The TIMES CO M PL E T E
of Smithtown
Volume 28, No. 43
Specializ
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Holiday Memories
also: ‘Star Wars: The Force awakens’ review, ‘In the Heart of the Sea’ in Cold Spring Harbor, Wildlife artist Roger Kramer
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New smile coming to Hauppauge Photo from amy epstein
leon klempner poses with Dunia Sibomana in front of the christmas tree. the boy is staying with his host family in hauppauge and attending school there. By elana glowatz
Hahn named leader of county’s majority
North Shore legislator assumes role as Democrats’ leader in Legislature
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The last two years have been rough for Dunia Sibomana, but now that he has been brought to the United States for reconstructive surgery, everything could change. Since the 8-year-old was disfigured in a chim-
panzee attack — the same one that killed his younger brother — he had stopped going to school because the other children in his native Congo ridiculed him. And being extremely poor, he came to America weighing only 40-something pounds, although
the typical weight for a boy his age is almost double that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite all he has gone through, volunteers from the Smile Rescue Fund for Kids said Dunia is still a sweet kid. That group, founded by
Poquott resident Dr. Leon Klempner, who until recently was an orthodontist based in Port Jefferson, is hosting Dunia on Long Island and will care for him through a series of surgeries to reconstruct his lips and cheek. Klempner started his nonprofit organization a
few years ago to care for kids with severe facial deformities who are often ignored by similar groups that repair simpler issues like cleft lips. Dunia lost both his lips and has scarring on his cheeks after the chimpanzee attack two years SMILe continued on page a10
Smithtown residents to receive bigger tax rebates By phil corSo
Smithtown homeowners are slated to receive more hefty state tax rebate checks this year, thanks to a healthy report from the state comptroller, the town said this week. The New York State Deputy Comptroller Division of Local Government and School Accountability sent a notice to the Town of Smithtown on Dec. 10 outlining that the town’s tax levy limit and tax levy for the fiscal year ending in 2016 was reviewed with “no findings.” This meant that the Smithtown residents could expect
a state tax rebate check more than double the amount of last year’s amount of $173, Supervisor Pat Vecchio (R) said in a statement. These rebate checks are made available to residents who also qualify for the state’s STAR exemptions — which includes roughly 31,734 homes in the town, Vecchio said. “Irrespective of the debate on whether tax incentives stimulate the economy, one thing I know for sure is that had we not complied with the tax cap requirements, nearly $14 million of money from TaX continued on page a11
Photo by Phil Corso
Homeowners living in Smithtown should expect their tax rebate checks to be more than double the amount sent last year, officials say.