SUFFOLK CELEBRATES
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Photo Credit: Alicia F Kennedy-Palifka
JODI GIGLIO WITH WWII VETERAN BOB LEVY
BY STEFAN MYCHAJLIW
ByStefanMychajliw
Oh, how the mighty national media builds and props up political candidates, then mercilessly tears them down and turns on them on a dime.
No one knows that lesson better than President Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr.
Up until his disastrous debate performance against President Donald J. Trump, a complicit and left-leaning media shielded the current commander in chief from criticisms that he’s mentally unfit to serve.
Level-headed Suffolk County families knew it, especially those with loved ones suffering from dreadful and debilitating diseases like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's. Jill Biden knows it. She’s committing elder abuse by pushing her husband so hard to run.
When President Biden fumbled his words, fell, or completely embarrassed himself on a global stage by being completely out of it, the national media spit back left-wing talking points that Conservative critics manipulated video to make President Biden look bad.
Cheap fakes is what
Democratic spinmeisters spun to a complicit left-wing press corp.
They almost got away with it.
The serious issue of President Biden’s mental state goes way deeper than the well know, faithbased proverb (always attributed to Mark Twain or Abraham Lincoln) that “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”
This is far more serious foolishness. “It” is about propping up and abusing an elderly man who should be getting roundthe-clock care in a nursing home.
During his debate with President Trump, President Biden spoke and removed all doubt to the American people that the media can’t cover for any longer: He suffers from a serious disease and belongs in an assisted living facility, most certainly not the White House.
Biden’s own cognitive decline shook the nation and world to its core. The media’s fangs were out in full force right after. This had more to do with selfpreservation than wanting to report what people saw with their own eyes. The emperor had no clothes. They could no longer cover for him, literally
The Media and Meathead Throw Biden Under the Bus
and figuratively, in the hours, days, and weeks after the debate.
Democratic politicians and even Hollywood elitists are now piling on, calling for President Biden to step aside as the Democratic Party’s nominee for president.
“It’s time for Joe Biden to step down,” wrote left-wing actor and director Rob Reiner.
You know it’s bad when “Meathead” from the Archie Bunker show is throwing you under the bus.
Don’t be fooled by the sudden change of heart by the way. There’s no question in my mind “this” was orchestrated to remove President Biden from the ballot to replace him with some other Democrat not named
“RFK.” Why else would Biden’s team and media push so hard for a presidential debate long before either candidate even earned the nomination prior to their respective conventions?
An even scarier point to ponder: If President Biden isn’t mentally fit to run for president, then he most certainly isn’t mentally fit to be the president.
Long Islanders Celebrate the Nation’s Independence
ByRobertChartuk
July Fourth was a patriotic day across Long Island as numerous communities hosted parades and other events to mark the nation’s independence. American flags popped up everywhere, and fireworks boomed as residents, many garbed in red, white, and blue, celebrated the historic day.
The national holiday recognizes the brave deed of 56 delegates to the Second Continental Congress who voted to approve the Declaration of Independence from Britain on July 4, 1776. Representing the 13 original colonies, they signed the document founding the United States at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, later renamed Independence Hall.
It took a seven-year revolutionary war to force Britain to recognize the new nation as "free and independent States.” The Battle of Long Island emerged as a key event in the war as it allowed General George Washington to reassemble his troops for future victories against the British redcoats.
Future President John Adams set forth the tradition of fireworks heralding the holiday, writing: “It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”
Photo Credit: CNN
Photo Credit: South Shore Press "Lady Liberty" celebrates the Fourth of July.
President Biden at a Wisconsin rally
LOCAL
ByTomBartonandStefan Mychajliw
Passionate Patriots Celebrate Independence Day in Rocky Point
Plenty of North Shore patriots gathered on Independence Day outside VFW Post 6249 in Rocky Point to celebrate the forming of our new nation and the end of King George's rule almost 250 years ago.
The festivities began with Gary Pollakusky, Rocky Point Sound Beach Chamber of Commerce President, walking up the steps of a massive military truck to welcome the crowd.
The blare of a trumpet kicked off the festivities, with VFW Commander Joe Cognitore telling the crowd to "remove their cover" during the playing of the National Anthem.
The assembled crowd, adorned in parts of their military uniforms and red, white and blue attire stood tall with the utmost respect.
As World War II veteran Bob Levy took the microphone, he immediately captivated the crowd. He began with "I often get asked at 97 years old what do you think about. Well, I tell them I think about 98."
A natural with the microphone, there was quickly no doubt why this member of the Greatest Generation was chosen
to talk about America's history. The World War II veteran took the audience through a revolutionary history leading up to the signing of that most important document.
Maureen O'Keefe and her "Revolutionaries" were adorned in their best colonial outfits, which gave the event a unique and interesting feel for every onlooker. As the Declaration of Independence was recited by numerous readers, the crowd felt the power of each word from that historical document that served as the birth of our constitutional republic.
From New York State Assemblywoman Jodi Gilgio, to Charles Bevington, from the Rocky Point Historical Society, to the children in attendance, every attendee was fixated on the readings and captivated by the occasion.
The feeling of patriotic pride continues long after the Fourth of July celebration, as the streets of Rocky Point are lined with tributes to veterans up and down the downtown area.
Nich Parhar, Gary Suzik, Daniel Guida, and Patrick Biglin are only some of the names who made the Rocky Point event as special as it was.
Photo Credit: Alicia F Kennedy-Palifka
LOCAL
ByRobertChartuk
Patriotic Day in Patchogue
It was a patriotic day in Patchogue as the village celebrated July Fourth with a parade down Main Street. A number of local organizations and elected officials participated in the red, white, and blue event, including County Executive Ed Romaine, Congressman Andrew Garbarino, Senator Dean Murray, Assemblymen Joe DeStefano and Jarett Gandolfo, Suffolk Legislator Dominick Thorne, Brookhaven Councilman Neil Foley, Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri, and Trustee Jack Krieger.
July Fourth Crowd Drawn to Bellport
ByRobertChartuk
The 66th Annual Artists on the Lane exhibit took place on July Fourth in Bellport. Sponsored by the South Bay Art Association, the event featured local artists working in many different mediums. The Association was founded in 1956 as a not-for-profit organization to encourage the education, creation, and appreciation of the arts. They host and participate in a number of community events to support local artistic talent, as well as work with other local groups to expand art
education and issues that affect the surrounding communities.
“Our vision is to create a welcoming environment for all creatives, of all skill sets, that celebrates our community and continuing education of the visual arts,” explained President Jacquline Dupre.
The Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society also took the occasion to host its annual Antiques Show on the Lawn at the Post-Crowell House. Many items from the area’s rich historical heritage were on display.
Photo Credit: Robert Chartuk
ByStefanMychajliw
Patchogue Ambulance Company Celebrates 90 Years of Service
The Patchogue Ambulance Company celebrated its 90th anniversary with a gala dinner at Villa Lombardi's in Holbrook.
“Their longevity and success is a testament to their dedication and service,” said Suffolk County
Legislator Dominick Thorne.
The year was 1934 when a small group of firefighters from the Patchogue Fire Department decided to start a separate ambulance company. The decision to form this ambulance service was solidified following a
massive accident at an industrial mill.
“Thank you to the membership for their hard work and dedication,” said New York State
Assemblyman Joe DeStefano.
The Patchogue Ambulance Company responds to more than 3,400 emergency calls per year.
$147 Million Investment in Brookhaven Becomes Reality
ByStefanMychajliw
A $147 million investment in Farmingville has come to fruition, as “The Arboretum” high-end apartments are now open. Local, county, and state leaders gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the 62acre complex on Horseblock Road.
“Successful developments are a collaborative process between the Town, the developer, and the community to produce a positive product that raises the community. The Arboretum was a long time in the making, with many stakeholders, and turned out to be an absolutely beautiful property,” said Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico.
The Arboretum consists of a wide range of living possibilities and boasts of
having “flats, lofts, townhomes with backyards, and detached residences with private entries.”
“While this project took a lot of work to put together it was a great example of how the community, the town and a developer can come
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together and bring positive development to an area,” said Town of Brookhaven Clerk Kevin LaValle, who was the 3rd District Councilman when the project was first proposed.
Local leaders also publicly praised the Farmingville Residents Association, Farmingville Hills Chamber of Commerce, Farmingville Historical Society, and Michael Kelly of Kelly Development Group for working collaboratively with the Town of Brookhaven to turn the dream of this almost $150 million investment into a reality.
Also on hand for the ceremonial ribbon cutting were Brookhaven Councilman Neil Foley, Councilman Neil Manzella, and Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa.
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90th anniversary gala dinner at Villa Lombardi's in Holbrook.
90th anniversary gala dinner at Villa Lombardi's in Holbrook.
Photo Credit: Town of Brookhaven
Photo Credit: Town of Brookhaven
The Arboretum at Farmingville on Horseblock Road.
The Arboretum at Farmingville on Horseblock Road.
Center Moriches Diner Celebrates 100 Years
ByRobertChartuk
Calvin Coolidge was president when the diner on Main Street in Center Moriches served its first customer and now, 100 years later, they’re still going strong with great food and a loyal fan base.
“They are like family here, they treat you well,” said Jeanette Zorn of Ronkonkoma, who's been coming to the diner, now known as the Country Cottage, since the 1960s. “You have homestyle cooking, a small town feel; you feel the love when you come in. They have the biggest smiles, their smiles are like hugs.”
Zorn is doted on by waitress Jillian Vigliarolo, who's been taking care of customers for 25 years.
“Jillian has been here through three different owners; she’s an icon in this community,” said her coworker, Amy Weinhauer. “I’ve been here for eight years and l see how the people adore her. They literally come here to see her. She brightens their day,” Weinhauer said of her friend, a longtime Center Moriches resident.
“We’ve been coming here for years,” said Lorraine Moralaldo of Speonk. “It’s our favorite place to eat.” She was enjoying lunch with Anthony DeMaio, who also traveled
to the eatery from Speonk. “We love the people, the food, the service. It’s a great hometown diner,” he said.
The owner, Jack Schwartz, a former Manhattan business owner, bought the diner 13 years ago. “I came here pretty much because of the staff, and the customers,” Schwartz said. “Everyone is a pleasure to be around.” He’s known Weinhauer for years, who came with him from a previous restaurant he owned. “It’s a fabulous place to serve people and be part of a community,” said Weinhauer, a resident of Selden. “Being here is like hardly working at all.”
Thumb through the “Illustrated History of the Moriches Bay Area” by Van and Mary Field and you’ll know how Main Street has changed over the years. Look out from your seat at the Country Cottage and you’ll no longer see the Carr Block at the corner of Railroad Avenue, which is now the fire department parking lot. CVS is where the Bohack supermarket used to be and the library was the A&P. The Sea Cove was the Sunrise Restaurant; Studio Tan was Slater’s Drug Store.
According to the Fields, the owner of the nearby City Department Store, Morris Borok,
located a factory-made diner next to his store in 1924. Through all the changes, the diner on Main Street, a favorite of people far and wide, still stands.
A Main Street fixture all these years, the diner has been a convenient meeting place for local officials, including Brookhaven Supervisors Ed Romaine and Dan Panico, both Center Moriches residents. Incredibly, the little hamlet has been the home of a number of town supervisors who certainly visited their local diner: Gus Stout, Percy Raynor, Claude Neville, and John Scudder. Before the Sunrise Highway was built, the Long Island Expressway, the Moriches Bypass, the only route east, Montauk Highway, passed by the esteemed diner. History only knows what celebrities and VIPs
and customers are
Off-Duty Cop Saves East Patchogue Fisherman in Ocean Rescue
ByStefanMychajliw
An East Patchogue fisherman is alive thanks to an off-duty Suffolk County Police Officer who happened to hear a frantic mayday call in the Atlantic Ocean.
66-year-old Norman Orsinger was fishing 80 miles southeast of the Shinnecock Inlet when his legs were sliced badly by fishing hooks while trying to catch a yellowfin tuna.
With both of Orsinger’s legs bleeding badly, a marine distress call was sent seeking emergency assistance. Thankfully off-duty Suffolk County Police Second Precinct Officer William Parmenter was fishing nearby and heard the Mayday.
Even more helpful is that Officer Parmenter is also a paramedic. He quickly found the boat with the
fisherman in distress, boarded it with a trauma kit, applied tourniquets to both legs and contacted the United States Coast Guard and the Suffolk County Police Department Aviation Section.
A Coast Guard helicopter
William Floyd Graduates to Serve Our Great Nation
ByStefanMychajliw
Three Navy-bound William Floyd High School graduates have earned a prestigious one-year Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) scholarship.
If 2024 graduates Sanaya Spruell and Matthew Campos complete this one-year scholarship program, they will then receive four-year NROTC scholarships where they receive full tuition, stipend for books, educational fees and other financial benefits at their selected college or university.
If Spruell and Campos decide to pursue a lengthier career in the Navy and graduate from that fouryear ROTC program, they will receive an officer’s commission as midshipmen.
Ms. Spruell will attend Fordham University this fall and will pursue a
major in political science. She is also joining Fordham’s pre-law program with a career goal of service in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) unit.
Matthew will attend Norwich University in Vermont and will play football for the Cadets.
William Floyd High School
senior Geneva Smith had previously been selected to receive a full four-year Naval Reserve Officers Training scholarship. Ms. Smith will attend Jacksonville University
met the boat in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 20 miles south of Hampton Bays and airlifted Orsinger to Long Island MacArthur Airport. Orsinger was then transported to Stony Brook University Hospital by Suffolk County Police helicopter where he was treated and released.
this fall where she will major in mechanical engineering and minor in naval science.
After college graduation, Geneva will be commissioned into the US Navy as an officer. She hopes to become a pilot.
At William Floyd High School, Ms. Smith had the honor of being the only cadet to represent the northeast region during the Women in Aviation International (WAI) conference in Florida this past year.
She was also second in command within her squadron, cadet advisory council and in her Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) career at William Floyd. She was also the only cadet in the unit selected for the Leadership Academy and Sail Training. Geneva was also a member of the Civil Air Patrol for the past five years.
dropped in for a quick bite. It’s a Sunday morning at the Country Cottage
streaming in. Sit at a table or grab a stool at the counter; there’s plenty of room for all.
Photo Credit: Illustrated History of the Moriches Bay Area
Photo Credit: Robert Chartuk
Photo Credit: WFHS
NROTC scholarship recipient Geneva Smith (third from left) and NROTC preparatory scholarship recipients Matthew Campos and Sanaya Spruell, with WFHS Principal Philip Scotto; Senior Chief Andrew DiDonato, William Floyd NJROTC; and Ensign Jessica Mele, U.S. Navy
The Country Cottage when it was John’s Diner in the 1940s.
Country Cottage owner Jack Schwartz is joined by waitresses Amy Weinhauer, left, and Jillian Vigliarolo.
Photo Credit: SCPD
Officer William Parmenter saves fisherman Norman Orsinger.
ByRobertChartuk
Army Corps to Raise Mastic Beach Homes
Officials with the Army Corps of Engineers were on the Mastic Peninsula to discuss a federal program to raise homes in areas prone to flooding. They met with local officials and residents on Riviera Drive in Mastic Beach, a low-elevation area hard-hit by Superstorm Sandy and a pair of late winter nor’easters.
Funding will come through the $2.4 billion Fire Island to Montauk Project (FIMP), a farreaching plan dating back to 1960 that was designed to protect coastal communities.
“These elevations will be 100% federally funded and will be a lifeboat of sorts to many people in the area that may be priced out of their homes by rapidly increasing flood insurance premiums,” said Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico, who
noted that there will be a number of upcoming public meetings on the plan and the details to follow, and those dates will be widely publicized.
A FIMP study identified 3,675 structures in the 10year floodplain as potentially eligible for elevation, noted Army Corps spokesman James D’Ambrosio. Of these, 245 structures are in a pilot area where 50 homes will be raised by the government. Homeowners can choose to participate if their home is identified in the 10year floodplain and not already elevated, D’Ambrosio said.
Residents expressed concern over funds being available for necessary plumbing and relocation while their homes were being worked on, an issue Senator Chuck Schumer is said to be working on.
Frank Fugarino, president of the Pattersquash Creek Civic Association, said the community has been waiting 14 years for the program to get off the ground.
“This is a huge project that involves all kinds of planning and all kinds of contracting,” he
Suffolk to Target Illegal Weed Shops
ByRobertChartuk
Following their success in cracking down on shops making illegal vape sales, Suffolk officials are looking to go after rogue cannabis operations. The crackdown is necessitated by New York’s botched rollout of legal weed, allowing stores without state licenses to pop up across Long Island.
State legislation passed in June gives the county the authority to move on about a dozen illegal shops identified by Suffolk officials. The problem is not as acute as in New York City, where hundreds of legal pot distributors are in operation. The situation draws local concern over the safety of the illegal products offered to the public and the inability of the government to collect taxes on the sales.
“They have been slow to roll out the program, and most of the people that are selling cannabis are unlicensed,” said County Executive Ed Romaine. “Which
means that you don't know what you're getting in that, whether it's unadulterated cannabis or it's mixed with other things,” he said, expressing concern over the fentanyl epidemic and the minuscule amount it takes to kill someone. “Whether you agree with having legal marijuana or not, the state decided that you could do it for recreational purposes. Ok. But it must be done only from licensed dealers.”
“The cannabis rollout was so terrible, and it was so out of control with the illegal shops, that we needed to give the municipalities the ability to crack down for their own quality of life,” said state Senator Dean Murray. “I felt that we needed to give them that ability.”
Suffolk’s "Operation Smoke Out” had police visiting more than 250 stores, where they arrested 54 people for selling vaping devices to minors. They confiscated nearly 56,000 vape items, including disguised
devices designed to fool teachers and parents, that should not have been on the shelves.
noted, expressing worry that the funds could be diverted somewhere else if the work doesn’t begin soon. “Can you imagine going that far and then losing it?” he wondered.
According to D’Ambrosio, “The home-raising aspect of
FIMP is a labor-intensive process that requires inspections of every participating home/structure by both Army Corps personnel and Suffolk County. Various details are still being worked out.” He estimated that following outreach and development of design, plans, and specifications, construction is planned to begin at some point in 2026. A similar pilot project is slated for the Frederick Shores Community in Babylon.
The Army Corps project differs from the “Blue Buffer” plan, Supervisor Panico stressed. Under this plan, homeowners in the floodplain would be bought out by the state and the property allowed to return back to its natural state.
More information on the FIMP project is available at: https://www.nan.usace.army. mil/FIMPRSN
In New York, teams working under “Operation Padlock to Protect” have shut down nearly 500 illegal cannabis shops.
According to Mayor Eric Adams, about 1,000 locations were inspected, and over $40 million in penalties have been issued.
Senator Murray Saves Lives With Blood Drive
ByStefanMychajliw
Now that summer is here, more and more folks are engaging in physical activities across the South Shore that could unfortunately lead to a trip to the emergency room.
According to Rectangle Health, emergency room visits spike in the summer due to people engaging in more outdoor activities during more daylight hours. Temple Health reports that the number one reason why patients visit the ER in the summer are because of “sprains, strains, cuts, broken bones and other orthopedic injuries.”
This is just one reason why New York State Senator Dean Murry recently held a Mobile Blood Drive in conjunction with the New York Blood Center at the Patchogue Family YMCA.
“As we enter the summer trauma season, blood is needed to save the lives of those who find themselves in emergency situations. Emergencies come along every day where the need for blood is a matter, at times, of life or death,” said Senator Murray.
A recent mobile blood drive hosted by Senator Murray yielded 21 pints of lifesaving blood, which will save about 60 people.
“But there is a need for more,” added Senator Murray. “I hope to partner again with New York Blood Center and John Borromeo, Executive Director of the Patchogue Family YMCA.”
In the meantime, Senator Murray is teaming up with fellow New York State Senator Mario Mattera along with the New York Blood Center to sponsor the next Blood Drive on Saturday, July 13,
2024, at the Smith Haven Mall, 313 Smith Haven Mall, Lake Grove, NY 11755, from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are preferred. To register for an appointment please contact 1-800-933-2566 or visit www.nybc.org.
Please make an appointment or stop in to donate blood.
Photo Credit: Town of Brookhaven
Photo Credit: CannaConnection.com
Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico discusses Army Corps of Engineer's plan to raise homes in Mastic Beach.
Photo Credit: Office of NYS Senator Dean Murray Most recent blood drive yielded 21 pints.
ByRobertChartuk
Suffolk Attorney Is Prosecutor of the Year
The Prosecutor of the Year for all of New York State is from Suffolk, an honor bestowed upon Kerriann Kelly by the District Attorneys Association of New York. The first prosecutor from the county to receive the award since 2013, the Chief of the Major Crimes Bureau was singled out for trial advocacy.
“Kerriann Kelly rightfully deserves this special recognition for her superior performance prosecuting Michael Valva and Angela Pollina for the 2020 murder of eight-year-old Thomas Valva,” said District Attorney Raymond Tierney.
“Apart from being a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom, Kerriann is the epitome of a veteran prosecutor, having served the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for 36 years, conducted dozens of felony trials, and graciously mentored generations of young prosecutors under her leadership. There is no doubt that her accomplishments here in Suffolk County have,
and will continue to have, a lasting impact on the larger legal community of New York.”
Kelly joined the District Attorney’s office in 1988 after graduating from Boston College and the Oklahoma City University School of Law. She started out in the County Attorney’s office as a deputy before transferring to the DA’s office. She served in multiple bureaus, including District Court, Appeals, White Collar Crime, Narcotics, Major Crime, and Homicide. Before District Attorney Tierney promoted her to Chief of the Major Crime Bureau in 2022, Kelly served as Chief of the Special Investigations Bureau, the Homicide Bureau, and the Felony Offense Bureau, where she supervised teams of prosecutors and oversaw hundreds of trials.
During her career, Kelly brought over 40 felony cases to verdict at trial, including over 20 homicide trials. Two such recent cases were those of the People v. Michael Valva
In 2022 and 2023, the veteran prosecutor led the trial team prosecuting these defendants in separate, high-profile trials for the murder of Valva’s eightyear-old son. Thomas tragically died of hypothermia on the frigid morning of January 17, 2020, after he and his 10-yearold brother were forced by
Drownings Spur Water Safety Warning
ByRobertChartuk
Alarmed by five drowning deaths already this summer, officials from across Suffolk took time out Saturday to urge residents to be cautious, especially with children around backyard swimming pools.
“All of us are concerned about one thing, and that is people staying safe around water,” said County Executive Ed Romaine during a press conference at the Centereach Pool. With him were elected officials, emergency managers, and swimming safety advocates who outlined the tragic statistics of drowning deaths and offered tips on staying safe.
“No one is drown-proof, and drowning doesn’t discriminate,”
said Bobby Hazen of Stop Drowning Now. He noted that 28% of drownings are of children between ages 1-4, while 27% are of people of color and 19% are over age 65. Nearly 90% of the deaths occurred in residential pools. “Swim lessons reduce the risk of children drowning by 88%,” Hazen noted, adding that it’s the leading cause of death for kids.
“It has been a particularly tragic summer so far,” said Gerard Hardy, chief of patrol for the Suffolk Police. “We’re off to a bad start.” Three children died in pools over the July Fourth holiday in East Meadow, East Northport, and Islandia, while an adult male drowned in Wyandanch. For the year so
far, 10 people have drowned in Suffolk, with five of them under the age of 25, county officials reported. There were 15 cases in 2023.
“The importance of pool safety can’t be overstated,” said County Legislator Nick Caracappa at the press event. “A tragedy can happen in the blink of an eye. The summer season is about creating memories, not memorials.” Also speaking out was Brookhaven Councilman Neil Manzella: “Make sure someone is always keeping an eye out. Parties are as much about work as they are about having fun when a pool is involved.”
Noting the importance of getting the word out, the presiding officer of the Suffolk Legislature, Kevin McCaffrey, attended the Centereach presser. “This is the most important time of the year to raise awareness about pool safety, as illustrated by the tragic drowning deaths. There’s so much that can be done to prevent these deaths from happening.”
Legislator Dominick Thorne urged residents to get certified in lifesaving CPR and said people can take classes through Suffolk County Fire, Rescue & Emergency Services at 631-8525080.
Also turning out to the awareness event were Deputy Suffolk Police Commissioner
Suffolk County Child Protective Services. Over the course of approximately six months, the Special Grand Jury heard testimony from 27 witnesses and examined 56 exhibits consisting of approximately 2,000 pages of material. That Special Grand Jury issued a report containing factual findings and recommendations for legislative, executive, and administrative action to improve the efficacy of CPS and the safety of children in Suffolk County.
the defendants to sleep in an unheated garage in belowfreezing temperatures.
As a direct result of the evidence produced at trial and subsequent guilty verdicts, District Attorney Tierney requested a Special Grand Jury be empaneled to investigate the conduct and practices of
In addition to trial work and litigation training, Kelly regularly lectures on behalf of the office on the topics of DNA, Grand Jury practice, jury selection, eyewitness identification, and video surveillance. The Prosecutor of the Year Award winners are selected from nominations made by district attorneys across New York State. The awards are given to prosecutors who have enhanced our criminal justice system in the courtroom and in the local community.
Belinda Alvarez-Groneman, Selden Fire Department
Chief Johnathan Eck, Rudy Sunderman from Suffolk Emergency Services, County Comptroller John Kennedy, and Legislator Leslie Kennedy.
Stop Drowning Now offers the following “Safer” tips:
Safer Water means identifying the risks. This can be any body of water (bathtubs, pools, spas, lakes, rivers, or oceans), whether you are swimming in it or not. This element includes learning how to reduce those risks. For example, installing barriers such as isolation fencing around a backyard pool would reduce the risk of unauthorized access to the pool by young children.
Safer Kids covers the
behaviors necessary for both kids and parents to prevent drowning. No one is ever "drown-proof". That is a dangerous misconception. Safety tips include constant responsible supervision by adults, along with swimming skills attained through ongoing qualified instruction for kids.
Safer Response is how to respond in an emergency if a drowning indeed happens. Safer Response covers emergency response techniques and emergency action plans, as well as what not to do, preventing a drowning event from becoming a double drowning. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid are essential skills for parents, as well as having a phone available at all times.
and People v. Angela Pollina.
Photo Credit: Robert Chartuk
Photo Credit: Robert Chartuk
Photo Credit: District Attorney's Office
County Executive Ed Romaine leads a group of elected officials, emergency personnel, and safety advocates to urge residents to be cautious around water.
A Brookhaven Town lifeguard keeps a watchful eye over the Centereach Pool.
Prosecutor of the Year Kerriann Kelly receives the honor from a District Attorneys Association of New York official as Suffolk District Raymond Tierney, right, looks on.
ByRobertChartuk
Senator Murray Hosts Pizza and Politics Fundraiser
“Pizza and Politics” were on the menu at a recent fundraiser hosted by Senator Dean Murray at Alfredo’s in Ridge. The former assemblyman is seeking his second two-year term in the legislature’s upper house.
“The turnout was amazing, and the energy for my reelection is fantastic,” Murray said. “I know l have an opponent with experience in running for state office, so I am running like I'm 10 points down and will continue to run hard until the polls close at 9
p.m. on November 5th.”
Serving in New York’s 3rd Senatorial District, Murray has been a consistent voice in Albany to make Suffolk a safer, more affordable place to live. He stands against cashless bail, illegal immigration, and the Albany mandates that add to the cost of living. He makes sure local schools get their fair share of state education funding and was successful in blocking congestion pricing in Manhattan that would have fallen on Long Islanders visiting or making a living in the city. He was also at the forefront of preventing state bureaucrats from usurping local zoning authority to create multifamily housing wherever they wanted.
Senator Murray is the Ranking Member of the Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business Committee, as well as Libraries and Social Services. He also serves on Budget and Revenue, Codes, and Higher Education. The Albany veteran represented the Assembly’s 3rd District from 2010 to 2013 and again from 2015 to 2019. Murray is running in a district that covers much of south-central Suffolk County, including portions of Brookhaven and Islip.
Repaving Slated for Long Island Roads
ByRobertChartuk
The going will be a lot smoother for motorists on five Long Island roads thanks to the $1 trillion federal infrastructure bill and a decision by the governor to move the projects along.
The $18.3 million commitment will fund two inches of new asphalt on 60 lane miles of roads throughout Suffolk and Nassau counties.
According to Gov. Kathy Hochul, they’re part of a $250 million investment to renew approximately 850 miles of state roads across Long Island.
“With every investment we make in our infrastructure, we are enhancing public safety and providing a better quality of life for people across Long Island,” Hochul said. “Since day one, I
have prioritized improving the durability of Long Island highways — we’ve seen the results already from the Long Island Expressway to the Northern State Parkway — and these projects continue our commitment to safe transportation for all.”
Suffolk will see the repaving of the Robert Moses Causeway between Montauk Highway and Ocean Parkway in Islip and Veterans Memorial Highway between Jericho Turnpike and Old Willets Path in Smithtown. Middle Country Road will get resurfaced between Patchogue-Mount Sinai Road and Mount Sinai-Coram Road in Brookhaven.
Meadowbrook State Parkway between Sunrise Highway and Merrick Road and Newbridge Road between Jerusalem Avenue and Hempstead Turnpike
New Academic School Year Begins at Bayport-Blue Point School District
ByStefanMychajliw
The trustees of the BayportBlue Point School District held the annual reorganization meeting in the high school auditorium.
Trustee Mallory Dougherty was sworn in by legal representative Edward McCarthy of Ingerman Smith LLP for an additional threeyear term. Newly elected Trustee Paul Wright for a first three-year term.
School Board Trustees reelected Michael Miller as president and Brian Johnson as vice-president.
get
The state will also upgrade 130 sidewalk curb ramps along the renewed portions of Vets Highway, Middle Country Road, Newbridge Road, and the Meadowbrook in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Construction is expected to begin next month, with a completion target at the end of the year. The work will take place during offpeak hours to lessen the impact on Long Island’s infamously congested highway network.
Double Rainbow Paints the Sky
The trustees also introduced Haley Hendershot as the 20242025 school year student representative to the board of education.
will
a facelift. Both projects are in the Town of Hempstead.
ByRobertChartuk
A double rainbow paints the sky over Moriches Bay after a
recent storm in this photo from the Moriches Yacht Club by Edward Denton.
Photo Credit: Edward Denton Double rainbow paints the sky over Moriches Bay.
Photo Credit: NYSDOT
Photo Credit: Dean Murray Campaign
Photo Credit: BBPSD
Photo Credit: Dean Murray Campaign
Senator Murray talks politics at his recent fundraiser.
Bayport-Blue Point Board of Education (front, left to right): Mallory Dougherty, John Kroog, Jess Pignataro and (back, left to right) Paul Wright, President Michael Miller, Vice President Brian Johnson and Sandi Kanne
Senator Dean Murray and Supporters
ByRobertChartuk
New Solar Panels for Family with Boy Battling Cancer
A Manorville family with a boy battling cancer will get a boost thanks to New York Jets football great Marty Lyons and SUNation, which donated solar panels to ease the family’s energy costs.
Twelve-year-old Bentley Kelley is battling a rare form of bone cancer and is being cared for by his parents at their home, which now features 53 new solar panels.
SUNation owner Scott
Maskin is a Lyons Foundation board member who recently joined Brookhaven officials and reps from County Executive Ed Romaine’s office to unveil the new panels. “It's a great story of Business Sector + NonProfit Sector + Local Government doing good for the community,” the foundation posted. The effort was part of Suffolk’s “Go Solar” campaign.
Credit for the successful project also goes to the foundation's board member, Bill Corbett of Corbett Public Relations, and Long Island chapter president, Eileen Mayer.
“The highlight of my week was being a part of SUNation and the Marty Lyons Foundation press conference here in Manorville,” said neighbor and Brookhaven
Council Member Karen DunneKesnig. “It truly takes a village, and I am so lucky and proud to be a part of this one.” Town Supervisor Dan Panico was also in attendance.
Lyons, a member of the famed “Sack Exchange,” played all of his 11 NFL seasons with the Jets. His foundation answers requests from “Wish Kids,” such as Bentley Kelley.
Romaine Inks $535 Million Capital Plan
ByRobertChartuk
A number of pressing issues have been addressed in County Executive Ed Romaine’s first capital budget as Suffolk’s chief executive with funding identified for IT technology, water quality, public safety, infrastructure, and election integrity.
“With this budget, we can remedy problems long neglected by the prior administration,” said Romaine, who worked with the county legislature in crafting the three-year plan. “We prioritized upgrades to our critical infrastructure and delayed noncritical projects to deliver results that are both impactful and fiscally responsible.”
Succeeding Steve Bellone in January, Romaine identified areas in need of investment, including cyber infrastructure still reeling from the 2022 cyber breach, neglected buildings, law enforcement, and the vital upgrades needed at the Board of Elections to accommodate the controversial Albany mandate that all elections be held on the same day. With the final spending plan topping out at $535,014,841, Romaine noted amendments to the program reaped $673,605 in savings.
“Our residents rely on our infrastructure for transportation, wastewater management and water quality, public safety and elections,” said Romaine. “With these investments, we can meet and exceed the expectations of Suffolk County residents.”
Highlights of the 2025-2027 Capital Program include: Sewage Infrastructure
• $150 million for Carlls RiverWyandanch, Wheatley Heights
and Deer Park sewer infrastructure
• $150 million to expand the Forge River Sewer District
• $139.5 million for upgrades for the Southwest Sewer District No. 3
• $101.3 for Smithtown sewers
Public Safety
• $10 million for state-of-theart tasers
• $10 million for body cameras and accessories
• $36 million for new public safety vehicles
Bridges, Roads, and Transit
• $33 million to repair and resurface county roads
• $31 million to NYS Route 110 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), connecting LIRR stations at Amityville, Republic Airport, and Huntington
• $25.1 million for road safety improvement
Information Technology
• $12.9 million for fiber cabling, network protection, hardware replacement, and technological disaster recovery upgrades
• $3.6 million for technology upgrades and digitization of records
Quality of Life Projects
• $41.6 million for improvements to the county parks, including campsite upgrades and park upgrades
• $24.2 million for improvements and renovations for numerous county historical sites and museums throughout Suffolk County
• $23.1 million for dredging, upland disposal restoration, and
Compost Tumbler Coming to Centereach
ByStefanMychajliw
Brookhaven Councilman Neil Manzella presented a compost tumbler to Edith Randazzo of Centereach, one of six winners of the Town of Brookhaven’s “Compost Tumbler Giveaway.”
A compost tumbler is a fully sealed container, where the user manually turns or cranks compost. The heat generated leads to faster decomposition.
new dredging equipment
• $22.5 million for Hike and Bike Master Plan
Open Space Acquisition
• $15 million for farmland preservation
Economic Drivers
• $11.5 million for Mastic Beach Revitalization
• $4.7 million for improvements at Gabreski Airport
• $1.8 million to Suffolk County Downtown Revitalization Program
Board of Elections
• $34.8 million for new voting machines and other infrastructure
“I am pleased that, after unanimous passage by the Suffolk County Legislature, County Executive Ed Romaine has signed the first capital budget of his term,” said Presiding Officer Kevin J. McCaffrey.
“Since before his election, and through his State of the County Address to the Legislature in May, the County Executive has expressed a clear vision for the place we all call home. Now the capital budget sets forth in clear economic force his emphasis on our shared priorities for public safety, fiscal responsibility, water quality, infrastructure, and improved technology – all investments to keep Suffolk County a desirable place for current residents, and for the next generations of our children, grandchildren, and beyond.”
“I am confident that the County Executive, working together with the County Legislature, will ensure a needed and continued improvement in Suffolk County over the next four years.”
Entries for the Compost Tumbler Giveaway were collected at pop-up outreach tables
Over the past six weeks, the outreach tables were set up at community events, supermarkets, and at special Town recycling events.
At these tables, Town of Brookhaven representatives shared information about recycling and waste reduction. Visit BrookhavenNY.gov for more information about town recycling efforts.
ByStefanMychajliw
Photo Credit: CMSD
2024-2025 Center Moriches School Board
throughout the Town with a winner selected from each Town Council District.
Photo Credit: Town of Brookhaven
L to R: Edith’s husband, Robert Randazzo, Edith Randazzo, Councilman Neil Manzella, and Town of Brookhaven Recycling Educator Zachary Sicardi
Photo Credit: Town of Brookhaven
Brookhaven officials join SUNation and the Marty Lyons Foundation in unveiling new solar panels for a family with a boy battling cancer.
STATE
ByDeborahWilliams
Albany Is for Sale and the Price Is Higher Than Ever
New York’s Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (COELIG) released its 2023 report and it shows that Albany is being flooded with more money than ever. Spending ballooned almost 9% to $360.6 million surpassing last year’s already record high.
Lobbyists pushing for more health care spending and real estate interests spent the most money trying to influence legislators.
Average New Yorkers might donate $25 or $100 to their favorite local candidate or spend $50 for a beef-n-beer, while on the other side of the political money street, lobbyists are spending millions upon millions of dollars for what their clients want. Many point to the voice of the average voter being heavily diluted by all of the money in the system.
“With lobbying spending continuing to surge post-pandemic, it is crucial that New Yorkers know who is seeking to influence state government and on which matters,”
COELIG Executive Director Sanford N. Berland said. Lobbyists spend money lobbying
EDITORIAL
ByHowardRoark
The Democrats spend a great deal of time talking about “threats to our democracy.” January 6, Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans are a few of the most common “threats” cited. At the South Shore Press we have consistently tried to frame that narrative through its proper lens. Our “democracy” is nothing more than the people’s ability to choose their elected leaders and replace them when they fail to enact the will of those same people. As long as that process exists, and the elections are fair and honest, our “democracy” is intact. Period.
What we are watching from the Democrats, playing out in slow motion for everyone to see, is their hijacking of that democratic process. The Democratic primary ended on June 8. Millions of Democrat voters around the country cast their ballots to select their candidate for president. Despite years of obvious signs of dementia and embarrassing public moments, the “media” and the Democrat establishment insisted that Joe Biden is “as sharp as ever” and that he was undoubtedly their candidate. They allowed millions of voters to cast ballots for Joe Biden.
They called for a presidential debate on June 27th for reasons perhaps not clear at the time, as debates before party conventions are held and candidates are officially selected are highly unusual. They marched Joe Biden
for and against everything from soup to nuts. COELIG reports that 89% of that $360.6 million goes towards lobbyists' salaries. Being a lobbyist is a lucrative career choice, so it’s no surprise that so many former lawmakers and staffers move into the field. There are 6,224 registered lobbyists in New York.
John Kaehny, executive director of Reinvent Albany, a government watchdog group, said, “The definition of ‘lobbyist’ is very broad and includes anyone who gets paid to try to influence state government, whether they are trying to get funding for homeless children or reducing air pollution or getting giant corporate subsidies for Hollywood producers.”
Lobbyists flooded the airwaves, online and the mailbox with ads spending $24.4 million in 2023.
“Lobbying works,” Kaehny said. “As New York's ginormous state government spends, taxes, and regulates more, it becomes more worthwhile for interest groups to spend more on lobbying.”
NYPIRG Executive Director Blair Horner shared on LinkedIn, "This incredible spending reflects the power of money in
policymaking. Obviously, powerful groups would not spend the money if they thought it didn’t work. The public should closely monitor interest groups’ spending and not get bamboozled by the highpriced media campaigns too often designed to block initiatives that benefit the public."
There is a special interest group for almost anything you can imagine.
AF Post said on X, “Google and Meta are leading a $1 million campaign to kill New York's child
Presidential Debate: End of Democracy
onstage, seemingly without any form of preparation, and allowed him to embarrass himself (and the country). And then within moments of the debate ending, every single member of the “media,” in 100% unison, proceeded to call the debate a “train wreck” and openly called for Biden’s removal. And here we are.
At this point, it may not be worthwhile to point out that the “media” is not trustworthy, but this particular case is unusually brazen. Every person in America has witnessed Joe Biden fumbling his words, stumbling off and on stages, and staring blankly into space like a vacant vessel for years. These same “media” professionals have witnessed that behavior and have universally defended Biden, claiming he has a stutter, had a bad moment, or that he simply “chose not to dance.”
Only a week ago, the White House press secretary insisted that videos of Biden wandering aimlessly around Normandy and staring blankly at a Juneteenth
celebration were “cheap fakes”, calling any claim of his mental deterioration a conspiracy theory from MAGA Republicans. Then within an instant after the debate, the entire “media” apparatus simultaneously came to the conclusion that Biden is in decline, and he needs to be removed from the ballot. You could not find any of the 10-person panels on CNN or MSNBC dissenting from that view. Odd.
And now here we are. The primary season is over. Voters no longer have a say in who the Democrat candidate for president will be. Six months ago, had Biden removed himself from the process, it is quite likely that Robert F. Kennedy would have won the Democratic nomination. Perhaps that is why they perpetuated this charade. But now the candidate will be chosen in a back room, away from the unwanted desires of the voters. Democrat voters will be handed the establishment’s handpicked candidate, a 3-month campaign will be run, the replacement will undoubtedly be hailed as a hero by the “media'' for agreeing to step in on such short notice, and that person will be tasked by the apparatus to “save democracy” from Donald Trump. Ensuring that nobody gets to vote for the person tasked with saving democracy is precisely the democracy the Democrats want you to have. Voters having no say in the process is the opposite of democracy. And here we are.
American Opportunity - $4.7 million, a Bloomberg-funded outfit.
• The Greater New York Hospital Association - $4.7 million.
• Genting New York, a gambling interest - $2.8 million.
• StudentsFirst New York Advocacy supports charter schools - $2.6 million.
• Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund- - $2.5 million.
• Siebert Williams Shank & Co. - $1.6 million to lobby on financial services, affordable housing projects, and economic development.
protection bills, having already spent $823,235 lobbying lawmakers.
Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s outfit "American Opportunity" has spent heavily supporting Gov. Hochul’s agenda.
More than 158.9 million lobbying records are available on the Open NY platform and you can see who is spending money to influence legislation. The groups spending the most money to influence your government are:
• 1199SEIU, a statewide labor union - $8.1 million.
• The New York State Trial Lawyers Association - $1.4 million.
• AARP - $1.4 million to advocate for older New Yorkers. The Public Employees Federation - $1.3 million.
COELIG is also tasked with providing ethics training to state employees and lawmakers. If you are interested in delving further into the data, the complete source data filed by lobbyists and their clients for 2023 can be found on the Commission’s Public Data webpage.
State Senator Honors Eagle Scout
ByStefanMychajliw
New York State Senator Dean Murray recently presented a certificate to Brian Valand at his Eagle Scout Court of Honor at the Hagerman Fire Department in East Patchogue.
During his seven-year Boy Scout journey to Eagle Scout, Brian earned 33 merit badges and completed six service projects.
“I am proud to honor Brian for his achievement earning the rank of Eagle Scout and all his accomplishments that led him to this moment. His journey is only the beginning, as he is one of our leaders of tomorrow. I look forward to seeing what he will achieve in his future endeavors,” said Senator Murray.
The projects benefited Hagerman Fire Department and South Country Central School District, culminating in his Eagle Scout
service project of the installation of a flagpole and patio at the Center for Environmental Education and Discovery in Brookhaven.
In addition to his scouting activities, Brian is also a member of his high school’s cross-country and track teams, as well as jazz and percussion bands, and has participated in the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA).
Brian is a member of the Hagerman Fire Department Explorer and Junior and Our Lady of the Snow Roman Catholic Church. He holds the following leadership roles: Senior Patrol Leader, Captain of Explorer Post #510, Brotherhood in Order of the Arrow Lodge #360, National Youth Leadership Training Staff as Quartermaster and Guide, and Senior Altar Server at Our Lady of the Snow Roman Catholic Church.
Photo Credit: CNN US President Joe Biden
The Cost of Influence in Albany
Photo Credit: X
L to R: NYS Senator Dean Murray and Eagle Scout Brian Valand
Photo Credit: Office of NYS Senator Dean Murray
Countries Across the Pond Get it Right on Voter ID
Op-edby
Attorney JosephT.Burns
Two of America’s closest allies — Great Britain and France — recently held parliamentary elections. The British election took place on July 4; France’s election is a two-part election with the second phase happening on July 7. Both Britain and France are robust and vibrant democracies, and there is a lot they can teach America on how to ensure the security and integrity of elections.
In recent years, requiring that voters show identification to vote has become a hot and contentious political issue. Progressives and those on the political Left have been
quick to charge that voter ID laws amount to voter suppression and even disenfranchisement. Those on the Left even backed a challenge to Indiana’s voter ID law that went all the way to the US Supreme Court in 2008. To the disappointment of many Progressive activists, the Supreme Court upheld Indiana’s voter ID law.
But it’s a very different story on the other side of the Atlantic where voter ID requirements aren’t so controversial. The UK implemented voter ID last year for local elections and this year for parliamentary elections. UK voters may provide any number of forms of ID to vote, including driver’s licenses and passports.
Like the UK, France also requires voters to show ID. Passports or driver’s licenses are acceptable forms of ID. Even a hunting license with a photo
is an acceptable form of ID for French authorities.
While many American critics of voter ID laws claim they create obstacles to voting, that hasn’t been the experience in France. Even with a voter ID requirement, turnout in the first round of the 2024 parliamentary elections reached almost 60% of eligible voters, a forty-year high and approximately twenty points higher than turnout in France’s 2022 elections. By comparison, in only one of the last six US presidential elections — 2020 — did turnout of the voting age population match or exceed turnout in the first round of France’s 2022 parliamentary elections. A national voter ID requirement clearly isn’t depressing turnout in French elections or stopping French voters from casting their ballots.
France and the UK also take security in mail voting — or, as they might call it, postal voting — far more seriously than we do in many US states. Due to concerns over fraud, France abolished mail voting in the 1970s. Today, it has returned but only under some limited, specific circumstances.
In UK elections, mail voting is permitted. Britain’s mail voting safeguards, however, are far more thorough and robust than those of many US states. For instance, to vote by mail in the UK, a voter must provide identification when applying to vote by mail. By comparison, some US states, such as New York, only require that a voter sign and submit a short application when requesting to vote by mail. No identification is ever required to be produced by the voter seeking to vote by mail.
Advocating for voter ID and increased mail ballot safeguards isn’t about disenfranchising voters; it’s about ensuring that commonsense safeguards are in place so that voters know their elections are fair and free of fraud.
In a democracy, election integrity isn’t optional; it’s mandatory. Our friends in Britain and France understand this, and they’ve built electoral systems that preserve the integrity of elections while also ensuring that every eligible voter has the opportunity to vote. American policymakers — especially those in New York State — would be wise to learn some lessons from them.
Joseph T. Burns is a Republican attorney and the former Deputy Director of Election Operations at the New York State Board of Elections.
US Supreme Court Kicks NY Concealed Carry Law Back to the Lower Courts
ByDeborahWilliams
The US Supreme Court vacated a Manhattan federal appellate court and ordered it to reevaluate its decision that upheld part of New York’s 2022 controversial concealed carry law. The law required an applicant to show “good moral character” to obtain a concealed carry permit.
NY’s law requires not just a demonstration of “good moral character” but also that an applicant provide character references, passwords to social media accounts, list household members, pass a safety course, and submit to an interview with law enforcement.
“With the High Court making clear the Second Circuit got it wrong and by remanding the case back to the lower court, the High Court is forcing New York’s politicians to eat a huge plate of humble pie. We look forward to continuing the fight for New Yorkers’ right to carry—without government pre-requisites,” said Gun Owners of America Senior Vice President Erich Pratt.
New York’s effort to restrict the Second Amendment rights of its citizens garners attention across the nation as other anti-Second Amendment-minded states look to enact restrictions of their own. The Supreme Court ruling on the NY case sets the stage for laws both for and against law-abiding gun owners across the nation.
In this recent case, gun owners challenged NY’s concealed carry law restrictions, arguing they violated
the Second Amendment and were in defiance of the Supreme Court's decision issued two years ago.
A three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit upheld the goodmoral-character requirement. The Supreme Court vacated their decision and told them to take another look.
"When the Supreme Court tells them to review a decision, it’s a pretty good indication it has concerns with the decision made," Aaron Dorr of the New York State Firearms Association said. "It's certainly an instruction that we are happy to hear."
Two years ago, the US Supreme Court struck down NY’s concealed carry permit law that had been in effect since 1913. That existing law required law-abiding gun owners to demonstrate “proper cause” if they wanted an unrestricted concealed carry permit. Simply wanting to freely exercise your inalienable right to self-defense, in or outside of your home, as guaranteed in the Second Amendment was not enough. NY required its citizens to show a “need” for self-defense. New Yorkers were somehow expected to know they would need to defend themselves in advance, declare that need to some local deciding official, and then hope that local official agreed. Otherwise, you would get a permit that only allowed you to carry outside your home for hunting and target shooting.
The US Supreme Court struck down that part of the law. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the
court’s opinion, “We know of no other constitutional right that an individual may exercise only after demonstrating to government officers some special need.”
Imagine for a moment that if you wanted to organize a protest or a rally in support of a cause and this same logic NY put forward for concealed carry permits was applied to First Amendment rights.
A local deciding official could require you to show that there was a "need" for you to exercise your First Amendment right to speech and assembly. Imagine that the local official doesn't agree with the premise of your rally. They could, as they did in NY, limit carry permits to hunting and target shooting, either deny your permit for a rally, or so severely limit where and when you could hold your rally as to make
it ineffective or even impossible. NY’s new concealed carry law continues to be challenged in multiple courts on almost every one of the impediments it puts in front of New Yorkers to exercise their Second Amendment rights. The Second Amendment has held up pretty well so far in Supreme Court decisions, but NY continues to try and curtail self-defense rights.
Missouri Attorney General Files Suit Against New York for Election Interference 'Lawfare'
ByDeborahWilliams
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed suit against the State of New York for violating Missourians’ First Amendment right to hear from a presidential candidate in the 2024 presidential election.
Bailey’s lawsuit asserts that New York’s "lawfare" prosecution, gag order, and sentencing of President Trump has undermined his ability to campaign for president sabotaging Missourians' ability to hear from him and cast a fully informed vote for a presidential candidate mere months before the election.
"Radical progressives in New York are trying to rig the 2024 election. We have to stand up and fight back," Bailey told Fox News Digital.
Missouri is the first state to push back on the "lawfare" being used against former President Trump to protect the rights of their citizens to fully participate in the upcoming presidential election. Missouri says that part of being able to participate in any election is to hear from, and even see, all of the candidates in a free and unfettered way.
Attorney General Bailey filed a preliminary injunction motion, asking the Supreme Court to immediately halt any further action in the New York case until after the American people have had their say at the ballot box.
“Right now, Missouri has a huge
problem with New York. Instead of letting presidential candidates campaign on their own merits, radical progressives in New York are trying to rig the 2024 election by waging a direct attack on our democratic process,” said Bailey.
Bailey added, “I will not sit idly by while Soros-backed prosecutors hold Missouri voters hostage in this presidential election. I am filing suit to ensure every Missourian can exercise their right to hear from and vote for their preferred presidential candidate.”
He called the "lawfare" poisonous to American democracy and said the American people should be able to participate in a presidential election free from New York's interference.
The lawsuit comes just one month after New York obtained a controversial conviction against President Trump, and alleges three specific violations:
• Interference with the Presidential Election in other States
• Violation of Purcell (a federal case prohibiting courts from sowing voter confusion or changing election rules in the months leading up to an election)
Violation of the First Amendment rights of voters in other states.
The lawsuit lays out the timeline of how Manhattan District Attorney
Alvin Bragg brought charges against President Trump to boost Joe Biden’s campaign. Bragg was previously involved in civil litigation against Trump while working for the New York AG’s Office. He then campaigned for his current position by promising to use that experience to prosecute him. Additionally, Bragg hired the third highest-ranking member from Biden’s Justice Department to lead the prosecution against Biden’s political opponent.
The lawsuit also alleges that Judge Merchan violated state judicial ethics rules by donating to the Biden campaign. Further, Judge Merchan refused to recuse himself from the case, despite donating to Trump’s general election opponent and having a close family member who stood to gain financially from a conviction. He later imposed a gag order on President Trump when he pointed these facts out to the public.
Trump’s lawyers moved to overturn his criminal conviction in the Manhattan case after the US Supreme Court ruled a former president has substantial immunity for official acts committed while in office. He also requested to delay his sentencing, scheduled for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention.
Bragg said Trump's request to overturn the verdict was without merit, but he did not oppose the request to delay sentencing.
Concealed Carry Not Allowed Photo Credit: X
ByDeborahWilliams
Unemployment Up and Full-Time Jobs Down Says June Jobs Report
The June jobs report is out and unemployment is at its highest point since 2021 and the number of unemployed people is up by 162,000. The report reveals a significant cooling off in the labor market even as 206,000 jobs were added.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) June labor report shows unemployment is at the highest level since November 2021, ticking up to 4.1%. BLS says the unemployment rate went up in part because 277,000 people started looking for a job in June but not all found one.
Jobs gained from the April and May report were also sharply revised downward by 111,000 jobs. Wage growth is the weakest in three years with average hourly pay rising
only 0.3% from May and just 3.9% from June 2023. With inflation for everyday goods such as housing, food, fuel, and energy still very high, average working Americans continue to spend more and more of every paycheck for basic needs.
Troubling trends in full versus part-time employment have also appeared in the past year. The US economy has added 1.8 million part-time jobs while 1.6 million full-time jobs have been lost. Americans who want to work full time and have the benefits that go with that are having a harder time. Juggling multiple part-time jobs has become a reality for many to make ends meet.
EJ Antoni, PhD said on X, “Full-time jobs are DOWN 1.6 million over the last year and part-time jobs are up 1.8 million
the economy is hemorrhaging full-time employment, and all the net job growth is gig work.
“More than half of the 206k increase in payrolls in Jun was offset by downward revisions to Apr and May, meaning we're adding jobs we thought we already had; even still, the unprecedented divergence between payrolls and employment remains,” Antoni added on X.
A telling statistic in the BLS report is that just two employment sectors accounted for 75% of the job growth in June – government jobs and health care/social service jobs.
Neither of these types of jobs signifies economic strength. Hiring more people into the government on the backs of the taxpayer and hiring more people to service the poor doesn't grow a strong economy.
Job losses were most significant in the "temporary help services," manufacturing, and retail sectors. The category of "temporary help" is particularly noteworthy because economists use it as an indicator of future full-time hiring. When companies are growing, they often hire temporary workers until they can fill positions with full-time employees. Therefore, if companies lack a
Raw Burgers and Cheese, Anyone?
ByDeborahWilliams
Independence Day kicked backyard grilling season into high gear. The South Shore Press (SSP) took a look at some tips, and a few unusual approaches, served up by elected officials over the years.
Unlike the Governor Andrew Cuomo COVID years, we don’t need to worry about him limiting who you can invite to your house. Great fun was had at the time with this former Governor Cuomo directive when a local Buffalo company made a Cuomo face window cling to stick to your dining room window so your guests could feel appropriately watched by the government.
SSP offers mixed reviews of Senator Chuck Schumer’s picnic advice. We are a thumbs-up on Genesee beer made in one of the oldest breweries in the country in Rochester NY but a solid thumbs-down on putting your cheese onto raw hamburgers. SSP strongly suggests cooking your burgers before adding the
cheese.
The national press had great fun recently when Schumer staged a grilling photo at his daughter’s house putting cheese on raw meat. The Everyman photo op turned against the good senator who does make it to all 62 New York counties every year. He’s terrific in charge of a press conference, but perhaps not the grill!
SSP does not recommend an all-white dress as grilling attire like Gov. Kathy Hochul chose to wear for her "Everyman" grilling photo op. We do, however, fully endorse a gas grill, even though Hochul was actively trying to ban gas appliances for all New Yorkers when she staged this photo.
Senator Elizabeth Warren was none too smooth when she staged opening and drinking a beer in the most awkward of ways on a campaign video, but SSP does endorse the safe backyard enjoyment of a cold beer with your burger. But if you don’t drink, then don’t drink.
positive outlook and anticipate a challenging future, temporary workers are usually the first to be let go.
“The sharp decline in temporary help may portend future weakness in the labor market this summer,” Jack McIntyre, portfolio manager at Brandywine Global, said in a statement.
In an interesting connection of the jobs report to the national controversy of President Biden defying the Supreme Court decision nixing his student loan debt transfer plan, EJ Antoni, PhD pointed out on X that, “The
Staged videos don't help your campaign.
If your family decides to go to the beach instead of the backyard, SSP fully endorses enlisting former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to clear a nice spot for you. During COVID, the perennial presidential candidate banned the general public from enjoying the sun and seashore but was just fine enjoying the empty beach with his family. So, if you’ve got a large group and need a nice big section of beach, by all means, give Christie a call
– he’s for hire as a lobbyist now.
In case your relatives are not such good cooks, or you just like a little extra spice, SSP recommends following the advice of Hot Sauce Hillary Clinton to bring your own hot sauce. You never know when it will come in handy. Clinton claimed she ate chilies and hot foods to stay healthy.
When dinner is over, and the kids are clamoring for ice cream, we hope you are fortunate enough to have an entire freezer
employment level for college grads is up 4.9 million from pre-pandemic and this cohort returned to their pre-pandemic growth trend by the end of '21so, remind me why they deserve a student-loan bailout at the expense of everyone else?”
In a struggling economy and with a staggering national debt, it does raise the question as to why everyday Americans, who are already struggling to pay for basic needs, should also be forced to shoulder the debt of someone who has graduated from college and likely has a better income trajectory than they do.
dedicated just to keeping your gourmet ice cream frozen and at the ready. Then Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the James Corden Show posed in front of her special freezer for her ice cream stash. Oh, how the other 1% lives!
If you are fortunate enough to have a relative that makes a mean tamale, be sure everyone knows how to eat them. In a 1976 campaign stop running against Jimmy Carter, poor President Gerald Ford picked up a tamale and bit into it corn husk and all nearly choking in front of the cameras.
And, if hosting and grilling is just too much for you, you can make like California Gov. Gavin Newsom and go to the French Laundry for dinner. Readers might recall when going to restaurants during COVID was banned in California, except for Newsom and his elite pals, of course.
Whatever you do for the rest of the summer, have fun, drink responsibly, and by all means cook your meat thoroughly!
General Employment Trends Over Time
Former President Ford eating a tamale at a campaign stop.
Photo Credit: Bureau of Labor Statistics Data
Photo Credit: X
College Graduate Employment Rates
Photo Credit: Bureau of Labor Statistics Data
ByDeborahWilliams
President Biden has earned dubious budget-busting distinctions that put him in a fiscal class with former President Richard Nixon.
1) The current commander in chief has the largest White House staff since former President Nixon was in office.
2) He can't keep staff, with staffers bolting President Biden's administration at an alarming 77%.
That's according to an independent analysis from "Open the Books," which reports that at $60.6 million a year, Biden has the largest White House payroll since 1971.
Increasing the national debt to new heights isn't the only thing the Biden White House likes to spend taxpayer money on. President Biden added 40,000 workers to the federal payroll since January 2021 and gave them 4.7% raises in 2023. This is the largest pay raise since the Carter administration.
Biden’s White House staff costs nearly $61 million annually, $225 million since he came to office. Since entering office, 435 out of his initial 560 White House staffers left for a shocking 77% turnover rate. With a turnover rate like this, it would be difficult for any business
Biden's White House Has the Largest and Most Expensive Staff Since Nixon
or political office to run smoothly.
The Biden administration recently released its annual report to Congress on the White House Office Personnel. The payroll data includes employee name, status, salary, and position title for all White House employees as of July 1, 2024. Open the Books then did a deep dive into the data.
“This payroll was made public just hours before the statutory deadline and days after the presidential debate set off a torrent of questions about President Biden’s ability to serve,” Open the Books CEO Adam Andrzejewski said in a press release. “Perhaps unsurprisingly, the support system around him has grown historically large and costly.”
Open the Books report reveals that no White House since the Richard Nixon administration employed 500 staffers until Biden became president. The Biden White House employed 560 in FY2021; 474 in FY2022; and 524 in FY2023; and the head count increased by 41 to 565 this year.
Biden employs 152 more staffers than Trump (413) and 97 more than Obama (468) (at the same point in their respective presidencies.
The authors of the report point to the large Biden White House payroll as the “leading indicator
of his commitment to expand the federal bureaucracy at all levels.
“During Biden’s first three years, more than 40,000 bureaucrats were added to the federal payroll across the 123 executive agencies, outside of the Department of Defense, U.S. Post Office, and intelligence services. In the first nine days of his presidency, Biden issued many executive orders expanding the size, scope, and power of the federal bureaucracy,” says Open the Books.
This makes Biden a firm ally of the bureaucratic state. Biden went so far as to sign an Executive Order that would make it difficult
for Donald Trump, or any future president, to reduce the federal bureaucracy.
The Biden administration finalized a rule that would elongate the process of reducing the size of the federal government “anticipating that Trump may try to fire federal workers if he wins the 2024 presidential election” according to Open the Books.
What do these 565 Biden aides do? Biden is deeply committed to DEI initiatives and has several highly paid staffers tasked with “improving racial and gender equity.” The White House pays the
Supremes Deal Biden Big Blow on Gender Identity
ByDeborahWilliams
United States District Court Judge John Broomes issued what is now the third preliminary injunction against the Biden administration’s Title IX regulation that adds gender identity to discrimination laws enforced by the Department of Education.
These new rules require men and boys to be allowed to use women’s bathrooms, locker rooms, and shower facilities, and compete against women and girls.
US District Judge Danny C. Reeves said that the new Title IX rules also have serious First Amendment implications because they compel speech from educators.
Title IX is a law, originally passed in 1972, that creates a variety of legal protections for women to have equal access to school locker rooms, sports teams, etc. in schools and colleges.
When President Biden took office, his regulators decided to reinterpret the protections based on “sex” in Title IX to also include gender identity and sexuality. If the president's rule change stands, schools that do not allow males who claim they are women to compete against women, use the same bathrooms, locker rooms, and shower facilities would lose federal funding.
“As a parent and as attorney general, I joined this effort to
protect our women and girls from harm," Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said. "Today’s ruling recognized the 50-plus years of educational opportunities Title IX has created for students and athletes."
Hot on the heels of the US Supreme Court’s recent Chevron decision, that bans the administrative state from defining its authority, states are wasting no time in filing suits on a variety of issues – Title IX changes being just one. In short, the overturning of what came to be known as the ‘Chevron Defense’ means that federal administrative agencies can no longer define their power when laws passed by Congress are not clear.
The new Title IX rules finalized unilaterally by the Department of Education expand the definition of sex discrimination to include gender identity with no action from Congress. The changes include a prohibition on singlesex bathrooms and locker rooms and requirements that a school use pronouns based on a student's preferred gender identity.
These changes to Title IX would pave the way to require schools across America to allow male athletes to compete head-to-head against women and girls in sports and allow men and boys into girls’ locker rooms and showers. The rules changes are set to go into effect August 1st, just before the
deputy assistant to the president for racial justice and equity $155,000 a year and its director of global gender issues $169,429 per year.
The White House employs 106 “special assistants to the president” on policy issues such as “gun violence prevention” and “climate policy” collectively costing taxpayers $13.9 million for FY2024. Biden is still paying “pandemic response” staffers, spending $723,500 on their salaries despite declaring the pandemic over in September 2022.
The report reveals that Jill Biden’s staff increased by four employees, to 24 this year, which equals the number under Michelle Obama. Mrs. Obama was widely criticized for having a staff that large. Both Mrs. Biden and Obama far exceed former first lady Melania Trump’s highest staff level of 11. The total cost of First Lady staffers in FY2024 is $2.5 million.
Interestingly, the Office of the Vice President claims it is not required to release its payroll data. Open the Books believes that the vice president’s office should have to release their expenditures the same as the White House and first lady and suggests that a lawsuit may be required to determine if the Freedom of Information Act applies to their office.
school year begins.
“This is a big victory for women and girls because the Title IX revisions being pushed by the Biden administration would have ended sex-based protections for biological women in locker rooms, bathrooms, sports, and elsewhere, plain and simple,” West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said.
Since the original Chevron ruling, agencies have made thousands upon thousands of administrative rules that were not
explicitly approved by Congress. Congress, in effect, to avoid responsibility and accountability, passed their job of making laws and rules off to the administrative state. The recent US Supreme Court ruling overturning Chevron put a stop to this out-of-control practice and put the onus back onto Congress to do the overarching law and rulemaking.
The injunctions do not include every student affected by Biden’s Title IX change. It is hoped that on the strength of the existing ruling, the Department of Education will
reverse course seeing sure defeat if they try to enforce this mandate across the nation beginning in August.
Fourteen states are included in the three separate injunctions: Alaska, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The Federal Title IX administrator warned educational institutions to be prepared for immediate reversal of the genderredefining policies of the Biden administration.
Biden White House Payroll Comparison Chart
Biden's Title IX changes rebuked by the courts.
Photo Credit: Open the Books
Photo Credit: My Twin Tiers
NATION
ByRobertChartuk
Biden Bombs on National Stage
If their strategy was to expose Joe Biden as unable to stand for reelection and make a move to replace him, the Democrats succeeded beyond their wildest expectations, given the president’s stunningly poor performance in his debate with Donald Trump.
By most accounts, Americans were horrified by Biden’s condition: eyes bugging out, mouth agape, slurring his words, losing his train of thought, a display that led to the quote of the night by Trump: “I don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence, l don’t think he knows what he said either.” Biden was responding to a question about why voters should trust him to resolve the border crisis.
The issue took center stage at the debate, with Trump denouncing Biden for allowing millions of illegal aliens to invade the United States. He referenced the rape and murder of several young women at the hands of migrants let in by his opponent and called it “Biden Migrant Crime.”
Biden’s stumbling and incoherent answers to the questions posed by the CNN moderators have set up a knotty political conundrum. If Biden is on the ballot, he’ll most likely lose, but who can they run instead? One popular name in the race, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., wasn’t invited to the debate and is definitely not on the short list to head the November ticket. He staged a debate of his own, doing a much better job answering the questions raised by CNN than his Democrat counterpart.
Hillary Clinton, defeated by Trump in 2016, is lurking in the wings and is said to be itching for a rematch. Michelle Obama, a former first lady as well, is also on the lips of many, as are governors Gavin Newsom of California and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. If the Democrats choose anyone other than Vice President Kamala Harris, they’ll have to explain why Biden’s unpopular equity choice is not considered worthy enough to step into his shoes.
The earliest presidential debate in recent history came with a set of rules that, at first, were seen to benefit Biden, but in the final analysis, turned in Trump’s favor. Cutting off the microphones to prevent cross-talk allowed the challenger to come off more calm than in his 2020 debate with Biden. A split screen showed Biden staring off into space while Trump was seen rolling his eyes and casting doubtful glances to demonstrate his disapproval.
In what may be a first for a presidential debate, Biden got called out on X by the National Border Patrol Council when he said they supported him. Minutes after he made the claim, the union issued a statement stating, “To be
clear, we never have and never will endorse Biden.” The president apparently didn’t see a post issued by the council hours before the debate debunking his claim that Congressional Republicans have blocked the hiring of new border patrol agents. “In reality, Republicans have actually funded more agents in recent appropriations bills in spite of Biden—not because of him,” they said. “We wish Donald Trump luck tonight in the debate and hope he has enough time to point out all of the ways Biden's border policies have failed.”
Questioned on abortion, Trump stood by the Supreme Court’s decision to allow each state to decide on the issue, while Biden called for the reinstatement of Roe v. Wade to make it a federal matter. The two clashed over Trump’s contention that the Democrats are in favor of abortion up to the moment of birth and even afterward. Speaking about health care, Biden went off on a tangent about the pandemic, muttering, “We finally beat Medicare,” to which Trump responded: “He's right. He did beat Medicare. He beat it to death.” The 45th president charged throughout the clash that the millions of migrants Biden let into the US will bankrupt both Medicare and Medicaid.
Boasting about their fitness for office, the two candidates jousted over their respective golf games. Biden, 81, claims he had a handicap of six, a contention that rankled Trump. “That’s the biggest lie of all that he’s a six handicap,” Trump, who’s 78, retorted. “Never,” he turned to Biden. “I’ve seen your swing; l know your swing.” Trump was on the golf course the following day and, after a long drive off the tee, turned to the cameras and said, “Do you think Biden can do that? I don’t think so.”
After the debate, Trump sprung off the platform while Biden was assisted by his wife, Jill, gingerly taking each step one at a time. The performance put an exclamation point on the months of video showing the president’s decrepit state, clips the White House called “cheap fakes.”
“Last night was a defeat not only for Biden but for the entire Radical Left Democrat Party and the Fake News Media who have been lying to the American People as our country was being destroyed,” the Trump campaign posted. “If the media had been doing their job instead of being a branch of the Democrat Party, we would have understood his mental condition four years ago.”
“I actually felt sad that our commander in chief didn’t have anyone in his corner looking out for him to say you better not go out there,” said viewer Amy Weinhauer of Selden. “It was hard to watch.”
After months of his administration’s maneuvers to get a conviction on Trump in any number of courts, Biden played the felon card and rattled off the criminal and civil suits lodged against the former president, leading Trump to declare that he “never had sex with a porn star” and report that his poll numbers go up and his fundraising gets a boost at each turn of Democrat lawfare against him. In the days following his conviction in a Manhattan trial run by the third-highest ranking official in the Biden Justice Department, Trump raked in an unprecedented $400 million in campaign contributions.
Biden also made hay of the January 6 assault on the Capitol, charging that Trump is a threat to democracy. Trump responded that he urged his supporters to go “peacefully and patriotically,” and the Select Committee investigating the incident hid evidence showing that his offer of National Guard troops was rejected by then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The two also clashed over the state of the economy with Biden saying Trump left him a mess that he is still trying to clean up. Trump contended that it was Biden’s policies, especially on energy, that drove up costs for Americans.
In the debate’s aftermath, Americans expressed concern over the prospect of seven more months of Biden and Trump’s charge that he’s going to start World War III. Trump said Biden is compromised by his family taking money from China, calling him a “Manchurian Candidate,” and will not stand up to them if they invade Taiwan. He argued that Russia would never have invaded Ukraine on his watch, and Hamas would not have attacked Israel. The former president claimed Iran was broke when he was in charge and could not have funded terrorist organizations until Biden gave them billions of dollars in funds he had previously frozen.
Trump hammered the president for his hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan and for stating that no soldiers died under his watch. Trump stressed that soldiers did die as Biden pulled US troops from the war-torn country and left the Bagram airbase and billions in military equipment to China. The botched exercise “emboldened” America’s adversaries, Trump said, and caused world leaders to lose respect for Biden and America.
Hochul Gives Full-throated Support to President Biden's Campaign
ByDeborahWilliams
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared she is “very confident” in President Biden’s abilities after a meeting of Democrat governors with President Biden at the White House.
She boldly proclaimed after her Oval Office meeting that “President Joe Biden is in it to win it.”
While a growing chorus of Democrats nationwide calls for President Biden to step down after his declining cognitive abilities were apparent in his recent debate debacle, Governor Hochul doubled down on her support of Biden as president and candidate.
Hochul addressed the press after the meeting with Biden, alongside Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Maryland Governor Wes Moore, saying, “I’m here to tell you today, President Joe Biden is in it to win it. And, all of us said we pledged our support to him because the stakes could not be higher.”
Governor Hochul also said in a recent MSNBC interview, “What I saw less than 24 hours after the (debate), was Joe Biden himself, at his best, energetic, fully alert, and conversational.”
Republicans and Conservatives quickly pounced on Hochul's public profession of support for President Biden.
“Governor Hochul meeting in the White House and making some sort of deal to support the decrepit Joe Biden for reelection is a mistake,” said state Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano (R,C, Medford).
“As he demonstrated in his debate with Donald Trump, Biden is unfit for office and cannot possibly lead our country. The governor should join with the growing number of officials from her own party and convince Biden to step down for the sake of our democracy.”
New York State Conservative Chairman Gerry Kassar is pointed in his comments on Hochul’s support of Biden, “Gov. Hochul continues to demonstrate that she is a Governor driven by politics rather than putting her best efforts forward for New Yorkers. It is clear that Biden lacks the ability to govern for the next four years and quite possibly can’t govern for the next four months.”
“She should turn her attention to putting aside pure politics and pay attention to her constituents
in New York,” said Kassar. Govs. Hochul, Moore, Walz, and others may be together in their support of Biden, but the Democrat Governors are far from united.
At the White House meeting, Govs. Janet Mills (Maine) and Ned Lamont (Connecticut) expressed their concern directly to Biden about his fitness for office and even concern for Biden being able to win their states.
Both said the White House was not making an effective case to their constituents. A Democrat hasn't lost Connecticut or Maine since 1988 and the governors fear this is fully possible this year.
It has been widely speculated that Hochul wants a job in the next Biden administration and her unbridled support of Biden is connected to that. Though Hochul has said she will run for governor again in 2026, she will face a bruising primary campaign. A job at the Biden White House would make that run unnecessary.
Photo Credit: CNN
Presidents Trump and Biden Debate
Photo Credit: X
Govs. Moore (MD), Hochul (NY), and Walz (MN), outside of the White House.
VETERANS WAY
BY REV. FREDERICK MILLER, PH.D.
Veterans, as you come home from the military or retire from a civilian employment you are more subject to depression. Once you allow yourself to fall into a negative state of life, it can get harder to recover.
Sometimes, here in the world of lightning-fast news cycles, it’s hard to fight the fearmongers. After all, we face an avalanche of negativity from a widening array of media sources that have discovered bad news sells better than good. So, anxiety-producing headlines shout about shocking stories while good news often goes unreported. For example, climate change and deadly storms, crimes repeated with no charges by the DA’s, illegal immigrants are forcing veterans out of hotels so they can move in, and the costs of living.
In today’s hypercompetitive and incessant news delivery
ecosystems, about half of the US adults report that they get some of their news through social media. Unfortunately, social media postings tend to highlight the more negative or dramatic news. This leads to suffering from “media saturation overload,” causing stress. Television and social media exposure seem to make people more vulnerable.
Reports indicate that 83% of Americans reported stress over the nation’s future, as they attempted to process dispiriting and converging news events, including economic turmoil, racial injustice, and the pandemic. It was also reported that 73% of Americans reported being overwhelmed by the number of crises facing the world and were sapping their ability to make basic decisions, including what to eat or wear.
The media is working around the clock to grab your attention
HISTORY LESSONS
BY RICHARD ACRITELLI
“Vicksburg is the key!”
- President Abraham Lincoln
For months, there were loud cries that Grant was incompetent, a drunkard, and that Lincoln should quickly replace his command. Instead, during May of 1863, Grant guided the most dynamic fighting of this war, and he cemented his place as one of the ablest leaders ever to guide American soldiers. South of Vicksburg, General John C. Pemberton was unaware about Grant's offensive intentions during the start of this Union campaign. He expected the Union forces to attack Vicksburg from the North and did not realize that 23,000 soldiers that landed on April 29th-30th at Bruinsburg, Mississippi to take Port Gibson. Grant pushed General John McClernand, a political general, who coveted Grant’s position, to make the first movements toward Jackson.
Secretary of War Edwin Stanton was informed that McClernand understood little of how to wage war and was often difficult for Grant to manage. Stanton directed Grant that he had the authority to handle his
officers the way he saw fit. During this fighting stretch, Grant strengthened his confidence to lead his soldiers and lead subordinates like McClernand. At this moment, a former music teacher, turned cavalry leader, Colonel Benjamin H. Grierson operated in parts of Mississippi and Louisiana. Grierson’s horse soldiers tore up railroad lines, destroyed Confederate resources, struck fear behind enemy lines, and diverted reinforcements away from Pemberton.
Confederate General JS Bowen was unable to hold onto Port Gibson and he retreated from this position and destroyed bridges to prevent a quick Union advance. Taking a brief rest, Grant only had a toothbrush and his cigars, and like his men, he slept on the ground without a blanket. With wagons of resources that were brought down the river by General William Tecumseh Sherman’s forces, Grant utilized the supplies on hand, and ordered his army to live off the land. Having experienced the Mexican-American War, Grant experienced the leadership of General Winfield Scott to feed his army within Mexico, and he
Handle the Media with Care
in an attempt to rearrange your priorities. Yet the all-important things in life have little to do with the alarming images that are so common in today’s media-driven world. The most important things in your life have to do with your faith, your family, and your future. Period. So here’s a question for you. Will you focus on the media messages, or the things that are most important to you?
To avoid these problems and others, the first thing is to limit the news programs and use the standard programs. Even more important is that you become active and not a couch sitter. Find a local volunteer organization that you can join and work with them to clean or help the local neighborhood grow and move ahead. Especially as a veteran, that type of activity can be a great help not only to the community but more important to you.
General US Grant’s Movement to Take Jackson, Mississippi
reasoned that he could do the same in Mississippi. To aid Pemberton, Confederate President Jefferson Davis dispatched noted General Joseph E. Johnston to crush Grant’s forces that began to cut of their own supply and communication lines to quickly move toward Jackson.
Grant respected the military prowess of Johnston who wanted Pemberton to leave Vicksburg to deter the Union forces from moving closer to Vicksburg. Grant preached the ability of speed and agility as being vital towards the ability to cut off the railroad lines and trap Pemberton. Aided by Sherman’s
forces, Grant looked to fight Johnston, before reinforcing Pemberton, follow the Big Black River and assault Vicksburg from the northeast. Pemberton ordered some of his forces to resist the Union advances and to hit the supply lines near the town of Raymond outside of Jackson. Whereas the Confederates only had 3,000 soldiers, they inaccurately believed that they matched General James B. McPherson’s forces that had 12,000 men. The Confederates had the element of surprise and terrain that halted McPherson’s soldiers to a stalemate for several hours. It was not until artillery was placed on an elevated position and it reigned shells on the Confederates, that they were forced to have a disorderly retreat.
As Pemberton scattered his soldiers in front of Vicksburg and behind the Black River, Johnston with 6,000 soldiers tried to hold onto Jackson. Grant moved to protect his flanks and prevent both southern figures from uniting to attack his army.
On May 14th, Frederick Grant rode with his father and went ahead of the army columns, as he was almost taken prisoner by
retreating Confederates. That night, Grant stayed in the same hotel room that Johnston was in the evening before. Looking out his window, he could see the massive fires across this captured city that Sherman set against captured war materials and cotton.
Grant gained his key goal of tenacity against the Confederate armies and to make Vicksburg into a useless fortification. Johnston ordered in vain for Pemberton to direct his garrison to strike Grant and for him to pull his soldiers out of Vicksburg before it was too late. Grant cut off the resources and communication between Pemberton and Johnston, divided these armies, and proved to Johnston that Vicksburg was a lost cause. Believing that the risk was too great to fight Grant, Johnston retreated, and Jackson fell to the Union. Grant was now on the cusp of one of the most significant battlefield victories in American history as Pemberton defiantly refused to pull out of Vicksburg.
(Next week, the fall of Vicksburg by US Grant and Union forces)
Ulysses S. Grant
Photo Credit: Adobe AI
Half of the adults receive news from social media.
BY NANCY BURNER, ESQ.
In general, a person cannot be removed from a deed without his or her consent and signature on a deed. Absent legal action with a court order, such as a foreclosure or a partition action, the only way an owner’s interest in real property can be transferred is by a properly executed, acknowledged and recorded deed conveying that owner’s interest to a new party. If two or more people own real property jointly as tenants in common, a co-owner is unable to remove the other co-owner by executing a new deed - a person can only convey what they own. A title company will search all transfers to certify the record owners and those with an interest in the property will be required to execute the deed to the purchaser.
To illustrate, if A and B own a property together as tenants in common, each owning a
50% interest and A executes a subsequent deed transferring the property to C without B joining the deed, A only conveyed what she had, a 50% interest to C. B remains the owner of the other 50% interest, and is now a coowner with C.
In contrast, if property is owned as tenants by the entirety, customarily between spouses, then a co-owner cannot transfer his or her half without the consent of the other. In New York State, if a couple divorces, the joint ownership automatically becomes tenancy in common.
A common occurrence in the area of trusts and estates practice is when one co-owner wants to sell the property and the other does not. The typical scenario is where a parent dies and children inherit that parent’s real property. If one child who is now a coowner refuses to sell or buy out the other siblings, the only option for
the siblings is a partition action. In a partition action, the court will order the parties to sell to a third party, splitting the proceeds according to the parties’ interests.
properly draft the estate planning documents to avoid this situation.
If you feel that someone unlawfully transferred your interest in real property by forging your signature or some other method, you should speak with an experienced real estate attorney to review your options. When fraud involves seniors who have become incapacitated, a guardianship and turnover proceeding is often the quickest way to address the transfer. Otherwise, a civil action to “quiet title” will need to be brought in the Supreme Court where in the county the property is located.
Unfortunately, this process is costly and takes time within the court system. If this scenario is a concern, it is best to speak with an experienced attorney who can
Melissa Doris, Esq. is an attorney at Burner Prudenti Law, P.C. focusing her practice areas on Estate Planning, Elder Law and Trusts and Estates. Burner Prudenti Law, P.C. serves clients from New York City to the east end of Long Island with offices located in East Setauket, Westhampton Beach, Manhattan and East Hampton.
Photo Credit:Ahmadrizal7373 | Dreamstime.com
LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK
HSBC BANK USA, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF RENAISSANCE EQUITY LOAN ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-3, -against-
SCOTT LAZENBY A/K/A SCOTT T. LAZENBY, ET AL.
NOTICE OF SALE
NOTICE IS HEREBY
GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Suffolk on April 30, 2024, wherein HSBC BANK USA, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF RENAISSANCE EQUITY LOAN ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES
2007-3 is the Plaintiff and SCOTT LAZENBY A/K/A SCOTT T. LAZENBY, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the BROOKHAVEN TOWN HALL, 1 INDEPENDENCE HILL, FARMINGVILLE, NY 11738, on July 18, 2024 at 12:30PM, premises known as 99 SOUTHHAVEN AVENUE, MASTIC, NY 11950; and the following tax map identification: 0200882.00-01.00-041.000.
ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, STATE OF NEW YORK, SITUATE AT MASTIC, TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 605424/2017. Michael Clancy, Esq. - Referee. The Referee does not accept cash and only accepts bank checks or certified checks made payable to Michael T. Clancy, as Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New
York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.
L15947 - 6/19/2024, 6/26/2024, 7/3/2024 & 7/10/2024
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK
BETHPAGE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, -against-
MAUREEN H. PITTMAN, IF LIVING, AND IF SHE/ HE BE DEAD, ET AL.
NOTICE OF SALE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Suffolk on May 8, 2024, wherein BETHPAGE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION is the Plaintiff and MAUREEN H. PITTMAN, IF LIVING, AND IF SHE/ HE BE DEAD, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the BROOKHAVEN TOWN HALL, 1 INDEPENDENCE HILL, FARMINGVILLE, NY 11738, on July 18, 2024 at 10:30AM, premises known as 81 MILLER AVENUE, PORT JEFFERSON STATION, NY 11776; and the following tax map identification: 0200-334.0006.00-060.000.
ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING AT TERRYVILLE, TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK AND STATE OF NEW YORK
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.:
208536/2022. Annette Eaderesto, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.
L15950 - 6/19/2024, 6/26/2024, 7/3/2024 & 7/10/2024
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK
DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE FOR AMERICAN HOME MORTGAGE INVESTMENT TRUST 2005-2, -againstJORGE PENA, ET AL.
NOTICE OF SALE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Suffolk on October 29, 2019, wherein DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE FOR AMERICAN HOME MORTGAGE INVESTMENT TRUST 2005-2 is the Plaintiff and JORGE PENA, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the BROOKHAVEN TOWN HALL, 1 INDEPENDENCE HILL, FARMINGVILLE, NY 11738, on July 22, 2024 at 10:30AM, premises known as 11 ORMOND PLACE, SHIRLEY, NY 11967; and the following tax map identification: 0200851.00-05.00-004.000.
ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS
AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK AND STATE OF NEW YORK
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 611797/2017. Steven Losquadro, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.
L15951 - 6/19/2024, 6/26/2024, 7/3/2024 & 7/10/2024
NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE
STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT: COUNTY OF SUFFOLK U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS DELAWARE TRUSTEE AND U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS CO-TRUSTEE FOR GOVERNMENT LOAN SECURITIZATION TRUST 2011-FV1 Plaintiff, v. LILLIAN L POITRAS A/K/A LILLIAN POITRAS, ET AL, Defendants.
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT
In pursuance of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the Office of the County Clerk of Suffolk County on December 4, 2019, I, Elyse N. Grasso, Esq., the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on July 18, 2024 at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill,
Farmingville, NY 11738, at 1:00PM the premises described as follows:
72 Johns Neck Road a/k/a 72 Lafayette Drive Shirley, NY 11967
SBL.: 0209-032.00-02.00052.000 f/k/a 0200-983.0004.00-052.000
ALL THAT TRACT OR PARCEL OF LAND situate in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk, State of New York.
The premises are sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment, Index No. 060386/2014 in the amount of $178,306.61 plus interest and costs. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the Court System's COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale.
Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff 500 Bausch & Lomb Place Rochester, NY 14604
Tel.: 855-227-5072
L15952 - 6/19/2024, 6/26/2024, 7/3/2024 & 7/10/2024
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE OF THE CHALET SERIES IV TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. JENNIFER WAGNERAUERBECK A/K/A J.D. WAGNER-AUERBECK A/K/A JENNIFER W. AUERBECK A/K/A JENNIFER WAGNER, ET AL., Defendant(s).
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on August 3, 2023 and an Order Appointing Successor Referee duly entered on April 30, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on July 30, 2024 at 9:00 a.m., premises known as 24 Golden Gate Drive, Shirley, NY 11967. All that certain plot, piece or parcel
of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York, District 0200, Section 980.30, Block 01.00 and Lot 032.000. Approximate amount of judgment is $260,227.18 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #616260/2021. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.
John Bennett, Esq., Referee
Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No. 203392-1
L15958 - 6/26/2024, 7/3/2024, 7/10/2024 & 7/17/2024
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT: SUFFOLK COUNTY. CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC, Pltf. vs. JOHN BAKER, et al, Defts. Index #202609/2022. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered Feb. 15, 2024, I will sell at public auction at Brookhaven Town Hall, One Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY on July 25, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. premises k/a 31 Terrell Street, Patchogue, NY 11772 a/k/a District 0200, Section 979.30, Block 02.00, Lot 044.000. Approximate amount of judgment is $223,806.08 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale.
ANNETTE EADERESTO, Referee. MARGOLIN, WEINREB & NIERER, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 165 Eileen Way, Ste. 101, Syosset, NY 11791. #101531
L15959 - 6/26/2024, 7/3/2024, 7/10/2024 & 7/17/2024
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK
DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY AS TRUSTEE FOR INDYMAC INDX MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2006-
AR29, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES
2006-AR29, -against-
CHESLEY RUFFIN A/K/A
CHELSEY RUFFIN A/K/A
CHESLEY J. RUFFIN, ET AL.
NOTICE OF SALE
NOTICE IS HEREBY
GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Suffolk on January 21, 2021, wherein DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY AS TRUSTEE FOR INDYMAC INDX MORTGAGE
LOAN TRUST 2006AR29, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES
2006-AR29 is the Plaintiff and CHESLEY RUFFIN
A/K/A CHELSEY RUFFIN
A/K/A CHESLEY J. RUFFIN, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the BROOKHAVEN TOWN HALL, 1 INDEPENDENCE
HILL, FARMINGVILLE, NY 11738, on July 24, 2024 at 10:00AM, premises known as 12 CAROLINE STREET, MEDFORD, NY 11763; and the following tax
map identification: 0200545.00-02.00-045.000.
ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING AT WEST YAPHANK, TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK AND STATE OF NEW YORK
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 612212/2017. Paul R. Feuer, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.
L15962 - 6/26/2024, 7/3/2024, 7/10/2024 & 7/17/2024
SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF SUFFOLK-
BROOKHAVEN. THE STRATHMORE TERRACE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS,
INC., Plaintiff -againstCHRISTIAN DIPALERMO, AS TRUSTEE OF THE JOSEPH J. DIPALERMO IRREVOCABLE TRUST
DATED DECEMBER 17, 1998 AND CHRISTIAN DIPALERMO, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated September 18, 2023 and entered on October 17, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY on August 7, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in Mount Sinai, Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York, bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at the division line between Lots 82 and 83 as shown on the above mentioned map; being a plot 70.00 feet by 35.12 feet by 70.00 feet by 35.12 feet. District 0200 Section 210.00 Block 02.00 Lot 083.000
Said premises known as 78 HEARTHSIDE DRIVE, MOUNT SINAI, NY 11766
Approximate amount of lien $5,278.70 plus interest & costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed
Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 612487/2021. ROBERT A. MACEDONIO, ESQ., Referee
Schneider Buchel LLP
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 666 Old Country Road, Suite 412, Garden City, NY 11530
{* SOUTH SHO4*}
L15964 - 7/3/2024, 7/10/2024, 7/17/2024 & 7/24/2024
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF SUFFOLK
U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSRMF MH MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST II, Plaintiff AGAINST DORA W. CHAN, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered February 2, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on August 13, 2024 at 10:30AM, premises known as 20 West Lake Drive, Patchogue, NY 11772. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Patchogue, in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York, District
0204, Section 012.00, Block 04.00, Lot 003.000. Approximate amount of judgment $469,615.02 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #610027/2018. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the District and SUFFOLK County Auction Plan in effect at this time. Only Bank or Certified check payable to the Referee will be accepted for the downpayment. No thirdparty check or cash will be accepted. Andrea Denicola, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 16-003669 81366
L15969 - 7/10/2024, 7/17/2024, 7/24/2024 & 7/31/2024
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, US BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR VRMTG ASSET TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. DEBORAH DAWSON AKA DEBORAH DAVAN, ET AL., Defendant(s).
Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee’s Report
and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on April 23, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on August 13, 2024 at 1:00 p.m., premises known as 489 Carnation Drive, Shirley, NY 11967. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York, District 0200, Section 615.00, Block 04.00 and Lot 007.002. Approximate amount of judgment is $392,962.32 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #208227/2022. Cash will not be accepted. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.
Brooke J. Breen, Esq., Referee
Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, New York 10591, Attorneys for Plaintiff
L15970 - 7/10/2024, 7/17/2024, 7/24/2024 & 7/31/2024
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THE BETTOR ANGLE TM
BY TOM BARTON
We don't often talk about nonsports things that we can bet on as professional sports bettors, but there are some exceptions. This past presidential debate was one of the exceptions because the market shifted so much.
The first 2024 presidential debate was held last week and immediately following the conclusion, markets around the world watched the lines shift because of the current US president's performance. Joe Biden, was by all accounts, a complete and utter disaster on the world stage. The Biden performance, of losing his train of thought and general uneasiness watching him fumble through the questions, led many political pundits to come to the conclusion that he would be replaced as the Democratic candidate before he even makes it to the election. The bookmakers however were a step in front of even the pundits.
As the Biden collapse began to unfold, many offshore books and the Canadian betting market were not waiting until the end of the debate to move their lines. Joe Biden's falling odds, and Donald Trump becoming an even bigger favorite, was a typical response to a strong debate by one opponent against another, but it's the other moves that shocked many.
Before the debate began, Donald Trump led the betting numbers as a -140 favorite. Meaning you would have to lay out $140 to win $100. After the debate, he shifted to -180 in most markets, a small but telling move. Joe Biden's decline was as steep and obvious as his brain lapses. Biden fell from +175 to +450. That implies about a 15% chance that Biden will be reelected.
The most interesting move though came from the other
Can We Make Money on Sleepy Joe?
next president, as Obama also had some movement. No, not Barak, but Michelle Obama went from 22 to 1 odds down to 20 to 1 odds, and Kamala Harris, the VP and obvious choice to replace Biden, had the worst odds of those who were not on the debate stage, but saw them improve from 40 to 1 to just 33 to 1. This week however the vice president's numbers now sit at just under 20 to 1, as more speculation that "Sleepy Joe" will be replaced hits the news, you should expect more movement in her direction.
We know that offshore and Canadian markets can be volatile and move lines quickly, and this is by no means a telltale sign of who will be the next president, but the betting markets often represent the public and the public's sentiment here is very clear. Don't bet good money on a bad Joe Biden.
A Pair of Ducks Moving Up
ByTomBarton
The Long Island Ducks have had two of their players contracts chosen by major league teams. Righthanded pitcher Matt Seelinger’s contract has been purchased by the Detroit Tigers organization. Seelinger will now report to the team’s Double-A affiliate, the Erie SeaWolves, in Pennsylvania.
Outfielder Tyler Dearden’s contract has also been purchased by an AL Central team. Dearden will be in the Minnesota Twins organization. He will report to the team’s High-A affiliate, the Cedar Rapids Kernels, in Iowa.
Seelinger, a Westbury, NY, native, has pitched in a team-high 21 games for the Flock and recorded an Atlantic League leading 11 saves. He's allowed just one earned over
20.2 innings of work, good for a 0.43 ERA. The 29-year-old gave up just nine hits and eight walks while striking out 31 batters and holding opponents to a team-best .129 batting average against.
“Matt has been lights out in the bullpen for us all season,” said Ducks Manager Lew Ford. “He is incredibly deserving of this opportunity, and we wish him the best of luck with the Tigers organization.”
He was selected by the Pirates in the 28th round of the 2-17 draft and became the first Farmingdale State College player in history to be drafted by a major league team. In his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies organizations, he had a 12-12 record with a 3.57 ERA, 18 saves and 351
strikeouts to 125 walks over 257.1 innings of work.
Dearden leaves the Ducks with the Atlantic League’s best batting average at .361. He is also tied for the league lead in doubles (19) while ranking second in extra-base hits (31) and third in hits (73), total bases (128) and slugging percentage
(.634). The New Jersey native led the Ducks in RBIs (46), runs scored (37) and games played (55), while ranking second on the team in home runs (12), on-base percentage (.410) and OPS (1.044). The hitting machine also departs in the midst of a 12-game, on-base streak.
Still just 25 years old, he spent the
Wrestling for Limestone
ByTomBarton Center Moriches wrestling
standout Callum Jones has committed to continue his career at Limestone University.
Last year, Deputy Supervisor Dan Panico honored Jones for his achievements in the sport. Callum has achieved success in the 2022/23 wrestling season as the team captain and placed 1st at the Suffolk County - Section XI Public High School Wrestling Tournament in the 160lb-weight class. He then advanced to the NYS Finals in Albany.
That season he also took home 1st place victories at the 44th Sprig Gardner Invitational High School Wrestling Tournament in East Hampton, the 36th Kujan Brothers Memorial Tournament in William Floyd, and the Miller Place High School Wrestling Tournament in Miller Place. Jones
first six seasons of his professional career in the Boston Red Sox organization, reaching as high as Triple-A Worcester in 2023. He compiled a .353 on-base percentage and a .778 OPS, along with 49 home runs, 228 RBIs, 204 runs, 356 hits, 72 doubles, five triples and 179 walks in 399 games.
Continued on page 25
has also been recognized as an AllLeague coaches award recipient and was awarded the Center Moriches High School "Unsung Hero" award for his dedication to his teammates and the sport.
This season was another stellar effort and Jones pinned Anthony Bellin under three
minutes in the Dr. L Robert
Suffolk County Division 2 Wrestling Championship.
Jones is a certified Suffolk County Ocean Lifeguard and has certifications in CPR and First Aid/Backboard.
"candidates" who all saw a large uptick in their betting numbers. Gavin Newsom led the way as he went from a +2,500
underdog, to closing the gap on Biden to +700. Newsome wasn't the only name that watched his odds improve to become the
Photo Credit: Tom Barton
US President Joe Biden
Photo Credit: @LIDucks
"Doc" Fallot Memorial
Photo Credit: Center Moriches Athletic Booster Club | Facebook Callum Jones
SPORTS Bayport-Blue Point Ranked #1 in the Nation
ByTomBarton
When the final USA Lacrosse Public High School Boys' National Top 25 teams were announced, there were nine new teams joining the list. The first name atop of the list is the Bayport-Blue Point lacrosse team.
Head coach Doug Meehan led the Phantoms to a 21-1 season record and won a New York State championship. They are the only Suffolk County school inside the top 25. The Phantoms got to the championship by beating a good 15 win Wantagh team when six different players scored in the LI Championship game. Then they went on to defeat Section
the
as one of the best teams in the country.
Bayport-Blue Point claims the top spot, with South Side finishing inside the top 3, and Cold Spring Harbor inside the top 10.
Bayport-Blue Point (N.Y.), Radnor (Pa.), Lake Mary (Fla.), Olentangy Liberty (Ohio) and Torrey Pines (Calif.) were the best among their respective regions.
National and regional rankings are compiled by USA Lacrosse Magazine writers with input from coaches around the country.
The Second Stroman
ByTomBarton
Suffolk's county's Marcus Stroman had a homecoming this season when he signed with the New York Yankees on a two year deal that will pay him upwards of $37 million dollars. While Marcus has had a solid first season with the pinstripes it's another Stroman that has the baseball world abuzz.
Medford's Jayden Stroman is the younger brother of the Yankees starter and he has already begun to open up the eyes of the baseball world. This week, at just 17 years old, Jayden was clocked at a remarkable 94 miles per hour. Stroman not only hit 94 from the mound but it's being reported he has hit 96 already at this young age from his shortstop position.
In a day in age where everyone is looking for the next great two way player, Stroman already has scouts discussing exactly that. Jayden got a nice boost from the hype world when Marcus posted
a video of his picture perfect swing this week on X. In no time the video received over 100 thousand likes and even the most pessimistic observer could see that his swing has the makings of something special.
they have another star on the horizon.
A Defensive Gem Gets His Award Miller Place Awards Role
ByTomBarton
Junior Mike DiFlippo of the St. Joseph's University's baseball team was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) NCAA Div. III Region All-Defensive team.
DiFilippo, an All-Region selection, broke the SJLI singleseason games played and games started records by appearing in 45 games for the Golden Eagles this year. That consistency and reliability led to the shortstop finishing with a .970 fielding percentage and led the Skyline Conference with 142 assists. He also broke the school's singleseason double plays turned record with 34.
Offensively, he was just as impressive finishing second on the team and was among conference leaders with a .364 batting average, compiling 56 hits on 154 at bats while recording 36 runs and 33 RBIs on seven doubles, two triples, three home runs, and was an almost perfect 24-25 on stolen bases attempts.
A Pair of Ducks
Continued from page 24
He was named an MiLB.com Organization All-Star and a High-A East Post-Season All-Star in 2021 after leading the High-A East in home runs (24), RBIs (80) and walks (55). Dearden was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 29th round of the 2017 amateur draft.
“We’d like to congratulate Tyler on this exciting opportunity,” said Ducks Manager Lew Ford. “He
After being selected to the ABCA NCAA Div. III Region All-Defensive team, he becomes eligible for the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove honors.
Moving Up...
has been a terrific hitter for us all season, and we wish him the best of luck in the Twins organization.”
Dearden becomes the eighth member of the 2024 Ducks to have his contract purchased by a Major League or foreign organization.
He joins left-handed pitcher Emilio Marquez (Pericos de Puebla, June 4), infielder Rixon Wingrove (Minnesota Twins, May 24), and right-handed pitchers Matt
Seelinger (Detroit Tigers, June 25), Tyler Zuber (Tampa Bay Rays, May 13), Chris Ellis (Arizona Diamondbacks, April 25), Dan Straily (Chicago Cubs, April 25) and Raynel Espinal (Rieleros de Aguascalientes, April 15). Since beginning play in 2000, the Ducks have had 30 players reach the Major League level after joining Long Island, and 115 have had their contracts purchased.
Models
ByTomBarton
Seven Miller Place Athletic Teams have been recognized as Section XI Sportsmanship Award Winners for their recently completed spring seasons. The award is designed to thank each coach for their efforts to not only maintain high standards and expectations of conduct, but also for modeling such behaviors as role models for our student-athletes. The awards that were won are below:
• Varsity Boys BadmintonCoaches Justin Beyersdorfer &
Patrick Schultz
• Varsity Girls BadmintonCoaches Justin Beyersdorfer & Patrick Schultz
• Varsity Boys LacrosseCoaches Nick Belvedere & Don Denning
• Varsity Boys Track & Field
- Coaches Sean O'Brien & Jennifer Lynch
• JV Softball - Coach Alana Gomory
• MS Boys Lacrosse - Coach Dom LoRe
• MS Boys Tennis - Coach Riccardo Rivera
IX’s Red Hook in Middletown to capture the title and end
year
Photo Credit: @BBPSchools | X Phantoms Voted #1 in the Nation
Jayden won the 2022 14 and under select festive player award and one scout has said he has been on the radar since he was a young teenager. The Stroman family, and Suffolk county, looks like
Photo Credit: jaydenstroman_ | Instagram Jayden Stroman and Marcus Stroman
Photo Credit: Miller Place School District | Facebook
Photo Credit: @SJLIAthletics
SPORTS St. Joseph's Baseball Coach Is Two for Two
ByTomBarton
For the second year in a row, St. Joseph's University of Long Island's baseball head coach Tom Caputo was named Coach of the Year. The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) announced its 2024 Division III Baseball All-ECAC Team and major award winners last week and Caputo took home his second straight award.
In just his second season with St. Joseph's, Caputo led his team to a record-breaking 33 wins this season and a first place finish.
The Golden Eagles also had an unbelievable, and program record, 19-game win streak this year. Their first place finish was their third consecutive Skyline Conference regular season and
championship tournament titles and they advanced to the NCAA Div. III Regional Tournament.
Caputo also hit a milestone earlier in the year with his 200th career win as a head coach,
combined with his record at Dowling College, and was named Skyline Conference Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year as well as D3Baseball.com Region Three Coach of the Year.
A Panther Becomes a Tiger
ByTomBarton
Miller Place's left-handed pitcher Nick Frusco has committed to continue his athletic and academic career at Clemson University.
Frusco has changed his school of choice after he was previously committed to Rutgers. Frusco will represent Team Long Island in the 2024 Leiderman Cup in August after having one of the best seasons in Suffolk County.
Frusco finished the year as a two-way star but although his two home runs were impressive it was on the mound where he turned heads. He struck out 10 or more batters four different times this season and ended the year on a remarkable hot streak. The Panthers lefty struck out 43 batters in his
final four games, which was highlighted by one of the most dominant performances in recent memory with a 16K day against Sayville in late April.
Center Moriches Alumni Is an Academic Star
ByTomBarton
Georgian Court Lacrosse has nine student-athletes making this year's College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team. Former Center Moriches standout Isabel Raimondi tops the list.
In order to be eligible for the CSC Academic All-District Team, undergraduate studentathletes must be a sophomore or higher at their current institution and have a minimum cumulative 3.50 GPA. On the field, they must also compete in 90% of the institution's games played or start in at least 66% of all games.
Raimondi is a junior with a
Town of Brookhaven Honors High School Athletes
ByStefanMychajliw
Local leaders, including Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico, Town Clerk Kevin LaValle, and Town Board members honored the Miller Place Girls Varsity Softball Team as Suffolk County Class-A Champions, Long Island Class-A Champions, and New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Class-A Finalist.
Also honored was Jillian Scully
of the Miller Place Varsity Track Team as NYSPHSAA & New York State Federation Individual Champion in Winter/Indoor Season Shot Put & Spring/Outdoor Shot Put.
The Bayport-Blue Point Varsity Lacrosse Team was also recognized as they earned its first state title in program history on Saturday, June 8th after defeating Section III’s Jamesville-Dewitt (in Central New York), in the state Class C title game.
3.75 GPA in Marketing. She, too, set numerous career-highs on her way to making the IWLCA All-Region and CACC AllConference teams. She played all 19 games as well and led Georgian Court scoring 102 points with 48 goals and 54 assists. She picked up 23 balls off the ground while causing 10 turnovers.
This year marks the second consecutive Academic AllDistrict Team honor for Raimondi and she was selected by the CSC Academic All-America committee to be on the ballot for an Academic All-American award. Voting takes place this week by CSC members.
Photo Credit: @SJLIAthletics | X
Photo Credit: centermorichesathletics | Instagram
Nick Frusco
Photo Credit: sectxisuffolk | Instagram
Photo Credit: Brookhaven Clerk Kevin LaValle
Photo Credit: Brookhaven Clerk Kevin LaValle
Photo Credit: Brookhaven Clerk Kevin LaValle
Miller Place Girls Varsity Softball Team
Jillian Scully of the Miller Place Varsity Track Team
The Bayport Blue Point Varsity Lacrosse Team
Hall of Fame Welcomes Their New Members
ByTomBarton
The 2024 Stony Brook Athletics
Rita & Kurt Eppenstein Hall of Fame class will induct five new members to it's hallowed halls this fall.
The 2024 Hall of Fame class is made up of of baseball player Pat Cantwell, a 2012 graduate, John Espey, the Men's Lacrosse Head Coach & Administrator, Bria Green a 2015 graduate and Softball standout, Corinne Leake, who graduated in 2004 and excelled in Women's Track & Field, and Dorrien Van Dyke from the 2017 class, who was a Women's Lacrosse star.
"Each member of the Stony Brook Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024 created their own enduring legacy marked by elite leadership and tremendous athletic achievement. This is an extremely deserving group whose collective contributions to our program can't be overstated," said Director of Athletics Shawn Heilbron.
Cantwell played all four years as a member of the baseball team and helped the Seawolves shock the world in 2012 as they made a magical run to the College World Series. The catcher becomes a two-time Stony Brook Hall of Famer, as he along with the entire 2012 baseball team was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022. Over
his four-year collegiate career, the catcher hit .314, with seven home runs, 109 runs batted in, and 173
third in program history in games played, sixth in at bats, fifth in hits, and second in runs scored. He was named to the All-America East First Team twice, Second Team once, and All-Rookie Team as a freshman. Cantwell helped lead the Seawolves to two America East Championships (2010 & 2012). He currently serves as a bullpen catcher for the Texas Rangers and is reunited with former Stony Brook teammate and fellow SBU Hall of Famer Travis Jankowski. Cantwell and Jankowski were members of the Texas Rangers organization when the club won the 2023 World Series.
Coach Espey was the men's lacrosse head coach from 1988-2004 and ushered the Seawolves into the Division I era. Espey finished with 116 wins and guided the program to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance as a Division I member in 2002 after winning the America East Championship. He coached the University's first-ever Division I AllAmerican, attackman Kevin Pall, after the 2002 season. Espey helped the Seawolves capture their first two wins over ranked opponents,
runs scored in 215 games. Following his senior season, he was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the third round of the MLB Draft. Cantwell ranks
All-America East Second Team (2013 & 2014). Before her time at Stony Brook, she spent her freshman year at Delaware State where she hit .349 in 42 games and was named to the AllMEAC Second Team.
Leake was a four-year member of the cross country/track & field program and helped the Seawolves make their mark in their early Division I years. Leake is credited with laying the foundation of success in the women's track & field program and her individual accolades speak for themselves. She was a two-time America East Champion in the 500m and set the conference record in the event in 2002. She was also a member of the only women's 4x400m relay team to capture a conference championship to date. Leake held the 500m record at Stony Brook for 18 years. She was named to the All-America East Team in indoor track & field three times (2002, 2003, 2004) and was once named to the All-Conference Team in outdoor competition (2003). Leake graduated from Stony Brook with a BS in Health Science, with a concentration in Emergency Medical
defeating No. 17 Hartford in 1997 and No. 16 UMBC in 2001. While serving as head coach, he represented the University as a member of the NCAA Division I Championship Committee and President of the America East Lacrosse Coaches Association. In addition to his coaching duties, Espey has been an Associate Professor of Physical Education at Stony Brook. Following his time as head coach, he has served the Athletics Department as the Assistant Director of Facilities.
Green had a stellar three-year career at Stony Brook, helping lead the Seawolves to the 2013 America East Championship title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. She became the program's first-ever America East Player of the Year in 2015 after hitting a program record 19 home runs and driving in a then program record 52 runs. Over the course of three seasons at Stony Brook, Green hit .362 (173478), with 42 home runs, 131 RBI, and 96 runs scored. She still holds the program single-season home runs record with 19 and is tied for third on the Stony Brook all-time home runs list with 42. Green was tabbed to the All-America East First Team in 2015 and was twice selected to the
decorated players to ever wear a Stony Brook uniform. The midfielder started all 84 games in her career and led the Seawolves to four consecutive NCAA Tournament berths, including their first-ever appearance in the NCAA quarterfinals in 2017. Over her career, she had 268 points, 197 goals, 71 assists, 179 draw controls, and 112 ground balls. Van Dyke was named a Tewaaraton Award Nominee and was selected as an IWLCA All-American in 2017. She was tabbed to the AllAmerica East First Team in each of her four years of college and was the 2014 America East Rookie of the Year. Van Dyke ranks top 10 in program history in goals, assists, points, and draw controls. The midfielder set the program NCAA Tournament singlegame record for most goals with seven against Bryant in the 2017 first round. Following her playing career, Van Dyke began coaching and has served as an assistant coach at Johns Hopkins since 2023. She has also made coaching stops at Arizona State, James Madison, and Monmouth.
The 2024 Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Saturday,
Response. She currently works at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center as an executive assistant.
Van Dyke is one of the most
October 26, in the Island Federal Arena Lobby/Nasti Hall. The reception begins at 11 a.m., with the induction ceremony to follow at noon.
Photo Credit: @SBAthletics | X John Espey '12
Photo Credit: @SBAthletics | X Bria Green '15
Photo Credit: @SBAthletics | X Dorrien Van Dyke '17
Photo Credit: @SBAthletics | X Pat Cantwell '12
Photo Credit: @SBAthletics | X Corinne Leake '14
STONY BROOK HOF ADDS FIVE
Photo Credit: sbathletics| Instagram