The South Shore Press 11/12

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From the NEWSROOM

Every November 11th, our great nation honors the men and women who have worn the uniform of the United States of America. It is a debt of gratitude we can never, ever repay. This “holiday” is a serious and solemn reminder of honoring those who defended freedom here at home and around the world.

From the beaches of Normandy to the mountains of Afghanistan, from the frozen fields of Korea (my uncle Frank “Boogie” was a Korean War veteran) to the deserts of Iraq, American service members have fought valiantly and bravely so that liberty could endure for our generation,

and generations to come. They bravely faced danger and death not for fame or fortune, but for duty to our country, their families, and to one another. We owe them more than words. The gratitude we express this week must be matched by our actions every day of the year.

My best friend Bobby Klinko’s father honorably served in Vietnam. He’s always say “every chance you get, thank a veteran for their service.” He’s right. We should do so not only on Veterans Day, but every day of the year.

That being said, we should do so much more and saying “thank you.”

Thank You Veterans!

It means ensuring our veterans have access to world-class medical care and educational opportunities. It means hiring them and learning from their example of discipline and service before self.

To the veterans among us, the neighbors who display a flag in their yard, the grandfathers whose stories remind us of what courage looks like, the young men and women just returning home, thank you.

This Veterans Day, may every American take a moment to say two simple, powerful words that mean everything to those who have served: thank you.

Brookhaven lining up Thanksgiving, Christmas activities

It is that time of the year and Brookhaven is wasting no time getting Thanksgiving and Christmas activities on the calendar.

Up first is Gobbles and Giggles. Celebrate the Thanksgiving season with the Town of Brookhaven’s Gobbles & Giggles event — a cheerful, hands-on experience for children ages 3 to 5!

Kids will enjoy creating festive crafts, listening to a fun Thanksgiving story, and decorating their own cookie to take home. It’s a wonderful way for little ones to express creativity, share laughter, and get into the holiday spirit alongside their caregivers.

The program will be offered at three recreation centers across Brookhaven — Henrietta Acampora, New Village, and Mastic — with sessions held November 18–21. Participation costs $12 per child, and pre-registration is required.

Families can easily register online by scanning by visiting BrookhavenNY. gov/RecOnline.

Santa Comes to Longwood, a holiday

favorite for all families, is just around the corner.

Explore the grounds of the Longwood Estate on an old-fashioned sleigh

ride enjoying roasted chestnuts and hot chocolate. Children can visit with Santa and have family members take photos. A variety of activities will be offered including: Get a picture with Santa; Sleigh / sled rides (pulled on a trailer) touring Longwood Estate, roasted chestnuts and hot chocolate; a Large train display; and face painting. The cost is $5 per child (ages 12 and under).

Date and Time- Saturday, December 6, 2025 from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm. Rain Date Sunday, December 7, 2025 from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Location- Longwood Estate on Longwood Road and Smith Road, Ridge, NY. Letters to Santa- Don’t forget to bring your letter to Santa. Please include child’s name and address in letter so Santa can respond.

Toy Donations - Brookhaven’s Youth Bureau will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for children in need through their INTERFACE program.

Photo Illustration
Grok/Twitter
Brookhaven is teeing up events for the community.

LOCAL

President Trump meets hero Suffolk cop nearly killed on LIE

As published by the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association (PBA) on Thursday, November 6th, President Donald Trump proudly gives Officer Brendon Gallagher his thumbs up of approval.

The Suffolk County police officer’s path from highway patrol to posting for a photo with the nation’s Commander in Chief began in early January, when speeding driver Cody Fisher, 29 — sentenced to ten years in prison last month for Assault on a Police Officer and related charges stemming from impaired driving — led Gallagher on a high-velocity pursuit.

The chase violently culminated in Gallagher’s cruiser overturning. His abdominal wall was torn open, and he underwent several surgeries at Stony Brook Hospital to survive the critical injuries.

“He’s a young healthy guy, obviously we’ll get him through this,” Dr. Voss of Stony Brook Hospital told the South Shore Press upon Gallagher’s release weeks later.

“But as you can imagine, from the disability perspective, it’s a very severe injury. So we’re praying that everything stays together.”

As Suffolk prosecutors pursued justice against Fisher and examined the legal loopholes that allowed a repeat offender back on the roads, Gallagher, sure enough, made remarkable strides in his recovery.

“This case went beyond a reckless flight,” Suffolk DA Ray Tierney said following Fisher’s sentencing. “The fact that this officer survived is nothing short of a miracle.”

Despite the grim odds he once faced, and having previously survived a stabbing incident in Medford just two years earlier as well, spirits were nothing but smile-high when he met the pro-police world leader.

“Thank you to Donald J. Trump for taking the time to meet hero SCPD Officer Brendon Gallagher,” the Suffolk County PBA wrote. “Even with the most demanding job in the world President Trump is never too busy to make time for the men and women in blue.”

Veteran, officer, volunteer: Vigiano celebrated

Veteran Kathleen Vigiano was recently honored for her extraordinary dedication, courage, and lifelong commitment to service, including her work with the U.S. Navy, New York City Police Department, and Suffolk County communities.

The recognition came during a ceremony hosted by State Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, who praised the Nissequogue resident as “a role model whose steadfast service and principled leadership have strengthened our communities and inspired generations of families, first responders, and volunteers.”

Vigiano, a Sachem High

“Enough

School alumna (Class of 1981), attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1982. She served as an aircraft mechanic with assignments at NAS Patuxent River and Patrol Squadron VP-68 at Andrews Air Force Base, reenlisting twice in the Navy Reserves. She later dedicated 20 years as a New York City Police Officer from 1987 to 2007. During that time, she stood alongside her husband, the late Detective Joseph Vigiano, who was killed in the line of duty on September 11, 2001.

A devoted mother and grandmother, Vigiano celebrates her children—Joseph, Jimmy, and John, who serves in the U.S. Marine Corps—and her grand-

to kill us all”

Amid securing re-election as Suffolk County District Attorney, Ray Tierney’s first major post-victory press conference was quite a doozy.

At the Suffolk Police Department’s Brentwood headquarters, the DA announced that enough fentanyl “to kill the entire population” of Suffolk had been seized in a recent drug bust.

Six men in total were accused of trafficking “catastrophic” quantities of fentanyl, synthetic opioids, heroin, and cocaine through the Bronx and across Long Island’s East End. The suspects were booked in West Islip, Bay Shore, Wyandanch, Lindenhurst, and the Bronx.

“The takedown was significant, not just because this operation spanned from the Bronx to Suffolk County, but because law enforcement recovered enough fentanyl to kill the entire 1.5 million population of Suffolk County,” said Tierney.

“The defendants in this case allegedly

children, Joseph and Jacquelin. Originally from Medford, she has remained focused on family and

community throughout her life. Vigiano has demonstrated uncommon courage and integrity

through volunteerism, including her work with Survivors of the Shield, where she served as President and helped uncover charity fraud that led to federal prosecution and restitution. Continuing her dedication to helping others, she trained to become an Emergency Medical Technician at age 60 and volunteers with the Nissequogue Volunteer Ambulance Company.

Assemblyman DeStefano recognized Vigiano for her exemplary military service, role as a Gold Star family member, leadership with Survivors of the Shield, and ongoing volunteer work as an EMT, calling her life “a testament to duty, integrity, and love of community.”

– DA’s latest fentanyl takedown

ran a prolific drug distribution operation that flooded our neighborhoods with deadly fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Every kilogram of fentanyl represents

500,000 potential overdose deaths,” he explained.

“There was more than enough fentanyl here to kill every man, woman and child

in Suffolk County.”

This parallels a 2023 case in which another, unrelated Bronx man was arrested for allegedly transporting three kilos of pure fentanyl — which investigators said was enough to “wipe out Nassau County.”

In this instance, cash, firearms, ammunition, and pill-pressing machines were also seized.

“This investigation undoubtedly saved lives,” said DEA New York Division Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino, who was also on hand to qualify the “ever-changing drug landscape of synthetic drug opioids” to the press in attendance and the masses keen on being filled in on the latest development in the modern epidemic.

To kick off their investigation, undercover officers bought fake oxycodone pills that were actually pure fentanyl pressed to look like the former.

The drugs eventually seized, Tarentino said, originated from Mexican cartels.

Voices of Sept. 11
Kathleen Vigiano
Suffolk County PBA
“Thank you to Donald J. Trump for taking the time to meet hero SCPD Officer Brendon Gallagher,” the Suffolk County PBA wrote in its post.
Ray Tierney, Suffolk County District Attorney, NY/YouTube
Civilians interested in watching press conferences not shown in full on television can stream them live on DA Tierney’s YouTube page.

Drivers at the William Floyd Parkway intersection with Mastic Boulevard will notice a new traffic pattern aimed at improving flow and reducing backups. The changes affect both directions of Mastic Boulevard at Aletta Place near Dunkin’ Donuts.

Mastic Boulevard East, heading west toward William Floyd Parkway, now features two turning lanes. The right lane allows motorists to turn left, right, or continue straight, while the left lane is designated for left turns only.

Mastic Boulevard West, heading east toward the parkway, is now restricted to right turns

New traffic pattern for Mastic Blvd., William Floyd Parkway

only onto southbound William Floyd Parkway under the new pattern designed by the County Department of Public Works. Not having to wait for eastbound traffic before turning south onto the parkway is expected to make for a quicker passage of vehicles coming from Montauk Highway.

According to Suffolk Legislator Jim Mazzarella, the new configuration is intended to relieve one of the area’s most congested intersections, especially during rush hours. “We’re going to try it and see how it works,” Mazzarella said. “Hopefully, this helps since two lanes will allow more vehicles to turn onto the parkway.”

County engineers believe the changes will reduce traffic backups on Aletta Place and ease conges-

tion for southbound parkway traffic. Mazzarella emphasized that the adjustment is a test, not a permanent solution. “The new pattern is not the overall solution,” he said. “But it’s a step toward making things a little better.”

Mazzarella noted that motorists wanting to go north on the parkway from the post office shopping center can continue to use Montauk Highway. He stressed that while the changes will not fully resolve congestion on the Mastic Peninsula, they represent a practical and quickly implemented measure to help traffic move more efficiently.

Engineers are monitoring the intersection and may propose additional improvements in the future.

Fall fair draws crowd to historic Avery Homestead Community, cops connect over coffee

The historic Avery Homestead came alive recently when the Greater Patchogue Historical Society hosted its annual fall fair, drawing residents eager to celebrate the area’s history, while enjoying food, music, and the wares of local vendors.

“Events like this are exactly why we work so hard to promote and care for this property,” said Jim Roselle, president of the Historical Society. “The fair brings the community together and helps raise funds so we can continue to preserve the homestead for future generations.”

The county owns the 11.5-acre East Patchogue estate, having acquired it from the Avery family with strong support from Legislator Dominick Thorne, who helped secure funding not only for the purchase but also for renovations and improvements to the historic structures. Since then, the property has undergone substantial restoration, including work on the Queen Anne–style Victorian house that now serves as the main museum.

Visitors toured the museum, where curator Susan Shiebler showcased antiques, historical artifacts, and exhibits tracing the Avery family’s deep roots in Patchogue—from 18th-century settlers to descendants such as Tex Avery, the famed cartoonist. The Little Red Shed gift shop offered handcrafted goods and memorabilia, with proceeds supporting the society’s programs, which also include concerts, holiday tree lightings, and educational activities.

The fair featured antiques and crafts vendors, live music, and guided tours, all organized by volunteers under Roselle’s guidance. “It’s incredible to see families enjoying themselves while learning about our area’s rich history,” Roselle added. “Their support helps maintain the property, the museum, and our programs. We really appreciate

how the residents have embraced this historical resource right here in our backyard.”

The Avery Homestead, listed on the Long Island List of Historic Places, remains a centerpiece of East Patchogue’s historical and cultural preservation efforts— blending county stewardship with the society’s dedication to community engagement.

The Coffee with a Cop community outreach effort made a stop in Center Moriches, with residents also taking the opportunity to participate in the Suffolk Police Department’s Operation Medicine Cabinet disposal program.

“The old way of flushing medicines down the toilet is no longer acceptable from an environmental point of view,” said Officer James Anson of the COPE Unit. “Proper disposal helps protect the aquifer.”

Promoted by Legislator Jim Mazzarella and hosted by the Center Moriches Library, the event brought neighbors together with local officers in a relaxed setting.

“It’s important to maintain strong communication between law enforcement and the people they serve,” Mazzarella said. “Coffee with a Cop gives everyone a chance to connect in a positive way.”

The Hampton Coffee Company supplied the beverages for the morning gathering, which drew a steady crowd of residents eager to chat with police and share community concerns. Among the

topics discussed were the frequent Main Street road closures caused by the many parades, fairs, and festivals that Center Moriches hosts throughout the year.

“Residents also asked us about welfare checks on homebound family members and our efforts to keep Main Street clean and safe,” noted Anson, who serves with the Seventh Precinct. Officers also explained the importance of programs like Operation Medicine Cabinet, which provides a safe and environmentally sound way to dispose of unused prescription medications.

Events like Coffee with a Cop are part of the Suffolk Police Department’s broader outreach strategy, aimed at strengthening relationships between officers and the communities they protect. Residents say they appreciate the chance to talk face-to-face with officers, ask questions, and better understand local policing efforts — all over a cup of coffee in a friendly setting.

Other local officials, including Legislator Dominick Thorne, Senator Dean Murray, and Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, host similar meetings.

Suffolk Department of Public Works
The new William Floyd Parkway traffic pattern at Mastic Boulevard.
Robert Chartuk
Officer James Anson chats with Rose Perrone and Tammy Blankenship at the Coffee with a Cop get-together.
Robert Chartuk
Touring the Avery Museum are Richard Martin, left, Legislator Dominick Thorne, and Susan Shiebler.

Two people were killed by hit and run drivers on the same day

Ten miles and several hours apart, a man and a woman were both killed in separate hit-and-run incidents on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.

Suffolk County Police Major Case Unit detectives are investigating a hit-and-run crash that killed a pedestrian in Copiague at approximately 8:44 p.m.

According to police, Louis Lasusa, 69, of Massapequa Park, was walking northbound across Montauk Highway when he was struck by a westbound Toyota in front of 1051 Montauk Highway. The driver fled the scene, continuing westbound on Montauk Highway.

Lasusa was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner.

Earlier in the day, Victoria Hutson, 37, of Selden, was walking southbound on the northbound shoulder in front of 53 Boyle Road in Selden when she was struck by a 2016 black, four-door Toyota Camry. The vehicle fled northbound on Boyle Road at approximately 11:21 a.m. Hutson was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

Following an investigation, Suffolk County Police Major Case Unit detectives arrested Lan Huynh Truong, 44, of 15 Denise Court, Selden, in connection with the crash that killed Hutson. Truong was

charged with Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Death.

Eight other people have been killed in hit and run incidents this year and either were killed during the same time period last year.

Police remind the public that a criminal charge is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until

and unless proven guilty. Do not leave the scene of an accident. If you flee the scene, medical care that could save someone’s life is delayed. Detectives ask anyone with information regarding either crash to contact the Major Case Unit at 631-852-6553 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800220-TIPS.

Five men indicted for carjacking at Ronkonkoma train station

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney announced that David Susalla, Sean Santaniello, Jahsiah Tricoche, Jayden Dejesus and Daniel Montoya, were indicted for the alleged armed carjacking of a man and woman in the parking lot of the Ronkonkoma Long Island Railroad station.

“Violence such as this, where these defendants allegedly targeted two unsuspecting victims at a train station, has no place in society and will not be tolerated in Suffolk County,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Anyone who commits such violence in Suffolk can expect a full-scale investigation and to be brought to justice.”

According to the investigation, the five men allegedly travelled on the Long Island Railroad from the Brentwood station to the Ronkonkoma station. Once at the Ronkonkoma station, the defendants allegedly targeted a parked, occupied 2018 Mercedes Benz CLA.

Two of the defendants approached the vehicle and allegedly displayed handguns and pointed one of the guns at the man’s forehead, threatening to kill him. The defendants allegedly forced both victims out of the vehicle at gunpoint.

The defendants then allegedly sped out of the parking lot, heading from Ronkonkoma through Brentwood, Cen-

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tral Islip, and eventually into New York City. The defendants allegedly drove around for nine days before the vehicle was recovered abandoned in Bay Shore.

An extensive investigation was conducted and on October 15, 2025, the defendants were taken into custody.

The men were arraigned on the indictment for:

- Two counts of Robbery in the First Degree, Class B violent felonies;

- One count of Criminal Use of a Firearm in the First Degree, Class B violent felony;

- Three counts of Robbery in the Second Degree, Class C violent felonies; and

- Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle in the First Degree, a Class D felony.

The defendants face 25 years in prison if convicted on the top count.

Serving the Communities of The Village of Bellport, Brookhaven, Center Moriches, Centereach, Coram, East Moriches, East Patchogue, Eastport, East Shoreham, Farmingville, Gordon Heights, Lake Ronkonkoma, Manorville, Medford, Mastic, The Village of Mastic Beach, Middle Island, Miller Place, Moriches, Mount Sinai, North Bellport, The Village of Patchogue, Port Jefferson Station, The Village of Port Jefferson, Ridge, Rocky Point, Ronkonkoma, Selden, Shirley, Shoreham, Smith Point, Sound Beach, Speonk, Terryville, Wading River, & Yaphank.

Grok/Twitter
Two people were killed in separate hits and run indicents hours apart.
Google Maps image
Five men have been indicted for a carjacking at the Ronkonkoma train station.

LOCAL

‘It is hell’: Santos details prison ordeal in Tucker Carlson interview

In a raw, hour-long interview on Tucker Carlson’s show last week, former Congressman George Santos detailed his 84-day federal prison stint, describing squalor, abuse, and a spiritual rebirth that ended with a presidential commutation.

The 37-year-old represented New York’s 3rd Congressional District from January to December 2023 before being expelled.

Sentenced April 25 to 87 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and $373,749.97 in restitution for campaign-related wire fraud and identity theft, Santos was granted clemency by President Donald Trump on Oct. 17, wiping out both his prison term and fines.

Speaking weeks after his release, he called FCI Fairton in South Jersey a rundown facility run by the “unqualified” Warden Lynn Kelly.

Carlson, visibly stunned, opened the interview by admitting, “I didn’t think I was going to see you for seven years, and here you are.”

Santos entered FCI Fairton on Aug. 19.He called his experience “tortuous” and a potential Eighth Amendment violation, likening the minimum-security satellite camp to a dystopian warehouse housing violent offenders. He described bare-bones dorms with bed cubbies, small lockers and a cafeteria segregated by race with multiple TVs.

Once for white-collar criminals, the prison now included drug dealers and gang members, with racial tensions sparked even by remote control access.

“God have mercy on your soul, if you’re a white guy and you go near the remote for the black people or the Spanish people. It is all hell. People will literally get stabbed with a shank if they do that,” Santos said.

Health hazards abounded.

Santos described ceilings sagging with “bubbles of black mold almost like cotton… dangling off

the ceiling,” bathrooms breeding ringworm and listeria, expired food and even canned goods as “Russian roulette… the botulism Olympics.”

Santos described the prison showers as infection-prone and noted that Muslim inmates used the sinks for religious ablutions.

“I walked into a situation like that and it was literally ass washing on the sink, I said, ‘I can’t do this,’” he said.

Hygiene in the facility’s kitchen, he said, was a farce.

“It’s your own personal hell for a germaphobe,” he said.

Santos volunteered in the prison kitchen, cooking meals for fellow inmates despite broken equipment and filth, and recalled making rice pudding from expiring milk.

“I think I was the first person in that prison’s history to have the audacity to make rice pudding, and it turned out good, like New York diner style,” he said.

He said inmates raved about his cooking, praising how it was prepared with care.

While imprisoned, Santos wrote a series of firsthand accounts for the South Shore Press.

“I was writing from prison, criticizing the prison I was in and documenting my journey,” he said.

Between Aug. 12 and Sept. 1, he explored prison life and interpersonal dynamics, reuniting with former staffer Sam Miele amid what he called a “kaleidoscope of humanity.”

He criticized the prison system, political cliques, slow bureaucracy and hazards such as extreme heat and black mold.

After entering solitary confinement on Aug. 28 over a debunked death threat, his writings grew more anguished.

He described “slow-motion torture,” including cold showers three times a week, recycled underwear, denied family visits and medical care and deep psychological despair.

Santos accused Warden Kelly of running a “cruel” regime and

called for FBI intervention.

In October, his columns turned introspective, apologizing to family, constituents and Trump for his “self-destruction.”

Following his commutation on Oct. 17, Santos framed his release as a faith-driven “new beginning” dedicated to prison reform, crediting divine grace and Trump’s mercy for his redemption.

Santos claimed his criticism of jail overseers in his columns led to a kitchen shutdown. Despite freedom at the satellite camp, inmates rarely attempted to escape.

“The campers are free, literally free to roam right off, but nobody’s stupid enough to do it,” he said.

Fellow inmates included imprisoned former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez’s co-defendants, serving seven- and nine-year sentences for bribery.

“Their gifts were gold bars,” Santos said. “I mean my joke was always the same. I’m in prison. I didn’t even get a gold bar.”

While in prison Santos reconnected with Miele, an ex-staffer jailed for refusing to cooperate with Biden-era Attorney General Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice, illustrating the pressures those connected to him faced.

“It was a snitch system for sure,” Santos said.

While imprisoned, Santos met a “renowned architect” and “former executive for United Airlines,” jailed for private-sector kickbacks he deemed “protocol.”

“This is protocol in the private sector. I worked in private equity… I never bought that stuff, but they were gifts… that’s not a crime, but they put this man in prison,” he said.

Santos used such encounters to criticize the justice system.

“I struggle with the criminal justice system these days because I look at it and I feel like it’s an overall zealous system just meant to put people in prison, there has to be some monetary benefiting suppliers when you look at,” he said.

The system, he argued, profits off incarceration via monopolies. He cited Bob Barker Company, connected to the deceased former host of the Price is Right, and Keefe Supply Company, tied to the Bush family, as dominating federal prison supply contracts, suggesting financial incentives may influence sentencing.

He praised many prison guards as “hardworking, amazing people,” but had nothing but disdain for Warden Kelly, calling her “absolutely unqualified” and accusing her of using budget excuses to avoid improvements while spending $7,000 on an office TV.

“She can sue me. I’d love to go to a deposition for calling her unqualified,” Santos said.

Santos also commented on the political leanings of his fellow inmates and how quickly attitudes shifted after his commutation.

“Lots of liberals in prison,” Santos said. “You’d be shocked. You’d be shocked at the number of people who hate the president in prison. But then the moment, which is funny, the moment I got commuted, everybody was like, ‘Oh, Trump’s the man.’”

Drugs infested the main prison, including “suboxone, K, ecstasy, molly, cocaine,” smuggled by underpaid guards.

Santos said unlike other prisons, FCI Fairton abruptly stopped his ADHD medication and replaced it with antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs, leaving him “zombified.”

He later spent 41 days in solitary after a false death threat, describing “recycled” clothes, including underwear “complimentary skid marks on them.”

Santos said he was held in a 6-by9 cell so small he could touch both walls with his arms outstretched.

He described drinking metallic-tasting water from the toilet tank.

“These black sediments fall to the bottom of the cup. This is what they’re putting you through,” he said.

His neighbor, a convicted murderer, had killed another inmate with a pencil.

Santos penned three suicide notes during confinement, later framing them as a form of protest.

“The preface was, ‘I’m going to kill myself just to fuck with this warden and put a mess in her hand,’” he said. “Look at how desperate I was. I was willing to end my life in my own thoughts to get back at someone who was hurting me.”

He said books sustained him in solitary, of which he read 26 volumes, from fantasy epics to historical sagas, before experiencing a religious awakening.

“It is so much easier to walk in

your life with God in it than to ignore it,” he said.

On Sept. 10, a guard told him that Charlie Kirk, a figure Santos admired, had been murdered. Isolated, Santos mentally unraveled, later receiving updates on Trump’s memorial speech.

He said he later met with the FBI on Sept. 23, who deemed the threat to his own life non-credible, but the warden delayed his return to the camp until early October.

Upon learning of his commutation on Oct. 17 via an MSNBC graphic, Santos said inmates mobbed him.

“The entire cafeteria erupted,” Santos said.

He said after the commutation he called Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Trump ally, who had advocated on his behalf and left the prison that night.

Santos said prison redefined wealth for him after being stripped of family, friends and material desires while also leading him to sobriety.

“Mainly the torturous nature of isolation and the dehumanizing nature of which I was treated really put my entire life back into perspective,” he said.After his release, Santos said he enjoyed hour-long showers and sushi feasts. Now a reform crusader, Santos condemned the justice system’s cruelty and is also speaking out against the death penalty.

“If they can do this to me, imagine what other people are [subjected to],” he said.

Carlson called the interview “an amazing story.”

“You seem like a man transformed through suffering,” Carlson said.

Santos agreed.

“Well, that’s not the easiest way to transform,” he said. “No, it’s the only way. And it paid off in a weird way at the end. And I’m grateful. Thanks to God and thanks to President Trump and to everybody who helped and walked that long path with me.”

YouTube / Tucker Carlson
Former Congressman George Santos speaks with Tucker Carlson during a candid interview last week, recounting his 84-day federal prison ordeal, experiences of abuse and squalor and a spiritual rebirth.
YouTube / Tucker Carlson
Former Congressman George Santos.

SANTOS UNCENSORED

Well, my friends, the votes were cast and the outcome was clear: Zohran Mamdani had seized control of New York City. When I looked at that result, I didn’t see a victory for common sense — I saw the beginning of a collapse. While some cheered for what they called progress and change, those of us who live in the real world knew this story would end badly.

Mamdani ran on a radical socialist platform built on tearing down the very institutions that keep a city safe, prosperous, and livable. His rhetoric about the police, about public order, about business and freedom all sent a clear message: law and order would take a back seat, taxpayers would be forgotten, and chaos would become the new normal. The men and women of the New York City Police Department heard that message loud and clear. Many didn’t just worry quietly — this week, they began to leave in record numbers. They saw what was coming. They knew that a

mayor who views law enforcement with suspicion would make their work impossible.

As that storm brews over the five boroughs, something very different is happening just a few miles east. Out on Long Island, in Nassau and Suffolk counties, leadership still means something. Republican leaders there still believe in the principles that built this country: freedom, personal responsibility, property rights, safety, and opportunity. They don’t apologize for wanting low taxes and strong police departments. They stand for law, order, and growth.

So while New York City crumbles under left-wing chaos, Long Island is becoming the bright light of hope in the region. Families who are fed up with rising crime, crumbling schools, and suffocating taxes have a simple choice to make: either pack their bags and leave the state, or move east to safety. They don’t need to abandon the Empire State — all they need to do is run from New York City.

Long Island: The Last Bastion of Freedom in a Failing New York

They are simply saving their futures from decline.

When neighborhoods stop being safe, when police are driven off the beat, when businesses are taxed into oblivion, people don’t stay — they move toward hope. That’s exactly what is already happening. Mamdani’s New York will push them out, and Long Island will welcome them in. The Republican leaders who stood their ground built communities that work. They value stability, reward small business, respect law enforcement, and invest in schools. Those are the pillars of prosperity.

When the city turned left, the region turned right — and everything began to change. The people coming to Long Island are bringing more than moving trucks; they’re bringing energy, drive, talent, and capital. They will open businesses, buy homes, hire workers, and fuel the local economy. The result is undeniable: Main Streets will revive, neighborhoods will flourish, and freedom will

thrive.

So yes, New York City made a choice it will come to regret. But Long Island stood tall. And I believe history will show that, in this critical moment, it was Long Island that carried the torch of American values when the city lost its way. Under Republican leadership, Long

Island became the place where businesses grow, families thrive, and faith in our future is restored.

That’s the truth. And to every New Yorker who feels abandoned by the city they once loved, look east — look to Long Island. Because that’s where freedom went to survive.

Few upsets as incumbents mostly prevail in Suffolk elections

Incumbents held their ground in most contests across Suffolk as preliminary election results rolled in. Countywide leaders on the ticket, District Attorney Raymond Tierney and Sheriff Errol Toulon, cruised to victory, having faced no opposition. In an upset, Republican Legislator Catherine Stark of the East End’s 1st District was defeated by Democrat Greg Doroski.

In the contest featuring Republican Stephanie Bontempi, early returns show the margin

razor-thin, with the incumbent holding a lead of less than two percentage points over Democratic challenger Craig G. Herskowitz.

In a squeaker, Riverhead Supervisor Tim Hubbard, a Republican, is down by only six votes to Jerome Halpin in the unofficial count. Leading the ticket in Brookhaven, Town Clerk Kevin LaValle easily won re-election. Republican legislators Trish Bergin, Nick Caracappa, Steve Flotteron, Leslie Kennedy, Chad Lennon, Jim Mazzarella, Anthony Piccirillo, and Dominick

Thorne won re-election, cementing the GOP majority. All of the GOP legislators were cross-endorsed by the Conservative Party, enhancing their margins of victory.

Democratic incumbents Tom Donnelly, Steve Englebright, Samuel Gonzalez, Rebecca Sanin, Ann Welker, and Jason Richberg, the minority leader, won re-election. Winning the 14th District seat held by term-limited Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey was RJ Renna, who ran unopposed. Another Republican legislator leaving because of term

limits, the 13th District’s Robert Trotta, will be succeeded by the GOP’s Salvatore Formica.

Voters also approved a countywide ballot proposition giving legislators four-year terms. A statewide referendum to allow a sports complex on upstate parkland was likewise approved by New York voters.

In New York City, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo by about nine points, a rematch of their primary contest, which Cuomo also lost. Radio personality Curtis Sliwa netted a little more than 7 percent on the Republican line, not making a difference in the final tally.

Lake Ronkonkoma’s new guardian: the Lakekeeper

Long Island’s largest body of freshwater, Lake Ronkonkoma, will soon have its own Lakekeeper—a dedicated environmental steward charged with protecting and restoring the health of this historic water body. The Lakekeeper will coordinate water quality monitoring, stormwater management, and environmental restoration, producing an annual “State of the Lake” report, according to the Suffolk County legislators who helped secure funding for the position.

Legislator Leslie Kennedy, who revived the County’s long-inactive Lake Ronkonkoma Advisory Board earlier this year, led the push to bring the Lakekeeper program to fruition. “This has been a long time coming,” said Kennedy. “I owe a special thank you to Sarah Lansdale and her team at Economic Development for securing this position. We couldn’t have done it without her dedication.”

Legislator Trish Bergin praised the initiative’s broad community impact. “Lake Ronkonkoma is a gem in our community,” Bergin

said. “Revitalizing its water quality serves families in both Islip and Smithtown.”

The new position will be created through The Research Foundation for SUNY, under the supervision of Dr. Christopher Gobler at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. Funding comes from a $300,000 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation grant, administered through the Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan in partnership with the Long Island Regional Planning Council.

keeper program “will establish a centralized strategy for water quality monitoring and improvement programs to reduce nitrogen pollution and restore Lake Ronkonkoma to its former glory.”

Created by the glaciers that formed Long Island during the ice age 15,000 to 20,000 years ago, Ronkonkoma is known as a kettle hole lake, depressions in the earth formed by massive blocks of ice. The lakes, dispersed across the island, have special ecosystems that make their surroundings unique.

According to John Cameron, chairman of the Regional Planning Council, the Lake-
James Teese
Legislator Leslie Kennedy announces the Lake Ronkonkoma Lakekeeper program along with supporters.
Chat GPT
Photo Illustration
Robert Chartuk
Brookhaven Town Clerk Kevin LaValle fires up the troops at GOP headquarters on Election Day. He went on to handily win reelection.

LOCAL

Madeline’s Mission inspires community

At just six months old, Madeline Norton was diagnosed with PKAN, a rare and incurable neurological disease. Her family’s fight to raise awareness and fund research for the condition became the focus of Madeline’s Mission, a campaign that has united Long Island communities around hope, courage, and compassion.

On National First Responders Day, the Norton family joined elected officials, emergency service members, and local residents to honor Madeline’s journey. The event served as a dual tribute—to the young girl whose story has inspired action and to the men and women who risk their lives daily to protect others.

Madeline’s parents, Gerard and Kaitlin Norton, launched the campaign to support life-saving PKAN research and give their daughter, and children like her, the best life possible. Their story has also underscored a broader push in Albany, where legislators are working to establish a Rare Disease Advisory Council to ensure that patients and families have a stronger voice in state health policy.

“Raising awareness and doing what we can to support PKAN research will help save lives,” said Assemblyman John Mikulin. “Public outreach events like these are essential to bringing communities together to improve public health and safety statewide.”

Assemblyman Michael Durso praised the Nortons

for “turning heartbreak into action,” while Assemblyman Doug Smith said it was heartwarming to see so many Long Islanders come together to support both first responders and the Norton family. Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio added that first responders “embody the very best of our communities with courage, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to protecting others.”

“Madeline is strong. She is brave. And we will never stop fighting for her,” Kaitlin Norton said.

As First Responders Day reminded New Yorkers to thank those who serve, Madeline’s Mission offered a poignant message of resilience—and the power of love. Visit gofundme. com/f/madelines-mission

Patchogue-Medford School District pushes back against bullying

Throughout October, the Patchogue-Medford School District celebrated National Bullying Prevention Month, working to promote compassion and inclusion.

“The Patchogue-Medford School District is proud to engage students in important anti-bullying initiatives,” said Patchogue-Medford School District Interim Superintendent Lori Cannetti. “In addition to uplifting our students’ academic and extracurricular growth, we believe it is crucial to support their personal development as thoughtful and empathetic leaders. Through bullying prevention, we are engaging our students in warm and welcom-

ing environments and cultivating a better tomorrow.” Students participated in various activities encouraging unity, kindness, and friendship.

Activities included Oregon Middle School peer leaders crafting friendship bracelets, Patchogue-Medford High School’s Next Generation

wellness club partnering with ninth-grade students to create a mural of handprints in the unifying shape of a tree. Barton Elementary School students created a mural emphasizing the importance of kindness. Additionally, elementary schools received special “Start With Hello” presentations from the Suffolk County Sheriff’s office.

The month’s efforts culminated with Unity Day on October 22, during which students and staff wore orange and united to oppose bullying.

South Ocean Middle School and Patchogue-Medford High School students crafted orange chain links with positive messages that were joined together in opposition to bullying. Oregon Middle School scholars

designed a mural for students to sign in support of the message that there is No Place for Hate in their school.

National Bullying Prevention Month is an annual campaign implemented by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center in 2006, initially taking place with a week of recognition. Now held throughout October and observed nationwide, National Bullying Prevention Month unites communities with the shared message of raising awareness of bullying prevention.

For more information about the Patchogue-Medford Union Free School District, please visit the District’s website at www.pmschools.org. Happenings in the District can also be followed on Facebook.

Patchogue bar trolls bozos: community callout or fake news?

An online uproar over a Patchogue bar’s Halloween post turned out to be less scandalous than it first appeared — and more in line with the establishment’s well-known brand of satire.

On November 1, The Cliffton Bar posted on Instagram that “Halloween Night was one of the worst examples of public behavior we have ever witnessed in downtown Patchogue Village.” The message claimed the bar had suddenly implemented a “30 and over” door policy “to protect ourselves and our customers from what we can only describe as a mob of some of the most

disrespectful people on Long Island.” It ended dramatically: “Please be safe out there… but always keep in mind that… This Is Patchogue.”

The post, which circulated widely across social media, seemed serious enough to fool many locals. But regular followers quickly recognized the exaggerated tone and theatrical flair typical of The Cliffton’s social media presence. Accompanying videos warned residents to “SELL YOUR HOUSE… LEAVE PATCHOGUE B4 IT’S TOO LATE!!” and even referenced “heroin zombies,” clear signs of parody.

On Reddit, users clarified the situation for confused readers. “It’s the edgelord bar

of Patchogue,” wrote user mrs_petty_spaghetti, noting that the owner “has been saying sarcastic stuff like this for years.” Others agreed, describing the post as just another entry in the bar’s ongoing performance of dark humor and mock alarm.

The Cliffton has long courted controversy, even facing protests in the past for allegedly offensive rhetoric. Yet, the business continues to embrace an “any publicity is good publicity” philosophy. Its latest Halloween stunt once again blurred the line between provocation and parody — and, in doing so, reminded social media users that not every viral outrage is what it seems.

Patchogue-Medford School District
The Patchogue-Medford School District celebrates National Bullying Prevention Month.
Norton Family
Madeline Norton with her parents, Gerard and Kaitlin.
Cliffton Bar
“Please be safe out there the remainer of the weekend,” Cliffton wrote; was misspelling ‘remainder’ a giveaway?

LOCAL

When one door closes, another opens—and patrons of the recently closed Ronkonkoma-located Panera Bread know this all too well.

A Panera Bread—along with a Bojangles—has been proposed and is in the works as part of the next entry in Route 83’s three-year-ongoing Holmesview Common Phase 2.

Reports of the new restaurants offer hope for local onlookers left puzzled when plans for the lot’s Amazon Retail Center curiously never materialized.

Both the Panera Bread and the Bojangles would rest on Horseblock Road just east of Route 83, making for a pair of fresh new additions to the already restau-

Panera, Bojangles restaurants coming to Farmingville

rant-rampant area.

Bojangles filed its property application in August. Panera Bread was officially proposed at the Town of Brookhaven Zoning Board meeting on Wednesday, November 3, at 2 p.m. If approved, Panera Bread will sit directly across from Taco Bell.

More than a dozen Panera Breads are currently serving customers across Suffolk County, with over a dozen more operating in Nassau as well.

Moreover, the announcement of their latest comes mere days after Panera’s Portion Road, Ronkonkoma base closed up shop for good—ending a 10year run.

Long Island Business News reported that this Panera, established in October 2015, was

owned by Doherty Enterprises, Inc., which operates several Paneras and Applebee’s in the greater area.

Prior to the Farmingville proposal being announced, the most recent Panera Bread to come to Suffolk was the one situated in the Islandia Shopping Center that also brought forth a Chipotle—much to the delight of Hauppauge Motor Parkway regulars.

When a popular chain expands, the line at its closest neighboring affiliate decreases; that’s just food science.

Farmingvillians, next time you’re keen on venturing out of town for your Turkey Bacon Bravo and broccoli cheddar soup fix, think again—soon enough, you need look no further than your own backyard.

Don’t cry, Michael: Dairy Barn moo-ving back into

Spearheaded by Irena Angeliades, who’s already opened locations in Huntington and East Northport, that barn you like is about to come back in style.

Patchogue’s Dairy Barn — a South Shore-based store synonymous with the Long Island staple of suburban chains offering milk, bread, eggs, and more — is set to reopen this week. As of November 10th, The Barn is officially back in business.

The red-and-white drive-thru experience has been sorely missed, as one Dairy Barn after another either converted to a Red Acre Farm or was board-

ed up entirely. The absence was especially felt during the COVID pandemic, when shop-

Movie Review Medley:

“Good Fortune,” written, directed by, and starring Aziz Ansari, is a grounded comedy about the whims of fate and the value of friendship amid life’s chaos. With Keanu Reeves playing a texting-and-driving guardian angel who helps Ansari’s overworked everyman take revenge on his billionaire boss (Seth Rogen), the film offers a quirky mix of heart and absurdity. While the ending lands softly rather than spectacularly, it’s a worthy reminder that studio comedies can still take creative risks in 2025—even if the box office suggests otherwise.

Taking a different swing, “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” explores Bruce Springsteen’s haunting “Nebraska” era, a stark creative detour that nearly derailed his career. The film captures the emotional toll of chasing artistic truth over commercial success, with Jeremy Allen White delivering a deeply felt portrayal of the Boss—complete with what sounds like his own vocals. More introspective than celebratory, it offers an intimate portrait of Springsteen’s struggles and inspirations, even as it omits longtime collaborator Stevie Van Zandt, who would rejoin the E Street Band later. Still, it’s a compelling look at the man behind the myth.

pers sought limited contact with others while purchasing essential fridge items.

The quaint simplicity of decades’ worth of dependable Dairy Barn service was eventually pushed out by supermarket expansion and the home-delivery app boom. With multiple 7-Elevens on every major street these days, the act of grabbing milk — or even cigarettes — has grown more monotonous than it ought to be. Whatever happened to the adventure through the time portal? Whatever happened to The Dairy Barn?

Per online yearning and the aforementioned discontent of the masses, the tides have begun to shift of late — as evidenced by our regular coverage of big-store closures and smallstore celebrations.

Patchogue!

According to local reports, Angeliades and her team expect five Barns to be open and operating across Long Island by year’s end, and 10 by the spring of 2026.

Here’s to good tidings ahead for The Dairy Barn, as it appears destined to live out many more days.

And here’s to a holiday season where you can enjoy a store-signature s’mores latte while watching the big Michael Cera scene in the seasonally appropriate, St. James-shot “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” — now streaming on Amazon — reminding us that The Dairy Barn isn’t just nostalgic.

It’s timeless.

The Good, The Great, and The Grand

The triple feature closes with “Game 7 of the 2025 World Series,” an electrifying sports drama co-directed by real-life baseball rivals Dave Roberts and John Schneider. Anchored by Shohei Ohtani but stolen by Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s standout performance, it’s a high-stakes, crowd-pleasing epic that cements itself as the best baseball movie since “Moneyball.”

“Good Fortune” and “Deliver Me from Nowhere” are still playing in theaters, while “Game 7” was a one-night-only event—worth catching even if you already know the ending. After all, as any film lover learns eventually, spoilers fade, but great stories don’t.

Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point/Omnes Films/IFC
“Superbad’s” Michael Cera as Officer Jacobs in 2024’s “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,” shot at the former Dairy Barn in St. James.
Panera & TheTiberHouse
Farmingvillians, next time you’re keen on venturing out of town for your Turkey Bacon Bravo and broccoli cheddar soup fix, think again.
Lionsgate & 20th Century Studios
“Good Fortune” and “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” continue in theaters, while our No. 1 film of the past week was a one-night-only enterprise.

HISTORY LESSONS

“…The headquarters of the army will be in Washington, and also with Lieutenant-General Grant in the field.”— President Abraham Lincoln, March 10, 1864

Ulysses S. Grant’s rise from scandal and suspicion to the top command of the Union Army was one of the most unlikely ascents of the Civil War. His steady hand and relentless will would ultimately deliver the victory Abraham Lincoln had long sought.

Grant first came to national attention on February 16, 1862, when he won the largest battle of the war at Fort Donelson, capturing Simon Bolivar Buckner’s Confederate forces. Northern newspapers reported 14,000 Southern casualties, including about 12,000 prisoners of war taken by Grant. Promoted to major general, he seemed destined for greater things—until rumors of drunkenness and neglect led General Henry W. Halleck to briefly relieve him of command.

Halleck disliked Grant and tried to remove him permanently, but Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton demanded proof or silence. When a Confederate sympathizer intercepted Grant’s reports, confusion deepened, but Lincoln ultimately pressured Halleck to reinstate him.

Shortly after, at Shiloh, Grant’s army was surprised by Confederate forces near the Tennessee River. Two brutal days of combat left 23,500 casualties on both sides. Though the Union held the field, critics branded Grant an “imbecile” and a “drunkard.”

Facing mounting political

The Emergence of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant

pressure, Lincoln was urged to dismiss him. Halleck took personal command, leaving Grant sidelined. Demoralized, Grant requested leave. As he packed to depart, his friend General William Tecumseh Sherman intervened, urging him to stay patient. “I am getting in the way,” Grant confessed. Sherman reminded him that he, too, had been cast aside before being redeemed at Shiloh.

Soon after, Lincoln summoned Halleck to Washington to oversee the broader war effort, keeping Grant in the field. It proved a decisive move.

From 1862 to 1863, Grant was tasked with capturing Vicksburg, Mississippi—the Confederate stronghold controlling the Mississippi River. Its powerful fortifications disrupted Union supply lines and symbolized Confederate

defiance. For months, Grant’s efforts to seize the city failed amid floods, swamps, and logistical nightmares. Critics again whispered about his drinking and incompetence.

Lincoln, who barely knew Grant, stood firm. “He’s the only friend Grant has in the North,” the president said.

Grant’s patience and audacity finally paid off. On April 16, 1863, he risked his entire western campaign by floating troops and supplies down the Mississippi River under Vicksburg’s guns. Sherman called it reckless; Grant called it necessary. Within weeks, Grant’s army cut off and defeated two Confederate forces, capturing Jackson, Mississippi, on May 14. His young son Frederick even rode ahead on a pony as Union troops entered the city. By summer, Grant had surrounded Vicksburg. From

May 25 to July 4, he starved the defenders into submission.

Confederate General John C. Pemberton, trapped by his own refusal to abandon the city, surrendered 29,000 soldiers. Grant paroled most back to their homes, signaling that the South’s cause was collapsing.

Lincoln was jubilant. “His campaign from the beginning of this month up to the twenty-second day of it is one of the most brilliant in the world,” he wrote. The president even confessed, “When you turned northward east of the Big Black, I feared it was a mistake. I now wish to make the personal acknowledgment that you were right and I was wrong.”

In late 1863, Lincoln placed Grant in charge of a vast new military district stretching from the Mississippi River to the Appalachians. After the Union defeat at Chickamauga, Grant rushed reinforcements to Chattanooga, reopened vital supply lines, and by November 25 captured Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain—driving Confederate forces deep into Georgia.

Grant’s political ally, Representative Elihu Washburne, championed his promotion to lieutenant general, a rank held previously only by George Washington. Washburne declared, “He has fought more battles and won more victories than any man living.” Grant modestly replied that “success over the enemy was what he craved above everything else.”

When Grant arrived in Washington in March 1864, his unassuming demeanor surprised many. He wore a private’s uniform with stars

sewn on and kept his head down as crowds cheered. At the Willard Hotel, a clerk initially refused him a room until realizing who he was.

That evening, Grant dined quietly with his son Frederick before meeting Lincoln at the White House. The president, weary from years of frustration with timid generals, was finally confident he had found the commander who would finish the war.

Lincoln drafted a speech for Grant’s promotion ceremony, but Grant declined to use it, preferring to speak in his own simple words. His directness and humility impressed Lincoln, who trusted him completely.

When invited by the president to attend a play, Grant politely declined, saying he had had enough of “show business.” Instead, he met with General George Meade, informing him he would remain in command of the Army of the Potomac. “Wherever Lee moves, you shall follow,” Grant told him. Together with Sherman, Grant devised the final plan to crush the Confederacy: Grant would pursue Robert E. Lee in Virginia, while Sherman marched through Georgia against Joseph E. Johnston. Within six months, Grant’s relentless offensives pinned Lee’s army, Sheridan conquered the Shenandoah Valley, Sherman captured Atlanta, and Lincoln won reelection over George McClellan.

A year later, Grant would stand with Lincoln again—this time as the victorious general whose discipline and determination ended America’s bloodiest war.

Statewide ramifications of NYC electing socialist Mamdani

Zohran Mamdani, the self-described socialist assemblyman from Queens, made history on Election Night by defeating Republican Curtis Sliwa and former Governor Andrew Cuomo to become New York City’s next mayor. The Ugandan-born lawmaker is now both the city’s first Muslim and first millennial mayor — a remarkable political ascent following his decisive victory in the Democratic primary.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, who initially resisted Mamdani’s progressive platform, reluctantly endorsed him in the general election. National Democrats were more reserved:

chul has publicly criticized his “Tax the rich” agenda, while Republican President Donald Trump has vowed to push back hard against the new mayor’s policies, even threatening to restrict federal funding to the city.

Mamdani campaigned on sweeping promises — rent freezes, free city buses, and universal childcare — proposals that energized younger voters but raised alarms among moderates. His victory underscores New York’s deep-blue leanings, as heavily populated city precincts once again outweighed the reliably Republican suburbs and Long Island counties.

Ho-

Despite the excitement from progressives, many Albany insiders view Mamdani’s win

with skepticism. Some Democrats worry that his brand of democratic socialism could further divide the party. “The truth is, there’s a quiet civil war going on in the Democratic Party right now,” Cuomo told Fox News, arguing that Mamdani represents the far-left faction challenging the establishment.

Mamdani has attempted to temper criticism, recently apologizing for a past remark comparing the NYPD to the Israeli military. Still, his unapologetic rhetoric and activist roots mark a clear ideological break from traditional city leadership — and suggest that New York’s next chapter may be as turbulent as it is historic.

GPT
Photo Illustration
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and former President Barack Obama offered only
general congratulations to the party, avoiding any mention of Mamdani by name.
Facebook-Zohran Mamdani & iStockphoto
Mamdani defeated a disgraced state representative to replace an incumbent who was charged with bribery while in office.

LOCAL

Loud and proud, Socialist Zohran Mamdani has won the mayor’s office in the largest city in the United States – New York City.

With 50.4% of the vote, Mamdani defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo (41.6%) and Republican Curtis Sliwa (7.1%). Current Mayor Eric Adams still received 6,382 votes (0.3%) despite dropping out of the race and endorsing Cuomo.

More than two million voters (2,043,565) cast ballots in the election, in a city with 5,126,009 registered voters. This marks the first election since 1969 in which more than two million New Yorkers turned out to vote.

Socialist Mamdani takes the win as mayor of New York City

Mamdani ran as an unabashed Socialist, proudly displaying his membership in the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). He campaigned on enthusiasm, charisma, and promises of “free” programs for New Yorkers.

NYS Minority Leader Senator Rob Ortt (R) said, “If New Yorkers were worried about the future of our state before this election, they should be nothing short of alarmed at the thought of socialist Zohran Mamdani as the new Mayor of New York City. Without doubt, Mamdani’s takeover will plunge this already unaffordable, dangerous state ever closer to being unlivable. Now, more than ever, we need to restore balance and common

sense to state government. The future of our state depends on it.”

Mamdani’s promises include free buses at a taxpayer cost of more than $800 million per year; rent freezes that critics say will worsen the housing crisis; government-run grocery stores in every borough—despite this model failing in Democrat-run Kansas City and throughout all of history; universal child care across the city at an unknown cost; and an additional 2% tax on anyone earning $1 million or more annually. This group already pays roughly 52% of their income in taxes. Mamdani has also vowed to increase taxes on New York’s already heavily burdened businesses.

Eight WFHS students receive NYSSMA All-State honors

Eight William Floyd High School students have earned statewide recognition from the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) as All-State musicians, one of the highest honors available to high school performers in New York. The students will take part in the NYSSMA All-State Festival at the Eastman Theatre in Rochester on December 6–7, where they will perform alongside top student musicians from across the state.

To achieve All-State status, students must receive a perfect score on their NYSSMA Level VI solo performance—the most advanced level of difficulty— and then be selected to join one of eight elite ensembles,

including symphonic bands, choruses, orchestras, and jazz groups. Those who earn perfect

scores but are not placed due to limited space are named as alternates. Each year, about 600 student-musicians are chosen from more than 1,000 applicants statewide.

This year’s honorees from William Floyd High School are Jackson Seifert, recognized in four categories: Symphony Orchestra trombone, Instrumental Jazz tenor trombone 3, Instrumental Jazz bass trombone, and alternate bass trombone; Becky Neikens, Symphonic Band piccolo and alternate flute; Kolton Chamberlain, Symphonic Band tuba; Shirley Galindo Jeronimo, Treble Chorus alto 2; Frankie Mattera, Mixed Chorus tenor 2; Vincent Montecalvo, Symphony Orchestra viola; Evan Schoefer,

Career Con 2025 happening this

Are you looking for a job or perhaps thinking about a career change? Anyone seeking a job is encouraged to stop by Career Con and connect with more than 125 employers.

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine announced that the Suffolk County Department of Labor is hosting Suffolk County Career Con 2025 on Wednesday, November 12. More than 125 employers will be on-site seeking employees for various positions, including full-time, part-time and seasonal employment, internships and pre-apprenticeship programs.

“Suffolk County is committed to helping our residents who are seeking employment, including

those who are seeking a new career opportunity to those who are interested in a seasonal job opportunity for the upcoming holidays,” said Romaine. “Throughout the last two years, we have been proactive in assisting hundreds of residents through various events, including career fairs, youth employment fairs and now Career Con.”

Suffolk County Career Con is this Wednesday, November 12 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Suffolk Credit Union Arena at Suffolk County Community College’s Brentwood Campus located on Crooked Hill Road. Career Con will feature opportunities in various industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, technology, construc-

tion, hospitality, retail, public service and more. There will be something that fits your skills and talents.

Employers will be offering various positions, while local unions and training organizations will provide information on apprenticeships, skills development, and career training programs designed to prepare job seekers for long-term success.

Admission is free, and no pre-registration is required. Attendees are encouraged to bring multiple copies of their résumé and dress professionally.

The Suffolk County Department of Labor works with thousands of job seekers every year on their journey to employment.

For more information on the

String Orchestra violin; and Colin Smith, Mixed Chorus bass 1.

William Floyd’s music department praised the students and faculty who helped them reach this milestone. “Congratulations to these eight amazing All-State student-musicians and their teachers including Diana Brown Hoppe (orchestra), Garry Helbock (band), Kimberly Hyland (band), Donia Rivera (choir), Michelle Seifert (choir), and Sarah Weber (orchestra)!” the department said in a statement. Their achievement marks another year of musical excellence at William Floyd, highlighting the school’s commitment to nurturing student talent in the performing arts.

Wednesday

WFSD
NYSSMA All-State musicians
Democrat Socialists of America Facebook Page Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani wins the mayor’s office in New York City.
Grok/Twitter Suffolk County Carrer Con is happening this week.

Q:ASK NANCY

My spouse died with a Will that leaves assets to our daughter, but she is a minor – what do I need to know about managing her inheritance?

A:When a person under the age of 18 is set to receive more than $10,000.00 as an inheritance under an estate, the New York Surrogate’s Court requires that a guardian be appointed to protect the minor’s property interest. Though a child’s parents are, by default, considered the

natural guardians of her person, they do not have the right to control their child’s inherited property.

In these cases, the Court must appoint a guardian of the property to protect and preserve the infant’s assets until the child comes of age.

While any adult with an interest in the child’s welfare may ask the Court for permission to serve as a property guardian, the Court typically prefers for a parent to act in this role – though the Court will prioritize the best interests of the child. The person who intends to act as guardian must submit a Petition to the Surrogate’s Court in the county where the child resides.

In this Petition, the proposed guardian will provide certain details about the minor: where she lives, what her assets are, and the name of any person who lives in the same household as the child.

The proposed guardian must also obtain jurisdiction over the child’s parents, if they are alive and their residence is known. This juris -

Inheriting Property as a Minor

diction typically comes in the form of a waiver signed by the parent, consenting to the appointment of a guardian. If the child has no surviving parents, then service must be made upon her grandparents, if they are alive, or the persons who have custody of the child.

If the child is over the age of 14, she must be served as well.

Once the Petition is filed and jurisdiction is complete over all parties, the Court will review the documents to ensure that the appointment is in the child’s best interests. If the Court is satisfied with the documents, the newly-appointed Guardian of the Property must collect the minor’s inheritance and deposit any money into a joint account with the Clerk of the Court. These funds cannot be withdrawn without sufficient cause or an Order from the Court. The Guardian has a fiduciary duty to prudently maintain assets, manage investments, and account to the Court as necessary.

In many cases, this extensive Court process is not avoidable. However, an effec -

tive estate plan may include a trust for the benefit of a minor child with a designated Trustee. Whetherthis trust is part of a Revocable Trust, or a Testamentary Trust established under a duly executed Last Will and Testament, establishing a separate fund for the benefit of a child as part of your estate plan will eliminate the need to involve the Court in managing these assets. Frank Oswald, Esq. is an asso -

ciate attorney at Burner Prudenti Law, P.C. focusing his practice areas on Trusts and Estates. Britt Burner, Esq. is the Managing Partner at Burner Prudenti Law, P.C. 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.

LIBRARY LIVING

Assistant Library Director

Stream Movies, TV, Documentaries from Your Library

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. Don’t have home internet? Borrow a MiFi device from the library to access free Internet service from home. Please note, there may be a waitlist for this

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. With hundreds of thousands of titles to choose from, and more being added daily, Hoopla is like having your public library at your fingertips. 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. Hoopla supports Amazon Alexa devices, too. Play borrowed audiobooks and music albums

directly on your Amazon Echo, Dot, Spot, and Show devices. Just search for “hoopla digital” in the Amazon Skills marketplace.

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

Kanopy is a video-streaming 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.

Watch up to 10 critically-acclaimed movies, inspiring documentaries, and award-winning foreign films each month. 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-MorichesShirley Community Library card number and PIN or password after selecting Kanopy from the library’s webpage.

Chat GPT
Photo Illustration
Kostanti A.Kruk, Owner Matthew Kruk, Licensed Funeral Director

Happening at the

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

Pin Pals

FUN & GAMES

Name That Landmark!

Earn a pin each time you attend a teen program! You can also trade pins with teen staff while in the library. Use them to decorate your backpack or anything you want!

Marvel Multiverse RPG

Monday, November 10

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Tuesday, November 4, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Held at our Main Building.

Name That Landmark!

Tuesday, November 4

Registration begins on 10/21.

5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Held at our Main Building.

Held at our Mastic Beach Branch. Registration begins on 10/27. Play as your favorite Marvel superhero or create your own to face off against the most menacing villains of the Marvel Multiverse in this exciting tabletop game!

Roblox Escape Room

Tuesday, November 11, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Join the fun on Kahoot. Guess U.S. landmarks from photos and compete for bragging rights!

Switch Game Time

Registration begins on 10/21. Join the fun on Kahoot. Guess U.S. landmarks from photos and compete for bragging rights!

Wednesday, November 5, 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Held at our Mastic Beach Branch.

Switch Game Time

Registration begins 10/22.

Wednesday, November 5

Held at our Main Building. Registration begins on 10/28. You have been transported into the world of Roblox! Work together to complete the IRL versions of favorite Roblox games in order to escape! Will you escape back to reality, or be trapped in the world of Roblox forever?

Stay connected and follow us on Instagram: @mmsclteens

Mystery Video Game

Tournament

Saturday, November 22

1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Held at our Moriches Branch.

Registration begins on 11/8. Think you’re a video game master?

5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Held at our Mastic Beach Branch.

Retro Gaming

Hang out and play Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Mario Party, or Switch Sports.

Friday, November 14, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Registration begins 10/22.

Marvel Multiverse RPG

Monday, November 10, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Held at our Mastic Beach Branch.

Hang out and play Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Mario Party, or Switch Sports.

Registration begins on 10/27.

Play as your favorite Marvel superhero or create your own to face off against the most menacing villains of the Marvel Multiverse in this exciting tabletop game!

Roblox Escape Room

Held at our Mastic Beach Branch. Registration begins on 10/31. Wednesday, November 19, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Held at our Main Building. Registration begins on 11/5. Pretend it is the arcade days with some retro NES games on the Nintendo Switch! Eat snacks and try to get the highest score!

Tuesday, November 11, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Held at our Main Building.

Registration begins on 10/28.

Entertainment

Comfy Cozy Sunday:

Eats

You have been transported into the world of Roblox! Work together to complete the IRL versions of favorite Roblox games in order to escape! Will you escape back to reality, or be trapped in the world of Roblox forever?

K-Pop Demon Hunters

Sunday, November 23, 1:00 – 2:45 p.m.

Retro Gaming

Held at our Main Building.

Teen Friendsgiving

Tuesday, November 25, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Held at our Main Building. Registration begins on 11/11.

Friday, November 14, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Registration begins on 11/10.

Held at our Mastic Beach Branch.

Registration begins on 10/31.

Watch K-Pop Demon Hunters and decorate cookies. This program may not be suitable for teens with food allergies.

Wednesday, November 19, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Held at our Main Building.

Registration begins on 11/5.

Pretend it is the arcade days with some retro NES games on the Nintendo Switch! Eat snacks and try to get the highest score!

Teens Read

Enjoy a festive feast from Thanksgiving dinner, to dessert, to tasty treats in-between. Play games, make crafts, eat good food, and celebrate the festive season with the Teen Department.

Manga Book Club & Anime Watch Party

Mystery Video Game Tournament

Advanced Battle of the Books

Tuesdays, November 4, 11, 18

Saturday, November 22, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Thursdays, November 6, 13, 20

Held at our Moriches Branch.

7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Registration begins on 11/8.

Held at our Main Building. Registration is open.

Do you have an interest in reading and trivia?

Wednesday, November 5 4:15 – 5:15 p.m.

Held at our Mastic Beach Branch.

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!

D&D

Advanced Battle of the Books is a countywide competition for teens in grades 9 through 12. We will compete against other Suffolk County libraries in the spring.

Monday, November 24, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Held at our Mastic Beach Branch.

Registration begins on 11/10.

Registration begins on 10/22. Read and discuss Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya, then enjoy eating snacks as we watch episodes from the anime adaptation! Check out the book with your library card from the Mastic Beach branch or Main building.

Join Charlie, super-cool Teen Services librarian and your friends for a unique, custom-made D&D adventure! Character sheets and dice will be provided.

Adults

Register for programs three easy ways: in person, online at www.communitylibrary.org or contact the Adult Information Desk at 631-399-1511 ext. 2014 for the Moriches branch, ext. 1028 for the Mastic Beach branch or ext. 2024 for the Main Building, regardless of program location. Programs are for Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library cardholders only, unless otherwise stated.

Take Care of Yourself

Rooted in Growth

Everyone Loves a Story

EVERYONE LOVES A STORY

Monday, March 24, 6:00 – 7:15 p.m.

Held at our Moriches Branch.

Registration begins Monday, March 3.

What’s on your Nightstand?

Thursday, March 13, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Held at Sunsets at Senix Restaurant 50 Senix Ave, Center Moriches, NY

Mary Bruno Friedman’s Book Talk

Tuesday, November 11, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Held at our Moriches Branch.

Registration begins Tuesday, October 28.

Plant your own succulent in a custom decorated planter while exploring themes of personal growth! Presented by Christine Szaraz from Stony Brook University’s Healing Arts program.

Relax with Yoga

Tuesday, March 4, 11, 18, 25 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Held at our Main Building.

Meet Mary Bruno Friedman, the author of Of Heroic Proportion: An American Story, a nonfiction book about patriotism and a man’s survival in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Mary will be discussing her book and answering questions. There are limited copies available for checkout at the library. If you would like to purchase the book, it is available on Amazon in paperback (ISBN #9798991612968) and hardcover (ISBN #9798991612944).

Registration begins Tuesday, March 4. Deciding what to read next? Join us for a discussion about books at Sunsets at Senix! There is no assigned reading; chat about what you are currently reading, what you want to read, or your most favorite book of all time. Snacks will be provided. Wine and beer will be available for purchase. Open to all.

Book Discussion

Thursday, March 20, 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.

Held at our Main Building.

The author will not be selling copies of the book on the day of the presentation.

What’s On Your Nightstand?

Thursday, November 13, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Held at Sunsets at Senix Restaurant, 50 Senix Avenue, Center Moriches

Registration begins Tuesday, November 4.

Registration begins Tuesday, February 25. This in-person yoga practice is guided from a chair and a mat to provide options and variations for accessibility. You will be encouraged to move at your own pace and in a way that is kind to your body. It is a practice for beginners or anyone looking to find extra room to breathe and decompress. It will focus on connecting breath and movement and creating length and strength in the body.

Deciding what to read next? Join us for a discussion about books at Sunsets at Senix! There is no assigned reading; chat about what you are currently reading, what you want to read, or your most favorite book of all time. Snacks will be provided. Wine and beer will be available for purchase. Open to all.

Art of Reading Book Club

Registration begins Thursday, February 20. Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she’s a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she’s a disgrace; to design mavens, she’s a revolutionary architect; and to 15-year-old Bee, she is her best friend and, simply, Mom. Then Bernadette vanishes. It all began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette’s intensifying allergy to Seattle— and people in general – has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic. To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, and secret correspondence – creating a compulsively readable and surprisingly touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter’s role in an absurd world. Copies of the book will be available at our Main Branch starting February 20.

Home Improvement Workshop

Thursday, November 13, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Held at our Moriches Branch.

Your Home’s Electrical System

Saturday, March 29, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Held at our Main Building.

Join our unique book club celebrating creativity and the artistic process. Each month, we discuss works exploring the art of making through the lens of writers, musicians, painters, and thinkers. All are welcome for thoughtful conversation and creative reflection! This month, we’re reading Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.

Book Discussion:

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

Thursday, November 20, 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.

Held at our Main Building.

Registration begins Thursday, October 23.

Registration begins Thursday, March 6. Join Brian Schnee to learn how the electrical system in your house provides appropriate power to satisfy your electrical needs safely. This discussion will include your home’s incoming service, the main electrical panel board, wiring materials, outlets, smoke detectors and safety measures. This class will be followed by an electrical workshop on April 5 where you will have the opportunity to wire your own outlets and light switches.

Join our discussion of the New York Times bestseller and “Read with Jenna” pick, Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. This rich, multi-generational saga begins when Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves her children, Byron and Benny, a mysterious voice recording and a family-recipe black cake. Eleanor’s message unravels a tumultuous secret involving a young swimmer who fled her island home under suspicion of murder, challenging everything the siblings know about their family. Book pickup at the Main Building starts October 23rd

York Times Bestselling co-author of Made to Stick, Switch, and The Power of Moments

The featured March events and authors are:
Power of Reset and How to Change What’s Not Working #1 New
Women on the Hill

STATE

With the 2025 elections in the rearview mirror, the South Shore Press can confirm that upstate Congresswoman Elise Stefanik will run for New York governor, setting up a high-stakes challenge to Kathy Hochul next year.

The Republican’s campaign positions her as a force for change on issues that hit hard on Long Island: high taxes, crime, illegal immigration, energy costs, and local zoning.

Stefanik’s entry into the race comes as Hochul and the Democrats have lurched far left, highlighted by the election of Socialist Zohran Mamdani as New York mayor. Though Hochul endorsed the Ugandan-born Muslim, he’s yet to return the favor, as the

Long Island in focus as Stefanik kicks off gubernatorial bid

governor’s lieutenant, Antonio Delgado, has already announced a primary against her.

Stefanik’s platform directly addresses regional concerns. She pledges lower taxes and promises relief to homeowners and small businesses squeezed by state mandates and the high cost of living. On crime, she sharply contrasts with Hochul’s support of cashless bail and the defund-the-police movement.

Hailing from the Adirondack region, Stefanik calls for tighter border control and stricter internal enforcement, aligning with local frustrations over illegal immigration. On energy, she vows to reduce costs by scrapping the all-electric mandate and fossil fuel ban of the Democrat Green New Deal.

First elected in 2014, she quickly rose to prominence as one of the youngest women ever to serve in Congress. Known for her strong support of President Trump, Stefanik serves as Republican Conference chair, focusing on economic development, national security, and conservative priorities.

Locally, a Stefanik win would mean a pivotal re-orientation of Albany’s policies. Her campaign argues that suburban communities deserve more autonomy, lower taxes, and safer streets. With Hochul under pressure among suburban voters who believe her administration prioritizes the city and statewide mandates over local control, Stefanik’s message is welcome news to Long Island taxpayers.

State funds nonprofit organizations to protect against terrorism

We are in a time in this country when individuals, and groups of people, are being targeted for death simply due to their political point of view or religious affiliation. The federal government recognizes the need for nonprofit organizations across the country to add extra security and that they need financial assistance to do it.

New York State has secured $14.3 million through the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program – National Security Supplemental, a program that supports organizations at risk of terrorist attacks. This funding will be distributed among 57 nonprofits across the state to strengthen their physical and cybersecurity. Suffolk County, New York

City, Westchester, and Nassau counties are included in the Urban Area Security Initiative (UA-

New York ranks among nation’s

There is plenty to complain about with taxes and regulations in New York, but our approach to caring for lung cancer isn’t one of those things.

The American Lung Association in New York released the 2025 “State of Lung Cancer” report. The good news is that New York ranks second nationally for surgery as first course of treatment (2 out of 49 states), third in survival (3 out of 39), fifth in early diagnosis at (5 out of 50), and above average in screening, treatment rates, and other key measures.

The report also reveals that more needs to be done to end the burden of lung cancer on families throughout the state. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths in New York and across the U.S.

“In the last decade, we have seen incredible progress, including increases in lung cancer survival and early detection rates. This means that more people in New York are living longer after a lung cancer diagnosis,” said Michael Seilback, assistant vice president of nationwide advocacy and state public policy for the American Lung Association. “While this progress gives us hope, early detection and survival rates are far too low in our state. Work -

SI)-designated high-risk urban areas. New York is among the top states in the nation to receive funding through NSGP-NSS.

A total of $11.7 million is being awarded to 51 organizations in the Metro Area, with $2.6 million awarded to six nonprofit organizations throughout the rest of the state.

The specific organizations receiving the funding are not being released due to security reasons.

Churches, synagogues, and other high-risk organizations are eligible for the security funding.

Governor Kathy Hochul said, “This grant program will enable nonprofit organizations in high-risk areas of New York to prepare for and mitigate potential threats before they happen.”

Allowable costs include planning for security risk management, continuity of operations and response plans; physical security enhancement and inspection/screening systems equipment; active shooter training and security training for employees or congregation members; response exercises; and contracted security personnel.

Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “New York’s nonprofits play a critical role in the fabric of our state. With this funding in hand, these organizations will be able to bolster security and increase preparedness ahead of any future emergencies.

best in lung cancer care

ing to increase awareness and access to lung cancer screening is critical to saving lives.”

Additional findings specific to New York are:

NY is 21 out of 51 states for rate of new lung cancer cases, at 52.82 per 100,000, which marks a 10% improvement over past five years. The national rate is 52.8 per 100,000.

NY is 11 out of 51 states for lung cancer screening, at 21.8%. Nationally, only 18.2% of people at high risk were screened.

Black individuals in New York are 22% less likely to be diagnosed early at 26.7% compared to white individuals at 34.2%.

Grok/Twitter
Churches, synagogues, and other vulnerable organizations will receive funds for security.
Robert Chartuk
Elise Stefanik during a Long Island appearance.
Grok/Twitter New York ranks among the nation’s best in lung cancer care.

NATION

Across the road from the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., a new tribute rises beneath the same open skies where 40 passengers and crew members fought back against terrorists on September 11, 2001. Patriot Memorial Park, home to the Global War on Terrorism Memorial, honors the men and women who carried that fight forward in the decades that followed.

The memorial recognizes all-volunteer service members and their families who have borne the burdens of America’s longest conflict. Since 2001, more than 7,000 have given their lives in Iraq, Afghani -

Patriot Memorial Park honors America’s post-9/11 heroes

stan, and related operations worldwide. Millions more have deployed—many multiple times—answering the call of duty, honor, and country.

At the heart of the site is the Field of Heroes Flag Display, where each flag represents a fallen father, mother, son, or daughter. The sweeping vista serves as both a visual reminder of sacrifice and a place of solace for Gold Star families who come to reflect and remember.

Organizers chose this location to connect the courage of Flight 93’s passengers with that of the service men and women who followed in their footsteps. “Our Global War on Terrorism service members have been inspired by them,”

the Patriot Park Foundation notes. “They continued the battle to protect our way of life.”

For families like that of wounded veteran Phillip B., the site carries deep meaning. His wife, Regina, wrote, “I don’t live with his injury, and I see him suffer daily, but I thank God for bringing him home… I hate what this day took away, but I focus on what we do have.”

Patriot Memorial Park invites Americans to remember, reflect, and serve—fulfilling President John F. Kennedy’s call: “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

Gates climate flip-flop exposes Green New Deal failure

Mega-billionaire Bill Gates once championed climate transformation — supporting bold frameworks like the Green New Deal and urging that “we must get to zero” on greenhouse-gas emissions.

But now he’s changed his tune, saying climate change won’t “lead to humanity’s demise,” and that the real goal should shift away from curbing emissions to boosting “health and prosperity.” It’s hard not to read this as the kind of self-serving pivot that defines the powerful: big on altruism, light on obligation. Gates points proudly to his venture fund Breakthrough

Energy and its investments in clean tech. But what he ignores

Sanders warns Democrats

Following the lead of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who said his party “is lost, disconnected, and alienated from the working-class Americans it once represented,” Senator Bernie Sanders took a swing at throwing the Democrats under the bus.

Appearing on The New York Times’ “The Opinions” podcast, Sanders admitted what millions of voters already sense — the Democrat Party is collapsing from within. “When I ran for president, one of the things that I learned is there ain’t much of a Democratic Party,” said the senator, who identifies as a Socialist.

Sanders described a party

that has grown “elitist and hollowed out,” more at home “at cocktail parties in New York and Los Angeles” than in the working-class towns that once defined it. “When people think about the Democratic Party, they think of these cocktail parties… where wealthy people mingle with consultants, mingle with the leadership,” he said. “That’s not much of a party.”

The Vermont senator, who ran twice for president as a Democrat, said party insiders “hated” his attempts to bring in working Americans without elite credentials or political ties. “They hated the idea of all these people whose hands were a little bit dirty,” he said. “‘It’s my party, man. You ain’t

is how little the Green New Deal has considered the real electricity demand of today’s society — especially the soaring power needs of artificial intelligence.

He now declares that rising AI energy use is manageable, ignoring the reality that wind, solar, and the other staples of the green energy simply cannot deliver the reliability and volume of power required to run AI farms. To gloss over that gap is hypocrisy at the highest level.

Gates still touts a cleaner-energy future, but the math screams otherwise. He warns that the world might miss net-zero by 2050 because “the amount of green electricity … is

not going to show up nearly as fast as we need.” Meanwhile, he invests in systems that devour electricity, but asks the rest of us to cheerlead his “innovation” model rather than demand accountability.

The Green New Deal offered a narrative of transformation without a practical foundation for the colossal energy loads of tomorrow. Bill Gates embraced that narrative — until it became inconvenient. Now he’s backing away, urging us to focus on “human welfare,” not pollution. That’s not compassion, that’s self-serving hypocrisy. And it’s a wake-up call: elites like Bill Gates who push green energy fantasies cannot be trusted.

are “going down with the Titanic”

getting in.’”

Sanders warned that Democrats risk “going down with the Titanic” if they fail to reconnect with ordinary Americans. But the damage may already be done. The New York Times reports the party has lost over 2.1 million registered voters since 2020, largely working-class and minority voters shifting right. A May Puck/Echelon poll found most likely voters now describe the party as “liberal, weak, and corrupt.”

“If the Democratic Party is to survive — maybe it will, maybe it won’t — the transformation has to be to open the doors,” Sanders said. For now, those doors remain closed.

Breakthrough Energy
Microsoft Founder Bill Gates
Robert Chartuk
The Field of Heroes Flag Display at the Patriot Memorial Park.
Bernie Sanders

LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES

Public Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT SUFFOLK COUNTY US BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR VRMTG ASSET TRUST, Plaintiff against THE UNKNOWN HEIRS-ATLAW, NEXT-OF-KIN, DISTRIBUTEES, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, TRUSTEES, DEVISEES, LEGATEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, AND SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST, AND GENERALLY ALL PERSONS HAVING OR CLAIMING, UNDER, BY OR THROUGH THE DECEDENT ANTHONY BISCARDI, BY PURCHASE, INHERITANCE, LIEN OR OTHERWISE, ANY RIGHT TITLE OR INTEREST IN AND TO THE PREMISES DESCRIBED IN THE COMPLAINT HEREIN, 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 November 29, 2024, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on December 16, 2025 at 9:00 AM. Premises known as 159 HAWTHORNE STREET, MASTIC, NY 11950. District 0200 Sec 908.00 Block 04.00 Lot 027.000. 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 $322,721.14 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 615688/2022. 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.

John C. Bennett, Esq., Referee File # 2236-000438 L16391 - 11/12/2025, 11/19/ 2025, 11/26/2025, & 12/3/2025

PUBLIC NOTICE

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF SUFFOLK-BROOKHAVEN.

CITIMORTGAGE, INC., Plaintiff -against- RITA PROVINCIALI

AKA RITA PROVIECIALI, GINA PROVINCIALI AND ROBERT PROVINCIALI, et al

Defendant(s). Pursuant to a

Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated December 4, 2023 and entered on December 12, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY on Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York, bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at a point on the Southerly side of Lolly Lane, distant 585 feet Westerly from the corner formed by the intersection of the Southerly side of Lolly Lane with the Westerly side of Rustic Road; being a plot 136.37 feet by 90 feet by 136.37 feet by 90.00 feet. District: 0200 Section: 565.00 Block: 03.00 Lot: 045.000 Said premises known as 14 LOLLY LANE, CENTEREACH, NY 11720 Approximate amount of lien $625,956.90 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee or the Mortgagee’s attorney. Index Number 609507/2015.

DONNA ENGLAND, ESQ., Referee David A. Gallo & Associates LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 47 Hillside Avenue, 2nd Floor, Manhasset, NY 11030 File# 7682.91

L16393- 11/12/2025, 11/19/ 2025, 11/26/2025, & 12/3/2025

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice of Assumed Name filing of DUCKPOND GATHERING. Assumed Name Filed with the Secretary of State of the State of New York (SSNY) on 9/10/ 2025. Entity Real Name East End Party Services LLC. L16395 - 11/12/2025, 11/19/ 2025, 11/26/2025,12/03/2025, 12/10/2025, & 12/17/2025

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF SUFFOLK

Nationstar Mortgage LLC d/b/a Champion Mortgage Company, Plaintiff AGAINST Aaron Ruff a/ k/a Aaron G. Ruff, Individually and on behalf of the Estate of Millinee Thomas; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 15, 2021, amended November 22, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on November 20, 2025, at 9:00AM, premises

known as 108 Wilson Avenue, Medford, NY 11763. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being at Middle Island, Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk, State of New York, District 0200 Section 497.00 Block 02.00 Lot 006.000. Approximate amount of judgment $328,134.19 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 612283/ 2015.

Brian Egan, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792

L16368- 10/22/2025, 10/29/ 2025, 11/5/2025,& 11/12/2025

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT- COUNTY OF SUFFOLK

WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR FINANCE OF AMERICA STRUCTURED SECURITIES ACQUISITION TRUST 2018-HB1, Plaintiff, AGAINST CHRISTOPHER DALY, AS EXECUTOR OF THE ESTATE OF NANCY DALY, et al. Defendant(s) Pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale duly entered on April 29, 2025. I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on December 3, 2025 at 9:00 AM premises known as 18 Winnie Road, Center Moriches, NY 11934. Please take notice that this foreclosure auction shall be conducted in compliance with the Foreclosure Auction Rules for Suffolk County, and the COVID 19 Health Emergency Rules, including proper use of masks and social distancing. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Center Moriches, Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York. Section 944.00, Block 3.00 and Lot 42.000. Approximate amount of judgment $357,910.78 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment. Index #624676/ 2017.

Mark Goldsmith, Esq., Referee, Aldridge Pite, LLP - Attorneys for Plaintiff - 40 Marcus Drive, Suite 200, Melville, NY 11747

L16381- 11/5/2025, 11/12/2025, 11/19/2025, & 11/26/2025

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT- COUNTY OF SUFFOLK

HSBC BANK USA, N.A., AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE FOR

THE REGISTERED NOTEHOLDERS OF RENAISSANCE HOME EQUITY LOAN TRUST 2005-4, RENAISSANCE HOME EQUITY LOAN ASSET-BACKED NOTES, SERIES 2005-4, Plaintiff, AGAINST VANESSA L. SULLIVAN AKA VANESSA SULLIVAN, et al. Defendant(s) Pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale duly entered on November 25, 2024. I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on November 19, 2025 at 2:00 PM premises known as 50 Astor Drive, Shirley, NY 11967.

Please take notice that this foreclosure auction shall be conducted in compliance with the Foreclosure Auction Rules for Suffolk County, and the COVID 19 Health Emergency Rules, including proper use of masks and social distancing. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Township of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York. District 0200 Section 587.00, Block 02.00 and Lot 028.002-028.004. Approximate amount of judgment $296,096.54 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment. Index #609710/2019. Samantha Segal, Esq., Referee, Aldridge Pite, LLPAttorneys for Plaintiff - 40 Marcus Drive, Suite 200, Melville, NY 11747

L16370 - 10/22/2025, 10/29/ 2025, 11/5/2025, & 11/12/2025

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

Supreme Court County of Suffolk ARC Home LLC f/k/a WEI Mortgage LLC, Plaintiff AGAINST Adam F. Tuzza a/k/a Adam Tuzza a/k/a Adam Francis Tuzza, Olga Tuzza a/k/a Olga A. Tuzza, et al, Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on January 18, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY on December 9, 2025 at 11:00 AM premises known as 80 Woodacres Road, East Patchogue, NY 11772. 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: 983.00, BLOCK: 01.00, LOT: 025.000, District 0200. Approximate amount of judgment is $552,973.37 plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 203102/2022. For sale information, please visit

Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832. Erin McTiernan, Referee FRENKEL LAMBERT WEISS WEISMAN & GORDON LLP, 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 L16378- 11/5/2025, 11/12/2025, 11/19/2025, & 11/26/2025

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

Supreme Court County of Suffolk PNC Bank, National Association, Plaintiff AGAINST Darlene A. Bubel, et al, Defendant Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on November 29, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY on December 2, 2025 at 12:00 PM premises known as 91 Westminster Drive, Shirley, NY 11967. 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: 938.20, BLOCK: 02.00, LOT: 025.000. Approximate amount of judgment is $543,750.03 plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 611554/2022. Giuseppe Rosini, Referee FRENKEL LAMBERT WEISS WEISMAN & GORDON LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 L16374 - 10/29/2025, 11/05/ 2025, 11/12/2025, & 11/19/2025

PUBLIC NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK DITECH FINANCIAL LLC,against- MARLENE DIAZ, ET AL.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Suffolk on October 31, 2016, wherein DITECH FINANCIAL LLC is the Plaintiff and MARLENE DIAZ, 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 December 4, 2025 at 12:30PM, premises known as 731 OLD MEDFORD AVE, MEDFORD, NY 11763; and the following tax map identification: 0200-837.00 -03.00-039.000.

ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, 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.: 002170/2013. Michael T. Clancy, Esq.Referee. The Referee does not accept cash and only accepts bank checks or certified checks made payable to Michael T. Clancy, as Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing.

*LOCATION OF SALE

SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

L16369 - 11/5/2025, 11/12/ 2025, 11/19/2025, & 11/26/2025

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice of Formation of Grounded Glow LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY on 10/10/ 2025. Office in Suffolk County. SSNY designated agent for service of process; mail to 195 Nassau Blvd Unit B, Garden City South NY 11530. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

L16372 - 10/22/2025, 10/29/ 2025, 11/05/2025, 11/12/2025, 11/19/2025, & 11/26/2025

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF SILENT BITE FISHING CO LLC

Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on September 7, 2025. Office location: Suffolk County, NY. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: 6 Mount Logan Court, Farmingville, NY 11738. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

L16379- 10/29/2025, 11/05/ 2025, 11/12/2025, 11/19/2025, 11/26/2025, & 12/03/2025

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF FORMATION of ALAINA WOLTJE L.L.C.

Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on October 2025. Office located in Suffolk County, NY. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to 60 Appel Drive, Shirley, NY 11967. Purpose: Baking and selling home-made goods.

L16382- 10/29/2025, 11/05/ 2025, 11/12/2025, 11/19/2025, 11/26/2025, & 12/03/2025

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF FORMATION

Notice of formation of 5 TALL TREE, LLC, a limited liability company. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of the State of New York (SSNY) on 10/1/ 2025. Office located in Suffolk County. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process served against the LLC to YVONNE YAKABOSKI, PO BOX 1912, RIVERHEAD, NY 11901, USA. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

L16365 - 10/15/25, 10/22/25, 10 /29/25, 11/05/25, 11/12/2025 & 11/19/2025

Public Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

ANNUAL ELECTION OF MANORVILLE FIRE DISTRICT DECEMBER 9, 2025

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Annual Election of the Manorville Fire District will take place on December 9, 2025, between 3:00PM and 9:00PM. Voting will take place at each one of the firehouses located at 14 Silas Carter Road, Manorville, New York; 170 Cranford Blvd., Mastic, NY 11950 and 40 Halsey Manor Rd., Manorville, NY 11949 for the purpose of electing the following:

-One Commissioner for a five (5) year term commencing on January 1, 2026, and ending December 31, 2030.

Candidates for District Office of Commissioner shall file a petition signed by at least 25 registered voters of the Fire District, which petition must be filed with the Secretary of the Fire District no later than 3:00PM November 19, 2025. All residents of the Fire District duly registered with the Suffolk County Board of Elections as of November 19, 2025, shall be eligible to vote. Households with registered voters will receive notification postcards of their specific polling place the week of December 1, 2025. Please be advised that the Board of Elections of the Fire District shall meet on November 24, 2025, between 9:00AM and 3:00PM at the District Office, 14 Silas Carter Road, Manorville, New York for the purpose of preparing the rolls of registered voters of the Fire District. BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS OF THE MANORVILLE FIRE DISTRICT, Towns of Brookhaven and Riverhead, Suffolk County, New York. Melanie Austin District Secretary L16398 - 11/12/2025

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THE FANTASY BASEBALL EXPERIENCE

Top closer on the move

This week, San Diego Padres closer Robert Suarez exercised his player opt-out for the final two years of his contract and will now seek a lucrative new deal to become a team’s lockdown ninth-inning option.

Suarez has been among the top relievers in baseball since 2022 and has earned back-to-back All-Star selections. He will be one of the most sought-after arms in free agency this winter, with the only knock on his résumé being his age. However, nothing in his performance suggests any decline is imminent.

He didn’t debut in the majors until age 31 and has never carried a heavy workload, meaning his arm may not reflect that of a typical 35-year-old. Suarez has shown no drop in velocity or movement, and his advanced metrics have remained consistent throughout his career.

The immediate teams that

come to mind are the Athletics and Rangers, both of whom lack an established closer or a young arm ready to step into that role. The Giants lost their closer of the future for the 2026 season, while the Diamondbacks also lost multiple bullpen options, leaving their ninth-inning role wide open.

Teams such as the Reds and Blue Jays have also been mentioned, but the Yankees could enter the mix if Devin Williams and Luke Weaver sign elsewhere. The most likely contender, however, might be the Braves. With championship aspirations, Atlanta won’t hesitate to spend on bullpen stability. No matter where he lands Suarez should still be considered a top five closer for fantasy purposes.

The Padres anticipated this move, acquiring Mason Miller from the Athletics at the deadline. They also boast Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, and Adrian Morejón to anchor the bullpen. Miller is the player to own in fantasy, but he is not as locked in as his price might indicate.

BETTING WITH BARTON

While the world is still coming down from watching the exhilarating World Series between the Dodgers and Blue Jays, sports bettors are already turning their attention to next year. In order to keep up with the sports books, bettors have to already start their research.

Major League Baseball features far more offseason turnover and blockbuster freeagent signings than any other sport, but it’s become almost laughable how difficult it is for any team to compete with the LA Dodgers’ bankroll.

This offseason, early chatter already links Los Angeles to major free agents such as Kyle Tucker and Robert Suarez. The Dodgers are also expected to pursue international stars, an area where they’ve historically found tremendous success. Even the trade market seems to favor L.A., with names like Tarik Skubal among the top rumored targets.

With that said, it’s no surprise to see who sits atop the odds board for next year’s World Series champion.

The Dodgers are favored to

win their third consecutive championship — a feat accomplished only by the Yankees (1936–39, 1949–53, 1998–2000) and Athletics (1972–74) since 1903. Their odds currently lead the way at +350. Following them are the New York Yankees at 7–1, the Philadelphia Phillies at +1000, and the New York Mets at +1200.

The defending American League champion Toronto Blue Jays are further down the list at 20–1, with oddsmakers skeptical they can repeat their surprising run. They’re tied with the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres for the eighth-shortest odds to win next year’s Fall Classic. Meanwhile, the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, and Washington Nationals share the longest odds at +50000.

The offseason “hot stove” will undoubtedly shake things up, but the teams at the top of the board seem poised to remain there — especially the powerhouse Dodgers, who continue to redefine dominance.

Three-time champion Dodger$?

Robert Suarez
Grok
Dodgers with money.

Bellport High School football is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, marking five decades of excellence, pride, and community spirit. On Saturday, the program honored some of its greatest players during a special on-field Hall of Fame ceremony at halftime of the Clippers’ 20-14 win over Smithtown East.

“It’s great to see the guys and their accomplishments and the feeling they still have for Bellport football,” said legendary coach Joe Cipp Jr., who led the program from 1976 to 2010. “Most of the kids say it was the greatest high school experience they had, which is pretty cool.”

Fifteen players spanning from the 1980s through the 2020s were enshrined, including brothers

Bellport celebrates 50 years of greatness

Darnell and Derrick Milton. Both starred on the undefeated 1982 team that captured Bellport’s first Suffolk County championship — the first of 13 county and six Long Island titles in program history.

“It’s a family-oriented program,” said Milton. “From Saturday breakfasts to helmet stickers, we’ve always stayed connected. It’s about family.”

Among the inductees were Donte Phillips, the school’s alltime rushing leader, and Jack Halpin, record-holding quarterback and two-time all-state selection.

“It’s a beautiful program,” said Phillips. “It made me who I am.”

Halpin added, “Bellport brings everyone together. It’s a community, and football connects us all.”

The Alumni Day celebration began, as tradition dictates, with

the team breakfast, where former players shared experiences and advice. Cole Cipp (Class of 2017) spoke about trusting teammates and working together toward a common goal.

After the game, the celebration continued at Painters Restaurant, hosted by alumni Craig Bazarewski and Mike Omelchuck, where inductees reunited with teammates, including members of the

undefeated 1982 championship team. Coach Cipp expressed to us over the summer how close knit the football program still is after all these years and this was a celebration of that closeness.

Bayport-Blue Point runs to a playoff victory

The three-time defending Suffolk IV champion Bayport-Blue Point Phantoms are back in form after an up-and-down regular season. The Phantoms had an unusual record by their own high standards — not bad by anyone else’s measure, but a reminder of just how dominant this program has been in recent years.

Despite two losses during the regular season, Bayport-Blue Point looks every bit as dangerous heading into the playoffs as Suffolk County has come to expect. The Phantoms closed out their regular season in emphatic fashion, rushing for an incred-

ible 450 yards in a 56-28 win over Miller Place to put an exclamation point on their year. Senior running back Colin Clark led the charge, finishing with more than 160 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries. He was the focal point of the offense all day, repeatedly breaking tackles and finding space behind the Phantoms’ dominant offensive line. Collin Reyer also had a huge performance, running for nearly 140 yards and three touchdowns on just 13 carries, giving Bayport-Blue Point a lethal one-two punch in the backfield.

The offensive line — long a strength of this program — opened massive holes all afternoon, wearing down the Miller

Place defense and showcasing the physical, disciplined style that has defined the Phantoms’ dynasty over the past several seasons.

With the 56-28 victory, Bayport-Blue Point finished the regular season with a 7-2 record and plenty of momentum heading into the postseason. Next up, the Phantoms will face second-seeded Mount Sinai in the Suffolk IV semifinals — a matchup that promises to be one of the most anticipated games of the year as Bayport-Blue Point looks to continue its championship reign. The Phantoms might be in an unfamiliar place as the three seed but they aren’t taking anyone by surprise, they are the standard in Suffolk County football.

Commack back atop the mountain top

The Commack High School boys soccer team defeated powerhouse Brentwood, 2-1, in an intense Suffolk Class AAA championship match to capture the program’s first county title since 2020.

The Cougars, led by head coach Don Graham, have enjoyed an absolutely remarkable season, losing just once all year while compiling a 17-1-1 overall record, including 141-1 in league play. The victory over Brentwood capped a dominant campaign defined by discipline, teamwork, and consistent performances on both sides of the field. Commack jumped ahead

early in the title game when Ethan Mendez scored off a corner kick, giving the Cougars an early 1-0 advantage. Brentwood responded midway through the first half to even the match, but Commack’s defense, anchored by goalkeeper Ryan Leone and center backs Liam O’Connor and Anthony DiMarco, refused to bend the rest of the way.

In the second half, forward Michael Esposito delivered what proved to be the game-winning goal on a brilliant counterattack, slotting the ball past the Brentwood keeper with just under 15 minutes to play. From there, the Cougars held strong, fending off a late Brentwood surge to secure the county crown.

Commack began the season as hot as anyone in the country. They went from September 3rd until October 21st without losing a game. On the season their defense was nearly unstoppable. They held every team they faced to two goals or less and only two teams all season scored two. This defense also accounted for a dominant ten shutouts. With the county title secured, Commack will now advance to face Herricks in the Long Island Championship on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Islip High School. A win would send the Cougars to the New York State Final Four and solidify what has already been one of the most successful seasons in program history.

Tom Barton
BBP Football
Coach Cipp
Bellport Alumni Commack

The William Floyd High School varsity football team are perfect once again. The team led by head coach Paul Longo, finished the 2025 regular season with a perfect 8-0 record as they continue to set the standard for excellence in Suffolk County.

This time they ended the season at home with a decisive 35-0 victory over Walt Whitman this past Saturday. With the win, the Colonials earned the Division I championship for the remarkable 17th time in program history and also secured their 26th consecutive playoff berth for the school, another impressive number.

They weren’t done with the

William Floyd with a statement win on senior day

accolades there as they claimed the No. 1 overall seed in the Section XI playoff bracket, ensuring the road to the Suffolk County Championship once again runs through Mastic Beach.

This will be a tremendous advantage as the Colonials aim to capture their third straight and 16th overall county championship in program history. They will host a first-round playoff game at the Lincoln Avenue Sports Complex on Saturday, November 8, at 12 p.m., against No. 8 Sachem East—a team they defeated earlier this season, 34-0.

William Floyd’s win over Walt Whitman marked another dominant defensive performance, their fourth shutout of the year. Junior Derek Glock

opened the game with an interception, setting up the offense for an early score. Senior Ja’Quan Thomas capitalized on the very next play with a touchdown run, later adding three more rushing touchdowns

and finishing with 205 yards and a sack on defense. Senior Aisays Wallace added a rushing touchdown, while Jayden Johnson, Jake Rivera, and Aidan Williams combined for six team sacks in the victory.

The game also served as Senior Day for the football team, varsity cheerleaders, and the Rockettes, honoring all senior student-athletes in a heartfelt pregame ceremony surrounded by family, friends, and fans.

William Floyd cross country qualifies for State

The William Floyd High School boys’ varsity cross country team, under the leadership of head coach Ed Noll, recently concluded a successful regular-season dual meet schedule with an impressive 4-1 overall season record. This performance was extra special for the team and school because it now means they have qualified for the Suffolk County Championship. The meet was held at Sunken Meadow State Park this past weekend. During that meet the Colonials also advanced as a team by achieving a sub-19:30 average, earning a spot in the State Qualifier this week. At the county championship race, Vidal Macchia earned the

Division I title, winning the 5K race with a time of 16:57. He also won multiple dual meet races in

league competition and consistently ranked among the top competitors at Sunken Meadow invitational events. Vidal will compete in the State Qualifier Meet this week alongside his teammates.

In addition to Macchia, the Colonials are led by a strong group of seniors—Holden Lentini, Duncan Mahnken, Andrew Marino, and Richie Gielarowski—who have shown exceptional dedication throughout their high school careers.

Tyler Onza, an eighth-grade standout from William Floyd Middle School, has also impressed with performances well beyond his years.

Continuing the Macchia family tradition, Vidal followed

his Division I championship run with a third-place overall finish in the county, then captured the Sophomore Championship Race title on October 31. The next morning, he crossed the NYC Marathon finish line first in the USATF Youth Championships at the Abbott Dash to the Finish 5K in New York City.

The Colonials’ roster includes seniors Valentino Abate, Richard Gielarowski, Nicolaus Lattanzi, Holden Lentini, Duncan Mahnken, Andrew Marino, and Cristian Sarmiento; juniors Kenneth Carroway and Bryan Lin; sophomores Dwayne Fortune, Ryan Gerbino, and Vidal Macchia; freshman Jacob Barcia and Ryan Formato; and eighth grader Tyler Onza.

Floyd moves on defeating a familiar foe

The top seeded William Floyd Colonials continued their quest for another championship with a dominant 34-14 victory over Sachem East in the Section XI quarterfinals this weekend. The Colonials displayed their trademark balance and strength in all phases of the game — offense, defense, and special teams — to advance to the semifinals, with their star players shining brightly on the day.

While the final score reflected Floyd’s control, this matchup was far more competitive than the regular season meeting between the two teams. In that earlier contest, more than

a month ago, the Colonials cruised to a 34-0 shutout. With the win this weekend, Floyd has now outscored Sachem East 68-14 over their two meetings this season.

Leading the charge once again was star RB Ja’Quan Thomas, the team’s MVP and one of the best players on the island and New York State. Thomas rushed for nearly 150 yards on just nine carries and scored two touchdowns, showcasing his trademark explosiveness and vision.

On the defensive side of the ball, Jayden Johnson was a force, recording eight tackles and a sack, setting the tone early with his physical play. Jake Rivera added six tackles and three sacks, wreaking havoc in

the Sachem backfield and helping the Colonials control the line of scrimmage throughout the afternoon.

The Colonials’ complete performance reflected the team’s discipline and depth — hallmarks of head coach Paul Longo’s program. Floyd’s offense clicked efficiently, the defense swarmed to the ball, and special teams contributed key field position all game long. With the win, William Floyd advances to host No. 4 Longwood next week in the Suffolk County Division I semifinals. A victory there would send the Colonials back to the Suffolk County Championship Game, where they’ll look to continue their pursuit of yet another title in their storied history.

William Floyd School District
WF Cross Country Team
William Floyd School District
William Floyd Football
William Floyd School District
Thomas in the open field.

There is being a star player and then being clutch in a big-time spot, like the playoffs, and this past week we saw both from Smithtown East’s soccer team. Anthony Puleo delivered in dramatic fashion, scoring the go-ahead goal off an assist from Joe Marano with just under 50 seconds remaining in regulation to lift the 4th seeded Smithtown East Soccer team to a thrilling 2-1 victory over the #5 seed Comsewogue in the Suffolk Class AA quarterfinals on Tuesday afternoon.

The game winning goal capped off an intense back-andforth matchup that showcased strong defense and disciplined

Puleo leads Smithtown to a playoff win

play from both of the teams competing to advance in the playoffs. Goalkeeper Dom Sztanga anchored the Smithtown East defense, as he has all season, making five key saves to help secure the win.

Comsewogue goalkeeper Bryan Udovich also turned in a solid performance, recording three saves and keeping his team within striking distance throughout the contest. Despite their strong effort, Comsewogue saw its season come to a close with a 10-6-1 record, marking another successful campaign for the program.

For Smithtown East, the victory continues an outstanding season defined by defensive consistency and clutch performances. The Bulls have held

opponents to one goal or fewer in 14 games this year, establishing themselves as one of the stingiest defenses in Suffolk County. Earlier this fall, Smithtown East also put together a seven-game winning streak, demonstrating their ability to dominate in both tight defensive battles and high-scoring affairs.

With the win, Smithtown East (11-3-3) advances to the Suffolk Class AA semifinals, where they will face No. 1 Northport on Friday at 2:15 p.m. The matchup promises to be a tough test, but with momentum on their side and a defense that has been nearly impenetrable all season, Smithtown East looks ready for the challenge.

Sachem School District, community loses an icon

The Sachem School District and its community have lost one of its first, and true icons. One of the last of his generation as an original Sachem administrator and coach, Samuel J. “Santo” Cario passed away peacefully during the last week of October, at the age of 95 in his Florida home.

Born on October 15, 1930, Cario lived a remarkable life defined by integrity, discipline, and compassion. A proud U.S. Marine, he served honorably during the Korean conflict and carried the values of service and leadership throughout his life.

After his military service, Cario pursued his passion for

athletics at Cortland State Teachers College, where he competed in wrestling and cross country. His athletic foundation was shaped under legendary coach Sprig Gardner at Mepham High School, where he never lost a varsity match and won Long Island titles at 103 and 112 pounds.

In 1955, after graduating from Cortland, Cario was hired by the Sachem Central School District as its first wrestling coach and one of the earliest educators chosen by founding superintendent Walter C. Dunham. Working closely with athletic director Dave Rothenberg, he built Sachem’s wrestling program from a small room at Gatelot Avenue into one of Long Island’s most

Bellport golfer reaches new heights

respected teams. Cario’s influence extended beyond athletics. He taught math and history, served as a counselor, and later became principal of Wenonah Elementary School in Lake Grove, leading from 1971 until his retirement in 1986.

Beyond his professional legacy, Cario was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He met his wife, Louisa Stahl, at Cortland, and together they built a life centered on love, family, and purpose.

Inducted into the Sachem Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016, Cario’s story is woven into the fabric of Sachem’s history—a Marine, coach, and mentor whose life embodied leadership, loyalty, and love.

Bellport High School’s Justin Sorrentino, who has been a standout member of the school’s golf team, is making his mark on the course and earning recognition as one of the top young golfers in Suffolk County, and the entire island.

This season, Sorrentino finished with All-County and AllLeague honors. He put up one of the lowest stroke averages in competition play. His consistent play and calm demeanor under pressure have made him a leader for the Bellport High School team and the school itself both on and off the course. Under his leadership, the

Bellport golf team advanced to its first Suffolk County Team Championship appearance in three seasons. The last time Bellport went to the Championship was back in 2022, so this is a major milestone for the program. Competing against some of the best golfers in the region, Sorrentino also earned a spot in the Suffolk County Individual Golf Finals at Pine Hills Country Club, where he finished among the top 20 players overall.

Recognized by his coaches and teammates as the team’s Most Valuable Player, Sorrentino has been the driving force behind Bellport’s return to prominence. His work ethic, precision, and sportsmanship exemplify what it means to be a Bellport athlete.

Off the golf course, Sorrentino is equally dedicated to his academics and community.

Balancing schoolwork, practice, and tournament play, he continues to set an example for younger teammates and represents the values of commitment and integrity that define Bellport athletics.

Sorrentino’s accomplishments have brought pride to Bellport High School and the South Country Central School District, and his success has inspired future student-athletes to pursue excellence. With his talent, leadership, and determination, there is no doubt that Sorrentino’s golf career is only just beginning — and his name will be one to watch in the years ahead.

Sachem School District
Samuel J. “Santo” Cario
Smithtown Central School District
Anthony Puleo
South Country Central School District
Justin Sorrentino

The Bay Shore Girls Varsity Volleyball Team hosted its annual Dig Pink fundraising game in October, continuing a cherished tradition that supports breast cancer awareness and research. This year’s event carried even greater meaning as Bay Shore partnered with their opponent that evening, the Sachem North Girls Volleyball Team, to raise money for the cause.

By combining their efforts, the two teams successfully raised more than $1,000 for breast cancer research. The collaborative spirit displayed by both squads extended far beyond the court, showcasing

Bayshore volleyball holds Dig Pink game

the power of student-athletes coming together to make a difference in their community.

The teams each wore pink tie-dyed shirts with their team names across the front, with a ribbon and the fundraising title “Dig Pink” in the middle.

Each year, the Bay Shore Girls Volleyball program organizes a Dig Pink Game to raise funds for breast cancer organizations. Players, coaches, and fans proudly wear pink to show their support, while proceeds from donations, raffles, and merchandise sales go directly to organizations that fund vital research and patient support initiatives.

This year, the Sachem North team joined Bay Shore in promoting the event and helping to

collect donations, making it one of the team’s most successful fundraisers to date. “It’s about more than just volleyball,” said one Bay Shore player. “We’re proud to play for something that helps people and brings our community together.”

The Bay Shore Girls Volleyball Team is also making waves on the court, as they are playing for the County Championship this week.

Their boys’ counterpart team is also having a stellar season as they are a perfect 20-0 on the year.

Their success has inspired the entire school community, as Bay Shore volleyball continues to set a high standard for excellence, teamwork, and community service both on and off the court.

The Jets won the trade deadline

Sauce Gardner

Former New York Mets and Yankees star Darryl Strawberry, an eight-time MLB All-Star and three-time World Series champion, announced via Instagram this weekend that he has been pardoned by President Donald Trump for his former tax-evasion conviction.

Strawberry said in the post that he received the call from President Trump on Thursday, November 6. He thanked the president for “finalizing this part of my life, allowing me to be truly free.”

Strawberry’s baseball career spanned from 1983 to 1999, but it was marked by legal troubles and drug abuse. He was always

@iamSauceGardner | X

When a fan base is constantly told to “wait until next year” and that “the future is bright,” only to discover the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train, it becomes difficult to believe in anything good.

The New York Jets have been that kind of franchise—and more—for quite some time.

That said, the New York Jets absolutely won this week’s trade deadline and now appear loaded with a bright future ahead.

The Jets made the difficult decision to trade away two of their most productive and talented players to reset the

franchise—but they certainly hit the reset button.

In a stunning move, the Jets traded popular cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts, shocking fans and even the All-Pro himself.

The team had just signed Gardner to a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension in July and hired a defensive-minded head coach who once played cornerback for the Jets. Adding to the shakeup, they also dealt star defensive lineman Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys.

For Jets fans, it’s asking a lot to process these moves and still be optimistic—but the team absolutely won both trades. By moving their stars,

Straw gets pardon from Trump

thought to be one of the most talented players of the 80’s. He pleaded guilty in the tax-evasion case in 1995 after he was accused of failing to report more than $350,000 in income from autographs, personal appearances and sales of memorabilia between 1986 and 1990. A White House official told the press Strawberry had served his time and paid back the taxes.

“Following his career, Mr. Strawberry found faith in Christianity and has been sober for over a decade — he has become active in ministry and started a recovery center which still operates today,” the official said.

“This has nothing to do with

politics,” Strawberry wrote on Instagram. “It’s about a man, President Trump, caring deeply for a friend. God used him as a vessel to set me free forever!”

The former Rookie of the Year was the #1 draft pick in the 1980 MLB Draft and made his major-league debut in 1983. He won his first World Series with the 1986 Mets team. He also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees, where he finished his career. Strawberry won two more championships with the Yankees in 1996 and 1999 and finished his career with 335 home runs and 1,000 RBIs.

the Jets shed massive contracts, added a 23-year-old explosive receiver in Adonai Mitchell, a 24-year-old defensive lineman to fill in for Williams, and, most importantly, acquired a wealth of draft capital.

New York received two firstround picks for Gardner (2026 and 2027), plus another 2027 first-round pick and a 2026 second-round pick.

In NFL trade terms, this is a massive haul and could one day be viewed as a genius move—if Gang Green drafts wisely. Jets fans know heartbreak well, but perhaps this time, the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t an oncoming train—it’s a new direction for a team that has desperately needed one.

Krystyna Baumgartner
Bayshore girls volleyball
darrylstrawberry18 | Instagram Strawberry and Trump

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