelve were ratified over two years later, enshrining the Bill of Rights into the supreme law of the land.
The congressional compensation article was ratified by seven states through 1792, an insufficient quantity for ratification. Some states, however, would pick up their own mantle for the proposal, with Ohio ratifying it in 1873, and Wyoming doing so in 1978. The latter two states ratified out of protest of federal executive and congressional pay raises.
A Student Sparks the Revival
In one the most fascinating aspects of constitutional review and law in U.S. history, the Twenty-Seventh Amendment owes much of its passage to an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin.
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. Published by Messenger Papers,
Gregory Watson wrote a paper on the subject for a political science course in 1982, arguing that the amendment was still “live” and could be ratified. His paper received a “C” grade, which was retained on Watson’s appeal to his professor. His response was to push for its ratification by staging a letter-writing campaign to the state legislatures. The campaign began the unearthing of Supreme Court cases and other forms of precedent to review if the amendment was still indeed “live.”
The 1921 Supreme Court case Dillon V. Gloss found that ratification of a proposed constitutional amendment must be within a “reasonable time” after proposal. They found it “quite untenable” to consider proposed amendments from 1789, 1810, and 1861 as “still pending.” This decision was contradicted by the 1939 Supreme Court ruling in Coleman V. Miller, in which the Court found that the validity of state ratifications is a political matter, and not properly assigned to the judiciary. They then kicked the prerogative of review to Congress.
Watson spent $6,000 out of his own pocket to sponsor the nationwide campaign. In April 1983, Maine became the first state to ratify the amendment as a result of the barnstorming, with Colorado following suit the next year. States that had already ratified decades or centuries earlier re-ratified it to be in line with the campaign. Michigan became the tipping-point state for ratification on May 7, 1992, with New Jersey ratifying the amendment after previously rejecting it centuries prior.
In 2016, Zach Elkins, a professor in the University of Texas at Austin Department of Government found Watson’s teacher from the 1980s, suggesting his grade be changed from a “C” to an A+”.
“Goodness, he certainly proved he knew how to work the Constitution and what it meant and how to be politically active, [...] So, yes, I think he deserves an A after that effort – A-plus!” said Sharon Waite, Watson’ s political science professor.
Although “A+” grades aren’t valid at University of Texas (UT), Elkins urged the registrar to leave it as an “A+”, making it the only such grade ever recorded at UT.
Ratification
The amendment was first ratified by Maryland in 1789, with the original supporters including North Carolina, South Carolina, Delaware, Vermont, Virginia, and Kentucky. Kentucky’s ratification occurred in 1792, the last action on the TwentySeventh Amendment until Ohio did so in 1873. Another century-long gap would end with Wyoming’s ratification in 1978.
Two states reaffirmed their support after the Watson campaign, Kentucky and North Carolina. New Hampshire ratified it in 1985 after rejecting it in 1790. Nebraska would be the most recent ratifier, doing so in 2016. Four states have never ratified the amendment: Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Congressional leaders then challenged the validity of the ratification after the Archivist of the U.S. at the time, Don Wilson, signed the amendment’s certificate of ratification.
Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) admonished Wilson for certifying it, claiming that he did so without congressional approval and that the action deviated from “historic tradition.” Speaker of the House Tom Foley (D-WA) concurred and called for a legal challenger.
However, the aforementioned Supreme Court case Dillon V. Gloss gave Congress the prerogative of reviewing the validity of an amendment based on time passed. Precedent set by the Fourteenth Amendment’s ratification also gave way to Congress nearly unanimously backing the validity of the Twenty-Seventh Amendment. The Senate approved the measure 99-0, and the House did so to the tune of a 414-3 vote.
Text
“No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.”
Effects
Because of this amendment, congressional cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) have been upheld against legal challenges. In Boehner V. Anderson (1992), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the first COLA was in line with the amendment because it took effect after the elections that followed the COLA vote. The Supreme Court has not heard subsequent challenges to congressional COLAs based on the Twenty-Seventh Amendment.
The No Budget, No Pay Act was proposed in 2012 and again in 2013 to prevent lawmakers from being paid during a government shutdown. Although it had some bipartisan support, concerns against it were derived from violating the TwentySeventh Amendment. This was based on the phrase “no law, varying the compensation”, in that compensation could not be altered until after the next Congress had been seated. The bill was not passed and the Supreme Court has never addressed its constitutionality.
At the very least, the episode of ratifying the Twenty-Seventh Amendment has proven a few things: 1) Centuries-old amendments are, at face value, fair game for adoption at any time, so long as it is ratified properly; 2) Issues and concerns faced in the early days of the republic are still faced today, and; 3) One person, even a student, can clearly spark significant change, especially after receiving a sub-par grade.
Endorsements
Wehrheim for Supervisor
The Republican Primary for Smithtown Supervisor is one of the most active and high-stakes primaries in Suffolk in recent memory. In Smithtown, it’s seen by many as a referendum, just as the 2017 primary was. That referendum was centered around a stagnant town and a long-served Supervisor.
This time, the referendum is on the current direction of the Town and the relatively new leadership of Supervisor Ed Wehrheim, who came into office in 2018. He is running for a third four-year term and is facing a primary challenger from term-limited Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta.
Smithtonians are all too familiar with how the Town has been heralded for only recently “coming into the Twenty-First Century”, by means of infrastructure, overhauling the Town’s assets, and revitalizing its three business districts - Smithtown, St. James, and Kings Park.
Supervisor Wehrheim came into office eight years ago with that objective in mind, and, in our opinion, the Kings Park Republican has upheld his creed extraordinarily well with the help of his team.
The Supervisor’s responsible budgeting and fiscal management led the Town to be just one of two - the other being Huntington - of the ten towns in Suffolk to not pierce their tax cap last year. Easing off of reserve spending and bonding out, with a AAA bond rating maintained by the Supervisor, has allowed the Town to flourish and reach new heights.
Supervisor Wehrheim’s bread and butter is the parks system, for which he was a steward for decades before earning a spot on the Town Council. Under his leadership, the Town has renovated nearly all of its parks, providing vital community assets that allow for community engagement, solid home values, and the potential for revenues from leagues and schools using the parks.
Moreover, downtown revitalization in Smithtown is also underway. Lake Avenue in St. James has been coming along nicely, and sewers are quickly becoming a reality in the beleaguered Main Street of quaint Kings Park. Supervisor Wehrheim has also appropriately communicated heightened expectations of business owners and absentee landlordswhere they exist - in beautifying their properties and enforcing facade codes. He rightly asserts that if the Town is now investing in the downtown and obtaining grant funds to save money for the taxpayers, then the businesses there should also up their game.
The Kings Park Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DR) Grant from the State came in to the tune of about $10 million, for which streetscapes, beautifications, and safety measures will begin in earnest in 2026. The leadership of the Supervisor
and his team led to the obtaining of this grant, after several years of making their case to the State.
The open space preservation program, through transfer-of-development rights, is also a proactive initiative. With just a $135 million budget, the Town can’t afford to simply appropriate land for open space or municipal parking with significantly raising taxes. As restaurants and businesses expand to take in more customers, it makes sense to implement a density-to-acreage ratio, after which said open space is then placed under a covenant to never be developed. We think this is a pragmatic move for a Town with a relatively smaller tax base - compared to Brookhaven or Islip - and one in which much of the space has already been developed, even before Wehrheim came into office.
The Town’s use of the Master Plan to remove redundancies and loopholes is, in our opinion, what saved Bull Run Farm in St. James. The developer lost an open-and-shut federal suit against the Town. Now, for further peace of mind, the County should step up and offer Smithtown a price for it, as, again, the Town’s operating budget, by virtue of itself, is too thin to make those kinds of purchases. For the Town to buy that property, along with any others conceivable, taxes would have to be raised significantly.
Supervisor Wehrheim, a lifelong Kings Park man, also imparts to us his knowledge of the near-universal grievances around town, such as the state of power and utility lines along the main streets. Not only is simply burying the lines not merely the prerogative of the Town, but the Supervisor has expressed these concerns regularly to PSE&G. The utility provider has worked out a plan to move the lines to the rears of the buildings in Kings Park, off the sidewalks, and the Supervisor has expressed an interest in helping find revenue streams to cover the business’ costs of hooking up.
Legislator Trotta is running against Wehrheim in vehement opposition to “overdevelopment”, a ship on which we could climb aboard at face value, except the building heights have already been capped in the three main downtowns - 3 stories in St. James, 3 in Smithtown, and 2.5 in Kings Park, with the latter’s third-story option requiring a recess to fit the character of the neighborhood.
The Fort Salonga Republican also says that PSE&G can be circumvented to bury the power lines, using Farmingdale as an example, and that a contractor can simply be hired to do the job. PSE&G, however, has stated multiple times that, in the example of Kings Park, the infrastructure simply isn’t there to accomplish it. If it were as simple as Legislator Trotta says, it likely would have been done already.
Legislator Trotta also stakes his legislative accomplishments on open space, notably Owl Hill in Fort Salonga. We share his passion, but we think he’s more accustomed to a much larger County budget to make those kinds of purchases that the Town simply doesn’t have the tax base to warrant. Again, those types of purchases, be it land, buildings, or lots, would raise property taxes.
Legislator Trotta also conferred to us in his interview last week that he could “maybe swallow” the concepts of underground parking with an apartment building, so long as the developer squares off some open space along with it. This concept is effectively what’s in play right now with the Town’s aforementioned transfer-of-development rights program.
The Town’s initiatives taken thus far confer to us that Smithtown will not become Queens, to Legislator Trotta’s long-held stance. We argue that should he win this Tuesday primary, be elected Supervisor in November, and go through with the land acquisitions he’s campaigning on, property taxes will skyrocket, attracting only the rich city transplants who might be able to swallow a more urban layout in quaint Smithtown. As the exodus from New York City has already seen plenty of transplants across Suffolk, one has to wonder what the effects of the 2025 mayoral race might be on Long Island. Keeping it affordable for suburbanites and generational families here is, in our view, the better of the two gambles.
Smithtown has made significant progress thus far; we don’t feel now is the time for a learning curve. We don’t think the momentum should be lost.
In the end, Supervisor Wehrheim knows the details of this Town inside and out, while Legislator Trotta doesn’t seem to have much of a long-term plan besides the immediate, which we think is based on largely unattainable goals without causing significant harm to the tax base.
The Messenger endorses Wehrheim.
Formica for Suffolk County Legislature District Thirteen
The open seat in the Thirteenth District is up for grabs, with a primary pitting Sal Formica and Frank Black against one another. The district spans the entire northern half of Smithtown with a small part of Huntington.
Mr. Formica is a thirty-six-year resident of Commack, having coached Little League, served as a volunteer firefighter - and as Chief - a small business owner, and a seasoned public safety office with credentials of protecting high-profile dignitaries in New York City. Mr. Formica also has a background in finance from his early career, giving him a nice mixture of kitchen table issues and enabling him to communicate with large swaths of the public and the various government or government-adjacent agencies with whom he’d have to work if elected in November.
Mr. Formica also brings awareness to district- and county-wide housing issues, hoping to work with colleagues and fellow candidates on this particular should he win on Tuesday and be elected in the autumn. He’s also expressed his readiness to work with County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) - who recently endorsed Mr. Formica - on expanding sewer access for the sake of downtown revitalization and protecting the environment.
While this is a County-level position, we also think his initiatives complement that of the Wehrheim team in helping bring Smithtown fully into the Twenty-First Century.
Mr. Black is a lifelong resident of Smithtown, with early roots in San Remo. He has extensive experience in the Town of Huntington, from
highways, to contractors and laborers, and overseeing the maintenance of over 100 buildings. We don’t doubt he’s well-rounded as far as government is concerned, but we think a more comprehensive background is needed for a county-level position. A Town Highway Superintendent position might be more fitting for him.
Again, while the Thirteenth District is predominantly Smithtown, the next Legislator from this district will also need to work with seventeen other teammates in advancing the County forward. We think Mr. Formica has a more seasoned and diverse background to speak to those needs.
The Messenger endorses Formica.
The Cost of Delay: While Albany Celebrates, Suffolk Pays the Price
By Raheem Soto
While Governor Hochul (D) applauded the passage of New York’s largest budget in history—$254 billion for fiscal year 2026—Suffolk County was already tallying up the cost of Albany’s delay. On paper, the state appears to be flush.
But on the ground, taxpayers are covering the bill for a job the state failed to finish on time.
Between March and June, Suffolk County quietly absorbed over $280,000 in jail costs—expenses that, by law, should have been covered by the State. The reason is delayed inmate transfers. At the time this was written, 125 convicted individuals sentenced to state prison remain housed in Suffolk jails. Under state law, they should have been transferred to Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) custody within ten business days of sentencing. But those transfers stalled.
The state reimburses counties around $100 per inmate per day, a rate set years ago. Suffolk, by contrast, pays roughly $250 to house each inmate— covering meals, medical care, supervision, and basic services. That $150-per-day shortfall adds up quickly. Multiply it across 125 inmates over weeks and months, and taxpayers are left footing a growing tab.
The money isn’t theoretical. It’s real, and it’s local. It comes out of budgets that also fund schools, roads, and emergency services. The burden doesn’t land in Albany—it lands in Riverhead. It doesn’t hit DOCCS— it hits Suffolk County correction officers trying to manage overcrowded jails, which were built for temporary detention, not long-term incarceration.
Suffolk’s jail system is designed to house individuals awaiting trial or serving short sentences— people cycling in and out, not medium- or maximumsecurity inmates serving state time. With state-ready
inmates clogging space, the entire system backs up. Bed space shrinks. Pretrial services are strained. Officers are stretched thin.
This is not an isolated incident. A February report by the New York State Association of Counties confirmed that more than 30 counties were experiencing similar backlogs. Across the state, county jails are absorbing costs while the state delays transfers. Some counties reported monthly overruns in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The problem isn’t new—it’s just being ignored.
Blaming the late state budget is convenient but incomplete. DOCCS staffing shortages predate this year’s fiscal holdup. The truth is more troubling: New York State continues to overpromise and underdeliver, leaving counties to bear the brunt of the consequences.
Meanwhile, federal aid has dropped, too. Suffolk received $1.2 million from SCAAP in 2024, down from $1.3 million in 2023. These funds, meant to offset the cost of housing undocumented detainees, don’t touch the issue of delayed state transfers. They simply plug other holes—just not fast enough or deep enough.
With the state’s record-setting $254 billion budget now passed as of June 15, excuses are wearing thin. The money exists. The resources exist. What’s missing is execution—and accountability.
In the private sector, deadlines matter. Performance is tracked. Shortfalls lead to consequences. In government, the consequences are often passed along quietly to those with the least power to stop them: the taxpayer.
For now, the state may have finalized its budget. But Suffolk County residents are still paying the price of what Albany didn’t do in time. And that price keeps rising, one day—and one inmate—at a time.
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Thursday, June 19, 2025
FBI Asked Spy Agencies to Destroy Intel on Alleged China Plot to Aid Joe Biden in 2020 Election
By John Solomon | AMAC Outside Contributor
A confidential human source told FBI counter-intelligence in summer 2020 that China’s communist government was shipping fake driver’s licenses to the United States to manufacture “tens of thousands of fraudulent mail-in votes” for Joe Biden, according to a raw intelligence report distributed to federal agencies that was reviewed by Just the News.
The report – one of two sent Monday by FBI Director Kash Patel to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley – was sent to U.S. intelligence agencies on Aug. 24, 2020, as an uncorroborated advisory, then suddenly recalled with little explanation other than the bureau wanted to “re-interview” the source, the documents stated.
The recall notice specifically asked spy agencies to erase or delete the original intelligence memo, the memos show.
“This report was recalled in order to reinterview the source. Recipients should destroy all copies of the original report and remove the original report from all computer holdings,” the recall notice stated.
Officials told Just the News the recall kept the FBI and other agencies from fully investigating allegations that Beijing was trying to meddle in the U.S. election to Biden’s benefit, though corroborating evidence came in from a fellow law enforcement agency.
They said U.S. Customs Border and Protection had captured 19,888 of the fake driver’s licenses – mostly from Hong Kong and China in late July 2020 – on their way to battleground states in the Midwest.
The subject line of the FBI intelligence bulletin succinctly stated the potential nature of the alleged plot: “Chinese Government Production and Export of Fraudulent US Driver’s Licenses to Chinese Sympathizers in the United States, in Order to Create Tens of Thousands of Fraudulent Mail-in Votes for US Presidential Candidate Joe Biden, in late August 2020.
The intelligence report was not deemed corroborated, making clear it was raw intelligence and that the informant was relatively new and “has been corroborated for less than one year.”
It also noted the information was “indirect” through a sub-source. “Warning: This is an information report, not finally evaluated intelligence,” the report told other agencies.
It also flagged one aspect of the informant’s allegation: that information about the fake driver’s licenses was gleaned from TikTok accounts of Americans.
“A person’s address information was not a valid field when creating a TikTok account,” the report noted. “It was unspecified how China would attain US address data from the application.”
That said, the FBI bulletin provided significantly detailed information for agencies to investigate as leads to make sure the U.S. election wasn’t being hijacked by a foreign power seeking to exploit a sudden explosion in mail-in voting during the COVID-19 pandemic that struck earlier in 2020.
“In late August 2020, the Chinese government had produced a large amount of fraudulent United States driver’s licenses that were secretly exported to the United States,” the report reads “The fraudulent driver’s licenses would allow tens of thousands of Chinese students and immigrants sympathetic to the Chinese Communist Party to vote for U.S. presidential candidate USPER Joe Biden despite not being eligible to vote in the United States.”
“China had collected private US user data from millions of TikTok accounts, to include name, ID and address, which would allow the Chinese government to use real US persons’ information to create the fraudulent driver’s license,” the report
continues. “The fraudulent driver’s licenses were to include true ID number and true address of US citizens, making them difficult to detect. China planned to use the fraudulent driver’s licenses to account for tens of thousands of mail-in votes.”
After Just the News reported on the existence of the intelligence bulletin Monday evening, Grassley on Tuesday implored Patel to investigate the circumstances of the memos more intensively to determine who ordered the recall and why.
“The document alleges serious national security concerns that need to be fully investigated by the FBI,” the senator’s office said in a statement. “Grassley is requesting additional documentation from the FBI to verify the production, and is urging the FBI to do its due diligence to investigate why the document was recalled, who recalled it and inform the American people of its findings.”
Patel told Just the News on Monday evening that he is fully
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investigating the circumstances surrounding the intelligence report and its recall.
“Thanks to the oversight work and partnership of Chairman Grassley, the FBI continues to provide unprecedented transparency at the people’s Bureau,” Patel said. To that end, we have located documents Chairman Grassley requested, which detail alarming allegations related to the 2020 U.S. election.
“Specifically, these include allegations of plans from the CCP to manufacture fake driver’s licenses and ship them into the United States for the purpose of facilitating fraudulent mail-in ballots –allegations which, while substantiated, were abruptly recalled and never disclosed to the public.”
John Solomon is an award-winning investigative journalist, author and digital media entrepreneur who serves as Chief Executive Officer and Editor in Chief of Just the News.
WHERE BROADWAY MEETS MAIN STREET
May 15–Jun 29, 2025 Jul 10–Aug 24, 2025
WORD OF THE Week
Etymology:
late Middle English (also in the sense ‘extravagant, going beyond acceptable limits’): from Latin insolent- ‘immoderate, unaccustomed, arrogant’, from in‘not’ + solent- ‘being accustomed’ (from the verb solere )
INSOLENT
adjective
Pronounced: /in·suh·luhnt/
Definition: showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect.
Example: “The rebuttal was marked with an insolent tone.”
Synonyms: impudent, unmannerly, uncivil
Antonyms: polite, humble, proper
Source: Oxford Languages
This Week in History
June 21, 1948: Columbia Records unveils the 33-1/3 rpm LP phonograph record invented by Peter Carl Goldmark, allowing up to 20 minutes per side, at the WaldorfAstoria Hotel.
June 25, 1929: President Herbert Hoover (R-IA) authorizes building of Boulder Dam (Hoover Dam).
June 20, 1840: American inventor Samuel Morse patents his telegraph.
See how many words you can create. Must have center letter in word and can use letters more than once. 4 letter word minimum.
June 19, 1865: Union General Gordon Granger declares slaves are free in Texas, now celebrated as Juneteenth.
June 24, 1916: Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to get a million dollar contract.
By PJ Balzer
Who is the Greatest?
The word “great” has been a part of my vocabulary for almost forty years now. Yet, I certainly haven’t heard it used as much as in the last ten.
Everywhere I go, people are discussing greatness; how we need to become great and the path we need to travel to accomplish that. It’s been interesting to just quietly listen, observe, and learn without saying much.
Some have suggested that the greatest are the people who have clawed their way to the top, by any means possible. Others would say that the greatest are the sports stars everyone is currently talking about. The truth is that our society has and will always idolize the bright lights and shiny stuff. I was once a part of that green and shiny gang. As a sticker on the back of a car I was parked behind the other day read, “Whoever has the most toys at the end wins.”
The discrepancy over greatness isn’t something new though; it’s been going on for thousands of years. Even back when Jesus walked the dusty roads of the Middle East in a tunic and a pair of sandals, people were even then discussing how to achieve this feat. As a matter of fact, as His life was coming to a close and He was journeying with His earliest followers into Jerusalem for the final time, He overheard them arguing over this very topic.
“Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.” (Luke 22:24-27)
As the Bible so often does, the words on its pages once again turn everything we’ve been taught our entire life completely on its head. In another one of His teachings, yet certainly parallel to this one Jesus states, “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted,” - words that give life to the heart that desires to hear them and are a thorn in the side to the ones that don’t. This path to greatness He is talking about is extremely narrow and one least traveled.
As eighteen-year-old Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu (pictured right) arrived in India on one of her very first missionary assignments and journeys, she was totally stricken to the heart by what she both saw and experienced. On the back roads of Calcutta, she came face-to-face with the deadening poverty of India as well as the untouchable class - sick, diseased, and dying alone on the roadsides. While this had become normal for the people around her, she couldn’t simply look the other way, especially having the Spirit of Christ reigning as King of her heart. She felt the personal conviction and the heart’s pull to not remain indifferent to the suffering of others.
How could she?
As her narrow and personal journey took shape over her years of services, she began to bring the diseased and dying off the busy garbage-filled streets to bathe, feed, and care for them, one by one. She understood that greatness to the One she had given her life on earth to serve wasn’t concerned about the numbers on paper. He loves and sees the individual. People around her reminded her of how contagious these diseases were and how “these people” are of other religious persuasions. None of that swayed Anjezë; she believed that every human deserved a death of dignity and free from complete loneliness. She cared for each one without cameras, campaigns, selfies, reimbursement or recognition. It wasn’t about any of that for her. It was about serving Jesus by becoming a servant to people who most would consider the bottom of society, worthless, and completely disposable.
As these types of works based solely on service often do, her ministry ended up branching out into also caring for and educating India’s orphans, taking in newborn babies who were abandoned on the roadside, and she eventually was provided a home to do so. This was undoubtedly her divine calling and life’s main purpose. While it definitely wasn’t easy, and while there were personal struggles along the path, she relieved on God’s strength and never gave up.
Many years and many human beings cared for later, Mother Teresa was eventually publicly recognized for this hidden work as she stepped on stage to receive the prestigious and world-renowned Nobel Peace Prize. The now-elderly and hunchedover old woman stepped behind a world-known podium with whom secular society would consider some of the greatest in attendance. Yet, the God she served for decades raised her from the filthy back streets of Calcutta to speaking to the world’s most powerful people with the Nobel Peace Prize in hand. She proceeded to give a speech about the reoccurring theme of her entire life.
“Whatever you do to the poorest and most vulnerable of society, you do to Jesus Himself. That’s what He Himself has said. So, how are you all treating Jesus?”
Mother Teresa was a humble woman who has achieved greatness and I’m sure is currently enjoying her many eternal rewards with no end in sight.
Almost ten years ago, a friend made me a handmade wooden sign that reads, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” While most may have other items that inspire them to whatever they define greatness as next to their bed, the first thing I see in the morning is my sign and these words - reminding me that my life will come to a close one day unknown to myself and then my time of accountability before God’s throne will suddenly arrive.
On that day the person with the most toys won’t be the winner, despite how fun and full of greatness that path may sound. It will be the one who took the narrowest path possible and forsook this world’s definition of greatness to look to a much higher one.
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Thursday, June 19, 2025
Project Patriot in Hauppauge: A Factory Floor Revival Community Spotlight
By Raheem Soto
In a time when headlines are filled with job losses, tech layoffs, and supply chain disruptions, something different is happening on Wireless Boulevard in Hauppauge.
And it didn’t come from Washington or Albany. It came from a Long Island tech company making a bet on American workers.
Orbic Electronics, a smartphone and device maker headquartered in Suffolk County, has broken ground on Project Patriot. This $110 million manufacturing expansion doesn’t just promise jobs—it outlines exactly where they’re going, how many there are, and when they’ll arrive.
The company is doubling its local footprint, expanding from a 60,000-square-foot operation to more than 135,000 square feet, all within the Hauppauge Industrial Park. The expanded site will feature solar-powered automation lines capable of producing up to 5 million 5G-enabled devices annually.
Smartphones. Tablets. Laptops. And they’ll be made not in Shenzhen or Bangalore—but right here in Suffolk County.
Orbic states that the project will create over 1,000 new manufacturing jobs, with many starting at approximately $45,000 per year. These are not vague “innovation economy” promises—they’re roles in assembly, logistics, testing, and quality control. Most don’t require a fouryear degree, and the company is partnering with Suffolk County Community College and Queensborough Community College to prepare local workers for jobs that are already being designed into the floor plan.
It’s the kind of announcement that too often comes
with more ribbon-cutting than reality. But Orbic’s approach is different. It’s measured. Quiet. Results-driven.
The reasoning behind the move isn’t ideology—it’s economics. During the COVID-19 pandemic, companies like Orbic learned the hard way what overseas production actually costs when the global supply chain breaks. Higher freight. Slower timelines. Missed launches. Less control. Add in rising instability in Asia, and the old “offshore everything” model no longer adds up.
So, they’re reshoring. Not to score points. To regain control.
Project Patriot isn’t just about one company. It’s about whether Long Island still has the ability—and the will—to rebuild a skilled manufacturing base in a state that hasn’t made that easy in decades. The state offered $10 million in Excelsior tax credits to help get it started. The Suffolk County IDA backed it. But at its core, this is a private-sector initiative to take practical action in a place that needs more than plans—it requires proof.
And here’s the proof: walls are going up. Equipment’s being installed. Hiring is scheduled to ramp up into 2026.
This isn’t just a story about jobs—it’s a challenge to the idea that “those jobs are gone.” Orbic didn’t wait for a federal reshoring task force or another round of subsidies. It moved.
If it works, Suffolk gains more than payroll taxes and press releases. It gains a blueprint—an example of how to bring work home without the handwaving.
In an era of endless talk, Project Patriot looks like what serious investment actually is: risk, numbers, timelines, and people.
And in Hauppauge, it’s already begun.
My Skin Reset at Karasmatic Day Spa: A Real Client Experience
By Diane Caudullo
Let’s be honest, like many of you, I am a busy woman and self-care has not been something I have truly given myself time for.
But after all of these busy nights at the paper, and life in general, I decided to finally learn more about taking care of myself. My daughter Giavanna, an esthetician at Karasmatic Day Spa, has passionately detailed her knowledge and importance of what she offers her clients. Genuinely intrigued, I attended an educational night at the Spa where many of the technicians spoke about the services they provided with great detail into the how and the why.
I think what grabbed me most was when a comment was made about how, as we age, we just accept the issues that come with it, not realizing that we absolutely can be an active participant in aging well.
So,I booked a visit at their Port Jefferson location to start my self-care journey.
The spa itself has a luxurious, yet cozy and welcoming vibe that immediately calmed me. I was put at ease by the warmth of the bed, the dim lighting, and the aroma of essential oils pouring throughout the room. Not only were we discussing result driven treatments tailored for my skin needs, the visit itself is a wonderful experience.
We (of course I scheduled with Giavanna), decided to go with the monthly special called the Glass Skin Facial which included BioRepeel, DMK Enzyme Therapy, and
Dermaplane.
Dermaplane uses a sterile blade to gently exfoliate dead skin and remove vellus hair (peach fuzz), which left my skin feeling brand new.
The BioRePeel was applied, a no-peel chemical peel that brightens, smooths, and softens skin without the harsh downtime.
Then was the DMK Enzyme Oxygen Therapy portion, which was nothing like I’d ever experienced. It’s a skin revision treatment that uses a tightening enzyme mask to stimulate circulation, detoxify the skin, and bring back
that healthy glow by oxygenating the skin. This not only felt cool but was quite invigorating.
I left with a brightened and hydrated look and feel to my skin, the understanding of what we did and why, and recommendations for at home care and a plan for how to meet my new desired goals.
Now that I am loving the spa experience, they have a long list of other services I am interested in. In real need of energy and hydration I have started receiving IV vitamin drip therapy, as well as customized massages and quick services like teeth whitening.
Personalizing everything- tailoring each treatment and product to exactly what I need. I have and will try a few different services and will continue to share what I am learning.
But this I do know now: if you’ve been on the fence about taking care of yourself because we are always busy caring for others, learn about the many services available. It isn’t frivolous - it’s a necessity. Like the oxygen mask theory on the plane, take care of yourself first then you are good to take care of others. Whether you’re dealing with acne, dullness, aging, or just feeling burned out — there’s something here for everyone.
And trust me, the glow is real.
To learn more about Karasmatic Day Spa visit www. karasmaticdayspa.com
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
By Mollie Barnett
June 19, 2025
The Irony of Intelligence
Meta’s SuperIntelligence bet exposes a deeper problem: It’s not the model—it’s the mindset.
Mark Zuckerberg’s latest move stunned Silicon Valley: he’s stepping personally into the cockpit of Meta’s AI strategy, launching a new initiative called SuperIntelligence, investing $14.3 billion in Scale AI, and offering ninefigure salaries to lure top researchers from competitors. It’s bold. It’s expensive.
And it reveals an uncomfortable truth—not just about Meta, but about the state of AI adoption across corporate America:
The real barrier to success isn’t the model. It’s the mindset.
The Disconnect at the Heart of Meta’s Strategy
Zuckerberg built the most viral platforms on Earth. Facebook and Instagram are engineered for human connection—designed for sharing, psychological engagement, and network effects. But now, the man who got humans into tech can’t seem to get humans into his new technology.
Despite having a high-performing opensource model in LLaMA and deep infrastructure capabilities, Meta is struggling. So much so that Zuckerberg is reorganizing teams, re-centralizing leadership, and writing checks the size of small nations to catch up.
And he’s not alone.
Across boardrooms, companies are adopting AI superficially—bolting on Copilot-style tools, licensing dashboards, and hiring consultants to “install” intelligence. What they get instead is boxed intelligence: isolated tools with no integration into how decisions are actually made.
AI is being treated like software.
But real value only comes when it’s treated like infrastructure for intelligence flow.
The LLaMA Paradox
Meta’s technology isn’t the problem. LLaMA 3.1 (70B) scores competitively in benchmark tests—82% on MMLU compared to GPT-4’s 86.4%, and it performs especially well in coding. It’s cost-efficient, fast, and highly capable.
But capability isn’t adoption.
The irony is stark: the company that taught the world to share can’t seem to share its own intelligence internally. SuperIntelligence won’t scale until Meta breaks the habits of its own hierarchy.
What’s Really Holding AI Back
Meta is just one case study, not an exception. Most companies face the same underlying problem: AI is being compartmentalized. Leaders are chasing plug-and-play productivity instead of organizational rewiring.
The result?
CNBC reported that LLaMA 4 wasn’t well received by developers. Internally, progress is stalling. It is not because the model lacks power—maybe it is that the company lacks alignment.
Inside Meta departments are siloed. Ethics, engineering, and product teams operate in parallel rather than in partnership. AI insights don’t flow, so intelligence never compounds. This is frustrating for your employees and your progress.
Meta knows how to build platforms, not people.
SuperIntelligence Without Interconnection
Meta’s 2025 capital expenditures are expected to top $72 billion. SuperIntelligence is being treated like a network problem: more hardware, more hires, more horsepower.
But intelligence doesn’t emerge from brute force. It emerges from systems that learn, adapt, and connect.
Dashboards no one uses. AI “departments” that operate like islands. Frustrated teams unsure of what the tech does.
Meanwhile, research from Stanford’s AI Index and McKinsey shows that companies embedding AI into everyday decisions—where it becomes part of how teams think—are pulling ahead on innovation, cost control, and talent attraction.
The real ROI isn’t in the tool.
It’s in how the tool changes how your organization learns
What Actually Works
Organizations seeing results treat AI like a nervous system, not a magic brain.
• They train their teams to speak a shared AI language
• They use AI for insight amplification, not just automation
• They embed AI into decision loops, not just workflows
AI doesn’t replace humans—it augments them. But only if humans are in the loop.
Why This Matters on Long Island
This isn’t just about big tech. Companies across Long Island—from manufacturers to marketing agencies exhibit the same adoption gap.
The mindset? “Add AI to our CRM.”
The reality? AI won’t transform your business unless your business is redesigned for intelligent flow—across teams, functions, and strategy.
If Long Island wants to become an AI hub, it won’t be by outspending Silicon Valley. It will be by out-integrating it.
It is not about billion-dollar budgets but smarter operations, shared learning, and culture-level buy-in.
The Shift That Matters Most
Superintelligence doesn’t come from models.
It comes from momentum—when insight becomes a shared habit. Meta’s moonshot may eventually succeed. But it won’t be because of infrastructure. It will be because the company that built the world’s biggest networks finally figured out how to build one inside itself.
That’s the real AI revolution.
It’s not a tech shift.
It’s a mind shift.
Local History
Thursday, June 19, 2025
First Lieutenant William Thomas Cleary, U.S. Army Air Force
By Ellyn Okvist, B.Sc.
William Thomas Cleary was born on September 3, 1923, in Brooklyn. He was the sixth child in a family of seven children belonging to John R. Cleary (1887-1960) and Mary Devery Cleary (1889-1939). This was a fine upstanding family, holding God, family, and country in high esteem and lived a proper life bringing up the seven children. In age order, Joseph Gerard (19111978), Mary R. (1913-) John R. (Jack) (1915-1978), Dorothy R. (1916-1994), Eileen Patricia (1919-1997), William T. (1923-1944). James F. Cleary (1932-1984) was the seventh child, and was known to so many here in Lake Ronkonkoma, maintaining a local insurance agency and volunteering in many community activities. William’s brother, Lieutenant Joseph G. Cleary, was an instructor in the officer’s candidate school at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Multi-generations of Cleary’s had strong ties with Lake Ronkonkoma; some held dual residences at their base home on Fort Hamilton Parkway in Brooklyn and some permanent residences here in the village. The family interests were here, and they were always available to support each other’s efforts as they assisted in adding the Lake Ronkonkoma legacy we know today.
all ten crewmen were killed. After the plane went down, this teletype notified: “Adriatic Sea, 10 December 1944, Failed to Return (FTR) Missing in Action Blechhammer; 10-Dec-44 Hit by flak crashed Adriatic Sea Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 10689 Blechhammer, Germany.” The War Department reported him missing to his parents.
John R. Cleary, father of William, was the brother of Rosemary, Genevieve, and Florence Cleary, and we know them from 1925 when Rosemary Cleary opened Camp Peter Pan. As the first summer camp for the deaf in the United States, it accepted children ages three through eight. Lessons in speech, language, and lip reading afforded educational goals as well as camping activities and games. Due to the success of Camp Peter Pan, Rosemary R. Cleary, founder and the first Director-Principal, took a bold step in the face of uncertainty and started a school for the deaf. It was a united effort by the Cleary family to make this venture a success. In 1960, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Rockville Centre legally assumed the sponsorship and ownership of Cleary Deaf Child Center, Inc., upon the request of Rosemary Cleary. Its legacy continues with four schools. William’s grandfather, John W. Cleary, was chief and organizer of Ronkonkoma Hook & Ladder Co. #1 and on June 15, 1904, became the first chief of the organization. The Cleary Family also supported St. Josephs Roman Catholic Church, and the entire up and coming village known as Lake Ronkonkoma.
A handsome young man, William had blonde hair and blue eyes. A fortress bombardier, graduate of St. Michaels Parochial School, he was attending Manhattan College when he entered the Army in January of 1943 at age 18. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a bookkeeper and/or cashier and also as married to wife Virginia Katheryn of Lynn, Massachusetts.
Commissioned at Big Spring, Texas, he went overseas in September 1943 and was stationed in Celone, Italy, where he had 37 missions under his credit, and held the Air Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster and a Presidential Citation. He had just been promoted to first Lieutenant. He was 21 years old at the time of his death.
William T. Cleary, First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Forces, 463rd Bomber Group-Heavy, 773rd Bomber Squadron, Boeing B-17G #44-6190, was Killed in Action over Germany on December 10, 1944. The plane was shot down and
The 8.8cm Flak 18/36/37/41 is a German 88 mm antiaircraft and anti-tank artillery gun, developed in the 1930s. It was widely used by Germany throughout World War II. Due to its lethality, especially as a tank killer, the eighty-eight was greatly feared by Allied soldiers.
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (pictured above) is an American four-engine heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during World War II, used primarily in the European Theater of Operations.
William was declared a casualty of war, Killed in Action on December 10, 1944, during WWII; his remains were never retrieved.
William was commemorated in Perpetuity at Tablets of the Missing at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, Piazzale Kennedy 1, 00048, Nettuno, Italy, on January 1, 1946. This stunning cemetery is part of the American Battle Monuments Commission, USA. General John J. Pershing was quoted, “Time will not dim the glory of their deeds.”
It is now time for Lake Ronkonkoma to honor William. There have been many years of searching, inquiries and research, which was started by his father, brother James and nieces, represented by Casey Cleary. It seemed there was never a definite answer as to the location of his honor memorial. The Lake Ronkonkoma Heritage and George Cristino began to work with this case over three years ago, and the moon and stars have bought the information to us. William is displayed on his Military Tribute Banner on the corner of his family’s home, Cleary Road and Portion Road. Please visit it and give him the recognition he deserves.
William was awarded the Purple Heart and Air Medal and the World War II Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, Army Presidential Unit Citation, Army Good Conduct Medal, New York Veterans Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. The CS medal was issued 5/5/1947, as First Lt, AAF, and the medal was sent to his father, Mr. John R. Cleary. William is honored on the Memorial of the 463rd Bombardment Group/KIA and MIA, located in Santa Ana, CA. and known as the “Swoose” Group 1943-1945.
Thank you to our friends, the extended Cleary Family, who continue to add happiness to our lives and in keeping our history real.
By Raheem Soto
Guilty in Amityville: A Pennsylvania Man’s One-Way Trip to a Life Behind Bars
Justice came quietly last week in a Suffolk County courtroom—nearly three years after a man was gunned down at a backyard party in Amityville and almost a year after his killer was tracked across state lines and arrested in a hotel in Pennsylvania.
On June 11, a jury found Paulin Cerisier, 29, of Pennsylvania, guilty of Murder in the Second Degree and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon, following a multi-day trial before Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei. Cerisier is now awaiting sentencing and faces 25 years to life in prison when he returns to court on July 15.
The verdict marks the end of a long chapter in a case that began with a single, senseless act of violence.
It was the early hours of July 18, 2021. A backyard party was winding down in Amityville—friends and family gathering in peace under summer lights. Then came a gunshot.
Prosecutors say Cerisier arrived uninvited at the gathering. Without a word or confrontation, he approached Maresse Dickerson-Stevenson, 41, and shot him in the left shoulder at close range. The victim, who was the uncle of Cerisier’s ex-girlfriend, collapsed on the ground and later died from the wound.
Cerisier fled the scene and disappeared for nearly three years. He was eventually located on July 15, 2024, at a hotel in Washington County, Pennsylvania, by members of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Squad and taken into custody without incident.
Jurors heard testimony outlining the deliberate nature of the crime, the recovery of ballistic evidence, and the efforts that went into tracking Cerisier across state lines. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Dena Rizopoulos of the Homicide Bureau and Raquel
Tisi of the Narcotics Bureau. Detectives Walter Sosnowski and David Gelsomino conducted the investigation that led to Cerisier’s arrest and conviction.
The murder had no apparent trigger. No fight. No argument. Just a man with a gun and a target— turning what should have been a quiet night into tragedy.
The victim’s death sent shockwaves through the community and devastated a family. The trial, delayed by COVID-era backlogs and extradition timelines, finally brought resolution to a case that never lost urgency for those closest to it.
Cerisier was represented by attorney Matt Tuohy. His sentencing next month is expected to reflect the severity of the crime, with the top count carrying a maximum penalty of 25 years to life. The weapons charges—both Class C felonies—may add additional time.
The case stands as a stark reminder: violence doesn’t always come with warning signs and justice—when it works—often takes time, patience, and precision.
In an era of plea deals and procedural loopholes, this was a full trial, resulting in a unanimous verdict and a clear message. A man was murdered. His killer was found. And now, after years of delay and investigation, Suffolk County can finally close the book on a case that began with a single shot in the dark.
Thursday, June 19, 2025
Stefanik Endorses Wehrheim
By Matt Meduri
The tumultuous Republican Primary for Smithtown Supervisor culminates with an endorsement from a wellknown figure in New York politics and a 2026 gubernatorial hopeful.
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R, NY-21) wrote an endorsement in favor of incumbent Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park) and even stumped for him at Tuesday night fundraiser at Bull Smith’s Tavern in Smithtown hamlet.
constituents want, and he has the proven record of getting it done,” the endorsement continues. “I’m proud to endorse Ed Wehrheim for re-election as Smithtown Town Supervisor. He’s a true conservative, a tireless advocate for his community, and exactly the kind of leader we need to keep Smithtown strong.”
Stefanik made a guest appearance at Wehrheim’s fundraiser Tuesday night, offering similar sentiments, but also hearkening to her widely rumored run for the state’s top job next November.
“As Chair of the House Republican Leadership and a proud New Yorker, I know how critical it is to have strong local leaders who stay connected to the people they serve - and who work hand-in-hand with State and federal partners to deliver real results. That’s exactly the kind of leader Ed Wehrheim is,” said Stefanik. “Ed is a dedicated public servant who knows his community inside and out. As a full-time Town Supervisor and lifelong resident, he listens, responds, and gets the job done. Whether it’s restoring infrastructure, protecting our suburban way of life, or ensuring our Veterans and first responders are supported, Ed delivers for Smithtown every single day.
“In 2024, Ed played a key role as part of President Donald Trump’s (RFL) New York Leadership Team, helping to deliver the highest per capita voter turnout in the state - a testament to his ability to inspire, organize, and mobilize. He understands what his
“We are losing our state in front of our very eyes. Whether it’s the crime crisis because of the ‘defundthe-police’ craziness, bail reform, the highest taxes in the nation, or whether it’s the insanity of the radical far left that we’re seeing play out in this New York City mayoral primary,” said Stefanik, flanked by Wehrheim and Suffolk County Legislature candidate Sal Formica (R-Commack). “We know that after we win big in the local elections this year, we have the best chance ever and the last chance to save our state by firing Kathy Hochul once and for all.
Let’s make sure that we are re-electing our great supervisor here.”
Early voting for the primary is underway, ending on Sunday, June 22. Election day is Tuesday, June 24.
“I’m proud to endorse Ed Wehrheim for reelection as Smithtown Town Supervisor. He’s a true conservative, a tireless advocate for his community, and exactly the kind of leader we need to keep Smithtown strong.”
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik
ATTENTION KINGS PARK CLASS OF 75 OUR 50TH REUNION IS PLANNED FOR JULY 19, 2025 4-8PM SMITHTOWN LANDING COUNTRY CLUB WE HAVE A WEEKEND FULL OF EVENTS HAPPENING
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
Long Island Ducks
Justin’s Gem Leads Ducks Past Stormers
Ducks Right-Hander Earns First Win After Pitching into Ninth Inning
The Long Island Ducks defeated the Lancaster Stormers 6-1 on Wednesday night in the middle game of a three-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.
Taylor Kohlwey’s two-out RBI single coupled with a fielding error that scored Cody Thomas gave the Ducks an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. RBI singles to left field by Kole Kaler and River Town in the second doubled the Ducks advantage to four.
Kohlwey tacked on a fifth run in the third with an opposite field solo homer to left off Stormers starter Noah Skirrow. Kaler scampered home from third on a wild pitch by Skirrow in the fourth with Long Island’s sixth run. Lancaster scratched across a run in the ninth on Alex Isola’s sacrifice fly to right, but that was all the visitors could muster.
Justin Alintoff (1-3) earned the win, tossing eight and one-third innings of onerun ball, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out five. Skirrow (5-3) took the loss, conceding six runs (four earned) on nine hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
Kohlwey led the Ducks offense with two hits, two RBIs and a run. Kaler added two hits, an RBI and two runs, while Chris Roller chipped in with two hits and a run.
The Ducks and Stormers wrap up their three-game series on Thursday night. Game time is slated for 6:35p.m., with the Fairfield Properties
Ballpark gates opening at 5:35p.m. (5:20 for full season ticket holders). The first 1,200 fans in attendance will receive Ducks T-Shirts, courtesy of Petro Home Services. It’s also a Bluebird Hardwater Thirsty Thursday at the ballpark. The Duck Club restaurant/bar will be open for all fans to enjoy during the game, and representatives from Bluebird Hardwater will be in attendance offering free samples in the Duck Club. Additionally, fans can enjoy a buy one, get one half-price special on Cutwater Premade Cocktails during the game. Right-hander Tyler Beede (0-1, 6.75) toes the rubber for the Ducks against Stormers righty A.J. Alexy (0-1, 6.54).
Tickets to the game and all Ducks games are now available and can be purchased by visiting the ballpark box office, calling (631) 940-TIXX. Those unable to make the game can follow all the action live on FloBaseball.
The Long Island Ducks are in their 25th Anniversary season of play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and play their home games at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip. They are the all-time leader in wins and attendance in Atlantic League history, have led all MLB Partner Leagues in total attendance for four consecutive seasons, and have sold out a record 713 games all-time. For further information, visit LIDucks.com or call 631-940-DUCK (3825).
