The South Shore Press 7/24/24

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BY STEFAN MYCHAJLIW

There is no better collection of four words found on the South Shore Press front page that best describe the long national nightmare known as the Joe Biden presidency.

Facts are stubborn things, and it’s hard to argue about Joe Biden’s disastrous record that damaged families in every corner of the country:

A wide open border where fentanyl, gangs, bad actors, criminals, and illegal aliens flow freely.

The death of many innocent people at the hands of illegal immigrants who beat, raped, and killed American citizens because of President Biden rolling out the welcome mat for them.

Out-of-control inflation that killed jobs and forced you to pay more for gas, groceries, rent, and basic necessities.

The death of 13 American troops during his withdrawal from Afghanistan.

A weak foreign policy that emboldened our enemies to declare war on our allies. For the record, Vladmir Putin never invaded Ukraine on President Trump’s watch, and Hamas never attacked Israel and held Americans hostage while Donald Trump was commander in chief.

A stagnant economy thanks to a “war on oil” by Biden refusing to drill and frack here at home.

That record of failure did not compel the media and most in the Democratic Party to respectfully ask Joe Biden not to run again.

It was only until his disastrous debate performance against President Trump on June 27th did the mainstream media and fellow Democrats call for him to stop his run for a second term.

A cognitive coverup of epic proportions took place over the past three-and-a-half years. “They” all knew of President Biden’s mental incapacity. All of “them.” But it was

much easier for the swamp machine to pass a radical progressive agenda through Congress while President Biden was mentally incapacitated.

“They” got what they wanted: open borders, cashless bail, the political persecution and abuse of the courts to target President Trump, increased social spending, the left-wing liberal laundry list goes on and on and on. Once they passed this radical legislation that weakened our once strong nation, “they” spit Joe Biden out and moved on rather quickly.

This begs an important point not many are giving serious thought to: If Joe Biden isn’t mentally fit to run for President, he assuredly is not capable of being the commander in chief until January of 2025.

Another important question that must be asked following President Biden’s announcement that he’s not running again: “Cui bono?”

Translation: "to whom is it a benefit?"

Who benefits most from Biden stepping aside and why did it happen like this in the first place?

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who spent time in prison for attempting to cash in on an appointment to the US Senate that he controlled, pointed his finger right at Barack Obama.

“I’ve known Obama since 1995. We both come out of Chicago politics. I know how it works. He’s behind the campaign to dump 15 million Dem primary voters & replace Biden with his choice. Classic Chicago Democrat machine politics. Selection over election.

The bosses over the people,” wrote Blagojevich on “X,” formerly known as Twitter.

It’s appalling and the height of hypocrisy for Democrats, the mainstream media, and those on the left side of the political spectrum to falsely claim that the events of January 6th were a “threat to democracy” and that President Trump himself is a “threat to Democracy.”

That’s laughable, considering the Democratic Party and the media just engaged in a political coup that forced Joe Biden out of the race for the White House, ignoring the will of 15 million people who nominated him.

“Cui bono?”

No question the Democratic establishment machine who wanted to block Robert F. Kennedy (RFK)

from winning the Democratic nomination for President. Think about their coup from beginning to end:

1) Elect a senile commander in chief who will blindly go along with passing their George Sorossponsored agenda. On his watch, weaponize prosecutors and the courts to imprison President Trump with multiple charges in multiple

states with multiple jurisdictions. Their goal was to weaken President Trump so their handpicked candidate would win the presidency in a cakewalk. This backfired badly

2) Block RFK during the nominating process, then force President Biden to drop out at the latest moment possible prior to the Democratic National Convention, giving Kennedy zero runway to mount a challenge for the nomination.

3) Pick a new puppet to run: Vice President Kamala Harris, who makes President Biden look like a brain surgeon compared to her lack of intellect.

There you have it. Pick a puppet you control (Biden). Block outsiders from having a chance (Kennedy). Eliminate political opposition (Trump). Then appoint the puppet of your choice to keep the cycle of corruption continuing (Harris).

Add water and stir. That’s a true coup that took place before our very eyes, one that is a true threat to our democracy.

Shirley Man Plants Trump Sign Garden

ByRobertChartuk

Some people keep their politics to themselves, but not Bob Belonzi of Shirley—he puts it all out there for the world to see. Drivers passing by his house on William Floyd Parkway can’t miss his signs supporting Donald Trump and making his thoughts known on his opponent, Joe Biden.

“I was interviewed on CNN in 2015 predicting Trump would win, and I’m confident that he will do it again in 2024,” the semi-retired Republican said. “He’s a businessman, a smart guy; he’s the only one who can save our country.”

Belonzi’s not alone in his

Continued on page 5

patriotism—he’s joined by his wife, Stephanie Barone, who shares his view that Trump can make America great again.

Photo Credit: Robert Chartuk

Bob Belonzi lets the world know who he supports for president.

VP Kamala Harris laughs her way to the Democratic nomination.

ByDeborahWilliams

President Joe Biden will not run as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States, making the announcement by letter released on the social media platform "X," formerly known as Twitter.

For now, Biden will serve the remainder of his term as commander in chief. Following the announcement that he will not run for a second term, the soonto-be one-term president endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to replace him as the Democratic nominee.

“And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” wrote President Biden in his letter.

Republicans are questioning whether Biden can continue serving as president if he is unable to run for office.

Elon Musk said on X, "My smartest friends, including those living in the San Francisco Bay Area who have been lifelong Dems, are excited about Trump/ Vance. I believe in an America that maximizes individual freedom and merit," he wrote. "That used to be the Democratic Party, but now the pendulum has swung to the Republican Party."

Former President Donald Trump said on Truth Social, "Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve - And never was!” Trump wrote. “He only attained

Biden Drops Out of Presidential Race

the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement. All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t.”

Vice-Presidential candidate, JD Vance, said, "If Joe Biden ends his reelection campaign, how can he justify remaining President? Not running for reelection would be a clear admission that President Trump was right all along about Biden not being mentally fit enough to serve as Commanderin-Chief. There is no middle ground.”

Minority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said in a statement, "For four years, the American people have faced historic inflation at home, chaos at the border, and weak leadership on the world stage. Our nation is less prosperous and less secure than it was in January 2021. We cannot afford four more years of failure."

Speaker Mike Johnson (RLA) said, "At this unprecedented juncture in American history, we must be clear about what just happened. The Democrat Party forced the Democrat nominee off the ballot, just over 100 days before the election. (T)he self-proclaimed ‘party of democracy’ has proven exactly the opposite. The party’s prospects are no better now with Vice President Kamala Harris, who co-owns the disastrous policy failures of the Biden Administration. If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. "

Senator Chuck Schumer (DNY) said, “Joe Biden has not

only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he's a truly amazing human being. His decision, of course, was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first. Joe, today shows you are a true patriot and great American.”

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-R) said, "If Joe Biden can't run for re-election, he is unable and unfit to serve as President of the United States. He must immediately resign."

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) said, "For the same reason Joe Biden is unfit to run, he is unfit to continue serving and should resign immediately. Make no mistake, whoever replaces Joe Biden on the ballot will push the same leftwing Democrat agenda that is destroying our country..."

New York State Conservative Party Chairman, Gerard Kassar, said, "The charade foisted on the country by irresponsible Democrats has come to an end. President Joe Biden should have stepped aside long ago, but he's finally done the right thing and we applaud him for that. We wish him

well in his future endeavors."

NYS Senator Rob Ortt (R-62) said, "The Democratic Party has shown they will do anything to cling to power. They have silenced the voice of 14.6 million primary voters and forced Joe Biden off the Democratic ticket just weeks before the convention. If Joe Biden is unfit to run, then he is clearly unfit to serve as Commander and Chief.”

Former NY Congressman, Lee Zeldin, said, "I'll take Joe Biden on his worst day over Kamala Harris on her best day."

Vivek Ramaswamy said, "We’re not running against a candidate. We’re running against a system."

Governor Kathy Hochul posted, "Joe Biden is an American hero, a true statesman, and he'll go down in history as one of the greatest champions of working families our nation has ever known. Thank you, JoeBiden."

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) posted, "President Joe Biden is a patriotic American who has always put our country first. His legacy of vision, values and

leadership make him one of the most consequential Presidents in American history. God blessed America with Joe Biden’s greatness and goodness.”

Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), "What greater threat to democracy than a party... ...who covers up the president's health & lies for power. …whose rhetoric incites an assassination attempt. …who weaponizes the legal system to lock up political opponents. The left will stop at nothing when they're losing.”

"Joe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we’ve also been reminded, again, that he’s a patriot of the highest order," said former President Barack Obama.

Former President Bill and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a joint statement, "President Biden has capped his extraordinary career of service with a Presidency that has lifted America out of an unprecedented pandemic, created millions of new jobs, rebuilt a battered economy, strengthened our democracy, and restored our standing in the world. By any measure, he has advanced our founder's charge to build a more perfect union and his own stated goal of restoring the soul of our nation."

New York City Mayor Eric Adams commented, "America owes a debt of gratitude to President Joe Biden for his decades of service. He and his team took us out of COVID, stabilized the country, and restored the soul of the nation."

Local Leaders Across Suffolk County React to Biden Bowing Out

By

Biden has spent a lifetime in politics, made a lot of friends, helped a lot of people, and each of them came up in the end and stabbed him in the back,” said Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine. Very sad. Talk about anti-democratic; he won numerous primaries and was the candidate until the behind-thescenes gang forced him out. I wish him well.”

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine

With this monumental change in the presidential race, l look forward to lively debates with answers for every American about affordability, immigration, and crime,” said Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio. “The people are desperate for good leadership in a government that has become out of touch with the average person who is going to work, paying their taxes and trying to pay their bills.”

Assemblywoman Jodi

Regardless of who the Democrats come up with next, the clear choice to lead our nation is Donald Trump,” said Assemblyman Joe DeStefano. He has a proven track record on the economy, illegal immigration, and foreign affairs, and has tremendous support from the American public. He’s exactly what this country needs to undo the fouryear Democrat disaster.”

Assemblyman Joe DeStefano

President Joe Biden

Credit: X

Giglio

RobertChartuk Now that Joe Biden has listened to the leadership of his party and the voters who witnessed his debate debacle against Donald Trump, local officials had a lot to say about what his departure from the presidential race means for the nation.

ByRobertChartuk

Sunrise Wind Breaks Ground

Wielding shovels for a makeshift ceremony, Suffolk officials, environmentalists, and trade group reps broke ground for Sunrise Wind, a massive green energy project expected to serve 600,000 Long Island homes.

Starting at an array of up to 86 turbines situated 30 miles off Montauk Point and continuing through a 124-mile transmission cable coming ashore at Smith Point, the 924-megawatt project is expected to generate $700 million in economic benefits.

Representatives of the company building the system, Denmark-based Ørsted, declined to provide a cost estimate for Sunrise Wind, deferring to state officials who said the average homeowner would see a $1-$2 increase in monthly electric costs to pay for the project.

“Long Island is a beacon of innovation and progress leading to a brighter and cleaner future,” said Doreen Harris, president and CEO of the New York Energy Research and Development Authority, which is spearheading the state’s move toward green energy. “This will be the summer of shovels,” she said, announcing that Gov. Hochul has approved a bid process for an additional Long

The NYSERDA chief was among a half dozen speakers heralding the project, including Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, who stated: “We have been prisoners to fossil fuels for too long. This will give us options to keep us warm in the winter and cool in the summer.” When he served as Brookhaven Town supervisor, Romaine welcomed the 124-mile transmission cable from the wind farm to come ashore at Smith Point and run another 17.5 miles to a substation in Holbrook. The town will receive $130 million in hosting fees over the estimated 25-year lifetime of the project, while Suffolk County will net $40 million.

Romaine harkened back 39

years to his days in the Suffolk legislature when he first started discussing alternative energy with Deep Water Wind. He said he remembered seeing industrial areas engulfed with smoke while growing up and thinking, “That doesn’t look so good.” He’s considered a leading environmental advocate who proposed making the Brookhaven landfill property in Yaphank a green energy hub.

The county executive noted projects in Suffolk related to the turbines, including a $37 million Sunrise Wind headquarters in East Setauket, a $5 million Research and Development Partnership with Stony Brook University, a $10 million National Wind Training Center in Brentwood, and a new Service

Operations Vessel, the 262-foot Eco Edison, to be docked at Port Jefferson. “This will be a $700 million economic shot in the arm to Suffolk County and give us a clean, renewable future,” he said. Romaine pointed out that the Brookhaven leg of the transmission cable and related work will make the Long Island electric grid more resilient.

David Hardy, the chief executive officer for Ørsted Offshore North America, also spoke at the ceremony, saying that Sunrise Wind is part of the company’s $20 billion investment in the U.S. “The clean energy industry has a bold vision for New Yorkers,” Hardy said. He added that Ørsted bought out the Sunrise interests of Eversource, a New England-based energy provider, but the utility will still be involved with construction.

Last year, Eversource reported a $1.6 billion loss for its offshore wind operations.

When pressed, Hardy declined to provide an exact cost estimate for the project, only noting that the company is expected to receive federal tax credits. A public relations representative broke up an interview with the chief executive at the ceremony and referred questions about consumer rates to the state.

Representatives of the

Turbine Blade Failure Shuts Nantucket Beaches

ByRobertChartuk

The beautiful beaches of Nantucket Island, the preferred summer spot of the very wealthy, were shut down when debris from a failed wind turbine washed ashore. The fiberglass shards and other flotsam came from a 351-foot windmill blade from Vineyard Wind, a green energy array of 10 units 15 miles off the Massachusetts coast.

Launching a cleanup effort in coordination with local authorities, Vineyard crews picked up about 17 cubic yards of debris, enough to fill six truckloads. Several larger pieces were also removed. The broken blade’s fiberglass was considered a hazard, leading to the closure of seven of the island’s public beaches.

Reaffirming its “commitment to the prompt and full clean-up of debris on Nantucket following the blade damage,” Vineyard officials said they will “remain in close communication with Nantucket officials and continue to prioritize the safety of the island’s residents and visitors.”

Three dozen Vineyard crew

members scoured the beaches under the watchful eye of the Nantucket Police Department, Nantucket Land Bank, and the harbormaster. The company, a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, promised to keep at it until all the debris is removed.

The broken GE Haliade-X blade sat on an 815-foot tower, nearly three times the height of the Statue of Liberty. Each unit is capable of providing power to about 6,000 homes and businesses.

“We’re grateful to the entire island community as we work to clean up Nantucket’s beaches as quickly as possible,” said Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller in the days after the incident, which occurred July 13. “We’re making progress in the debris recovery efforts and mobilizing even more resources on the island to hasten the cleanup as quickly as possible. We continue to ask that members of the public avoid handling any of the debris but report any debris sightings to Vineyard Wind or town officials for recovery. The public can have confidence that we will be here

as long as it takes to get the job done and make sure the beaches are cleaned up.”

Vineyard Wind said it will bag, track, and transport all

Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau & Suffolk Counties, the Long Island Federation of Labor, and the Haugland Group, which is constructing the transmission system, applauded the project's job creation aspect. The construction phase will require about 800 workers, while 100 permanent full-time jobs will be created to service the wind farm during operations. In addition, officials said Sunrise Wind is estimated to create up to 2,000 indirect jobs.

“From hundreds of local jobs building the onshore transmission system to a new, state-of-the-art Operations and Maintenance Hub in East Setauket, Sunrise Wind is bringing an influx of economic activity to our community, and we look forward to continuing to grow together,” said Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico at the ceremony.

“We hear words such as historic, transitional, monumental when describing Sunrise Wind but we really are witnessing history in the making,” summed up Adrienne Esposito of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “When we change the way we create energy, we change the world.”

debris off the island and to proper storage. They have also mobilized a shorebird team to visually monitor state-listed and protected avian species.

“The monitors will escort

any vehicle supporting debris removal in the vicinity of statelisted or protected species nests,” Vineyard officials noted.

The accident comes as Sunrise Wind marked the groundbreaking of its effort to construct up to 84 turbines 30 miles off Montauk Point. While Vineyard Wind is the largest currently producing offshore wind field in the U.S.—just edging out South Fork Wind, which just recently went online—Sunrise will be the nation’s largest. Company officials declined to comment on the Vineyard incident and its potential impact on the burgeoning industry.

Federal regulators ordered construction to stop at the Vineyard site until the blade failure can be fully investigated. This is not the first incident with the GE Haliade-X blades. A breakage previously occurred at the Dogger Bank A site off the UK coast. Sunrise Wind is expected to use SG 8.0-167 DD offshore wind turbines with blades supplied by Siemens Gamesa.

Island wind farm.

Credit: Robert Chartuk

Suffolk officials, environmentalists, and trade group reps break ground for Sunrise Wind at a ceremony at the Boys & Girls Club of Bellport.

Credit: Town of Nantucket

Pieces of a failed Vineyard Wind turbine forced the closure of Nantucket beaches.

By

Man on the Street: Convention

what they thought about

The convention marks a turning point in our nation's history. We saw a true hero step up to save us from the failed policies of Joe Biden. President Trump has selected an excellent vice president in J.D. Vance and is persevering to save our country despite everything they’ve thrown at him, even an attempt on his life.”

Assemblyman Joe DeStefano

There was an energy there that we haven’t seen in years. It’s great to see the party coming together with such a positive direction. The infusion of new people and talent is something the nation has been looking for and which is sorely needed.”

NYS State Senator Dean Murray

The pledge toward unity and the toning down of rhetoric is such a positive development.”

triumphant

Elections are won by ballots, not bullets. We need to move forward on the issues peacefully, not with hatred. The convention showed great enthusiasm for the Republican platform and it is certainly a plan for a better tomorrow.”

Suffolk

Unity is the theme, and I’m happy to see it. The convention was upbeat and expressed a positive vision for our country. President Trump demonstrates the leadership and strength that the country needs right now. He showed his leadership under pressure.”

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine

Shirley Man Plants...

Continued from page 2

“He really cares about people,” Barone said, referencing the speech by his granddaughter at the convention. “Here’s a guy who’s the president of the United States, and he’s calling his grandkids to see how they’re doing in school. People who don’t like him and attack him are not seeing the real person that he is.”

Following the assassination attempt in Milwaukee, Belonzi believes Trump is setting a tone for unity. “He’s a human being, a person who wants to do the right thing

after

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for all the people. He called on us to help him fight the bureaucracy in Washington that seems to do everything against the hardworking people of this country.

“You may not like his style, but he gets the job done,” Barone went on. “And for all of the women, I say this: Trump will make this country safer for your families and more prosperous.”

It’s a constant din of horns as drivers pass Belonzi’s sign garden, some of them handmade, and respond to one of his favorites, “Honk for Trump.”

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Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico

County Legislator Dominick Thorne

RobertChartuk

With the GOP National Convention in full swing, the South Shore Press asked some of our local officials

the extravaganza, especially President Donald Trump's

appearance

dodging an assassin’s bullet.

Local Leaders Across Suffolk County...

President Biden’s obvious lack of mental acuity requires him to resign so America can have a Commander in Chief with basic cognitive abilities,” said Congressman Nick LaLota. “Our national security is at risk, and the 25th Amendment must be considered if he does not step down,” he said, referring to the law giving the administration the power to remove him.

Regardless of who is at the top of the ticket, our Republican Assembly Members and candidates here in Suffolk County are committed to making New York safer and more affordable,” commented Assemblyman Doug Smith, who also serves as the vice chair of the Islip Town GOP. “The people of Long Island stand with us in our continued rescue mission to save New York.”

he is supporting Kamala Harris to replace him,” quipped Suffolk Legislator Rob Trotta.

Jesse Garcia went a step further and called for Biden to vacate the Oval Office immediately, and if he doesn’t, the administration should invoke the 25th Amendment to remove him. “President Biden finally admitted that he is not up to the tasks required of his office,” Garcia said. “Because of this, for the sake of our nation, he must step down as commanderin-chief immediately. Unfortunately, that would elevate the very person who has been most complicit in perpetuating the fraud of Biden’s mental health. By her own words, Kamala Harris has been side by side with Biden in the disaster of the presidency. From out-of-control inflation to the failure of our border, the failed record of this administration is hers. America simply can’t afford Kamala Harris. It’s time for her to go, too.”

There was no way of further hiding or denying Joe Biden’s declining cognitive abilities,” said Suffolk Legislator Nick Caracappa. “The Democrat Party is now facing a difficult situation in finding a candidate they can quickly substitute for one that they can no longer cover for and one that they feel can convince the majority of Americans to get behind and trust to carry out the duties of president.” Caracappa went on: “Should they decide to go with Vice President Harris, I believe it would be an even bigger insult to their party knowing that she has played no major role in either foreign relations or domestic affairs over the past four years. It would be, quite frankly, an absolute act of desperation by a desperate party trying to maintain control of the country rather than putting a candidate forward who can actually lead our country.”

Joe Biden has served our nation with distinction for more than five decades as a US Senator, Vice President, and our current President and with this announcement has once again chosen to put country above self,” remarked Steve Bellone, a former county executive.

I think everyone knew President Biden had to get out of the race, so that wasn't a surprise. But his immediate endorsement of Kamala Harris shows that the Democrat leadership still doesn't get it,” stated Senator Dean Murray. “Every poll for the past year shows that immigration is a huge concern for the country. President Biden gave Harris one job—a big job—secure the border. In fact, she was labeled the ‘Border Czar.’ She failed so epically that under her watch, the immigration problem exploded to become worse than at any time in this nation's history. If she couldn't handle that one job, how could she possibly handle the duties of the presidency?”

Congressman Nick LaLota

Assemblyman Doug Smith

NYS State Senator Dean Murray

His dementia is worse than we thought if

Suffolk GOP Chairman

Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta

Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa

Suffolk GOP Chairman Jesse Garcia

Former County Executive Steve Bellone

ByRobertChartuk

Resiliency Plan Will Bolster Suffolk's Coast

Suffolk’s coast will be bolstered under a plan announced last week by County Executive Ed Romaine. Phase 1 of a $1.3 million Coastal Resiliency Program aims to protect the mainland and improve water quality and wildlife habitat at three county-owned sites in Westhampton Beach and East Islip.

Romaine appeared at Scully Marsh in East Islip to discuss the effort with Deputy Presiding Officer Steve Flotteron, Legislator Trish Bergin, and environmental activists.

“This project serves to harden our coast by restoring these sensitive areas to their natural conditions, protecting neighboring communities, and safeguarding the area from erosion,” Romaine said. “It can’t come soon enough.”

Suffolk received a grant totaling $1.29 million for Phase I through a FEMA Hazard Mitigation

Fund administered by the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. Phase II funding from the federal government will amount to $2.75 million for a total of $3.9 million from the federal government, Romaine noted. The entire project will cost $4.3 million.

Scully Marsh (25 acres), East Islip Preserve (35 acres), and Cupsogue Beach Marsh (80 acres) are each listed as high-priority wetland sites in the county’s recently finalized Coastal Resiliency Plan. County officials noted that past human interventions and weather have disrupted the area’s natural hydrology, decreasing the marsh’s natural ability to act as a buffer from flooding. “The program aims to restore the areas’ natural hydrology through the usage of coir logs and sediment redistribution,” Legislator Flotteron said.

Recreating the areas’ natural hydrology also favors indigenous

plants and wildlife over invasive species, such as phragmites. The nuisance plant has pushed out natural species such as bulrushes.

The Coastal Resiliency Plan, which studied Suffolk County’s nearly 1,000 miles of coastline, lists other potential sites where this method of integrated marsh

Joseph Mazzarella, 90, a True Pioneer

ByRobertChartuk

Family and friends are mourning the loss of Joseph Mazzarella, who came to the US from Italy in 1960, raised a family, and became a pillar of his community.

“Our dad was a true pioneer. He bravely left his native land, leaving his parents and siblings behind to pursue a better life for himself, his wife, and his future family, said his son, Suffolk Legislator Jim Mazzarella. “At twenty-six years old, without speaking the language, he began a life of sacrifice and hard work here in this country. Sixtyfour years later, he left the legacy of a family with a good foundation to succeed, prosper, and establish solid families of their own. His is a story of an immigrant in search of the American dream with an ending from which we can learn. Our dad was a hero to all who knew him.”

“Brother Knight Joseph Mazzarella was the last surviving charter member of our Council,” said Frank DeNatale, Jr., the current

Grand Knight of the James V. Kavanaugh Knights of Columbus in Mastic. “He was an important figure in our council's many years of success in serving the community he loved. We owe him a great deal of gratitude.”

Mazzarella was born in 1933 in Grassano, a small mountain village in Southern Italy. His family relocated to the port city of Taranto, in the region of Puglia, where he grew up. They were forced to temporarily travel back into the mountains as bombings in the port were frequent during World War II. He served in the Italian Army and then spent his early life teaching in an elementary school.

He met his wife Betty by chance, his family recounted. She was the child of parents who emigrated to the United States, and as a young girl, she would accompany her mom when she returned to Italy on occasion to visit family. It was there that Joe would meet his future bride. They were married in Taranto in 1959, and after spending

a year living in Italy, they decided to make a life for themselves in the United States.

The Mazzarellas began their married lives in East New York, where Betty’s family owned a grocery store. They also owned a home in Shirley where they would spend weekends and summers. Joe’s experience living in rural Italy near the sea drew him to Long Island and he decided that is where he wanted to be. They bought their own home on the same block as Betty’s parents and many of her siblings and began their family.

Joe worked at the Bohack supermarket in Shirley for several years before being hired by

management could be replicated.

“The marshlands are critical to our ecosystem, and we have to keep things balanced as we work on many related topics,” Flotteron continued. “We must bring back the health of the Great South Bay. This effort to save marshlands is a first step, but an important step, for our whole ecosystem.”

“We must recognize that we live on an island and a lot of our economic engine is driven by that fact -- heavy on tourism, the boating industry, restaurants – and we need clean water,” Legislator Bergin said at Scully Marsh. “Restoring these marshlands is so important to achieving our goals to add oxygen to the water, to help restore the shellfish which eat up the nitrogen. This is just such a valuable project," said Bergin.

Legislator Jim Mazzarella added, “Living on an Island, our water quality and our coastal resiliency is of the utmost importance. By working to restore tidal marshland we are not only protecting our delicate ecosystem, we are also protecting our residents, especially those in the low-lying coastal communities. The restoration of marshlands will help to create natural buffers and protect properties from flooding as a result of storm surge,” Mazzarella said.

Brookhaven National Lab. There, he had a successful career for over 27 years until his retirement. In addition to the Knights of Columbus, he served as an usher at Saint John the Evangelist church in Center Moriches for 30 years.

Joe Mazzarella was a gentle and compassionate man who had a special way of making everyone feel loved, his family said. He had a passion for the sea and all it had to offer. He enjoyed cooking, especially on Christmas Eve, preparing all the Italian specialties. He loved his family and family gatherings most of all. “My Uncle Joe was a man of integrity and high intellect, yet humble and practical with an

insatiable love of life, family, and his faith,” said his nephew, Frank Ragone.

Joe was predeceased by Betty in 2012 and is survived by his two sons, James (Mary) of Moriches and Joseph (Margaret) of Shirley. He has four grandchildren: Elizabeth Haase (Derek), Marissa, Sarah, and Joseph. He has two great-grandchildren, Lucca and Lorenzo, both children of his granddaughter Elizabeth.

He also has four living siblings in Italy: Tina, Litzia, Geno, and Rosanna. His brother Franco predeceased him. He was a beloved uncle of many nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews in Italy and the US.

Romaine Extends Beach Hours During High Heat

ByRobertChartuk

Suffolk’s ocean beaches will have extended hours as per County Executive Ed Romaine, who also emphasized water safety as residents head to the water to beat the heat.

Swimming at Smith Point Beach and Cupsogue Beach will remain open an additional hour, closing at 6:30 p.m. until further notice, Romaine announced.

“Residents cannot be left high and dry in the heat wave,” the county executive said. “Increasing access to these most popular county beaches is a matter of public health and sound decisionmaking.”

Romaine also emphasized the importance of people exercising caution in and around the water. “Safety is the most important part of any day near the water,” he said.

“Please adhere to the rules, pay attention to the lifeguards and signs. Be careful.” Romaine offered the following Safety Tips:

• Only swim within the buoys with a lifeguard on duty.

• Be conscious of riptides and

remember to swim parallel to the shore to get out current before heading back to shore.

• Swim sober.

• Never swim alone.

• Check local advisories before swimming.

Photo Credit: Suffolk County Executive’s Office

Photo Credit: Mazzarella Family

County Executive discusses Coastal Resiliency Plan with Suffolk officials and environmentalists at the Scully Marsh in Islip.

Joseph Mazzarella, 90, A True Pioneer

Photo Credit: Suffolk County Parks Department Suffolk’s Golden Shore

ByDeborahWilliams

The Consequences of Slamming the Brakes on Congestion Pricing

The South Shore Press covered the machinations around the New York State budget negotiations and Governor Kathy Hochul’s last-minute “pause” of the controversial Congestion Pricing scheme. Now that some time has passed, The South Shore Press is taking a look at the implications of that pause. What happens next? Plenty of people are vocal about the issues caused by the pause.

Hochul suddenly reversed her stance on the Congestion Pricing tax during budget negotiations due to pressure from Democratic congressional leadership. The toll is broadly disliked across the political spectrum, and Democrats are keen to avoid upsetting voters in an election year, as they aim to gain congressional seats.

Political pressure and points aside, the transit system claims it is in desperate need of funds for necessary repair and maintenance and the trains don’t care about who is a Democrat or who is a Republican.

Hochul’s ‘pause’ means the MTA has to turn on a dime, cancel planned maintenance and upgrades, and focus only on the most needed repairs. They are essentially on an austerity budget.

“Death by a thousand broken switches” is how the outlet ‘amNew York Metro’ described the situation. The MTA reported that subway signals are failing regularly and repairs are needed. Meanwhile, Governor Hochul and the state legislature seemingly have no plan to address the situation.

The MTA has $28 billion in projects to maintain and improve the system with $13 billion to spend right now. Congestion Pricing would have charged drivers $15 to enter downtown Manhattan during peak hours.

The City of New York Independent Budget Office (IBO) projected $400 million in congestion pricing revenue for the balance of 2024 and $1 billion a year after that. cancelling Congestion pricing “removes the largest source of funding for transit capital plan without a long-term alternative to fund crucial repairs and improvements," they said in a statement. The plan was supposed to begin June 30, 2024.

Other than the substantial $1 billion in annual revenue projected from the tax on motorists, significant funds were spent getting ready to implement Congestion Pricing.

The IBO reports that the MTA allocated more than $427 million to plan and build out the infrastructure to implement Congestion Pricing to date. The MTA penned a contract worth $556 million with the company TransCore to install, operate, and maintain all of the tolling apparatus for the next six years.

The IBO report said, “If the program is not enacted at a future point, MTA investments (taxpayer money) made to date will potentially be written off as bad spending.”

Riders are not too happy about any of this. Advocates for

handicapped accessibility have complained that the delays in funding affect the MTA’s ability to continue building out the infrastructure they need to ride the transit system. Twenty-three promised accessibility projects that are now on hold due to Hochul’s ‘pause.'

Meanwhile, the Transport Workers Union and New York City public advocate, Jumaane Williams, are taking the MTA to court, accusing the MTA of violating New York State Public Authorities Law by “reducing between 55% and 10% the number of hours buses run

between depots in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx."

“It is a decision they made to save money because the lack of congestion pricing revenue is squeezing the operating budget all over the place,” Arthur Schwartz, a lawyer for the TWU, the largest union that represents transit workers, told The City. “This is one of the consequences.”

The lawsuit asks for a temporary restraining stopping MTA “from continuing cuts in bus runs and trips” and says that Hochul’s pause on congestion pricing is the sole reason.

Hochul Launches Statewide Listening Tour to Ban of Smartphones in Schools

ByDeborahWilliams

Governor Kathy Hochul is getting closer to issuing a statewide ban on smartphones in New York’s schools. She kicked off a statewide listening tour focused on addressing smartphone use in schools.

Hochul will visit school districts across the state over the next few months to listen to the concerns of key stakeholders and expects to announce legislation addressing smartphone use in schools by the end of the year.

“We can help our young people succeed in the classroom by ensuring they’re learning and growing – not clicking and scrolling,” Hochul said. “That’s why I’m working with all stakeholders across the state to develop effective solutions on smartphones that help protect our kids’ mental health and deliver the best results for our schools.”

The governor has focused many of her recent efforts

on youth mental health and wellbeing. With students already distracted by friends and the pressures of growing up, the additional challenges presented by having a smartphone in school could be especially problematic for some students – and teachers too.

Many students are still trying to catch up from the pandemicera learning loss that occurred when schools were forced to close. The temptation of a nearby smartphone is just too much for many students to resist.

After the first listening session at a school near Albany, Hochul said in a press conference. “It seems to me that the district-bydistrict approach does not work.”

And I said, sometimes it’s just easier to blame the governor of the State of New York when you want something done.

“So I don’t anticipate a piecemeal approach will be my approach; I’ll just put that out there,” she added.

Many districts across the state

have individually tried to put bans or restrictions on smartphones in place with varying results. In many instances, parents pushed back out of fears that they would not be able to contact their child during the school day or, God forbid, if an emergency like a school shooting or a fire broke out.

The State PTA is in Hochul's corner and expected to play a big role in alleviating parent anxiety about a school smartphone ban.

NY PTA Executive Director Kyle Belakopitsky said the

association is excited about the governor's initiative.

"We continue to be seriously concerned about cell phone usage in schools and their detrimental effects on learning, classroom activities and student mental health," Belakopitsky said. "We encourage every school to have a meaningful conversation with families, students and educators and a strict policy about when usage is — and is not — appropriate."

If Hochul gets a smartphone ban passed, New York would

join five states that have already passed similar legislation: Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Virginia

In June, Hochul signed two pieces of legislation designed to create a safer digital environment for New York’s students and young people generally.

The SAFE For Kids Act requires social media companies to restrict addictive feeds on their platforms for users under 18. The act was the first law of its kind to be signed in any state across the nation and Hochul considers it a hallmark for her legislative year.

The New York Child Data Protection Act was also signed by the governor and it prohibits online sites and connected devices from collecting, using, sharing, or selling the personal data of anyone under the age of 18.

Contact your local superintendent's office with your views on a potential smartphone ban in schools.

Mta Subway Tunnel

Photo Credit: Mark Hermann, MTA

ByDeborahWilliams

Court Blocks Biden Billion Dollar Student Loan Bailout

As national debt continues to soar, President Joe Biden announced $1.2 billion in a new round of student loan debt transfer to taxpayers. This latest round of debt transfer would ‘benefit’ roughly 35,000 public service workers enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the latest round of student loan bailouts pushes the federal deficit to $1.915 trillion for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024.

President Biden said on X, “My Administration is canceling student debt for 35,000 public service workers through Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Now 4.76 million folks have benefitted from our various debt relief actions, each receiving an average of over $35,000 in cancellation. That matters.”

It is widely believed this effort is meant to bolster Biden’s stuggling campaign. The trouble is the debt isn’t “canceled” as Biden says, it is transferred to other people.

Why is this so important? It sounds like it might be a good idea to help out people with student loan debt.

First and foremost, it is a program skewed toward benefiting the rich. The top fifth richest households hold $3 in student loan debt for every $1 held by the bottom fifth. The People’s Policy Project points out that it is likely even more regressive than those numbers show since many student borrowers in lower income brackets now are young and will probably earn more later in their careers. They can pay back their own loans. They don’t need

Also, those with the most debt are getting graduate degrees that have even more earning potential. Passing their debt on to others, who are regular working-class Americans makes little sense and reeks of unfairness.

Preston Cooper with Forbes says it simply, “It is regressive and unfair, won’t stimulate the economy, and creates perverse incentives to borrow more in the future.”

the retail worker or the plumber to do it for them.

Biden’s latest round brings the total student loan debt transferred to other taxpayers to $168.5 billion for roughly 4.76 million debtors.

Despite the fact that the United States Supreme Court struck down Biden’s ‘Student Loan Forgiveness Program’, Biden continues to implement it. Biden initially tried to use the HEROS Act to give the secretary of Education a wide berth to forgive student loans. But, the HEROES Act only allows the Secretary the power to “waive or modify” laws and regulations governing the student loan programs not forgive the loans in part or their entirety – hence the majority decision against the Biden administration.

Justice Robert’s sharply

written opinion stating, “The plan 'modifies' student loan laws and regulations only in the same sense that the French Revolution ‘modified’ the status of the French nobility — it has abolished them and supplanted them with a new regime entirely” seems to be almost entirely ignored by the White House.

The Court also ruled against Biden’s argument that the "debtrelief program" is consistent with the purpose of the HEROES Act –to give the secretary the power to provide relief to borrowers during a national emergency. In this case, Biden claimed the national emergency was COVID, even though the pandemic was and is over.

Roberts wrote in the majority decision that, “The question here is not whether something should be done; it is who has the authority to do it.” Roberts pointed to the “major questions” doctrine, which is the idea that if Congress wants to give an administrative agency the power to make decisions of vast economic or political significance, it must say so clearly. In this instance, there is no "clarity" that gives the Department of Education such vast economic powers.

Supreme Court decision notwithstanding, Biden has walked

right past the Court’s decision as though it never happened and continued his efforts to transfer billions of dollars in student loan debt to other taxpayers - $168.5 billion to date.

Meanwhile, hours after the Biden-Harris announcement, the 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request by seven Republican-led states that blocked Biden-Harris from continuing to implement another student loan debt program designed to lower monthly payments for millions of Americans, the SAVE program. An emergency administrative stay was issued blocking implementation until a ruling is made on an injunction.

Missouri Attorney General, Andrew Bailey, said on X, “The Court granted our emergency motion to BLOCK Joe Biden’s entire illegal student loan plan, which would have saddled working Americans with half-atrillion dollars in Ivy League debt. HUGE win for every American who still believes in paying their own way.”

The court ruling put on hold parts of the US Department of Education's debt relief plan that had not already been blocked by a lower court judge.

House GOP Wants Federal Workers Back in the Office

ByDeborahWilliams

Four years post-pandemic 75% of federal agencies are utilizing less than half of their allocated office space. The federal government maintains a massive real estate presence in Washington, DC, and yet very few of the workers are showing up each day.

Earlier this month, Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, called out the federal government for very few federal workers reporting to work in person despite the pandemic being four years in the rearview mirror.

Aderholt points out that despite very low space utilization, all

of these buildings must still be maintained, heated, and cooled at a huge cost to the taxpayer. He says it is well past time for federal employees to return to the office like most Americans.

“We’re just trying to get back to regular order. The way it was before COVID and trying to make sure when we have all of these buildings in Washington, D.C. they’re being cooled and they’re being heated in the winter. Yet, there are very few people in them. That’s really a waste of federal resources,” Aderholt said in an interview with Fox Business.

Taxpayers shell out about $5 billion a year to lease offices for federal employees, plus another $2 billion to operate those buildings

and the more than 500 million square feet of office space that you, the taxpayer, own.

Only 6% of federal workers are working full-time in the offices and 30% are fully remote, according to a Federal News Network report. Some agencies are using less than 10% of their allotted workspace.

The Department of Education utilizes just 17% of its office space and the Health and Human Services Department just 19%, reports an Office of Resource Management study. Yet, 100% of this space must be maintained all of the time with taxpayer dollars.

And, many of these now workfrom-home federal workers are still receiving Washington-area

locality pay boosts to offset the cost of working in DC. If they are not coming into the office, that bump in pay should be removed say House Republicans. They have called for an accounting of these costs.

Budget directives introduced by House Republicans will require federal agencies to publicly post how many employees come to work in person in Washington. Tracking and posting these space utilization numbers is a way to shine a light on this expensive situation for the taxpayer and also pressure agencies to bring their workforce back to the office.

It is not just House Republicans who want federal workers back to work or the space utilized in

another way. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), mayor of DC, has demanded that the Biden White House take “decisive action” to get federal workers back to the office or “realign their vast property holdings for use by the local government,” nonprofits, businesses or anyone willing to repurpose the space.

DC is feeling the loss of so many daily workers who used to support all the restaurants, shops, and other commercial outlets before and after work and during lunch. With so many workers absent from DC, businesses are struggling and many are closing. Thriving cities need people living and using all of the city every day.

Photo Credit: X

Photo Credit: Congressional Budget Office

Photo Credit: Peoples Policy Project

Student Loan Debt

New Student Loans

Student Loan Distribution

ByStefanMychajliw

Retired Secret Service Agent Breaks Down Assassination Security Lapses

He spent 22 years in the Secret Service. Now retired agent Jeff James speaks to the South Shore Press about the attempted assassination of President Donald J. Trump.

The now chief of police at Robert Morris University goes in-depth about the many security mistakes made that day, and one big change he would make to protect all candidates. He spoke to South Shore Press News Director Stefan Mychajliw in an interview that can also be heard on our Twitter page @ SSPNewsroom or our Facebook page @TheSouthShorePress.

South Shore Press News

Director Stefan Mychajliw: “As a retired Secret Service agent, what was your first reaction at the news that there was an assassination attempt of former President Trump?”

Retired Secret Service agent Jeff James: “I wish I would have been there to help. My professional reaction? There had to be some sort of a failure. In the Secret Service, even if the president gets hit with a pie, that’s a failure, let alone get shot and hit with a bullet.”

SM: “Were you thinking ‘how did a kid with a rifle get on a roof from 130 yards away and fire off multiple shots at the president?’”

JJ: “That is the big question now. One of two things happened. The Secret Service does protection in a series of concentric circles. Whoever is being protected is at the center. The first circle are agents in suits. The middle perimeter is Secret Service personnel, mixed in with local law enforcement partners. The outer perimeter is law enforcement partners. When the Secret Service agent who gave the briefing that morning, if they went to their law enforcement partner and said. “We’re concerned about this roof. This is your responsibility. Don’t let anyone up there. If an employee comes out, tell them they have to go through the metal detector.' If they said that, then it’s the officer’s failure.

"But, if the Secret Service did not give them clear, concise, codified instructions, then the agent is responsible for that failure.

"Either way, the Secret Service is responsible for the whole umbrella of those we protect.”

SM: “What about the actions immediately after? Once shots are fired at the president, you need to get him moving and in his truck. It seemed like minutes passed before that happened.”

JJ: “What happened (in the assassination aftermath) is not standard operating procedure.

I was watching TV with my family saying ‘what are you doing?’ Their first reaction was awesome, laying on top of the president. The next reaction ‘let me get my shoes,’ the fist pump, no.

We are not waiting for your shoes. We’re not getting your hat. We are gone. Running down the steps and getting into the armor needed to happen a lot faster.”

SM: “Even in the front, the agent didn’t seem tall enough to protect the president, God forbid, if there were multiple shots, they would have had a clear shot at the president.”

Trump Haters Outed by TikTok Posse

ByRobertChartuk

The Libs of TikTok drew the ire of the woke world when it started to post the messages of left-wing liberal crazies verbatim. It seemed that their memes and diatribes were okay for their own consumption, but when everyone else got to see them accumulated in one place, that was grounds for triggering.

When a lunatic gunman tried to kill Donald Trump, the haters didn’t hesitate to hurl their venom, and the Libs of TikTok wasted no time in exposing them.

Donald Brochhausen was called out for posting, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” He was among many, some who were fired from their jobs, who wished the former president dead. His employer, Smithtown Family Medicine, confirmed he worked there as a receptionist but would not comment further.

“Meet Marty Walsh, an assistant professor at Berklee College in Boston,” the Libs

offered. “He is not only disappointed that the PA assassin missed, but he also hopes for another copycat shooter.” To which X member Shotgun Pauley replied, “I don’t think that strategy is going to work with these colleges, bro. You probably just got him a promotion.”

Nashville Councilwoman Ginny Welsch was raked over the coals for voting down a resolution condemning the assassination attempt because she claims Trump “incited violence, so he asked for this to happen.”

Welsch’s colleague, Councilwoman Terry Vo, was also highlighted for voting against the resolution because it “might impact the Asian Community." She thinks “Trump has harmed the Asian Community with his speech.”

“Meet Geraldine Champion, a councilwoman for the City of Henderson, NC,” the Libs tweeted. “She claims that the assassination attempt that killed

JJ: “I worked with guys who were 5’ 6.” When they had that wall of bodies around the president, what we practice and train to do is, to duck their head down. Even if that female agent is 5’ 6,” his head would be ducked down under cover. The need for that would have been mitigated had they been moving.

The concern there is, we always take the first volley of shots as a distraction, with the philosophy that the real attack is still coming. If three more guys with rifles start shooting, that’s why you don’t want to be around there.”

SM: “Were there any other lapses where you thought ‘this

a loving father and almost killed a president was fake.” Champion, whose actions led the city to change its social media policy for its elected officials, added, “Now the taxpayers have to pay for a fake shooting he staged.”

Various Democrat staffers couldn’t resist the opportunity to show their true colors. An aide

never should have happened?’”

JJ: “The young man getting on that roof, that was the first domino. The sniper’s reaction neutralized him in half a second. That was appropriate.”

SM: “How important is it, moving forward, to have a ‘soup to nuts’ review of policies and procedures, so that something like this never happens again?”

JJ: “The protocol is, once anyone under Secret Service protection is assaulted or attacked, we immediately hand over that investigation to the FBI. They’ll make recommendations, along with an internal review.

"Frankly, outdoor events are extremely difficult. It’s a sea of color. It’s constant movement. Sight lines that go out hundreds of yards. Give me an arena any day.

"You have things at an outdoor event that you can’t mitigate. Someone could be 2,000 yards away with mortars and lob then into the event. Even if they don’t kill the president, they’re going to cause a mass casualty event. There’s nothing you can do to mitigate that.”

SM: “So the recommendation would be indoor events for all candidates?”

JJ: “That would be every Secret Service agent’s recommendation.”

to Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, Jacqueline Marsaw, posted, “I don’t condone violence, but please get you some shooting lessons so you don’t miss next time.” Marsaw, who was let go from her political post, suggested the incident was staged but added, “That’s what your hate speech got you!” Thompson

had advanced the Democrat lawfare strategy by suing the former president in the wake of the January 6 incident at the Capitol and previously proposed cutting Trump’s Secret Service protection.

John James, an instructor at Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY, was fired after the Libs of TikTok screenshotted his post about the shooter missing, moving Jason Cissell, the school’s assistant vice president for communication, to state, "Words and actions that condone violence are unacceptable and contrary to our values, which call for respecting the intrinsic value and dignity of every individual.”

Kyle Gass, part of the rap duo Tenacious D, drew flak for bemoaning on stage that the shooter missed. His bandmate, Jack Black, subsequently announced he was ending the rest of their tour and would pause any plans to work with Gass again in the future.

Retired Secret Service Agent Jeff James

Photo Credit: Jeff James

A sign praising President Trump’s assailant.

Photo Credit: Libs of TikTok

ByDeborahWilliams

Bipartisan Effort in Congress Calls for a Ban on Congressional Stock Trading

Many members of Congress outperformed the stock market by 30% or more. And, some used inside information they only had because of their committee assignments. Other congressmen think it's about time this practice comes to an end.

Reps. Jared Golden (D-ME) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) recently sent a bipartisan letter calling for a vote on any of the several bills introduced to this Congress that would end the practice of congressional stock trading. Congress should invest with the same information every other American has and no more.

Eighteen members of Congress in a bipartisan coalition urged House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to hold a vote on legislation that would ban members of Congress from owning and trading individual stocks.

The STOCK Act passed in 2012 was intended to prevent members of Congress from using nonpublic information that they have access to as members of Congress for personal gain in their stock trading.

Golden and Fitzpatrick said in their letter, “Recent investigations have found that 1 in 7 members violated the STOCK Act in the 117th Congress, 97 members traded stocks in companies impacted by their committee assignments from 2019 to 2021, and members outperformed the S&P 500 by

17.5% in 2022.”

Unusual Whales, a service that tracks and analyzes trading activity, analyzed congressional stock trades for all of 2023 and revealed the congressmen had remarkable success. Members of Congress enjoyed gains in their portfolios that anyone would envy.

“This year, Democrats absolutely dominated their Republican counterparts. Dems were up 31%, and Republicans 18%. Meanwhile, the S&P500 itself was up 24%. Many traded despite conflicts in their committees in record numbers,” Unusual Whales posted on X.

Unusual Whales’ analysis showed that trading members of Congress could have made up to $1 billion in stock and options trades in 2023—hundreds of millions of dollars more than in 2022.

The report also revealed that some elected officials traded in sectors directly related to their work in Congress. Members

of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and House Armed Services Committee purchased health care and financial services stocks in more than one thousand transactions that directly related to their committees’ work.

This gets to the heart of the importance of banning individual stock trades by members of Congress. Sometimes, and even one time is one time too many, elected officials are dishonest and unethical and use their inside knowledge either obtained directly or indirectly from the halls of Congress to purchase and sell stock for their benefit.

This allows them to have advantages that the general public does not have when making their own investment decisions.

Prohibitions on members of Congress from trading in individual stocks have broad support from the general public. According to recent polling, 86% of Americans– including 87% of Republicans, 88% of Democrats, and 81% of Independents–

support prohibiting members of Congress and their families from trading stocks.

Jared and Fitzpatrick said, “In a hyper-partisan political environment where American approval ratings of Congress are at an all-time low, this is a common-sense and bipartisan change, making it crystal clear that we come to Washington to serve our constituents, not to serve our own financial interests.”

“Members of Congress should be working in service of their constituents, not using their positions to line their own pockets. Personal stock portfolios do nothing to help our districts, and even the appearance of insider trading undermines faith in elected officials’ priorities,” Golden said.

Trump Haters Outed...

Continued from page 10

Another post elevated by the Libs of TikTok noted a worker getting fired from the Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar, a restaurant with locations in several states. Others getting the hook for their insensitive posts include a middle school behavior facilitator in South Dakota and a Pennsylvania fire chief. In Wayne, Pennsylvania, the Wayne Business Association reported its secretary resigned after a post about the shooting.

The Libs also blew up a picture of a guy holding up a poster stating: “RIP Thomas Matthew Crooks, an American Hero.” Like most of the posts on the assassination subject, the item had thousands of reposts and replies with the majority expressing outrage that people would actually think like that.

The popular social media outlet also ridiculed the media for initially failing to report that Trump was actually shot, with commentators suggesting that

he was injured from a fall or that the blood streaming down his face was caused by shrapnel from his teleprompter. After it became clear that Trump missed death by a fraction of an inch, MSNBC’s Joy Reid kept at it, saying, “We still don’t know for sure whether Donald Trump was hit by a bullet, or if he was hit by glass fragments, whether he was hit by shrapnel. What is the actual injury to Donald Trump’s ear that’s under that bandage? Shouldn’t we know that by now? It’s weird, and there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of curiosity about it,” she said, laughing. “Why isn’t the New York Times aggressively pursuing his medical records?”

Interviewed at the GOP convention in Milwaukee, Delegate AJ Yvette put her perspective on the Democrat posts: “Well, they preach this whole thing about hate, but they’re the ones operating in hate, wishing death on someone. Is that not the epitome of hate? I mean, come

on now.” She added, “They’ve got a machine behind them. They’ve got the liberal media and the powers that be that back them up and don't hold them accountable for their actions and just allow them to just push their narratives, their agendas, whatever it is—anything to make conservative Republicans look bad. That's their goal.”

Editor's Note: The Libs of TikTok’s post about Donald Brochhausen caused some agita for Family Medicine at Smithtown, a Northwell Health affiliate, which the Libs had mistaken for Smithtown Family Medicine. “Please note this person does not work for Northwell, and the views expressed are not those of the health system,” spokesman Todd Denzen said. “We firmly believe that there is no place for violence in our public discourse and have been outspoken against gun violence and its impact on the public health of our country.”

Photo Credit: Unusual Whales

Photo Credit: X

Money and Congress

Photo Credit: Morning Consult Voters support stock trading ban for Congress.

ByDeborahWilliams

Unemployment Soars Across the Country

The number of Americans who are unemployed jumped 20,000, showing the increase in unemployed people at 243,000 – the highest level since August 2023 – reports the United States Department of Labor (DOL).

A recent analysis by Bankrate shows 34% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck and over 1.8 million people are out of work in America. New York is in the top three of job-losing states.

The DOL announced on X, “Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Initial claims were 243,000 for the week ending 7/13 (+20,000). Insured unemployment was 1,867,000 for the week ending 7/6 (+20,000). That’s the highest level of unemployment since November 2021. The unemployment in Suffolk County sits at 3.5%."

Although some of the increase is due to jobs lost or interrupted due to Hurricane Beryl in Texas, the overall increase is due to more layoffs and those looking for a job

are taking a longer time to find one.

"Taking a step back from the noise in the data, jobless claims have drifted higher since the start of the year," said Nancy Vanden Houten, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics. "We think the rise so far is consistent with a cooling labor market characterized more by a slower pace of hiring rather than by higher layoffs."

Jobless claims rose in 40 of the 53 states and territories. Taking temporary job loss from the hurricane in Texas out of the equation, job loss was concentrated in New York, California, and Pennsylvania.

The labor market has cooled off. Fewer companies are hiring, job openings have fallen sharply, and it’s taking longer for jobless people to find work.

"We learned from the recent Beige Book that businesses are not filling open positions as aggressively as they were in previous months," said Jeffrey Roach, chief economist at LPL Financial. "We should expect more cautionary rhetoric from Fed policymakers about the labor market."

All of this is in the context of food prices up 21% since January 2021,

high interest rates, and high energy costs. The basic cost of living is taking a much bigger bite out of the pockets of everyday Americans.

A recent analysis by Bankrate also reports that 1 in 3 working Americans (34%) say they are living paycheck to paycheck. Bankrate says, “This number might be even higher when factoring in all US adults, considering just 6 in 10

Americans (60%) are in the labor force, DOL figures show.”

“In the absence of automated savings, the presence of high inflation and a rising cost of living make it that much harder to get started. If you wait until the end of the month to try to save what is left over, too often there is nothing left over,” said Greg, McBride chief financial analyst for Bankrate.

House Passes SAVE Act Requiring Proof of Citizenship to Vote in Federal Elections

ByDeborahWilliams

The House of Representatives passed a bill earlier this month that requires people to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. It also requires individual states to check their voter roles for noncitizen voters.

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE) passed the House 221-198 with 216 Republicans and five Democrats voting to pass the act and 198 Democrats voting against it.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said, "The White House has formally announced that Biden will veto the Republican bill that seeks to prevent noncitizens from voting.

"There is no hiding it now. Biden and the Democrats want illegal immigrants to vote in the election this November. Our elections are NOT safe from mass interference as long as states do not require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections."

Why was passing this act important? Isn’t it already against the law to vote if you are not a citizen? Yes, it is illegal to vote if not a citizen, but there are many avenues available for that to happen anyway, and then, of course, you have to be caught.

Anyone can turn in a Voter

Registration Form and check the box about citizenship. And, many states issue driver’s licenses and other state ID cards to noncitizen residents and illegal aliens making it easier to register to vote.

Estimates at the end of 2023 show more than 16.8 million illegal aliens are in the United States and 12.7 million lawful permanent residents. Some of these are children, of course, but the majority are adults. Some illegal voters are registering to vote mistakenly and some on purpose. Either way, America must ensure the voter rolls only contain citizen voters.

The SAVE Act is an effort to stop illegal voter registration before it happens. It engineers out the opportunity for a noncitizen to vote before the registration occurs instead of relying on local Boards of Election to find fraudulent voters on the rolls before an election or illegal voters after they have voted. A recent Pew Research Center poll showed 81% approval for proof of ID to vote and only 18% against it.

Elon Musk said on X, "Anyone who opposes House Speaker Mike Johnson’s proposed SAVE ACT bill, which seeks to ensure that only American citizens can vote in federal elections, are traitors."

No system will be ever 100% perfect, but there are simple and

effective ways to make it a whole lot better and quickly. Require a person who wants to register to vote to show proof of citizenship with their voter registration form and require a photo ID at the polling station. These two basic steps cover a lot of ground in making every election more secure.

No one who wants secure American elections could have a legitimate reason to oppose these simple measures. Any vote by an illegal voter dilutes the vote of all American citizen voters.

Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY), one of the 104 Republican co-sponsors of the bill, said, “Only American citizens should vote in U.S. elections. House Republicans are leading the way in protecting America’s vote and securing our ballot boxes to ensure only Americans vote in American elections,”

When introducing the bill, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) said, "I dare [Democrats] to vote no against a bill that says that only citizens— American citizens—should vote in American elections."

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) shined the light on a loophole in the National Voter Registration Act that does not require proof of citizenship during registration for federal elections. This loophole has led to instances of noncitizens

being registered to vote with no repercussions. Federal law currently prohibits states from verifying citizenship status during registration for federal elections. That seems wrong to many. Shouldn’t every state be able to verify that a voter is an eligible voter?

Johnson asked, "Why are Democrats so adamantly against ensuring only American citizens vote in our elections? They want to turn illegal aliens into voters. We must pass the SAVE Act to prevent this."

New York State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar issued a statement expressing his “amazement” that most Democrat members of Congress are opposed to the SAVE Act. Kassar said, “The SAVE Act addresses the critical need to protect the integrity of our elections and ensure that only United States citizens are permitted to vote in federal elections.

“The SAVE Act addresses the disturbing trend of some municipalities allowing noncitizens to vote and sends a clear notice that this will not be tolerated. This trend raises significant concerns about the sanctity of our voter rolls and the integrity of our electoral process,” Kassar added

The president, Senate, and

House Democrats oppose the SAVE Act, saying this is another way to make it harder for people to vote; some Democrats are even calling it a “non-issue.”

The White House issued a statement on behalf of President Biden saying, “This bill would do nothing to safeguard our elections, but it would make it much harder for all eligible Americans to register to vote and increase the risk that eligible voters are purged from voter rolls.”

Rep. Jennifer McClellan (DVA) said on the House floor that requiring people to provide proof of citizenship to vote in US elections is "akin to a Jim Crow era poll tax".

Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) followed suit and said that passing laws that only American citizens can vote in our elections is a "xenophobic attack".

Overwhelmingly, the majority of Americans consider election integrity as one of the major issues facing the American people. Many view the SAVE Act as a commonsense step to shore up election integrity and to ensure our elections remain free from interference and that every vote cast is legitimate and legal. President Biden has already signaled the possibility of a presidential veto if it is sent to his desk.

Total US Unemployment

Photo Credit: US Dept. of Labor

US Unemployment Rate

Photo Credit: US Dept. of Labor

HISTORY LESSONS

BY RICHARD ACRITELLI

"Now, by God, I'll put him through. That is the last speech he will ever make."

John Wilkes Booth, April 11th, 1865

On July 13th, 2024, near Butler, Pennsylvania, former President Donald J. Trump was in the middle of speaking to thousands of people at a campaign rally. Turning slightly as he spoke, shots rang out from Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was quickly shot and killed by law enforcement. Minutes before, Crooks was spotted lying on a roof, as concerned citizens alerted police officials. Trump was shot in the ear, as Crooks almost killed the Republican Party’s nominee for the general election against President Joseph Biden. Over the course of America’s history, there have been many dangerous situations that saw the killing and wounding of our leaders.

The first attempt to kill a president of the United States was experienced by President Andrew Jackson on January 30th, 1835. As he was engulfed in efforts to end the Bank of the United States against the Whigs, Jackson was assaulted by an unemployed painter, Richard Lawrence. Jackson was tenacious on the battlefield against the British during the War of 1812 and for partaking in duels, as he fended off Lawrence, who tried to take out a second pistol, but was overwhelmed by this president and his cane. Jackson believed that this attempt against him was a conspiracy by the Whig political party, as Lawrence was placed in a mental facility for the rest of his life.

On April 14th, 1865, an exhausted President Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary, were at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC. to watch a play. With the war almost over after the Appomattox surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia by Confederate General Robert E. Lee from the forces of General Ulysses S. Grant’s Army of the Potomac. Lincoln asked Grant and his wife Julia to accompany them, but Grant wanted to see his children in New Jersey. As the Grant’s traveled toward Philadelphia, the conspirators that were led by actor John Wilkes Booth, almost killed this victorious Union general.

Lincoln’s aides pleaded with him to stay at the White House out of fears that he would not be secured as a result of security lapses, but the president reasoned that he was not in harm's way. Booth was a wellknown actor, received his mail at this theater, and was known by the staff. He vehemently opposed the wartime political, military, and emancipation actions of Lincoln. Armed with a single-shot derringer and a dagger, Booth shot Lincoln in the head, jumped from the balcony, and screamed “thus always to tyrants” in Latin. Severely wounded and brought across the

street, Lincoln died of his wounds, as Booth injured his leg and escaped into the Maryland woods. Booth’s conspirators also targeted Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward. Over the next twelve days, the largest manhunt in American history sought the capture of Booth and his followers. As they awaited trial, several of the conspirators were held within the USS Montauk.

Born in 1831 to a poor family, James A. Garfield saved enough money driving canal boat teams to attend college. During the Civil War, Garfield was a decorated officer that was promoted as a major general. As he fought the Confederates in Kentucky, Garfield was elected to Congress and eventually served for 18 years, until this “Dark Horse” candidate won the presidency in 1880. On July 2nd, Garfield and Secretary of State James G. Blaine prepared to board a train to visit Williams College with his two sons. Garfield was shot in

the back by Charles J. Guiteau, who purchased a .44 British Bulldog, under the notion that his weapon would famously be viewed in a museum. On September 19th, 1881, the doctors were unable to remove the bullet that was lodged in the pancreas of Garfield that caused his death and presidency of Chester A. Arthur.

The 25-fifth President William McKinley was the last leader who served during the Civil War. A political leader from Ohio, he was a business supporter, who believed in the territorial, military, and economic expansion of the United States. After declaring war against Spain in 1898, America defeated this aging European power and claimed control over Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. In 1900, McKinley was reelected with Theodore Roosevelt as his vice president. McKinley was in Buffalo, spoke at the Pan American Exposition, and that evening, McKinley was at the receiving line welcoming people at the Temple of Music. With his hand extended, McKinley was shot in the chest by Leon F. Czolgosz from Detroit, Michigan. This assassin sought the death of this president whom he considered to be an enemy against the “average working class

Historic Threats Against American President’s

citizens.” On September 14th, 1901, as gangrene settled into the bullet wound, McKinley died, and almost a year later, Czolgosz was executed by the electric chair.

The youngest president at this time to ascend to the presidency was Theodore Roosevelt, who worked for the growth of the nation but not at the expense of the people. Roosevelt strengthened the Monroe Doctrine in the Western Hemisphere, orchestrated the Panamanian revolt against the Columbians that later secured land for a canal, and wanted better working and living conditions for Americans. Roosevelt considered Sagamore Hill in Cove Neck to be the Summer White House and he loved everything about Long Island. He emerged as a savvy figure who was given the Nobel Peace Prize and, years later, the Medal of Honor for his military heroics in Cuba. Retiring from public office in 1909, Roosevelt decided to run in 1912 against President William H. Taft and Woodrow Wilson under the “Bull Moose” political party. On October 14th, 1912, John Flammang Schrank suffered from hallucinations and shot Roosevelt at a campaign rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Reaching into the former president’s shirt, the Secret Service felt blood, as the 50-page

speech and his metal glasses holder possibly prevented his death. He told the crowd that he was wounded and still addressed them as it “takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose.”

Years later, Roosevelt’s famous cousin and the Great Depression and World War II leader Franklin

have been declassified, there are still many pages of information that are still top secret about the death of this president. Five years later, JFK’s brother and former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan who was taken down by Olympic decathlon Rafer Johnson and former New York Giant and Los Angeles Ram Roosevelt Grier. Receiving the death penalty that was later overturned to life imprisonment, five innocent bystanders were wounded, as Sirhan blamed Kennedy for hurting Palestinians in the Middle East.

faced an assassination attempt by an Italian immigrant, Giuseppe Zangara. Two weeks before his inauguration, Roosevelt spoke to a crowd in Miami, as Zangara fired his pistol at his open car. He killed the mayor of Chicago and hit five people with fire, and this deranged bricklayer, Zangara, reasoned that he did not resent FDR but his wealthy government officials. A year later, he was retried and died in the electric chair. Taking over the government after the death of FDR in 1945, President Harry S.

Truman guided the nation at the end of World War II in Europe, the Pacific, and later during the Korean War. As the White House was being rebuilt, the Trumans stayed in the Blair House in Washington, DC. Two Puerto Rican nationalists who wanted independence from America approached the front door and opened fire. Truman was not at this hotel, but he kept his schedule, and later he commuted the death sentence of the surviving assassin.

By 1960, John F. Kennedy was a younger politician who became a driving force to win a close election against former two-term Vice President Richard M. Nixon. A somewhat inexperienced leader, Kennedy navigated through the dangerous waters of the Cuban Missile Crisis and handled the Civil Rights Movement. On November 22nd, 1963, Kennedy visited Dallas, Texas, with his wife Jacqueline. Driving in an open car, three shots were fired at Kennedy, as he waved to the crowd, by Lee Harvey Oswald. While some of these documents

On March 30th, 1981, newly elected President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Junior who was only fifteen feet away from him. At seventy years, Reagan was severely wounded, placed in a limousine by the Secret Service and taken to the hospital. Before going under for surgery, Reagan enquired if his doctors were all “Republicans,” he was told at this “moment” they were all “Republicans.” Hinckley suffered from mental illness and was obsessed with actress Jodie Foster’s performance in the movie "Taxi Driver." After sending numerous love letters to Foster and attempting to see her at Yale University, at first, Hinckley tried to impress Foster by attacking President Jimmy Carter in Nashville in 1980. He was arrested when it was discovered that he had three guns in his bag. In court, Hinckley won his case, claiming that he was innocent by way of insanity. For several years, there were efforts by Hinckley to gain unsupervised visits to see his parents’ home in Virginia. In 2016, Hinckley was able to permanently live with his mother under certain conditions. He was ordered to stay away from Foster and government officials and the Secret Service placed a tracking system on his phone to determine his whereabouts.

On March 23rd, 2022, there were threats made against President George W. Bush by Iraqi nationals who blamed him for the destruction of their country. This threat was ended by a search warrant by the Federal Bureau of Investigation that halted an effort by members of ISIS to kill Bush. The government discovered that these assailants were former Iraqi intelligent agents who were going to cross into Texas from Mexico. Government agents watched the residence of Bush and videotaped the surveillance of these assassins that watched Bush’s movements at his home and nearby learning center. As there was a recent claim that the Iranian government threatened Trump, the arrest against Bush clearly shows that powerful outside forces may be determined enough to target our former political leaders. As it looks as if Trump was the target of domestic terrorism, American presidents from all decades and political parties have faced serious threats toward their own security.

Photo Credit: Indy2320 | Dreamstime.com

President Andrew Jackson turns to face Richard Lawrence as he pulls the trigger of his second pistol.

Abraham Lincoln

President Ronald Reagan

John F. Kennedy

VETERANS WAY Help for Bipolar Disorder

BY REV. FREDERICK MILLER, PH.D.

Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness and also formely known as manic-depressive disorder.

It causes unusual shifts in your mood, concentration, energy, and ability to do dayto-day functions.

Within the military, the nature of the work can exacerbate the challenges faced by individuals with bipolar disorder. Unpredictable and high-stress environments, long hours, disrupted sleep patterns, and demanding physical requirements can potentially disrupt the stability and management of the condition.

Moreover, the military relies heavily on teamwork, discipline, and adherence to structure and regulations. These factors may pose additional difficulties for individuals with bipolar disorder who may struggle with impulsivity, erratic behavior, and maintaining

consistent performance and reliability.

Discovering that you have bipolar disorder while serving in the military can be a challenging and overwhelming experience. The diagnosis may raise concerns about job performance, personal safety, and the future of your military career.

Understanding the discharge process for individuals with bipolar disorder is crucial for navigating this complex situation.

The specific type of discharge received will depend on various factors, such as the length of service, prior disciplinary record, and the circumstances surrounding the diagnosis. Possible discharges include honorable, general, or otherthan-honorable discharges. It is important to note that otherthan-honorable discharges can have significant implications for post-military benefits and

future opportunities.

Once discharged, veterans with bipolar disorder may be eligible for certain benefits and resources through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). These include mental health treatment options, disability compensation, and vocational rehabilitation services to aid in the transition to civilian life.

Treatment

The VA offers treatment options that are proven to be effective for bipolar disorder in addition to medicines.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help veterans diagnosed with bipolar disorder to identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors that worsen their condition.

Social skills training (SST) can help veterans enhance their social skills with a goal of improving their community

adjustment, quality of life and ability to pursue personal goals.

Behavioral family therapy (BFT) helps veterans diagnosed with bipolar disorder and their families learn about new communication and problemsolving skills and also focuses on family education.

Help is available to you by calling the local VA hospital in Northport, (631) 261-4400, or Veterans Crisis Line 1 (800) 273-8255. Press 1 to talk to a veteran or have a confidential chat at veteranscrisisline.net or text to 838255. If you have any questions relating to veteran problems, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to answer it. Contact us at drfred72@gmail.com.

BY NANCY BURNER, ESQ.

Opening an ABLE account

(achieving a better life experience) is a great idea for your son because it allows him to save money without affecting his eligibility for public benefits, such as SSI. Each state has its own statute authorizing ABLE accounts; the New York statute was effective in September 2017.

To qualify for an ABLE account, the beneficiary must be diagnosed with a significant disability before age 26. Contributions can be made to the account by the beneficiary, friends, family members, or 529 college savings account rollover, but the total annual contribution cannot exceed a certain limit, which is pegged to the gift tax exemption.

This amount is $18,000 in 2024 and is subject to change year by year. Employed beneficiaries may deposit an additional amount up to the Federal Poverty Level for a oneperson household, but only if they are not contributing to a retirement

savings account in that year. The 2024 Federal Poverty Level amount is $14,580 in the continental US.

However, ABLE account balances are limited. Under the SSI program, the first $100,000 in the

account is disregarded as a resource. Any amount above that is counted as a resource. The SSI resource limit is $2,000. If you exceed this, SSI payments will stop until the resources are below the allowable limit.

A disabled person may spend their ABLE account funds on “qualified disability expenses,” which are expenses and basic costs of living that are intended to maintain and improve their quality of life. These qualified expenses

include but are not limited to education, health and wellness, groceries, housing, transportation, legal fees, assistive technology, personal support services, funeral/ burial expenses, etc. Depending on the amount of money your son has and the anticipation of future funds either from earnings or inheritance, he may want to consider creating a SNT (supplemental needs trust) in addition to the ABLE account. SNTs do not have contribution or balance limits, but they have more complicated rules for what the funds can be used for, they can be expensive to set up and complicated to manage. Next week, we will dive into the pros and cons of the SNT. Britt Burner, Esq, is an attorney at Burner Prudenti Law, P.C., focusing her practice on Elder Law and Estate Planning. Burner Prudenti Law serves clients from Manhattan to the east end of Long Island with offices located in East Setauket, Westhampton Beach, New York City and East Hampton.

Photo Credit: Andrey Popov

Photo Credit: Adobe AI

LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF SUFFOLKBROOKHAVEN. 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

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF SUFFOLK COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS, INC., Plaintiff AGAINST NATALIYA BABINSKY, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered July 26, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on August 14, 2024 at 10:00AM, premises known as 121 Richmond Avenue, Medford, NY 11763. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk, State of New York, District 0200, Section 868.00, Block 01.00, Lot 018.001. Approximate amount of judgment $411,773.40 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #011846/2008. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the District and SUFFOLK County Auction Plan in effect at this time.

Louis C. England, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 18-000324 81385

L15971 - 7/17/2024, 7/24/2024, 7/31/2024 & 8/7/2024

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., Plaintiff, vs. KENNETH LYONS, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on January 11, 2019, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on August 15, 2024 at 9:30 a.m., premises known as 34 Woodberry Road, Patchogue, NY 11772. 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 984.10, Block 05.00 and Lot 005.000. Approximate amount of judgment is $334,522.10 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #617406/2016. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.

Paul R. Feuer, Esq., Referee

Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No. 190209-2

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REFEREE'S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF SUFFOLK JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff - against - STANLEY DABROWSKI, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on January 12, 2023. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on the 14th day of August, 2024 at 9:30 AM. All that certain plot, piece, or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Lake Grove, Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New

York.

Premises known as 3 Bower Court, Lake Grove, NY 11755.

(District: 0208, Section: 004.00, Block: 04.00, Lot: 007.073)

Approximate amount of lien $80,723.51 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale.

Index No. 617257/2018.

Donna England, Esq., Referee.

McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff

420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 840

New York, NY 10170

Tel. 347/286-7409

For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www. Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832

Dated: June 14, 2024

During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of sale including but not limited to, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6-feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale. Auction Locations are subject to change.

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NOTICE OF SALE

Supreme Court County of Suffolk

US Bank National Association as Trustee for CMALT REMIC Series

2005-A1 - REMIC PassThrough Certificates Series 2005-A1, Plaintiff

AGAINST

Nelson Medina, et al, Defendant

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated May 7, 2024 and entered on May 17, 2024,

I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY on August 21, 2024 at 1:30 PM premises known as 17 Nadworny Lane, Stony Brook, NY 11790. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the County of Suffolk, State of New York, SECTION: 247.00, BLOCK: 04.00, LOT: 009.003, District 0200. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,162,518.57 plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 616581/2018.

The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the District and Suffolk County Auction Plan in effect at this time.

Elyse Nicole Grasso, Referee

FRENKEL LAMBERT WEISS WEISMAN & GORDON LLP

53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706

L15977 - 7/24/2024, 7/31/2024, 8/7/2024 & 8/14/2024

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY IN ITS CAPACITY AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE OF CIM TRUST 2020-R6, Plaintiff, vs. KIMBERLY LIBBY, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on May 23, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on August 27, 2024 at 12:30 p.m., premises known as 28 Dressel Drive, Mastic, NY 11950. 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 823.00, Block 04.00 and

Lot 028.000. Approximate amount of judgment is $392,963.83 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #604247/2023. Referee does not accept cash, only bank or certified checks made payable to Michael T. Clancy, Esq., as referee. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.

Michael T. Clancy, Esq., Referee

Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No. 222277-1

L15978 - 7/24/2024, 7/31/2024, 8/7/2024 & 8/14/2024

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Larry Citarelli, BLCCA LLC, 130 Montauk Highway, East Moriches, NY 11940, has made applications to the Brookhaven Town Board acting as the Planning Board for approval of a two-lot land division and site plan for a proposed new 37,500 SF one-story Mini Storage Warehouse Facility, as an addition to an existing storage building, and associated site improvements on lot 2 and proposed site improvements on lot 1, with existing retail building to remain. These proposals are known as BLCCA LLC, located at 130 Montauk Highway; S/S Montauk Hwy (CR 80), 295' W/O Locust Avenue, East Moriches, Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York and described as follows:

NORTH: Montauk Highway (CR 80);

WEST: Now or Formerly PRO-TECH DATAWARE

INC;

SOUTH: Long Island Railroad (LIRR);

EAST: Now or Formerly FERRELLGAS L P; JCNSL LLC.

Notice is hereby given that the Brookhaven Town Board acting as the Planning Board will hold a public hearing in the Town Hall 2nd floor auditorium, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, New York on Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 3:00 P.M., when adjacent property owners and/or others interested in any way in the proposal may appear before the Board to be heard.

A more detailed diagram of the subject property shall be made available virtually at https://www. brookhavenny.gov/1159/ Meetings

At said public hearing, any persons interested shall be given the opportunity to be heard. Anyone interested in submitting written comments to the Board may also do so via email at emccallion@brookhavenny. gov.

DATED: July 18, 2024

Daniel J. Panico, Supervisor L15979-7/24/2024

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

4 Pinehurst LLC, 4 Pinehurst Drive, Bellport, New York 11713, has made application to the Town of Brookhaven Planning Board for approval of a Site Plan. This proposal is known as Integrated Structures, located on the south side of Pinehurst Drive, 175 feet west of Horseblock Road, Bellport, Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York and described as follows:

NORTH: PINEHURST DRIVE;

WEST: Now or formerly RPR PROPERTIES AT PINEHURST LLC;

SOUTH: Now or formerly PR IVC ROSEMONT PROPERTY LLC;

EAST: Now or formerly STORAGE VAULT BELLPORT LLC.

Notice is hereby given that the Town of Brookhaven Planning Board will hold a public hearing in the Town Hall 2nd floor auditorium, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, New York on Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 3:00 P.M., when adjacent property owners and/or others interested in any way in the proposal may appear before the Board to be heard.

A more detailed diagram of the subject property shall be made available virtually at https://www. brookhavenny.gov/1159/ Meetings

At said public hearing, any persons interested shall be given the opportunity to be heard. Anyone interested in submitting written comments to the Board may also do so via email at emccallion@brookhavenny. gov.

DATED: July 15, 2024

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BY TOM BARTON

It's that time of year again, the time of year where sports bettors begin to take a good hard look into the NFL and future plays that jump out at them. In this new day in age player props and subsequently, player future props are a market that can be exploited. Normally, when taking player future bets, it's wise to take under in most spots. Injuries are a big part of the game, so is usage and many other factors that allow sports bettors to project what won't happen, rather than the hope of what will.

With that said, quarterbacks are one of the safer positions to project upside and health with. That leads us to an underrated asset this season in Trevor Lawrence. TLaw walked into the league with as much hype as any prospect not named Andrew Luck or John Elway. Lawrence's shine faded quickly after his disastrous coach led him to a

first-year mess, and naysayers are still loud after last season, but that is a good thing for finding value.

Lawrence currently sits with these odds for the upcoming season. Over/Under 3,700 1/2 yards passing, 299 1/2 yards rushing, 20 1/2 passing TDs. He also has +3000 odds to win the MVP and +2500 to pass for the most yards, and +15000 to win Offensive Player of the Year awards. Let's go over on all of those.

Now, let's take a look at the numbers, Lawrence threw for 4,016 yards last season. He threw 21 TDs, 14 picks and rushed for 4 more TDs with 339 yards on the ground. 4,000 yards make bettors feel good, but there is more upside.

Lawrence had some of the worst luck in the league last year when it came to touchdowns. TLaw saw 15 end zone targets be

TLaw Is Money in The Bank

dropped, even half of those being caught would have propelled him close to 30 TDs. Lawrence had 25 the year before, so his 20 1/2 line set this year feels like a situation where the books are completely underrating the Jags QB this season.

The Jaguars also added Brian Thomas Jr. in the draft, who will take over for Calvin Ridley. Losing Ridley is a loss, but he was playing out of position and that is Thomas's natural spot. Going back to the touchdown conversation, Thomas is a red zone beast leading all of college football in TDs last year with 17. Gabe Davis also boosters that passing attack. Combine him with Zay Jones, a healthy and motivated Christian Kirk and Evan Engram and you can see why Lawrence is set up so well.

Speaking of Lawrence himself, he had multiple injuries last season and played through

them. Why is this important?

For one, it shows that he will play through injuries and him being on the field only helps the chance to cash an over, but also it tells us that if he stays healthy, he has more to give. We don't even need him to give more with his

Move Over Joe ... Biden Is Not the Favorite

ByTomBarton

As speculation surrounding Joe Biden and his potential for dropping out of the race has amped up, the odds from offshore sports books and foreign bookmakers have shifted as well. While we can't bet on this legally in America, don't discount the volume of money that is bet on the election. It was reported that in 2020 there was more money wagered on the presidential election than the Super Bowl.

Kamala Harris has closed the gap and now is the overwhelming favorite to win the Democratic nomination. Harris has watched her numbers skyrocket since before the first presidential debate this year. Immediately following the debate, Joe Biden's numbers tumbled and there were a slew of names that

were his likely successors, but Harris was not leading the field. After the attempted assasination and multiple Biden blunders, she has steadily become the favorite. Before the Republican National Convention, both Biden and Harris were very close with Harris about even money. Since it was announced that Joe had Covid that propelled Harris into the driver's seat and she now sits at just under 2 to 1 to win the nomination.

Joe Biden has watched his lead flip and now he is almost a 2:1 underdog. Biden's performances since the debate have increasingly looked bad, but that visual alone would not shift the lines this greatly. More so, it's listening to the information at hand. The biggest names of the Democratic Party have come out against him and openly talked about a change. Schiff, Schumer, Obama's

friend Clooney, and more have shown us the writing on the wall. The biggest blow however was when just days before announcing that he had COVID, Biden said he would consider dropping out if there was a medical reason. That seemed to be the moment when the books

took the most notice that Joe Biden's odds needed to be adjusted. At some places, there was a seismic shift when his illness was announced but everywhere it's available Biden is now the underdog.

President Biden did an interview with Lester Holt last week and

Meet the New Mets?

ByTomBarton

The Mets are one of the most interesting teams to watch in the next week or so as we close in on the trade deadline. New York had long been thought to be sellers, with Pete Alonso's contract up after the year, being the biggest name to be possibly dealt. But, a funny thing happened and that's when this Mets team started to win. The narrative is now shifted from sellers to possibly being buyers.

The Mets offense has been on fire lately, and while it can use some upgrades, there isn't a major pressing need. The starting rotation is solid but potentially could use some depth and the bullpen needs a major upgrade. If the Mets become buyers to try and get themselves into a Wild Card

player props. If Lawrence has the exact same season as last year, he will cash the over for yards passing, yards rushing, and TD passes. This is a player prop you want to grab early and reap the benefits as the season moves along.

told America that he felt the polls showing it was a "toss up" between him and Trump. But, if we listen to the sports books, not only is he not in the same realm as Trump, but he is now a distant second to even get past the Democratic National Convention.

spot, they will likely do so with an eye to the future as well. Don't expect New York to go and buy any rentals. This is

a list of who the Mets might target and the fit they would be for this team:

Photo Credit: @Trevorlawrencee | X Trevor Lawrence

Photo Credit: @laurenboebert | X

Photo Credit: @MrMet Mr. and Mrs. Met

Joe Biden gets another booster. Continued

SPORTS Two Suffolk Schools Are Changing Their Nicknames per Ban

ByTomBarton

Two Suffolk County schools will have new nicknames and mascots in adherence to the State ban on schools using Native American names and symbols.

Half Hollow Hills East will change its nickname from the Thunderbirds to the Red Hawks. The symbol, nickname and mascot will all be changed to reflect the new name, but the school will keep its primary school colors of black and red.

Bowman Added to the Ball Club

ByTomBarton

Nicole Bowman has joined the Stony brook softball staff as an assistant coach. Softball head coach Megan T. Bryant announced the addition of Bowman this week, who previously served as an assistant on the Appalachian State coaching staff.

"Nicole Bowman is a homerun hire for our program, our student-athletes and our athletics department. First and foremost, she is an outstanding person of high character. Nicole knows the game and understands coaching and succeeding at a high level.

She knows recruiting and the importance of finding studentathletes who fit our program and University," Bryant said. "Nicole will be a tremendous mentor and teacher for our players. She will bring a strong passion for softball and for developing student-athletes on and off the field. Our staff welcomes Nicole to the Seawolves' softball family and Stony Brook University. We look forward to working together as we continue to build a successful program in the CAA."

Bowman comes to Long Island after two years at Appalachian State. She joined

Meet the New Mets?...

Continued from page 20

Addressing the bullpen will be crucial. The Mets don't even know if they can trust their high-paid closer Edwin Diaz, so this is a must add at the break if they want to compete. The Amazin's likely aren't willing to part with big names for a guy like Mason Miller with the whole league chasing the young fireballer. That leaves guys like Kyle Finnegan, but that's an in division deal which makes it unlikely, and Jason Adam. Adam clicks a lot of boxes for New York. He has been a setup

man and a closer and can jockey between the two seamlessly. In this Mets bullpen, getting the key outs will be more important than getting the last outs and Adam seems like a good fit for that role. The same can be said for his teammate

Pete Fairbanks, the Rays know how to use relievers in multiple roles and are falling out of the race. Tampa is a good spot to buy from.

If New York wants an arm, they likely won't get into the Garrett Crochet or even Erik Fedde free-for-all, but some

They plan to make the change when students return this fall. Comsewogue High School will also have a change, but they will be the Warriors for one more year. The school will then become the Spartans beginning next year.

Schools in New York overseen by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) received the order to phase out Indigenous names and mascots last year. Because of the ban, 63 schools have changed names in New

York, with this being the first two schools from Suffolk to do so.

NYSED sent the ruling to all New York school districts saying, “we need to ensure that district mascots, team names, and logos are non-discriminatory.”

The regulation included the team names, mascots, logos, school paperwork, team jerseys, and the sides of school buildings featuring images or words lifted from Native American culture.

A Duck Goes Streaking

the Mountaineers' staff for the 2023 season as a volunteer assistant before being elevated to a full-time assistant coach for the 2024 season.

"I first want to thank Director of Athletics Shawn Heilbron and Executive Associate Athletic Director Debbie DeJong for their investment in athletics and the softball program. Their continued efforts towards the future success of Stony Brook Athletics is truly felt in everything that they do," Bowman said. "I would also like to thank coach Bryant for entrusting me with this position and allowing me to be a part of the Stony Brook family. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work alongside her and the rest of our staff to not only continue the proven success of the program, but also reach for new heights and a CAA conference championship! Let's go Seawolves!"

A former student-athlete, Bowman played three seasons at Rutgers before finishing her playing career at UNC Charlotte where she was selected to the Conference USA Second Team.

ByTomBarton

Jackie Bradley Jr. came to the plate with the game tied 1-1 and crushed a home run to right center field to give the Ducks a 3-1 lead over the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars.

That is how you break a record in style. With that home run, Bradley now is the franchise leader with a 26 game hitting streak. He needed that home run early because although he reached base three times on the night, that would be his only hit to continue the streak.

lower names might be good to eat innings. Players like Tyler Anderson from the Angels might be a more feasible asset the Mets can trade for. The same thing goes for another bat. While the dreams of Jazz Chisholm or Cody Bellinger dance in Mets fans' heads, the more likely scenario would be a Jesse Winker-type for this offense.

We can't rule out Pete Alonso still being on the move, or a number of other Mets, but with their recent surge, New York is suddenly looking like a buyer.

Bradley, who spent parts of 11 seasons in the big leagues with Boston, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Toronto, has been regarded as one of the best center fielders in baseball throughout his career, but

since joining the Ducks, his bat has also been on fire. Besides just the 26 game hitting streak, Bradley's offensive numbers are impressive. Bradley leads the team with an unreal .389 batting average to go along with his 12 home runs, which is second on the team. He also has driven in 33 runs, has scored 34, and has struck out as many times as he has walked.

Bradley helped the Red Sox win the 2018 World Series, where he was named the American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player after posting a 1.067 OPS with two homers, nine RBIs, three runs and four walks in the series. The Long Island Ducks are seeing that version of Bradley and he is proving to be one of the best signings in recent memory.

Photo Credit: @wogueathletics | X

Photo Credit: @LIDucks | X

Nicole Bowman

Photo Credit: @StonyBrookSB | X

SPORTS Athletes Throw Their Support at Trump

ByTomBarton

After the Trump assassination attempt, social media exploded with athletes voicing their support of the presidential candidate, but this was not the same tenor that we are used to. Instead, the support rang out with tweets and posts stating that many didn't ever get into politics, but they are now. Others said, they had never voted before, but after what they witnessed, they are in full support of the former president, while many also showed their affiliation by saying they were switching from the Democrats to Trump's side.

Locally, Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, who later admitted he

has never voted before, posted a picture of Trump and wrote “ladies & gentlemen.....President Donald Trump.” That should make Jets team owner Woody Johnson happy, as he tweeted out, "President Trump makes me proud to be an American. He’s always been a fighter and will continue to do so."

The support wasn't just local as across social media, athletes started to throw their hat into the ring in support of the 45th president.

Budda Baker, Maxx Crosby, Roger Clemens, Nick Bosa, Don King and others quickly tweeted out their well wishes and thoughts.

You could feel the shift in the sports world as Donald Trump has

once again captivated America. This all came to a head during the Republican National Convention's last night that was filled with stars from the sports world. John Nieporte, the head golf pro at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, spoke early in the evening. Then Dana White introduced him to the stage.

But, it was Hulk Hogan who

won over the crowd as much as anyone in memory at a convention. Hogan ripped his shirt off, carried an American flag onto the stage and threatened any countries who tried to harm America. It had a very 1980's American pride feel and the country felt it as social media exploded with pictures of the Hulkster. Hogan exclaimed that he would be silent no longer after an assassin tried to kill his "hero".

The sports world and Donald Trump have had a bumpy few years. From the kneeling incidents, the Trump hat in Brady's locker and many stars vilifying the expresident to now the outpouring of support, the sports world seems to be mimicking all of America. Donald Trump has won them over, and many hope he wins in November.

The Golden Boot Goes to...

ByTomBarton

Luciana Setteducate has won the 2024 USL W League Golden Boot Award. The Stony Brook women's soccer rising senior had an unbelievable season to take home the honor.

Setteducate scored 18 goals in her first season of W League play for the Long Island Rough Riders. The Riders went unbeaten with a 10-0-2 record en route to its first W League postseason victory in the Eastern Conference Semifinal. As a forward, Setteducate started in 10 of the team's 12 matches, ended the year with 18 goals and five assists and she added a goal in the postseason.

"I had an incredible time playing for the Rough Riders this summer and winning the Golden Boot award," Setteducate said. "The support of my talented teammates and motivating coaching staff made it an unforgettable experience that has boosted my confidence for the upcoming fall season."

American Legion Authur H, Clune Post 1533

The Seawolves and Setteducate officially begin the 2024 season on August 15 against Colgate at LaValle Stadium. Stony Brook also hosts Manhattan for an exhibition match on August 5 at 5 p.m. on Long Island.

Photo Credit: @iamSauceGardner

Photo Credit: @StonyBrookWSOC | X Luciana Setteducate

Sachem’s Gunslinger Headed to Cleveland

ByTomBarton Sachem High School's Rafe

Schlesinger has taken another step in his lifelong dream that has had many bumps along the way. Schlesinger, who was once cut from his travel baseball team, is now a major leaguer.

Taken #113 overall in this year's Major League Baseball draft the big lefty has been one of the most talked about prospects and he lands with an organization that is known for developing young arms. The Cleveland Guardians are widely considered one of the best farm systems for young pitchers having produced Shane Bieber, Tanner Bibee, Emmanuel Clase and most recently Gavin Williams, to name just a few,

and now Schlesinger. He is the first Sachem player since 2014 when Alec Sole went to Tampa in the 18th round and is the 10th Sachem player to be drafted alltime.

The Miami Hurricane stands 6 foot 3 inches and weighs 200 pounds. This season he made 15 starts for Miami, going 5-5 with a 5.83 ERA, but he is a converted reliever and showed his upside with 72 strikeouts to just 25 walks in 78 2/3 innings. Schlesinger, who pitched for the Long Island Titans in travel ball, dominated at Sachem East. He was an All-Long Island selection and won the Gibson Award as the top pitcher in Suffolk County. As a senior, he had a tiny 0.70 ERA and 80 strikeouts.

Cleveland might send him back to the bullpen, but he has big time upside as a starter. Scouts rave about his fastball, which touched 97 this season, but it's his makeup that is so alluring. Schlesinger has had to overcome more than just being cut from a youth league to get to this point in his career. He suffers from a tic disorder that sometimes results in twitches and other such mannerisms. He not only has overcome that, but he has had others reach out with similar issues and have told him he is an inspiration.

Other Long Islander's drafted were Cameron Leary and Anthony D'Onofrio, while Cole Zaffiro was signed right after the draft.

Sell the Farm - Yankees Trade Targets

ByTomBarton

The trade deadline is just a little more than a week away and there has been months of speculation about what the Yankees have to do.

The Bombers have some pretty obvious holes. Third base has been a major need all season long. Oswaldo Cabrera isn't the answer, and despite his contract, DJ the Machine hasn't looked anything like his old self with just three extra base hits all season. The bullpen is an issue as well and needs more than just one piece, but a lefty reliever is a must-have. The fan base would also like a starter and impact bat, but as the want list gets longer, the competition to fill those needs gets greater.

Here are the most likely Yankee trade targets to watch in the next week plus:

Tanner Scott, Miami Marlins

- This one is a no brainer. The Marlins are selling and Scott has had a terrific season. He has a 1.30 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP to go with his 15 saves. The key is that he is a lefty and that fills a back

end of the bullpen need and lefty arm all in one.

Kyle Finnegan, Washington Nationals - Finnegan has similar excellent numbers. He has a 2.43 ERA and is in the top 5 in baseball for saves. Finnegan is older but has electric stuff. The question is after trading Hunter Harvey do the Nats move him?

Mason Miller, Oakland A's - Everyone wants Miller and the A's know it. He will cost a king's ransom and we know that Cashman doesn't often pay that. But, with Miller, he might be worth it. He is a young, controllable asset that might have the best back end stuff in the sport.

Garrett Crochet, Chicago White Sox - Crochet is a young lefty that was moved to the rotation this season. That is both good and bad because there aren't many innings on his young arm, but it also means he might be hit with an innings limit. Like Miller, he will cost a fortune, but we know the Sox are going to move him so he can be had.

Jesus Luzardo, Miami Marlins

- This is another name that continues to pop up for New York because Miami has not been secretive about their wish to tell off parts. Luzardo has a ton of upside, but he also has injury concerns. He would slot in well as a #3 starter for New York, but they might have to pay an ace-like price.

Luis Rengifo, Los Angeles Angels - Rengifo is batting

.315 this season, plays multiple positions, including 3B, and is young and under control. The negatives are he has not shown this type of performance longterm and he is currently injured. Cashman also probably looks at him as only a slight upgrade and might not be willing to part with a top prospect for him.

The Yankees will certainly make a move before the deadline.

It might be smaller than what fans anticipate though because we have seen the Cashman mantra of "our best move is guys getting healthy." It's doubtful that New York makes a huge splash for a bat, but if they want to keep Soto and make a run during Judge's and Cole's best years, this should be the time to sell off young assets and go for it all.

Photo Credit: rafeschlesinger | Instagram Rafe Schlesinger

Photo Credit: @Yankees | X Aaron Judge congratulates Juan Soto.

SACHEM'S SCHLESINGER

Photo Credit: rafeschlesinger | Instagram

Photo

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