The TIMES of Smithtown
Volume 28, No. 3
Serving Smithtown • St. JameS • neSconSet • commack • hauppauge • kingS park • Fort Salonga March 19, 2015
$1.00
Commack comes out on top
Hop into spring at Theatre Three
also: Irish Step Dancing at CSH Library, BNL Science Bowl winners
Page B1
Photos by Bill Landon
the commack girls’ basketball team rushes the court in celebration of its 51-50 win over Baldwin for the long island class aa crown at liu-post Friday.
girls nab Long Island championship title
County cop treated for gunshot wounds
Officer survives North Shore shooting
Page a3
The Commack Cougars accomplished a championship feat for the first time when the girls’ basketball team clinched Long Island’s Class AA championship. The Friday 51-50 win against
Baldwin rocked the LIU-Post crowd down to the last minute, with the Cougars storming the court at the final buzzer in celebration and excitement. The team was fresh off its first-ever county championship and brought that momentum into Friday’s game before clinching the title. See story on page A12.
Councilmen pitch government restructure By phil corSo
Smithtown leaders are considering a shift in power. Councilmen Bob Creighton (R) and Ed Wehrheim (R) presented a proposal earlier this month to realign authority over the town’s various departments in the name of efficiency, but to mixed reviews. Under the tentative plan, Smithtown would restructure its government services by placing a commissioner at the helm of various departments, similar to operations in neighboring municipalities. Creighton presented his proposal at the March 3 town
board work session as a means of streamlining decision making and instilling greater accountability. “The benefit is that we would have a more efficient form of government,” Creighton said. “This provides more of a responsibility to one person to run three or four or five different departments. In my view, it makes it far more effective because you have a certain amount of control that you don’t have today.” In the loose proposal brought before the town board, Creighton and Wehrheim broke the government gOVeRNMeNT continued on page a9
Photo by Phil Corso
Supervisor patrick vecchio is listening to a restructuring proposal introduced by councilmen Bob creighton and ed wehrheim.