The South Shore Press 9/04/24

BUDGET-BUSTING BUSES ZAP SCHOOL

Photo Credit: Robert Chartuk

Photo Credit: Open AI

Photo

Robert Chartuk

NEWSROOM

BY STEFAN MYCHAJLIW

Can the grid keep school buses powered up across the South Shore, and can school districts afford them?

These two questions are addressed in four stories by reporters Deborah Williams and the Dean of Reporters in Long Island, Bob Chartuk.

There is a government mandate from New York state that forces school districts to switch over to electric powered buses. This is going to cost millions upon millions of dollars with taxpayers footing the bill.

In the Big Apple, Green New Deal loving leftists thought it would be a great idea to throw a snowplow on electric powered garbage trucks in order to clear streets of heavy snow. This is quite common for

diesel powered vehicles. This way trucks can engage in “double duty” of picking up garbage and snow removal.

The results were disastrous for those in favor of going “all electric.” Keep in mind, the Big Apple wants to go to an all electric fleet by 2040.

After two hours of plowing, the electric sanitation truck used for snow plowing had to stop in order to recharge. These trucks need to plow snow for 12 hours per shift, not two or even four.

The electric trucks couldn’t handle the cold, the grid can’t charge them fast enough, and the technology just doesn’t exist right now to justify the cost of going to eclectic plows and garbage trucks.

There’s two serious concerns

BY GEORGE SANTOS

In a democratic society, the flow of information between the government and the governed should be unrestricted and transparent. It is a fundamental principle that the people are the ultimate authority in a democracy, and as such, they have an inherent right to know how their representatives conduct the business of governance. However, the current state of affairs in the United States suggests a significant deviation from this ideal. The persistent culture of secrecy and the pervasive practice of "behind closed doors" discussions in Congress raise profound concerns about the erosion of public trust and the accountability of elected officials.

The argument that certain matters must be kept confidential for reasons of national security or to protect sensitive information is not without merit. Nonetheless, this rationale has often been exploited to withhold information from the

public, creating an environment where the American people are kept in the dark about decisions that directly impact their lives. It is imperative that Congress takes meaningful steps to declassify their findings and embrace transparency, allowing the public to make informed decisions and hold their representatives accountable for their actions.

The notion that nothing— absolutely nothing—should be kept from the American public is not a radical one; it is a reaffirmation of the democratic principle that government should be by the people and for the people. When elected officials conduct their deliberations behind closed doors, they undermine the very foundation of democracy. Transparency is not merely a matter of ethical governance; it is a necessary condition for the preservation of democratic institutions.

During my tenure in Congress,

Put the Brakes on Electric Mandate

to be addressed before New York State wanting to flip the switch to all electric buses, the same exact issues NYC experienced with their

electric garbage truck experiment.

There’s no way to know if “the grid” can handle charging

thousands upon thousands of electric buses across Long Island and New York State. There’s also a massive cost involved that will absolutely be passed down to the taxpayer.

What happens in the dead of winter when batteries on electric buses die? What happens when the grid can’t sufficiently charge buses in order for kids to be picked up from school? What happens when your tax bill doubles or triples when a state mandate forces your district to switch to an all electric fleet?

Families get screwed financially, kids will be stuck on buses or at the bus stop with no way of getting them home, or there will be mass class cancellations due to electric buses sitting in garages.

I made it a point to bring to light everything that transpired behind closed doors, provided it was not classified. Once the classified information was declassified, I would discuss it openly with my constituents, ensuring that they were fully informed about the issues at hand. This commitment to transparency is something I take great pride in, and it is a practice that I believe should be adopted universally. With so many tools at our disposal one can and should not make excuses to reach out to the masses, for example i used X spaces (formally Twitter) to communicate directly with thousands of live listeners and field their questions on various matters during my tenure.

The time has come for a paradigm shift in the way our government operates. The American people deserve regular, ongoing access to the information that shapes their lives and their future. A significant first step in this direction would

be the declassification of the JFK assassination and the MLK files.

These historical events have been shrouded in mystery for far too long, and the truth must be brought to light. Moreover, we should demand full transparency regarding the

moon landing and gain unrestricted access to NASA's information on UFOs. These are matters of public interest, and the people have a right to know the facts.

Photo Credit: Open AI

Photo Credit: Adobe AI

Phase in electric buses slowly, when the grid can handle it Sunshine is the best disinfectant in Washington DC

ByDeborahWilliams

Budget Busting Buses Zap School Districts

The message from New York’s Democrats and their Green New Deal is ‘Go All Electric or Go Home’ for school buses across the state.

As the 2024-25 school year is about to begin, also beginning is intense pressure from Albany for all school districts across the state of New York to transition every school bus to electric. A full transition to electric buses is mandated by 2035. Most districts still rely on diesel buses, but New York has said ‘No’ to purchasing any new diesel buses by 2027 and a complete phase-out of all diesel buses by 2035.

New York is just one of four states requiring transition to all-electric school buses. If this mandate stands, about 50,000 school buses, operated by 1000 school districts, would have to be replaced with very expensive, new electric buses.

No consideration for hills versus flat, rural versus suburban, or expected winter weather conditions for any districts has been built into the mandate. Districts and parents worry about whether the charge is affected by cold weather and there are concerns about the weight of the buses impacting roads and bridges. Add to that, the current range for an electric bus is about 120 miles. That’s a problem for rural school districts and field trips and sports games often take students further than that.

There have been efforts to push back or repeal the mandate citing costs and reliability, but Albany Democrats have turned their backs. Governor Hochul and Democrats in the Senate and Assembly continue to support New York’s Green New Deal, no matter the costs in dollars, reliability,

and even safety for New York’s taxpayers and students.

“The mandate is not scheduled to completely go into effect until 2035 and we understand that there are efforts by elected officials to extend that deadline by possibly another 10 years. We are keeping a sharp eye on any new developments and how they may impact transportation costs in the future,” said James Montalto, Public Relations Director for the William Floyd School District.

With the costs of full electrification extraordinarily high, and state subsidies using taxpayer money only covering a portion of the transition, the taxpayers in already cash-strapped school districts are going to be faced with even more costs.

How much does the electrification of school buses cost?

First, there is the cost of the buses. A transitional diesel school bus costs about $150,000 while an electric school bus costs $400460,000 – 300% more.

Buying the bus is just one expense. Districts and independent bus companies also have to make expensive infrastructure changes. They will need to install charging stations, school bus barn electrical capacity improvements, and often extensive building renovations.

Wm. Floyd District, and many other Suffolk County districts, contract for transportation services and would not be purchasing any electric buses themselves, or building the infrastructure necessary to charge them, but they can be assured that substantially higher costs are coming their way in the next round of transportation contract negotiations.

School bus contractors are going to pass their increased costs for buses and infrastructure on to the school districts and that means either higher taxes or reduced programs and services for the students and taxpayers.

There is so much uncertainty and expense associated with this mandate that some districts and bus companies have said they will buy traditional buses for as long as possible and hope they keep them running for the next 15-20 years. Maybe technology will catch up in that time or maybe Albany will come to its senses.

No one said they were opposed to electric buses where it made sense. It is the one-size-fits-all mandate and the speed of transition that is giving school districts angina.

“From a financial standpoint, our transportation contracts now have to be negotiated and the district's taxpayers, rural taxpayers, are going to incur the cost of this, especially in a tax cap era where

Electric School Bus Mandate

ByRobertChartuk

The governor is wrong to force schools to switch to electric buses, and the state mandate will bankrupt taxpayers. That’s the consensus among state legislators from Suffolk, who point out that there is no infrastructure in place to charge the buses and that there are better, less expensive ways for New York to meet its carbonneutral goals.

Under the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, passed by the Democrats in 2019, new bus purchases must be electric after 2027, and schools must eliminate all gas or diesel vehicles by 2035. The act also bans gas stoves and barbecues and forces all commercial and residential HVAC systems to be electric. The mandate

also targets private bus companies that service schools.

“This is a total disaster that's going to bankrupt our school districts,” said Senator Mario Mattera, who noted that at $400,000 per bus, the Kings Park District, for example, will have to spend over $27 million to replace its fleet, not to mention the costs to charge and maintain them.

Mattera, the ranking member of the Senate’s Energy and Communications Committee, pointed out that the existing infrastructure will not be able to handle the electric load required by the mandate. “The schools will need charging stations, and where is the energy going to be stored from the windmills and solar farms?”

he wondered. “Battery storage is nothing but an experiment right

transportation is within the cap, said Three Village Superintendent, Kevin Scanlon. “Security is also within the cap. Fifteen years ago it was $500,000. Now it is $3 million. We can’t continue to pile on expenses.”

How will districts pay for this mandate?

Full conversion by 2035 will cost approximately $20 billion. The cost over and above what school districts already pay for replacement buses is projected to cost between $8 billion and $15 billion statewide. The State’s mandate places a heavy burden on taxpayers that are already dealing with a tough economy and less in their pockets for their family at the end of each week.

"It's going to likely cost us four times as much for our transportation. And while the funding from the governor and EPA is welcome, it's a one-shot deal. We are left with the costs after that,” said Scanlon.

"We'll have to make cutsparticularly in staffing to meet the mandate and stay within the tax cap,” Scanlon added. “When you keep adding things up on tax cap levels, like when is that going to stop there's another unfunded mandate by the state of New York that we're all going to occur and at what expense for the education of children."

The electric bus mandate is happening at the same time the Governor has proposed to change the foundation aid formula that would reduce statewide school aid by $412 million. Adding costs at a time when funding is being reduced is a double whammy for these districts.

“School board members are going to be making decisions about academic programs over batteriesthat's what this is going to come

down to. This is the granddaddy of unfunded mandates that I have seen in my 20-plus years being in school board service and working with public education,” said Bob Vecchio, Executive Director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association.

Saddling school districts with unfunded mandates while at the same time reducing state aid is reckless at best and shows that Albany legislators have no idea of how school districts run and where the money comes from – you the taxpayer.

Vecchio went on to say, “Not only do we have to pump the brakes, we have to stop it entirely. Schools are going to be paying for this before the first electric buses are on the road because if you are in negotiations with the transportation provider for a contract right now you're going to be paying those escalated costs today for the promise of higher expenses tomorrow.”

Can school districts get help?

There is some help for districts with $500 million set aside in the 2022 Environmental Bond Act to help fund the buses and new infrastructure and some funding is available through the federal government. Total funding assistance is still less than 10% of the transition costs leaving an enormous financial burden on the local school districts now and in the out years.

Some districts are considered “in need” districts and they can receive some additional costs offset funding from Albany, but that is just one time and limited.

Districts with their own fleets will have to apply and districts that have a contracted transportation service will need to partner on the application.

Will Bankrupt Long Island

now. It's going to cost trillions of dollars, not millions, and it's not going to work. It won't create enough electricity for what they're looking to do.”

“The smart thing would be to hit the pause button on this,” said Senator Dean Murray. “Let's get input from all sides on how this is going to work and if this can realistically be done. It should be done properly, rather than just doing it to meet an arbitrary deadline to make some politician look good. What they’re doing is setting deadlines for headlines,” he said, adding, “What you have to understand is that the entities have to budget accordingly. These school districts are being forced to budget for $400,000 buses, whether they own them or contract out. Either way, they will be hit with that cost, which means the taxpayers will be

hit with that cost.”

Murray agreed with Senator Mattera that massive infrastructure changes will have to be made to make the plan work.

“What they're also forgetting is it's not just a matter of buying these extremely expensive buses, but the equipment involved with running them,” Murray explained. “They have to change their bus yards. They have to put in charging stations and run the lines to bring in the electricity so multiple buses can be charged. All of these things have to happen in a very short period of time under their plan.”

“Electrifying all the school buses is just another government mandate Long Island can’t afford,” stated Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano. “As it stands, we already pay among the highest

taxes in the nation, and our cost of living is through the roof thanks to Bidenflation and other Democrat policies. Can’t they just give us a break on something?” he asked, noting that Florida, which has more residents than New York and doesn’t have an income tax, spends half as much as the “Vampire State” to run its government.

Senator Mattera said he is pushing for better ways for the state to reduce its carbon footprint. “Air scrubbing technology can be fitted on existing power plants to eliminate emissions at a fraction of the cost of what they’re trying to do,” he said. “We have a massive supply of clean-burning natural gas right under our feet. We should use this resource to rebuild our economy instead of bankrupting school districts with electric bus mandates.”

Electric School Bus Schematic

Photo Credit: X

ByDeborahWilliams

Emergency Responders Concerned About Fires Breaking Out in Electric School Buses

As New York pushes its New Green Deal mandate to replace every one of the state’s 50,000 school buses with all-electric beginning in 2027, what do local communities – firefighters and EMTs in particular – need to watch out for to keep students, emergency personnel, and drivers safe when accidents happen?

Lithium-ion batteries in allelectric cars and buses, and the charging stations, have unique issues when they catch on fire that are very different from a fire in a traditional diesel-powered bus.

Bob Vecchio, Executive Director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, says, “If one of the batteries catches fire while being stored or worked on we have a problem. I have a lot of unanswered questions which begs the question of why the mandate is being pushed so hard before we are sure the infrastructure is there and the safety and security protocols are properly put in place. Why the mandate first before doing all the homework?"

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a report on the ‘Safety Risks to Emergency Responders from Lithium-Ion Battery Fires in

Electric Vehicles’ to inform emergency responders of the potential dangers.

NTSB says that additional risk comes from damaged EV cells in the battery that can “experience uncontrolled increases in temperature and pressure (thermal runaway), which can lead to hazards such as battery reignition/fire. The risks of electric shock and battery re-ignition/fire come from from the "stranded" energy that remains in a damaged battery.”

Bill Biondi, Commissioner of the Mastic Beach Fire Department, said, “I understand there are changes that must be made, but we just can't jump into these changes. There are serious safety issues for the public and our firefighters. Mandates that begin in 2027 are just too soon.”

The rate of fire spread when ‘thermal runaway’ occurs at depot charging hubs is a big concern. Electric bus batteries are typically roof-mounted so when fires start on the roof they can quickly spread to other infrastructure. Getting enough water onto a roof-mounted e-bus high-voltage battery to cool it effectively can be a challenge to first responders.

Biondi shared that EV fires

require a lot more water and a lot more time because they tend to stay very hot for a lot longer and pose the serious risk of reigniting. E-buses can also explode. When gases vent from lithium-ion battery cells what’s called a ‘vapor cloud explosion” can occur.

NTSB collected data during investigations of electric vehicle crashes where the vehicle caught fire and electric vehicles that have caught fire without any impact or accident. NTSB’s report highlights the risks of EV fires to emergency responders posed by the vehicles’ high-voltage lithium-ion batteries. Because EVs can catch fire without the impact of an accident, EV Buses stored and charging will have to be monitored when in a bus barn or yard.

Biondi spoke about the difficulty in training to put out an EV fire, “How do you prepare for something that you can't train on? And, the funding for additional equipment is always a challenge.”

“All in all, there seems to be a never-ending supply of mandates coming from the government, but never enough funding to meet the requirements. Volunteer Fire Departments and the taxpayers they serve are already stressed financially. Our expenses keep going up with these mandates but

the 2% tax cap still applies,” says Biondi.

The Firefighter Association of the State of New York (FASNY) has given guidance that local volunteer fire companies will need to invest in special equipment to safely fight EV fires including thermal or infrared cameras to monitor the heat in the lithium batteries.

The ability to move an EV that is on fire to a quarantine area to monitor for re-ignition is also critical so that if it does reignite it does not cause a second emergency and potentially set something else on fire.

Burning materials from EV fires produce noxious gas and respirators will also be necessary for all responders. Additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as insulated gloves, safety goggles, and electrical hazard-rated safety shoes or boots rated to at least 1000 volts will be needed by local fire departments. Emergency responders must also always have the manuals from the manufacturers that verify the voltage system and the location of cutoff switch locations for each model of EV bus used in their response area.

Can The Grid Handle Charging Electric School Buses?

ByDeborahWilliams

With mandated electrification of all school buses in NY coming quickly down the pike as part of New York’s Green New Deal, many questions remain.

Will there be enough electricity capacity to charge the buses? And are there enough batteries available? Are the buses too heavy for rural roads and bridges?

Adding the infrastructure to provide electricity to charge the buses is expensive. Charging stations can cost up to $100,000 for a fast charge and from $5,000 to $15,000 for a slower charge. And that does not include the electricity to power it all up. The infrastructure required for each electric bus is estimated to be between $10-30,000.

The Empire Center reports that electric car maker Rivian has already said that, “all the world’s battery cell production combined represents well under 10 percent of what we will need in ten years… meaning that 90 to 95 percent of the battery supply chain does not exist.”

The report highlights that, with increased demand for the materials to make the batteries and increasing control of the manufacturing by China, the future costs and availability of

the needed batteries to run these mandated programs are “highly unpredictable”.

Another issue with EV batteries in buses is that they lose 30 percent of their range every ten years and need to be replaced every 12-15 years. By comparison, a new diesel engine might cost between $4,50013,500 while a new EV bus battery can cost up to $50,000.

The supply of electricity is also a key concern. Installing and upgrading the needed infrastructure can take years. The capacity of each bus storage site is one issue, but then the capacity of the local electric producer has to be analyzed.

Kevin Scanlon, Superintendent of Three Village School District, says, “The major issue for us, and again, we agree that you want a greener planet. We are not opposed in principle to electric buses where it makes sense and at a cost that can be absorbed. It is the one size fits all approach that is problematic.”

“It’s not a bad idea to be energy conscious, but also at the same time, the energy has to come from someplace. Where is it coming from? Is it coming from a coal fire plant? It just doesn't materialize. And, down here on the island, if the wind blows crooked we lose power in two minutes,” Scanlon

added.

PSEG Long Island & LIPA are currently working on a fleet electrification study.

Elizabeth F. Flagler, PSEG Long Island, Manager, Internal and External Communications, says, “While we are currently forecasting the number of EVs that will be on Long Island over the coming years, we recognize that fleet electrification (such as electrifying school buses) will pose a challenge as these projects typically require more power than a traditional charging station.”

“We want to identify where most vehicle fleets are on Long Island and determine how much power they may require at the feeder (aka circuit) level. These

results will then help us determine what utility upgrades are needed over the coming years,” Flagler added.

You have to wonder, if the power company hasn't figured this out yet, why it the mandate moving ahead with full force?

Bob Vecchio, Executive Director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, says that “because of the way buses run now with the post-COVID bus driver shortage, each bus can run and many as three runs in the morning and then three more in the afternoon, and after that be expected to run sports and other club trips. They will have to install fast chargers and the demand will be high in an already high demand

time of day.”

Local electric providers cannot rely on buses charging in the dead of night when demand is low. They will have to meet mid-day charging needs to keep the fleets running smoothly all day and for afternoon and evening activities.

Another key issue Vecchio mentioned related to the bus driver shortage is the weight of the buses. “Right now, only the full-sized buses require a CDL and the smaller buses do not need that extra license requirement because they weigh less.”

“So, the question is how much will the smaller school buses weigh and does that change the license requirement of the driver? We are already facing an extreme staff and workforce shortage for school bus drivers as it is. We do not need any more impediments to anyone becoming a driver,” Vecchio added.

The other concern is the weight of the electric buses on the roadways and some of the small bridges. The weight capacity may become an issue as well as damage the roads.

Scanlon said, “In the end, we can entertain this wonderful idea, but not right now. The 2027 deadline is just around the corner for us and too soon.”

Credit: X

Photo Credit: X

Burned School Bus

EV School Bus Charging

LOCAL Detrich Emanuel Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter for New Year's Eve Fatal Shooting

BySouthShorePressStaff

Suffolk County District

Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced recently that Detrich Emanuel, 31, has pleaded guilty to Manslaughter in the First Degree for the fatal shooting of Kristine Costantino, 40, on New Year’s Eve in 2023.

“After a minor verbal argument, this defendant shot Kristine Costantino, killing her in her own home,” said District Attorney Tierney. “While this plea cannot undo the immense pain caused to the victim’s family and loved ones, we hope it spares them from the additional trauma of a trial and keeps this defendant from hurting anyone else in the community.”

According to court documents and Emanuel's admissions

during his guilty plea allocution, on December 31, 2023, at approximately 11:24 a.m., five individuals were present at Costantino's apartment in Middle Island. Following a tense verbal exchange between Emanuel and Costantino, Emanuel pulled out a firearm and shot her in the chest.

He then called 911 but fled before law enforcement arrived.

When police arrived to render aid, Costantino repeatedly mentioned Emanuel's name. She was later pronounced dead at Stony Brook University Hospital. Emanuel was arrested on January

14, 2024, in the Bronx.

Emanuel had previously been convicted of Attempted Burglary in the Second Degree in Queens County in July 2018.

On August 20, 2024, Emanuel pleaded guilty to Manslaughter in the First Degree before Supreme Court Justice John B. Collins. He is scheduled to return to court on October 10, 2024, where he is expected to be sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision. He is represented by Matt Tuohy, Esq.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Sheetal Shetty of the Homicide Bureau with Detective James Hughes of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Squad leading the investigation.

Two Alleged Bloods Gang Members Indicted for Gun Trafficking

BySouthShorePressStaff

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced that Caciem Kruer, 26, of Farmingville, and Abdul Muhammad, 23, of Bay Shore, have been charged in a 39-count indictment. This follows a longterm investigation by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Suffolk County Police Department into an alleged gun-trafficking operation run by purported gang members in Suffolk County.

“The trafficking and sale of illegal firearms pose a significant risk to public safety and have no place in Suffolk County,” said District Attorney Tierney. “I want to thank our investigators in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the detectives in the Suffolk County Police Department’s District Attorney Squad for their tireless efforts to ensure that these alleged illegal guns were kept out of the hands of gang members and those who would use firearms

unlawfully.”

The investigation revealed that from February 2024 through March 2024, Kruer and Muhammad, alleged members of the “Hit Squad Brims,” a subset of the nationwide violent street gang known as the Bloods, allegedly collaborated to sell weapons to an undercover detective. Over several dates, they allegedly sold four loaded pistols, one revolver, two assault rifles, several high-capacity magazines, and ammunition. Three of the eight firearms allegedly sold were purchased in the southern United States and transported to Suffolk County. The remaining guns had their serial numbers defaced.

In addition to using an undercover detective, other investigative techniques included search warrants execution, audio and video recordings, and physical surveillance.

On August 21, 2024, Kruer was arraigned on the indictment before Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski. Justice

Pilewski ordered Kruer held on $1 million cash bail or $2 million bond or $10 million partially secured bond during the case's pendency. Kruer is due back in court on September 23, 2024, facing up to 25 years in prison

if convicted on the top count. He is represented by the Suffolk County Legal Aid Society.

Muhammad was also arraigned on August 21 before Justice Pilewski for similar charges.

Back to School!

ByStefanMychajliw

Students and staff are back in classrooms for the 20242025 school year at Moriches Elementary in the William Floyd School District. Led by Moriches Elementary School

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Caciem Kruer and Abdul Muhammad were charged in a 39-count indictment for allegedly running a gun-trafficking operation with alleged gang members in Suffolk County.

Detrich Emanuel pleaded guilty to killing Kristine Costantino of Middle Island, in her home.

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Moriches Elementary School

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ByRobertChartuk

Coast Guard Duplexes Eyed for Workforce Housing

With Suffolk’s acute shortage of affordable housing, especially for the working class, local officials are looking at the former Coast Guard duplexes in Westhampton, boarded-up eyesores owned by the federal government.

“These 24 duplexes would provide excellent housing for 58 families,” said County Executive Ed Romaine, who has discussed the project with

Southampton Councilman Mike Iasilli. “The units can hook into the sewer plant at Gabrieski Airport and be back on the tax rolls.”

According to Iasilli, the 14-acre property was previously put up for sale by the General Services Administration with an estimated price of $5 million but was taken off the market in October. The town and county officials would like to form a partnership to acquire the homes, perhaps as a transfer from

the federal government through a nonprofit agency.

“We would like to see a diverse community—nurses, teachers, first responders, people in the trades— having the option of living close by,” Iasilli said. Because of the high property prices in the Hamptons, affordable homes are a rarity. The situation causes a “Trade Parade” that clogs up the Sunrise Highway and local roads as out-of-town workers head east. More affordable workforce housing would help alleviate the traffic tie-ups, officials say.

The GSA sale was postponed pending an Army Corps of Engineers study of nearby property, which had been used for military exercises and could still contain unexploded ordnances. The area was also the site of a BOMARC missile base, one of several facilities protecting the East Coast from a potential Soviet air attack from 1959 until it was decommissioned in 1964. The Boeing Michigan Aeronautical Research Center, which had housed 56 nuclear-tipped missiles, has since been transferred

to Suffolk County.

“I can tell you that the community would like to see the Coast Guard property go up for sale again because it's devaluing the surrounding properties,” Councilman Iasilli said, noting that the plywood over the doors and windows of the duplexes were not put up correctly and have become dilapidated. “These are working-class people who want to make sure the values of their homes are maintained. They’re tired of seeing it this way and are

Mather Hospital Participates in "Day of Service"

ByStefanMychajliw

Fifty members from Mather Hospital’s leadership team recently took part in the hospital’s second annual day of service to the community, volunteering with Coastal Steward Long Island (CSLI) at Cedar Beach in Mt. Sinai and at Bethel Hobbs Community Farm in Centereach.

“Our day of service is Mather’s way of giving back to our community while engaging in activities that make us better leaders, team members, and neighbors,” said Executive Director Kevin McGeachy, who was part of the team at Coastal Steward.

Volunteers with CSLI worked at the Mt. Sinai Harbor shellfish facility and cleaned up Cedar Beach. The Coastal Steward team cleaned 80,000 oysters and collected 120 pounds of garbage.

CSLI is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to restoring and

preserving Long Island’s coastline through education, raising public awareness, and community action.

CSLI programs educate youth and local community groups in coastal environmental awareness through beach cleanups, shellfish population restoration, and citizen science.

Bethel Hobbs is an 11-acre farm that grows produce that will be shared with local food pantries and soup kitchens.

The Bethel Hobbs team from Mather harvested enough kale, collards, and onions to feed 100 families. The farm was the original homestead of James Hobbs and later taken over by his son, Alfred Hobbs. When Alfred Hobbs passed away in 1996, he left the farm property to the Bethel AME Church in Setauket, where he was a member.

Friends of Hobbs Farm was formed in 2007. And in 2009, Hobbs Farm applied for and

Put the Brakes on Electric Mandate...

Continued from page 2

I agree with elected leaders who believe New York should put the brakes on the electric bus mandate until all of these major concerns can be addressed.

Already struggling taxpayers cannot afford to be hit with even higher taxes in the People’s Republic of New York. School Districts should not be forced to

spend millions of dollars on an inferior product that will keep kids out of the classroom.

Take your time. Do it right. Phase in electric buses slowly, when the grid can handle it sufficiently, and when we know with 100% certainty that these buses can handle harsh winters and get kids to school safely and timely throughout the entire year.

received its own independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. To this day, the cooperative gardening project 75,000 to 100,000 lbs. of fresh, organically grown produce to several local food pantries and soup kitchens.

Last year’s day of service was at a Habitat for Humanity home build in Mastic Beach and at Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck, a camp for individuals with disabilities, in Center Moriches.

thinking that we should just make it a park.” Iasilli’s been in touch with Congressman Nick LaLota to see if the site can be better secured and perhaps speed up the Army Corps review.

“There is a critical need for workforce housing throughout Suffolk, especially out east where the property values are so high,” Romaine pointed out. “The government should explore all options to address the affordable housing crisis.”

Long Island Abuzz as Students Head Back to School

ByRobertChartuk

Students and teachers alike are buzzing with excitement—and parents are pretty thrilled too— with the start of the new school year. Long Island is famed for its excellent schools, boasting many Ivy League alumni, Westinghouse Science and other prestigious award winners, and plenty of students going on to success in the business world, trades, law enforcement, armed forces, etc.

The South Shore Press dropped in on the Eastport-South Manor Junior-Senior High School, where students and their parents were following the tradition of artistically painting the parking spots of incoming seniors. “These are outstanding students who earned the right to have their own personalized parking spot,” said Senior Class Advisor Victoria Crabtree. “It’s great to have them all back again.”

“It’s nice to see the kids back into the school routine; it’s very good for them,” noted parent Liam Burke of Manorville. “It surely is an exciting time of the year.”

Nassau and Suffolk have 124 public school districts providing

education, athletics, music, art, and many other programs for hundreds of thousands of students. The island is also home to a number of prestigious colleges and universities that are welcoming students back for the new school year.

Photo Credit: Robert Chartuk

Photo Credit: Robert Chartuk

Photo Credit: Mather Hospital

Volunteers help in Cedar Beach and Centereach.

The abandoned Coast Guard housing in Westhampton.

The abandoned Coast Guard housing in Westhampton.

Photo Credit: Robert Chartuk

William Floyd High School Celebrates Summer Graduation for Class of 2024

BySouthShorePressStaff

On Monday, August 26, William Floyd High School celebrated 30 seniors who became the newest William Floyd alumni as members of the Class of 2024. Graduates gathered in the high school auditorium with family, friends, faculty, staff, administration, and members of the Board of Education to celebrate this milestone achievement.

The ceremony began with the presentation of Colors by William Floyd High School NJROTC cadets led by Senior Chief Andrew DiDonato, along with Class of 2024 graduate Jaylen Dyer-Hart leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Summer school coprincipals John DeBenedetto and

Michele Manion congratulated the graduates and their families on their accomplishments.

“Today we are not only celebrating the completion of your high school career but we are also recognizing your character as a person,” said Mr. DeBenedetto. “The characteristics you displayed this summer – determination, perseverance, hard work and humility – were the guiding forces which propelled you to graduation. These characteristics should always remain the foundation of who you are, as they will help you live a successful and happy life. Life will not always be easy, and at times will challenge you, but remember how you got here today and that you can overcome any challenge you may

face in the future.”

Summer school co-principal Michele Manion likened the graduates to diamonds, which are created through intense pressure and high temperatures to become beautiful gems. “Diamonds are valuable and you are valuable – your time…efforts and skills are all valuable; don’t ever forget that. Congratulations and it was an honor to be your principal this summer.”

William Floyd High School principal Philip Scotto also addressed the graduates noting that they reached this point because they did not give up.

“The fact that you are here speaks of your perseverance,” he said, adding that the graduates can learn from their experiences and understand what it takes

to accomplish great things by staying true to themselves and focusing on the positive.

Superintendent of Schools

Kevin M. Coster also addressed the graduates and led them in the Regents decree. He said, “People want to talk about guarantees in life – there are very few guarantees in life, graduates. However, this diploma is guaranteed to stay with you for the rest of your lives. Wherever you go and wherever your journey takes you, you are a William Floyd High School graduate. Congratulations, you did it. Way to go.”

Additionally, GinaAnn Gundersen delivered student remarks with Jada Marsh leading the tassel ceremony. Members of the Board of Education had the

honor of presenting diplomas to the graduates.

Class of 2024 August graduates include: Siara Aragon Yanes, Calvin Berrios, Leniel Caraballo Quiros, Jonathan Cullum, Scarlett Cusano, Logan Dittmeier, Austin Dixon, Jaylen Dyer-Hart, Justin Flores Canaca, Ricky Francois, Aniyah Fuller, Bryan Gavidia, Maya Gonzalez, Ahjanai Gray, GinaAnn Gundersen, Kurtis Havens, Ja’Zirea Hester, Kiesha Jackson, Kamara James, Kimmarie Lopez-Boccia, Jada Marsh, Katelynn Melvin, Xavier Noboa Jouxtteaux, Alysha Reyes, Joseph Ryan, Jason Schwarz, Arthur Surrey Jr., Davaji Thompson, Giovanni Villanella and Crystal Ward.

Stony Brook University's Eta Theta Wins Best Chapter Award from Pi Sigma Alpha

BySouthShorePressStaff

For the second consecutive year, Stony Brook University’s Eta Theta chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, has been awarded a Best Chapter Award.

Eta Theta was one of six chapters in schools with undergraduate enrollment between 15,000 and 25,000 to be honored for 20232024. The award recognizes local chapters that are particularly active in their institutions and communities and that embody Pi Sigma Alpha’s mission to stimulate scholarship and intellectual interest in political science.

“Your chapter’s commitment to meaningful engagement over the past year, even in the face of continued challenges, was impressive and serves as a model for all other chapters,” said Pi Sigma Alpha executive director Tanya Schwartz in the award notification.

“I was especially impressed by the chapter’s sponsorship of activities supporting student career development.”

Additionally, three members of Eta Theta won the Pi Sigma Alpha Award for Written Excellence in Political Science: Kenan Kepatanovic, Sophia Chambers (a

2024 SUNY Chancellor’s Award winner), and Zoe Bussewitz. The chapter advisor is Jason Rose.

The chapter holds a variety of activities throughout the year, including meet-the-candidate nights, hosting guest speakers in international relations, providing information for students interested in government internships, conducting research paper writing workshops, and more. Members gain valuable leadership skills and work closely with faculty in the Department of Political Science.

The Best Chapter Award includes a cash prize of $500 for the chapter as well as an additional $200 to the chapter advisor in recognition of their service and support. Pi Sigma Alpha will announce the winners of the Best Chapter Award on its digital platforms, and they will be featured in a future issue of the American Political Science Association’s magazine, Political Science Today.

Pi Sigma Alpha was organized by Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi in 1920. There are more than 420 chapters of the Society in leading institutions of higher education throughout the country. Student membership is conferred on the basis of scholastic achievement.

Cheapest Midgrade Gas Found in Suffolk County During Week Ending Aug. 24

BySouthShorePressStaff

There was a single gas station in cities across Suffolk County selling midgrade gas at the lowest price of $3.15 per gallon in the week ending Aug. 24, according to customer reports submitted to GasBuddy.com.

The average reported cost of midgrade gas in cities within Suffolk County was $3.83 per gallon.

Of the 551 reported gas stations in cities within Suffolk County, 186 offer midgrade gas.

The average reported price of midgrade gas in New York was $3.96, compared to $3.98 the week before.

Drivers across the U.S. have faced a rollercoaster of gas prices in recent months and years. Though the cost of a gallon of gas is dropping, experts suggest they may rise to $4 before the end of 2024.

Many analysts blame the COVID-19 pandemic for crushing oil demand and then oil production and Russia's war against Ukraine.

Gas data refers to the price of gas when paid for by cash, not credit. Gas stations can charge drivers more for using credit cards due to surcharge fees. This is prohibited in 10 U.S. states.

While data is accurate as of

Photo Credit: Stony Brook University

Leonie Huddy, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Political Science, with Pi Sigma Alpha Chapter President Siya Majmundar.

The Shen Den Opens in Patchogue

ByStefanMychajliw

If you’re looking for a seasoned professional who can provide peace of mind and physical comfort through the power of massage, there’s a new business in Patchogue that offers both.

New York State Senator Dean Murray was one of many local dignitaries, along with family and friends of business owner Rebecca Perry, who celebrated the grand opening of “The Shen Den,” her new establishment located at 450 Waverly Avenue, Building 3, in Patchogue.

“It is my privilege to welcome Rebecca Perry and business to the

3rd Senate District. As a licensed massage therapist her goal is to ease pain and discomfort and to achieve peace through tailored massage sessions. I wish The Shen Den and Ms. Perry much success,” said Senator Murray.

In addition to a ribbon cutting ceremony, Perry decided to give back to the South Shore community by also raising hundreds of dollars for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to support the research for Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The South Shore Press spoke to Rebecca Perry about The Shen Den, how she came up with that unique name, and what customers can expect from her business.

South Shore News Director Stefan Mychajliw: “What inspired you to open your business?”

Rebecca Perry: “I’ve always wanted to have a space available for people interested in diving deeper into their mental and physical selfcare. I wasn’t quite sure what that space would be until 2021, when I enrolled at New York College of Health Professions to become a Licensed Massage Therapist. From that point on, I knew I needed a space where I could be the one to assist people on their journey toward finding peace within themselves as well as reducing pain in their body. To me, comforting both body and mind go hand in hand. Now, a little over one month into owning and operating The Shen Den, my goal is to allow this space to grow a community of likeminded individuals who look at The Shen Den as a landing pad for comfort and peace.”

SSP: What's the inspiration behind the name "Shen Den?"

RP: “The inspiration behind the name ‘The Shen Den’ is that in Chinese medicine, Shen translates to spirit, or ‘the light within’ which is essentially my goal in assisting people in coming back to their own light. Finding that peace within

themselves.”

SSP: “What makes your business and services unique?”

RP: “I incorporate acupressure and guided breathwork into my sessions in a very subtle way. In doing so, my philosophy is that activating the parasympathetic nervous system will better allow a reduction in tension and pain in the muscles and joints, in which the brain can trust that it is safe and overall relaxation will follow suit. My clients and patients have reported feeling more space in

their body and a reduction of pain in their pain areas, feeling like they are floating on a cloud, and feeling completely relaxed to the point where they don’t want to leave. When the opportunity allows, I plan to have available space and facilities at The Shen Den where you won’t need to leave after your massage, whether it be receiving red light therapy, lounging in an infrared sauna, or achieving a deeper sense of peace in a meditation room of your choice.”

Stony Brook Medicine Earns National Recognition for Stroke and

Cardiac Care

BySouthShorePressStaff

Stony Brook Medicine (SBM) has been recognized by the American Heart Association for its commitment to high-quality patient care in cardiovascular and stroke areas. This year marks the 14th consecutive year for Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) (20102024) and the 11th consecutive year for Stony Brook Southampton Hospital (SBSH) (2014-2024) to receive the Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus achievement award. For the sixth consecutive year, SBUH received the Get With The Guidelines® – Heart Failure Gold Plus quality achievement award. Both awards recognize SBM’s dedication to improving patient outcomes, reducing readmissions, and increasing healthy days at home.

“This recognition by the American Heart Association underscores the unwavering dedication of our healthcare teams to provide exceptional care for our patients,” said Dr. William Wertheim, executive vice president of Stony Brook Medicine. “Our continuous recognition over the years highlights our dedication to providing top-tier cardiovascular and stroke care, and we are proud to see the positive impact our efforts have on improving patient outcomes.”

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a major cause of disability in the U.S. Early detection and

treatment are crucial for improving survival rates, minimizing disability, and accelerating recovery times. Get With The Guidelines leverages expertise from both the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to help hospitals align patient care with current research-based guidelines.

In addition to this year’s Gold Plus achievement, Stony Brook University Hospital earned distinctions in Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll, Target: Stroke Advanced Therapy Honor Roll, and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

Approximately six million U.S. adults live with heart failure, which impairs the heart's ability to pump blood effectively throughout the body. This condition can significantly affect quality of life

through symptoms, such as severe shortness of breath and fatigue. However, advanced care can improve patients' lives through lifestyle changes, symptom monitoring, accurate diagnosis, cutting-edge therapies, including state-of-the-art medications and

interventions.

The Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy Center at Stony Brook continues its excellence in patient care with its sixth consecutive Get With The Guidelines® –Heart Failure Gold Plus quality achievement award from the American Heart Association. This honor commends hospitals that consistently treat patients according to evidence-based guidelines from the association. Additionally, Stony Brook’s program remains Long Island’s only heart failure program with Joint Commission Certification for Advanced Heart Failure since 2011.

Each year over 300,000 adults and children experience inhospital cardiac arrest. Survival largely depends on timely medical emergency response and effective CPR.

Get With The Guidelines –

Resuscitation was developed to save lives of those experiencing in-hospital cardiac arrests by following up-to-date researchbased treatment guidelines from the American Heart Association. These include protocols for patient safety, medical emergency team response, effective resuscitation (CPR), and post-resuscitation care.

Stony Brook University Hospital is also nationally recognized for its commitment to improving cardiac arrest survival rates.

Get With The Guidelines® is a hospital-based quality improvement program by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association that provides hospitals with research-based guidelines aimed at saving lives and hastening recovery since 2001.

For more information about Get With The Guidelines®, visit heart. org.

The Imperative of Transparency:...

Continued from page 2

Another critical issue that has been swept under the rug for too long is the use of taxpayer dollars to settle sexual harassment claims against members of Congress and bureaucrats. The American people deserve to know how their money is being spent, especially when it is used to cover up the misconduct

of public officials. This lack of accountability is unacceptable, and it is time to bring these issues into the open.

In conclusion, the American people must be empowered with the knowledge that allows them to make informed decisions about their government. The culture of secrecy that has permeated our

institutions must be dismantled, and transparency must become the norm rather than the exception. By declassifying critical information, ending the practice of closed-door discussions, and holding public officials accountable for their actions, we can begin to restore the public's trust in government and strengthen the foundations of our democracy.

Photo Credit: Senator Dean Murray

Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at The Shen Den.

Photo Credit: Senator Dean Murray Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at The Shen Den.

Photo Credit:Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University Hospital Named One of America's 100 Best for Cardiac and Stroke Care

ByRobertChartuk

Segregation Cited in Village Beach Fray

If you live south of the tracks in the community of Bellport, you can go to the village beach. If you live north of the tracks, you cannot. It is an issue of inequality, said Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico, who made it a major concern of his administration.

Appearing at a town hall press conference surrounded by North Bellport residents, Panico detailed his struggle to get their kids to the seashore. Hours-long conversations with Bellport officials about gaining access to Ho-Hum Beach via their ferry service “went nowhere,” he said. And when the town arranged for a water taxi to bring families across Bellport Bay to the Fire Island oasis, the village ticketed the operator.

A Bellport trustee clogging up the town’s reservation system using fake names, including the distasteful “Mike Hunt,” was the last straw for the supervisor. He engaged legal counsel—former Assistant U.S. Attorney and Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko—to “defend the rights of the people and pursue all legal options to ensure that residents have access to Ho-Hum Beach.”

According to Panico, the town owns the bay bottom where the Bellport ferry docks and lets the village use it under a 2018 town

board resolution, which states that the “continued use and benefit of the subject property, known as Ho-Hum Beach, for the residents of the Town of Brookhaven is assured.”

“It's wrong for Bellport Village to use a municipal-owned beach as a private beach and deny access to all local residents to waterways to the beach,” said NAACP chapter president Georgette Grier-Key. “Bellport Village is actively practicing segregation by excluding access and public accommodation to the Brookhaven Town-deeded Ho-Hum beach by not allowing the local and surrounding community that are African American and BIPOC people to use the beach.”

While the Atlantic getaway

falls under the jurisdiction of the Fire Island National Seashore, Bellport Mayor Maureen Veitch points out that village taxpayers fund the dock, ferry service, bathrooms, water well, maintenance, and a concession stand, as well as pay $80,000 per year to the town to provide lifeguards. “We’re not getting anything for free,” she said.

Referring to a meeting with town officials, the mayor stated: “I told them we would definitely like to work together, talk about a particular group they want to have as a guest on the ferry. I suggested a youth group, a team, a church group that they were working with. We wanted to bring them in a planned way. That’s the truth of the matter.”

Veitch went on to list limited

NYS Kicks in Cash for Culvert

ByStefanMychajliw

The Brookhaven Highway Department received a $910,000 New York State grant to replace the culvert that carries water from Swan River beneath the Barton Avenue overpass in East Patchogue.

The culvert replacement is among 216 projects in 137 communities statewide receiving a total of $484 million from the BRIDGE-NY infrastructure improvement program.

Constructed in 1961, the existing culvert, which carries

the Swan River Stream corridor, isn’t big enough to handle heavy rains and is weakened structurally, according to the Town of Brookhaven.

The upgrade will reduce the likelihood of flooding and related complications for the immediate area, according to Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Daniel Losquadro.

“The Brookhaven Highway Department is the only municipality on Long Island to receive grant funding this year from this source,” said Losquadro. “This project

space at the beach and safety concerns as reasons to minimize usage. “If I had a different setup at the marina than I do right now, it's possible we could have a safe landing pad for a commercial operation, but we don't. We think it's unsafe to dock on the sea wall,” the mayor said, noting that she was “blindsided” by the town’s water taxi service. “No one informed the village that this was happening. There were 50 people on paddle boards on Sunday; we have 130 children in a sailing program. They access the water where this commercial ferry is. We have to look at what is actually safe for the people.”

Veitch stressed it would be faster and more cost-effective to run a jitney from Bellport to other beaches, such as Smith Point. “That would take literally 18 minutes versus what he's doing with my taxpayer money. He’s taking people by jitney to a dock onto a boat. It takes them 40 minutes to get there. So you'd have to wonder what's really behind this.”

One family that took advantage of the town’s water taxi was Theresa Yanni of Bellport, her two kids, and her mother, who said she was hesitant about making the trip given the controversy. “It’s disturbing to us,” Yanni stated. “We almost

didn’t want to come, but luckily, we had no problems. I don’t see the harm in sharing the beach.”

Attending Panico’s press conference with a group of residents holding signs reading “Free the Beach,” local business owner Ghulam Sarwar said, “There should only be one Bellport. This is totally wrong and unacceptable. Everyone has the right to go to the beach.” Resident Elishamah Risien pointed out that his community has to put up with the town landfill. “They should at least let us go to the beach,” he said.

“This is a political stunt; there is no other motivation behind it,” said a village resident at HoHum Beach who declined to give his name. “How is it okay to drop people off at a beach with very few services?”

“We’re not looking to overrun the Village of Bellport,” said Panico, who led with the issue when he gave his inaugural speech in January. “We’re not looking to invade the village. We simply ask for a handful of dates for a program for the people of North Bellport to go over to enjoy the beauty of Long Island.”

“I'm an optimistic person, and I believe that things can be worked out through conversation,” Mayor Veitch concluded.

will improve roadway safety and flood resilience of the surrounding residential and natural environment for many years to come.”

The scope of this project includes the replacement of two 24-inch corrugated metal pipes

with a box culvert, the addition of two water quality units, installation of riprap headwalls on upstream and downstream flow, replacement of obstructed positive connections, and restoration of the sidewalk and roadway. Work is scheduled to begin and be completed in 2026.

“My office has been, and will continue to be, aggressive in pursuing grant funding to offset taxpayer costs for necessary projects such as this one,” Losquadro said.

Patchogue Man and His Dog Saved

from Drowning by SCPD

ByStefanMychajliw

A Holbrook man and his beloved dog are alive thanks to quick thinking and prompt actions by Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers.

They rescued a Holbrook man and his dog from the water in Patchogue.

Ethan Brako was crabbing at Mascot Dock and Marina when his dog, Brina, a two-year-old pit bull, jumped into the water at approximately 3:26 a.m.

Brako jumped in but was unable to get out of the water.

Marine Bureau Officers Kyle Profit and Tyler MankowskiHassett, aboard Marine X-Ray, responded to a 911 call reporting the pair in the water and rescued Brako and Brina.

Photo Credit: Town of Brookhaven Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Daniel Losquadro

Photo Credit: Robert Chartuk

The 20-year-old Patchogue man and his four-legged friend Brina were not injured.

Photo Credit: SCPD SCPD Marine Bureau

By:StefanMychajliw

Big Bust Brings Down 29 in Massive Drug Trafficking Ring

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced three indictments charging 29 defendants on a total of 329 counts following three separate long-term joint investigations into narcotics trafficking that spanned from Brooklyn into Suffolk County.

The investigations were conducted jointly by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office’s East End Drug Task Force (EEDTF), the Suffolk County Police Department, the New York State Police, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Department of Homeland Security (HSI), and the Office of Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York.

In the months that led up to the indictments, law enforcement executed search warrants of cellular telephones, residences, vehicles, and other digital sources of data.

These warrants, coupled with thousands of hours of electronic and video surveillance, resulted in the identification and subsequent investigation of multiple alleged drug dealing operations centered around the distribution of cocaine, fentanyl, xylazine, methamphetamines and heroin.

These alleged drug dealing operations spanned from Brooklyn to Montauk, with significant activity in Riverhead, Patchogue, Mastic, Shirley, Ronkonkoma, Bohemia, Sound Beach, Holbrook, Brentwood, and

East Islip.

The long-term investigations culminated in three indictments containing 329 total counts, which include conspiracy to distribute narcotics, operating as a major trafficker, the sale and possession of narcotics, the possession of multiple illegal firearms, attempted murder of two police officers and an assault upon another police officer.

The drug bust breakdown:

* More than Five Kilograms of Cocaine

* 759 Grams of Xylazine,

* 809 Grams of Fentanyl and Fentanyl-Xylazine Mix

* 301 Grams of Heroin-Xylazine Mix,

* 2,313 Fentanyl Tablets, 280 Grams of MDMA

* Over Three Kilos of Crystal Meth Recovered During the Investigations

Additional Seizures:

* Seven Firearms

* 16 Vehicles

* Over $170K in Cash

* 39 Gold Coins Valued at Approximately $100K

* $287,000 in Now Frozen Bank Accounts

"The scale of this operation cannot be overstated. These three indictments alleging over 300 total counts attributed to 29 defendants, represent more than just numbers – they represent a substantial blow to the illicit drug trade in our county and a

significant step towards safer, healthier communities for all our residents," said District Attorney Tierney. "Our dedicated teams have worked tirelessly to bring down several alleged interconnected drug trafficking networks that have plagued our streets for far too long. This large-scale takedown required tremendous cooperation and coordinated efforts. In addition to the great work of the East End Drug Task Force, I want to thank our law enforcement partners at the Suffolk County Police Department, the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office, the DEA, the Department of Homeland Security, the New York State Police, the Nassau County Police Department, the Riverhead Town Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and the Office of Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York."

“These results-driven investigations stem from a

common goal of combating narcotics trafficking in an attempt to save lives and keep our communities safe,” said Suffolk County Police Acting Commissioner Robert Waring.

“It is imperative we continue to combine resources to stop individuals pumping poison into our neighborhoods because as we saw in the case of Brandon Scanlon, his threat extended to our officers and the public.”

“(The) indictments are a testament to the unwavering dedication and collaboration of Suffolk’s law enforcement partners. We are grateful to the officers involved in this effort which put these narcotics traffickers out of business,” said Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. “Together, we are continuing to take deadly drugs off our streets and making Suffolk County a safer place.”

The investigations were conducted by Detectives from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office’s EEDTF and Detectives from the Suffolk County Police Department’s District Attorney Squad, Narcotics Section, and TRACE Unit.

The EEDTF is comprised of District Attorney Investigators, and members of the East Hampton Town Police Department, the New York State Police, the Riverhead Police Department, the Southold Police Department, the Southampton Town Police Department, the New York State Police’s Narcotics Section, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Department of Homeland Security, and the Office of Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Jake Kubetz, Alyssa Costantino, Gabriella DeRosa, William Nash, and Robert Archer of the Narcotics Bureau. The civil asset forfeiture action is being litigated by the Asset Forfeiture and Intelligence Bureau.

“I commend District Attorney Raymond Tierney, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s East End Drug Task Force and all of the partners involved in these longterm investigations,” said Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan. “The arrests and seizures of firearms, half a million dollars in assets, and significant amounts of narcotics from major local drug organizations will contribute to greater safety and security in communities across Suffolk County.”

Suffolk County Community College Announces Fall Theatre Season Lineup

BySouthShorePressStaff

The Theatres at Suffolk County Community College and The Lively Arts Series present the fall 2024 season.

"The Ultimate Bad Bunny Lady Gaga Tribute Concert" will be held on Saturday, September 14, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. at Van Nostrand Theatre, Michael J. Grant Campus in Brentwood.

"The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon," described as a "hilarious, crazy fairy-tale extravaganza," will run on October 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, and 10 at 7:30 p.m., with additional performances on October 6 and 13 at 2:00 p.m. These shows will take place in Theatre 119 on the Ammerman Campus in Selden.

"Shakespeare's Lovers and Fighters," featuring scenes from "Romeo and Juliet," "Much Ado About Nothing," "Macbeth," "Henry V," and "Taming of the Shrew," is set for November 7-9 and November 14-16 at Shea Theatre on the Ammerman Campus in Selden. Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m., with matinees on November 10 and November 17 at 2:00 p.m.

Winter Music Concerts are scheduled for December 5 and December 6 at Shea Theatre on the Ammerman Campus in Selden. These student concerts are free and open to the public.

"Super Heroes and Villains" is scheduled for Saturday, October 5, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. This familyfriendly event will also be hosted at Van Nostrand Theatre on the Michael J. Grant Campus in Brentwood.

Jason Hudy Magician will

perform on Saturday, December 7, at Van Nostrand Theatre on the Michael J. Grant Campus in Brentwood. This holiday magic show begins at 7:00 p.m.

For tickets and information about these events, visit sunysuffolk.edu/spotlight or call:

Michael J. Grant Campus

Crooked Hill Road, Brentwood, NY

631-851-6589

Ammerman Campus

533 College Road, Selden, NY

631-451-4163

Suffolk County Community College is the largest community college within the State University of New York (SUNY)

system. It enrolls approximately 21,000 students across its three campuses located in Selden, Brentwood, and Riverhead. The college offers various associate degrees (A.A., A.S., A.A.S.,) along with numerous certificate programs. Known for its affordable tuition rates and diverse academic offerings, including an Honors program and workforce training initiatives, Suffolk remains a top choice for Long Island students seeking higher education opportunities.

Photo Credit: Suffolk County DA

Photo Credit: Suffolk County Community College Suffolk County Community College Fall 2024 Theatre Season

ByAngelinaLivigni

Gary Halada Named Finalist for Presidential Award in STEM Mentoring

Associate Professor Gary Halada is a finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM). The award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to mentoring within the STEM field.

“Dr. Halada’s dedication to mentoring and his impactful contributions to the success of underrepresented students in STEM have not only elevated our department but also have set a standard for mentorship across the university,” said Dilip Gersappe, professor and chair of the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering. “We are honored to have him as a member of our faculty.”

PAESMEM highlights mentors

who provide opportunities for students who might otherwise lack access to pursue STEM education. The award considers anyone contributing to education in the United States. In addition to a certificate signed by the president, recipients receive a $10,000 reward from the National Science Foundation.

Halada, an alumnus of Stony Brook University, has been part of its faculty for over 30 years, starting as a graduate student. He currently serves as both associate professor and undergraduate program director (ESG), dedicating significant time to mentoring students alongside his teaching and research duties. He previously received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching from Stony Brook University in 2013.

“They were having problems with test scores and figuring out why those problems happened, and then how we as a university could contribute to the teaching mission at even the high school and middle school level.”

Stony Brook University resources and outreach programs, in conjunction with other universities, have supported less privileged educators at Long Island middle and high schools. Halada describes Stony Brook as a “utility for education,” sharing his teaching knowledge and mentorship with students.

“I worked with high school teachers and learned what their challenges were,” Halada said.

Halada's efforts span from middle school to higher education, igniting students' passion for STEM. Inspired by former faculty member Professor David Ferguson, Halada worked with challenged school districts on Long Island to improve their educational quality.

“A big aspect of this PAESMEM award is about building inclusivity,” Halada said. “It’s really about being able to reach out to students from different backgrounds and abilities to make a more inclusive educational program.”

Ranger Eric on Animal Adaptations at Long Island Game Farm:

'By Asking Questions about Nature It Leads You to Discover New and Amazing Things'

ByDonnaRolando

Can a bearded dragon compete with a hungry raptor sweeping down on him in the deserts of Australia? The answer lies in the dragon’s anatomy—its collapsible ribs, one of those easily overlooked facts about nature Long Island Game Farm in Manorville is spotlighting on Saturday, Aug. 31.

Eric Powers, aka Ranger Eric, founder of the Center for Environmental Education and Discovery (CEED) in Brookhaven, will be taking to the Game Farm’s new interactive stage to present Animal Adaptations, covering wildlife and their survival tricks from around the globe.

“Animal Adaptations is a presentation where I bring out live animals, and I talk to everybody about how their special adaptations help them to survive in their particular environment…I usually walk around with the animal, so everyone gets up close and personal, maybe even touching the animal,” Powers said.

When the size of the gathering is prohibitive, he said, “I’ll call one

of two kids up per animal and then everybody can kind of vicariously experience the animal through them.”

As for the bearded dragon, he said those flexible ribs let them escape even a raptor by scurrying into a hole. If the predator is a snake, the ribs can double the size of their body, making them “look huge.”

According to the Long Island Game Farm website, other animals CEED has been known to introduce, when possible, are snakes, an Argentine black-and-white tegu, tortoises vs. turtles, chinchilla and owls. Presentations are scheduled to take place 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31, at the Long Island Game Farm, 489 Chapman Blvd. CEED and its team members visit hundreds of schools each year throughout Long Island and other venues, like Long Island Game Farm, to build an appreciation for wildlife, according to Powers.

“I've been working with the Long Island Game Farm for probably 15 years, and I just appreciate them because it's a family-run business and (you can) see how much they

love and care for their animals and how much passion and dedication they put into teaching people about these animals,” Powers said.

Now celebrating 55 years, Long Island Game Farm was started by Stanley Novak and his wife Diane on a 26-acre hay and cattle farm they purchased in Manorville. Opening in 1970, the farm quickly grew to 300 animals and came to feature attractions like a tiger show. One of the couple’s daughters, Melinda, is now Long Island Game Farm

president, keeping the tradition alive.

Just last year, The Foundation for Wildlife Sustainability, Inc., became the Game Farm’s nonprofit arm, furthering its mission to connect people and animals.

The importance of this connection became clear to Powers while at the University of Northern Colorado working to rescue the Great Prairie Chicken population on the Eastern Plains of Colorado.

When ATV riders destroyed the

nest site, he came to realize the importance of good environmental education.

“I kind of turned the corner into teaching people about nature and why they should care about it,” he said. “By asking questions about nature it leads you to discover new and amazing things, and when you start down that journey of learning about nature, you realize how interconnected everything is and ultimately you realize that you’re part of that interconnection.

'Mr. Medford' Honored by Bridge Naming

ByRobertChartuk

An effort to give tribute to a man they called “Mr. Medford,” Niel M. Marturiello, became a reality with the naming of the Horseblock Road Bridge over the Long Island Expressway.

“We are grateful that the bill I sponsored with Senator Dean Murray to name the bridge in his honor was signed by Gov. Hochul,” said Assemblyman Joe DeStefano. “He served as a Medford Fire District Commissioner, becoming president, and was a fireman for over 50 years.”

Marturiello fought with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1975. Following his service, he commanded the SSG Keith Bishop VFW Post 2937 and the American Legion John R. Cacioppo Post 1848.

When the nation was attacked on 9/11, Marturiello was a Ground Zero responder. Also known as the “Mayor of Medford,” he

was an honorary chief of the fire department and volunteered his services to various organizations, including the Medford Chamber of Commerce, where he was president.

As Senator Murray put it, “It's safe to say that if it happened in Medford, it's likely that Niel had a hand in making it happen.”

Marturiello’s tribute was one

of six signed by Gov. Hochul in memory of individuals whose legacies carry significance to their communities and New York State as a whole. “By honoring their memories, we forever pay tribute to their lives and the spirit that defines the best of our state,” the governor said.

Born in Brooklyn in 1948, Marturiello passed away last year at age 75. He was cherished by his wife, Anne Marturiello, and was the loving father of Michael Marturiello, David West, and Jerry West. He was a brother of Carmelina Marturiello and grandfather of Julianna and Michael.

Those traveling on the L.I.E. will see a green plaque honoring the Medford icon. “It will be a long-lasting reminder of this great man and what he meant to Medford,” said DeStefano, who served with Marturiello as fire commissioner.

PhotoCredit: John Griffin | Stony Brook University

Photo Credit:

Center for Environmental Education & Discovery (CEED) | ceedli.org

Gary Halada’s teaching and mentorship has ignited students’ passion for STEM from middle school to higher education.

Ranger Eric with Animal Ambassador

Photo Credit: Family of Niel Marturiello Niel Marturiello

LOCAL

ByDonnaRolando

Hampton Classic Horse Show Spokesman: 'We Have All Kinds of Activities for Kids'

At least 50,000 spectators are expected to flock to the Hampton Classic Horse Show in Bridgehampton through Sunday, Sept. 1, to see a high-caliber equestrian competition, including eight riders just back from the Parishosted Olympic Games.

But youngsters have a special reason for joy this Saturday, Aug. 31, when Hampton Classic features its action-packed News 12 Kids Day, with everything from a family circus to face painting and a dance contest. The fun starts at 10 a.m. and is free with the $20-per-carload cost of admission to Hampton Classic Horse Show, located at 240 Snake Hollow Road.

“We have all kinds of special activities for kids,” Hampton Classic spokesman Marty Bauman said. “Anyone under 12 gets a free pony

ride. Every kid gets a gift bag with some presents, there are giveaways, and we have the Steppin’ Out petting zoo, so there’ll be all kinds of animals for the kids to meet and have fun with.”

His personal favorite is the dance contest made possible through Allstar DJ Long Island, which he described as a “super-fun dance party for the kids.” Other entertainers are the Bellini Family Circus, the Amazing Rubini—“she teaches them how to paint and make animals out of balloons”—and the Amazing Zola, who specializes in card tricks. Additionally, the children will be creating jewelry with another entertainer, known as The Macaroni Kid, and they can play games like Ping-Pong and cornhole to their heart’s content at the Macrae Skye Fun Zone.

“The kids show has been going on for more than 30 years,” Bauman

said, but the horse show itself is marking its 49th year and serves as a nonprofit that supports the Stony

According to Bauman, the

eight-day equestrian event with approximately 1,600 horses got off to a humble start in 1976 with a few local horsemen who launched the idea. “I’m not sure they envisioned it would become what it is today, but it certainly did,” he said. The best riders on the best horses are drawn to the Longines Hampton Classic Grand Prix, which kicks off on Sunday at 1:30 p.m., said Bauman.

Not only is the horse show considered a premiere event, but there are 70 shops and boutiques, he said, where “really you can buy anything from a Hampton Classic T-shirt to a Land Rover.” Besides shopping, there’s local restaurants, which means “you can come here and not watch the horse show and still have a great time.”

For more information visit the Hampton Classic website. Kids Day events can be found next to the Boutique Garden.

Alumni Provide Mentorship for Stony Brook University's Division of Information Technology Students

ByBethSquire

For student employees in Stony Brook University’s Division of Information Technology (DoIT), mentorship from alumni who navigated the same roles and challenges is invaluable.

As part of DoIT’s 32nd annual Bootcamp, an annual retreat for student employees to connect with one another and with staff, five alumni served on a panel to discuss their journeys from DoIT undergraduate student employees to full-time professionals.

Simeon Ananou, Chief Information Officer and Vice President for DoIT, welcomed the group and emphasized the importance of compassion, humanity, humility, and curiosity. He reminded students that while their student employment is important, “your first assignment while you’re here is to be a good student, and we are glad that you’re bringing your talents and

expertise to us to complement the work that we do so that we can serve the rest of the campus.”

Michael Basile, Customer Solutions Support Manager, moderated the August 23 alumni panel. The panel featured Jenny Chan ’04, Consulting User Assistance Developer at Oracle; John Glenis ’23, Systems Engineer II at Raytheon; Rezvan Nafee ’23, Junior Full Stack Developer at SupplyHouse; Joy Yim ’22, Lead Acquisitions Manager at Cash4Keys; and Angel Zou ’21, Research Program Coordinator at the World Trade Center Health Program.

Panelists shared their career journeys and highlighted the value of skills learned at Stony Brook in their roles as DoIT student employees. Skills such as communication, time management, and teamwork were noted as transferable to fields outside of IT.

Yim pivoted from her degree in occupational therapy to working for a real estate company but uses skills learned while working in DoIT in her current profession. “When I started working at DoIT during my freshman year,” she said. “I didn’t know how to call a person on the phone. I was so shy, and I lacked confidence. The staff work with you to be confident and capable of taking any path.”

Chan stressed the importance of teamwork and having confidence in one's abilities. “When I first started working,” Chan said. “I had imposter syndrome... To be

successful, you need to be able to ask for help.”

Yim spoke about finding a mentor when assuming a new role: “The first thing that I knew I had to do when I began working in real estate was to find a mentor.”

She added that it’s essential also to serve as a mentor for others when prepared.

Chan advised students: “Embrace fear and don’t be afraid to make decisions or mistakes.”

Zou added that Stony Brook is an ideal environment for experimentation: “This is a great place...because the staff here just

wants to see you grow.”

Following the alumni panel discussion, additional alumni met in small groups with students to address specific questions. DoIT employees have presented at several conferences about empowering student employees. Their high-impact practices are highlighted in "A Good Job: Campus Employment as a HighImpact Practice."

Mentorship from alumni helps student employees develop clearer visions of their futures and offers them support needed for achieving professional goals.

West Islip Man Sentenced for Fatal Beating of Aunt's Dog

BySouthShorePressStaff

Peter Minichello, 22, of West Islip, has been sentenced to four months in jail followed by five years of probation and received a lifetime ban on owning animals. This follows his guilty plea for beating his aunt’s Chihuahua-mix dog named "Pup-Pup," resulting in severe injuries that led to the dog's death.

District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney commented on the case: "What this defendant put an innocent animal through is as shocking as it is deplorable. A dog’s love is unconditional, and my heart goes out to the defendant’s aunt who lost a beloved companion."

Court documents reveal that

on July 6, 2022, Minichello was left alone with Pup-Pup while his mother and aunt were at work. Upon returning home, Minichello's aunt found PupPup inside its crate, immobile and covered in blood and bruises. The dog had been healthy earlier that morning. Despite seeking medical attention for Pup-Pup, the dog died days later.

The investigation showed Pup-Pup suffered multiple broken ribs, blunt force trauma to the head and body, and a penetrating wound to the elbow, ultimately succumbing to a traumatic brain injury.

On June 13, 2024, Minichello pleaded guilty to charges, including Aggravated Cruelty to Animals and Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree before Acting Supreme Court Justice Richard I. Horowitz. Justice Horowitz sentenced Minichello on August 19, 2024. Alongside jail time and probation, Minichello received a lifetime ban from owning or possessing any animals. He was represented by Pierre Bazile, Esq.

Assistant District Attorneys Annemarie DiBlasio and Ashley Stapleton of the Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team ("BEAST") prosecuted the case. Detective Alexandra Breyer and Suffolk County Police Department’s Third Squad conducted the investigation.

Brook Southampton Hospital.

Photo Credit: Instagram | @hamptonclassic

Photo Credit: Stony Brook University

Back-to-back CSI5* wins moved McLain Ward to the top of the @longines Rider Challenge standings, and a 6th place finish in Sunday's $400,000 CSI5* Longines Hampton Classic Grand Prix helped keep him there!

Wyandanch Man Indicted for Attempted Murder Outside Jake's 58 Casino

BySouthShorePressStaff

Nashawn Legros, 24, of Wyandanch, has been indicted for attempted murder, assault, and other related charges following an alleged shooting incident in the parking lot of Jake’s 58 Casino in Islandia. The announcement was made by Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney.

“This defendant’s alleged crimes not only threatened the victim’s life but also the lives of everyone else in the casino parking lot at the time. That is unacceptable,” said District Attorney Tierney. “My office is committed to combatting violent crime in Suffolk County. We will continue to hold those who

commit violence accountable for their actions.”

The investigation revealed that on May 31, 2024, at

approximately 10:16 p.m., Legros was seated in a vehicle parked at Jake’s 58 Casino when he observed the victim walking toward the casino entrance.

Legros allegedly exited the vehicle, approached the victim quickly, and shot him twice— in the chest and stomach. The victim managed to enter the casino before collapsing and received emergency care from casino staff and civilians before being transported to a hospital for surgery. The victim survived but sustained serious injuries.

After allegedly shooting the victim, Legros reentered his vehicle and fled the scene. He then allegedly abandoned the vehicle, which he was not authorized to use, in Central Islip hours after the incident.

Legros was apprehended on August 29, 2024, in Riverhead with assistance from the

United States Marshals Service and Suffolk County Police Department’s Narcotics Section.

On August 30, 2024, Legros was arraigned on several charges before Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro:

- One count of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree (Class B violent felony)

- One count of Assault in the First Degree (Class B violent felony)

- Two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (Class C violent felonies)

- One count of Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle in the First Degree (Class D felony)

Local School Bus Driver Indicted for Possessing Child Sex Abuse Material

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced today that Guenther Mayrhofer, 71, of Mastic Beach, a bus driver for the William Floyd School District, has been indicted on charges of Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child and Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child. The indictment alleges that Mayrhofer downloaded images and videos of child sexual abuse and uploaded them to his cloud storage account.

“There is nothing more important to my office than protecting children and tracking down predators in our community. It is deeply disturbing that this defendant was allegedly in close proximity to children every day as a school bus driver,” said District Attorney Tierney. “I thank the New York State Police for their diligent investigation in this case. We will continue to work closely with them and our other law enforcement partners to

seek justice for these innocent victims.”

The investigation began when the New York State Police received a tip alleging that Mayrhofer had uploaded approximately 20 images of child sexual abuse to a cloud storage account. On August 15, 2024, state police executed a search warrant at Mayrhofer’s home, recovering numerous electronic devices and storage devices.

A review of these devices revealed that Mayrhofer had allegedly downloaded and saved over one hundred images and videos of child sexual abuse.

On August 29, 2024, Mayrhofer was arraigned on the indictment before Acting Supreme Court

Justice Karen M. Wilutis on 25 counts of Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child (Class D felonies) and 25 counts of Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child (Class E felonies).

Justice Wilutis ordered Mayrhofer held on $150,000 cash bail, $500,000 bond, or

$1.5 million partially secured bond during the pendency of the case. He is due back in court on October 8, 2024, represented by the Suffolk County Legal Aid

Society. Authorities urge anyone who believes they have been victimized by Guenther Mayrhofer to contact the New

York State Police, the Suffolk County Police Department, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.

Fatal Overdose Investigation Leads to Eight Arrests on Long Island

BySouthShorePressStaff

Suffolk County District

Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced the arrests of eight individuals on charges related to narcotics trafficking, sales, and gun possession on Long Island’s North Fork. The investigation was conducted by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office’s East End Drug Task Force (EEDTF) and the Southold Police Department.

“What began as a tragic fatal overdose in Albany led us to uncover a significant drug trafficking operation here in Suffolk County,” said District Attorney Tierney. “The fact that the victim’s family, amid their grief, had the presence of mind to contact law enforcement, led to the unraveling of an alleged criminal organization and the arrests of these eight individuals.”

Southold Police Department Captain Steve Grattan praised the EEDTF for its efforts. “Their recent success in combating illegal drug activity is a testament to their teamwork and dedication,” he stated.

The investigation started in August 2023 after a family reported a fatal fentanyl overdose that occurred in June 2023 in Albany County. It was discovered

that Shawn Smiley allegedly mailed counterfeit oxycodone pills to the victim before his death. Further investigations revealed other alleged co-conspirators involved in drug trafficking operations.

On August 22, 2024, multiple search warrants were executed across various locations, including Riverhead and Greenport. In these operations, law enforcement recovered drugs packaged for sale and several firearms.

The defendants are facing various charges:

- Lashawn Lawrence was charged with multiple counts, including Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance and Criminal Possession of a Weapon.

- Melissa Flythe faced similar charges as Lawrence.

- Shawn Smiley was charged with Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance among other felonies.

- David Brown faced four counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance.

- Jamal Lawrence was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance.

- Amylyn Spinelli faced one count of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree.

- Willie Davender was charged with Criminal Possession of a Firearm.

Arraignments have been scheduled for each defendant with potential prison sentences ranging from two years to fifteen years if convicted.

BySouthShorePressStaff

Photo Credit: troopers.ny.gov

Photo Credit: Zhukovsky | Dreamstime.com

Stony Brook Engineering Leaders Meet with Federal Agencies to Discuss Research

BySouthShorePressStaff

Dean Andrew Singer and Associate Dean Jon Longtin of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) at Stony Brook University met with White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) staff and federal science agency leadership during the week of August 19 to discuss the college’s groundbreaking research. The science agency meetings included the Department of Defense (DOD) Basic Research Office, DOD’s Office of Naval Research

(ONR), Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science, DOE’s Office of Electricity, and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).

Singer highlighted Stony Brook University’s innovative research in many fields, including energy storage, materials science, engineeringdriven medicine, quantum, artificial intelligence, and climate resiliency. He also emphasized the importance of the university’s interdisciplinary research and collaborative educational

environment.

“In order to solve today’s greatest challenges,” said Singer, “our engineers and applied scientists must not only work together but also across disciplines. This is what we do at the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and this is the best way to tackle the issues facing our communities and our world.”

Stony Brook University’s Office for Federal Relations, located in our nation’s capital, coordinated these meetings. The Office for Federal

Relations works closely with federal agencies, Congress, and the White House to advance

Stony Brook University Kicks Off School Year with New Seawolf Welcome Week

BySouthShorePressStaff

Music, dancing, movies, roller skating, mini golf, and other events welcomed students back to Stony Brook University during New Seawolf Welcome Week. Despite a delayed movein due to flash flooding, the campus soon became active from the SAC to LaValle Stadium.

Interim President Richard McCormick addressed firstyear and transfer students at convocation events held at the stadium and the Staller Center. He expressed appreciation for

Athletic Team Tryout & Practice

BySouthShorePressStaff

The schedule for various sports tryouts and first practices for the 2024-25 school year has been released.

For Fall 2024, high school football teams, including Varsity (V), Junior Varsity (JV), and JV9, will begin their tryouts and practices on August 19. All other high school sports will start on August 26. These include Boys/ Girls Cross Country, Boys Soccer (V, JV, JV9), Girls Soccer (V, JV), Girls Volleyball (V, JV), Field Hockey (V, JV), Golf, Gymnastics, Girls Swimming, Girls Tennis, and Cheerleading.

Middle schools Paca MS and WFMS will commence their fall sports tryouts and practices on September 4. The sports included are Football, Boys/Girls Cross Country, Boys/Girls Soccer, Field Hockey, Girls Tennis, and Cheerleading.

For Winter 2024-2025 at the

high school level, the first sport tryout/practice date is November 18. The sports covered are Boys/Girls Basketball, Boys/ Girls Winter Track, Wrestling, Bowling, and Cheerleading.

Middle schools Paca MS and WFMS have two winter seasons. Winter 1 begins on November 18 with Boys Basketball, Girls Volleyball, and Cheerleading. Winter 2 starts on January 13 with Girls Basketball and Wrestling.

Spring 2025 high school sports will begin their tryouts/ practices on March 17. This includes Baseball (V, JV), Softball (V, JV), Boys/Girls Track, Boys/ Girls Lacrosse (V, JV), Girls Flag Football, Boys Tennis, and Unified Basketball.

Middle schools Paca MS and WFMS will start their spring season on March 24 with Baseball, Softball, Boys/Girls Track, Boys/Girls Lacrosse, and Boys Tennis.

the community’s resiliency while noting his own new status at Stony Brook. “Being new is both exciting and can be daunting too,” he said on August 24. “And so I want to assure you that whatever you are feeling right now is totally, for better or for worse, normal.”

McCormick offered advice based on his career at top public research universities. “From one new kid to another, I have some advice for you — and that is to keep listening,” he said. “Listen to your heart. Listen to each other’s questions, values, and

Schedule

experiences. Listen to the needs of the world at large. One cannot learn without listening.”

Students participated in mandatory workshops designed to help them get settled and introduce them to faculty, staff, and fellow students. Other events included a Welcome Back BBQ, roller skating on SAC Plaza, Wolfie’s Welcome activities, games, parties, movies, arts and crafts sessions, fitness classes, among others.

Photos from Welcome Week were taken by John Griffin and Isabel Epstein.

Racine Topaloglu Joins Stony Brook University as HR Professional

ByEllenCooke

Racine Topaloglu has found a new challenge at Stony Brook University, where she began working in January 2024. With a background in the tourism industry across Europe, Topaloglu brings her HR experience and collaborative nature to her role at the university.

A German native, Topaloglu has expressed her enthusiasm for her current position. "When I decided I wanted to get my Bachelor’s degree, I applied to three local universities and when I was accepted, I chose Stony Brook," she said. Her decision was driven by a desire for challenges. "I’m always looking for something that challenges me," she added.

For more information about

Photo Credit: Stony Brook University Racine Topaloglu, classification and compensation coordinator, Human Resource Services.

the federal priorities of Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine.

Photo Credit: Stony Brook University

Photo Credit: Stony Brook University

Leaders from the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Meet with Federal Agency Leadership in DC

Seawolves Kick off the School Year Across Campus

ByDonnaRolando

Ha Ha Hamptons Producer: 'People Need to Laugh More'

The Ha Ha Hamptons Comedy Tour is returning to the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor on Sept. 14 with a much-acclaimed, fourwomen act entitled Moms’ Night Out. Showtime for "The Mother of All Comedy Shows" is 8 p.m., and tickets start at $37.

Producer Paul Anthony Mongelluzzo said the event gathers top-notch talent for a fast-paced, 90-minute showcase that promises to incite laughter.

“We’re constantly striving to bring the best comedians available to come out and perform… Basically you'd have to go into Manhattan to see this level of talent,” Mongelluzzo said.

The highlight of the show will

be the final act, Carie Karavas, a Long Islander with more than 20 years’ experience as a national headliner. She’s known for her work on “Comedy Central” as well as the Kevin James sitcom, “Kevin Can Wait.” Describing Karavas as one of the most sought-after female comedians today, Mongelluzzo said, “She’s hilarious.”

According to information from Bay Street Theater, the lineup also includes:

* Laura Patton, a rising star on the Long Island comedy scene with a recent Vegas show under her belt.

*Talia Reese, from Great Neck, who left a career in bankruptcy law to become a performer on the NYC comedy scene, “The Wendy Williams Show” and SiriusXM. She’s appeared with notables like

Nick Cannon and Ronny Chieng and was featured in the New York Post.

*Kendra Cunningham, who drew laughs on “Last Comic Standing,” “Saturday Night Live” and “Gotham Live” as well as the Boston Comedy Festival and more. Though a regular at top venues in Manhattan, she’s headlined around the nation.

The show purposely stars women to offer them a boost in a comic world that typically awards top billing to men.

“We came up with this idea about seven years ago. We brainstormed what can we do to help better showcase some of the really strong female comedians,” Mongelluzzo said of how Moms' Night came to be.

The host of the Ha Ha Hamptons Comedy Tour, Mongelluzzo himself is a name in the comedy world, sharing the stage with talent like Louie Anderson and Robert Klein. He also created The Long Island Comedy Festival, which is entering its 18th year and spreads laughter all over the region. Ha Ha Hamptons, only a few years old, is unique to the Hamptons area.

Mongelluzzo views comedy as a mission—to bring much-needed smiles in what can be a hard world.

“I always tell people at the end of the show that what you witnessed here tonight is an entire audience of people, all laughing and having a good time, proving how much we have in common,” he said.

The Bay Street Theater, a not-forprofit professional theater, offers an

intimate setting of 299 seats, which according to Mongelluzzo, means “there isn’t a bad seat in the house." As a bonus, the Sag Harbor scene has its own historic charm as well as proximity to restaurants for patrons to make a night of coming out to see a show. Based at the end of Long Wharf, there’s the opportunity for sightseeing around what he calls a “very scenic, very Hamptons” venue. Mongelluzzo suggested that Ha Ha Hamptons might be therapeutic in addition to fun.

“People need to laugh more," he said.

And while the show isn't raunchy, there may be some foul language, which makes it best for those 18 and older. For more information visit the website: baystreet.org.

Local Business Accuses Village Administration of Harassment and Constitutional Violations

BySouthShorePressStaff

A local business is embroiled in a legal battle against municipal authorities, alleging harassment and constitutional violations. On

August 22, 2024, Moshe Glenn, MG Craft Kitchen, LLC, and The Saffron Culinary, Inc., filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York against the

Connetquot Central School District Prepares for Opening Day

ByStefanMychajliw

Connetquot Central School District held several new student orientations ahead of the start of school, welcoming the incoming classes.

Incoming sixth-grade students and their families were welcomed by Ronkonkoma Middle School

Principal Joseph Licato, Assistant Principal Justin Bradley, and staff during the new student orientation. At Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School, Principal Joseph Piombo and Assistant Principal Danielle Black welcomed their new students.

Each middle school principal offered information on students’ schedules and what to expect in this new phase before students

were released to explore the building, find their classrooms and try opening their lockers for the first time.

Connetquot High School’s Class of 2028 filled the hallways as the incoming freshmen picked up their lanyards and new school ID badges. Along with their parents, ninth graders filled the auditorium to learn more about the building and facilities, clubs and extracurriculars as well as school culture from Community Liaison and Suffolk County Police Officer Fernandez.

Students also met the high school’s administrative team, toured the building and asked questions ahead of the first day of school on September 3rd, 2024.

Incorporated Village of Lawrence and several village officials.

The plaintiffs claim that the defendants unlawfully terminated their business licenses to operate a restaurant and kosher catering service at the Lawrence Yacht & Country Club. They argue that these actions were driven by personal animus from the village administration toward Mr. Glenn. The complaint details how Mr. Glenn had invested $250,000 to set up MG Craft Kitchen, which opened on April 9, 2024, to positive reviews and community support. However, following the election of a new village administration in June 2024, Deputy Mayor Tammy Roz allegedly began harassing Mr.

Glenn with baseless complaints about his business operations, according to the complaint.

The situation escalated when the village issued a "Non-Compliance Letter" on July 18, 2024, citing various issues, including Mr. Glenn's demeanor towards village officials as grounds for potential termination of his license agreement. Despite Mr. Glenn's efforts to comply with all demands, including providing proof of insurance within 48 hours as requested by the village, his license was abruptly terminated on August 2, 2024. The village then padlocked the restaurant and issued a stop work order without proper legal procedure.

Mr. Glenn is seeking compensatory damages totaling at least $3 million for breach of contract and implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. They also seek $250,000 for unjust enrichment and conversion related to their investments in the restaurant premises. Additionally, they request permanent injunctions to prevent further unlawful actions by the defendants and allege violations of their constitutional rights under the Equal Protection Clause and Due Process Clause.

The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys Sholom Wohlgelernter and Abraham David from Berg & David, PLLC. Case ID: 24-5897.

William Floyd School District Opens Comment Period for 2024-25 Safety Plan

BySouthShorePressStaff

The William Floyd School District has announced the availability of its Districtwide Safety Plan and Emergency Remote Instruction Plan for the 2024-25 school year. This initiative, mandated by the Project SAVE Law (Safe Schools Against Violence in Education: Commissioner of Education Regulation 155.17), aims to ensure the safety, health, and security of students, faculty, and staff.

The plan has been developed with input from various employee groups, the Suffolk County Police Department, the Office of Homeland Security, and the Mastic, Mastic Beach, and Center Moriches Fire Departments.

In compliance with New York State law, a 30-day comment period is now open for residents to share their comments or questions

receiving feedback via email at mstam@wfsd.k12.ny.us.

For those interested in

reviewing the details of the safety plan or recapping emergency response training from the previous school year (2023-24), links are provided on the district's website.

Photo Credit: CSD

Incoming Connetquot High School Ninth Graders

regarding the plan. Michael Stam, Director of Human Resources at William Floyd School District, will be

Photo Credit: WFHS

William Floyd High School Resumes Classes After Addressing Gas Leak

BySouthShorePressStaff

On Monday, September 2, at 4:54 pm, officials announced that the full network, including internet and phones, is back online. Consequently, school will resume as normal on Tuesday morning.

Earlier that day, at 9:30 am, fire officials gave the all-clear signal at 3:30 am. The gas leak had been fully addressed; the valve was repaired and no gas readings were recorded in the building. However, a lingering odor from an odorant used by fire officials may persist. Custodial and facilities staff are working to air out the building in time for school reopening. Additionally, power shutdowns had taken down the network and phone systems. The community will be kept informed if there are any changes regarding the high school schedule.

The response to this emergency involved multiple units including the Mastic Fire Department, Mastic Beach Fire Department, Center Moriches Fire Department,

STATE

Brookhaven Town Fire Marshal's Office, Mastic Volunteer Ambulance Company, Mastic Beach Ambulance Company and Suffolk County Fire Rescue and Emergency Services. National Grid and Paraco Gas also assisted. Special thanks were extended to William Floyd’s custodial, facilities and security staff.

The incident began on Sunday night at 11:53 pm when a gas valve malfunctioned causing a propane leak outside William Floyd High School. The Mastic Fire Department and Brookhaven Hazmat responded promptly to manage the situation with assistance from the Brookhaven Town Fire Marshal. Power was shut off as first responders checked for elevated gas levels but none were found. A flare device was used to burn off residual gas before repairs commenced.

School was already closed for Labor Day on Monday; updates regarding Tuesday's schedule were provided subsequently.

Where Drivers Found Cheapest Diesel Across Suffolk County in Week Ending Aug. 24

BySouthShorePress

There was a single gas station in cities across Suffolk County selling diesel at the lowest price of $3.14 per gallon in the week ending Aug. 24, according to customer reports submitted to GasBuddy.com.

The average reported cost of diesel in cities within Suffolk County was $3.90 per gallon.

Of the 551 reported gas stations in cities within Suffolk County, 175 offer diesel.

The average reported price of diesel in New York was $4.11, compared to $4.12 the week before.

Gas prices in the U.S. have fluctuated greatly in recent times and many drivers are feeling the pain at the pump.

The cost of rising gas prices is made tougher on average U.S. families by rising inflation. Families had to pay nearly 8% more for average goods and food they needed.

Experts predict gasoline prices could drop below $3 this year before rebounding closer to $4 by year's end. GasBuddy forecasted a national average of $3.38 per gallon, down from $3.51.

Gas data refers to the price of gas when paid for by cash, not credit. Gas stations can charge drivers more for using credit cards due to surcharge fees. This is prohibited

Lowest

Recruitment Firm Sues Real Estate Giant Zillow for Financial

Losses and More

BySouthShorePressStaff

The case centers around allegations that Zillow approached Nitka in late 2022 to identify and recruit specialized technical support staff from new international markets where Zillow had not previously recruited. Nitka claims it was tasked with demonstrating the viability and cost-efficiency of sourcing talent from these markets.

Relying on Zillow’s repeated assurances that a definitive written agreement would be forthcoming, Nitka incurred substantial expenses and undertook significant operational efforts. These included deploying senior executives, specialized recruiters, and technical experts to oversee and execute the staffing process according to Zillow's high standards.

Nitka alleges that it adjusted its insurance coverage, redirected resources from other projects, and conducted extensive market

research to meet Zillow’s demands. Despite benefiting from Nitka’s services—including gaining insights into South American labor markets—Zillow abruptly put the project on indefinite hold after months of work by Nitka. This sudden halt caused substantial financial losses for Nitka, which missed business opportunities with other potential clients due to its commitment to Zillow, according to the lawsuit.

The plaintiff asserts claims for promissory estoppel, negligent misrepresentation, unjust enrichment, and quantum meruit.

According to the complaint, "Zillow accepted and benefited from Nitka’s services by gaining significant insight from Nitka’s market research and recruiting activities."

The complaint further states

that "Nitka’s efforts provided Zillow with invaluable knowledge about the talent landscape in these regions," which allowed Zillow to make more informed decisions about future staffing strategies.

Nitka is seeking compensatory damages amounting to at least $1,244,150 for direct expenses incurred during the staffing process. Additionally, they are seeking special damages estimated at $3 million for lost business opportunities in 2024 due to resource reallocation toward meeting Zillow's demands. The plaintiff also seeks restitution for unjust enrichment and compensation under quantum meruit principles for services rendered without payment.

Representing Nitka is Daniel Goldenberg of Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, LLP. The case has been assigned Case No.: 1:24-cv-5688.

Photo Credit: WFHS

Former NYC School Principal Sues Department of Education Over Racial Discrimination

BySouthShorePressStaff

A high-ranking education official is facing serious allegations of racial discrimination and retaliation in a federal lawsuit. On August 12, 2024, Heather Jansen filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York against the City of New York, the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), Chancellor David C. Banks, and Superintendent Marion Wilson.

Heather Jansen's lawsuit alleges that she faced racial discrimination and retaliation during her tenure as an Interim Acting Elementary School Principal at P.S. 46 in

Staten Island. According to the complaint, Jansen was subjected to a hostile work environment and unfair treatment due to her race and ethnicity. She claims that her superiors, including Superintendent Marion Wilson, pressured her to diversify the staff based on perceived racism among existing personnel. When Jansen attempted to address these concerns through formal complaints and grievances, she alleges that she faced unwarranted disciplinary actions, demotions, and pay cuts.

The lawsuit outlines several instances where Jansen believes she was targeted because of her race. For example, after being promoted to Principal in March 2022, an anonymous

email accused her of calling staff members "racist" during a meeting. This led to an investigation by the Office of Special Investigations (OSI), which ultimately found no wrongdoing on Jansen's part. Despite this, Jansen claims that Wilson continued to harass her by scheduling unannounced performance observations and issuing negative evaluations based on outdated or unfounded complaints.

Jansen also alleges that Chancellor David C. Banks implemented policies aimed at hiring only people of color for principal positions within the NYCDOE. She argues that these policies were discriminatory and contributed to her demotion from Principal back to Teacher. Furthermore, Jansen contends that Wilson attempted to cover up incidents involving other staff members' misconduct while targeting her for minor infractions.

The plaintiff seeks economic damages for lost wages and benefits, noneconomic damages for emotional distress and humiliation, punitive damages for malicious conduct by the defendants, and attorneys' fees. She also requests reinstatement to her former position as

Pharmaceutical Company

Sues Former Employee for Misappropriating Trade Secrets

BySouthShorePressStaff

A former employee of a major pharmaceutical company is accused of misappropriating trade secrets and breaching contractual obligations to unfairly compete against his previous employer.

Hercules Pharmaceuticals, Inc., filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York on August 14, 2024, against Brant Cherne, alleging multiple violations, including breaches of confidentiality and noncompete agreements.

According to the complaint, Brant Cherne resigned from Hercules Pharmaceuticals on August 1, 2024, and subsequently joined NDC Distributors, LLC, a direct competitor. The plaintiff claims that Cherne violated his contractual obligations by taking confidential business information and trade secrets to his new employer. Specifically, it is alleged that shortly before his resignation, Cherne emailed sensitive business data from his work email to a

private account with the intent to use this information at NDC Distributors.

Hercules Pharmaceuticals asserts that Cherne's actions constitute violations under the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) and New York common law. The complaint details how Cherne was exposed to critical aspects of Hercules' operations during his tenure as Director of Business Development. This included sales policies, marketing strategies, supplier pipelines, and proprietary methods for maximizing profit margins in a highly competitive market dominated by three major players: AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson.

The plaintiff alleges that the stolen information includes detailed pricing charts and usage data for specialty drugs like lenalidomide—a drug with significant regulatory requirements due to its potential risks. Hercules contends that this data is not publicly available and holds substantial

Principal or another equivalent role within the NYCDOE.

Representing Heather Jansen

value in maintaining their competitive edge. The company fears irreparable harm if this information is used by NDC Distributors.

In addition to seeking preliminary and permanent injunctive relief to prevent Cherne from using or disclosing any confidential information or working for NDC Distributors until August 1, 2025, Hercules Pharmaceuticals also seeks compensatory damages for lost profits and punitive damages for unfair competition. The company is asking the court to enforce noncompete clauses and other contractual obligations while also requesting forensic examination of Cherne’s personal devices to ensure no further misuse of confidential information.

The case is being handled by attorneys Laurent S. Drogin, Richard C. Schoenstein, and Brittany K. Lazzaro from Tarter Krinsky & Drogin LLP. The presiding judge has yet to be named in Case ID: 24-cv-5659.

are attorneys from Shegerian & Associates. Case ID 1:24-cv05638.

Save Our Safety-Net

Hospitals Act Introduced by SBU and Rep. LaLota

BySouthShorePressStaff

In close partnership with the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS), Stony Brook University’s Office for Federal Relations collaborated with Rep. Nick LaLota to introduce the Save Our Safety-Net Hospitals Act. This bipartisan legislation aims to prevent significant cuts to New York hospitals’ Medicaid payments.

“I am grateful to Rep. LaLota for introducing this critical piece of legislation to protect our nation’s safety-net hospitals providing quality care to the patients most in need,” said Carol Gomes, Stony Brook University Hospital CEO and COO. “If Sec. 203 is not amended, Stony Brook University Hospital will incur a $53M reduction in revenue this fiscal year and that reduction will continue to grow into the future. I am urging Congress to support and pass this essential amendment now.”

The proposed legislation addresses an unintended impact of a provision included in section 203 of the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which altered the definition of Medicaid shortfall in calculating the limit on Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments. The new section 203 limit excludes costs and payments for Medicaid patients dually eligible for commercial or Medicare coverage, counting only those for whom Medicaid is the primary payer or who are uninsured. As a result, DSH payments have

been reduced for hospitals like Stony Brook that incur significant uncompensated costs for lowincome dually eligible Medicare patients.

“New York’s safety-net hospitals, like Stony Brook University Hospital, are the backbone of our healthcare system, providing essential care to our most vulnerable communities. The potential $53 million cut in Medicaid funding threatens the very foundation of these institutions,” said LaLota. “My bipartisan Save Our SafetyNet Hospitals Act would prevent massive cuts to the nation’s most vulnerable hospitals without any cost to the taxpayer and ensure they can continue to deliver critical services. This is a bipartisan and common-sense fix to an issue directly impacting hospitals on Long Island and safeguards healthcare access for those who need it most, ensuring that no one is left behind due to bureaucratic oversights.”

The bill has garnered support from America’s Essential Hospitals, HANYS, the Suburban Hospital Alliance of NYS, the Alliance of Safety-Net Hospitals, Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council, and the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA).

Stony Brook University’s Office for Federal Relations will continue working with Rep. LaLota, its healthcare association partners, and other members of New York's congressional delegation to advocate for swift passage of the Save Our Safety-Net Hospitals Act.

Photo Credit: Stony Brook University

ByRobertChartuk

Kennedy Speech Endorsing Trump, a Turning Point in American History

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a scion of Democrat politics, suspended his campaign for president and threw his support behind Donald Trump. His speech explaining why he made such a monumental move sent shockwaves through the political establishment and will live on as a turning point in U.S. history. The South Shore Press recognizes its impact in the race for the White House and excerpts it here:

August 23, 2024–Phoenix, Arizona: Sixteen months ago, I launched my campaign for President of the United States. I began this journey as a Democrat, the party of my father and my uncle, the party which I pledged my own allegiance to long before I was old enough to vote.

I attended my first Democratic convention at the age of six in 1960. And back then, the Democrats were the champions of the Constitution and of civil rights. The Democrats stood against authoritarianism, against censorship, against colonialism, against imperialism, and against unjust wars. We were the party of labor, of the working class. The Democrats were the party of government transparency and the champion of the environment. Our party was the bulwark against big money interests and corporate power. True to its name, it was the party of democracy.

As you know, I left that party in October because it had departed so dramatically from the core values that I grew up with. It had become the party of war, censorship, corruption, big pharma, big tech, big AG, and big money.

When it abandoned democracy by canceling the primary to conceal the cognitive decline of the sitting president, I left the party to run as an Independent. In an honest system, the system that my father and uncle thrived in, I believe that I would have won the election. A system with open debates, with fair primaries and with a truly independent media untainted by government propaganda and censorship, and a system of nonpartisan courts and election boards, everything would be different.

In the name of saving democracy, a Democratic Party set itself to dismantle it. Lacking confidence that its candidate could win a fair election at the voting booth, the DNC waged continual legal warfare against both President Trump and myself. Each time that our volunteers turned in those towering boxes of the signatures needed to get on the ballot, the DNC dragged us into court, state after state, attempting to erase their work and to subvert the will of the voters who had signed those petitions. It deployed DNC-aligned judges to throw me and other candidates off the ballot and to throw President Trump in jail. It ran a sham primary that was rigged to prevent any serious challenge to President Biden.

Then, when a predictably awful debate performance precipitated a palace coup against President Biden, the same shadowy DNC operatives appointed his successor, also without an election. They installed a candidate who was so unpopular with voters that she dropped out in 2020 without winning a single delegate.

Instead of showing us her substance and character, the DNC and its media organs engineered a surge of popularity for Vice President Harris based on nothing. No policies, no interviews, no debates, only smoke and mirrors and balloons in a highly produced circus. How did the Democratic Party choose a candidate that has never done an interview or debate during the entire election cycle? We know the answers. It did it by weaponizing the government agencies. It did it, abandoning democracy. It did it by suing the opposition and by disenfranchising American voters.

What most alarms me isn’t how the Democratic Party conducts its internal affairs or runs its candidates. What alarms me is the resort to censorship, media control, and weaponization of the federal agencies. When a U.S. president colludes with, or outright coerces, media companies to censor political speech, it’s an attack on our most sacred right of free expression. And that’s the very right upon which all of our other constitutional rights rest.

The DNC prevented opponents from appearing on the ballot. And our television networks exposed themselves as Democratic Party organs. Over the course of more than a year in a campaign where my poll numbers reached at times in the high twenties, the DNCallied mainstream media networks maintained a near-perfect embargo on interviews with me. During the sixteen months since I declared, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, and CNN combined gave only two live interviews from me. Those networks instead, they ran a continuous deluge, hit pieces with inaccurate, often vile pejoratives and defamatory smears. Some of those same networks then colluded with the DNC to keep me off the debate stage.

The Democratic Party’s

100,000 Russian kids, all of whom we should be mourning, have died. And Ukraine’s infrastructure is destroyed. War has been a disaster for our country, as well. We have squandered nearly $200 billion already. And these are badly needed dollars in our suffering communities all over our country.

censorship of social media was even more of a naked exercise of executive power. A federal judge, Terry Doughty, upheld my injunction against President Biden, calling the White House’s censorship project: “The most egregious violation of the First Amendment in the history of the United States of America.” His 155-page decision details how, just 37 hours after he took the oath of office swearing to uphold the Constitution, President Biden and his White House opened up a portal, and invited the CIA, the FBI, CISA, which is a censorship agency, the center of the censorshipindustrial complex, DHS, the IRS and other agencies to censor me and other political dissidents on social media.

Three great causes drove me to enter this race in the first place: free speech, the war in Ukraine, and the war on our children. Ukraine is a victim in this war, and it is a victim of the West, both Russia and the West. We have squandered the flower of Ukrainian youth. As many as 600,000 Ukrainian kids and over

President Trump telephoned me, and in a series of long, intense discussions, I was surprised to discover that we are aligned on many key issues. And in those meetings, he suggested that we join forces as a unity party. We are aligned with each other on other key issues as well, such as ending forever wars, ending the childhood disease epidemics, securing the border, protecting freedom of speech, unraveling the corporate capture of our regulatory agencies, and getting the U.S. intelligence agencies out of the business of propagandizing and censoring and surveilling Americans and interfering with our elections. I am convinced that it is the best hope for ending the Ukraine war, for ending the chronic disease epidemic that is eroding our nation’s vitality from the inside, and for finally protecting free speech. I feel a moral obligation to use this opportunity to save millions of American children, above all things.

Considering the grievous human cause of the tragic epidemic of chronic disease, it seems almost crass to mention the damage it does to our economy. But I’ll say: It is crippling the nation’s finances. When my uncle was president, our country spent $0 on chronic disease. Today, government healthcare spending is almost all for chronic disease, and it’s double the

military budget, and it is the fastest growing budget item in the federal budget. Chronic disease costs more to the economy as a whole, at least 4 trillion dollars, five times our military budget. And that’s a 20% drag on everything we do and aspire to. Poor and minority communities suffer disproportionately. People worry about DEI or about bigotry of any kind. This dwarfs anything. We are poisoning the poor; we are systematically poisoning minorities across this country.

Vice President Harris has expressed no interest in addressing this issue. Four more years of Democratic rule will complete the consolidation of corporate and Neocon power, and our children will be the ones who suffer the most. If I’m given the chance to fix the chronic disease crisis and reform our food production, I promise that within two years, we will watch the chronic disease burden lift dramatically. We will make Americans healthy again. Within four years, America will be a healthy country. We will be stronger, more resilient, more optimistic and happier. I won’t fail in doing this.

After eight years of a President Harris, any opportunity for me to fix the problem will be out of my reach forever. President Trump has told me that he wants this to be his legacy. I’m choosing to believe that this time, he will follow through. His son, his biggest donors, and his closest friends all support this objective. My joining the Trump campaign will be a difficult sacrifice for my wife and children but worthwhile if there’s even a small chance of saving these kids.

NYS Chaplain Task Force and Represent Church Donate Backpacks to Students

BySouthShorePressStaff

The New York State Chaplain Task Force, in coordination with Represent Church, donated approximately 100 backpacks filled with supplies to students at the William Floyd Learning Center. Leaders from both organizations met recently to make the donation aimed at assisting students and their families as they start the school year.

The New York State Chaplain Task Force is a 501(c)(3) notfor-profit organization that trains and maintains volunteer interfaith community crisis chaplains. These chaplains support individuals and cooperate with various agencies during both peaceful times and crises. The organization has over 6,000 members representing 11 major

Photo Credit: Facebook

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Left, and Donald Trump

Photo Credit: WFHS

ByRobertChartuk

Another Prominent Democrat Jumps Ship to Endorse Trump

In another defection by a prominent Democrat, former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has endorsed Donald Trump for president in his bid to retake the White House. The former presidential candidate and Iraq War veteran cited her belief in Trump’s ability to “end the wars” and his common-sense approach to government as key reasons for her endorsement.

Representing Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District from 2013 to 2021, Gabbard is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army National Guard, having deployed twice to the Middle East. She also served as vice chair of the Democrat National Committee (DNC).

“Donald Trump is the only candidate who has shown the courage to stand up to the powerful elite and the war machine that has driven our country into endless conflicts,” Gabbard stated in her endorsement speech. “He has consistently fought for a foreign policy that prioritizes peace and diplomacy over war.”

Gabbard’s endorsement comes after a tumultuous relationship

with the Democratic Party. During her 2020 presidential run, she faced severe backlash from party leaders and was marginalized in debates and media coverage. She famously clashed with then-candidate Kamala Harris, challenging her record as California’s Attorney General, which Gabbard argued was inconsistent with the values of the Democrat Party. In one memorable debate moment, Gabbard accused Harris of keeping people in prison beyond their sentences to use them as cheap labor.

Harris dropped out of the presidential race without winning a single delegate and, after calling the eventual winner, Joe Biden, a “racist,” was chosen as his vice president. She denied Biden’s declining mental health issues right up to the moment party bosses forced him out of the race and anointed her to take on Trump.

Gabbard lambasted the DNC for what she said was a rigged primary process and subsequent personal attacks, including a charge by former First Lady Hillary Clinton that

she is a Russian asset. The Biden administration put her on the Suspected Terrorist watch list.

“The DNC and their corporate media allies tried to shut me out of the debates, silence my voice, and erase me from this election,” she said. “Trump is not perfect, but he’s the best option we have to restore the Constitution and protect our freedoms,” Gabbard said.

With her military service, experience in Congress, and willingness to push back against the establishment, Gabbard’s endorsement of Trump is seen as a significant boost. “He’s willing to take on the establishment, and that’s exactly what we need right now,” she said as she joins Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., another former Democrat stalwart, in throwing her weight behind Trump.

Since exiting her party to become an Independent, Gabbard has stood up for religious freedom and railed against censorship and what she sees as the dangers of the “woke culture.” She encourages Americans to “stand together to reject the anti-freedom culture of political

Residents Share 9/11 Memories

ByRobertChartuk

It's been 23 years since the dreadful 9/11 attacks and

I was on the B Train crossing the Manhattan Bridge when the conductor said the last stop would be Canal Street. We didn’t know what was going on. Everyone got out, and l walked over the 59th Street Bridge. It took me nine hours to get home to Bensonhurst by walking and hitchhiking. Financial documents were raining down all over Brooklyn. I still have some of them from Windows on the World and insurance companies.”

Justin Betz, Mastic Beach

I was on Woodhaven Boulevard in Queens when l heard about it over the radio on Z100. I pulled over and could see the smoke. I watched in disbelief as both towers went down. I flew home since the traffic wasn’t that bad. It was worse going into the city.”

Rich Goslin, Shirley

retaliation and abuse of power. We can't allow our country to be destroyed by politicians who will put their own power ahead of the interests of the American people, our freedom, and our future.

Trump, who Gabbard is accompanying at campaign events, welcomed her support, calling her “a true patriot who has always put America first.”

"We know how important it is to have a commander in chief who values every single one of our lives and who has the strength and the courage to exercise all means of diplomacy,

meeting with dictators, allies, adversaries, partners in the pursuit of peace, recognizing that war is always and should always be a last resort," Gabbard says in her stump speeches for Trump.

"I endorsed President Trump because he has those qualities, and he's proven that he is that commander in chief,” Gabbard says. “Kamala Harris has proven she is not. We are closer to the brink of nuclear war now than ever before, closer to World War III because of Harris and Biden and their policies. Kamala Harris is completely unfit to serve as our commander in chief.”

I was making a delivery, and a TV in the house was showing it. I couldn’t believe what was happening; it didn’t seem real. When we realized what was going on, it was devastating. The company put together donations of food, clothes, dog food, and l drove them into the city to the Red Cross.”

Harry Doughty, Central Islip

I was a school principal in the city at the time and was told about it by an assistant principal. We were numb, the same as everyone else. I remember looking down the street where the towers used to be, and I saw an open skyline. At that moment, it became real.

Frank Fugarino, Mastic Beach

I was at work, and we heard it on the radio. They sent everybody home. We were in shock. After the attacks, my husband, Tom Niehoff, went to work building 9-11 monuments.” Denise Coppola, Mastic Beach

I was working at Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, and we went into lockdown. No one told us anything; we were horrified. Finally, they let us go home, and my daughter was already there with some friends from school. Their mother and aunt worked in the city, and we didn’t know what happened to them. Thankfully, they were okay. It was very scary. The company shipped medicine to the city in school buses and fire trucks. It was dreadful, especially after we found out what really happened.”

Kathy Walsh, Mastic

Photo Credit: Facebook

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (L) alongside former US Representative Tulsi Gabbard

people still have vivid memories of that fateful day. They shared some of them with the Man on the Street.

Former Employee Alleges FedEx Fostered Hostile Work Environment Due to Gender and Sexual Orientation

BySouthShorePressStaff

In a striking case of alleged workplace discrimination, a former employee has taken legal action against a major multinational corporation.

On August 13, 2024, Briana Gonzalez filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York against Federal Express Corporation (FedEx), Carmine Alessandro, Trishal Persaud, and Timothy Johnson.

According to the complaint, Gonzalez accuses FedEx and its employees of pervasive sexual harassment, gender and sexual orientation discrimination, creating a hostile work environment, and retaliation.

The lawsuit claims that from January 2023 onwards, Gonzalez was subjected to lewd jokes, inappropriate comments about

her sexual orientation as a lesbian woman, and even physical assault by her colleagues. "Defendant Alessandro would constantly inappropriately flirt with Plaintiff Gonzalez," the complaint states. Additionally, it alleges that when Gonzalez reported these incidents to FedEx's Human Resources department and supervisors, her complaints were dismissed or ignored.

Gonzalez’s ordeal reportedly began in February 2023 when she started experiencing harassment from her direct supervisor Alessandro and other male coworkers like Persaud. The harassment included derogatory comments, such as being called a "dyke," inappropriate gestures, and physical assaults by Persaud. Despite reporting these incidents multiple times to HR and supervisors like Johnson, no effective action was taken.

Instead, Gonzalez faced retaliation including being excluded from departmental raises awarded to all other employees in October 2023.

The lawsuit outlines numerous instances where Alessandro allegedly made sexually explicit remarks and engaged in unwanted physical contact. For example, he is accused of groping Gonzalez’s

breast under the pretense of retrieving an item from her shirt pocket. When Gonzalez attempted to defend herself verbally against Persaud's physical aggression in May 2023, she was suspended for three weeks while Persaud faced no disciplinary action.

Gonzalez is seeking declaratory

Samsung Accused of Selling Fire-Prone Ranges

BySouthShorePressStaff

A class action lawsuit has been filed against a major electronics manufacturer alleging that their products pose serious safety risks to consumers.

On August 14, 2024, Matthew Unger filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York against Samsung Electronics America, Inc., accusing the company of manufacturing and selling defective ranges.

The lawsuit claims that certain models of Samsung ranges have front-mounted heat control knobs that can be accidentally activated by humans or pets, posing a significant fire hazard. Unger purchased one of these models in April 2017 from P.C. Richard & Son in Oceanside, New York. He was unaware of any defects until he learned about them through social media.

According to the complaint, Samsung recalled over 1.1 million units on August 8, 2024, after receiving more than 300 reports

of accidental activation, which led to at least 250 fires and substantial property damage. The recall also cited approximately 40 injuries and seven pet deaths due to fires caused by these defective ranges.

Unger’s legal team argues that Samsung breached its duties and warranties by failing to disclose the defect and continuing to sell the faulty products. The plaintiff seeks relief for himself and all similarly situated individuals who purchased any of the affected range models between May 2013 and August 2024. The lawsuit accuses Samsung of violating multiple laws, including breach of express warranty, unjust enrichment, deceptive acts or practices under New York General Business Law §349, and false advertising under New York General Business Law §350.

The plaintiffs are seeking various forms of relief from the court: certification of the class action, damages for financial losses incurred due to purchasing defective products, pre- and postjudgment interest on awarded

amounts, costs including reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs, other litigation expenses, and any additional relief deemed just and proper by the court.

relief that acknowledges the unlawful practices she endured under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL), and the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL). She also seeks compensatory damages for emotional distress, punitive damages for malicious conduct by FedEx employees, prejudgment and post-judgment interest on any monetary awards granted by the court, as well as coverage for legal costs including attorney fees.

Represented by Kayla S. Callahan from Akin & Salaman, PLLC, Gonzalez demands justice not only for herself but also aims to highlight systemic issues within corporate environments regarding gender and sexual orientation discrimination. Case ID: 1:24-cv-05655.

Representing Matthew Unger are attorneys Philip J. Furia and Jason P. Sultzer from Sultzer & Lipari PLLC based in Poughkeepsie, New York; Paul J. Doolittle and Seth Little from Poulin Willey Anastopoulo LLC based in Charleston, South Carolina, will also join as counsel pro hac vice. Case ID: 1:24-cv05689.

Technology Services Company Faces Class Action Lawsuit Following Major Data Breach

BySouthShorePressStaff

A recent court filing has brought to light a significant data breach that has left thousands of individuals at risk of identity theft and financial losses. On August 15, 2024, Frederick Conaway filed a class action complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York against CSC ServiceWorks, Inc., alleging gross negligence in safeguarding personal information.

The complaint details how CSC ServiceWorks, a company providing technology platforms for laundry services, tire inflation services, and vacuum services across the country, failed to protect sensitive personal information from cybercriminals. The breach was detected on February 4, 2024, but forensic investigations revealed that unauthorized access had been occurring since September 23, 2023. The compromised data includes names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, contact information, driver’s license numbers, financial account information, health insurance information, and medical information of approximately 35,340 individuals.

Conaway accuses CSC ServiceWorks of failing to implement adequate security measures despite being aware of the risks associated with storing such sensitive data.

"Defendant breached this duty and betrayed the trust of Plaintiff and Class members by failing to properly safeguard and protect their personal information," the complaint said. The plaintiff further alleges that the company's delay in notifying affected individuals exacerbated the harm caused by the breach.

The lawsuit seeks actual damages and restitution for those affected by the breach.

Additionally, it calls for declaratory and injunctive relief to compel CSC ServiceWorks to improve its data security systems significantly. This includes annual audits funded by the defendant and longterm credit monitoring services for victims.

Representing Conaway are attorneys Vicki J. Maniatis from Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC in Garden City, New York; David K. Lietz from Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC in Washington D.C.; and A. Brooke Murphy from Murphy Law Firm in Oklahoma City. The case is identified as Case No.: 1:24-cv-05719.

Photo Credit: Michael Vi | Dreamstime.com

Photo

ByRobertEmproto

Documentary Highlights Burton Rocks' Journey from Adversity to Award-Winning Filmmaker

Burton Rocks ’94, who faced severe childhood asthma and spent much of his school years in hospitals, has produced an awardwinning documentary almost 40 years later. The 30-minute film, "Burton Rocks Calling," features interviews with sports legends, such as Charles Barkley and Nolan Ryan, Hollywood figures like Buddy Hackett and Mickey Rooney, and rare conversations with Negro League legends Buck Leonard and Buck O’Neil.

The project began in 1985 when a bored 13-year-old Rocks, confined to a hospital bed, decided to contact some of his sports heroes. “There wasn’t much to do at the hospital so I figured I’d call former Dodgers player Duke Snider,” he said. Despite the lack of internet or social media at the time, Rocks

managed to track down Snider's home phone number and spoke with him.

Encouraged by this success, Rocks continued reaching out to other notable figures over the next 22 years. His last interview was with actor Mickey Rooney in 2007. Years later, after a flood destroyed much of his childhood home’s contents, Rocks discovered that his mother had saved his recordings. “When I asked her why she saved them, she said ‘one day they’re going to be valuable,’” said Rocks.

Inspired by his mother's words and encouragement from his cousin David Dortort, a Hollywood screenwriter and producer of "Bonanza," Rocks decided to move forward with the project. He funded it himself with help from his parents and hired family friend Bob

Holtzman as producer.

"Burton Rocks Calling" has since won awards at WorldFest Houston, Oniros Film Awards, International Filmmaker Festival of New York, and the Toronto Documentary Feature and Short Film Festival. Reflecting on the process that led to these interviews, Rocks remarked that it is something that could not be replicated today due to changes in how athletes interact with fans.

Rocks hopes his documentary will inspire a new generation’s interest in journalism. “I would like to see Major League Baseball and the players association work together and have a kid’s journalism day where they can meet and talk to their heroes,” he said.

Extending his outreach efforts further, Rocks and his father

Lawrence created a YouTube channel called "Larry’s Big Adventures" featuring animated cartoons based on Lawrence's scientific work. “They’re science cartoons all based on my father’s patents and life work,” said Rocks.

Reflecting on his own journey through Stony Brook University Honors College as a chemistry major before switching paths due to health issues triggered by lab work chemicals, like formaldehyde, Rocks expressed gratitude for the opportunities that led him into journalism.

New Yorker Sues Florida-Based Corporation Over Staircase Fall Leading to Severe Injuries

BySouthShorePressStaff

A New York resident has filed a lawsuit against a Florida-based corporation, alleging negligence in maintaining a public staircase that led to severe injuries. The complaint was filed by Zbigniew Mroz in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York on August 16, 2024, against Regency Centers Corporation.

According to the complaint, on February 16, 2022, Zbigniew Mroz was walking down an outdoor staircase at The Gallery at Westbury Plaza located at 900 Old County Road, Garden City, New York. The premises are owned and managed by Regency Centers Corporation. Mroz claims that due to the negligent maintenance of the staircase by Regency Centers Corporation, he slipped and fell, resulting in serious and permanent personal injuries. The plaintiff alleges that the defendant had a duty

to maintain the staircase in a reasonably safe condition but failed to do so.

The complaint states that Regency Centers Corporation was aware or should have been aware of the hazardous condition of the staircase. Despite this knowledge, they allegedly did not take appropriate measures to rectify the situation or warn the public about the potential danger.

Mroz's attorneys argue that as a result of this negligence, their client has suffered severe physical and emotional distress. They claim that Mroz has incurred significant medical expenses and will continue to do so in the future. Furthermore, they assert that his injuries have caused him substantial pain and suffering which is both physical and emotional.

In terms of relief sought from the court, Mroz is requesting

damages amounting to $2 million for past and future medical expenses as well as compensation for his pain and suffering. Additionally, he seeks

coverage for all costs associated with bringing this action forward.

Representing Zbigniew

Mroz is Matthew Haicken from Haicken Law PLLC based in New York City. The case has been assigned Civil Action No. 1:24-cv-05746.

Colvin Center Hosts Visiting Scholars from Indonesia West Bank

BySouthShorePressStaff

For the third year in a row, the Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting at the School of Communication and Journalism (SoCJ) will host two visiting fellows. The visitors are part of an international program designed to strengthen fellows’ media, communications, and leadership skills in their home countries.

Eman Buirat is a lawyer and also works as a project coordinator for the “Young Reporters Fostering Youth Community Development” project at Wattan Media Network, an independent and professional organization. She has various responsibilities within this project, including coordinating workshops and training sessions, and assisting the production team with content, communication, and other tasks. Buirat lives in Ramallah in the West Bank, Palestinian Territories.

Dinar Dina Karamani is a communication lecturer at ARS University and also

serves as a media advisor for local media platforms at @ inforck. She is a member of the Association of Higher Education in Communication Studies (ASPIKOM Jawa Barat) and comes to Stony Brook from Bandung, Indonesia. At Stony Brook, Karamani plans to expand her knowledge of political communication, media literacy, and community engagement.

“The Colvin Center is delighted to host Eman and Dinar for the coming semester,” said Sarah Baxter, director of the center and a visiting professor of international journalism. “We work to support international journalists and media professionals, and to give our undergraduate and graduate students a chance to learn from and about the challenges of working in media at home and abroad.”

The two media professionals will be at Stony Brook until Thanksgiving when they will return to their homes.

Buirat and Karamani come to Stony Brook through the IREX

Community Solutions Program, an international fellowship program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. government, supported in its implementation by IREX.

The Community Solutions Program aids human development by empowering youth, cultivating leaders, strengthening institutions, and extending access to quality education and information. It facilitates intercultural exchanges to foster more inclusive societies.

“Communication and exchanges like these can help people find common ground, mutual understanding and collaborative solutions across cultures,” said Laura Lindenfeld, dean of SoCJ. “It’s an honor to host Eman and Dinar for the coming months.”

Previously, the Colvin Center hosted visitors from Nepal, Ukraine, Moldova. Following these visits SoCJ students were able to visit Moldova most recently Nepal.

Photo Credit: Stony Brook University

Photo Credit: texasspinemd.com

Burton Rocks

HISTORY LESSONS

BY RICHARD ACRITELLI

Americans have currently watched a changing political contest by the emergence of Vice President Kamala Harris replacing President Biden to represent the Democratic Party. Although both political parties held their conventions, the Republicans and Democrats criticized each other, and there is an expected debate that will continue to argue the direction of these party leaders. During our history, there are candidates who ran for the presidency with contrasting views, attributes, and age.

Ladies and gentlemen, when Abraham Lincoln was nominated in 1860, and a committee brought the news to him at his home in Springfield, Illinois, his reply was two sentences long. Then, while his friends and neighbors waited in the street, and while bonfires lit up the May evening, he said simply, "And now I will not longer defer the pleasure of taking you, and each of you, by the hand."

I wish I could do the same— speak two sentences, and then take each one of you by the hand, all of you who are in sound of my voice. If I could do so, I would first thank you individually for your confidence and your trust. Then, as I am sure Lincoln did as he moved among his friends in the light of the bonfires, we could pause and talk a while about the questions that are uppermost in your mind.

I am sure that one topic would dominate all the rest. That topic is:

the future.”

-President Dwight D. Eisenhower

These were the words of Eisenhower, as he addressed the 1956 Republican Convention to win another presidential term. After suffering from a heart attack and being cleared by his doctor, Eisenhower ran again under the slogan" ‘We Like Ike.” Under his guidance, the country greatly prospered, families and homes grew across this nation, along with the road system that was widely developed to connect the suburbs and the urban areas. Eisenhower dealt with the Suez Crisis that led to strains with our British and French allies, as he tried to prevent the expansion of Soviet power in the Middle East. While he supported the Hungarian revolt against the Soviet Union, he militarily refused to send aid, over the fears of war against this Super Power. America saw the creation of NASA and the greater establishment of rockets and space technology that slowly but were successfully developed.

Eisenhower enforced the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling when he sent federal troops to desegregate schools and to safeguard the passage of black students. Fully armed soldiers supported the students as Eisenhower was on the phone with the army commander to enforce this Supreme Court ruling. It would have been amazing to see Eisenhower engage President Abraham Lincoln as two of the

VETERANS WAY

BY REV. FREDERICK MILLER, PH.D.

The relationship between dogs and people is deep and old. Dogs and people began living together over 15,000 years ago. The connection was natural because both people and dogs are social beings, and both benefit mentally (and often physically) from strong social bonds. Since dogs have been domesticated to a point where they need us to survive, and we tend to find that we need them almost as much, people and dogs developed a symbiotic relationship. Most dog owners will tell you that their dog is a family member. And having a faithful dog at home gives us a listening ear, a warm paw to hold and even strong legs to run beside. In fact, the phrase “man’s best friend” originated in the American Supreme Court in 1870 when lawyer George

Graham Vest defended a man who deeply loved his coonhound named Old Drum. Vest argued that when a neighbor killed Old Drum for trespassing, the neighbor took the life of more than just a pet-he killed an important family member.

As companions, the health benefits of living with a dog have been well-documented in many scientific studies. As reported in a recent Time Magazine article, the health benefits of living with a dog include:

* Links to a longer life

* Lower risk of cardiovascular disease

* Reduce the adverse health effects of living alone

* Can decrease allergies and asthma in children

* Increase opportunities for

Contrasting views of Presidential Conventions

major Republican leaders in our history who handled major military and domestic affairs. Eisenhower with his trademark “grin” and the “storytelling” ability of Lincoln to utilize a folksy brilliance to explain his goals and presidential direction. After retiring from public office, this historic men became an unofficial military security advisor to next several leaders until his death on March 28th, 1969.

“I am telling you what you are entitled to know: As I come before you seeking your support for the most powerful office in the free world -- I am saying to you that my decisions on every public policy will be my own, as an American, as a Democrat, and as a free man.

I mention all of this only because this country faces so many serious challenges, so many great opportunities, so many burdensome responsibilities that I hope that it is to those great matters that we can address ourselves in the coming months. And if this statement of mine makes it easier to concentrate on our Nation's problems, then I'm glad that I have made it.” – Senator John F. Kennedy

Offering a different political perspective for the United States as it entered the 1960s were the words of JFK to accept his Democratic bid to become President in 1960. Growing up with immense wealth, education, and opportunities from his family fortune, JFK believed that America entered a new age,

and it needed a better direction.

While Eisenhower was viewed as a “grandfatherly” figure who was a trusted leader during World War II and the Cold War, JFK presented a changing generation of citizens. JFK was considered “American royalty,” but many Americans liked the “youth movement” of this popular figure, while others were alarmed over his lack of experience and even his Catholic faith.

JFK was a talented writer, historian, and debate speaker who outperformed his opponent Vice President Richard M. Nixon on television. He shared some similarities with American citizens from his World War II moments as a combat officer in the Pacific/Asia by being decorated for his leadership

on PT-109. During the “Baby Boom” population growth, younger parents liked to see JFK and his family in the White House. This junior senator was elected to several terms as a representative after World War II, was firmly opposed to the spread of communism and he promoted greater legislation that eventually led to the Civil Rights Acts of 1964-1965. As Eisenhower was significantly older than JFK, on a cold winter day in January, political adversaries were together to support the peaceful transfer of power. Both men later met at Camp David after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba, as JFK could be seen looking like the student from the direction that was presented to him by an iconic older teacher in Eisenhower.

How a Dog Can Help You Live Longer

heath-beneficial socialization

The health benefits aren’t just in the mind. Preliminary research published in "Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes" suggests that pet ownership boosts heart health, especially if that pet is a dog. Better heart health means a better chance to a longer life. Research found that dog owners who survived a heart attack were at a 33% reduced risk of an early death compared to nondog survivors.

Dogs resemble their owners in more ways than floppy jowls or perky gait. Dogs mirror their owners’ personalities, and owners can use this information to better understand themselves.

Dogs can be a great help to veterans suffering from PTSD, Moral Injury, or other similar

problems. You can have the dog sit next to you and tell him/ her all about your problems while being assured that he was listening with interest but will never tell anyone else. The interest is that just listening to you is a great help. Today many

dogs are trained to be guide dogs that are there for the disabled veteran or civilian and are great at that job too. There is no question about the dog being man’s best friend, and that works even stronger if man is the dog’s best friend.

BY NANCY BURNER, ESQ.

Yes, your friend is correct. With so many other things to worry about during this stage, it may be overwhelming to begin to consider the legal implications of your child reaching “adulthood.” Yes, that’s right, in New York State the age of legal majority is eighteen, which is accompanied by a legal emancipation from your parents. Simply stated, once your child turns eighteen, they are legally capable of making their own decisions, which include major financial and medical decisions. Although many eighteen-year-old children still rely strongly on their parents for help with big decision-making, legally, parents are no longer able to access certain information without appropriate legal documentation. While this may seem like your long-awaited initiation into the freedom of adulthood, the reality is that situations may arise where a parent or other family member’s input is crucial.

Students are especially prone to getting sick or injured and, combined with living on their own, make it necessary to put certain legal directives in place. The three documents every college student needs are a health care proxy, HIPAA release form, and durable power of attorney.

A health care proxy allows you to appoint an agent to make medical decisions for you if you cannot do so for yourself. You can only name one agent but can nominate alternate agents in case your primary agent is unable or unwilling to act. The HIPAA release form further authorizes your agent to obtain your medical information. Without these documents, your parent (or whomever you designate to make such medical decisions) is going to face resistance when it comes to inquiring about the status of your health or providing care instructions to your doctor.

The power of attorney names an agent to make financial decisions

Estate Planning for College Students

on your behalf. The power of attorney does not strip you of your financial powers but rather duplicates them so that your agent can act in your stead if you are incapacitated or otherwise unable to act. A power of attorney can be beneficial if you need someone to pay a bill, apply for financial aid, or

you may want to designate beneficiaries in a last will and testaments or trust. A “living will” documents end-of-life decisions, such as whether you want to be kept alive by artificial means if you have an incurable disease or are in a persistent vegetative state.

Although these are questions that you will hopefully not face for decades, planning for your future is an important way of taking control of your life. Any new graduate—or eighteen-year old for that matter— should make time to seek the advice of an Estate Planning attorney to discuss what documents should be in place as you enter the world of adulthood.

hire a professional on your behalf, such as an accountant or lawyer.

Beyond the aforementioned documents, you may also consider a last will and testament and a living will. Although they sound similar, they are very different documents. Depending on the extent of your assets, either saved or inherited,

Nancy Burner, Esq. is the Founding Partner at Burner Law Group, P.C. focusing her practice areas on Estate Planning and Elder Law. Burner Prudenti Law, P.C. 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: Piotr Adamowicz | Dreamstime.com

LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF SUFFOLK

TOWD POINT

MORTGAGE TRUST 20194, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE, Plaintiff AGAINST BRUCE R. CADOVIUS, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered May 30, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on September 17, 2024 at 10:30AM, premises known as 10 Gillette Avenue, Patchogue, NY 11772. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Patchogue, Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York, District 0204 Section 005.00 Block 01.00 Lot 029.000. Approximate amount of judgment $465,912.55 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #614001/2023. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the District and SUFFOLK County Auction Plan in effect at this time.

Annette Eaderesto, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 22001326 81779

L15994 - 8/14/2024, 8/21/2024, 8/28/2024 & 9/4/2024

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF SUFFOLKBROOKHAVEN.

NEWREZ LLC

D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING, Plaintiff -against- JAY DEVERS A/K/A JAY D. DEVERS, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated June 14, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY on September 12, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in Blue Point, Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State

of New York, known and designated as District 0200

Section 979.20 Block 03.00 Lot 001.000.

*Referee does not accept cash only bank checks or certified checks payable to Michael T. Clancy as referee*.

Said premises known as 52 EATONDALE AVENUE, BLUE POINT, NY 11715

Approximate amount of lien $190,249.69 plus interest & costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 607584/2023.

MICHAEL T. CLANCY, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590

For sale information, please visit www.Auction.com or call (800) 280 2832. DLG# 39220

{*SOUTH SHO4*}

L15996 - 8/14/2024, 8/21/2024, 8/28/2024 & 9/4/2024

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR THE RMAC TRUST, SERIES 2016-CTT, Plaintiff, vs. THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR OF SUFFOLK COUNTY AS LIMITED ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF MARIE FERLAND A/K/A MARIA J. FERLAND, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee’s Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on June 3, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on September 12, 2024 at 12:30 p.m., premises known as 10 Windsor Place, Shirley, NY 11967. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at St. George Manor near Mastic in the Town of Brookhaven, County of

Suffolk and State of New York, District 0200, Section 879.00, Block 01.00 and Lot 029.003. Approximate amount of judgment is $629,439.14 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #017774/2013. Referee does not accept cash, only bank or certified checks made payable to Michael Clancy, Esq., as referee. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.

Michael Clancy, Esq., Referee

Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, New York 10591, Attorneys for Plaintiff

L15997 - 8/14/2024, 8/21/2024, 8/28/2024 & 9/4/2024

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Mark Baisch, Managing Member, Marbai Profit Sharing Plan Trust, 122 Prince Road, Rocky Point, NY 11778, has made application to the Brookhaven Town Board acting as the Planning Board for approval of a site plan for proposed construction of 74 senior apartments with recreational facilities, office/garage building and associated site improvements, involving variance(s). This proposal is known as Oak Run, located at N/E/C Middle Country Road (NYS Route 25) and Birchwood Park Drive, N/S Middle Country Road, approx. 2300’ W/O Middle Island Road, Middle Island, Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York and described as follows:

NORTH: Now or Formerly BIRCHWOOD AT SPRING

LAKE HOME OWNERS

ASSOC INC; Eric Drive; Spring Lake Drive;

WEST: Now or Formerly BIRCHWOOD AT SPRING

LAKE HOME OWNERS

ASSOC INC; Birchwood Park Drive;

SOUTH: Now or Formerly SRVG REALTY LLC; Middle Country Road (NYS Route 25);

EAST: Now or Formerly

601 MIDDLE COUNTRY ROAD REALTY GROUP INC; HSN BROADCASTING OF NJ INC %TELEFUTURA 500 FRANK BURR; Spring Lake Drive.

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 29, 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 25, 2024

Daniel J. Panico, Supervisor

L16000 - 8/14/2024, 8/21/2024, 8/28/2024 & 9/4/2024

NOTICE OF SALE

Supreme Court County of Suffolk

U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee for Banc of America Funding Corporation 2007-3, Plaintiff AGAINST

Michael Devito, Stacey Devito, et al, Defendant

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated July 15, 2019 and entered on August 5, 2019, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY on September 24, 2024 at 9:30 AM premises known as 461 Avondale Drive, Shirley, NY 11967-1201. 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: 616.00, BLOCK: 04.00, LOT: 007.000, Dist 0200. Approximate amount of judgment is $518,916.58 plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 063052/2013.

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

Allan B. Mendelsohn, Referee FRENKEL LAMBERT WEISS WEISMAN & GORDON LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706

L16010 - 8/21/2024, 8/28/2024, 9/4/2024 & 9/11/2024

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT SUFFOLK COUNTY HUDSON CITY SAVINGS BANK, Plaintiff against ABRAHAM L. TURPIN A/K/A ABRAHAM TURPIN, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, NY 10591. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered December 20, 2019, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on September 30, 2024 at 9:30 AM. Premises known as 105 Carlton Drive East, Shirley, New York 11967. District 0200 Sec 615.00 Block 02.00 Lot

013.000. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $494,834.06 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 609334/2015. Cash will not be accepted at the sale. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance

with 10th Judicial District's Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing.

Pamela J. Greene, Esq., Referee File # 2154-000927

L16015 - 8/28/2024, 9/4/2024, 9/11/2024 & 9/18/2024

INDEX NO. 609288/2024

Plaintiff designates SUFFOLK as the place of trial situs of the real property

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

Mortgaged Premises: 910 SKYLINE DRIVE, CORAM, NY 11727

District: 0200, Section: 522.30, Block: 01.00, Lot: 910.000

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK

FEDERAL HOME LOAN MORTGAGE CORPORATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE FREDDIE MAC SEASONED CREDIT RISK TRANSFER TRUST, SERIES 2022-1, Plaintiff, vs.

JEFFREY ALBRECHT A/K/A JEFFREY M. ALBRECHT, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands,

LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES

widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; BOARD OF MANAGERS OF BRETTON WOODS CONDOMINIUM

VIII; UNIFUND CCR LLC; CLERK OF THE SUFFOLK COUNTY TRAFFIC & PARKING VIOLATIONS

AGENCY; PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; JENNA NAB,

"JOHN DOE #2" through "JOHN DOE #12," the last eleven names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint,

Defendants.

To the above named Defendants

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is

made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you.

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT

THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $156,000.00 and interest, recorded on September 26, 2013, in Liber M00022400 at Page 199, of the Public Records of SUFFOLK County, New York., covering premises known as 910 SKYLINE DRIVE, CORAM, NY 11727. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.

SUFFOLK County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county.

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME

If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action.

YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.

Dated: August 14th, 2024

ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC

Attorney for Plaintiff Matthew Rothstein, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675

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SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF ABFC 2007WMC1 TRUST ASSET BACKED FUNDING CORPORATION ASSET BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-WMC1, -against-

RENEE SCHIEFERSTEIN

A/K/A RENEE

CARRICK AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ELEANOR A. SCHIEFERSTEIN, ET AL.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure

entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Suffolk on September 27, 2023, wherein U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF ABFC 2007WMC1 TRUST ASSET BACKED FUNDING CORPORATION ASSET BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-WMC1 is the Plaintiff and RENEE SCHIEFERSTEIN A/K/A RENEE CARRICK AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ELEANOR A. SCHIEFERSTEIN, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the BROOKHAVEN TOWN HALL, 1 INDEPENDENCE HILL, FARMINGVILLE, NY 11738, on October 4, 2024 at 12:00PM, premises known as 59 BROADWAY, SHIRLEY, NY 11967; and the following tax map identification: 0200-907.0007.00-002.000.

ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, AND STATE OF NEW YORK

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 617683/2016. Giuseppe T. Rosini, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

L16020-9/4/2024,9/11/2024, 9/18/2024&9/25/2024

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF SUFFOLK

DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR AMERICAN HOME MORTGAGE ASSETS TRUST 2007-2, MORTGAGE-BACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007-2, Plaintiff, AGAINST ORLANDO PEREZ, et al. Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale duly 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 October 2, 2024 at 12:00 PM premises known as 30 Beacon Street, Shirley, NY 11967.

Please take notice that this foreclosure auction shall be conducted in compliance with the Foreclosure Auction Rules for Suffolk County and the COVID 19 Health Emergency Rules, including proper use of masks and social distancing.

All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Shirley in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York. District 0200 Section 967.00, Block 05.00 and Lot 022.000.

Approximate amount of judgment $370,001.79 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment. Index #619107/2017.

Brooke J. Breen, Esq., Referee, Aldridge Pite, LLPAttorneys for Plaintiff - 40 Marcus Drive, Suite 200, Melville, NY 11747

L16021-9/4/2024,9/11/2024, 9/18/2024&9/25/2024

PUBLIC NOTICE

The County of Suffolk, a Municipal Corporation of the State of New York, due to its ongoing need for new space and in anticipation of the expiration of existing leases, is hereby soliciting leasing offers from Owner/ Landlords of Commercial

and Industrial properties as well as from Qualified Licensed New York State Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons of Commercial and Industrial properties.

Please note that this is only a solicitation and no offer or contract for the leasing of any real property interest is made hereunder.

If you or your organization are interested in participating in the Suffolk County Space Leasing Program please send your contact information and/or inquires by regular mail or e-mail directed to:

Attn Geoffrey Mascaro, Esq. Director of Asset Management Division of Community Response

Suffolk County Dept of Public Works 335 Yaphank Avenue Yaphank, NY 11980-9608

Email: assetmanagement@ suffolkcountyny.gov

This Public Notice is issued in accordance with the provisions of Suffolk County Administrative Code §A222(D).

L16022-09/04/2024

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BETTOR ANGLE TM

BY TOM BARTON

Week 1 in the NFL has arrived and for sports bettors that is after a long, long wait.

The NFL season brings out sports bettors more than any other sport and this year it's expected to be no different. Week 1 offers a unique situation for those who are in the know. The opening week of the season is met with the public jumping on a few key areas that professionals usually steer clear of. Whether it be the local media hyping up the public's hometown team or the mainstream media pushing the hot franchise that everyone loves, it's a time where the lines will get thrown off by perception, as opposed to reality. This can amount to as much as a 3 point difference in the perceived

line vs. what the line should be.

Another trap door that the average bettor will fall into is believing that last year's results will just automatically transfer over to this season. Despite the fact that since 2002, there have been 29 teams that have gone from the worst team in the division to winning it the very next season. That is more than 1 team per season on average.

The NFL preaches parity and we see that on display often as well, as many non-playoff teams become playoff-eligible the very next year.

In fact, there's been an average of just under 6 new postseason teams compared to the year prior since 1990. That's a remarkable turnover rate that a smart bettor can capitalize on early in the season.

ByTomBarton

The New York Giants 2023 season was a nightmare for fans and the organization. The offseason seemed to only add fuel to that fire when they lost a fan-favorite Saquon Barkley, and him going to the division rival Eagles only rubbed salt in the wounds. Not to mention, the big Blue faithful screaming to draft a QB replacement for Daniel Jones and what we have is an upset and angry fan base entering the 2024 year. But, is there light at the end of this dark tunnel for the G-Men?

There were a lot of issues with the Giants last season, but none were bigger than the offensive line. The o-line wasn't just bad last season, they were historically bad. The Giants allowed 85 sacks last year, of course they led the league, but that finished 2nd most all time in the history of the league. The line was the #1 concern this offseason and while losing Barkey stung, getting the front of offense fixed had to be the priority. The Giants added Jon Runyan Jr., Jermaine Eluemunor,

Be Careful with Week 1 Trends... But Here They Are

Week 1 trends can be fun and informative, but it has to be noted that teams change so much nowadays that it also can be taken with a grain of salt. With that said, there are a few trends that are worth mentioning. Division underdogs at home are 22-7 against the spread since 2010. Last year, the Browns and Jets pulled the upset while the Colts and Giants didn't come close. This season, that trend would put the Colts back in play as they take on the Texans as a 4 1/2 point home underdog.

We can add more trends to that as divisional home underdogs are 20-6 ATS since 2009. Once again, only the Colts play into that number this season. Week 1 underdogs of eight or more points are 26-10 against the spread since 2003. The Patriots are the only team with a number of +8 or above this opening day, with a number at +9 1/2, and it's being reported that over 80% of the bets are coming in against them and on the Bengals.

If you like totals then this might catch your eye. Eleven of the Lions’ past 12 openers have gone over the total, while each of the 49ers last 10 openers have gone under the total. The Cardinals’ last six road opening games have gone under the total. They travel to take on the Bills in week 1. And remember all those Colts leans we had for this week? Well, the Colts have failed to cover the spread in nine straight opening

day games. So, yes trends can work both ways.

Also note that last season 12 of the 16 games played went under the posted total. That was the second fewest combined points in week 1 in 13 seasons. Rookie QB's also get off to very slow starts. Rookie signal callers are 17-35-1 since 1970 on opening day after last season Bryce Young, CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson went 0-3. In fact, the last time a rookie led his team to a week 1 victory was in David Carr in 2002. The Bears, Commanders and Broncos will try to buck that trend this week.

The Green Bay Packers lead the all-time mark with 51 opening day wins, but as any pro bettor knows, what happened during those

Lombardi years has nothing to do with today. A better indication might be who plays well over the past decade. Not surprisingly, the Chiefs and Eagles lead the way winning 8 of their last 10 opening day games.

Speaking of the Chiefs, the Super Bowl winner has gone 14-91 against the spread since 2000 on opening day. That's almost a 61% winning number and would put a smile on every bettor's face. Kansas City opens up against Baltimore on Thursday, the very first game of the 2024 season. But, the flip side of that coin might be more intriguing if you like trends. The Super Bowl loser is just 4-20 against the spread in Week 1 over the same time frame. The Niners are 4 1/2 point favorites against the Jets this week.

Aaron Stinnie, Austin Schlottman, and Matt Nelson. That all can help but health also comes into play. Thomas and Neal's health concerns are an enormous factor.

The Daniel Jones problem is the elephant in the room. Jones does not look like a starting QB in the NFL. The problem is anytime he was out of the lineup, the Giants offense somehow looked worse. Jones might not be the answer this

season, but he has enough playmaking ability that, if healthy, he can bring them to the playoffs, which we already watched him do. Out goes Barkley and in comes Singletary. Devin Singletary is a solid back, but running behind this offensive line will do him no favors. He does not create space and in an ideal world would be more of a split carries back, rather than a bell cow at this stage of his career. The

offense did add Nabers who looks like a true #1 receiver. Nabers will get the lion's share of targets, not only because of his explosiveness and skill level but also because there are no real threats outside of him for Jones to throw to.

On defense, the Giants grabbed Brian Burns and that has to improve this unit. Burns is one of the best pass rushers in the league and the Giants have a very good up front core with Dexter Lawrence and company upfront. They added a new defensive coordinator as well and it's easy to see why the Giants front 7 will be their best on the field. But now we go to the secondary who had a key loss and simply didn't replace it. The defense is simple for them this season, either get to the QB or pray because if the signal caller gets time, he will expose this weak secondary.

The Giants division is a tough one to nail down. Presumably, the Eagles will be better, but they faded late and now there are questions there with some new coaching and losing key veterans. The Cowboys

are great on defense, but after Dak and Lamb, the offense lack any kind of threat. Washington has a new everything: new coaching staff, new QB, new RB, new linebackers, new everything. That is a hard team to pin down as well.

So, that leaves the Giants. Vegas set their number at 6 1/2 wins and that might be generous. New York had to fix their offensive line and they might not have done that. Jones is not a quality NFL QB, Singletary won't be able to create the way that Barkley did and while there is little doubt that Nabers will have a good career, there has to be a worry about him carrying the offense on day one. The defense will be beat deep but can win some games on pressure alone. If all goes right for New York, this could be a team that wins 8 or 9 games, but if the bottom falls out, they could be holding the #1 pick next year. Vegas's number is probably fair, but if Washington can step up with their turnover, that means it's a last place finish for the Giants and perhaps some GM or coaching changes to go along with it.

Photo Credit: @chiefs | X

Photo Credit: @AroundTheNFL | X

The Giants have an Uphill Climb this Season

Photo Credit: @NFL_DovKleiman | X

Isiah Pacheco

Bo Nix

SPORTS A Healthy Rodgers Has Jets Fans Talking about a Big Season

ByTomBarton

At this time last season, the New York Jets and their fans had bigger hopes than most can ever remember. Everything had fallen into place for the Jets and their long suffering seemed to be over. Aaron Rodgers, the surefire Hall of Famer was leading the offense and the sky was the limit for the Jets, whose fans were even muttering the words Super Bowl.

That all ended and ended very quickly as Rodgers left the game, for the season, just a handful of plays into the year. Once Rodgers went down, you could almost hear the stadium deflate and the hopes of New York go with it. So, it is not far-fetched to say as goes Rodgers, as goes the New York Jets for the 2024 season.

New York might have as much

talent as any team in the league. Breece Hall was slow to come back from an injury, but once he did, he was a force. Hall missed time and was brought back slowly and still registered 223 carries for 994 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. He also caught 76 passes for 591 yards and four touchdowns. Hall could be the best back in the league as soon as this season.

Garrett Wilson also has a path to becoming the best at his position. Wilson was constantly doubleteamed and being shaded on by safeties. He caught passes from QB's who simply shouldn't be starting for an NFL team, maybe not even be on a roster, yet he still managed to catch 95 passes for 1,042 yards and three scores.

Then there is the defense. You won't hear many argue that this is a top 5 unit in the league and many

would say they are the best. The Jets do everything well on that side of the ball from tackling to pressure to an elite secondary, this defense seemingly has no holes.They also will be helped by the fact they won't be on the field as much this year and could add some real talent if the Reddick contract is worked out.

Most of that all existed last season, yet the Jets disappointed because of that man Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers will determine how this year goes as well. For some fans, they expect the Rodgers of old, the MVP form and top all-time passer to return automatically, but this is a 40-year-old who is coming off of multiple injuries trying to reignite his career. Rodgers has the talent around him, albeit a few slight questions on the line, to show what he did three seasons ago. But that was three seasons ago, and in the

The Ducks MVP Is in Your Hands

ByTomBarton

The Long Island Ducks will be getting some help from their fans this year to decide who is their team MVP.

The Ducks and DelmonteSmelson Jewelers have teamed up to present the 2024 Long Island Ducks MVP Award. The Ducks are asking fans to vote once per day from now through Saturday, September 14, for the Ducks player they believe should be this year’s Most Valuable Player. Fans can easily go vote at liducks.com/mvpvoting and select the player they think should take home the prestigious award. The player with the most fan votes will be announced on September 15th and receive a commemorative gift

from Delmonte-Smelson Jewelers.

The nominees this season are Aaron Antonini, Ryan McBroom, and Ramon Santos.

Antonini is the flock's backstop and has impressed in his first season with the team. He has played in a team-high 95 games, which is unheard of for a catcher at any level. He also leads the team in hits with 94 and doubles with 20. He has some speed as a catcher as well, ranking second in triples, third in RBIs, runs and his eagle eye at the plate puts him 3rd in walks. Antonini is currently on a 25-game on-base streak going back to July 28th.

McBroom is also in his first year as a Duck. The first baseman

leads the Ducks in most offensive categories, including 19 home runs, 68 RBIs, 59 runs and 48 walks. He also ranks third in hits and doubles. He isn't just all bat though as he has committed just four errors this

NFL, that is a lifetime. Also going against the Jets are the questions surrounding the coaching staff. Many interpreted Garrett Wilson's comments this offseason as a knock

on Hackett and Salah has been a questionable coach so far to add to that.

The Jets are in one of the most challenging divisions in the NFL, but Buffalo lost a ton this offseason and Miami is replacing their defense, while the Patriots seem like two easy wins on the schedule. New York has the talent, they have the young exciting RB and WR, their defense will be elite, but can Rodgers and the coaching staff give gang green one run at playoff success? Shooting for a division is well in sight for the Jets and some might even whisper a Super Bowl run this year, but you can't blame Jets fans for being cautious, after all it was just a year ago that they had their hearts broken ... again. With that said, on paper, this team doesn't only look good, they might look Super.

season, good for a .990 fielding percentage.

Another first-year Duck, Santos has turned heads all year out of the bullpen. He has allowed just three earned runs in more than 41

innings of work. That's good for a tiny 0.64 ERA. His 6-1 record and 10 saves shows his pressure situation dominance and his saves rank fifth in the league. He has allowed just 24 hits and struck out 71 batters.

Another Duck to the Show

ByTomBarton

The Long Island Ducks are sending another player to the big leagues. This weekend catcher Chance Sisco’s contract was purchased by the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

“We’d like to congratulate Chance on this exciting opportunity,” said Ducks Manager Lew Ford. “He is committed to his goal of returning to the Major Leagues, and we wish him the best of luck in this next chapter of his career.”

Sisco has reported to the Cardinal’s Triple-A affiliate in Memphis, Tenn. He joins the Cardinals organization after playing 65 games with the Ducks this season. Sisco was a stabilizing force behind the plate and ranks second on the team in home runs with 16, third in slugging percentage at .563, third in OPS

at .955 and third in doubles with 15. Sisco also showed a great eye in the box with 31 walks on the season, and he leads the Atlantic League in being hit by a pitch with 18.

He rejoins the Major Leagues after spending years with the Ducks. He also spent time with the Baltimore Orioles and New

York Mets. In 196 MLB games, he has totaled 16 home runs, 54 RBIs, 61 runs, 102 hits, 24 doubles, 62 walks and a .317 onbase percentage.

With his contract being selected by the Cardinals, he now becomes the 10th member of the 2024 Ducks to have his contract purchased by a Major League or foreign organization. He joins outfielders Jackie Bradley Jr. (New York Mets, July 23) and Tyler Dearden (Minnesota Twins, July 2), infielder Rixon Wingrove (Minnesota Twins, May 24), lefthanded pitcher Emilio Marquez (Pericos de Puebla, June 4), and right-handed pitchers Matt Seelinger (Detroit Tigers, June 25), Tyler Zuber (Tampa Bay Rays, May 13), Chris Ellis (Arizona Diamondbacks, April 25), Dan Straily (Chicago Cubs, April 25) and Raynel Espinal (Rieleros de Aguascalientes, April 15).

Seawolves Football Home Opener Set for September 7

BySouthShorePress

Football returns to Stony Brook on Saturday, September 7, as the Seawolves take on the Stonehill Skyhawks at 3:30 pm at LaValle Stadium in Head Coach Billy Cosh’s first season at the helm.

The home opener celebration welcomes Seawolves fans back to

LaValle Stadium with the 2024 Welcome Back Bash, as well as Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day, with free tickets for all Stony Brook faculty and staff. Additionally, select faculty and staff members will be recognized on the field for their dedication.

"Show your Seawolf pride and hype up the team as they walk from Gate 6 to Gate 4 with

the Spirit of Stony Brook and spirit squads 90 minutes before kickoff!" Then, from your seat, experience the new team run out from the Coach K Bridge in the southwest corner of the stadium.

The Seawolves Fun Zone will be unveiled in the north end zone this season. SBU Eats will offer popcorn and pretzels for the

youngest Seawolves fans as they catch the Seawolves spirit. This year, the Fun Zone will feature glitter tattoos, face painters and a mobile photo booth.

Stony Brook students should stay on the lookout for giveaways and raffles all season long in the Sherwin Williams Red Zone, located in the south end zone.

Everyone is invited to stay after the game for more from the "Spirit of Stony Brook Marching Band."

Season tickets, mini plans and single-game tickets are all on sale now. Secure your seats today by calling 631-632-WOLF or visit stonybrookathletics.com/ tickets.

Ducks Team MVP Candidates

Breece Hall

Photo Credit: @LIDucks | X

Photo Credit: @BreeceH | X

Photo Credit: @LIDucks | X Chance Sisco

ByTomBarton

Stony Brook Takes On Stonehill

The Stony Brook Seawolves have their home opener this weekend against the Stonehill Skyhawks. This will be the season opener for the Skyhawks who finished last year at an even 5-5. The Hawks moved up to Division 1 FCS in 2022, joining the NEC. After going 2-5 in Conference play in its first season, and 4-5 overall, Stonehill was happy with the slight overall record improvement last season but have their eyes set on a conference title this year.

Last year, their high watermark saw them beat the reigning NEC champion Duquesne, which was their only loss in division play all season long. This year, they feel even better with their signal caller having one more year under his belt. Senior quarterback Ashur Carraha is returning for his third year and this season is healthy in camp. CarraHa Had shoulder surgery, forcing him to miss most offseason workouts last year, but this time around, he is healthy and a clear leader in camp. That could cause headaches for the Seawolves defense. That's a defense that can

only go up from last season. Last season was the bottom of the barrell for Stony Brook as they went winless, but there is enthusiasm this year will be different. The Wolves bring back 15 starters (8 offensive and 7 defensive), including 3rd team all-conference WR Anthony Johnson. He led the team with 59 receptions for 714 receiving yards and three touchdowns They also added some key additions with Tyler Knoop, Rudy Silvera, Tyson McCloud, Jasiah Williams, Chance Knox, Kris Caine, and Deshawn Jones Jr.

But the biggest addition was in the coaching staff as the Wolves changed head coaches, naming Billy Cosh to replace Chuck Priore. Cosh previously served as the offensive coordinator at Richmond and VMI, leading one of the best offenses in the nation. He will have to make a quick decision about who will lead this offense and the explosive nature of his playbook.

The aforementioned Tyler Knopp and Casey Case will have a battle to see who comes out on top. Case started nine games last season completing 55% of his passes for 1,715 passing yards and 10 touchdowns. Former Georgetown quarterback Tyler Knoop started

Kamala Speaks...and Loses Steam

ByTomBarton

The Harris bounce had already begun to wear off last week and now after her first interview since receiving the Democratic nod to run against President Trump, her odds have fallen even further.

Kamala Harris sat down with a very favorable CNN host Dana Bash for her first speaking appearance and it went as poorly as anyone could have imagined. Reports came out that CNN had to cut the

interview short for fear of how poorly received the Vice President would come off, and even with all that editing, she still sunk herself lower in the odds.

Harris had lost her entire lead before the interview as Trump and her were in a virtual tie, but afterwards, Trump has now regained his lead and is rising in the polls. Kamala went from being in a virtual tie or a slight underdog to watching the market move against her even more so. According to

A Longwood Legend Meets the Team

ByTomBarton

The Longwood's girls' varsity and JV soccer teams recently hosted Phallon Tullis-Joyce, a 2014 Longwood alum and now the goaltender of the Manchester United Women's soccer team.

It was a special day for the girls to get to interact and look up to a role model that had a similar path

that they have had. Phallon shared her expertise and trained with the team, inspiring everyone with her skill and dedication.

Phallon played college soccer for the Miami Hurricanes and professionally for French Division 1 Féminine club Reims and OL Reign of the National Women's Soccer League.

10 games for the Hoyas, throwing for 2,459 passing yards and 22 touchdowns.

This offense also added Richmond wide receiver Jasiah Williams, who was injured last season but led the CAA in receptions two seasons ago. They also picked up Chance Knox, who has 30 games under his belt for VMI. You can see the passing attack coming into focus in a hurry at Stony Brook. Stonehill gave up big chunks of yards in the air last year and that will be a focal point to attack for this game.

Stony Brook will need better defensive play if they want to win this game. The Seawolves ranked

123rd nationally in yards per play allowed but do have experience with those 7 returning starters. Their front 7 should be solid, but the secondary is a concern. Last season, this secondary ranked dead last in the conference and they will be replaced by three transfers.

Stony Brook has the makings of a solid team this year. Their new head coach and offensive style fit the team perfectly and their transfers fill the positions of need, but it all hinges on how well the defense plays. Stonehill is a solid group and while they will be favored, this is a home opener and the new coaching staff could shock everyone this week.

some books, Trump now has seen his lead of winning the presidency rise to 53% and some books have him listed as a -140 favorite.

The lead has flip-flopped through the summer but is now firmly in Trump's favor as the prohibitive favorite. Between the RFK alliance and the Harris interview debacle, most books assume that Trump's lead will only grow, but many don't believe he will ever be as big of a favorite as he became after the assasination attempt.

Stony Brook Turning Heads Early

ByTomBarton

The Stony Brook University women's soccer are already inside the top 10 in polls.

According to the first poll of the season by the United Soccer Coaches East Region, the Seawolves are at #9 in. Stony Brook is the CAA's lone representative in the East Region poll after opening the season with a win. The Seawolves began the season with a 2-1 victory over Colgate at home, and followed that with a 2-2 draw on the road against the Big Ten's Maryland. They then earned their second win of the year with a 3-2 win over FDU at LaValle Stadium.

After her two-assist performance in the win over FDU, Sammy Hannwacker was named to the Top Drawer Soccer

Photo Credit: @StonyBrookFB | X Stony Brook Football Team

Photo Credit: @StonyBrookFB | X AJ Roberts

Team of the Week. She leads the team in assists on the season while Gabrielle Cote leads the

team in goals with 3 and 7 points. Nicolette Pasquarellahas already made 13 saves in net.

Photo Credit: @StonyBrookWSOC | X Stony Brook Soccer

Photo Credit: Tom Barton

Kamala Harris and Walz with Dana Bash

Longwood Soccer Teams Meet Phallon Tullis-Joyce

MALACHI MARSHALL