The Times of Smithtown - December 21, 2017

The Times of

smiThTown

Fort salonga east • kings park • smithtown • nesconset • st james • head oF the harbor • nissequogue • hauppauge • commack Vol. 30, No. 43

What’s inside More staff, changes for Smithtown shelter A5 New Year’s Day run for Maggie’s Mission A8 Students help Hauppauge charity create magic A9 Plastic bag tax for Suffolk residents in 2018 A11

December 21, 2017

$1.00

A gift that keeps giving Smithtown charity pairs famous TV service dog with a veteran — A3

‘Oliver!’ is a Dickensian delight in Smithtown Also: Holiday Scavenger Hunt, ‘The Last Jedi’ reviewed, Photo of the Week

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Happy Holidays from our homes to yours, Scott Sanders and Staff 222 Main Street, East Setauket, NY 11733 631-360-0004 • Scott@SheaAndSanders.com

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Photo from America’s VetDogs

PAGE A2 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 21, 2017

He gave her a new appliance for Christmas!

She gave him a new bedroom!

Photos from United Way

Huntington Station resident Mason Gomez hugs Jon Reese, president of the Make It Count Foundation, to thank him for allowing him to pick out a gift, inset below, for another.

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A Commack retailer opened its doors Dec. 14 to ensure families of underpriviledged children could receive a special gift this holiday season.

United Way of Long Island, a Deer Park-based nonprofit organization, joined with the Make It Count Foundation to select 50 children from families in need to select their perfect present from Target in Commack.

Make It Count is a 501(c)(3) organization that aims to provide resources Long Islanders need to ensure their housing and

We'll help you choose that special something.

And you'll sleep in heavenly peace... in your usual quarters!

See Santa Claus this Saturday Santa Claus is making his list and checking it twice, as he’ll be visiting with Town of Smithtown fire departments to double check who’s naughty and who’s nice.

Visit with Santa and his elves at these Christmas parades in the upcoming week.

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employment needs are met, in addition to providing education to improve their health and well-being.

When he was asked to pick his perfect gift, Mason Gomez, of Huntington Station, decided to make the unusual choice of selecting an Elf on the Shelf box. When asked why, Mason said he decided to pick out a gift for his music teacher instead of himself as she had always talked about how she wanted that elf. Mason couldn’t wait to surprise his teacher with the gift.

Mason was one of the dozens of children nominated by the United Way’s partner agencies — the Huntington-based Family Service League, a grass roots social service agency, and the United Veterans Beacon House, a nonprofit organization providing services and housing for veterans and the homeless based in Bay Shore.

— SARA-MEGAN WALSH

Hauppauge Fire Department, Engine Company 1, will host its 37th annual Pictures with Santa and Santa Parade Dec. 23.

Children can have their pictures taken with Santa from 3 to 4:15 p.m. at Station 2, located at 812 Terry Road in Hauppauge.

The Santa Parade will begin at 5:05 p.m. with a public stop at the Hyatt Hotel in Hauppauge at approximately 5:20 p.m.

Firefighters will be collecting donations of nonperishable goods for the local food pantry during the parade.

Engine Company 4 and Truck Company 1 will host their annual Santa Parade Dec. 23 at 4 p.m. Major stops include Waldbaum’s parking lot on Veterans Memorial

Highway at approximately 7:20 p.m. followed by Whiporwil School on Hoffman Lane at approximately 8:45 p.m. For further parade route details visit the website www. hauppaugefiredepartment.org.

Nesconset

The Nesconset Fire Department will be hosting its annual Santa Claus Parade Dec. 23 starting at 3:30 p.m. from the main firehouse.

Major stops planned along this year’s route include: • Nesconset Shopping Plaza on Smithtown Boulevard between 6:30 and 7 p.m. for 15 minutes • Tackan Elementary School on Midwood Avenue in Nesconset between 7:45 and 8:15 p.m. for 15 minutes • Ecklund Boulevard in Nesconset between 9 and 9:30 p.m. for 15 minutes For more information and to track in real time where Santa is on the night of the parade, visit www.nesconsetfd.org.

— SARA-MEGAN WALSH

DECEMBER 21, 2017 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • PAGE A3

TOWN

Smithtown’s VetDogs give a gift that keeps giving

BY SARA-MEGAN WALSH SARA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Pearsall said, as Charlie’s used to being around cameras and lights.

The veteran joined the U.S. Air Force at A Smithtown nonprofit has paired its age 17 following a family tradition of military “puppy with a purpose” with a deserving service, eventually working her way up the ranks to become a combat photographer. veteran just in time for the holidays.

America’s VetDogs gave Charlie, a service In 2007, Pearsall’s convoy was hit and she suffered a traumatic brain dog raised on NBC’s “TODAY” injury that ended her time in morning show, to former U.S. the service.

Air Force photographer Stacy However, it wasn’t until Pearsall. The pair underwent years later when her health an intensive two-week training took an unexpected turn, that before being given a send-off Stacy filed an application for Dec. 15 before heading home a service dog. to Charleston, South Carolina.

“It’s scary to admit that “I think having Charlie you have needs … no military alongside me will raise awaremember ever does that publicness about the importance of ly,” the veteran said, struggling service dogs,” she said. “And to find words. “It’s a tough I hope veterans who are on thing to say that, to ask for a the fence about getting one service dog is basically saying might be persuaded to take the plunge.”

Stacy Pearsall you have a need.”

While holding a photo America’s VetsDogs, which shoot for the Veterans Porraises and trains guide dogs to aid veterans, active-duty service members trait Project, started by Pearsall in 2008 to and first responders, had the black labrador honor veterans and tell their stories through retriever puppy featured on the NBC televi- her camera lens, she met with America’s sion show in front of millions of viewers to VetDogs trainers in Baltimore. She applied raise awareness of disabled veterans’ needs, and waited more than two years on the organization’s lengthy waiting list to obtain according to spokeswoman Allison Storck.

“I think his time on the ‘TODAY’ show a service dog.

Pearsall said she realized that symptoms prepared him perfectly for my needs,”

‘It’s a tough thing to say that, to ask for a service dog is basically saying you have a need.’

—

from her traumatic brain injury including seizures, memories issues, dizzy spells and post-traumatic stress disorder were affecting not only her life, but that of her friends and family.

“The major factors in getting a service dog was to gain independence back and allow my husband and my friends the freedom to get back to concentrating on their own lives,” she said.

Numerous times during the waiting period, Pearsall said she nearly withdrew her application.

“It was crazy because people are mean,” the veteran said. “They were like, ‘She looks absolutely healthy and normal, what does she need a service dog for? She’s a waste on Charlie.’ I’m sitting here thinking ‘you have no idea what my issues are.’”

America’s VetDog trainers Olivia Poff, a guide dog mobility instructor, and Katie Ruiz, a certified service and hearing dog instructor, have raised Charlie for Pearsall’s needs. He’s been taught to help her counterbalance when having issues walking, allowing her to brace for getting up and down from the ground during her photo shoots and retrieve items from the ground. In addition, the service dog has been taught to wake her from night terrors resulting from PTSD. Pearsall said Charlie will travel with her across the nation on photo shoots for her Veterans Portrait Project. She estimates

Photo from America’s VetDogs by Rebecca Eden

Stacy Pearsall took home Charlie, a service dog trained by America’s VetDogs, Dec. 15.

she’s photographed more than 6,500 veterans and many more could benefit.

“A prime example is when a veteran was moved to tears as we were talking about his story,” Pearsall said. “I brought Charlie over, and I could tell what he needed in that moment was Charlie’s love.”

T H E B R I S TA L A S S I S T E D L I V I N G • W H E R E E V E R Y DAY M E A N S M O R E ®

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PAGE A4 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 21, 2017

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DECEMBER 21, 2017 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • PAGE A5

TOWN

Smithtown hires additional staff for animal shelter

BY KEVIN REDDING KEVIN@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM After a lot of barking from the public, the Town of Smithtown is making strides to improve conditions at the Town of Smithtown Animal Shelter and Adoption Center.

Smithtown town officials approved contracts at their Dec. 12 meeting to bring two additional personnel into the shelter. The town board’s actions are in direct response to criticism voiced by Smithtown residents, including longtime volunteer Vicki Feuerstein last month, that the dogs are spending too much time in their kennels due to a shortage of staff and the need for an animal behaviorist.

The town has entered into negotiations with canine expert Michael Gould of Hounds Town USA to provide behavioral and education services to personnel. Gould is a former commanding officer of the Nassau County Canine Unit, who has helmed innovative shelter dog-oriented programs like Handcuffs to Healing at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Yaphank. While the town board isn’t in an active contract with him, Councilwoman Lisa Inzerillo (R) said, it is seeking him out.

“We want him and he’s very well known,” said Inzerillo, who acts as a liaison between the town board and shelter.

Town board members also agreed unanimously to hire another full-time kennel attendant, Marylou Stano, in the animal shelter department to provide care and maintenance to the caged animals at a rate of $20.32 per hour, pending satisfactory preemployment screening.

Inzerillo admitted in mid-November that the town was down to two full-time employees at the shelter after recent efforts to address long-standing issues.

For the last two years, Smithtown residents have taken to town hall to complain of neglect and troublesome employees within the shelter. The outcry began in May 2015 when former director George Beatty resigned after 30 years at the helm, following months of allegations by residents of animal cruelty. He was replaced by Rocky Point resident Sue Hansen, who was then fired by the town in July 2017, based on alleged charges of incompetence and mismanagement leading to a deterioration of the animals’ living conditions.

But Kathleen Gallagher, who has lived in Smithtown for nearly 50 years, said the shelter has come a long way over the last few months. She said new leadership and an impassioned staff have brought significant change to the shelter.

“They’ve done a really good job of making the animals comfortable.” Gallagher said. “It’s not what it used to be.

They don’t put down animals that are unable to be adopted. Is it exactly where I would like to see it? No. But they’re going in the right direction.”

Gallagher said she would like to see cats treated equally as dogs within the shelter and the fostering program, and also claimed that not as many cats are being adopted.

“We are in the middle of renovations and we are planning an expansion of that room,” Inzerillo said of plans in place to improve how cats are treated. She added that the room the cats are in has new walls, new anti-bacterial floors and new commercial grade cat furniture.

In attempt to get more cats and dogs into loving homes this holiday season, the town has cut the cost of adoptions by 50 percent from Dec. 13 through Dec. 31. Anyone who may be interested in adopting a pet can visit the shelter’s website at www.townofsmithtownanimalshelter.com to view animals that are up for adoption. The shelter is open seven days a week, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and until 8 p.m. Wednesdays; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

The Smithtown animal shelter, pictured above, is currently under renovation.

File photo by Rachel Shapiro

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PAGE A6 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 21, 2017

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Photo from Facebook

St. James Vape Shop on Lake Avenue was one of five stores whose clerk was arrested for allegedly selling vaping products to underage customers.

Cops crack down on underage vape sales Suffolk County police have arrested five people for selling vaping products, including liquid e-nicotine, to persons under the legal age of 21 years old at businesses located within the 4th Precinct jurisdiction between Dec. 2 and Dec. 18.

In response to community complaints, 4th Precinct Crime Section officers conducted an investigation into the sale of vaping products to underage customers.

Nine businesses were checked for compliance.

Five clerks were charged with allegedly violating the Suffolk County code regulating the sale of e-cigarettes, which included liquid e-nicotine. Those charged included: • Jonathan Chocko, 20, of Smithtown, at Hookah City, located in Lake Grove • Rashid Kamloan, 58, of Plainview, at Mr. Vape and Smoke Shop, located on Main Street in Kings Park

• Joyce Lamendola, 50, of Smithtown, at St. James Vape Shop, located on Lake Avenue in St. James • Kyle Petrow, 23, of Selden, at All Day Vapes, located on Route 25 in Centereach • Raymond Swartz, 28, of Yaphank, at Xhale Custom Vapes, located on Smithtown Boulevard in Ronkonkoma Several area establishments were found to be in compliance including a BP gas station, located on Pulaski Road in Kings Park; Cloud Vapor and Smoke, located on Route 11 in Smithtown; and Suffolk Vape, located on Terry Road in Smithtown.

The clerks were issued field appearance tickets and are scheduled to appear in First District Court in Central Islip at later dates.

— SARA-MEGAN WALSH

Photos from SCPD

Police seek the public’s help identifying the three men pictured above who allegedly used counterfeit money to pay for goods.

Fake money found in Smithtown Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and 4th squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate men who used counterfeit currency at a Smithtown store.

Police said the pictured men allegedly went to Walgreens, located on Smithtown Bypass in Smithtown, June 20 at 5:30 p.m. and purchased Visa gift cards and bottled water. In both cases, the men allegedly used counterfeit $20 and $100 bills. The men

were seen getting out of a late model Ford Fusion, according to police.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS (8477). All calls will be kept confidential.

— SARA-MEGAN WALSH

DECEMBER 21, 2017 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • PAGE A7

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PAGE A8 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 21, 2017

TOWN

Photos from the Schmidt Family

Greenlawn resident Maggie Schmidt was only 16 years old when she was diagnosed with cancer.

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Huntington residents making a pledge to get in shape or help others in 2018 can get to work immediately on their New Year’s Resolution, to benefit a local cause.

Maggie’s Mission, in conjunction with the Northport Running Club, will be holding Maggie’s Mile run at Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park on New Year’s Day. According to her mother Donna, Maggie Schmidt was a healthy and happy 16-year-old Greenlawn teenager when she was diagnosed suddenly in October 2016, with a very rare and aggressive cancer, malignant rhabdoid tumor. She died after a nine-month battle on June 1, 2017.

“If someone were to tell us a year ago that our only daughter wouldn’t be here now, we would not have believed it,” Donna Schmidt said. “She was the most healthy person we knew but cancer doesn’t care how healthy you are.”

Schmidt said getting proper medical treatment for her daughter was difficult as she felt that often doctors were not listening to her.

“I begged and pleaded for help with Maggie but was turned away multiple times, until it was too late,” she said.

“We need to change the way doctors listen. We need to raise awareness and increase funding for research.”

Before Maggie died, she asked her parents, Donna and Steve, to help other children and young adults who are diagnosed with cancer. This has become Maggie’s Mission, a registered 501(c)(3) organization.

“I was recently offered the opportunity to put together a 1-mile race at Sunken Meadow on New Years Day, so I seized the chance to coordinate an event that would honor Maggie’s memory, raise awareness about pediatric cancers, and raise funds for research,” said Steve Schmidt, a member of Northport Running Club since 2008.

The Schmidts said they have learned that childhood cancer research is vastly and consistently underfunded. They are hoping this event will become one of many the nonprofit hosts.

Earlier this year, Maggie’s Mission worked with the South Huntington school district, where Steve teaches third grade, to host a two-week challenge that raised nearly $34,000.

“This race will likely earn quite a bit less than the twoweek challenge, but it’s a labor of love,” Steve Schmidt said.

The 1-mile downhill run will start at 10:00 a.m. Runners will begin at the Sunken Meadow Golf Course clubhouse and finish at the parking lot near Long Island Sound.

The cost of the event is $20 through Dec. 31 and $25 on the day of the event. Preregistration and packet pickup will be held at Super Runners Shop in Huntington Village Dec. 30 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Maggie’s Mission will give embroidered beanie hats to the first 250 runners who register. There will be a bracelet giveaway to all participants at the finish line, and awards given to the top three finishers and masters female/male.

The Park Lounge in Kings Park will offer one free beer to runners with bib, after the race. To learn more about Maggie’s Mission visit www.maggiesmission.org or register online visit www.nrcrun.org.

DECEMBER 21, 2017 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • PAGE A9

TOWN

Photos by Kevin Redding

Families from Concern for Independent Living in Medford visit Mount Sinai High School Dec. 6 to receive dinner and gifts from Mount Sinai’s Students Against Destructive Decisions club, which donated gifts through Hauppauge-based nonprofit Christmas Magic, for which the club also raised monetary donations.

North Shore students help Hauppauge nonprofit deliver holiday cheer

BY KEVIN REDDING KEVIN@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM Just one night at Mount Sinai High School helped to make the season bright for local families in need.

For Christmas, all 6-year-old Uniqua really wanted was an Elf on the Shelf toy, a gift her mom struggled to afford. But Moniqua McGee, who lives with her daughter at Concern for Independent Living in Medford, knew she had nothing to worry about. She had Mount Sinai high schoolers to rely on.

On Dec. 6, during the Students Against Destructive Decisions club’s Christmas Magic dinner in the school’s cafeteria, a beaming Uniqua not only got her wish but two new teddy bears and holiday-themed face paint, too. She even met Santa Claus and Rudolph.

“I’m grateful they’re doing this for the families and putting smiles on the kid’s faces,” said Uniqua’s mother, who has been coming to the event the past five years. “It works every time.”

The McGees were just one of dozens of families from the Medford nonprofit enjoying the holiday spirit in the room. An 18-year partnership between the Hauppauge-based organization Christmas Magic and the SADD club, the Christmas soiree served as the ultimate payoff of a shopping spree by the students

Dec. 1. Under the supervision of SADD club advisers John Wilson and John McHugh, they spent that day rushing around Smith Haven Mall and Walmart to buy gifts for more than 60 boys and girls from Concern for Independent Living, which provides housing and employment help for struggling families, based on wish lists they wrote to Santa. The school district also raised $8,000 for Christmas Magic.

“I’m happy and proud to be part of a program and district that not only encourages, but fosters this type of activity,” McHugh said.

“The students involved display the best we have to offer … we have grown our program every year and that makes me feel great.”

With all the gifts wrapped and labeled, every kid left the dinner with at least three presents given to them by Santa, played by rosy-red-cheeked wrestling icon Mick Foley, who also posed for pictures. Christmas tunes blared through the cafeteria’s speakers as families ate chicken, pasta and desserts, and SADD club members — some dressed up in costume — went around the room with little gift bags of extra toys for attendees. Club members also played games and watched “Elf” with the kids.

“It’s so nice to be able to see all the kids here and see them get the gifts we got for them,” said Allie Garrant, an 11th-grader and SADD club member, who picked up a lacrosse stick and Rubik’s Cube for a 13-year-old boy. “Just seeing their faces — it’s a whole different thing. It’s like, ‘Wow, these are real people I’m helping’ and you get to see firsthand the difference you’re making.”

Renato Lugo, whose four children were ecstatic over their gifts, expressed his gratitude to those involved in the event.

“It’s a beautiful thing to have organizations like these that help out and take care of people in need,” said Lugo, who has been aided by Concern for Independent Living for six years. “The students bring joy and cheer and they make my kids very happy.”

His 12-year-old daughter Elena was ecstatic receiving a long-sleeve Unicorn pajama shirt from Santa.

“I think it’s really amazing I got the present I wanted,” Elena said. “And the food is amazing and everyone’s so happy. I love SADD. They’re really like another Santa.”

Kim Dellamura, who’s been at the nonprofit agency for six months, said the event allowed her 4-year-old daughter MacKenzie to have a Christmas.

“It feels good because I don’t know how much I would’ve been able to give her this year,” Dellamura said. “So this really helps out a lot. She loves it.”

For Lawrence Aurigemma, the event is a perfect reflection of what this time of year means.

“This season is all about peace and generosity,” said Aurigemma, a military veteran whose 14-year-old son received Pokemon cards.

“These students are just fantastic. They go out of their way to help out the less fortunate people here. It’s a wonderful thing. They knew exactly what to get my son … he’s so happy.”

Also at the event was Christmas Magic founder Charlie Russo and representatives of Concern for Independent Living, including case managers Ella Cantave and Julio Villar-

man, who were excited to see their clients enjoying the holidays.

“It’s a very special day for them,” Cantave said. “It took a lot of effort to make it happen and to make it nice for them.”

As everybody in the room sang “Jingle Bells,” Santa arrived and joined in. Each kid’s name was called out to sit down with the big man in the red suit.

Foley, who has been a volunteer with Christmas Magic since 2000 and officially assumed the role of Santa for the organization in 2014, said he looks forward to the event all year round.

“It’s a great organization — they spread joy and happiness to so many of the less fortunate in the community, and it’s an honor to wear the red suit and represent Christmas Magic,” Foley said before turning his attention to the SADD club. “I make it a point to thank all of them because I think it’s wonderful that they get involved in volunteer work at a young age. They do a great job and it’s really easy for me to show up and get a lot of the credit from children, but the truth is, without them, absolutely none of this is possible.”

PAGE A10 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 21, 2017

COUNTY

Photos from Errol Toulon Jr.

Suffolk County sheriff-elect, Errol Toulon Jr., above left, was a bat boy at Yankee Stadium, pictured with Yankees legend Reggie Jackson. On left, Toulon and his wife Tina.

What you may not know about the new sheriff in town

BY KEVIN REDDING KEVIN@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM On the Saturday before Easter in 2003, Suffolk County sheriff-elect, Errol Toulon Jr. (D) sat in the den of his Lake Grove home and said to God, “If you give me a chance, I’m going to do something great.”

Toulon, who had dropped from 240 pounds to about 140 and could barely walk, was recovering from a Whipple procedure to remove a cancerous tumor on his pancreas.

It had been his second battle with cancer in less than 10 years — in 1996, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma — an ordeal that was followed by MRSA, a type of staph infection, and pneumonia. Doctors and family members expected the worst.

A year later, in the spring of 2004, the Rikers Island corrections officer-turnedcaptain enrolled at Suffolk County Community College. He went on to receive his master’s degree in business administration from Dowling College and an advanced certificate in Homeland Security management from Long Island University.

In the midst of his appointment as deputy commissioner of operations for the New York City Department of Correction in 2014, Toulon pursued and completed his doctorate in educational administration and took leadership courses at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

On Dec. 4, after a last-minute campaign to be Suffolk County sheriff against opponent Larry Zacarese (R), Toulon, 55, became the first African-American elected official in a nonjudicial countywide position in Long Island’s history.

“I still don’t think I’m finished to be honest with you,” Toulon said, laughing. “I am very fortunate and I don’t take any day for granted.”

He said he didn’t even know the landmark aspect of his victory until the counting of absentee ballots was close to being completed.

The race was too close to call after Election Day Nov. 7, leaving the tightly contested election hanging for nearly a month.

“I think that can help to show that any individual, no matter what ethnicity or gender,

can achieve anything they want,” Toulon said.

“But I don’t think, necessarily, the color of my skin will matter at all. I think my work experience and work ethic will show that those who voted for me made the right choice, and I think those that didn’t vote for me will feel I can do the job and have the best interests of the people.”

Those closest to him said despite the odds stacked against him, Toulon’s win makes perfect sense.

“He’s a rare breed of person — you couldn’t ask for a better man for the position,” said Ralph Grasso, a retired New York Police Department officer and friend of Toulon’s for 26 years. “Anything he puts his mind to, he achieves.”

Grasso was far from the only colleague to heap praise on the sheriff-elect.

“Errol’s always shown through his actions how great a leader he is,” said Keith Taylor, who worked with him in the department of corrections for two years. “When it came to officers who were victims of inmate violence, he always made sure to visit them in the hospital, and always without any fanfare.

He’s dealt with a lot of adversities and always handles them with dignity, grace and strength.”

Meg Malangone, a registered Republican in Lake Grove who works in the business office at TBR News Media, said Toulon is the first Democrat she’s voted for in 40 years.

“Not only is he one of the most incredible individuals I know, I honestly felt he was the best man for the job,” said Malangone, whose son was friends with Toulon’s sons growing up. “Errol is a wonderful human being. He is a strong, kind, smart and gentle man. He is not afraid to make tough decisions and is thoughtful in his approach to problems and solutions. He is going to be a fantastic sheriff for Suffolk County.”

When he officially starts his new job in January, Toulon said he’s determined to manage the sheriff’s office effectively and utilize skills from his career in corrections to tackle what he considers “the big three”: gangs, the opioid crisis and working with the community to develop a strong re-entry program for those incarcerated to help with housing and jobs when they leave the jail.

He said outgoing Sheriff Vincent DeMarco (C) has given him a tour of the facilities, he’s met with staff and he looks forward to working collaboratively with district attorneyelect, Tim Sini (D).

“There is nobody with the type of integrity he has,” said Keith Davies, Toulon’s campaign manager, who was admittedly nervous to start a full-fledged race two months before the election with a candidate he didn’t know.

“But then I got to know Errol and I knew I was working for someone that is the right person to be in the position. He kept us motivated and working hard. He’s a good man.”

Despite his lifelong career in law enforcement, Toulon said the reason he thinks he was elected, and had such large support from community members on both sides of the aisle, can be traced to his second life as a coach of various sports in the last 20 years.

An avid hockey fan who even created a program around the sport within the corrections facility, Toulon coaches ice hockey at the Long Island Gulls Amateur Hockey Association in Jericho and served as a roller hockey coach at The Sports Arena in St. James. He has also coached baseball for the Sachem Youth Advisory Group; soccer for Middle Country Children’s Soccer league; and basketball for Middle Country.

“I’ve tried to make sure it wasn’t about winning or losing with the kids,” Toulon said.

“I thought that even the kid who probably wasn’t the best person on the team should’ve gotten an opportunity to play. We won or lost together. A lot of parents asked me to be their child’s coach each season and I felt very honored by that.”

But Toulon’s overall achievements can be traced further back to the 1960s and ’70s in the South Bronx, where he grew up with his younger brother, Anthony, and parents, Errol Sr. and Alma, and attended Cardinal Hayes High School.

“He was always a go-getter,” recalled Errol Toulon Sr., 78, a retired deputy warden of the New York City Department of Correction. “He always volunteered within the community, played baseball and just always gave it his all.

We couldn’t be prouder of him.”

Toulon’s mother, 74, who worked in edu-

cation, remembered her sons being extremely protective of her, not even letting her walk to the local tennis court by herself.

“They were like my guardian angels,” Alma Toulon said. “I’m so proud of Errol Jr. He always does anything anyone asks him to do. He is a wonderful kid … I still call him a kid, he’s 55.”

Toulon pointed to his parents, who both went back to school later in life to get their bachelor’s and master’s degrees, as his two biggest heroes, though he also credited another: Willie Randolph, the former New York Yankees second baseman and New York Mets manager. Toulon came to know Randolph well working as a bat boy for the Yankees in 1979 and 1980.

“I was a diehard Yankees fan, didn’t live too far from the stadium at the time and went for an interview in January 1979,” said Toulon, who fondly remembered being around players like Randolph, Catfish Hunter and Thurman Munson. “They all treated me like I was a valuable part of the team. And that really carried over to my own managerial style that every member of the organization — no matter where you are in the chain — is important to making the team as successful as possible.”

Toulon’s son, Justin, 28, who works in the film and television field in Georgia, called his father the hardest working and most driven person he knows and said Toulon instilled in him the importance of respect.

“I don’t think I’ve ever brought somebody to meet my father that hasn’t said afterward, ‘That’s a great guy,’” Justin Toulon said. “My dad always leaves that impression. You just respect him and he has this charming ability about him. People gravitate toward him.”

Speaking from experience on that front is Toulon’s second wife, Tina, who he met in 2014, and married a year and a half ago. His first wife, Susan, passed away 29 years into their marriage.

“I’m his No. 1 fan,” Tina Toulon said. “He just has this wonderful aura about him: that great smile and those great eyes, full of life.

He has an incredible loyalty about him and I love how he connects with people. He wants to always leave things better than how he found them … so I know he can do this job well.”

DECEMBER 21, 2017 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • PAGE A11

COUNTY

Stock photo

New Suffolk County environmental law prohibits plastic and paper bags in favor of eco-friendly reusable ones.

Survey: Shoppers still prefer plastic As of Jan. 1, shoppers will be paying for paper and plastic bags at most retail stores.

Stock photo

Paper or plastic? What to know when planning your 2018 shopping trips

BY KEVIN REDDING KEVIN@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM Suffolk County shoppers, get your nickels ready.

In an effort to encourage residents to shop with reusable bags instead of plastic and paper “carryout” bags that harm the environment, the Suffolk County Legislature is rolling out a 5 cent fee on all disposable bags at a variety of retail establishments, from supermarkets to department stores beginning Jan. 1.

The new law, which was officially passed by the Legislature in September 2016, applies only Page A14 to the single-use plastic or paper bags provided by cashiers at the end of a sale and used to carry goods from the store. There won’t be a fee, however, on bags found in produce sections for fruits and vegetables, frozen foods or on bags by pharmacies to carry prescription drugs, according to the law.

Cashiers are required to add the total fees to a customer’s receipt based on how many bags are used. Residents can avoid the fee by either buying a reusable bag — ones made of cloth or canvas, which are available in many retail stores — or shopping with a bag from home.

“Hopefully people will say ‘I’m not paying 5 cents’ and go with the other options,” said Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport), who wrote the legislation to reduce the influx of plastic bag waste that gets trapped in trees, blocks storm

Editorial comment

drains and causes significant damage to water supplies and wildlife. “We’re hoping to change behaviors. While we won’t change everyone’s, this will change a lot of people’s and that can make a big difference. I think once people start to not use the plastic bags, they’re not going to really miss them.”

Spencer’s bill began in March 2016 as a ban on all single-use plastic bags, piggybacking off an initiative adopted by the Town of Southampton, but it didn’t receive enough support. This revised bill was co-sponsored and pushed by five legislators, including Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue), Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) and Bridget Fleming (D-Sag Harbor), and 140 out of 150 residents who weighed in on the initiative during a public hearing testimony.

The legislators also worked alongside a Suffolk County plastic bag working group, which consists of local scientists, educators, environmentalists, business people and government employees.

“We have to curtail the use of plastic bags,” Krupski said. “They’re everywhere. I would encourage people not to pay the fee.

It’s all just a matter of changing your habits and keeping a shopping bag in your vehicle to have it at the ready. It’ll take time for people to get used to that, but like anything else, people will get used to it.”

A 5 cent fee on plastic and paper bags was adopted in Washington, D.C., in 2010 and the accumulated nickels have contributed a total $10 million to the Anacostia River Clean Up and Protection Fund, as of 2015.

As mandated by New York State, however, the fees collected in this bill will be retained

by the stores. Not being able to apply the collection to an environmental cause convinced a Democratic legislator not to support the law.

“That 5 cent charge should go back into the environment,” said Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai), who voted “No.” “Instead, the fees are going back into the pockets of the stores. The legislation needed work.”

Anker also said she received outcry from constituents over the concept of fees.

“A lot of the community, especially the senior population, did not want to pay extra for the plastic bags,” she said. “But I will say, plastic is a really harsh environmental pollutant.”

Spencer said he plans to revisit the legislation after a year to evaluate the financial impact it’s having and ask the state to allow funds to be used for environmental purposes.

“It would be great to do that, but only the state has that ability,” Spencer said. “The state may make that decision.”

Jay Peltz, general counsel and vice president of government relations at Food Industry Alliance, which represents 800 state supermarket chains, convenience stores and wholesalers, including Stop & Shop and King Kullen, which will be charging the fees, said it’s a current law where everybody wins.

“It will help the environment and it will help the stores,” he said. “It’s a thoughtful, productive law and is the only way to both reduce plastic bag distribution while incentivizing people to increase their use of reusable bags.”

He added that the fees may be used to help pay for higher minimum wages expected to be put in place in the coming year, but store owners are still weighing the options.

BY DESIRÉE KEEGAN DESIREE@TBRNEWSMEWSMEDIA.COM A local survey conducted shows that just 5 percent of shoppers bring reusable bags.

The finding, coming ahead of a 2018 Suffolk County law banning the free use of plastic and paper bags at a vast majority of retail stores, was concluded after students from Northport, Brentwood, Huntington, Smithtown, East Islip and North Babylon, with member of St. Joseph’s College, surveyed 11,395 shoppers in November and December, in front of grocery stores, convenience stores and a pharmacies.

The polling, organized by a countycreated task force to help educate the public about the bill, found 71 percent of individuals use plastic bags, while the balance use paper, a combination, or no bag.

The survey will be repeated next year to analyze the effect of the law on consumer behavior, according to Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

She said she hopes between 60 and 70 percent of residents are bringing reusable bags by next year.

“Reducing litter, marine pollution and saving our oceans are worth changing our habits,” Esposito said.

While plastic bags drew the ire of environmentalists and lawmakers, the law also requires stores to charge for paper bags, as well as thicker “reusable” plastic bags, to prevent stores from circumventing the law, Spencer said.

County Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport), the bill’s primary sponsor, said county residents should contact his office at 631-854-4500 for a reusable bag, especially if you cannot afford one.

“If you need a reusable bag, come see me,” Spencer said, adding he bought 1,000 reusable bags to give away.

PAGE A12 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 21, 2017

SCHOOL NEWS

Harbor Country Day School

Giving toys for tots

United States Marines from the 6th Communications Battalion, Alpha Company, in Farmingdale visited Harbor Country Day School in St. James Dec. 13 to collect thousands of toys donated to the Suffolk County Toys for Tots program.

The toys were donated by Harbor Day students, as well as members of the surrounding community. In addition to collecting toys from its own students, the school serves as a drop-off location for the community.

Harbor Day has contributed to the Toys for Tots drive since 1998, when former school employee Mike Guido instituted the program. Now retired, Guido directs the delivery of toys from various sites throughout Smithtown to Harbor Country Day and other drop-off locations.

The John W. Cooke VFW Post 395 of St. James, of which Guido is a member, contributes funds every year to the school’s toy drive.

Students then use those funds to purchase additional toys for the drive.

Photo from Harbor Country Day School

Smithtown Central School District

Depicting peace

Three students from Smithtown Central School District have been named winners in the annual 2018 Shanti Peace art calendar contest.

From left, Kayla Pardini, a fifth-grader from Smithtown Elementary School, was selected as a winner and will be presented with $501.

Nesaquake Middle School sixth-grader Juliana Paparella, pictured center with art teacher Barbara DiSalvo, was named a winner and will receive $601. Smithtown High School East senior Ilysa Sirota, pictured at far right with teacher Timothy Needles, received $1,201.

The Shanti Fund is a charitable group dedicated to promoting Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals and his philosophy of peace. The Smithtown students’ artwork will appear in the 2018 calendar.

Photos from Smithtown school district

Accompsett Elementary School

Smithtown Central School District

Photo from Smithtown school district

Getting in the zone

Four Smithtown Central School District students were presented with the New York State Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Suffolk Zone Award. From Smithtown High School East, students Matt Cohen and Katelyn McGuigan were recognized. Smithtown High School West receipients were Perri Allen

Photos from Smithtown school district

and Tim Nagosky.

At the awards ceremony Dec. 6, the four student-athletes were presented with certificates and gold medals recognizing their outstanding achievement as physical education students, scholars and citizens.

Pictured above, from left, are Cohen, Nagosky, Allen and McGuigan.

Tech-savvy students

For the third year, students at Accompsett Elementary School in the Smithtown Central School District participated in the Hour of Code from Dec. 4 to Dec. 10.

During Computer Science Education Week, all students spent one hour learning the basics of computer programming. Since

technology is increasingly shaping every aspect of life, the Hour of Code helps to teach foundational 21st-century learning skills.

The Accompsett TECHKNOW Kids Club made a special visit to the computer lab during the week to help students crack the code with both plugged and unplugged activities.

DECEMBER 21, 2017 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • PAGE A13

SPORTS

Photos by Bill Landon

Clockwise from above, Alex Zampierno reaches under the rim; Joe Neto goes up for a layup and Mike Makowski shoots from outside during Smithtown East’s win over Centereach Dec. 19.

Joe Neto nets 19 points, five 3s in East’s win

BY BILL LANDON Smithtown East senior Joe Neto has a sweet outside shot.

The guard finished with five 3-pointers and a commanding 19 points to lead the Bulls over the visiting Centereach Cougars in a 54-36 League III opener Dec. 19.

The Cougars were able to pull as close as within five points late in the fourth quarter, but a 14-9 fourth quarter sealed the deal.

Smithtown 54 Centereach 36

battling in the paint for each point. When he didn’t score, he drew a foul and made his time at the charity stripe count. He finished with a team-high seven points in the third to Witherspoon’s eight.

“When he got the ball he was making strong moves, and finishing,” said Smithtown East head coach Keith Reyling. “It wasn’t pretty, so even if we don’t play our best game we can still be successful. Sometimes we don’t play the game like we practiced, and we go off script a little bit and that’s

when things get away from us.”

Smithtown East opened the final quarter with a 13-point lead and again Neto swished his final 3-pointer of the game. Zampieron followed Neto with nine points in the win, and junior Chris Goria tacked on six.

Witherspoon topped Centereach’s scoring chart with 16 points. Next in line was sophomore Matt Robbert with five.

Smithtown East travels to take on Copiague, today, Dec. 21. Tipoff was scheduled for 4 p.m. as of press time.

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“They were putting a little more pressure on me, forcing the ball out of my hands, but in the second half our spacing was great, our pace was great and everyone was moving the ball really well,” Neto said. “We found the open guy — we made a bunch of open shots and we made our layups.”

With 5:25 left in the first half, Neto hit back-to-back triples to put his team out front 21-7. Centereach called timeout, and made a defensive adjustment out of the huddle that helped the Cougars hold Smithtown East scoreless until the final second before the break, when Neto launched his second nearly half-court shot of the game for his fourth 3-pointer to that point. Smithtown East held a 10-point advantage, 24-14, heading into the locker room.

Centereach head coach Ed Miller said the guarded effort wasn’t what he expected.

“We actually just kind of woke up and started playing the defense we should have been playing,” Miller said. “We made a couple of adjustments where we should have been, positionwise, and the kids followed through on it.”

Three minutes into the third quarter Centereach senior Chris Witherspoon hit a field goal and a pair of treys to close the gap to six points. Smithtown East retook to the court following an immediate timeout call, and with a different offensive look.

Then 6-foot, 3-inch senior Alex Zampieron got the call, grabbing low passes and

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PAGE A14 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 21, 2017

OPINION Editorial

Letters to the editor

Zeldin: Why I voted ‘No’ on the tax bill

File photo

There will be a 5 cent charge for each plastic or paper bag used at many local stores beginning Jan. 1.

Bag fees should foster forward thinking A survey conducted ahead of the passage of Suffolk County’s new environmental law banning plastic and paper bags from convenience, grocery, liquor, office supply, clothing and home center stores yielded a large figure — 70 percent of 11,395 people asked said they use only plastic bags to carry their groceries and shopping items.

The questionnaire, conducted by a group of 85 high school students and 15 teachers from seven Suffolk County school districts and St. Joseph’s College is not surprising, but should be an eye-opener to the future health of our environment. More can and needs to be done.

Suffolk County’s ban will take effect Jan. 1. While shoppers should be prepared to reach a little deeper into their pockets to afford the nickel-per-bag charge to be able to pack with store-provided plastic or paper, they should also think long and hard about the environmental impact of their choices.

We encourage residents to bring their own bags when shopping, be it reusable bags or leftover plastic, but we’d also encourage New York State to get behind an even bigger eco-friendly cause. While we support the bag ban, what we don’t support is the fee funds going back to retailers.

To help promote the use of the reusable bags, the money could be used to purchase and distribute more reusable bags. If not, the 5 cents per bag fee should be deposited into a county general fund designated for environmental improvement efforts, be it open-space preservation, the cleaning of a park or protecting drinking water.

If the money generated isn’t going into a government-held account, we’d also suggest pooling the money into donations to national nonprofits like the Sierra Club, or even local ones like Defend H2O, Seatuck Environmental Association, Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail or Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society — or any other organization with environmental preservation as its mission.

We hope the result of this law is not that consumers simply get comfortable with paying the extra money, like many have with the 5 cent deposits on bottles and cans. Instead, we hope the result is a conscious, purposeful effort on the part of shoppers to use less paper and plastic, and the county’s leadership in putting the extra money to good use would set a great example.

Letters … We welcome your letters. They should be no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style and good taste.

We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include a phone number and address for confirmation. Email sara@tbrnewsmedia.com or mail them to The Times of Smithtown, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733.

I am a “No” on the final tax reform bill. Getting this bill done and getting this bill done right should not have been a binary choice. My goal in this tax reform mission has always been to ensure that the hardworking men and women of Long Island keep more of their paychecks, reduce their cost of living and remain able to save more for retirement.

Unfortunately, this bill is not the tax relief they were promised.

I like many aspects of this final agreement, including the expansion of the medical expense deduction, preservation of critical education and student deductions and strong corporate tax reform that will stimulate job creation and make America more competitive in the global economy. Reducing the corporate tax rate to 21 percent, for example, is great; but it should not be done on the backs of any hardworking, middle-income taxpayers. I still don’t understand why spending cuts couldn’t have been used as a more responsible way to pay for tax cuts.

On balance, this bill remains a geographic redistribution of wealth, taking extra money from a place like New York to pay for deeper tax cuts elsewhere. New York is a net contributor that now

File photo by Alex Petroski

U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, at center, with U.S. Reps. Peter King and Tom Suozzi voice bipartisan opposition to the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. will be contributing even more.

This bill chooses winners and losers in a way that could have and should have been avoided.

While adding back in the state and local tax (SALT) deduction to a $10,000 cap was progress, it was not enough progress. While I support fully maintaining the SALT deduction, a better policy if a change was to be made would have been a phasedown of SALT over a period of time to a level that fully protects middle-income itemizers. With that being said, we must realize that our deduction is so high because our state and local taxes are so high, which means that all levels of govern-

ment must work on tax relief moving forward.

I wish I could get to a “Yes” on this bill, but when it comes to my district and my state, this proposal leaves too many of them out in the cold.

There was a massive missed opportunity here to fix this bill for millions of Americans who also desperately needed tax relief and ended up getting screwed by the handicap of rigid ideological blinders and a countdown clock that really wasn’t yet at zero.

Lee Zeldin U.S. Representative 1st Legislative District

Image by Campani and Schwarting Architects

A digitally altered image of what the exit ramp could look like at the intersection of Barnum Avenue and West Broadway in Port Jefferson.

A simple change can make it safe We see they made some traffic signal changes at Barnum Avenue and West Broadway. That might not be sufficient.

We believe that there is a simple solution that we have presented to Port Jefferson Village: narrowing the exit from the ramp, so that it does not align with the Barnum lane running north would make it almost impossible to turn into it.

It is pedestrian friendly, would not be very expensive and would add to the visual quality of the intersection. Of course, the phase of our park plan in the Waterfront Revitalization Project that is in the Comprehensive Plan is best all around, although it hasn’t yet come to fruition. It relocates the ramp, which was incorrectly constructed, to be more efficient;

relocates 135 parking spaces to create park space in the Town of Brookhaven lot without reducing the trailer spaces; and enhances the visual quality of this area with trees and better lighting.

Michael Schwarting and Frances Campani Campani and Schwarting Architects Port Jefferson

Get into the mix. Participate in our reader forums @ www.tbrnewsmedia.com

DECEMBER 21, 2017 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • PAGE A15

OPINION

In a diner with Carole King, Evan Hansen and Luke Skywalker

T

his year I enjoyed “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” and “Dear Evan Hansen” on Broadway; and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” movie sequel.

As the year comes to a close, I can’t help imagining a conversation in a diner among the central characters.

Evan Hansen: “Hey, you want to sign my cast?”

Luke Skywalker: “What?”

Evan Hansen: “No, forget it. I was just, nothing.

You were saying?”

Carole King: “No, you asked if we wanted to sign your cast, right?”

Hansen:

By Daniel Dunaief “No,Evan well, I don’t know. Maybe.”

Luke Skywalker: “What happened to your arm?”

Evan Hansen: “It’s a long story. It’s OK. I don’t even have a pen.”

Luke Skywalker: “Oh, you feel bad about your arm, which is going to heal.

D. None of the above

How do you think I feel? My father and I got into a battle a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away and this is what happened.”

Evan Hansen: “Wow, that’s a scary fake hand. You win.”

Carole King: “You both have scars.

We all do, right? My parents divorced.”

Evan Hansen: “My dad left when I was young.”

Luke Skywalker: “Oh, so sorry for you. When I was born, I had to be hidden from my father, who was angry and moody and wore a mask and wanted to kill me.”

Evan Hansen: “Aren’t you supposed to be a Jedi Master now? Why do you seem so angry and annoyed all the time?”

Luke Skywalker: “I am a Jedi Master.”

Evan Hansen: “Oh, right. So, how come you don’t sound cool and wise?”

Luke Skywalker: “It’s just that I have low blood sugar and I haven’t eaten in a while and I’m not sure what to order.”

Yoda: “Hmmm, not know what to order, do you?”

Carole King: “Wow, you’re from far away, aren’t you?”

Yoda: “Say that, you could.”

Luke Skywalker: “Master Yoda. I’m so hungry and I’m not sure whether to get the burger or the salad.”

Evan Hansen: “You’re glowing, Yoda.”

Yoda: “When 900 years old, and dead, you are, this good will you not look.”

Luke Skywalker: “Master Yoda.

What should I do?”

Yoda: “Order the salad, would I. Delicious it looks. Leave you, I must.”

Luke Skywalker: “Wait, but what should I get to drink?”

Evan Hansen: “For a Jedi Master, you often seem to need Yoda or ObiWan to give you advice. Can’t you make your own decisions?”

Carole King: “Listen, Evan, Luke here knows he has glowing friends who come running to see him again whenever he calls their name.”

Evan Hansen: “They come whenever you need them? That’s cool.”

Luke Skywalker: “Yeah, I guess, but I’ve been trying to spend time on my own, far away from all the ‘saving the galaxy’ responsibilities. There always seems to be another Death Star or some

young person with the ability to move rocks with his or her mind who needs guidance.”

Evan Hansen: “I’m the opposite. I’m trying to help save other people to get away from my loneliness. High school is tough.”

Carole King: “You got romantic issues, too, Evan, don’t you?”

Evan Hansen: “No, of course not, why do you say that?”

Carole King: “I can tell you feel the earth move under your feet.”

Evan Hansen: “Do you have a song for everything?”

Carole King: “Well, pretty much.”

Luke Skywalker: “Yeah, don’t challenge her. The number of songs she’s written far exceeds the number of ‘Star Wars’ sequels.”

Evan Hansen: “That is a lot. Does that include the one-off movies?”

Luke Skywalker: “Yes.” Evan Hansen: “Does she know anything about trying to stop faking things?”

Luke Skywalker: “Yes, and it’s not too late, baby, to learn from her.”

Whisper network that warned becomes social network that shames

A

s 2017 comes to a close, it is not an overstatement to say that this year we have lived through a revolution. And it is a revolution that is just beginning. Millions of women, drawn by the hashtag #MeToo, have come forth to put their experiences with sexual harassment, assault and rape on the record. Some men also have revealed similar heartbreaking stories of sexual predators that altered their lives.

It is as if an enormous dam has

By Leah S. Dunaief broken with the gut-wrenching descriptions pouring out unendingly, toppling icons of power like bowling pins. Just as Betty Friedan started the revolution we call the women’s liberation movement, so this avalanche of sordid encounters that began with revelations about Hollywood mogul

Between you and me

Harvey Weinstein has touched off a revolution but of a much faster pace than the one 50 years or so ago. Social media has helped connect these victims and carry the torch of outrage.

I suppose from the earliest times when men and women have walked the earth, there have been sexual predators. Mostly the predators have been men who were able to exact what they wanted from vulnerable women who needed their protection and support, perhaps for such basics as food, clothing and shelter for themselves and their children. Once women entered the workplace in large numbers, they were often assigned to male supervisors who could advance or block their careers or even take away their jobs.

Those jobs could be in Hollywood, in TV journalism, in large and small offices, in hotels, in politics, in academia, in short anywhere that there might be an imbalance of power leaving one employee vulnerable. What’s different now?

The whisper network that warned has become a social network that shames.

Time magazine named the Silence Breakers as 2017 Person of the Year.

TIMES BEACON RECORD NEWS MEDIA We welcome letters, photographs, comments and story ideas.

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The hashtag, #MeToo, will go down in history although the movement’s founder, Tarana Burke, was not featured on the cover. Instead the group photo comprised actress Ashley Judd, former Uber engineer Susan Fowler, Visa lobbyist Adama Iwu, songstress Taylor Swift and Isabel Pascual, a Mexican strawberry picker who asked to use a pseudonym to protect her family, according to Time. They might have been anyone on the cover, although the famous attract more attention, from the doctoral candidate at a prestigious university who refused her professor’s advances and consequently was denied her degree, to the housekeeper in a hotel who goes about cleaning the bathtubs but never knows when she might be cornered by a guest or supervisor demanding sexual favors.

The first time I personally knew anyone who had been a sexual victim was in college. A close friend was talking about her affair with a professor and was overheard by another student who was having the same experience. The unlikely encounter and some quick conversation revealed the same professor

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Leah S. Dunaief GENERAL MANAGER Johness Kuisel MANAGING EDITOR Desirée Keegan EDITOR Sara-Megan Walsh

LEISURE EDITOR Heidi Sutton SPORTS EDITOR Desirée Keegan ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Kathryn Mandracchia DIR. OF MEDIA PRODUCTIONS Michael Tessler

was bedding both women. In a rage, my friend confronted her lover with the words, “You are sick!”

But was he sick? Or was he just acting out the culture in which he had been raised? As Time magazine wrote, “It wasn’t so long ago that the boss chasing his secretary around the desk was a comic trope, a staple from vaudeville to prime-time sitcoms.” Cultures are all pervasive, and where they are not confronted by conscience or mob outrage, they continue.

On the eve of the holidays, let’s focus on a short but delightful segment from the “PBS News Hour” Tuesday night.

Women confide to sometimes feeling taken advantage of financially when bringing cars to be repaired, knowing so little about the way cars work. One woman felt tired of feeling a victim, quit her job as an engineer, went to auto-mechanic school and opened up what appears to be the nation’s first all-female auto-repair shop in California. It seems to be a great success. Best of all, she no longer feels a victim. There is a moral here.

Happy and healthy holidays to you and yours!

ART AND PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Beth Heller Mason INTERNET STRATEGY DIRECTOR Rob Alfano CLASSIFIEDS DIRECTOR Ellen Segal

BUSINESS MANAGER Sandi Gross CREDIT MANAGER Diane Wattecamps CIRCULATION MANAGER Courtney Biondo

PAGE A16 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 21, 2017

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