The South Shore Press is going to provide wall to wall coverage of the Inauguration of the 47th President of the United States: Donald J. Trump.
Yours truly and former Congressman George Santos is going to provide team coverage of the Inauguration on our website: SouthShorePress.com.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter at @SSPNewsroom as well as Facebook at @TheSouthShorePress.
There you will see videos, news, and information in real-time from The South Shore Press.
This type of multi-media coverage didn’t exist when I got my first job reporting at WSTMTV in 1993. We banged out our stories on electric typewriters. No, we could not even use those fancy typewriters that had the automatic ribbon with the whiteout that could quickly correct mistakes.
There was zero possibility of even using a word processor that had a tiny computer screen on the keyboard, and you hit “enter” to type out your words without errors or mistakes.
Nope.
Many moons ago television stations used five-part, carbon, color coded paper to type scripts on. This was done with multiple colors because of the people who needed specific scripts. The person responsible for the teleprompter of the newscast was white, a producer got the green copy, one anchor got yellow, the other news anchor got pink, and the Director got a different color as well.
It was actually someone’s job to take the white scripts, cut them with scissors, and tape them together in one massive, connected script. It was then manually fed into what can only be described as a script conveyor belt with a camera pointing down at the end.
SANTOS UNCENSORED
BY GEORGE SANTOS
This past weekend, the New York Republican Congressional Delegation traveled to President Trump's Florida estate, Mar-aLago, to discuss the state and local tax (SALT) deductions, which were capped at $10,000 under the 2017 Trump tax cuts. The meeting was crucial, with members eager to negotiate an expansion of these deductions in the upcoming tax legislation President Trump plans to advance through both the House and Senate.
Rep. Mike Lawler from the Hudson Valley is leading an ambitious effort to raise these caps to $100,000 for single filers and $200,000 for couples, a significant increase from the current limit. This tax deduction issue has become a key bipartisan concern
South Shore Press in DC for President Trump’s Inauguration
The prompter person then scrolled this conveyor belt, a smaller version of those you see in the grocery store, then cranked the belt so the scripts moved forward to then go from that small camera to the studio cameras. There you go, that’s how old school teleprompters worked.
Since the scripts were multiple sheets of paper divided by carbon, you couldn’t white out or go back on a script to make a correction. No one liked doing it, but the worst-case scenario was going back and typing capital “XXXX” over a mistake.
Things have changed quite considerably concerning the
coverage of big breaking news events in 1993 when I was a rookie reporter compared to now in 2025. So starting this Friday, I won’t file stories the old fashioned way on a typewriter or “calling them in” to an editor back in the newsroom where they would type it out verbatim. Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@SSPNewsroom) and Facebook (@ TheSouthShorePress) and of course check out our website regularly for updates: SouthShorePress.com.
You’ll be able to get real-time, live updates from this historic inaugural event. And next week, keep an eye out for our Special Inaugural Print Edition we are going to produce. The Dean of South Shore Reporters Bob Chartuk, and reporters Mike Reistetter and Deborah Williams will handle inauguration coverage from Long Island.
We have D.C. covered. See you online and on social media this week.
The Art of the “SALT” Deal!
and Republicans. A source from the meeting tells
me that President Trump is not only open to these changes but is also actively advocating for amendments to improve his previous tax bill. His focus seems to be on providing
relief for America's middle and working classes, using this initiative to fulfill campaign promises. This move could reinforce his mantra of "promises made, promises kept," showcasing tangible benefits for everyday Americans.
Collaborating with rising stars like Rep. Lawler, who defeated a formidable opponent in the 2022 midterms and retained his seat in a Democrat-leaning district, highlights a strategy of pragmatic policymaking over divisive rhetoric.
Rep. Lawler's success is attributed to his advocacy for commonsense policies, which could serve as a model for President Trump on the SALT issue, potentially securing additional support from the middle and working classes by demonstrating that Republicans
prioritize their economic wellbeing over the Democrats' focus on social issues.
Residents of blue states, particularly New York, are struggling with burdensome leftleaning tax policies that reduce disposable income while state funds are often mismanaged. Tax relief and economic growth are crucial for these constituents, offering hope that the Trump administration will not only give New York a voice but also deliver a robust economic plan. The meeting at Mar-aLago suggests President Trump is committed to countering the policies of Governor Kathy Hochul and the state legislature, which many feel are hindering New York's economic vitality.
Continued on page 11
in New York, supported by both moderate suburban Democrats
Credit: Grok/Twitter
Photo Illustration
President Trump Photo Illustration
Credit: Grok/Twitter
ByMichaelJ.Reistetter
Suffolk County Fights $60 Million Lawsuit Over 2016 ICE-Requested Detainments
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon, Jr., and Suffolk County Attorney Chris Clayton delivered a press conference at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge to address a lawsuit they all agree to be sheer lunacy.
With local legislators alongside them, the trio took turns explaining what intricacies of the case they are permitted to reveal, and to translate all the legal minutiae into laymen’s terms. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, on behalf of 650 plaintiffs listed in the Class Action, has sued Suffolk County for detainments of illegal immigrants they carried in 2016.
Curiously, they granted immunity to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for its 48hour detainment protocols, but no immunity to Suffolk County—whose officers were operating under the “color of federal authority” as they were instructed to; the lawsuit—with legs that stem from a 2016-borne
case—seeks damages in the $60 million range, which Romaine and company call an affront to Suffolk County’s taxpayers.
Back in 2016, then-Suffolk County Sheriff Vincent DeMarco announced the Suffolk County Jail would honor ICE detainers accompanied by a Department of Homeland Security warrant. Prisoners subject to the ICE detainers would be “held for up to 48 hours after the time the prisoner would otherwise be released.”
A 2018 court decision promptly discontinued this practice; incoming Sheriff Toulon respected the reversal as his administration took over the department.
Years later, Toulon and Romaine—who did not take over until 2023—are expected to make sense of this to a puzzled public while left utterly dumbfounded themselves.
“The federal government has asserted ‘qualified immunity’ in this case, leaving the county to fend for itself,’ Romaine said, adding that there is much he’s witnessed from his County
Executive post that has made him shake their head, but that this instance perhaps trumps all.
“We will fight this,” he declared. “I strongly believe that anyone that is in this country illegally, that has committed a crime, that violated one of our laws, should not be here. We will continue to work with ICE and Homeland Security on this issue… for the courts to hold against the county because we detained these people at the request of the federal government? And now, to hold us liable, because we cooperated with the federal government—is nothing short of ridiculous.”
Toulon agreed being cast as the scapegoat in this case is not a reality any defendant will accept sans contention. “This is about fairness, accountability, and protecting the resources that our residents depend on,” he said. “The Sheriff's office remains committed to following the law, upholding public trust, and sharing fiscal responsibility.”
Chris Clayton of the Suffolk County Attorney’s Office clarified the writ of habeas
corpus through which the County is being sued did not take in an unrelated second appellate court-tried case from years prior. It has only gained steam as the bullseye target morphed into a single entity viewed as having the money to spend—and to make things go away.
Upon review of the plaintiffs' cases, Clayton confirms all involve detainers being issued with cause, affidavits and a legal process contending that all (plaintiffs) were in the country illegally at the time of
apprehension.
“It’s an eight-year-old case that has a Byzantine thread of litigation associated with it,” said Clayton. “The undisputed facts of this case are that the individuals who were subject to these detainers were in this country unlawfully, and ICE and Homeland Security issued the detainers and warrants because of that illegal status. These individuals were taken into the custody of local law enforcement and our jail because they violated the law.”
Officer's Near Death Renews Call for Criminal Justice Reform
ByRobertChartuk
The horrific crash and near death of Suffolk Police Officer Brendon Gallagher, allegedly caused by an impaired driver with a weapons and road rage record, has renewed the call to revamp the state’s criminal justice system.
Lax laws have ushered in a crime wave, local officials say, and turned Long Island roads into killing fields where reckless drivers act with impunity. They trace the problem back to cashless bail and other anti-police, procriminal policies coming out of Albany.
“I renew my call to my Democrat colleagues in Albany to do the right thing and repeal these terrible, so-called, criminal justice ‘reforms’ that have done nothing more than make things more dangerous for police and law-abiding citizens,” stated Senator Dean Murray when news broke that the driver that allegedly caused the crash had been out on probation in a gun case.
The driver, Cody Fisher, had been charged with weapons possession stemming from a road rage incident in Queens, according to the Suffolk Police. He faces a litany of criminal charges for sideswiping Gallagher’s car and causing it to crash, including driving while ability impaired by
drugs, assault, unlawful fleeing, and reckless driving.
The incident started when Cody sped by at nearly 100 mph while the officer, a member of the Street Takeover Task Force, was conducting a traffic stop near Exit 50 on the Long Island Expressway. Gallagher pursued him, and as Cody swerved between lanes at high speed, he lost control and struck the officer’s patrol vehicle. Gallagher hit a tree causing his SUV to overturn. Cody crashed his Mustang into a light pole and was hospitalized with non-lifethreatening injuries, police said.
For Officer Gallagher, it was another matter. As he hung upside down, off-duty policemen came upon the scene and provided first aid. It took rescuers 35 minutes to extricate him from the wreckage while a Suffolk Police helicopter waited to fly him to Stony Brook Hospital. One officer said it was the most difficult rescue he’s seen in 24 years as Gallagher was pinned by a tree and was suffering from severe lacerations.
An Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, he has been decorated nine times, including a Purple Heart medal and cop of the year.
Incredibly, Gallagher was back on the job after almost being killed two years ago by a knife-wielding
assailant when he and his partner responded to a domestic incident in Medford. The same doctor treated them, who described the latest injuries as much worse than the stab wounds.
“Officer Gallagher is an absolute hero,” stated Suffolk PBA President Lou Civello, who said the incident will intensify lobbying efforts to strengthen the justice system. “We feel that criminals are acting with impunity, and it's easy to see that when you look at our roadways. The roads have become a free-forall,” Civello said.
The PBA president noted recent
street takeovers that blocked intersections and left a bystander injured. “We have people coming in from outside the area and acting with impunity. We have this individual traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour and almost killing our officer. Had the injuries not been as devastating as they were, we would not have been able to hold him on bail. We think it's critical that that legislature change the laws,” Civello said, adding that he has discussed the matter with Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“How many more people have to die in the state of New York; how many more police officers
have to be killed or injured before the legislative leaders in Albany enact real criminal justice reforms?” wondered Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano. He’s been part of a growing coalition of legislators, victims' rights groups, and prosecutors such as Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney, who have been lobbying the Democrats since 2019 when former Gov. Andrew Cuomo infamously signed the law to repeal cash bail.
“The solution is simple,” Senator Murray said. “Repeal cashless bail, increase the penalties for reckless crimes, and give judges the discretion to hold suspects they believe are a threat to society.”
“We don't, in principle, disagree with what bail reform was originally trying to accomplish, which is the amount of wealth you have shouldn’t dictate the amount of justice you get,” Civello said. “However, they’ve gone so far in the other direction that they’ve created a situation where it's not safe to drive on our roadways; it's not safe to get on the train. Look no further than the New York City subway, where we have people getting lit on fire. This just needs to stop. We need a commonsense, rational justice system that balances being fair with public safety.”
Credit: South Shore Press
Sheriff Errol Toulon, Jr., discusses his office’s reaction to the lawsuit at the H. Lee Dennison-held press conference on Wednesday, Jan. 8th.
Credit: Suffolk PBA
Suffolk Police Officer Brandon Gallagher
LOCAL
ByDeborahWilliams
Not the First Brush With Death for Suffolk County Police Officer
For the second time in his young career, Suffolk County Police Officer Brendon Gallagher fights for his life after being seriously injured on the job.
The 30-year-old Army veteran who fought for freedom in Afghanistan was critically injured recently in a car crash while in pursuit of a suspect who was fleeing the police.
Cody Fisher, who is just one year younger than Officer Gallagher, faces a litany of criminal charges, including driving while ability impaired by drugs, assault, unlawful fleeing, and reckless driving.
The force of the car crash was so severe that Gallagher’s patrol car slammed into a tree on the Long Island Expressway and then overturned. It took responding emergency personnel almost 30 minutes to pull him from the twisted metal of the wreckage.
Officer Gallagher is no stranger to on-the-job danger and serious injury. Just two years
ago, he was released from Stony Brook University Hospital after being stabbed while responding to a call about an argument between roommates.
Domestic disputes are some of the most dangerous calls for police officers. Car crashes are also a leading cause of death or serious injury to police officers and now, unfortunately, Officer Gallagher has experienced both. Both incidents caused serious and life-threatening injuries.
Two years ago, Officers Brendan Gallagher and Ray Stock were responding to a call at the Blue Ridge Condo complex.
Gallagher was stabbed in the chest clear through his bulletproof vest. The vest saved his heart and his life.
Officer Stock was so seriously injured that he was put on a
ventilator for five days. Stock was stabbed in the neck, chest, and groin and his vocal cords were wounded.
Gallagher and Stock were responding to a call in Medford of an armed domestic menacing suspect. The suspect, Enrique Lopez, was a resident of a home for people with disabilities and mental health conditions and had been causing issues at the condo complex with his behavior.
Lopez attacked the officers with a bowie knife stabbing them both several times. He was shot and killed by the officers during the altercation.
Dr. James Vosswinkel, trauma
chief at Stony Brook University Hospital, was the chief then and is still there now treating Gallagher again. He remarked on the strength of the officer and his body fighting hard to make it through what were very serious injuries from the recent incident. He has an extensive injury to his aorta and is currently on life support.
"Officer Gallagher is a hero. This is an officer who, just two years ago, was stabbed. At that point, he didn't seek a desk job. Instead, he's leading the fight against these thugs that are terrorizing our roads," said Suffolk County PBA President Lou Civello.
Officer's Near Death Renews Call...
Continued from page 3
Following a “Fast and Furious” incident last year that blocked an ambulance from getting through in Miller Place, Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio and Senator Anthony Palumbo sponsored a law
making street racing a felony.
Suffolk legislators propose making it illegal to gather to watch the hazardous activity.
“We had an individual driving at 100 miles an hour who you know, from a prior road rage incident, has a handgun,” Civello said. “That’s what's out there, and that's what Officer Gallagher was trying to prevent.” A www. FundtheFirst.com effort has raised more than $123,000 for the injured officer so far.
Man on the Street: Officer Gallagher Crash
ByRobertChartuk
Islanders were stunned by
People drive like maniacs, and the streets are getting very unsafe. There should be jail time for reckless driving and excessive speed, and especially for driving under the influence. People should know that if they threaten lives by driving like this, there will be severe consequences.”
Wayne Hulse, Center Moriches
People who commit crimes should be punished. I condemn this sort of thing. The laws should protect the police and the other drivers.”
his life in an accident allegedly caused by an impaired driver whose rap sheet, including charges of
weapons possession during a road rage incident, should have seen him do jail time if the state’s criminal
There should be consequences for your actions. If you break the law, you should pay the price. You can't just slap someone on the hand and expect them not to do it again. There have to be appropriate punishments, or this type of thing will happen again and again.”
Carol Martin, Manorville
Drivers like this should not have been out on the road. It’s because the laws in this state are so lax. This should never have happened. These bad laws almost cost an officer his life.”
Kris Miller, Mastic
justice system wasn’t so lax. Here’s what they had to say:
I feel so bad for him. This is awful. There is one group of people l have absolutely no respect for, and that’s drunk drivers, especially with services like Uber and Lyft that will get you home safely.”
Vinny
This was a preventable accident. The laws are too lenient in this state, and they allow tragedies like this to happen. People should pay for their crimes, and for these kinds of situations, there should be heavy jail time.”
Bowie knife used in officer stabbing
Credit: Suffolk Police evidence photo
Loguercio, Center Moriches
Ghulam Sarwar, Shirley
Ralph Izzo, Center Moriches
Long
the news of Suffolk Police Officer Brendon Gallagher almost losing
ByRobertChartuk
Residents gathered with police officers in Patchogue for a Coffee with a Cop event aimed at strengthening relationships between law enforcement and the community.
Sponsored by Senator Dean Murray and Legislator Dominick Thorne at the CoHo cafe on West Main Street, the informal gettogether gave residents a chance to mingle with officers from the 5th precinct and local elected leaders in a relaxed environment.
“This is a great opportunity for the public to see that there are great people in our community willing to risk their lives to protect us,” Senator Murray
Police and Community Connect Over Coffee
said. “I’m glad so many residents turned out to meet them.”
Chatting over a cup of coffee was precinct Lieutenant Michael Campbell. “We’re happy to be here exchanging ideas and answering questions,” the lieutenant said, noting that this was the fifth Coffee with a Cop sponsored by the two lawmakers. He was there with Latino Liaison Officer Yasmin Gallant who’s involved with a number of outreach events throughout the year.
The county police recently honored students of the month and are active with the Police Athletic League, conducting numerous sporting activities. They host Painting with a Cop,
Shop with a Cop, Cooking with a Cop, and many other events to connect with the neighborhoods they serve. The 5th precinct officers were busy around the holidays, participating in a Christmas Miracle toy drive with the Angels of Long Island that made the holidays brighter for hundreds of families. They are gearing up for Martin Luther King Day activities, having just helped celebrate the Spanish Three Kings holiday.
“I always come out to support the police,” said Jeff Berthold of East Patchogue. “They show up for you when you need them and we need to show our appreciation every chance we get.” Also sharing a cup was Rocco Semisa of Selden, who thinks the Coffee with a Cop program is a great
idea. “It’s a relaxed atmosphere where you can talk about policing such as the COPE Unit and the cooperation between the police and the prosecutors,” he said, referring to the efforts between District Attorney Ray Tierney and the police in fighting crime. “I particularly like the crackdown on quality of life crimes that really impact our communities.”
Precinct Level Advisor Dan Brooks of Patchogue appreciated the interaction. “It’s important to have a close relationship between the police and the people. Coffee with a Cop is a good way to do it,” said Brooks, who also serves as president of the Patchogue Lions Club. “They are here to protect and serve, and I think they are doing a great job.”
From Runway to Resting Place: Cemetery Planned for Spadaro Airstrip
ByRobertChartuk
For years, it served as a local strip for small planes, and now, Spadaro Airport will become a cemetery with room for 15,000 graves.
The 29-acre parcel on Montauk Highway in East Moriches has a site plan pending for a graveyard its developers, Long Island Community Cemetery, promises to be environmentally friendly.
The facility will maintain a low profile with gravesites not marked by upright monuments or mausoleums, according to a principal of the nonprofit, Ghulam Sarwar. “We will
remove all of the dilapidated buildings and landscape the property. It will be beautiful,” Sarwar said.
Operated by Bart Spadaro for decades, the one-lane strip borders Route 51, MorichesRiverhead Road. Following his passing in 2013, Spadaro’s daughter, Susan, operated the airport, eventually stopping aviation services such as aircraft maintenance, rentals, and flight instruction. The site, adjacent to the former Lufker airstrip, also hosted a skydiving operation.
“Residents used to planes flying overhead will have a more quiet neighbor,” said
project sponsor. The site plan will be heard at an upcoming
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The group at Coffee with a Cop.
Jeff Berthold, left, and Walt Maresco chat with Officer Steigele at the Coho coffee shop.
Credit: Robert Chartuk
Credit: Robert Chartuk
Waheed Siddiqui, another
Brookhaven Town Board meeting.
Supporters of the proposed cemetery at the former Spadaro’s Airport in East Moriches.
The former Spadaro Airport in East Moriches.
Cemetery principal Waheed Siddiqui, right, goes over the project with supporters.
Credit: Robert Chartuk
Credit: Robert Chartuk
Credit: Robert Chartuk
ByRobertChartuk
Name Suggestions Sought for New Yaphank Station
Now that the Yaphank Train Station is being moved to the other side of William Floyd Parkway, officials are looking for ideas on what to name the new facility.
The existing station, adjacent to the county offices off Yaphank Avenue, saw little use. Its new home, closer to Brookhaven Lab, an industrial park, and the new development around the Walmart superstore, will make it accessible to more riders.
“Our planning staff has been
working with officials from the Long Island Rail Road for years on this project, which began through a casual conversation I had with current Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine about the idea after I would pass an empty Yaphank station almost daily on my way to work,” noted Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico. “Ed liked the idea and championed it over the years, which will augment our bustling industrial park.”
The Long Island Rail Road is considering East Yaphank, Upton, and a couple more as
new names, according to Panico. “Please feel free to suggest a name that I may pass on,” he urged.
Panico made shoutouts to Mitch Pally, a former board member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the rail road’s parent organization, who he called an “unwavering supporter of the Long Island region during his tenure,” and current board member Marc Herbst for seeing the Yaphank move through.
Current plans don’t include electrifying the line to Ronkonkoma, a major hub to New York City. Riders are enjoying a newly renovated Penn Station and a direct connection
to a new terminal at Grand Central. Despite reports that groundbreaking on the new
Suffolk County Fights $60M...
Continued from page 3
While the County weighs all their preliminary options, Romaine confirmed that, should all else fail, they will “absolutely” appeal this case.
If the worst-case scenario for the County occurs in the end, Romaine said they would either bond the $60 million or
take it out of their operating budget.
“It’s notable, and I think ultimately ironic that the federal authorities have been dismissed from this case,” Clayton adds. “We think in recognition of the fact that they had statutory, and other immunities. We believed the court erroneously failed
to recognize that the INA provides immunity to Suffolk County as well.”
Concludes Toulon: “Together with our County Executive and our law office partners, we will continue to advocate for the residents of Suffolk County and work toward a resolution that prioritizes fairness, safety and accountability.”
Dear Homeowner,
You may be eligible for an exemption if, you are a Senior Citizen, a person with a disability, or a veteran. You must apply by March 1st, 2025, our office will accept applications until March 3rd, 2025, to apply for these exemptions. For information, please call or write: 631-451-6300: Town of Brookhaven, Assessor’s Office, One Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738, or view our helpful website at www.brookhavenny.gov/exemptions.
Dear Homeowner, You may be eligible for senior citizen tax exemptions. Senior citizens have until March 1st, 2024 to apply for such exemptions. For information please call or write: 631-451-6300: Town of Brookhaven, Assessor’s Office, One Independence Hill, Farmingville, New York 11738, or view our helpful website at www.brookhavenny.gov/exemptions.
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station would begin this month, Panico indicated that it's still a few months off.
Artist rendering of the new Yaphank Train Station.
Credit: Long Island Rail Road
Artist rendering of the new Yaphank Train Station.
Credit: Long Island Rail Road
ByMichaelJ.Reistetter
Storming the Phoenix: East Islip Man Charged with Kidnapping, Rape
Last Monday, Jan. 6th, Suffolk County Police announced they had arrested a 64-year-old man for the rape and kidnapping of 14-year-old Emma Gervasi— who first went missing on the evening of Dec. 9th, inspiring a social media storm of a search party throughout the holidays.
A Suffolk County grand jury later identified the indicted as Francis Buckheit, of East Islip. He will be arraigned in the Riverhead-located criminal court building later this month.
Emma’s outspoken father, Frank Gervasi, came out ahead of the authorities last week in a Facebook video to declare his daughter—who had been found on a boat at the Islip Marina on Friday, Jan. 3rd after a woman phoned in a tip—was subject to sex trafficking.
Shortly after being recovered, Emma was admitted to the Sagamore Children’s Psychiatric Center in Dix Hills, where she is currently in good spirits while being treated and undergoing further evaluation.
What had been reported before this week’s publication:
• Emma Gervasi, 14, had
dealt with extensive “troubles” in the past, including a propensity to run away from home and substance abuse.
• Emma was wearing an ankle monitor at the time of her disappearance at 5 p.m. on Dec. 9th. Her stepmother was upstairs and her father on the way home when she, barefoot and without a raincoat in a torrential downpour, went to retrieve something out of a car that pulled up to the end of her Patchogue home’s driveway. Security cameras show her entering the car and driving off.
• Emma’s father Frank said she met up with a man “in his late 30s” she met online and had communicated with over Snapchat. This man was reportedly inappropriate with her, removed her jewelry and committed additional offenses of this sort.
• Emma was last seen on surveillance footage knocking on motel doors in Bohemia at 2 a.m. on Dec. 10th.
• At some point, Emma left the late 30s man to travel with the 64-year-old accused.
• 26 days after Emma went missing, on Friday, Jan. 3rd: Frank rescued his daughter
of
Recently Found Patchogue Teen
from a boat in the Islip Marina called “The Phoenix.”
Per his lawyer, Buckheit denies all charges, and pleads not guilty. "He’s emotional, he’s upset, he maintains his innocence," attorney Danielle Papa, of Hauppauge, spoke of her client.
She added, "There’s more to this particular story than what’s been reported.”
In an interview with celebrity psychologist Phil McGraw on his Weds., Jan. 8th episode of “The Dr. Phil Podcast,” Frank revealed that the moment he found his daughter “was a moment of elation” and “probably one of the greatest feelings I ever experienced.”
Frank recalled that while exact circumstances are still being investigated, he knows for certain the drugs administered to Emma early on greatly “affected her ability to make any good decisions” beyond that point.
He told Dr. Phil that in the days leading up to receiving the tip that perfectly clocked Emma’s location, he was surely determined, but nevertheless spiraling within his mind, given the bleakness of the holiday season he and his family just had to endure.
“As a parent, every thought possible goes through your head,” said Frank. “As the days go on, the thoughts get worse: ‘Is she dead? Is she alive? Is she hiding? Is she kidnapped?’ You don’t know what to think, it literally tears you up every second of your day. Your mind is nonstop thinking: ‘Where is my kid?' It’s an awful feeling.”
False leads, blind ransom demands, negative input from online trolls, fake GoFundMe pages and graphic photos of unrelated blood splatter being sent their way only added to Frank’s strife as the Gervasi family and Suffolk County Police
fought to weed out distractions, Frank said.
He says the fated call was tough to believe at first, given the pattern of constant misinformation. But then the woman on the other end began to accurately describe identifying marks of Emma’s, such as her neck tattoo.
“God gave me a gift that day,” Frank said, commending the woman who phoned in Emma’s location from just outside the boat despite his yet-confirmed belief that this woman likely played a factor in Emma’s captivity.
District Attorney Ray Tierney Announces Bid for Reelection
ByMichaelJ.Reistetter
Leaders in local government and law enforcement, and general supporters gathered on Tuesday, Jan. 7th to celebrate Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. “Ray” Tierney’s announcement that he would be seeking reelection this November.
DA Tierney (R-Commack) first took office in 2022, after defeating incumbent Tim Sini (D) in a contentious race.
Honorable Gail Prudenti, former Chief Administrator Judge of the State of New York, and Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine were a couple of the esteemed speakers who spoke before Tierney was given the floor at Suffolk Theater in Riverhead.
“I’ve grown close with him [Tierney],” said Romaine. “He’s done a great job. He’s a great District Attorney. And he will go down as one of our greatest District Attorneys in terms of justice, and fairness, and making sure that criminals pay the price.”
On hand to provide a special introduction of the candidate was none other than Gene and Sue Murray, who lost their son to a drug overdose in 2012, followed by their daughter, Chelsea, succumbing to a similar fate via fentanyl overdose in
August of 2022.
Tierney subsequently named the “death by dealer”-based “Chelsea’s Law” in honor of the late Chelsea Murray.
“We met Ray Tierney when he was starting to fight this crisis,” Gene said, noting that he and his wife have since traveled to Albany with the DA and witnessed firsthand the tireless work he puts forth on their behalf.
“His DA’s office is in touch with us all the time, working with us. He cares about the people of this county that he’s trying to put these laws through [for], to save future people and put away criminals.”
Surprised by the Murrays' appearance and grateful for their kind words, Tierney began his 40-minute speech by thanking the Murrays, and other victims’ families. He commends all who demonstrate courage by taking personal tragedy and turning it into action.
“The only thing they ask is they don’t want another family to go through what they went through,” said Tierney. “Incredibly inspiring.”
Tierney touched primarily on his administration’s successes in confronting the opioid epidemic in ways his predecessor did not. However, he admits that 465 overdoses recorded in 2023 is still
far too many, and that there is much work to be done.
He also thanked Suffolk County GOP Chairman Jesse Garcia and Conservative Party Chairman Mike Torres for their early confidences, confirming that they taught a political neophyte how to get things done beyond the prosecutor’s post.
“I decided to trust in them and the rest is history,” Tierney said. “Without them, I would not be on this stage.
The youngest of five, the lone boy amongst four older sisters—two of whom stood by him on stage alongside his wife, Erica, and 2 of his four children, Tierney also thanked his in-laws, nieces and nephews, and late parents. “Although they are not with me physically any longer,” Tierney said, “they are certainly with me spiritually.”
Regarding the remaining everpresent issues, Tierney believes that “from a structural point of view,” the County has accomplished a great many things during his tenure: a homicide bureau has been reestablished, and a substantial gang bureau has been formed. A task force approach led to the onslaught of breaks in the long-stalled Gilgo Beach serial killer investigation.
“What was missing was a comprehensive approach and proper
leadership, so we provided that,” Tierney said. He vows to continue to honor his promise to distribute the same investigative tenacity and stick-to-itiveness within cases— like organized retail theft wiretaps, crackdowns on stolen catalytic converters countywide and so forth—that may not be as highprofile, but are equally instrumental in ridding streets of vile.
Tierney also lauded the County’s creation of a “robust” community outreach program that previously saw no budgetary allocations. “It is important because we need to be accountable,” he said. “We need our communities to understand what we do.”
On the formation of additional special units taking on animal, environmental, and human trafficking-based crimes, Tierney memorably spoke: “When you take office, it’s not like modeling a home. The best way to change something is to have everybody move out, you do the remodel and then you have everybody move back in. You can’t do that with the DA’s office. You’ve got to change on the fly.”
He thanked administrative executive Jed Painter and his assistant district attorneys for their work on cases tackled within the aforementioned special units.
Credit: Ray Tierney For DA/Facebook
On “The Dr. Phil Podcast,” Frank Gervasi details his movie-like rescue of his missing 14-year-old daughter, Emma, held captive on a boat in the Islip Marina. Police arrested the alleged perpetrator hours later.
District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney speaks to his supporters while onstage at the Suffolk Theater in Riverhead on Tuesday, Jan. 7th.
ByRobertChartuk
Milestones Celebrated by Public Relations Pro
The stars came out to celebrate the man who helped them become stars. Public relations pro Todd Shapiro was feted all week for two remarkable milestones: his 60 birthday and 30 years in business representing who’s who in the political, celebrity, and corporate world.
“It’s easy to see how much of a power broker Todd is from the people celebrating with him: a literal who's who of New York,” said friend George Schwertl, ticking off the VIPs who turned out, including state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Long Island’s county executives Bruce Blakeman and Ed Romaine, Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney and Sheriff Errol Toulon. “There were so many friends; just a great week celebrating a great man.”
“Thirty years ago, I took a leap of faith and started Todd Shapiro Associates, and what a ride it has been,” said the PR man, who began his journey as a 19-year-
old assistant to Brookhaven Supervisor Henrietta Acampora. From there, he worked his way up to legislative aide, press secretary to County Executive Bob Gaffney, and eventually Vice President at the powerhouse New York public relations firm Howard Rubenstein Associates.
“Since founding my own firm, I’ve attended hundreds of galas, walked miles of red carpets, worked with governors, mayors, counties, and towns,” Shapiro reminisced. His influence is so widespread that it took events in Palm Beach, Albany, Manhattan, and Long Island to accommodate all his friends.
He’s been part of incredible projects such as coordinating First Lady Hillary Clinton's visit to the Huntington Townhouse, working with Donald Trump on his catering hall vision for Long Island, and hosting legends such as Billy Joel and Chevy Chase, who recently threw a party at the Albany War Room, Shapiro’s tavern that has become the place to be in the state Capital.
Helping candidates get elected at every level of government, Shapiro has been to the White House a dozen times and has collaborated with CEOs and law enforcement unions. He’s helped in the aftermath of 9/11 and addressed the tragedies of Flight 800 and the Long Island wildfires, all the while finding time to toss the first pitch with a client at Yankee Stadium, attend the Oscars and the Met Ball, as well as the final episode of The Sopranos with the cast. He’s even served as a voter for the Grammys.
“Through it all, we've stood by our values—working with leaders in government, entertainment, and law enforcement to make a difference, whether feeding the homeless or supporting those who protect and serve,” Shapiro said. “Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this incredible journey. What a fantastic 30 years it's been, and I'm beyond grateful for all of it. Guess what? I'm not stopping.”
True to his public relations roots, the publicist thanked the
many people who helped make his 30th milestone unforgettable: John and Margo Catsimatidis, former Governors David Paterson and George Pataki, Mayor Eric Adams, Attorney General Tish James, former Mayor Bill de Blasio, Al B. Sure, Mark Gastineau, Tommy DeVito, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Bruce Mosler, Stew Leonard, Jr., Assembly members
Suffolk County Legislature Organizes for 2025
Credit: Tevin Foster/Suffolk County Legislature)
Presiding Officer Kevin J. McCaffrey (standing right) is congratulated by Suffolk County Administrative Judge Andrew A. Crecca, following administration of the Oath of Office. Deputy Presiding Officer Steven Flotteron is seated.
ByDeborahWilliams
The Suffolk County Legislature held its annual Organizational Meeting on Thursday January 2nd, where Presiding Officer Kevin J. McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) and Deputy Presiding Officer Steven Flotteron (R-West Islip) were unanimously reelected.
County Executive Ed Romaine, who was twice a County Legislator in his long governmental career, addressed his Suffolk colleagues, whom he called his “partners in government,” thanked them for passing over 1,000 bills in 2024 and noted he had vetoed precisely zero. Romaine, a Republican, promised cooperation with all 18 legislators, regardless of political party affiliation.
Officer McCaffrey returned the compliment. “Thank you to my colleagues for once again
electing me for another year as your Presiding Officer. Thank you to County Executive Ed Romaine for your kind words today and for your friendship and leadership. I look forward to joining with my colleagues in working together to accomplish even more in the upcoming year,” said Presiding Officer McCaffrey.
McCaffrey was first elected Presiding Officer in 2022 after Republicans regained control of the Legislature for the first time since 2005.
He listed several measures from 2024 ranging from the hiring of more police officers, strengthening laws regarding illegal street races, and enacting prohibitions on uncertified lithium-ion batteries and chargers.
“In 2025, I look forward to finishing the work we started over the last several years. As always,
Public Safety is a priority. In this year we will hire 200 more Police Officers, and more Deputy Sheriffs, Correction Officers, and Probation Officers. This year’s budget will provide more resources for District Attorney Ray Tierney and his staff to continue to keep us safe along with Sheriff Errol Toulon. Last year we passed legislation that strengthened our laws on illegal street races and sideshows by including organizers and active participants. Under the leadership of FRES Chair, Legislator Dominick Thorne, we also strengthened our lithium-ion
battery law prohibiting faulty and uncertified batteries and chargers to be sold in Suffolk County,” said McCaffrey.
He also praised the passage of the revised Water Quality Restoration Act, the repeal of the Red-Light Camera Program, and continuing efforts to improve the County’s fiscal standing, among other significant legislation.
At the meeting, the Legislature: adopted its Rules for the coming year; reappointed William Duffy as Counsel to the Legislature; adopted its schedule of regular
Rebecca Seawright, Al Taylor, and Monique Chandler-Waterman, philanthropists Ken and Maria Fishel, philanthropist Jean Shafiroff, the FDNY and NYPD, WABC's Frank Morano & Rita Cosby, and friends from the New York Post and Schneps Media, where he does a column for Dan’s Papers—“the list goes on and on.”
meeting for 2025; designated official depositories for the County; designated official newspapers; and designated official local newspapers. Further, a series of Introductory Resolutions were laid on the table for consideration and assigned by the Presiding Officer to appropriate committees.
Deputy Presiding Officer Flotteron thanked his colleagues, and agreed with McCaffrey that public safety, maintaining fiscal discipline, and enhancing water quality should be the priorities of the Legislature.
Wolf Moon Rises Over Kalers
ByRobertChartuk
Rising at a time when wolves are thought to howl more often, the “Wolf Moon” sheds light on a frozen Kalers Pond in East Moriches.
Native Americans believe the scarcity of food during winter is behind the baleful cries of the animals. Other cultures called the January full moon the “Ice” or “Snow” moon. It is said to represent reflection, renewal, and the need for strength during challenging times. Farmers and ancient communities used full moons as markers for agricultural and hunting cycles.
The Wolf Moon follows the “Cold Moon,” named for the onset of winter. Due up in February is the “Snow Moon,” reflecting the precipitation typical of the month. March
The “Wolf Moon” rises over a frozen Kalers Pond in East Moriches.
will bring the “Worm Moon,” named for the appearance of earthworms as the ground begins to thaw.
Occasionally, an extra full orb occurs in a month—about every two to three years—and is called a “Blue Moon.” A “Supermoon occurs when the
Moon is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, appearing larger and brighter. The satellite doesn’t generate light on its own; it reflects the light of the sun. The moon phases, from crescent to full, depend on its position relative to the Earth.
Credit: Todd Shapiro Associates Todd Shapiro
Credit: Robert Chartuk
ByRobertChartuk
Center Moriches Scouts Earn Highest Honor
Three scouts from Troop 414 in Center Moriches were celebrated Sunday at a Court of Honor for earning the rank of Eagle, the Scouts of America’s highest achievement.
Hard work and dedication to the Eagle Oath paid off for Joshua M. Schultzer, Noah L. Reed, and Anthony G. Ortiz, who accepted the award surrounded by fellow scouts, family, and friends at the VFW hall on Main Street.
Since 1965, Troop 414 has boasted 124 Eagle Scouts who have completed a number of community projects on their path to the top rank, according to Scoutmaster Dan Guastella. Their success was recognized by a powerhouse of local officials at the Court of Honor, including County Executive Ed Romaine, Legislator Jim Mazzarella, Senator Dean Murray, Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio, Suffolk Police Officer Robert Bradford, and representatives of District Attorney Ray Tierney and Assemblyman Joe DeStefano.
About the Scouts:
Joshua Matthew Schultzer has been involved in scouting for seven years and spent six in the Cub Scouts before that. The William Floyd High School valedictorian is in his first year at Harvard University. For his Eagle project, he restored animal enclosures at the Suffolk County Farm in Yaphank. He’s attended Yawgoog Summer Camp in Rhode Island five times and helped them win Troop of the Week every year. Joshua, 18, served as an Assistant Senior Patrol Leader for two years and participated in nearly 50 unique service projects with his troop.
Outside of scouting, he’s held many leadership positions in high school, including two statewide positions in YMCA Youth and Government as the Deputy Speaker and Speaker of Assembly Liberty. Here, he helped plan the state conference and chaired an 80-person legislative chamber. The Eagle also participated in advocacy work and participated in the YMCA 2024 National Advocacy Days as one of only 54 Youth Advocates selected nationwide. At this event, he spoke to U.S. Congress members about funding for after-school activities and the YMCA. He has also advocated for local solutions to environmental issues through Students for Climate Action.
The Shirley resident is working toward a major in Integrative Biology, focusing on ecology, evolution, and organismic biology. Recently
completing his first semester at Harvard, he’s planning a career as an ecologist or zoologist working in real-life habitats to research animal behavior. Alongside his research career, he intends to engage in advocacy concerning climate change, clean energy, and conservation. He’s also pursuing a minor degree in government, looking to apply his environmental knowledge to the policy-making process.
Noah Louis Reed has been active in scouting for a dozen years, starting at age six. As part of his community service requirement for Eagle Scout, the Center Moriches resident rebuilt wheelchair-accessible tables and benches for residents at the Oasis Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. He currently attends SUNY New Paltz, majoring in adolescence education and math while excelling in a starting position as a freshman on the lacrosse team.
From an early age, Noah was drawn to help children with disabilities such as pica, autism, and Down syndrome, and he was able to find ways to help his classmates. His natural willingness to help others comes through in school, sports, scouts, friendships, and family. He believes showing compassion for others regardless of color, disability, or background is an honor, and he hopes to continue as a teacher at the secondary level. The 18-year-old earned five scholarships, all impacted by his community service as a Troop 414 member.
As an athlete, the Eagle Scout loves the meaning of being a part of a team. It is important to him to see his fellow teammates, coaches, and the team succeed. He’s felt the pain of sitting on the bench and the pain in his teammates and pledges to always stand beside them. His athletic achievements are outstanding, having been varsity captain in football, basketball, and lacrosse. He was named to the Suffolk County Watch List, All Division for Football, and All Division for Lacrosse, in addition to being on the New England Premier All-
Star Team with Club Lacrosse.
Noah’s most memorable Boy Scout moments came at Camp Yawgoog, where he got to ride an ATV and 414 won Troop of the Week for six straight years. He’s spent a summer week there since he was 12, participating in water carnivals, earning Merit Badges, and enjoying countless meals at the Medicine Bow Dining Hall. He was chosen to represent his high school and the troop at the New York Scout Convention and was elected Director of Recreation. He regards his family as his center and counts on them as an endless source of support and love.
Anthony Giovani Ortiz started his scout journey as a Pack 15 Tiger in Mastic Beach, with his mom as one of the leaders. After a year, they folded into Pack 2004 in Center Moriches,
where his fondest memory was of building a Pinewood Derby car with his uncle and racing it against other scouts. He rose through the ranks of Wolf, Bear, and Webelos and earned the Leave No Trace and World Conservation awards. His patrol in Webelos, which stands for “We’ll be Loyal Scouts,” was called the Ghost Busters, and for their Blue and Gold Dinner, they put on a skit about fighting the Marshmallow Man.
After Cub Scouts, the Mastic youngster joined Troop 414 and made his first rank within six months. He was very active in the community, participating in food drives, flag placement at Calverton National Cemetery, and Eagle projects. He enjoyed the troop’s many campouts, his favorite being in Mattituck and their big UNO-tournaments. He’s a Camp Yawgoog veteran
and had to hustle to make a second stool after a fellow camper broke the first one he had made. He earned five Merit Badges at the camp, including Swimming, his first required for Eagle, Archery, and Nature.
The COVID year of 2020 threw some obstacles in the scout’s way, but he overcame them. The troop couldn't meet, so they started new ways to earn badges through virtual classes. As the world began to open again, the troop decreased in size, yet they continued to be productive. They returned to Yawgoog, where he raked in even more badges on his way to Eagle and was honored as the troop’s Scout of the Year.
While earning the 21 Merit Badges needed for the rank of Eagle, Anthony became a Senior Patrol Leader. They focused on community service, including his Eagle project of rebuilding the planters at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Center Moriches. The new Eagle Scout,18, is currently working at a school and researching future career paths with a plan to take advantage of the skills he’s learned and follow Scout Law to always be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
Boating Courses to Meet Mandatory State Requirement
ByRobertChartuk
With New York State now requiring safety certificates for anyone operating a boat, courses are being offered in Riverhead through Safe Boating America.
Four dates are scheduled for the one-day course at the Riverhead Library as part of an effort organized by Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio. “Long Island is surrounded by water, and l want to make sure that everyone enjoying this beautiful resource stays safe,” Giglio said.
The class, which runs from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., will be available on April 19, May 17, June 28, and July 26. To sign up, visit www.SafeBoatingAmerica.com.
The state law requiring the safety certificates is named for Brianna Lieneck, an 11-year-old from Deer Park who tragically died in a 2005 boating accident. She was killed when a large boat crashed into her family’s vessel as they were returning from Fire Island.
Those taking the eight-hour course must pass an exam to prove
their efficiency in motorized boat operation, navigation, equipment usage, and safety protocols. The law applies to anyone of any age and includes Jet Skis and all other motorized watercraft. The registration fee is $85.
Based in Bethpage, Safe Boating America is operated by
Richard Werner, a U.S. Coast Guard licensed Master Captain with over 16 years of experience. He has personally taught boating education to more than 12,000 students across 350 sessions. Beyond teaching, Captain Werner spent three years advocating for Brianna’s Law.
Credit: Robert Chartuk
Credit: Robert Chartuk
Credit: Robert Chartuk
Noah L. Reed
Anthony G. Ortiz
Joshua M. Schultzer
BySouthShorePressStaff
Reporter Remembers Days in Scouting
Camp Yawgoog in Rhode Island is a summer haven for scouts, especially those at a recent Troop 414 Honor Court who went there to have fun and earn some of the Merit Badges needed to achieve the top rank of Eagle.
South Shore Press reporter Robert Chartuk attended the ceremony at the VFW hall in Center Moriches and shared stories of his time at the camp a half-century ago.
“They all had the Leatherworking badge from Yawgoog, which was an easy one
to check off the list,” Chartuk said of the troop’s three new Eagle Scouts: Joshua M. Schultzer, Noah L. Reed, and Anthony G. Ortiz. “They also had the Mile Swim award, earned by making it across Yawgoog Pond and back,” noted the reporter, who remembered having trouble with it as a scrawny 12-yearold. “I was able to earn the Swimming Merit Badge and learned all the different strokes— crawl, backstroke, butterfly, and sidestroke, which l used to get across the lake. We went fishing, rowing, shooting, made fires— everything you could ask for as a kid.”
The camp required everyone to attend church and someone in Chartuk’s group heard that the Jewish services were the shortest, so they all went there. “It was the first and last time l ever wore a Yarmulke,” he pointed out.
Troop 414 was unbeatable in water polo back in the day, defeating their arch nemesis, Troop 2 Barrington, two years in a row. “Chip Tyson was our secret weapon. He would swim underwater with the ball and pop up right at the goal and throw it in,” Chartuk said. Two of the troop’s Eagle Scouts were on the team, Mike Meyer and Dean Newins, who are among the 125 scouts from 414 who achieved the top rank. As they did back then, the latest group of Center Moriches scouts stayed at the Wuttah cabins in the Medicine Bow section, among the many at the 2,000-acre camp.
“They’re still doing the things we did in the early 70s—earning Marksmanship Badges at the Yawgoog range, going on Polar Bear campouts in the winter, and learning skills and guiding principles that will serve them their entire lives,” said the former scout. “I regret that l never made it to Eagle, getting only to Star. I
would really have cherished that to this day.”
Chartuk brought a gift for a Troop 414 scout, offering it with one proviso. It was a Camp Yawgoog neckerchief he had
Storming the Phoenix: East Islip Man Charged...
Continued from page 7
“I think the person might have had a moment of clarity, felt bad, and thought she [Emma] might be the missing girl,” Frank said. “I definitely think she had some involvement in it—how much, is unclear—but she may have been an active participant.”
When Frank arrived at the Islip Marina dock, the woman said she was not clear if Buckheit was on the boat, but was certain Emma was. “Go in at your own risk,” she advised. Frank did just that.
Emma’s monthlong restless father busted through the locked doors, unarmed and unsure of what he would meet on the other side of the curtain that separated him from the figure responding to the commotion he caused. To his adoration, what he saw was his daughter—who instantly recognized him as they rejoiced in a beautiful, hug-filled embrace.
According to Frank, Emma exclaimed: “How the hell did you find me?” as they reunited.
Frank next cleared the boat with Emma held behind her, relieved to see her father but also worrisome that her captor was en route back to the boat.
Once the coast was clear, they chatted briefly before police and a SWAT team arrived.
In the 5-minute window the Gervasi’s had together before detective interviews and sirens galore took over, Emma confirmed that a 3 a.m. phone call Frank received mere days after Emma’s disappearance— in which a voice resembling that of his daughter’s trembled to say, “I love you,” before abruptly hanging up—was indeed his daughter.
Emma’s captors—Frank insistent that the number of perpetrators in this case travels beyond Buckheit—reportedly allowed her to make this one phone call.
An ambulance transported Emma to the hospital, where doctors determined she was dehydrated from the drugs she was given.
Alleged in the criminal complaint, Buckheit drove a Mack truck up to the marina
a couple of hours later, shortly after 8:30 p.m., where police were waiting for him; “I’m just going home,” he told police, who measured the unsteady and alcohol-reeking Buckheit’s BAC at 0.12.
Based on statements given by Gervasi and the anonymous tip supplier—identified by media outlets as “a 34-yearold female witness,” Buckheit was charged with first-degree kidnapping, second-degree rape and endangering the welfare of a child, in addition to driving while intoxicated and other vehicular crimes.
“The police department was very helpful. They did a good job in aiding me to find her,” the Gervasi patriarch told Dr. Phil. “They never stopped looking for her."
And neither did he, Frank's interviewer perceived: “Frank never gave up hope during the loneliest holiday he ever went through,” Dr. Phil told the audience.
Electing not to elaborate upon the intricacies of their family dynamic, Frank confirmed that he currently
has full custody of Emma, and that Emma’s biological mother has seen and visited with Emma since her rescue.
Though Emma has been found, the very fact that Gervasi sported a “Protect Our Children” hoodie, coupled with the sentiments he signed off with during his guest spot on “The Dr. Phil Podcast,” suggests he will continue to help other parents find their missing children.
“There’s a lot of missing children out here—not just in Suffolk County, but across Long Island,” he said. “When my daughter went missing, it made us paranoid. It’s definitely a huge problem out here, and across the country.”
On regrets and what he will do differently once Emma returns home, Frank told Dr. Phil he seeks to crack down on social media in his household.
Though Emma never owned a cell phone, Frank says “kids are smart” and find work-arounds.
Surreptitiously gaining access to outside Internet put Emma directly in harm’s way; Frank refuses to let this happen
stashed away for 51 years, and he asked the recipient, T.J. Forster, if he would wear it during his visit to the scouting paradise this summer. The Mastic Beach Tenderfoot made a Boy Scout promise that he would.
again.
Dr. Phil urged Frank and other concerned parents to value the importance of dialoguing. He provided advice on how to circumvent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) triggers when trying to help children confront experiences of theirs that may be too embarrassing, shameful or humiliating to recount.
“It can be cathartic to talk about judgment,” Dr. Phil said. “Children's brains aren’t done growing [until 25 years old]... the last thing that grows is their ability to see around corners.”
Frank Gervasi concluded with one final message to all those who have been following his daughter’s case; they may have caught a break here, but countless others are not as lucky.
“There are predators everywhere,” he said. “You don’t necessarily need a phone to get in trouble these days. Be diligent, and keep an eye on your children.”
Credit: Rose Ortiz
Credit: Camp Yawgoog
Troop 414 Scout T.J. Forster gets a gift from South Shore Press Reporter Robert Chartuk, a Camp Yawgoog neckerchief he’s kept for a half century. He promised to wear it at the Rhode Island camp when he goes there this summer.
Camp Yawgoog
20th Annual Day of (French) Horn Festival is Coming Up
ByDeborahWilliams
More than 100 Suffolk County students will perform at the 20th Annual Day of (French) Horn Festival. Student musicians from Suffolk County schools will join together to celebrate the unique instrument - the French Horn.
The Suffolk County Music Educators' Association (SCMEA) anticipates that 100 students in grades four through twelve – along with college students, educators, and horn enthusiasts – will perform at the 20th annual Day of Horn on Friday, January 17, 2025, at Northport High School.
This year’s featured artist is East Islip native Michael Stevens, principal hornist with the Rochester Philharmonic since 2023. He has performed as guest principal horn
with the San Francisco Symphony, the Auckland Philharmonia, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
"The Suffolk County Music Educators' Association (SCMEA) always does a great job showcasing the talents of our students and highlights the importance that Long Island Schools still has for education in the arts. There are so many high quality music educational programs on Long Island, and this event helps highlight some of them," said Bob Vecchio, Executive Director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association.
An afternoon of rehearsals and clinics for the students will be followed by a free concert at 7:30 p.m. that is open to the public. It will feature Mr. Stevens, SCMEA’s
All-County Horn Ensemble, and a massed horn ensemble that will feature a winning student composer conducting all performers.
“We are proud to offer our annual Day of Horn to the students of Suffolk County,” said Angelina Wasson, SCMEA president and music educator in the South Country School District. “Since 2004, SCMEA has seen thousands of students perform with notable musicians that put the spotlight on the uniqueness of the instrument.
Special events like this are a testament to the strong music programs found in our Suffolk County schools.”
Commonly known as the “French Horn,” the name is not used as often as it once was. In 1971, the International Horn Society recommended calling the instrument simply “the horn.” The reason for the inaccuracy of the instrument’s name is unknown, but theorists believe it may have its 19th century origin from being
The Art of the “SALT”
Continued from page 2
This meeting is a promising sign that New York will have significant influence in national policy, particularly regarding economic relief and fiscal responsibility. President Trump's involvement in this issue could bring substantial benefits to New Yorkers, potentially easing the financial burden of high state and local taxes. By focusing on practical economic measures, Trump has the opportunity to contrast his administration's priorities with what many view as the Democrats' misplaced focus on social issues. If these changes
used while hunting in either Great Britain or Germany before being brought to France.
The Suffolk County Music Educators' Association (SCMEA) is a group of professional music educators and advocates of music education throughout Suffolk County, New York. SCMEA is a county affiliate of the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA), a state unit of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).
Deal!...
to SALT deductions are enacted, they could not only aid New York but also bolster Trump’s image as a leader committed to economic pragmatism.
Room for concerns:
Before the New York delegation met with President Trump, it's important to note that the president had met with the more conservative members of the House GOP, known as the House Freedom Caucus, the night before. Many in this group strongly believe that the SALT tax is a subsidy for states that mismanage their spending and over tax their constituency, therefore, raising
the caps could prove to be very challenging with them. Based on the brief I received, President Trump is working tirelessly to galvanize the party to pass his agenda and restore public confidence in the GOP's ability to govern for the people. I can say with confidence that some of these former colleagues of mine never entertained my discussions on SALT expansion when I was in the House of Representatives in 2023. I look forward to President Trump's success in uniting the party and executing his aggressive agenda for the economic recovery of our nation.
Scholarship Fundraiser on Tap for the Dr. Calabro Lodge of the Sons and Daughters of Italy in America
ByRobertChartuk
The new year brings renewed activity by the newest Long Island lodge of the Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, Dr. Calabro Lodge #3012, to fulfill its mission of providing scholarships to local students.
The Mastic Beach lodge invites the community to a fundraiser on February 2, honoring Suffolk Legislator Jim Mazzarella and Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico. The group’s Scholarship Gala, a “Celebration of Life and Learning,” will take place at Sunset Harbor in East Patchogue.
“Last year, despite being a lodge for only one year, the Dr. Calabro Lodge had the honor and good fortune of awarding six scholarships to local students to pursue their educational journeys,” said President Leonardo Saburro. “Our goal for this year is to exponentially grow the number of scholarships awarded by our Scholarship Fund.”
In 2023, the lodge created the "Anthony Stinson Memorial Scholarship," named for a 13-year-old boy from Shirley who succumbed to his injuries
after a tragic car accident while riding his bicycle. “To continue Anthony’s legacy and memory, our memorial scholarship will be awarded yearly to graduating 8th graders from Our Lady Queen of Apostles in Center Moriches who will be pursuing his or her education at a Catholic High School, plus graduating seniors from the William Floyd School District who will be attending college,” according to President Saburro. “We are looking to create more scholarships encompassing a variety of student interests and skills made available to communities across our Long Island region.”
This year, in addition to the Stinson scholarship, the group has created the Dr. Calabro Lodge Sons and Daughters of Italy in America Scholarship and the Dr. Calabro Lodge Sons and Daughters of Italy in America Scholarship. “We have committed to granting a total of 18 scholarships to help local students pursue their educational endeavors,” Saburro said.
The lodge is named after a prominent physician who had served the Mastic Beach community for years. “Doc
Senior” was the epitome of a country doctor, a familiar sight making house calls in his big black car. In 1947, Dr. Calabro fulfilled his lifelong dream of opening Bayview Hospital at the former Lawson Estate, doubling its size. His son, Frank, was also a doctor in the area—Brookhaven’s Calabro Airport is named for him. “We wanted to name the lodge after someone well known in the community, and Dr. Calabro is well remembered,” Saburro said, noting that the doctor’s granddaughter, Victoria Calabro-Mortimer, is a lodge board member.
The Sons and Daughters of Italy in America is the largest and oldest national organization for men and women of Italian heritage in the United States. Founded in 1905 by Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro as a mutual aid society for early Italian immigrants, it has thousands of members in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, making it the leading service and advocacy organization for the nation’s estimated 26 million people of Italian descent.
Legislator Mazzarella and Supervisor Panico are from the
Mastic-Shirley Area
Credit: Northport High School - SCMEA
Credit: Dr. Calabro Lodge
Northport students playing in Day of Horn 2024.
ByDeborahWilliams
Suffolk County Wins Millions in State Regional Economic Development Awards
Suffolk County will see a large investment in state dollars as part of Round 14 of the Regional Economic Development Awards.
Empire State Development (ESD) announced more than $11 million has been awarded to support over 100 economic development projects through three programs during Round XIV of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative.
The funding awarded represents programs targeted for three specific economic areas: small manufacturing businesses, not-for-profits, and feasibility studies for future development projects.
Brief Descriptions of the funded projects are:
The Town of Brookhaven will acquire nearly 20 acres of old growth forested land and freshwater wetlands along the Forge River to protect a well field, mitigate impacts from sea level rise, and provide flood mitigation during severe storm events. $650,000
The Village of North Haven will complete mapping of their MS4 infrastructure. $50,000
The Village of Westhampton Beach will expand their stormwater mapping program to meet the MS4 General Permit requirements. $70,000
The Town of Smithtown will install two bioswale and bioretention structures along
Cordwood Path, a narrow and steep roadway adjacent to Stony Brook Harbor. $462,500
1653 Foundation Inc. will restore degrading shoreline at Halesite Park on the eastern shore of Huntington Harbor. $549,955
The Village of Patchogue will construct a salt storage building to replace a current undersized structure. $600,000
The Town of Shelter Island will install in-waterbody controls in Fresh Pond. $260,000
Suffolk County will implement bioretention areas and a hydrodynamic separator to prevent untreated stormwater discharges to the Shinnecock Canal. $1,000,000
The Town of Brookhaven will acquire three undeveloped and naturally forested parcels to protect their drinking water source. $252,000
Suffolk County will acquire 110 forested acres in the Town of Brookhaven. $5,000,000
Suffolk County will construct improvements at Violet Cove located on Long Island's South Shore converting vacant land overlooking Moriches Bay into a recreational eco-destination.
$2,000,000
The Village of Sag Harbor will complete the update to its 2006 Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) and Harbor Management Plan. $90,000
The Village of Westhampton Beach will complete its Local
Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP). $66,300
The Town of Smithtown will design and construct improvements to Paul T. Given Park located at the headwaters of the Nissequogue River.
$1,200,000
The Village of Westhampton Beach will design and reconstruct the existing degrading bulkhead located at the end of Point Road in Pond Point to increase its resiliency to extreme weather events, wave and wake energy and storm surge.
$196,597
Long Island Cares, a food bank and wrap around service provider will make upgrades to bathrooms, office and warehouse floors, loading dock repairs and add two new offices to the warehouse.
$82,950
North Fork Arts Center, Inc. (NFAC) will renovate a space within their theater to launch the workforce development training in film and television production and post-production. $100,000
AHRC Suffolk County will renovate a portion of its roof in Westhampton Beach. $100,000
United Way of LI plans will modernize its net zero building by adding new computers and printers. $25,000
Community Action Southold Town, Inc. (CAST) serves vulnerable/low-income individuals and families on the North Fork of Long Island. They will expand their Culinary Program by upgrading the
Reward Going Higher in Tragic Dog Case
ByRobertChartuk
The reward for information on a dog found in a backpack in Miller Place is increasing as the Suffolk SPCA is making the case a top priority. They’re now offering $4,000 for information on the French or English bulldog, six months to a year old, whose severely emaciated remains were found in the woods November 14 off Miller Place-Yaphank Road, north of Whiskey Road.
Detectives with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are actively canvassing the area for witnesses or information related to what they’re calling a “heinous act of animal cruelty.” Anyone with information is urged to contact the SPCA at 631-382-7722.
“Animal cruelty will not be tolerated in Suffolk County,” stated Society Chief Roy Gross.
“If you witness any act of animal cruelty or neglect, please report it immediately to the Suffolk County SPCA. Together, we can ensure justice for these innocent animals.”
The reward increase comes on the heels of an announcement by Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney that his office has joined
teaching kitchen and acquiring a food truck. $98,000
Gigi's Playhouse, a network of Down Syndrome Achievement Centers, will expand services to help more families purchase more advanced fitness equipment such as exercise bikes and treadmills.
$32,000
CNC IntegrationRota Pack Inc., a Farmingdale aerospace machine shop, will purchase new CNC equipment. $63,000
Artisan Machining Inc., a Ronkonkoma manufacturer of aerospace and electronic parts, will purchase CNC equipment to increase production. $159,120
Basaran Grinder Corp., a Hauppauge manufacturer of custom grinding machines, will develop new equipment for use in the semiconductor and engine turbine markets. $86,000
Triangle Rubber Co., Inc., a Ronkonkoma manufacturer of mechanical rubber products, will expand their facility and add new equipment to increase production.
$250,000
New Age Precision Manufacturing, a Ronkonkoma manufacturer of precision metal dip-brazed products, will purchase new machinery and equipment to increase production for the aerospace and defense industries.
$50,050
Twinco Manufacturing Co., a Hauppauge manufacturer of safety components for the railroad and transit industries, will purchase new machinery and equipment to enhance production capabilities.
$250,000
Credit: Suffolk SPCA
forces with the Suffolk Police in Operation Bloodhound, an aggressive effort to stop animal cruelty. His office’s Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team (BEAST) has made significant arrests in recent animal abuse cases and is redoubling its efforts as Tierney emphasizes his commitment to animal safety.
Cubitek, a Brentwood contract manufacturer of precision machined parts for semiconductor, aerospace, defense and scientific instrumentation industries will purchase new machinery and equipment that will allow them to reduce product costs to remain competitive domestically and globally. $202,400
Howe Machine & Tool Corp., a Bethpage manufacturer of high-precision components, will purchase new machinery and
equipment to increase product offerings to support the aerospace and defense industries. $108,600
JC Enterprises, a Farmingdale manufacturer of architectural grills, will purchase a new building and add manufacturing equipment. This additional space will upgrade the existing laser cutting machine to a more current technology. $250,000
Suffolk County will develop a feasibility report that will review the current and future necessary sewerage infrastructure to improve economic, housing opportunities and environmental conditions in and around the proposed Heartland Town Square development. $100,000
John & Alice Coltrane Home was the home of two great black artists will be restoring the interior of the home, including installation of electrical and HVAC systems, for the celebration of the centennial of John Coltrane’s birth in 2026. $675,000
LabFriends of Science East, Inc. will restore Nikola Tesla's historic Wardenclyffe laboratory in Shoreham including structural repairs, roof reconstruction, and exterior restoration to protect and celebrate this iconic landmark. $500,00
The Town of Smithtown will design and construct improvements to Paul T. Given Park located at the headwaters of the Nissequogue River that will include kayak access and launch, installation of a nature hiking trail, fishing access path, elevated viewing platform, accessible walkways, rain gardens, native plants and parking. $300,000
The Long Island Greenway is a transformative project by Trust for Public Land that will serve as a vital connection to parks, businesses, schools, and transit systems, fundamentally changing the way Long Islanders play, commute, and live healthier lives. The LIG-B2M is a section of the larger Long Island Greenway that connects Medford to Brentwood.
$600,000
Credit: Grok AI/X
Suffolk County Wins Big in Regional Economic Development Awards
ByDeborahWilliams
NY's Reparations Commission Blew Millions of Dollars, Wants Millions More
New York’s Community Commission on Reparations Remedies has asked for more time and money from the legislature to study and complete a report on the impacts of slavery and systemic racism.
The Commission had already allocated $5 million and one year to research the consequences of original enslavement, segregation, and ongoing racism. The Commission president Seanelle Hawkins says they need more time because they have not yet hired an Executive Director and have many other positions unfilled.
New York State Conservative Party Chairman, Jerry Kassar said, "New York's divisive 'Community Commission on Reparations Remedies' has blown through most of its $5 million budget with zero to show for it. Now it wants more time - and another $5 million to waste. Shocker.”
Of note is that New York was never a slave state and also explicitly opposed the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and resisted its enforcement. Further, New York was considered a safe state for fugitive slaves.
The Commission now asks for
at least an additional six months to study the issue. Sponsors Sen. James Sanders (D-Queens) and Assembly member Michaelle Solages (D-Elmont) said they are not certain the law can be amended but they are talking to legislature leaders to push the issue.
The reasons why the Commission requested more funding when they have not started their work is unclear. Much, if not all, of the originally allocated $5 million should still be intact.
"Virtue signaling Democrats controlling the State Legislature will almost certainly renew the Commission - at any costknowing full well, in advance, what its recommendations will be: wealth distribution, the same goal the political Left has had since Marx published The Communist Manifesto in 1848. Reparations are just the latest tactic, and New Yorkers aren't falling for it,” said Kassar.
Many wonder why the need for the committee and for reparations.
“We confidently predict that the Commission’s findings will lead to other ethnic groups demanding redress for past injustices. Indeed, turning New
state policy. Is it any wonder Americans are turning away from the Party of Jefferson and Jackson? (These former presidents have been lamentably canceled by the Left), said Kassar.
Kassar concluded saying, "Meanwhile, what has the 'Commission' accomplished? Can they show us their work product? New York Taxpayers
California went through a largely performative reparations process in 2024 that had elements vetoed by the governor and other elements stopped from getting a vote. The California reparations proposals were mired in logistical, legal, and expense issues not to mention strong opposition. The process primarily resulted in an apology for slavery from the State of
Hochul Proposes Tripling of the Child Tax Credit
ByDeborahWilliams
Governor Kathy Hochul has proposed tripling the Child Tax Credit for children under 4 years old and doubling the average tax credit for all families. Hochul released the proposal in advance of her upcoming State of the State 2025 address.
The expanded Child Tax Credit Program is estimated to benefit 215,000 households and 355,000 children in Long Island and 2.75 million children across the state.
The plan would give 1.6 million New York families an annual tax credit of up to $1,000 per child under age 4 and up to $500 per child from 4 through 16. This proposal represents the single largest increase to New York’s child tax credit in its history, and a significant increase above the value of the existing credit, which currently provides only up to $330 per child.
“From groceries to strollers to kids’ clothes, the cost of living and raising a family is still too damn high — and that’s why we’re proposing a massive increase in
New York’s child tax credit to put up to $1,000 per kid back in the pockets of hardworking families,” Governor Hochul said. “As New York’s first mom governor, I know how hard it can be for parents to make ends meet — and I’ll never stop fighting to make New York more affordable
for every family.”
Under the expanded program a family of four with a toddler and school-age child, and a household income up to $110,000, would receive a credit of $1,500 per year which is nearly $1,000 more per year than under the current program.
The governor’s announcement did not provide any information on how much this expanded program will cost. The rub in these programs is that what might benefit one taxpayer is paid for by another taxpayer. The government has no money of its own, so when rebates and tax
The South Shore Press reached out to New York’s Community Commission on Reparations Remedies via phone and email for comment on why more time is being requested, what/how funds have already been spent, and what the requested new funding was intended for, and did not receive a response.
credits are “given” all the money comes from other taxpayers.
The Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council did estimate last year that if the Child Tax Credit were doubled it would cost taxpayers $9 billion. The governor’s proposal to triple it and add other income levels will significantly raise that cost.
While the full credit is available to jointly filing households up to $110,000, the expanded credit combined with its gradual rate of phase-out means even a family of four with household income of $170,000 would receive over $500 per year. That family would not have qualified for any credit under the current program.
The credit will be phased in over two years, with households with children under 4 eligible for their $1,000 credit for the 2025 tax year and those with children over 4 eligible for the $500 credit for the 2026 tax year. The Empire State Child Credit is a refundable credit, which can either help offset taxes or be paid out directly to taxpayers as a refund.
More families to get Child Tax Credit
Credit: Grok AI/X
are all eyes. Where's the beef?"
California.
Yorkers against one another based on their skin color is now official
Credit: Facebook
NY’s Reparations Commission wants more time and money.
ByDeborahWilliams
Rules for Thee, but Not for Me – Hochul Racks Up Private Plane Miles
Governor Kathy Hochul racked up a boatload of private plane miles while at the same time issuing dictates to average New Yorkers that they should not, and even cannot, use fossil fuels themselves. That is according to independent records from business owner
Sam E. Anta, Former "Crazy Eddy" CFO.
Whether it is your gas fireplace, gas hot water tank, gas furnace, or gas stove, Hochul has been warring against affordable and reliable gas appliances used
by regular New Yorkers.
She, and the Democrat-led legislature, also banned any new gas powered vehicles by 2035. The latest war on safety, reliability, choice, and our pocket books is the New York Climate Change Superfund Act.
Hochul recently announced an extension of New York’s Green New Deal by unveiling what she calls the Climate Change Superfund. Hochul said on X, “I’m fighting to protect New Yorkers who have faced billions of dollars in costs due to extreme weather. It’s time for large
polluters to pay their fair share.”
The Climate Change Superfund will tax fossil fuel companies $75 billion over 25 years to fund the MTA. Those costs will be passed on to already cash-strapped ratepayers across the state.
Sam E. Antar, Former Crazy Eddie CFO turned forensic accountant, said, “NY Governor Kathy Hochul wants to save us from extreme weather and polluters one private jet ride at a time.”
Crazy Eddie might be “crazy” but he’s not blind. The hypocrisy exhibited by New York’s governor and other elected leaders is astonishing. As they ban safe, reliable, and affordable gas-powered appliances and cars for you, Governor Hochul jets around in private planes burning jet fuel like crazy - perhaps not as much as Taylor Swift, but plenty by New York’s standards.
“Just as she just cranked up penalties on fuel producers
which will make the cost of the average jet fuel skyrocket, which means her bills for private jets increase and who pays for that?
US!” said X user RushwasRight.
Hochul’s campaign alone has spent over $415,000 on private planes. The New York Post reported that they believe an additional $75,000 was spent by the New York State Democrat Committee to fly Hochul.
Thruway Toll Evaders to Be Banned from the Road
ByDeborahWilliams
Have you been avoiding payment of New York State Thruway tolls? If so, get ready to be stopped by troopers and be banned from the road. The jig is up!
There are 570 miles of NYS Thruway between Buffalo and New York City and if you are a serial toll evader get ready to be banned – maybe even have your vehicle impounded.
The Thruway Authority adopted a new rule addressing serial toll evaders that will be enforced by New York State troopers using license plate readers.
Jennifer Givner, Chief Media and Government Relations Officer for the NYS Thruway said, “The vast majority of regular passenger vehicle users of the Thruway pay their tolls. These new enforcement measures are aimed at serial toll evaders.”
Exclusion of Vehicles from Thruway System for NonCompliance’ rule states: Vehicles violating any of the rules and regulations of the Thruway Authority, as well as other vehicles or vehicle types owned or operated by the owner and/ or operator of such vehicles or types, may be excluded from the Thruway system permanently or for a specified time.
Senator Dean Murray (R,C) weighed in saying “I'm happy to see them taking affirmative action to address the problem.
The Thruway Authority is losing $40 million per year. The MTA loses exponentially more. Whether it's toll evaders or fair evaders, the system is losing hundreds of millions a year.”
The theft of services from Thruway and MTA toll evaders adds up to real money. MTA loses approximately $700 million a year to fare evaders and the Thruway Authority loses between $35-55 million a year.
“I'm happy that they're taking this action to target the violators rather than what happens most of the time, which is, they calculate their losses then raise the tolls/ fares. That hits law-abiding citizens even harder taking more out of their pockets to make up for what the Authorities are losing. All that does is punish those that are doing it right,” said Murray. “I'm glad they're taking the right approach by focusing on those who are violating the rules and are trying to get away with it.”
“This is a very new provision for us at the Thruway, this is part of what's called the Tolls by Mail Enhancement Act that was just adopted after a public process, it was adopted at the end of December. The exclusion process
also jets around the state in planes owned by the New York State Police underwritten by taxpayers with their hardearned money.
Lawsuits have already been filed against a similar Climate Change Superfund in Vermont and New York will no doubt be next. In the meantime, New Yorker’s will keep on paying and paying and paying.
is new for us and violators will be excluded at the Thruway Authority's discretion,” says Givner.”
What drivers may not realize is that right now if you do not pay three toll bills within five years, there is a regulation that allows for your registration to be suspended.
“If you are pulled over anywhere in New York State with a suspended registration it’s at law enforcement's discretion, whether it's state police or local law enforcement, they have the
discretion to impound your vehicle.
When asked what the exclusion process could look like Givner said, “I don't want to go into all the details right now, but I want to ensure you on the record that we are closely monitoring out-of-state trucking companies, out-of-state motorists, all of our motorists in terms of egregious toll violators, and we have programs in place and in the works to address these egregious violators.”
Murray said, “If the Thruway
Authority needs any kind of legislative action to make the enforcement logistics work, I'm more than happy to help them. This is the right approach. It sends the right message to lawabiding New Yorkers.”
Some of the largest toll evaders are commercial trucking companies – one from Montreal, Canada, owes over $500,000. Most serial evaders are out-ofstate drivers and many are from New Jersey and Connecticut. Out-of-state toll evaders have accumulated over $120 million in unpaid tolls.
She
Gov. Hochul racks up private plane miles while putting massive taxes on fossil fuels use for regular New Yorkers.
Sam E. Antar comments on Gov. Hochul's use of private jets.
Credit: Grok AI/X
Credit: Grok AI/X
Evade NYS Thruway tolls at your peril.
ByDeborahWilliams
Hochul Unveils Free School Lunch and Breakfast Program
Governor Kathy Hochul announced a free breakfast and lunch program for more than 2.7 million students in New York.
Hochul announced the program as her fifth proposal as part of the “affordability agenda” for the 2025 State of the State. Hochul said the “historic initiative ensures every single one of New York’s over 2.7 million students can receive breakfast and lunch for free at school. This monumental program will help save parents money, address food insecurity among New York kids, and create more opportunities for students to succeed.”
The governor’s office said that offering free school meals is an effective way to help keep kids in school and able to focus in the classroom. By eliminating any
financial requirements to receive this benefit, New York State will level the playing field and give parents back the money they would be spending.
Governor Hochul unveiled the proposal on Long Island at Westbury Middle School.
Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association Executive Director Bob Vecchio said, “We are grateful to the Governor for advancing this cause and leading the way on this issue. Food insecurities impact so many communities in every region of New York State. By supporting this initiative, it eliminates the issue of food insecurities in our schools for so many, while also making sure the students who will benefit by this measure won’t suffer from the stigma attached with being eligible for free or reduced meals.”
“The research is clear: good food in the lunchroom creates good grades in the classroom,” Governor Hochul said. “I'm proposing free school meals for every student in New York –
giving kids the sustenance they need and putting more money back in parents' pockets.”
Trump Guns Blazing at News Conference
ByRobertChartuk
Hamas will have “Hell to pay” if they don’t return the hostages by the time he takes office. The Gulf of Mexico will be renamed the “Gulf of America,” control of the Panama Canal will go back to the U.S., and our neighbors to the north and south will face stiff tariffs if they keep allowing illegal immigrants and drugs to come through their countries. These were just a few of the topics at a wide-ranging press conference by incoming President Donald Trump, who came out with guns blazing as he set the stage for his new administration.
The 45th and now 47th president pitched a commonsense approach to tackling America’s problems and made it clear that the interests of his country's citizens would come first. The billionaire businessman promised a “New Golden Age” for America focusing on the economy and rebuilding the nation’s respect on the global stage, a reputation left in tatters by his predecessor.
Trump returns to the White House as the country faces a multitude of problems he says were under control during his previous term. The economy, inflation, illegal immigration, foreign wars—the issues that propelled his reelection—will be addressed, he promises, right out of the gate.
Trump started the presser with the introduction of United Arab Emirates businessman Hussain Sajwani, who pledged
a $20 billion investment in the U.S. for new data centers. Trump panned the energy policies of the Democrats, stating they will not come close to powering a new economy driven by artificial intelligence. He suggested power plants be built alongside the electricity-gobbling data centers and pledged to streamline the approval process to get them built. Sajwani’s announcement comes on the heels of a $100 billion AI deal Trump cut with Japanese mogul Masayoshi Son, an investment the president encouraged the SoftBank executive to double.
He introduced Steven Witkoff, his special presidential envoy for Middle East peace, and publicly tasked him to win the return of the hostages seized in the horrific raid Hamas conducted
on Israel. If the captives are not released by the time he takes office on January 20, "It will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone," the president warned, staring into the camera. "All hell will break out. I don't have to say anymore, but that's what it is."
Trump left the heads of the White House press corps spinning when he announced his Gulf of Mexico rebranding. “That covers a lot of territory, the Gulf of America. What a beautiful name, and it’s appropriate,” he said, referencing everything the U.S. does on behalf of the Gulf region. While he was at it, Trump remarked that Greenland should be part of the United States, which should also take back control of the Panama Canal, a vital waterway
This is the first time New York State has tried to implement a program this widespread. The FY 2025 Enacted Budget included $180 million to help incentivize eligible schools to participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, allowing all students in participating schools to eat breakfast and lunch at no charge regardless of their families’ income.
This new State of the State initiative will cover the cost of free lunch and breakfast for every student at every school in New York State regardless of their participation in the program, which will expand eligibility to nearly 300,000 additional students.
Free school meals are estimated to save families $165 per child in grocery spending each month and have been shown to support learning, boost test scores, and improve attendance and classroom behavior.
he said is now controlled by China. He expressed the military and economic importance of both Greenland and the canal, which he pointed out was built by the United States at a great cost of money and lives.
Using the press event to lay down markers for negotiations with other nations, Trump made a case for severing ties with Canada if they don’t agree to better trade arrangements and tighten their border. Everything Canada supplies to the U.S.— cars, lumber, even milk—the country has in abundance here at home, he stressed, adding that he would rather have the cars sent from Canada, 20% of the U.S. market, made in Detroit. Trump’s tough stance on its northern neighbor and his pointing out its precarious position of relying on $200 billion in U.S. subsidies for its economic well-being has led to the resignation of its prime minister, Justin Trudeau.
Trump went on to rebuke Mexico for its cartel activities, trade deficits with the U.S., and failure to stop the flow of migrants over the southern border. “We have a massive deficit with Mexico, and we help Mexico a lot,” he noted. “They're essentially run by the cartels, and we can't let that happen. Mexico is really in trouble, a lot of trouble, a very dangerous place.”
Reminding the world that he forced European countries to pay their fair share into NATO, Trump blamed the war in Ukraine on Biden, saying his
insistence that the country join the organization threatened Russian President Putin and his abrupt pull out from Afghanistan emboldened him to attack. “Russia is losing a lot of young people, and so is Ukraine, and it should have never been started. I guarantee you, if I were president, that war would have never happened,” Trump said, adding, “The cities are all blown up, the people have largely left, and the soldiers are killing each other at levels that haven't been seen since the Second World War. So, we'll have to get that one straightened out too. That's a tough one, much tougher than it would have been before it started, I can tell you that.”
To usher in a new golden age, Trump doubled down on his pledge to tap the country’s vast oil and gas resources. He voiced his annoyance over the outgoing administration’s recent move to restrict 625 million acres from offshore drilling and said he will overturn the decision promptly upon taking office to generate revenue and wean the nation off its dependence on other countries for fuel. He also faulted Biden’s green energy policies, arguing that windmills are too expensive, costly to dispose of, and hazardous to marine life.
“We are at the beginning of a great, beautiful Golden Age of business,” the president promised. “And I think we're also at a Golden Age of common sense. We’re going to have a great country again.”
Students having lunch in the cafeteria.
Credit: Grok AI/X
President Donald Trump
Credit: Press Pool
ByRobertChartuk
The World Is a "Mess" as Biden Heads for the Exit
With 53 years in public office, Joe Biden was hailed for his knowledge of foreign affairs and sold as the “adult in the room” to keep the world free from strife. He doubled down on his supposed expertise during his final days in charge, yelling at a reporter, "My being the oldest president, I know more world leaders than any one of you ever met in your whole goddamn life."
Rather than peaceful, the globe is a “mess” after four years of Biden, as described by President Donald Trump, who is quick to point out that for the first time in 72 years, no wars started under his watch. Here’s a rundown of the state of world affairs Trump faces as he reenters the White House:
Russia-Ukraine War: Trump emphatically states that the war never would have started under his watch. He blames his predecessor for pushing Ukraine’s entrance into NATO as a tipping point and said Russian leader Vladimir Putin was emboldened to attack by Biden’s botched pullout from Afghanistan, a national embarrassment that left $85 billion in weapons to the Taliban and China. Trump argues that the end of the nearly threeyear war should have been negotiated by now and blames its continuance on the $175 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars
funneled into it by the Biden administration, money Trump says would be better spent here at home.
War in the Middle East: After the terrorist group Hamas raided Israel, torturing, raping, and killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, Israel engaged in a war to root them out of Gaza. Again, Trump blamed Biden’s weakness on the world stage for the attack, the worst on the Jewish population since the Holocaust. He warned that if the hostages are not released by the time he takes office on January 20, “It will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone. All hell will break out. I don't have to say anymore, but that's what it is."
Houthi Attacks: Iran-funded Houthi rebels based in Yemen have escalated attacks on Israel, launching missile and drone strikes on Tel Aviv, Israel’s financial and commercial capital. They have also attacked ships in the Red Sea, disrupting global commerce. Counterattacks have been launched by the United States as part of a coalition including Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Israel, and the Netherlands. The U.S. Navy’s engagement with Houthi forces in the Red Sea escalated last summer into one of the most intense ongoing sea battles since World War II.
Another Iran-sponsored terrorist group, Hezbollah, has conducted a number of attacks on Israel, including drone strikes on its military bases and rocket launches against civilian targets. Israel responded with airstrikes into Lebanon, which Hezbollah countered with additional bombardments.
Iran Attacks: In October, for the first time ever, Iran directly attacked Israel, launching over 300 missiles and drones. This marked a significant shift in
DA Ray Tierney Announces Bid...
Continued from page 7
Though most definitely proud of his team, Tierney is the first to admit that every day is a reminder the fight never rests.
“There’s carnage on our streets,” he said, vowing to call for more comprehensive vehicular laws to combat the rampant uptick in reckless driving-based terror on the local front. Tierney believes “driving while drugged” laws need updating, given the recent legalization of marijuana.
“We need to test our ‘driving while drugged’ laws like ‘driving while intoxicated’ [laws]. It doesn’t mean we’re anti-marijuana,” said Tierney. “We’re pro-public safety.”
Tierney concluded by rattling off some “I told you so’s” to all naysayers who balked at his “ShotSpotter” program proposals. The cutting-edge technology that tracks every time a gun is fired in a given region concluded that:
• Shooting incidents dropped over 43% from 2023-2024
• Shooting victims dropped 33%
• Individuals killed by gun violence dropped by 67%
In this past year, 26 people were shot in Suffolk County— down from an average of 80, and a 62% decrease from the total number of people shot in 2021.
Moreover, there were 280 incidents wherein a shot was fired in the community when it was without shotSpotter access in 2020-21.
In 2024, there were 90 such incidents—a 68% decrease.
“To my earlier critics who said ShotSpotter will make you look bad,” Tierney said, explaining that ShotSpotter prohibits one from lying about their stats, “if you do your job properly, everyone will look good.”
According to Tierney, the homicide rate fell by 39% this past year as well, providing the lowest rate since the state began tracking said statistics.
The district attorney also notes that overall violent crime has overwhelmingly dwindled.
“We are the safest big county in the state,” said Tierney, “and one of the safest big counties in the country.”
What’s next? Tierney will not settle for mediocrity; not with the bar already set so high.
“We’re going to continue to fight, we’re going to continue to work to make Suffolk County safe, we’re going to continue to make law enforcement fair, make it accountable, and make it effective, and we’re going to do it not just for the North Shore or the South Shore or the East End or the West End—but for all of Suffolk County.”
government collapsed. Under increasing pressure from a disgruntled public, President Emmanuel Macron appointed Centrist François Bayrou, the fourth prime minister in the last year, in a situation not seen in that country since 1934.
South Korea: After President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in December, alleging that the Democratic Party was collaborating with North Korean Communists to undermine the country, he was impeached. Efforts to arrest him have spurred massive protests as the political crisis weakens the nation's economy. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo briefly served as acting president until his own impeachment days later. The nation’s security chief resigned amid turmoil credited to the influence of China.
the country’s war footing as it usually depended on proxies such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis to carry out its assaults. The conflict included Israeli airstrikes on Iranian interests in Syria and the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
Syria: President Bashar alAssad was ousted from office in December following a rapid advance by Islamist insurgents. He fled the country his family controlled for over 50 years and has taken refuge in Russia.
Canada: As President Trump was getting set to retake the White House, he began laying down negotiation markers with America’s neighbor to the north. He asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau what would happen if the $200 billion in subsidies the U.S. provides to his country every year ended. Trump's conclusion that Canada would be better off financially and militarily if it became America's 51st state set off a firestorm of internal criticism, leading to Trudeau's resignation.
United Kingdom: Facing growing economic concerns and public backlash over the country’s open immigration policies, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak resigned following a substantial defeat in July’s general election to Labour Party’s Keir Starmer, who then became prime minister. The same issues tanked Prime Minister Liz Truss, who only held the office for an unprecedented 44 days. She was preceded by Boris Johnson, who served three years and is widely criticized for helping foment the war in Ukraine.
France: The country is facing a historical political, social, and financial crisis. In December, Prime Minister Michel Barnier's
China: Analysts report numerous moves being made by the Communist country in preparation for invading Taiwan. The domestic mood is seen as reaching a boiling point over 75 years of crushing Communist control and a war with the neighboring country, and ostensibly with its supporters, including the United States, is seen as a strategy by President Xi Jinping to rally nationalist support. Meanwhile, China is expressing its hegemony all over the world with moves in many economically stressed regions, such as the development of a military base in Cuba and control of the Panama Canal. Chinese cyberattacks on U.S. institutions, including the Treasury Department and telecommunications companies, are seen as precursors to war.
Germany: Europe’s largest and most economically powerful nation is facing significant political upheaval, marked by the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government in November. This development has led to a troubling period of instability as the country heads toward snap elections.
Iraq: After a yearlong leadership vacuum, the nation's Parliament elected a new speaker in November, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani. The Sunni politician has close ties to Iran, the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism.
Africa: Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso are facing growing insurgencies from groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIS. Somalia is battling Al-Shabaab, an Islamist militant group that controls parts of the country. South Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war with widespread violence and political instability.
Hezbollah Attacks:
Credit: Chat GPT
HISTORY LESSONS
BY RICHARD ACRITELLI
"It is the imperative and indispensable duty of the government of the United States to secure to every resident inhabitant the free and independent expression of his opinion by his vote. This sacred right of each individual must be preserved. That being accomplished, nothing can be fairer than to leave the people of a territory free from all foreign interference to decide their own destiny for themselves, subject only to the Constitution of the United States." - 15th American President James K. Buchanan
Today as America prepares for the second inauguration of the presidency of Donald J. Trump, history has not always been kind during the transitional period. Even as one president is entering, and another is leaving, there are serious situations that impact the direction of this country. The most crucial transfer of power occurred after the Election of 1860 through the victory of Abraham Lincoln and the actions of outgoing “lame duck” President Buchanan.
In Illinois, Lincoln watched the division of the nation unfold, as by December 20th, 1860, South Carolina was the first of seven southern states to quickly secede from the Union. For almost five months until the inauguration, Lincoln was powerless to act, as most of the southern states refused to recognize his presence as their leader. In office Buchanan was an experienced congressional representative from Pennsylvania for five terms, a former secretary of state, and a minister to England and Russia. This seasoned leader also spent 10 years in the Senate is widely perceived as the worst American leaders of all times. As Lincoln idly waited in Illinois and later in Washington, D.C., Buchanan did little to support the incoming president through his notion that he did not want to make this “situation” worse for the nation. While President George Washington forcefully put down the “Whiskey Rebellion” and Andrew Jackson threatened to use military force during the “Nullification Crisis,” Buchanan demonstrated no resolve to prevent the early secession of these southern states.
During a State of the Union Address to Congress, Buchanan understood that secession was illegal, but he did nothing to prevent the South from leaving this government. Buchanan rationalized his feelings, “All for which the slave States have
ever contended, is to be let alone and permitted to manage their domestic institutions in their own way. As sovereign States, they, and they alone, are responsible before God and the world for the slavery existing among them. For this the people of the North are not more responsible and have no more fight to interfere than with similar institutions in Russia or in Brazil.” His Secretary of State Lewis Cass from Michigan was furious with Buchanan’s lack of management of this crisis, and he resigned his position.
Buchanan often sought ways as president of the United States not to enforce his authority to protect the survival of this country. He accepted the Dred Scott decision to strengthen the property rights of slave owners and advocated for the use of popular sovereignty to allow the new states and territories to determine the fate of slavery within their own areas. Buchanan, a Pennsylvanian scared his own region, as it was possible at this time that slavery in the western areas could expand toward the Canadian border. The outgoing president weakly stressed, “It is beyond the power of any president, no matter what his own political proclivities may be, to restore peace and harmony among the states. Wisely limited and restrained as is his power under our Constitution and laws, he alone can accomplish but little for good or for evil on such a momentous question.”
On February 11th, 1861, with his family, Lincoln began a twelve-day journey that took him through parts of the midwest, the northeast, and eventually to the capital. Before leaving office, Lincoln stressed to a friend that it was “inevitable” that force was needed by the government to put down the earliest aspects of this “rebellion.” A nervous Lincoln, appreciated the support that was given to him by the residents of Springfield, Illinois, and he expressed to his law partners, “If I live, I’m coming back some time, and then we’ll go right on practicing law as if nothing had ever happened.” Lincoln received mighty cheers from the local citizens and he thanked them for the kindness that was shown to him over the last 25 years in this city. As Lincoln slowly traveled eastward, Mississippi Senator and United StatesMexico War Colonel Jefferson Davis was sworn in as the first president of the Confederacy in Montgomery, Alabama. Next to Davis was an older congressional
The Difficulties of the Transition of Power
Between President’s James K. Buchanan and President-Elect Abraham Lincoln
During this long trip, Lincoln made several speeches to the people that were designed not to be inflammatory toward this crisis, but he spoke of the need to prevent long-term secession. Lincoln was briefed about the peaceful certification of the election results in the capital, especially by the southern states who did not hinder his ability to become the 16th president of the United States. In Philadelphia, Lincoln exerted his will to maintain the foundations of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution to prevent the demise of the United States and expressed that he would “rather be assassinated on this spot than to surrender it.” In Baltimore, members of the Pinkerton Detectives alerted Lincoln of threats against his life and warned him that precautions were needed to protect him for his survival. On February 23rd, 1861, this one-term congressional representative from 1847-1849, set foot in Washington, D.C., for the first time in 12 years dressed as a woman. National newspapers reported the “unchivalrous” entrance of the president-elect into Washington, D.C., as a “coward.”
Toward Buchanan’s final moments in office, it was never his position to use force through the fear that it would escalate these volatile tensions. Even if Buchanan wanted to exert power, there were only about 16,367 officers and soldiers, and a total lack of resources to oppose the earliest moments of secession. While Buchanan presented a timid response, the military forces were thinly stretched throughout the nation. Before the firing at Fort Sumter, most of the Union
military bases and its armaments were captured by the South, as the Confederacy allowed safe passage for the soldiers to return northward. As Lincoln created his own cabinet, he inherited a military force that lost 20% of its officers who resigned their commissions to serve in the Confederate military. The small professional officer corps that descended from the United States Military Academy at West Point had 200 officers return to uniform with 92 willing to fight for the Confederacy and 102 serving under the Union flag. Many of these officers like General Ulysses S. Grant were experienced during the U.S.Mexico War and they quickly emerged as the future combat leaders of the North and South.
At this moment, there were efforts to prevent the Civil War through a peace conference that was held and participated in by 33 states at the Willard Hotel in the capital. Lincoln stayed at this same location and he was not far away from the attempts of congressional proposals to add new amendments to the Constitution. Former President John Tyler, a supporter of slavery, unsuccessfully presided over this meeting to create a solution to limit the friction between the states. Later, Kentucky Senator John J. Crittenden created a compromise that allowed slavery to be permanent in the United States. While he sought six more amendments to be added to the Constitution to protect slavery, Lincoln and the Republicans refused to endorse this plan.
For the first time as presidentelect, Lincoln went to Congress to meet with leaders from both parties and regions. There was immense curiosity from these politicians over the presence of Lincoln, as one reporter wrote that the president-elects “face has
not yet become familiar enough to be popularly recognized here.” Lincoln looked like a common man, was a veteran of the Black Hawk Indian War, a lawyer, former representative, and a better known figure within the internal politics of Illinois. His views were widely publicized in the papers through the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas Debate over the present political state of affairs in this nation. Although Lincoln lacked the national and foreign experiences of Buchanan, this politician endured a great deal of failure in his life, and he understood the importance of handling adversity. Congressional leaders wondered what steps that this 52-yearold from Illinois was going to take to prevent the demise of the United States. Lincoln had an impressive physical stature standing stood at six foot four, many leaders and citizens often looked “upwards” toward a president that is considered to be amongst the finest ever to hold this office.
On March 4th, 1861, Buchanan presided over his final cabinet meeting and was given an army report by Major Robert Anderson on the precarious situation for Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Sitting next to General Winfield Scott, Buchanan never made any recommendations toward defense of this Union base in Charleston Harbor. Later, riding to the inauguration with Lincoln, Buchanan never disclosed this hazardous situation that Lincoln was just about to inherit from his administration. Rather, Buchanan told Lincoln, "If you are as happy entering the presidency as I am leaving it, then you are a very happy man." As Lincoln addressed the inaugural ceremony, he spoke about national understanding that the Union will not be the “aggressor” toward the South, and that he would not end slavery in America. Although he extended the olive branch in one hand, Lincoln informed the southerners that he would support the Constitution and protect the people and property of this country. Buchanan retired to his estate in central Pennsylvania and lived to see the bloody end of the Civil War. Just before his death in 1868, he said, “History will vindicate my memory from every unjust aspersion.” It has been estimated that Buchanan’s lack of leadership some 164 years ago at this moment, amounted to treason against the survival of the United States.
friend of Lincoln’s, Vice President Alexander Stephens from Georgia.
President Abraham Lincoln Face Portrait on 5 Dollar Bill Isolated, Five USD, US Money Close-up
Credit: Vkilikov | Dreamstime.com
BY NANCY BURNER, ESQ.
Yes, the 72.5 million Americans receiving Social Security will enjoy a 2.5% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increase in 2025. This is in comparison to a 3.2% increase in 2024 and a whopping 8.7% increase in 2023, a result of the coronavirus pandemic. While we see a COLA many years, there have been years where an increase was not given.
If you are a recipient, you should have received in December a notification of your 2025 benefits. The year 2025 will mark a change in the form of the statement, called a Notice of Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA). The new and improved form is intended to more clearly explain the COLA, relevant deductions, and the amount you will receive. The first item on the Notice will be the monthly amount of benefits before deductions. It will then list whether there are deductions for Medicare Insurance Parts B and C, a Medicare Prescription Drug Part D Plan, tax withholdings for noncitizens, and
Understanding Social Security Retirement Income in 2025
voluntary federal tax withholding for citizens. The statement will then list the monthly amount that will be given after deductions. This amount is often received as a direct deposit into a checking or savings account, although some individuals still receive the benefit in a paper check sent via mail.
information. In addition to being able to retrieve duplicate statements, the portal allows you to gain information about your benefits at an earlier date then you will receive by mail. Those that do not receive benefits can use the portal to receive estimated benefit amounts on your own work record or for spousal benefits, check the status of an application, order a replacement Social Security card, or receive proof that you do not receive benefits. Recipients can use the online system to change direct deposit, get a 1099 form to show benefits received over the course of the year, print a verification of benefits or change a mailing address.
If you did not receive a statement in the mail, you can request that a replacement be mailed from the Social Security Administration or you can log on to SSA.gov to view your statement.
family serving yours since 1976
www.romafuneralhome.com
The Social Security Administration website urges individuals to create an online profile to receive this and other
Britt is a Partner at Burner Prudenti Law, P.C. and the Chair of the NYSBA Elder Law and Special Needs Section, focusing her practice areas on Estate Planning and Elder Law. Burner Prudenti Law, P.C. serves clients from New York City to the east end of Long Island with offices located in East Setauket, Westhampton Beach, Manhattan and East Hampton.
LIVING
BY TARA D’AMATO
Assistant Library Director
The Community Library has two great video streaming services you can access with your library card. Watch free movies at home, on the go on your tablet or laptop, or stream to your smart TV. Instead of paying cable TV fees or Amazon Prime, make the most of your library membership and save some money by streaming. Visit www.communitylibrary. org and select Books, Movies, Music from the top menu to get started.
HOOPLA
Hoopla lets you borrow digital music, movies, including children’s movies, documentaries, comics and graphic novels for children, teens, and adults to stream in your web browser or to enjoy offline on your device. Instead of having holds and wait periods, you
can borrow titles anytime you want. Any title you borrow can be viewed across any device you’re signed into.
To use Hoopla on your device, you must download the App first. Find the Hoopla app in the Apple Google Play store and use your library barcode to sign in.
KANOPY
Watch up to 10 critically acclaimed movies, inspiring documentaries, and awardwinning foreign films each month. While it’s not the spot to go for the most current Hollywood blockbusters, it fills in our video library with content like award winners, classic and indie films, and foreign content. Kanopy also recently teamed up with HBO Documentaries, the hot indie studio A24 and the prestigious Criterion Collection to offer content.
Simply add your Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library card number and PIN or password after selecting Kanopy from the library’s webpage.
Kanopy is a videostreaming platform dedicated to thoughtful and thought-provoking films. With an ideal platform for showcasing independent films that fuel lifelong learning, Kanopy is on a mission “to ensure that everyone has access to enriching films that bridge cultural boundaries, spark discussion, and expand worldviews.” You can choose from thousands of Hollywood classics, mainstream hits, art-house releases and foreign films to watch with the service.
Credit: Mykhailo Polenok | Dreamstime.com
Happening at the
Children & Parents
Register for programs three easy ways: in person, online at www.communitylibrary.org or contact the Children’s Reference Desk at 631-399-1511 Ext. 2016 for the Moriches Branch or Ext. 1030 for the Mastic Beach Branch or Ext. 2028 for the Main Building.
Crafts-To-Go can be picked up at open library locations. One craft per child, per visit please
PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOL–AGE KIDS
Snowman Lantern Craft
ALL IN-PERSON PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED IN-PERSON ONLY. SUPPLIES WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP.
Short Story
Thursday, January 16
6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Held at our Moriches Branch.
Drop-in. No registration required. Grades K-5.
PROGRAM REGISTRANTS MUST ARRIVE WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF THE START OF EACH PROGRAM OR THEIR RESERVATION WILL BE FORFEITED.
Writing Workshop for Kids
Thursday, January 23
7:00 – 7:45 p.m.
Held at our Main Building. Grades 2-5.
BABIES / PRESCHOOL
Crafting a Dream:
Registration begins one week prior to each session unless otherwise noted.
MLK Jr. Story and Art
Explore Everything - Shapes!
Friday, January 17
Snow Globe Handprint Craft
Tuesday, January 28
Monday, December 2, 11:00 – 11:30 a.m.
4:30 – 5:15 p.m.
Held at our Moriches Branch.
Held at our Main Building. Grades 3-5.
Ages birth-23 months with an adult.
Zumbini
Baby Playdate
7:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Fridays, December 13 & 27
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Held at our Moriches Branch. Grades K-5.
Held at our Moriches Branch.
Fridays, December 6 & 20
Babies Bonding: Snowy Mittens
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Tuesday, December 3, 11:00 – 11:45 a.m.
LEGO Club
Held at our Mastic Beach Branch.
Monday, January 20
Ages birth-4 years with an adult.
3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Groundhog Day
Storytime and Craft
Held at our Mastic Beach Branch.
Wednesday, January 29
6:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Please note this is an unstructured meet up.
Tuesday, December 17, 11:00 – 11:45 a.m.
Messy Meetups
Held at our Main Building.
Wednesdays, December 4 & 18
Drop-in. No registration required. Grades K-5.
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Held at our Moriches Branch.
Ages 18 months-5 years with an adult.
Beginner D&D
Baby Games
Tuesday, January 21
Monday, December 9
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
Held at our Moriches Branch.
Held at our Mastic Beach Branch. Grades 4-5.
Monday, December 16
10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
Held at our Main Building.
Guided Meditation for Kids
Wednesday, January 22
Ages birth-18 months with an adult.
7:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Held at our Moriches Branch. Grades K-5.
SCHOOL-AGE
Homework Whiz Kids
Thursday, January 23
5:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Tail-Waggin’ and Readin’ Fun!
Mondays, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Held at our Main Building. Tuesdays, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Held at our Mastic Beach Branch.
Held at our Main Building. Grades K-3.
Ages birth-23 months with an adult.
Little Creators
Bookworm Book Club: Amulet. Book One
Friday, January 31
4:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Art Studio Monday, December 16 10:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Held at our Main Building.
Held at our Mastic Beach Branch.
Ages 18 months-5 years with an adult.
Held at our Main Building. Join us for a morning of bonding with your little one! We will read a story together and then create a winter craft for your child. Dress for a mess as we will be using paint! pre-crawling with an adult. No older siblings.
Handprint
Snow Globes
Thursday, December 19
11:00 – 11:30 a.m.
For January we will be reading Amulet Book One, The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi. Pick up the book at the front desk starting January 2. Grades 3-5.
Held at our Main Building.
Ages birth-18 months with an adult.
These programs are for the registered children only. Adults and siblings must remain outside of the program space. Registration begins one week prior to each session unless otherwise noted.
Held at our Main Building. Please bring one assignment per child for small-group homework help. Grades 1-5.
Drop-in. No registration required. Grades K-5. Grades 1-5.
Grades K-5.
Teens
Unless otherwise noted, all programs are for teens in grades 6 through 12.
Register for programs three easy ways: In person, online at www.communitylibrary.org or contact the Teen Reference Desk at 631-399-1511 Ext. 2015 for the Moriches Branch, Ext. 1029 for the Mastic Beach Branch or Ext. 2025 for the Main Building.
Fun and Games
PROGRAMS FOR TEENS
Pin Pals
Earn a pin each time you attend a teen program!
Mystery Video Game Tournament
Saturday, January 25
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
You can also trade pins with teen staff while in the library. Use them to decorate your backpack or anything you want!
Disney Trivia
Thursday, January 2, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Held at our Main Building.
Held at our Moriches Branch. Registration begins 1/11. Think you’re a video game master? Put your skills to the test, as you won’t know which game you’re playing until you arrive for the tournament!
Registration is open.
In honor of National Trivia Day, we will test your knowledge on all things Disney. The winner will take home a prize!
The overall winner earns themselves a $20 Nintendo eShop Card!
Kahoot! Trivia - Virtual
Monday, January 6 – Friday, January 10
Anime Trivia
Tuesday, January 21 – Friday, January 24
3:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 30
6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Entertainment
Anime & Superheroes
Mondays, January 6, 13, 20, 27, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Held at our Moriches Branch.
Wednesdays, January 8, 15, 22, 29
7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Held at our Mastic Beach Branch.
Head on over to our Discord or Instagram and test your knowledge of various trivia topics!
Held at our Main Building. Registration begin 1/16.
You have until Friday at 9 p.m. to participate.
Test your knowledge of all things Anime and win awesome prizes!
Retro Gaming
Wednesday, January 8
7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Theater for Young Audiences Info Meeting
Held at our Main Building.
Friday, January 17
Wednesday, January 15
4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
5:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Held at our Mastic Beach Branch.
Registration begins 12/26.
Held at our Main Building. Registration begins 1/2. Meet up to get information and ask questions about performing in our production of the classic story of The Wizard of Oz for the Children’s Department! Rehearsals will count as community service.
Pretend it is the arcade days with some retro NES games on the Nintendo Switch! Eat snacks and try to get the highest score!
Mystery Video Game Tournament
Saturday, January 25, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Held at our Moriches Branch.
Registration begins 1/11.
Think you’re a video game master? Put your skills to the test, as you won’t know which game you’re playing until you arrive for the tournament! The overall winner earns themselves a $20 Nintendo eShop Card!
Anime Trivia
Thursday, January 30, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Held at our Main Building.
Registration begin 1/16.
Test your knowledge of all things Anime and win awesome prizes!
Eats
You can make Snickers… into dip? Yep! Make some yourself and scoop it up with your cookie of choice!
Math Prep Saturdays, February 1, 8;
SAT by taking this SAT math prep class with WFHS retiree,
Desmos calculator as well as a few pencils. This is a 3-session
Universal Yums
Held at our Main Building.
LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES
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, People of the State of New York, 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 January 28, 2025 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.
For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www. Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832.
Allan B. Mendelsohn, Referee
FRENKEL LAMBERT
WEISS WEISMAN & GORDON LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706
COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff, vs. RONALD VOEGELE
A/K/A RONALD E. VOEGELE, ET AL.,
Defendant(s).
Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on March 11, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on January 23, 2025 at 9:00 a.m., premises known as 121 Hagerman Avenue, East Patchogue, NY 11772. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York, District 0200, Section 979.70, Block 05.00 and Lot 004.000. Approximate amount of judgment is $350,497.03 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #615544/2022.
Brian Egan, Esq., Referee Greenspoon Marder, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 2200, New York, NY 10105, Attorneys for Plaintiff
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 10/23/2017, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738, on 1/29/2025 at 10:00AM , premises known as 30 Balsam Drive, Medford, New York 11763, And Described As Follows:
ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town Of Brookhaven, County Of
Suffolk And State Of New York.
District 0200 Section 870.00
Block 03.00 Lot 030.002
The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $318,054.88 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 604459/2015
Thomas Joseph Demayo, Esq., Referee. MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 MIDLAND AVENUE, SUITE 205, PORT CHESTER, NY 10573
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK
SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS AND NOTICE
Index No. 606117/2017
Date Filed: 12/3/2024
Selene Finance LP, Plaintiff, -against-
Rawle A. Crichlow, Individually and as Administrator of the Estate of Frank Crichlow a/k/a Frank O. Crichlow; Glen Walter Crichlow, if he be living or dead, his spouse, heirs, devisees, distributees and successors in interest, all of whom and whose names and places of residence are unknown to Plaintiff, Defendants.
PROPERTY ADDRESS: 643 Jayne Boulevard, Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776
TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS:
YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or a notice of appearance on the attorneys for the Plaintiff within thirty (30) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may appear
within sixty (60) days of service hereof. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint.
TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Hon. S. Betsy Heckman Torres, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Suffolk County, entered Nov. 27, 2024 and filed with the complaint and other papers in the Suffolk County Clerk’s Office.
NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure $285,000.00 and interest, recorded in the Suffolk County Clerk’s Office on June 28, 2007, at Liber M00021559 of Mortgages, page 783 covering premises known as 643 Jayne Boulevard, Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776 a/k/a District 0200, Section 311.00, Block 03.00, Lot 009.000.
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.
Plaintiff designates Suffolk County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the mortgaged premises is situated.
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 PAYMENT TO YOUR MORTGAGE COMPANY WILL NOT STOP THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION
YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR PLAINITFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.
Dated: November 13, 2023
Steven M. Palmer, Esq. Foreclosure Attorney LOGS LEGAL GROUP LLP F/K/A SHAPIRO, DICARO & BARAK, LLC
Attorneys for Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, NY 14624 (585) 247-9000
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICATE HOLDERS OF THE CWABS, INC., ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-25, Plaintiff,
Against
James P. Walsh, Stephanie M. Walsh, et al, Defendant(s)
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 06/16/2021, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738, on 2/5/2025 at 2:00PM, premises known as 27 Pineway Ave, Mastic Beach, NY 11951, And Described As Follows:
ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York.
District 0200 Section 970.00 Block 02.00 Lot 012.000 And 013.000. The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $469,411.27 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 604429/2019
For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www. Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832.
Billie Jean Miller, Esq., Referee.
SHELDON MAY & ASSOCIATES Attorneys at Law, 255 Merrick Road, Rockville Centre, NY 11570 Dated: 12/9/2024 File Number: 35262 MB
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 February 7, 2025 at 11:00 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
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 February 10, 2025 at 11:30AM, 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.
U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSRMF MH MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST II, Plaintiff AGAINST DORA W. CHAN, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered February 2, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on February 18, 2025 at 10:30AM, premises known as 20 West Lake Drive, Patchogue, NY 11772. All
that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Patchogue, in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York, District 0204, Section 012.00, Block 04.00, Lot 003.000. Approximate amount of judgment $469,615.02 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #610027/2018. Only Bank or Certified check payable to the Referee will be accepted for the downpayment. No third party check or cash will be accepted. Andrea Denicola, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 16003669 83603
NOTICE OF REGULAR MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS OF THE MIDDLE ISLAND FIRE DISTRICT FOR 2025
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Middle Island Fire District in the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York, will hold its regular monthly meetings for calendar year 2025 on the first Thursday and third Wednesday of
each month at 6:00 p.m. commencing February 6, 2025. However, in June and August, 2025, only one meeting will be held on the first Thursday of those months. In addition, the July, 2025 Board meeting will be held on Thursday, July 10, 2025. All regular monthly meetings will take place at the District Office Building of the Middle Island Fire District, 195 Middle Country Road, Middle Island, New York.
Dated: Middle Island, New York
January 9, 2025
By Order of the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Middle Island Fire District Chrissy Rosenfeld, District Secretary
L16148-1/15/2025
LEGAL NOTICE TO THE TAXPAYERS OF THE MEDFORD FIRE DISTRICT:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a resolution was duly adopted by the Board of Fire Commissioners of the MEDFORD FIRE DISTRICT, Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk, State of New York, on the 8th day of January 2025, subject to permissive referendum as provided for by the General Municipal Law Section 6 (G).
An extract of the resolution is as follows: By resolution dated the 8th day of January 2025, the Medford Fire District has approved a resolution subject to permissive referendum to withdraw up to $110,000 from its Truck Reserve Fund in order to purchase a new vehicle to be used as a Chief’s vehicle, plus equipment. Petitions requesting a referendum must be submitted to the secretary of the Medford Fire District no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.
This resolution shall not take effect until thirty (30) days unless, in the meanwhile, a permissive referendum as provided by the General Municipal Law is required to be held.
Dated: January 8, 2025 BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS MEDFORD FIRE DISTRICT TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN
Attest: Kathleen Dugan District Secretary
L16149-1/15/2025
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THE BETTOR ANGLE
BY TOM BARTON
This past week the betting favorite to land the New York Jets head coaching job joined his old team the New England Patriots and that shifted the odds for Gang Green.
We have to seriously question why Mike Vrabel was the pack leader with +225 odds when his former team the Patriots were interviewing him, and the match seemed like it was already a done deal. That is the tricky part about betting on things in the future that don't have stats behind them. As we have mentioned in this space before, with things like voted on postseason awards, the human opinion element is the hardest thing to take advantage of in the sports betting space.
With that said let's take a look at the current odds for who will run the ship for the Jets next season. Jeff Ulbrich was just
below Vrabel last week and he still remains in the hunt at +250 odds. Rex Ryan comes in next, despite the reports from some Jets insiders that he is a long shot, odds makers don't agree and he is sitting at just over +250. Some books have him at +255, others as far as +300. After that there is a drop-off.
We begin to get into the candidates like Ron Rivera at 6 to 1, Brian Flores with 10 to 1 odds, and Brian Greise at 12 to 1.
Josh McCown and Vance Joseph sit at 15 to 1, Pete Carroll is a solid 16 to 1 if you think the Jets want to correct the mistake they made so many years ago, and Joe Brady is at 20 to 1.
Digging even deeper come the names like Matt Nagy, Arthur Smith, Todd Monken, Kliff Kingsbury and Kelln Moore who are all between 25 to 1 and 40 to 1.
Aaron Glenn Skyrockets up the Betting Boards
The name that Jets fans and now sports bettors are starting to gravitate toward is Aaron Glenn. At this time last week Glenn was sitting behind Ron Rivera at 10 to 1 odds and now has shot up the betting board at +220. In some places Glenn has even dipped below +200 as the ex-Jet cornerback has reportedly impressed management.
Glenn has been a sensational addition to the Lions coaching staff and he is a former Jet, so the fans will back his hire, but many fans are still questioning if turning from a defensiveminded coach like Robert Salah to Aaron Glenn is a smart move for the franchise. If the betting odds have anything to say about it Aaron Glenn will be the next Jets head coach. But, remember these are the same odds that had Mike Vrabel leading the field just one week ago.
The Mets Sign Former Duck’s Player
ByTomBarton
The New York Mets have added former Long Island Ducks infielder Yonny Hernandez to their minor league system.
Hernandez has his contract purchased by the Amazin's this week. He appeared in 31 games for the Ducks last season and impressed with a .325 batting average, to go along with a .431 on-base percentage and an .822 OPS.
Hernandez is only 26 years old so he has plenty of time to keep impressing in the Mets system. Last year he had 24 runs, 39 hits, 22 walks and 20 stolen bases. His speed and control of the strike zone are his standout features as a batter.
That excellent bat control has carried over in the winter where he has a .287 batting average and
a .374 on-base percentage with league-leading Cardenales de Lara of the Venezuelan Winter League.
The Venezuela native has three seasons of Major League experience, playing with the Texas Rangers in 2021, the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022 and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023.
“We would like to congratulate Yonny on this well-deserved opportunity,” said Ducks Manager Lew Ford. “He played exceptionally well for us during the second half last year, and we wish him the best of luck.”
The Ducks saw 10 players have their contract purchased by Major League Baseball organizations or foreign professional leagues during the 2024 season, more than any other team in the
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The organization was subsequently awarded the
inaugural ALPB Player Transfers Award following the season. Seven Ducks alumni played in
the Major Leagues during the 2024 campaign.
4x400 Relay Is Heading to the Millrose Games
ByTomBarton
Both the Longwood High School boys' and girls' varsity 4x400m relay team qualified for the Millrose Games at the Nike Track and Field Center.
The event will be held in early February. For the girl's they wound up qualifying by having a season best performance. They ran this year's best personal time 4:09.22. In addition to being the fastest time for this season that also was the team's fastest indoor time since 2017.
Zoe Davis, Victoria Paris, Sara Mangels, and Brooke Pfeiffer can all write their names in the Lions record books as they look forward to next month's big event.
As for the men Anthony Fraser, Jayden Mitchell, Micah Laney, and Tyrone Tillman secured their spot with an
impressive time of 3:29.07.
The Millrose Games pit some of the best high school
Yonny Hernandez
Credit: Michael Polak
athletes in America against each other. This will be the 118th NYRR Millrose Games.
Credit: Longwoodsd | Instagram Longwood Varsity Team
SPORTS McNeely Hits a Milestone
ByTomBarton
When the Mount Sinai Mustangs defeated Hampton Bays this week there was more to it than just adding a W in the win column on the season.
With that victory Head Basketball Coach Ryan McNeely won his 200th Varsity Basketball win.
The dominating 73-22 victory over Southampton pushed the
Mustangs record to 9-1 overall and they sit in first place with an unbeaten 5-0 league record this year.
McNeely is a Mount Sinai graduate and earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s University where he also starred on the school’s basketball team tallying over 1000 points in his four years.
He has coached high school
basketball at both Centereach High School and currently at Mount Sinai High School. In addition to coaching varsity basketball, he has coached
his three sons at all levels of basketball including the local youth leagues, CYO and AAU. He even coaches a basketball camp with his son.
The Mount Sinai booster club said of McNeely, It's "such an amazing accomplishment and we all couldn’t be prouder to have.
McInnes Adds Another Win to Her All-American Resume
ByTomBarton
Sophia McInnes has been making winning look easy as she has put on dominating performance after dominating performance.
This weekend at the Molloy Stanner Games McInnes set another record.
McInnes broke the Suffolk record by finishing in just over 1 minute and 31 seconds in the 600 meter. Last season McInnes qualified for the states in the 600, but this season she has not run it much. She beat the previous record by 0.35 seconds.
The Bayport - Blue Point student won the NYS title in XC earlier this season and then ran away with the invitational mile at the Armory NYC
Games last week.
Afterwards she told the Runners Space Podcast that "qualifying for Millrose was such a big deal" to her. She stated that she has been trying to qualify for the game for the past few years and just qualifying was a relief. She went on to state that one
America Has Taken Notice of Erik Paulsen
ByTomBarton
To no one's surprise that has paid attention to Stony Brook baseball over the past season, Erik Paulsen has been named a 2025 Perfect Game Preseason All-American.
Paulsen had a record-breaking season last year as the sophomore was a true Ohtani-like two-way player. That unique two-way talent earned him this spot on the All-American Third Team as
a two-way player. he was joined by UNCW's Tanner Thach as the only representatives from the CAA. Paulsen is also one of just three two-way players nationwide to receive AllAmerican honors, alongside Kyle Johnson (Duke) and DJ Newman (Bowling Green).
Paulsen won the CAA Rookie of the Year and gained All-CAA Rookie Team honors last season. He also captured CAA Rookie of
the Week three times (March 4, March 11, April 25) and was the only player in the conference to do so in 2024.
Paulsen was also named as a semifinalist for the prestigious John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, marking a first in program history. The award, presented by the College Baseball Foundation, highlights the best two-way player in Division I baseball.
Paulsen made another type of history last season as well when he became the first Seawolf named an All-American by four different publications: Baseball
America (First Team Freshman All-American), D1Baseball (Freshman All-American), Perfect Game Baseball (Freshman All-American), and NCBWA (Second Team Freshman All-American).
Paulsen's two-way prowess led him to being tied for sixth in the CAA with six saves, a mark that also ranks fifth in Stony Brook history and second among all freshmen nationally. Over 15 appearances, he posted a 2-1 record with a 3.21 ERA, tallying 24 strikeouts across 42.0 innings. His ERA ranked second on the team, fourth in the CAA, and was the best among freshmen in
of her individual goals has always been to become an AllAmerican.
The Millrose Games will take place on February 8th. Long Island was well represented as 7 other girls became Stanner Games individual champions.
the conference.
As a hitter Paulsen hit for a .299 average as he led all Stony Brook freshmen in key offensive categories, including batting average, on-base percentage, hits (53), home runs (4), RBIs (24), doubles (16), and total bases (81). He also ranked second on the team with 14 multihit games and third with five multi-RBI performances.
The Seawolves kick off the 2025 season with a threegame series against BethuneCookman from February 14-16 in Daytona Beach, their firstever matchup with the Wildcats.
Hispanic
Credit: Section XI - Suffolk County Athletics | Facebook Sophia McInnes
Coach McNeely Win #200
Erik Paulsen
Credit: Mount Sinai Booster Club | Facebook
SPORTS Southampton's Coach Gets Win #500
ByTomBarton
The Southampton boys basketball team is having a stellar season and this week they were able to set a milestone.
More specifically head coach Herm Lamison set the milestone when he earned career win #500.
The win came against Port Jefferson this week when Southampton beat Port Jeff in a blowout 102-59. Naevon Williams had 26 points to lead Southampton while Alex Franklin and both Tyrese and Tyson Reddick all went into double digits in scoring on the day.
Franklin also led the team with
6 assists and Jordyn Turner had 7 rebounds to pace the team.
The win improved Southampton's record to an impressive 11-1 overall mark and they are sitting atop their division with a 4-0 record.
The impressive scoring output also is the fourth time this team has cracked the century mark for points this season while their defense has also held four straight teams to under 60 points, which they have now done a remarkable nine times this season. They look downright unstoppable at times and they will certainly build on that win #500 as the season moves on.
Coach Condon Celebrated
ByTomBarton
The Shoreham-Wading River High School wrestling team took part in a recognition ceremony of varsity head coach Joe Condon on the achievement of his 300th career win with the celebrated Wildcats this week.
The celebration was hosted by Athletic Director Eric Bramoff before a home match against Bayport-Blue Point.
Coach Condon achieved the historic milestone win #300 on December 27th at the Mountain Duals in Johnston, NY, which only adds to his impressive resume of winning.
Condon had many familiar faces there to show their gratitude and respect to the long-time coach. Former Shoreham-Wading River wrestling coach and Athletic Director Paul Jendrewski was on hand to say a few words as was current assistant wrestling coach Kevin Nohejl. Both of the coaches shared stories of Coach Condon’s contributions and legacy to SWR’s wrestling program.
He was gifted with a plaque before family members, administrators and spectators on a day the school called "Joe Condon Day".
The Giants Are Running It Back... But Why?
ByTomBarton
Why? It's just a simple word but it's a word that has summed up the Giants offseason so far, and likely will be a question that is carried well into the season. Simply, why?
Giants fans are asking that over and over this week after New York has decided to run things back with the same general manager and the same head coach for the 2025 season. Both Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll will be back in their same positions, despite failing to meet pretty much every criteria for them and the team this past season.
In fact, as most Giants fans have pointed out there isn't much that these two have done right for a while now. You can argue Daboll at least did a good coaching job a couple years ago, but Schoen was shown how limited his decisionmaking can be when the likely NFL Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley went to the Eagles. Schoen was on HBO's Hard Knocks and it showed a behind-the-scenes look at how Barkley got away, and stained his reputation.
This team went just 3-14 this past season and just 6-11 the season prior to that. They are in
The
a division with the Eagles who have gone to the Super Bowl recently, the Cowboys who were a playoff team last season, and the Commanders who joined the playoffs this year.
So again that question bubbles to the surface like New Year's champagne, why? Why are they back?
We can speculate on a few things. First, the Giants organization doesn't like heavy turnover and they never have. They pride themselves on being a stable franchise and they have conducted their business in that very same manner for quite some time. That stability has been shaken in recent years during the
Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur, and Joe Judge eras. So getting back to being a respected franchise seems to be the prevailing thought. When Mara was asked about it he admitted that the team has gone backwards and mentioned stability as one of the reasons he didn't want to make wholesale changes.
The second, and easier reason for fans to swallow is that they lacked a competent QB in Daniel Jones. Part of the reason why Daboll was brought in was to lift Jones up to be a good QB, so for some that answer doesn't work, but it's a viable excuse.
As Bill Parcells used to say "if you want me to cook the meal, let me buy the groceries," so perhaps this is Mara and the Giants allowing Daboll and Schoen to finally get their own signal caller. That probably doesn't sit easy with the Giants fan base who are watching some pretty impressive names be interviewed around the league for head coaching and GM roles. We have no idea who that QB might be and in all reality even they don't know. What we do know is who the Giants GM and head coach will be for the 2025 season, but we aren't quite sure why.
Best of the Best from Hills West
ByTomBarton
Half Hollow Hills West celebrated four seniors in the Class of 2025 who were recognized as All-Americans this weekend.
The seniors have excelled at their sports and have been named in rare company as AllAmericans. Volleyball player Mary Wolcott, Soccer standout Ryan Levy, Joseph Filardi, and Anthony Raio both for their outstanding lacrosse seasons were all honored.
The celebration took place during halftime of a recent Hills West Varsity Boys Basketball game. Hills West is having a stellar basketball season as well sitting at 8-3 overall and 6-1 in their division.
Wolcott has announced that she will be playing volleyball next year at the Ivy League-level for Cornell University. Wolcott's career highlights are a mile long but most memorable will be her performance during the championship game. She had 22 assists, nine kills and an ace to lead her #1 ranked team over third ranked Harborfields in the Suffolk Class AA championship. Her younger sister, Morgan, had
13 kills, nine digs and two aces.
Ryan Levy holds the boys highest all-time career goals at 64, all-time career points at 172, most goals in a game at 5, and most goals in a season at 30. The 5-year varsity starer also played on the football team this season.
Joseph Filardi will be attending Syracuse University and was a standout in lacrosse and on the football field. On the gridiron he was named the Hansen Award winner as the best football player in Suffolk County. He threw for 3,102 passing yards, 43 touchdowns to only 3 interceptions and added 1,204 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He is one of the top lacrosse
recruits in the country as a fourstar prospect and ranked #28 overall in the 2025 class by Inside Lacrosse.
Anthony Raio will be heading to Chapel Hill to play lacrosse for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Raio was a 1st team selection and chosen as the Suffolk Player of the Year after leading Long Island in both goals (75) and points (119).
Ryan was unable to attend, so his sister Jordyn, a Hills West alum and former All-American, accepted the plaque on his behalf. Congratulations to Joseph, Ryan, Anthony, and Mary for representing Half Hollow Hills with excellence.
Credit: @TheGiantsWire | X
John Mara
Credit: Shoreham-Wading River Central School District | Facebook
Coach Condon and Family
Southampton Basketball
Credit: Section XI - Suffolk County Athletics | X
SPORTS SWR Remains The Only Unbeaten Team In Suffolk
ByTomBarton
A battle for first place took place this week as the ShorehamWading River Wildcats and Mount Sinai Mustangs went toe to toe in girls basketball.
For Shoreham-Wading River there was an additional goal because they stand as the only team in Suffolk who still have an undefeated record. The Wildcats continued their winning ways and their perfect season with a 36-32 win over Mount Sinai, in what proved to be one of the best games of the season.
The Wildcats came out of the locker room excited and motivated, but it was a tough first quarter for them. Head Coach Adam Lievre told me after the game that he liked their aggressiveness but the shots just weren't falling.
The game began with an empty possession by SWR that led to a big three pointer by Kyla
Orlando to set the pace for Mount Sinai. But, as impressive as that deep three was it was not the headline, which was dominated by both of these teams excellent defensive play as the two teams both were getting good shots but defense ruled the early going. Mount Sinai took a 5-0 lead and after a few turnovers by both squads it was only 7-2 with half of the quarter gone. SWR started to play big under the boards but it was a struggle offensively and the quarter ended with both teams trying to find answers.
The first half was more of the same. After Alyssa Bell hit a corner three that gave the Wildcats their first lead at 8-7 and the game would be a one basket game most of the way from here on out. As the outside shooting began to become a priority both teams still were playing that clamp down defense and working for every point. The half ended with a fitting tie and
a low scoring 14-14 stalemate as they went into the locker rooms.
Coach Lievre explained to me after the game that his half time speech was geared to the fact that they were getting good shots and keep at it. In fact he said they were going to change things up drastically before the three pointer and they stayed the course.
As the girls came out of the locker room it was more of the same and the score didn't change for almost 3 minutes into the second half.
Anabel Keegan looked determined to put some points on the board as she powered to the basket and after her shot didn't go in she kept at it and made it 16-14. Not even 10 seconds later Mia Betancourt hit a deep three for the Mustangs to quickly take the lead back.
A breakaway by Bell, where no one was near her turned the score back towards the home team 20-18 but that was followed by another dagger from the outside from Kyla Orlando. She went down hard on the three but got up to see the scoreboard show 21-20 Mustangs were back on top.
The game began to get chippy as there was a slew of whistles and questionable calls, and missed calls. Both coaches were visibly and audibly annoyed, but that just added to the intensity of the game.
After a give and go by Grayce Kitchen and another deep shot from Betancourt the third quarter ended with Mount Sinai getting out to their biggest lead
since the early going up 28-22.
The Wildcats began to look crisp in the 4th quarter with their backs against the wall they came out fighting. Bell headed to the line and missed both shots but she got a pure hustle rebound and was brilliant in her kick out to Keegan who drilled the three pointer and cut the lead to two.
That's when Leslie Jablonski looked like she was fired out of a cannon. In a brilliant coaching move the "6th man" as coach Adam Lievre called her, was playing at a different speed than anyone else. She got a key steal the drove the length of the court out racing everyone for the bucket and one. As the entire Cats team began to run the floor and make it a fast paced game with 3 minutes to go Jablonski again showed her speed and hit a deep two to make it 34-30 as she looked like the best player on the floor in the waning minutes.
Betancourt took a deep three
with time winding down that was in and out that could have turned the game but it was not to be. It was a good look and the crowd thought it would fall before rimming out. After that we had a coaches strategy game play out with timely fouls and in bounds in the last 30 seconds.
Shealyn Varbero got to the line with a chance to seal the game but missed both free throws, although she immediately sealed it another way by stealing the inbounds pass. She then ran the floor and drew the foul again. This was a big time hustle play and after she drilled the first it made it a 4 point game with 8 seconds to play and that would be the final.
With the victory ShorehamWading River ups their record to 12-0 on the season and they remain perfect in their division. They remain the only team unbeaten in Suffolk and look to be the team to be in the county.
Colonials Crushing the Competition on the Wrestling Mat
ByTomBarton
The William Floyd boys’ varsity wrestling team, led by head coach Tony Mecca, has gotten off to a strong start to their season.
Throughout the first month of competition, the Colonials have participated in a number of tournaments and League I matchups.
Their slate of tournaments began with the 17th Annual Takedown Autism Tournament hosted at William Floyd High School. The Colonials dominated the tournament, going 4-0 as a team by defeating some highquality competitors in Glen Cove, Smithtown West, Bay Shore and Islip.
Jack Meyer and Josiah Lors each went undefeated individually while six other Colonials went 3-1 in tournament play, including David Barrera, David Gonzalez,
Caleb Holmes, Jayvyn Johnson, Patrick Lospinuso and Jonathan Reyes.
This tournament raised $1,500, which was donated to Rise Life Services, an organization that “provides a residential and supported living environment to empowering people with intellectual disabilities and mental health challenges and rise to their full potential.”
In the Commack Classic Tournament, the Colonials finished second overall just behind Commack. Individually, both Jack Meyer (131 lbs.) and Josiah Lors (215 lbs.) dominated again, winning first place in their respective brackets while Antonio Martin (160 lbs.) finished in second place in his bracket. In addition, Caleb Holmes (124 lbs.), Achilles Jordan (138 lbs.) and Aaron Land (170 lbs.) all secured third-place finishes in their
respective brackets.
William Floyd had six other wrestlers place in the tournament, including Jayden Glover (108 lbs.), Jayvyn Johnson (138 lbs.), Jordan Glover (108 lbs.), Brandon Caceres (190 lbs.), Kenny Ochoa (190 lbs.) and Javier Soledad (215 lbs.).
Credit: wfsd.k12.ny.us
In their third tournament of the season, the Colonials competed in the Joe Davidson Memorial Tournament at Sachem North High School.
Jack Meyer picked up his 100th career win while he and Josiah Lors won individual championships for the third consecutive tournament!
David Barrera finished third place in his bracket while Caleb Holmes, David Gonzalez, Jayvyn Johnson and Aaron Land all placed in their brackets.
Adding to the Colonials’ tournament success is a 3-2 League I record on the season. They defeated Walt Whitman 38-23 in their first home game, defeated Brentwood on the road by a 34-28 final score and recently defeated Central Islip by a 4425 final score on the road. The team will be working to prepare for the upcoming league and championship tournaments. The Colonials will have their final League I regular season match against Riverhead on January 8 and two more tournaments starting with the 39th Annual Kujan Brothers’ Memorial Tournament on January 18th and the Deer Park Duals on January 25th, 2025.
