The South Shore Press 2/26/25

TAXPAYERS' WATCHDOG:

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BY STEFAN MYCHAJLIW

Having worked in both the private and public sectors, I still can’t believe how badly federal bureaucrats melted down over Elon Musk requesting that they send him and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) an email listing five things they accomplished while at work.

At the time of the Musk email edict, bureaucrats were told they would be given the boot if they didn’t respond.

Here is the email, word for word:

"Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager.

Please do not send any classified information,links,orattachments.

Deadline is this Monday at 11:59 p.m.EST."

Musk then took to the platform

he bought, X/Twitter and wrote: “failuretorespondwillbetakenasa resignation.”

You would have thought federal workers had to give up a kidney, their firstborn child, and one of the family pets rather than provide a short email listing five things they did at work.

Folks, the point of the email wasn’t for Musk and his AIdriven programs to go over each email with a fine-tooth comb, scrutinizing every job, every task, and every nut and bolt that was or wasn’t screwed in while federal employees worked on the taxpayers’ dime.

The real task was to determine whether or not a large group of federal employees were so checked out from doing their jobs that they didn’t even respond to the email itself.

SANTOS UNCENSORED

BY GEORGE SANTOS

A developing crisis is unfolding across New York's correctional facilities, as officers have launched a strike with significant unrest at both Elmira and Collins correctional facilities. This widespread protest is centered around the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act (HALT), a law passed in 2022 under disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration.

The HALT Act, which was touted as a reform to prevent what some described as the inhumane practice of "solitary confinement," has become the catalyst for a major showdown between correctional officers and state authorities. The law aimed to limit the use of solitary confinement, but in doing so, it has dramatically altered the way New York’s correctional system deals with disruptive inmates.

The HALT Act: A Policy Shift with Dangerous Consequences?

The act restricted the use of Special Housing Units (SHUs)— where inmates previously served time in isolation for bad behavior— and imposed new limits on how long a person could be held in such units. Under the HALT Act, no inmate can be confined for more than 15 days, regardless of their behavior or risk to others. Furthermore, the law has exempted certain groups from disciplinary measures altogether, including pregnant women, inmates over the age of 55, minors under 21, and individuals with disabilities—categories so broad that many corrections officers say the law makes it nearly impossible to enforce discipline effectively.

Five Questions Cause Federal Freakout

There are so many federal employees working from home that the actual cafeteria inside the Department of Interior (DOI) was basically abandoned, according to reports in both the New York Post and Daily Mail.

Let that sink in: So many federal buildings were closed with bureaucrats “working” from home that a massive office cafeteria was abandoned. No workers equals no need for a place to eat.

That ends over the next four

years with Donald J. Trump as commander in chief.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not opposed to a hybrid model where government workers spend a majority of time in the office with one flex day working from home. Managers must then ensure work is getting done when federal employees are remote.

Accountability in the private sector is measured multiple times per day concerning productivity and profitability. If you don’t produce, you’re fired. Pretty simple. Private sector employees are given work-related performance reviews regularly. Remember the business saying as it pertains to efficiency: “If you can’t measure ‘it,’ you can’t manage ‘it.’” It’s about time that the same private sector standard is used within the walls of government.

Continued on page 5

What Is It Really Like Inside NYS Prisons

While the law’s intentions may have been rooted in reforming perceived human rights abuses, it has created a perfect storm of consequences that officers claim

are putting everyone at risk. Prison guards are reporting a surge in violent incidents, as inmates no

longer fear being held in SHUs for extended periods. Without the deterrent of long-term isolation, the environment has become increasingly chaotic.

Officers Speak Out: "This is About Safety, Not Money" In an exclusive interview with a seasoned supervisor from one of the striking facilities, who asked to remain anonymous due to fear of reprisal, the dire state of affairs was laid bare.

"The key issue here is the unsafe and unmanageable environment for both staff and inmates," the supervisor explained. "These policies, designed to curb the use of 'solitary confinement,' have made things exponentially worse. We’re seeing a rise in violence against both staff and inmates, and it’s escalating day by day."

Continued on page 3

Credit: NY Assembly GOP/@NYS_AM

Halt the HALT Act

Federal Employees Sweating Bullets

Credit:Grok/Twitter

ByRobertChartuk

Suffolk Scalped for Millions in Homeless Funds

Nearly $7 million sent to homeless housing providers was misspent, according to an audit by Suffolk Comptroller John Kennedy, who is looking to claw back the funds.

Going over the books from 2016-2018, Kennedy attributed the losses to financial mismanagement among emergency shelter providers. Instead of supporting homeless services, county payments were diverted toward excessive salaries, improper expenditures, and other violations of contractual agreements, the comptroller reported.

"The findings are more than troubling. They are absolutely, outright, totally unacceptable," Kennedy said alongside County Executive Ed Romaine at a Hauppauge press conference. He detailed $6.85 million in misappropriated funds, money that represents about 6.37% of the $107.5 million in program revenue received by 14 different contractors during the audit period.

According to Kennedy, the county has reclaimed about $3 million of the lost funds under repayment agreements with the nonprofit providers and through withholding of payments by the Department of Social Services, which runs the homeless shelter program.

Romaine, who took over from former Suffolk Executive Steve Bellone last year, said the county has strengthened oversight of the program to prevent future mismanagement. "This money should be spent on what it was intended for—providing shelter and support for those in need," Romaine said.

“The audits revealed numerous inaccurate and non-program related costs, personal costs, and excessive less-than-arm’s-length costs, as well as ineffective program monitoring and oversight,” Kennedy noted. For example, he found that $1.7 million in raises for homeless shelter employees were categorized as capital improvements. "There’s a difference between an innocent mistake and an active attempt

to conceal and misappropriate,” Kennedy said. “More often than not, that’s what we found." As are all of the comptroller audits, the findings were forwarded to the district attorney.

“While some of the emergency shelter providers expend public funds justly and in accordance with governing contracts, laws, rules, and regulations, many have found ways to abuse the system by diverting emergency housing funding from its intended use,”

Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Statement: Suffolk County Comptroller Audit on Homeless Funds

ByStefanMychajliw

Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico issued the following statement following an audit released by Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy, that calls into question almost $7 million in taxpayer dollars that were supposed to be spent directly on the homeless:

“Taxpayer monies to help the homeless should actually help the homeless, not serve to fatten the pockets of those who grift in the big business of poverty.

“Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy Jr.’s audit should come as no surprise to those who have followed some of the more sordid tales uncovered in recent years, or those who live in neighborhoods where people are packed in like sardines where the landlord is paid by Suffolk County DSS.

“There is no doubt that we have a homelessness problem in Suffolk.

“However, the government must ensure that those who receive taxpayer dollars follow the rules. So kudos to Comptroller Kennedy, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine

and members of the Legislature for shining a light on this issue.

“A prudent next step would be for the County to require any landlord who receives taxpayerfunded monies to comply with local town or village housing and zoning codes.

“Right now, the Department of Social Services avails themselves of New York State’s Temporary Housing Codes, which allow them to bypass local housing codes.

“By taking that step it would allow a town like Brookhaven to ensure that people aren’t packed into unsafe and/or noncode-compliant housing and also that the properties are maintained to the standards in our neighborhood preservation code.”

Hon. Dan Panico

Town of Brookhaven Supervisor

population is not sufficiently receiving the vital services that it needs, and the taxpayers are paying more for the services than they should.”

Kennedy concluded. “As a result, this vulnerable segment of the

“The audit should come as no surprise to those who have followed some of the more sordid tales uncovered in recent years, or those who live in neighborhoods where people are packed in like sardines where the landlord is paid by Suffolk County DSS,” said Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico. “A prudent next step would be for the county to require any landlord who receives taxpayerfunded monies to comply with local town or village housing and zoning codes.”

What Is It Really Like...

Continued from page 2

The supervisor went on to describe how mentally ill inmates, no longer segregated in the SHUs, are being placed in general population areas without adequate care or supervision, further exacerbating the situation. He also highlighted the closure of several correctional facilities, which has forced higher-risk inmates into lower-security environments, where they pose a threat to less violent offenders.

"For us, this strike is not about money," the supervisor emphasized. "It’s about creating safer conditions for both the staff and the inmates. We are simply demanding action to restore order and ensure that our prisons do not become breeding grounds for more violence. But we’re not getting that from the union, which seems too heavily influenced by political forces— particularly the governor’s office."

Vinny Blasio’s Strong Call for Action

Vinny Blasio, a retired corrections lieutenant and outspoken critic of the administration’s handling of the crisis, also weighed in on the situation. "The first thing the governor needs to do is listen," Blasio said. "She hasn't listened yet. All these problems have dropped on her doorstep, and over the past year, officers, their families, and even children have petitioned her for help, but she’s ignored their cries. She needs to sit down with the front-line workers and help them with their overwhelming workloads—many officers are working 24-hour shifts and excessive overtime."

Blasio also criticized the commissioner’s recent decision to cut staffing levels at correctional facilities by 30%. "It’s dangerous and reckless," he said. "Even the governor has to recognize this is part of the problem. Instead of trying to solve it, the commissioner is gaslighting the

staff and making matters worse." Blasio highlighted the rising number of incidents, including a recent exposure to fentanyl at Woodbourne Correctional Facility, where an officer was hospitalized.

"None of this is about money," Blasio added. "The officers are out there fighting for safety. Everyone deserves to go to work and come home the same way they went in."

Political Fallout: The Governor’s Response

Despite the escalating crisis, Governor Kathy Hochul has yet to take decisive action to address the concerns of striking officers. Instead of engaging with the unions or offering a path toward resolution, the governor has issued two stern letters to the rank-and-file officers, threatening punitive measures if they do not return to work. These letters have been widely criticized as dismissive and ineffective, only further deepening the rift between the administration and the correctional workforce.

What’s Next?

The strike continues to gain momentum, with correctional officers across the state standing firm in their demand for safer working conditions. As tensions rise, both inside and outside the facilities, many are questioning how long the state can afford to ignore the growing crisis. Will Governor Hochul address the concerns of correctional officers before the situation escalates further? Or will the strike spread to more facilities, paralyzing New York's already strained prison system?

As the story continues to unfold, it’s clear that this is far more than just a labor dispute. It’s a battle over the future of New York’s correctional policies, one that will have profound implications for both the safety of prison staff and the management of inmates moving forward.

Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico

Credit: File Photo/Facebook

Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy

Credit: Controller’s office/Facebook

ByMichaelJ.Reistetter

Suffolk County Sheriff's Office Graduates 46 New Corrections Officers

After a last-minute location change, Shea Theatre of Suffolk County Community College’s Ammerman campus in Selden was deemed adequate space to fit the hundreds who turned out on Wednesday, Feb. 19th to honor the county’s newest class of correction officers.

Family, friends, local legislators and police personnel out the wazoo gathered to recognize the esteemed 46, with the bagpipe kickoff for the ceremony going off at 11:00 a.m.

By midday, Sheriff Dr. Errol Toulon, Jr., and Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine had helped usher in the graduates between the obligatory formation chants.

Deputy Warden Scott Walsh— commanding officer of The Academy Bureau—welcomed the loved ones on hand to celebrate Recruit Class 24169 before

introducing the Sheriff.

Toulon revealed he had the opportunity to speak with the new corrections officers days ahead of their grand badge-earning indoctrination. He advised: “...really enjoy this day, from the moment you wake up, to the moment you put your head on the pillow at night.”

The sheriff quipped that in the 1960s, his father was simply handed a uniform and told to report to the jailhouse. Meanwhile, Toulon had about six weeks of training himself in the 1980s, compared to the modern Suffolk C.O. who must withstand a 16-week all-intensive.

“I want to thank the family, friends, and the loved ones who are in the audience,” Toulon said.

“Your encouragement and sacrifices have played a vital role in helping our graduates reach this day. The support you offer them does not end here. They will continue to be the anchor throughout their careers.”

In his congratulatory statement, Romaine assured the new corrections officers that they couldn’t have a better boss to report to than Toulon—whom he claims holds more compassion for the incarcerated than your average lawman in command.

“You have a sheriff that cares about the men and women who work for him. And as you’ll find out, will be deeply involved, and

Movin' on Out of Suffolk County

ByDeborahWilliams

The chairs are loaded, the moving vans are gassed up, and Suffolk County residents are movin’ on out.

Nassau and Suffolk are third in the top five of "outbound" counties with 76% of people who are moving, moving out of the County as opposed to another residence within the County.

United Van Lines' 48th Annual National Movers Study reveals a shift in U.S. migration trends as economic pressures drive people toward more affordable, less densely populated regions.

New York State is third among states with the most outbound moves with 59% of all moves being people moving out of the state. New York is behind New Jersey and Illinois. The top five outbound states are all Democrat-led.

In New York, people leaving are disproportionally of higher incomes with 46.60% of people moving out of New York making over $150,000 and 24% with incomes between $100-149,000. As these families move, their tax revenue for the state

moves with them.

The report shows that West Virginia was the state with the highest percentage of inbound migration (66%). West Virginia is known for its range of outdoor activities, affordable housing, and lower cost of living compared to the national average.

Americans moving are seeking economic relief without sacrificing quality of life, reflecting a growing presence for less dense, more affordable regions. The top reasons for moving are to be closer to family, cost of living, retirement, and lifestyle change.

“The annual study highlights how economic disruptions, including inflation and a nationwide housing affordability crisis, are reshaping where and why Americans choose to move,” United Van Lines Vice President of Corporate Communications Eily Cummings said. “Movers are discovering that there are numerous cities and regions where they can achieve both economic relief and a rich, rewarding life experience.”

Sunbelt states like South Carolina, Alabama, and Arkansas are gaining traction as residents flee urban centers with rising costs and shrinking opportunities according to the report.

West Virginia leads in inbound migration, while New Jersey tops the outbound list for the seventh consecutive year. The migration shift highlights Americans' search for a balance between financial stability and quality of life in less

listening to every way he can help you do your job...we’re counting on you.”

Before academic excellence, physical fitness and morale awards were issued, 24169 Class President Pete DiMartino recalled what training entailed.

“The first few weeks were tough,” he said. “Every day was a lesson in humility.”

He singled out use of force, CPR, first aid, law classes, defensive tactics and firearms training as impactful coursework. Moreover, DiMartino notes any and all missteps made along the way taught each corrections officer in making valuable lessons, such as responsibility, accountability, and how to make decisions that uphold justice.

“This job teaches us mental toughness and empathy, and I truly believe we found that in the training,” said DiMartino. “We walked away stronger, with the knowledge and skills to protect ourselves and those around us.”

“This is not an easy job. No one in law enforcement has an easy job,” Romaine added. “We’re here to make sure that our jails are the best, that our staff is protected… and that we try to help people who may have taken the wrong path, and get them on the right one.”

expensive areas.

“Recent migration data from United Van Lines continues to reveal the lingering influences of the global pandemic,” said Michael A. Stoll, economist and professor in The Department of Public Policy at The University of California, Los Angeles. “As housing costs continue to rise, Americans are moving to lower density, more affordable regions between expensive, economic-driving states.”

Since 1977, United Van Lines annually tracks migration patterns on a state-by-state basis. The 2024 study is based on household moves within the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., and ranks states based on the inbound and outbound percentages of total moves in each state. States are classified as “high inbound” if 55% or more of the moves are going into a state, and “high outbound” if 55% or more moves are coming out of a state.

Bayport-Blue Point High School Student Named National Merit Finalist

ByStefanMychajliw

Bayport-Blue Point High School student George Rogers IV has been recognized as a finalist in the prestigious National Merit Scholarship Program.

Over 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2023 PSAT or National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test which served as an initial screen of program entrants.

The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors, included the highestscoring entrants in each state.

As a semifinalist, George fulfilled several additional requirements, which led him to the finalist level of the competition.

As a finalist, he will be considered for a National Merit Scholarship. National Merit Scholarship winners

of 2025 will be announced in four nationwide news releases, beginning in April and concluding in July.

Credit: Grok/Twitter

People continue to move out of NY and Suffolk County.

Credit: SSP

SCSO recruits mere moments before being sworn in as corrections officers.

Bayport-Blue Point High School Principal Jamal Walcott with National Merit Scholarship Program Finalist George Rogers IV

Photos courtesy of Bayport-Blue Point School District

ByStefanMychajliw

If you’re a parent who loves getting a “buy none, get one free” discount for a prom dress for your daughter, the Town of Brookhaven has quite the deal for you.

Thanks to the Town of Brookhaven Youth Bureau, they are providing teens with an opportunity to attend their prom in style, regardless of financial constraints.

The Prom Boutique, located on the second floor in Brookhaven Town Hall, is outfitted as a dress shop filled with prom gowns in a broad range of styles and fashions.

Students are outfitted with a

Brookhaven Youth Bureau Makes Prom Wishes Come True

gown of their choice and other accessories that are theirs to keep.

There is no charge for this

service and all clients are kept strictly confidential.

The program will run from March 10th, 2025, to June

13th, 2025.

Hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Evening hours on March 25th, April 10th, May 1st, May 22nd and June 9th are from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

All visits to the Prom Boutique are by appointment only. You are very respectfully asked to call for an appointment ahead of time, and not crash the Prom Boutique.

For more information about the Town of Brookhaven Youth Bureau’s Prom Gown Program or to schedule an appointment, please call 631.451.8011.

Crushing the Competition, One Robot at a Time

ByStefanMychajliw

The Centereach “Cougears” and Newfield “Roverines” robotics teams competed at Adelphi University's VEX Robotics Competition.

Both teams earned their way to the 2nd and 3rd seed and continued on to become the tournament finalist.

The Cougears were also awarded with the Excellence award which is the highest award given at a University's VEX Robotics Competition.

Five Questions Cause Federal Freakout

Continued from page 2

The visceral reaction to the Musk email request tells me that many federal employees were not held accountable over the past four years, and I’m only talking about those who actually worked for their government-supported paycheck.

Less than one month after the election, United States Senator Joni Ernst worked on

a report that showed only 6% of federal employees showed up to the office on a full-time basis, that’s it, 6%.

Her findings, released in December of 2024, also stated that a whopping one-third of federal employees were fully remote workers.

Federal employees sucking their thumbs in the fetal position over an email asking them to list five things they

did the week before tells me they’re fortunate to have a government job.

Their whiny antics wouldn’t last in the private sector, where the free market determines who stays, and who goes.

These federal folks wouldn’t last one week in the private sector, and therefore wouldn’t have lasted long enough to even need to write an email listing five work-related

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accomplishments.

There’s two new bosses in town, Elon Musk and President Trump, and they’re thankfully bringing private sector principles to the bloated bureaucracy known as the federal government.

Besides, there’s a support group for private sector employees who are held accountable by their bosses. It’s called “everybody.”

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Photo Illustration

Adelphi University's VEX Robotics Competition

Adelphi University's VEX Robotics Competition

Adelphi University's VEX Robotics Competition

Credit: Middle Country Schools

Credit: Grok/Twitter

ByRobertChartuk

Strong Winds Cause Dramatic Drop In Tides, Exposing Vast Stretches of Shoreline

Long Island beachgoers were stunned as recent high winds pushed the water away from the coast, revealing hundreds of feet of exposed seabed in some areas.

The extreme low tides left vast stretches of the shoreline

uncovered, exposing sandbars, shells, and marine life typically hidden beneath the waves. Experts say the phenomenon, caused by sustained winds blowing down from Canada at tropical force, is temporary but striking, leaving both north and south shore beaches barren as water levels receded far

beyond their usual reach.

“Basically, just about everybody had tropical force winds pretty much for 24 hours last week,” noted Scott Mandia, professor of physical sciences at Suffolk Community College. “We were in a pattern with a big high-pressure system to our north and a low-pressure system to the east, and it was just driving the Canadian air toward us.”

Over at Webby's Beach in Center Moriches, dry land stretched down from the high tide mark nearly 300 feet. At Terrell River, huge mud flats were exposed in areas usually covered with water. The cold weather froze the hard-packed mud, giving the terrain an otherworldly appearance. Buoys usually floating at the surface were lying on the bottom, and oyster cages were left high and dry.

The highest wind on Long Island was clocked at 62 miles per hour at Kennedy Airport, while Islip MacArthur saw 55, according to the National Weather Service. In Suffolk, Montauk topped out at 58. Winds are considered tropical force at anywhere between 39-73 mph, Mandia pointed out.

The professor was surprised the tides were so low, considering the moon was in a waning gibbous phase, and the new moon is not due until the 27th. Both new and full moons cause greater-than-normal tides, switching from low to high four times daily.

Local Songster Looks to Crack Senior Hip Hop Scene with Arthritis Rap

ByRobertChartuk

Rapping under the moniker Low-T, Center Moriches

songster Bryan Hellmer is hoping his “Arthritis Rap” scores a hit with the senior crowd. He auditioned with rap impresario Rock Wilder, the producer of some big names in the business–Redman, Erick Sermon, Jay-Z, and Janet Jackson–who loved it. “It’s all about my bout with arthritis which I’m sure many people can relate to,” the local rapper said.

"Arthritis Rap"

By Bryan Hellmer

"He was alright with us then got R-thri-ta-rus that kicked his butt and left him in a rut. Dr. Rosette says he knows it’s tough but if I give it time, I will adjust. And Dr. Cohen is knowing the medication he’s throwing into my veins and it’s showing my ailment who’s the boss, but I still pay the cost with the range of motion I lost.

We thought we sealed its fate with the methotrexate. I was feeling better and better and better but wait. It seems the pain I purged has somehow reemerged and turn my hallelujah back into a dirge.

So if you sense, a criminal, I’ll say the scent’s medicinal but I won’t swear on a hymnal the things I had to finagle to keep my pain to minimal. So now they’re pumping my hide with leflunomide, another silly name for some stuff they tried.

It’s like they got that Geisel guy sitting by their side with the Cat in the Hat and the Sneeds and the Snides and the contraindication of compulsive constipation and excessive flatulation is causing me to wanna raise my palms up, but I can’t lift my arms up.

So Dr. Lindsay Lally is taking up the tally. She treats my edema like a screamer and leaves it squirming in an alley. With a long sleeve cape and a short smart dress, she’s my superhero

at the HSS.

So pardon my digression from the point of my confession, but compounded by the fact that

I have Dupuytren's ‘cause I’m Hessian makes me wonder if my life is a big test or one long lesson. And lean clean Richie with the

PhD is working hard to get me all my drugs for free. Living like a king at the pharmacy and he’s a big fan of the man “Low T.”

Suffolk County Senior's Poverty Rate up 48% in Last Decade

ByDeborahWilliams

Seniors in Suffolk County, and across New York, suffer financially in their twilight years.

The Center for an Urban Future’s latest report even describes it as “dire.”

The number of older New Yorkers living in poverty has surged nearly 50% in the last ten years. A report by the Center for Urban Future, authored by Rachel Neches and Jonathan Bowles, raises the alarm about the poor financial health of older New Yorkers.

“Hundreds of thousands of older New Yorkers appear to have no stable source of retirement income. A staggering 49% of the state’s older adults reported no retirement income at all in 2022,” says the report.

The report cites that the dramatic spike in older adult poverty across New York occurred even as the number of people under 65 living in poverty declined by nearly 25%.

Although Suffolk County fares better than areas suffering from high poverty levels such as Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, Yonkers, Orange County, Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens it has experienced steep increases in poverty among its older residents.

Poverty in older Suffolk

County residents has skyrocketed by 48.1% in the last decade with just under 16,000 people living in poverty. And the older population is on the rise increasing nearly 30% in the last decade. Older adults now represent 18.1% of the county’s population, up from 14.4% in 2012.

Although the overall poverty rate in the County is lower than other poverty-stricken areas of New York at 5.7%, the steep increase in poverty sounds the alarm.

Poverty rates for older Asians increased in the County by +178.2% and rose +203.6% in neighboring Nassau County. Almost 45% of Suffolk adults over 70 did not report any retirement income and 8.6% did not report any Social Security income.

The number of Suffolk black older adults in poverty more than

doubled in five areas of New York, Suffolk County being on that list with a shocking increase of +115%. Immigrant older adults in Suffolk face a poverty rate of 6.2%, while U.S.-born older adults face a poverty rate of 5.6%.

Working past the traditional retirement age has become a necessity for many and Suffolk County is in the top five as far as residents (21.7%) over 65 still in the workforce.

Labor force participation for older adults rose 48%, from 42,108 in 2012 to 62,327 in 2022. Over 20% of older adults are in the labor force today, up from 19.5% in 2012. Hispanic older adults experienced the most significant increase in labor force participation, growing by 83.4% from 3,104 in 2012 to 5,693 in 2022.

Credit: Robert Chartuk

Credit: Robert Chartuk

Wide swaths of Long Island’s shoreline were exposed during an unusually low tide caused by tropical winds blowing the water out to sea.

Moriches Bay retreats hundreds of feet from the shore at Webby's Beach.

Bryan Hellmer, AKA: Low-T.

Credit: Robert Chartuk

Suffolk Seniors Suffering Financially

Credit: Grok/Twitter

ByDeborahWilliams

Nine-Year-Old Mastic Boy Takes the Ride of a Lifetime

Jacob, a 9-year-old Mastic boy battling neurofibromatosis type 1, which led to a brain stem tumor, got the ride of a lifetime in a Tesla Cybertruck. Thanks to the efforts of Nick Ferraioli, president of Drive for Dana, a nonprofit that helps Long Island children in need, Jacob’s wish came true.

“Sometimes dreams can come true,” said the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) after the ride.

Ferraioli reached out to the SCPD as well as a friend, Agustin Alonso, who owns a Cybertruck to fulfill Jacob’s wish. The group surprised Jacob and his brother, Jeffrey, 6, outside their home this past weekend and gave them a

ride.

Drive For Dana was joined by SCPD Commissioner Catalina and Deputy Commissioner Groneman. Lieutenant Thomas Paolicelli and Police Officer Thomas Dilena escorted the group with the department’s Mustang and Camaro.

“The boys had a great morning with the group and parents Elyse and Mike anticipate they will be talking about the experience for a long time,” said SCPD.

Jacob’s mom, Elyse Anitra, said on Facebook, “Thank you to everyone who was involved! It was so beyond generous. I don’t even have words to express how grateful I am. Jacob and Jeffrey had the best time and it was definitely even better to watch!”

“We visited Jacob who is going through a tough time during his battle with neurofibromatosis type 1. Thank you to everyone who was a part of making Jacob’s wish a reality,” posted Drive for Dana.

Guiding Lights at Fire Place

ByRobertChartuk

In colonial times, a breach through Fire Island allowed ships to enter Bellport Bay from the Atlantic. Residents lit fires to guide them, a practice that lent itself to the name “Fire Place” for the Historic District in the hamlet of Brookhaven.

The inlet, which has opened and closed over the years—most recently by Hurricane Sandy in 2012–was a boon to local commerce, affording the early settlers a direct route to the ocean. The colonists supplied seafood, cattle, produce, and lumber to New York City and rendered the blubber of whales along the shore.

Presenting an essay on the area before the Fire Place Literary Club at the Brookhaven Free Library in 1933, resident Osborne Shaw delved into its history. “The survey of the town made in 1797 shows that Smith’s Inlet or New Inlet, now referred to as Old Inlet, was then open and opposite Fire Place Neck. There is much that can be assembled to show that the inlet was used frequently in early colonial days, and it is very probable that in order to guide the whaling crews, which were so numerous

offshore in the later part of the 17th century and early part of the 18th century, and also when there was expected a vessel which might have to negotiate the inlet after dark, that fires would be built, probably at Woodhull’s Point, now called Long Point, at the mouth of the Connecticut River and that these fires would serve as a range light,” Shaw wrote.

According to the old-timer, “The inlet lay about a southwest course from the point, and as it cut through the beach also on a southwest course, a light or fire on the point would very likely be seen through the inlet and out to sea and could thus be used to ‘make’ the inlet. Such a fire would also serve at night as a guide across the bay to the mouth of the Connecticut River.”

The entirety of Brookhaven hamlet was formerly known as Fire Place, and at one time, the term was applied to the whole vicinity, including South Haven, where the grist, saw, and fulling mills are given on the town map of 1797 as Fire Place Mills, Shaw noted.

He did not favor changing the village's name to Brookhaven since

it was confusing to name it after the township. “The unwise change of the name from Fire Place to Brookhaven occurred about 1871 when a group of modernizers, or would-be improvers, started an agitation to drop the ancient name,” Shaw wrote. “Hardly a worse name could have been chosen,” he concluded.

Part of Fire Place is Squassucks, which was stated in Tooker’s 1911 “Indian Place-Names on Long Island” as a contraction of Wessquassucks, the name of an Indian who inhabited the area.

Drive for Dana began in 2021 creating a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that holds a car show and other events to raise funds for kids in need. They focus on helping medically fragile children on Long Island and finding corporate sponsors

who share our goal of helping Long Island children in need.

The inspiration for the creation of the not-for-profit came after meeting Dana Ryan. Dana suffered a nearfatal drowning in 2018 and her parents were told she suffered a traumatic brain injury from the drowning giving her 3 weeks to live.

Drive for Dana continued to help Dana and her family while expanding to help many other medically fragile children with much-needed equipment. Their effort continues to grow with the addition of a new annual Winter Breakfast Fundraiser in 2024. You can find more information about Drive for Dana at www. drivefordana.org

it is found frequently in the early records of Brookhaven Town, Shaw went on to say in his presentation.

“The first mention that I find of it is in Book I (of the early town records) under the date of 30 March 1675, where the entry states that Francis Muncy, before he died, exchanged his meadow share at the Fire Place with Samuel Dayton for the meadow at Sebomack near Smith Point.”

He goes on to cite other references to the name in the historical record: 18 May 1675, Abraham Dayton

“Tooker analyses the word to mean a pot-maker—hence, we assume that Wessquassucks, the pot-maker, lived at or near Squassucks Point,” Shaw said. “I offer the suggestion that Wessquassuck may have had his firing place or kiln for his pottery in the vicinity and that his fire, once used as a beacon or guiding light, gave rise to the custom of lighting fires for the purpose and the fact that Fire Place Neck is almost always spoken of in the early records, not simply as Fire Place, but ‘the fire place,’ seems to strengthen the idea that I have just advanced.”

Whatever the origin of the name,

and Thomas Bearsley sell 18 barrels of whale oil “lying on the South Side of the Island at a place commonly called the fire place.”

25 May 1675, the town meeting voted to grant to Nicholas Chatwell and to Richard Southcott each some upland and “5 acres of meadow” in the “Great Fly” at Fire Place provided they occupy the land before Christmas, but as their names do not appear again, they probably did not accept the gift under the conditions required.

30 July 1675, Richard Floyd trades his lot, No. 25, of meadow and upland in Fire Place with Joseph

“There may be other references to the Fire Place that I have overlooked, but the above are sufficient to show how much more active real estate was here in the last quarter of the 17th century than it is today,” Shaw notes.

Now known as the Fireplace Historic District, the area is recognized for its historical and architectural significance. First settled in 1664, the district encompasses a variety of structures, including residential homes, commercial buildings, and public spaces, many of which retain their architectural styles. This preservation allows visitors and residents to experience the ambiance of a 17th-century settlement.

A 13-acre portion of Fire Place along Carmen’s River has been maintained by the Brookhaven Village Association since 1946. It is nearly surrounded by the 2,550acre Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge, a stunning expanse of preserved lands once inhabited by the ancient Unkechaugs. The landscape was created by the glacier that carved out Long Island more than 10,000 years ago.

Davis for meadow at Unkechaug in Mastic.

Young boy gets the ride of a lifetime in a Tesla Cybertruck.

Credit: Drive for Dana.org

Credit: Robert Chartuk

ByMichaelJ.Reistetter

The Shady Bunch: Nine Suspects Appear in Court for Sex Trafficking of 14-Year-Old Patchogue Girl

Nine of the 12 suspects indicted in the high-profile human trafficking case of an East Patchogue teenager appeared in Riverhead court on Thursday, Feb. 13th. They are: Francis Buckheit, Daniel Burke, Jacquelyn Comiskey, Robert Eccleston, Alton Harrell, Elizabeth Hunter, Bunice Knight, Ralph Knowles and Kevin McDonald.

The defendants all pleaded not guilty, many of whom did so on the troubling grounds that their accuser—missing 25 days before being cinematically rescued off of an Islip Marina boat by her father on Friday, Jan. 3rd—was a willing participant.

"The complainant in this case was free to come and go at any point and time while she was staying on the boat. And she did come and go at free will while she was on that boat,” said Danielle Papa, Francis Buckheit’s attorney.

The 64-year-old owner of the Phoenix luxury yacht in question has since been slapped with kidnapping and rape charges. Reports allege that when Buckheit returned to the scene where the police had converged upon shortly after the victim's recovery, he claimed he “loved the girl.”

Papa claims Buckheit also believed the 14-year-old complainant was 19, before bringing her onto his boat to hold weeks of sexual and crack cocaine congress with many of his nefarious cohorts.

Thus far, Jacquelyn Comiskey, who placed the call that brought the victim’s father and police to

the 56-foot boat, does not appear to have received Good Samaritan immunity. She was one of the two women of the nine-deep lot named in Feb. 13th’s 75-count issuance.

The 52-year-old may have simply been after the $15,000 reward money the victim’s outspoken, “Dr. Phil Podcast”-appearing father had been promising over social media.

Comiskey now faces child sex trafficking charges, while Elizabeth Hunter, a 34-year-old mother, was charged with child pornography for taking photos of the victim to promote her prostitutional services.

Three of the accused were remanded to the county jail that same day, while the six others on hand had their previously set bail increased by the judge.

A superseding indictment may come that includes the remaining three defendants in the case. This would include the Sagamore Children’s Psychiatric Center aide arrested earlier this month for sexually abusing the teenager at the facility on at least two occasions— per Jan. 13th and Jan. 28th— surveillance footage— after she was rescued.

DeShaun McClean, 42, was charged with criminal sexual contact with a person incapable of consent, and endangering the welfare of a child. He too pleaded not guilty and was released on $5,000 bail after his Feb. 4th arraignment.

He pleaded not guilty to the trio of misdemeanors at his Jan. 4th arraignment and was cut loose on $5,000 bail.

All currently remanded suspects

have court dates scheduled for March.

"If we see someone who is a predator, abuser or drug dealer, they have a way of finding vulnerable people and exploiting them," said District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney, who has yet to address the case directly but is nevertheless dialed in, given this statement and seminal general sentiments he has shared during the first quarter of his reelection campaign trail.

Plenty other Long Island leaders with crime containment sitting atop their priorities have publicly highlighted that Suffolk County wields the nation’s first and only local human trafficking unit—a same-breath testament to an epidemic grade-level issue plaguing the home front.

A Pair of Suffolk Men Sentenced to Prison for Theft of Tires and Rims from 100-Plus Cars

ByMichaelJ.Reistetter

District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney has had one busy month.

Oftentimes announcing new charges his office has just levied, on Wednesday, Feb. 19th, he had the good fortune of announcing the prison sentencing of a pair of Suffolk County offenders he nabbed several months earlier.

Dwayne Jones, 46, of Central Islip, and co-defendant Randy Woods, 38, of Wyandanch, previously pled guilty to stealing tires and rims from 114 vehicles from July 1, 2022, to October 20, 2023. Woods will spend 5 to 10 years behind bars, while Jones is due for 4 to 8 himself.

Back in July, Woods owned up to one count of Auto Stripping in the First Degree (Class D felony) and one count of Auto Stripping in the Second Degree (Class E felony), plus one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree (a Class D felony) in a separate case.

Six months later, Jones pled guilty before the same Supreme Court

Justice—Hon. John B. Collins—to two counts of Auto Stripping in the First Degree (Class D felonies).

Per DA Tierney, this case

“showcases the extensive collaboration and significant

resources that are brought to bear on pattern crimes.” He also expressed his team’s gratitude for “the specialized investigative support from the Suffolk County Police Department and National

Insurance Crime Bureau.”

The latter’s regional director, Kevin Gallagher, was also quick to weigh in and mirror Tierney’s sentiments back unto him and his tireless investigations.

“Individuals who prey on consumers by stealing tires and rims from vehicles, not only cause financial loss, but disrupt every aspect of the consumer’s lives,” said Gallagher. “The sentences imposed on these individuals demonstrate the commitment by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office to address these crimes and illuminate the consequences to those who would contemplate participating in this nefarious activity.”

Per the investigation’s findings, this activity included targeting residents, car dealerships, and rental car companies countywide. Hondas, Toyotas, BMWs and SUVs sporting black rims were the vehicles Jones and Wood most prolifically pursued while on the prowl.

Interestingly, when Woods was first sentenced this past October,

the judge determined the sinceconvicted defendants owe the victims a total of $193,468.25 in restitution.

However, upon Jones’s sentencing on Feb. 13th, a revised sum was declared: $193,468.19.

Rest assured, an attorney confirmed for The South Shore Press that the six-cent discrepancy can be chalked up to a common instance wherein a lawyer reveals they are not as slick at calculating as they are at trying cases.

One such prosecutor is DA Ray Tierney, whose reelection campaign year calendar has been filled to the brim with concrete evidence, like this case's swift conclusion, that verifies his penchant for jailing criminals, not letting them walk free.

“The successful arrest, conviction and sentencing of these two defendants underscores our commitment to combating theft and property crimes in Suffolk County,” said DA Tierney.

Credit: Suffolk County Sheriff's Office (T): Francis Buckeit, Daniel Burke, Jacquelyn Comiskey (M) Robert Eccleston, Alton Harrell, Elizabeth Hunter (B) Bunice Knight, Ralph Knowles, Kevin McDonald

Randy Woods (L) and Dawyne Jones (R)

Credit: Office of the District Attorney, Suffolk County

ByRobertChartuk

From Battlefield to Backyard, Marine Vet Carves Artistic Path with Chainsaws

What started as a way to save a few bucks on a wooden sculpture for his wife turned into a full-time passion for retired U.S. Marine Joseph Gonzalez, Jr., who now spends his days transforming logs into impressive chainsaw-carved works of art.

Last May, while driving down Route 111 in Manorville, Gonzalez and his wife Amanda spotted a wooden bear at a roadside carving shop. But the $600 price tag made him think twice. “I laughed and told my wife, ‘We have logs, I have a chainsaw—let me give it a whirl,’” Gonzalez recalled.

The next day, he took out his chainsaw and carved his first work of art. Amanda loved it. Soon after, he made another and displayed it in his front yard. Within a week, a passerby asked if it was for sale. “I really didn’t know what to charge,” the newly minted wood-carver said. “I wasn’t going to ask for $600, so when she offered $150, l thought that was great.”

From there, Gonzalez’s new hobby took off. The 20-year Marine veteran, who served tours in Afghanistan, Africa, and Fallujah as a gunnery sergeant, now spends his days carving full-time. He’s completed 74 pieces so far, selling 25, according to a carefully

kept logbook. His work includes everything from bears and eagles to elephants and whales, with prices far more affordable than his competitors.

“I keep my prices lower—$200 instead of $600—because I want people to enjoy these pieces,” he noted. The carver utilizes three different sizes of gas-fired saws for his work, depending on the intricacies of the operation.

A longtime Center Moriches resident, Gonzalez sources logs from local tree companies, often receiving massive wood deliveries for free. He works year-round, even in winter, crafting pieces in a makeshift carport workshop heated, naturally, by a wood stove.

His wife Amanda, an Air Force veteran, plays a key role in the business, handling the painting and finishing. Together, they turn raw logs—pine, poplar, oak—into eyecatching sculptures that customers proudly display in yards, porches, and even man caves.

Despite no formal training, Gonzales credits his background in carpentry and artistic instincts for his success. “I just see something, and if it resonates with me, I carve it,” he said.

With plans to expand into custom log furniture, Gonzalez shows no

Retired Officer Uses Art to Bridge Perspectives on Policing

ByRobertChartuk

Brookhaven Town Supervisor

Dan Panico put it best: “Blessed are those who use their talents to bring people together, inspire and tell a story.” Few embody that sentiment more than HaitianAmerican artist Herold P. Alexis. Through his artwork, he invites viewers to step into the shoes of law enforcement officers, challenging preconceived notions and fostering a deeper understanding of the profession he dedicated two decades of his life to serving.

Drawing from his 20 years

as a New York City Police officer, Alexis’s paintings delve into the complex and often misunderstood world of policing in America. His work is an introspective journey into the minds of officers—their fears, perceptions, and challenges— while also acknowledging the perspectives of the communities they serve. As a black officer working predominantly in black and Latino neighborhoods, Alexis’s experiences provide a unique and layered perspective on law enforcement, race, and identity.

Originally from Brooklyn,

his life and his work.

communication at Ithaca College before pursuing a career in law enforcement. Now, through his art, he continues his storytelling mission—this time with a brush rather than a badge. His paintings seek to spark conversation and encourage viewers to look beyond the surface, embracing the complexities that define both

“I want people to approach my work with an open mind,” Alexis says. “By doing so, I hope to foster dialogue and reflection, using art as a medium for connection and understanding in an era often defined by division.” His pieces stand as a testament to the power of perspective—reminding us that there is always more to a story than what meets the eye.

signs of slowing down. “It’s not work to me. It’s gratifying,” he said.

“And I’ve never had someone take a piece home without a smile on

their face.” To order a custom piece, contact the carver at 631-375-8544.

Former Marine Joseph Gonzales attacks his latest work of art.

Credit: Amanda Gonzales

Credit: Joseph Gonzalez

Credit: Joseph Gonzalez

Credit: Robert Chartuk

Credit: Joseph Gonzalez

Credit: Joseph Gonzalez

Alexis now resides in Brookhaven with his family. He studied

Credit: Herold Alexis

LOCAL

ByMichaelJ.Reistetter

Welcome to Long Island, Wegmans and Sprouts Farmers Market!

Long Island’s first Wegmans supermarket finally arrives on Wednesday morning in Lake Grove.

Traditional hours on all successive days will be 6 a.m. to midnight—yes, you read that right.

On its inaugural day of business, the chain’s animatronic rooster mascot, Casanova, will be on the scene to meet and greet those who turn out.

Located at 3260 Middle Country Road, Wegmans of Lake Grove first began crewing up its store staff last March. The new store will employ more than 500 people.

According to Long Island Business News, this won’t be the last Wegmans to touch down on the Island, either. Brokers are already plotting three or four location sites

HUMOR

ByMichaelJ.Reistetter

on properties that can accommodate even more 100,000-square-foot supermarkets.

If the “Chick-fil-A-ification” of Long Island’s fast-food scene over the past decade is any indication, expect Wegmans—vastly popular elsewhere—to become another Long Island staple in due time. Its upstate presence notwithstanding, Wegmans opened its first NYC store in Oct. 2019. The Brooklyn location clocks in at approx. 74,000-square feet. Next, an 87,500-square-foot store was erected and ready for business on Astor Place in Manhattan by Oct. 2023.

Wegmans corporate purchased the 8.5-acre Lake Grove development site from DSW Plaza’s owner, Prestige Properties & Development, for a whopping $15.3 million sum that same year.

The 1916-established chain isn’t the only supermarket that has announced its foothold extension onto Long Island turf.

The Phoenix, Arizona-

headquartered Sprouts Farmers Market just revealed it will soon take over the 24,000-square feet of the 43,000-square space recently freed up at 1934 Middle Country

Road in Centereach, just up the road from the new Wegmans.

Locals will remember this as the former stomping grounds of L.A. Fitness of Centereach—not to be confused with the nearby, and still in operation L.A. Fitness of Lake Grove, itself having been the beloved Sports Plus once upon a time. L.A. Fitness vacated the Centereach premises at the conclusion of 2024, further paving the way for the future of Long Island grocery, Sprouts hopes.

Per the company’s website, the fast-growing specialty realtor that recently converted a New Jersey Waldbaum’s targets higher-income consumers who hold health and wellness at the forefront of their priorities.

The average Sprouts shopper is 46 years old and has an average annual household income of $121,000.

For the First Foo-Fighting Time: Strawberry Yoo-hoo, French

This past week has been scorching with hot-button news items.

The Yankees dropped their "no beards" policy.

Gasp.

“Lizzie McGuire” legend Hilary Duff and her husband are selling anti-Kanye West shirts and donating the proceeds to Holocaust survivors.

Class.

President Trump declared himself the King, though people say he may not have been doing so purely for the laughs?

Yikes emoji.

And rocker Dave Grohl’s baby mama has been revealed, at long last.

The pipes are calling; though, for the platinum record, we ought to start listening to what is, and stop listening to what is not our business—God save the Queen, and mic drop the world.

The week was also rife with me, an intellectual, checking some bigtime food and drink items off my bucket, or simply yet-conquered list—something not too alarming to talk about now.

MY HERO

I’ll be honest, I didn’t understand Yoo-hoo’s game.

As I’ve long attested, pink drink reigns supreme. Strawberry Nesquik proverbially. A strawberry milkshake from Mister Softee seasonably. These are the type of beverages one religiously waxes poetic on from early boyhood onward, and will occasionally still indulge in while

Toast Bagel, and PB & J

out and about at iconic after-hours delicatessens wherein young adulthood-denying wild things still flock to scream, frolick and shout.

That’s why, when your girlfriend first offers you a Saturday morning Strawberry Yoo-hoo—not a euphemism, come on, guys, get your head out of the context-perplexed gutters—you’re taken emphatically aback.

After all, you exclusively drank cafeteria-issued Strawberry TruMoo and Cream-O-Land milk cartons at lunchtime through middle school, when FLOTUS Mobama™ waged war on child obesity and therefore, took strawberry milk off the menu— and your childhood along with it.

Over a decade-and-a-half later: Your first, and absolutely not your last Strawberry Yoo-hoo—a company indisputably most known for its chocolate baseline— hits your 29-year-old gustatory buds like a bat out of hell. Like a candle rescued from the mightiest of winds. Like prima donna Peter Griffin’s first Red Bull, brought to you by Madonna incarnate’s “Ray of Light” video. Like “My Hero” during the climactic scenes of “Varsity Blues.”

Send the firefighters home, because we just brought the kid in us back from the brink of our wholesome damn selves.

And Strawberry isn’t just back, either. It too never left. It was just gone, but not forgotten. A dormant volcano waiting to erupt with the Sadaharuan fury of nearly a thousand home runs.

If only we could drink this s— every day with no ramifications.

EVERLONG

The same goes for the French toast bagel of Town Bagel in Wantagh we forgot to order last week, but subsequently launched a redemption shot by purchasing this go-around.

My typical go-to—cream cheese and lox—on a specialty contraption comprised of syrupladen baglé goodness (sue me) was not something I knew I was lacking, but realized in the moment I was in sore need of it with each successive bite.

Equal parts filling and thrilling, a finger-licking and sticky enterprise, vis-à-vis the syrup, I’d be hard-pressed not to attempt tastefully rehashing Long Island’s own, the late, great poet Walt Whitman when remembering back the experience; indubitably both a sweet and savory one, for this bagel too contains multitudes.

Engulfing the merry mouthful whilst sitting across from my equally sweet, savory and newfound main squeeze turned out to be as much of a welcomed slow dance as the Foo Fighters’ acoustic rendition of “Everlong.” Remember the good old days, readers?

Speaking of: when we arose to wash our hands as one does after a dolphin dive into unknown waters, we were greeted by the sight of a “Welcome Back, Kotter” lunch box—something that means more to my family group chat, nay, my family, than I will divulge at this juncture.

Seeing such made me grow homesick for a time I never experienced, but is ingrained into every part of my being all the same. At the end of the day, isn’t

that what it’s like to one-off, flex out of opting for your obligatory "egg everything," and to blazing results?

BEST OF YOU

Alexa, play hype-up tunes that some oddball others may misinterpret as “off yourself” music, for the peer pressure has gotten the best of me this week. Yet, I couldn’t be more grateful.

Here’s why: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — I just had my firstever peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Full stop.

I’ve long enjoyed peanut butter, either by the spoon or celery stickfull—shout-out a timeless father and son pastime bestowed upon me by either “Boy Meets World,” my own dad or both.

However, the trauma of being age 3 surprised by Dunkin’ Munchkin jelly made me swear off the purp for a quarter century. It wasn’t until my brother started smoking cream cheese—again, not a euphemism, holy moly—at family barbecues last year that I

became acutely illuminated unto the gelatinous condiment’s greater possibilities (say those last four words five times fast; or don’t).

This dish comes equipped with jelly slathered atop a strip of its badass self; ergo, there was no avoiding fate: one UFO-shaped dipping cracker crashing down upon a sea of what’s most desirable, offset by a splash of a personal eye roll—to overrule a golden rule of my old world.

Incredibly, the kick was good! I enjoyed this collision enough to next plow full steam ahead with a most egregious long-overdue: a new dawn, thy name is PB & J.

And you know what? It was pretty terrible. Oh well. Two out of 3 is still a passing grade.

Ultimately, I’d rather try and fail to appreciate things most others do that I just can't wrap my head around, than regret never boarding the Embrace Change Train™ in the first place.

Stay tuned for our next “First Time Try’s,” should this column pilot fare well with test audiences.

Credit: Michael J. Reistetter | Grok Strawberry Yoo-hoo: A Revelation! | The Mayor is thrilled to eat his first PB & J, but inside him turmoil is growing.

A golden hour exterior of Wegmans of Lake Grove, two days ahead of its grand open.

Credit: Michael J. Reistetter

ByMichaelJ.Reistetter

Flag on the Screenplay: NY Moviegoers Misread Open Caption Theater Proposal Meant to Aid Hardof-Hearing Community

Earlier this month, News10NBC reported government officials are leaning toward mandating major movie theater chains not just in NYC— but eventually statewide–to offer open captioned screenings for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences.

Jerry Bergman, chairman of the Hearing Loss Association of New York State, stresses the importance of equal access–with regard to the disabled population who stand to benefit the most from this inclusive initiative.

“The spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act is that people with disabilities are entitled to as near equal an experience as able-bodied people, and we’re not treated fairly right now by the movie theaters,” he said.

NYC has featured open caption screenings since 2022. Maryland and Hawaii have since enacted similar implementations.

In an instance of opting for headline languish before reading the articles, average moviegoers took to social media to voice their initial concerns. A large lot of them assumed that, should the push for open caption screenings across New York go through, all traditional screenings would subsequently be infiltrated by text on screen.

Rest assured, the phenomenon known as “subtitlemania,” which has gained domestic steam during the streaming revolution, is not planning to quote-unquote “ruin” the theater experience for those resistant to even more change in an industry rife with much. There will be films screening in auditoriums with closed captions—a longtime

practice wherein a party in need is provided device assistance; auditoriums with open captions—praise be, Alexa please play the version of “Hallelujah” that was in “Shrek,” and make it snappy: and auditoriums with neither.

Ticket prices have risen exorbitantly, that much is certain. But such is tolerable with each heated-seat recliner and MacGuffins Bar takeover at your local movie house, is it not?

Sound systems are positively booming, too. But in the case of big-budgeted tentpole efforts that dominate most of the in-theater offerings in post-COVID times, sound design can sometimes become so massive, that dialogue in between action sequences can be rendered occasionally indecipherable.

Enter: the open caption alternative, where even a

perfectly hearing person will have the opportunity to do what they regularly do on the home front anyway, and catch a movie on the big screen equipped with live transcriptions of what all the characters are saying.

Gosh, what utter hogwash.

An eyesore, a distraction, an interference-laden enterprise at the onset, no one is debating this. However, if the pop cultural renaissance that was the arrival of “Game of Thrones” to HBO’s Sunday night prime-time slate a decade and a half ago is any indication…people tend to get used to what they cannot firstly understand, but also cannot deny once they get the bloody hang of it. Much like Steph Curry with the 3-pointer, “GoT” changed the game. Open captions definitely existed before. Now? Believe it or not, they are mass-adored.

Subtitled acceptance is bliss,

especially when it does not impact your viewing experience one iota, unless you invite it to; no one is saying “you must watch this film with open captioning or you can’t watch this film period.”

They are simply saying: If you would like to see this movie you fear you may only catch every other word within anyway because it’s jam-packed with too much bombastic superhero fights and all-encompassingly authentic gunfire to mask all the hybridized accents formed when too many Brits try to play Americans all at once, then you have sanctuary in the form of this ultra dim-lit auditorium.

You will go completely undetected by all those around you who need subtitles just as much as you declaratively do not, but nevertheless still want—and, to your surprise, now prefer— them all the same.

Man On the Street: Lawmakers Call for Subtitles at Movie Theaters

ByRobertChartuk

New York legislators are pushing a law to require subtitles for movies played at theaters. The South Shore Press Man on the Street asked residents what they thought of the idea.

There’s technology they can use to assist people that doesn’t affect everyone else. You can stream the dialogue and music through headphones or earbuds. People can enjoy the show without inconveniencing anyone else.”

Subtitles would be very distracting, not a good idea. I don’t think l would enjoy a movie with that going on.”

Janet Rackard, Moriches

I

would be too busy reading the words and not paying attention to the movie; it would be really annoying. I want to relax at the theater, not have to follow along with the words.”

Jill Vigliarolo, Center Moriches

I don’t see a hew and cry for this. It seems like another overreach by government to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.”

Ed Surgan, Westhampton

I like the idea; it would be better for the viewers. It will open the movies up to people who can’t hear that well.”

I don’t like the subtitles on TV, so I’m sure I won’t like them at the theater. I don’t want to see any part of the screen blocked.”

What language are they going use? If they use English, isn’t that prejudicial against the people who speak something else?

Gary Mazarakis, East Moriches

Payne Weinhauer, Selden

Suzy Markland, Manor Park Bryan Hellmer, Center Moriches

Dear Governor Hochul,

This is my husband Joe. He has served as a New York State Corrections Officer for almost a decade.

Joe is a guy you want with you when things go wrong in life and in jail. He's quick to support his fellow officers, friends and always tries to remain positive and cheerful despite what he may be going through personally.

Joe has responded to multiple calls when inmates have attempted to hang themselves. He worked several years in the package room, willingly exposing himself to chemicals that came into the jail inside those packages on more than one occasion.

He was assaulted by an inmate and required surgery that came with an almost year-long recovery and a great deal of physical therapy and permanent injuries.

As a normal every day part of his job, he is sifting through another human's feces to check for contraband. This happens more often than you'd think because you've allowed visitors to opt out of passing through security checks.

This has also led to excessive drug use among inmates and my husband has responded to many drug overdose situations and assisted in saving the lives of your inmates. He currently works in a medium security jail where he is the ONLY officer in a room of 50 incarcerated individuals through the night.

These inmates are not in cells or locked away from having direct physical contact with my husband if they wanted to. His only protection is a retractable baton, OC spray and a radio. He's worked

Wife of Corrections Officer Makes Passionate Plea to Governor Hochul

festivals and religious celebrations for inmates that were understaffed to be able to provide for the wants of the inmates.

Their needs and wants have become more important than safety in your eyes. Joe has always worked to treat inmates fairly despite the fact that they have all earned their place in jail.

We signed up for a job where we knew Joe would often be working on our sons' birthdays and most holidays.

We expected occasional mandates and working doubles. We did not sign up for a job where his employer would put him in harm's way and strip him of his physical and mental health.

We did not sign up for a career that would keep him at work for multiple shifts back to back only allowing him to come home and sleep for three hours (not having time or even the energy to eat a hot meal and tuck his kids in) and then go back and get mandated again, resulting in maybe nine hours of sleep in four days.

He's responded to countless assaults on staff and so many things that are simply too graphic and terrible to include.

You already know these things Governor because all incidents like this are documented and all NYS Corrections Officers wear body cameras.

In addition to his job as a CO, Joe is also a father of two young boys. He's a son, a brother, a friend and a husband. He helps coach his sons' sports teams.

He's a homeowner and a taxpayer. Joe is the first person to help a friend or family member. He is the Dad that plays sports in the backyard with his kids.

He's playing catch with them, making up games and showing his kids what a loving marriage looks like. He’s a real living breathing person with a life outside of work and people that depend on him. Even though he’s just a badge number to you, when he doesn’t come home from work people miss him, and promises and commitments get broken.

Every single prison in NYS is full of Joes, hardworking men and women who hold the line between chaos and order in our society.

Working as a CO is as they say: A dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it. BUT, what someone didn’t have to do is make that job harder, however YOU DID!

Governor, stop trying to control the narrative and tell the truth.

The HALT Act failed. It may have looked great on paper, but it didn’t work.

The facts are: inmate to inmate assaults have increased, assaults on staff have increased, drug use, weapons possession and gang activity has increased. Correction Officers are resigning and retiring en masse because they can no longer work in this volatile environment. The COs that remain are dangerously overworked and clinically burnt out.

There are things that can be done quickly to rectify this crisis including the implementation of more effective screening of all mail, packages and people entering the prisons. Give the DOCCS back the ability to separate gang leaders

Another Wife of a Corrections Officer Questions Governor

Hochul

Dear Governor Hochul,

This is my husband Charlie. He has served as a New York Corrections Officer for more than two decades.

If you don’t know what that means, ask a CO or do some homework.

Charlie has performed CPR on inmates, saved an inmate’s life when he attempted to hang himself (it’s a lot harder than you think to get your finger or scissors between someone’s neck and gauze while they are hanging themselves), he has responded when an inmate boiled cooking oil in an electric kettle and used it as a weapon against another inmate’s face, he’s responded to countless assaults on staff and so

many things that are simply too graphic and terrible to include.

Charlie is the first person to jump up when someone needs help and he is the Dad that’s always in the pool playing with the kids. He loves God, his family and football.

He’s a real, living, breathing person with a life outside of work and people that depend on him. Even though he’s just a badge number to you, when he doesn’t come home from work people miss him, and promises and commitments get broken.

Governor, stop trying to control the narrative and tell the truth.

The facts are: inmate to inmate assaults have increased, assaults on staff have increased, drug use, weapons possession and gang

activity has increased. Correction Officers are resigning and retiring en masse because they can no longer work in this volatile environment.

Why are you vilifying the men and women of the Department of Corrections? Why aren’t you being transparent about the number of incidents involving violent inmates? Why didn’t you tell the media that three correction officers were held hostage by inmates last week?

Why haven’t you released any CCTV or body camera footage of assaults on staff? Again, I can’t come up with any reason other than it doesn’t bolster your political agenda.

Your response to the strike or

and dangerous inmates from the general population.

Why are you failing to do these things that are critical to the safety of not only the COs, but to the inmates as well?

Why are you vilifying the men and women of the Department of Corrections? Why aren’t you being transparent about the number of incidents involving violent inmates?

Why didn’t you tell the media that three Correction Officers were held hostage by inmates last week? Why haven’t you released any CCTV or body camera footage of assaults on staff?

Again, I can’t come up with any reason other than it doesn’t bolster your political agenda.

The decision of the Corrections Officers to strike was not taken lightly, but you’ve given them no other choice. Who could expect a person to continue working under these conditions?

Your response to the strike or non response as it were, has made me lose complete faith in you as a leader. Instead of uniting New Yorkers and facing critical issues head on, you doubled down on the politics and made threats to try to force CO’s to return to unbearable working conditions.

Madame Governor, I implore you to please do what you ordered the Correction Officers to do, your job. I pray that you will do what you swore to do and work for the best interest of the citizens of New York.

Sincerely,

Lauren Rozmus

Wife of NYS Corrections Officer Joseph

non-response as it were, has made me lose complete faith in you as a leader. Instead of uniting New Yorkers and facing critical issues head-on, you doubled down on the politics and made threats to try to

force CO’s to return to unbearable working conditions.

Sincerely,

Christina Phillips, Wife of NYS Corrections Officer Charlie

ByRobertChartuk

Gov. Hochul Deploys 4,500 National Guard Troops as Guards Protest Dangerous Working Conditions at Prisons Across New York

Gov. Kathy Hochul has deployed 4,500 National Guard Troops to replace guards protesting dangerous working conditions at 25 prisons across the state. Hundreds of corrections officers have walked off the job, citing staffing shortages, mandatory overtime, inadequate jail space due to prison closures, and other Albany policies they say are putting both guard and prisoner lives at risk.

Looking to keep jailers on the job, Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III issued a memo titled “Path to Restoring Workforce.”

Among his actions is the suspension of the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act, a law detractors say eliminates an important tool for controlling violent inmates.

The commissioner also increased overtime pay to 2.5 times the regular rate for those staying on the job and offered amnesty to strikers who go back to work. State officials are looking to a mediator to settle the strike, which has stretched into its second week. They also filed a state Supreme Court suit requesting a cease and desist order against the striking workers.

They are calling for improvements to the officer worklife balance, including wage and staff increases, increased overtime pay, no overtime mandates over 16 hours, pay grade increases, increased mail security, and visitor body scans. They also want cuts to third-party vendors, a pilot program to incentivize new employees, and a $5,000 hiring bonus.

“These guys are being mandated to work 16- and 24-hour shifts, almost on a daily basis. It's a security issue. How can you do that work when you're that tired? This is a

highly demanding job," said Israel Sanchez, spokesman for the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association.

“The state of New York and the corrections commissioner have completely failed at their responsibilities,” declared Gerard Kassar, chairman of the New York Conservative Party and frequent critic of Gov. Hochul’s Progressive policies. “Laws such as the HALT Act are creating very dangerous environments in jails where you have extraordinarily violent criminals such as convicted murderers and rapists. The prisons are understaffed, and the officers are saying, ‘This isn’t about my salary; this is about whether I get to go home at night.’ Their concerns must be resolved as soon as possible.”

“Instead of sending in the National Guard, the governor should be sitting down with the legislators who saw this coming and repeal the laws that have made the situation in the jails so dangerous,” said Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, a 27-year veteran of the Suffolk Sheriff's Department.

“Defund the police, cashless bail, putting criminal records off limits to employers, and the steady stream

Trump Skewers Biden Ban on Plastic Straws

ByRobertChartuk

Heaving a harpoon into the flank of the environmental left, President Trump skewered the Biden administration’s ban on plastic straws.

“We’re going back to plastic,” the president declared as he signed the order rejecting paper straws. “I’ve had them many times and on occasion they break; they explode if something is hot. They don’t last very long—like a matter of minutes, sometimes a matter of seconds—it’s a ridiculous situation. So, we’re going back

to plastic straws.”

Lifting the ban was the number one trending issue on the Internet for three days as Trump was considering the action, he noted.

The environmental impact of plastic straws vs. paper straws is entirely unclear, according to the White House. “This has cost both the government and private industry an absolute ton of money and left consumers all over the country wildly dissatisfied with their straws. It really is something that affects ordinary Americans in their

of anti-police rhetoric out of Albany does not help. We need to repeal the Progressive criminal justice ‘reforms’ before anyone else gets killed.”

“This is becoming a huge problem. The corrections officers are burning out because they have to work too many hours due to staffing shortages and overcrowded jails,”

said Senator Mario Mattera, who is leading a legislative delegation to Sing Sing State Prison in Ossining to assess the situation. “These workers are already looking to find different occupations because they're losing their families over this. This is how bad it is,” Mattera said, “I’m hearing that the National Guard doesn’t even want to go in.”

“This is exactly what we warned against. It's going to reach a tipping point when you continue to take away the tools in their tool belt, to continue to take away things to keep them safe,” Senator Dean Murray said, noting that the Democrats also passed a law giving prisoners access to the personal information of the guards. “You don't think that's dangerous?” the Senator asked. “Wow.”

Assemblyman Blasts Governor Hochul on Prison Strike Response

ByStefanMychajliw

New York State Assemblyman Joe DeStefano released the following statement on prison strikes impacting correctional facilities across New York State.

He is calling on Governor Hochul and Legislators to repeal “soft on crime” legislation that he believes puts the lives of correctional officers at risk.

“The pro-criminal, antilaw enforcement policies of the Progressive Democrats are boiling over at New York prisons where both corrections officers and inmate lives are at risk.

"While l don’t condone unlawful actions of public employees, the men and women who run the jails have had enough and are protesting the horrendous conditions at 25 facilities across the state.

"The crisis in our criminal justice system stems from Gov. Hochul’s decision to close jails and increase the pressure on existing facilities.

"The so-called HALT Act took away disciplinary tools, and the Democrats have gone as far as to allow prisoners to

everyday lives.”

Pointing to an 83-page report outlining their plan, the Biden administration called for the federal government to phase out single-use plastics, including straws, cutlery, and packaging by 2027. The U.S. government is the world’s biggest buyer of consumer goods and its moves have a big impact on the market.

obtain the personal information of their jailers. Staffing has been drastically reduced.

"The Governor is sending in the National Guard to crack down on the protestors.

"What she should be doing is sitting down with the Legislators who saw this coming and repeal the laws that have made the situation in the jails so dangerous.

Biden also pushed for stronger regulations on plastic manufacturing, citing environmental and health risks associated with the material. More than 90% of it is derived from fossil fuels, and its production and incineration put significant amounts of carbon dioxide into the air, a major contributor to climate change, proponents argue.

"Defund the police, cashless bail, putting criminal records off limits to employers, and the steady stream of anti-police rhetoric out of Albany do not help.

"We need to repeal the Progressive criminal justice 'reforms' before anyone else gets killed.”

New York State Assemblyman Joe DeStefano

Straws, which are difficult to recycle because of their size and weight, are seen as a threat to marine life, an assertion bolstered by a viral video of a sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck in its nose.

“l don’t think plastic is going to affect a shark very much as they are munching their way through the ocean,” Trump concluded.

Assemblyman Joe DeStefano with the SCPD

Credit: File Photo/Facebook

STATE

ByMichaelJ.Reistetter

This Just In: New York State Now Requiring Safety Course for All Boat Operators

Boat-operated aged 10 and over for power vessels, and age 14 or older for personal watercrafts, are hereby expected to complete the state-approved boating safety course, according to a news release provided by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary out of East Moriches.

“The US Coast Guard Auxiliary is committed to helping boaters stay safe,” said Jim Agals, East Moriches Flotilla Staff Officer for Boating Safety.

Those who do not comply with the new ruling will be subjected to fines and penalties imposed by state and local marine law enforcement agencies. If a certification of completion is

not presented upon inquiry, sanctions will be levied.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the 35,000-member nationwide volunteer arm of the U.S. Coast Guard. Just like its brother and sister chapters, the East Moriches-located “Flotilla” outfit of the Auxiliary supports promoting maritime safety, aiding boaters, and fostering safe boating practices through public education, vessel safety checks, and other initiatives.

The absolute goal? To reduce the number of boating accidents on U.S. waters.

“Operator inattention, inexperience, and improper lookout are among the leading causes of boating accidents,”

Agals added. “Our classes are designed to provide operators the knowledge and skills needed to help prevent accidents and to stay safe on our local waters.”

Eight-hour courses are being offered to boaters on March 8 (Westhampton Library, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. — part 1 of 2); March 15 (Westhampton Library, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. — Part 2 of 2); April 12 (Brookhaven Library, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.); April 19 (Moriches Library, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.); May 10 (Quogue Library, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.); May 16 (Mattituck Library, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. — Part 1 of 2); May 17 (Patchogue-Medford Library, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.); and May 23 (Mattituck Library, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. — Part 2 of 2).

More classes are to be

announced. For further information on Flotilla and how to join, contact

Feds Sue NYS over Driver's Licenses to Illegal Immigrants

BySouthShorePressStaff

United States Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Department of Justice is suing the State of New York governor. Kathy Hochul, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Mark Schroeder for issuing drivers’ licenses to illegal immigrants, arguing this violates immigration laws.

Another serious issue: blocking federal law enforcement from searching DMV records for illegal immigrants. If law enforcement pulls over an illegal immigrant with or without a valid license, NYS law blocks the feds from checking DMV records to determine whether or not they are here illegally.

“New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens. It stops. It stops today, said Bondi at the news conference. “If you don’t comply with federal law, we will hold you accountable.”

Schroeder is being sued as one of the defendants because his office is responsible for the issuance of driver’s licenses across the Empire State.

“The Conservative Party has complained from day one that New York’s Green Light Law aided illegal immigrants to avoid detection by federal authorities and even provided a path to voting. We applaud Attorney General Bondi and the DOJ for taking steps to put this law where it belongs in the trash can,” said Jerry Kassar, Chairman of the New York State Conservative Party.

Bondi is expected to make legal arguments that New York is violating federal law by not only issuing illegal immigrants drivers’ licenses but also resisting the efforts of the federal government to enforce immigration laws currently on the books.

“This is a new DOJ,” Bondi said. “We sued Illinois. New York did not listen, now you’re next.”

In a blistering statement condemning the lawsuit, Governor Hochul called the Justice Department’s lawsuit “smoke and mirrors.”

"We expect Pam Bondi's worthless, publicity-driven lawsuit to be a total failure, just like all the others. Let me be clear: New York is not backing down,” wrote Hochul in her prepared statement.

NYS Attorney General James released a one-sentence statement following the lawsuit press conference.

“Our state laws, including the Green Light law, protect the rights of all New Yorkers and keep our communities safe. I am prepared to defend our laws, just as I always have,” said James.

Attending the Justice Department press conference where the lawsuit was announced was "Angel Mom," Tammy Nobles.

Her daughter was killed by an illegal alien. Bondi referenced the mother as one of the reasons why the Trump administration seeks to deport illegal immigrants.

“Illegal aliens have flooded our communities, bringing violence and deadly drugs with them. I am

taking steps to protect American citizens and ‘Angel Moms’ like Tammy."

Nobles said she has been sharing her story for two and a half years to hold municipalities and governments accountable for shielding and protecting illegal immigrants.

“DHS (Department of Homeland Security) did not do its job. HHS (Health and Human Services) did not do its job. They did not verify this killer’s sponsor. I am so thankful to Pam (Bondi) and President Trump for giving me a platform to share my story and what was happening under the BidenHarris Administration,” Nobles said.

Police and prosecutors said an MS13 Gang member who was in the country illegally from El Salvador killed Tammy Nobles’s autistic daughter, Kayla Hamilton. She had turned 20 years old just three days before she was killed. According to

police, her boyfriend found her dead body after she had been raped, tied up, and strangled with a phone cord.

Nobles said the killer “took $6 from her.”

In a chilling twist, Hamilton’s last moments were recorded on a voicemail to her boyfriend as she tried to reach him when

Gov. Hochul Deploys

Continued from page 13

Officials are worried that the situation could result in another Attica Prison uprising, a riot in 1971 that was one of the deadliest in U.S. history.

“We will continue to work with NYSCOPBA President Summers and his executive board through the agreed upon mediation process to address our ongoing recruitment, retention, and overall safety

home.

In the press conference with Bondi, Nobles said the killer came to the country illegally in 2020 “making claims he was a child and afraid.

HHS called him a "nice boy" and said he acted ‘in an ageappropriate manner."

4,500...

issues, as well as the legislature and other stakeholders,” Commissioner Martuscello said. “The safety and security of the staff and incarcerated population is paramount to me. I value the hard work and commitment of the men and women at DOCCS who have had to sacrifice time with their families due to the current staffing shortage. At this time, I am urging all those on strike to return to the facilities today

in order to restore the safety and security to our facilities.”

“The public employees who are involved in these strikes are jeopardizing the safety and security of their co-workers who continue to work within these facilities and the more than 33,000 incarcerated individuals in the custody and care of DOCCS, as well as the general public,” the suit against the strikers reads.

Credit: Facebook

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Logo

the killer came into her mobile

Credit: US DOJ

Attorney General Bondi Press Conference at the Department of Justice

ByRobertChartuk

Vulgarity and Lawsuits on Tap to Stop Trump

Those not on board with President Trump’s Make America Great Again agenda are trying everything from vulgarity to lawsuits to stop him, leaving the rest of the country wondering what they would like to see instead.

The old way of doing things under Joe Biden went out the window when his vice president was historically rejected as his replacement. As Trump moves ahead with his MAGA mandate, the resistance has reached preposterous proportions.

For the first time probably ever, a team has lifted Washington’s hood and is exposing billions in government waste and corruption. The taxpayers are apoplectic over what they are finding. But not the Democrats and the legions of leeches who have been feeding off the system for years.

Headed by tech giant Elon Musk, Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) uncovered unfathomable waste in the $43

billion Agency for International Development, including millions for transgender operas in Colombia and condoms for the Taliban. Rather than express an interest in cutting government waste, Oregon Rep. Maxine Dexter declared, “I don't swear in public very well, but we have to f*ck Trump! Please don't tell my children that I just did that."

She’s introduced a bill called the “Stop Musk Act” to keep him from finding out where all the money went.

Rep. Donald Norcross is on a similar tear. “You can't make ugly pretty,” he said. “I'm from Jersey, so I look at it a little differently. I say, 'F*ck Trump.'” Senator Brian Schatz encouraged government workers to ignore the DOGE inquiries, calling requests for data on wasteful spending an “illegal instruction.” A group of Democrat reps banged on the doors of the Department of Education to confront Musk’s team as they were going through the books. “We’re coming in,” declared Rep. Maxine Waters of California. “Get out of the way,” she told

a security guard blocking the door. “We pay you.”

“The Democrats have lost their minds,” President Trump said of his opponents. “They looked foolish today. They tried to break into the Department of Education just because we want to go in and check the books.”

Trump’s assault on Washington waste comes as the nation is drowning in debt, with an economy stifled by four years of the policies of the people who are trying to block him. As he tries to grind the gravy train to a halt, the National Debt Clock keeps

ticking at $36.4 trillion. Unless Trump can stop it, the debt, which amounts to $323,000 for every taxpayer, is scheduled to increase by a trillion every 100 days. The government borrowing and spending, coupled with anti-energy and other Progressive policies, have driven inflation to all-time highs.

Democrat attorney generals from 14 states, including Letitia James in New York, are launching lawfare efforts to hinder DOGE and the chief executive’s financial review. “We are asking the court to invalidate his directives and actions and to issue a restraining order,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.

As Musk and his team uncover billions in federal waste, New York legislators are calling for a DOGE to root out Albany malfeasance. “Instead of harassing the president, the attorney general should focus on reducing the state’s crime rate and support our efforts to cut the highest taxes and fees in the nation,” said Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano.

Credit: Stock photo

Rep. Maxine Waters

ByRobertChartuk

Note to U. S. Navy: Clean Up Your Contamination Mess in Calverton

The Navy left a deadly brew of contaminants at the former Grumman weapons plant in Calverton—PFAS, dioxane, VOCs— and they have to clean up the mess. That was the message sent to Washington by County Executive Ed Romaine, environmental activists, residents, and other Suffolk officials at a Hauppauge press conference they called to address groundwater pollution that’s been plaguing the community for nearly 30 years.

“My mother always told me: ‘When you leave a room, make sure you clean up your mess.’ The Navy has to clean up their mess,” Romaine said. “We’ve waited far too long, and now the residents are paying the price. They have been victimized,” he added. “I think about this all of the time. It boils my blood.”

The county executive said the issue first came to light when he was a Suffolk legislator in 1996. “We warned them that the contamination was coming and asked them to take remedial action. They did nothing. Now the chemicals are in Swan Pond, Peconic Lake, Peconic River, and they’re heading toward Flanders Bay,” he said.

The Navy stopped sharing test well data with the county, moving Romaine to sink his own wells, and the results are unnerving.

Contaminants dangerously above acceptable levels were detected, including the “forever chemicals” known as per- polyfluorinated substances, 1,4-dioxane, and volatile organic compounds.

“We want the property to be declared a federal Superfund site, which will put it in a category where clean up becomes a priority,” said Frank Mancini, superintendent of the Riverhead Water District.

“We need funding to extend water mains into the affected communities and sentinel wells to warn us if the contamination spreads to our water supply.” A federal declaration will also give the state Department of Environmental Conservation more impetus to address the issue.

The Superfund declaration would have to be made by the Environmental Protection Agency, a cabinet-level office headed by Shirley-resident Lee Zeldin, who represented Calverton when he served as a congressman. “Don’t forget the locals here,” Romaine said of Zeldin. “We need your help.”

“We deserve clean water,” exclaimed Kelly McClinchy, a member of the Calverton Restoration Advisory Board. “Every time you turn on the water, you have fear. You are worried that the chemicals are there,” she said, noting that her family uses bottled water whenever they can but still bathes, washes dishes, and does laundry with the contaminated well water.

Suffolk County and the towns of

Riverhead and Brookhaven have spent millions to extend water mains into the affected areas. They’re looking to Congressman Nick LaLota to deliver federal dollars for new mains.

“Our commitment to this issue is unwavering,” LaLota said. “We will continue holding the Navy accountable and working toward long-term solutions that protect public health and our environment.

Additionally, several weeks ago, we informed both the County Executive’s team and the Town that we are exploring ways to transfer oversight of the site to the EPA’s Superfund program— ensuring a more rigorous and effective remediation process,” the congressman noted.

Speaking for the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Adrienne Esposito said the Navy has stonewalled the residents for years. “They make up their own rules. They set their own standards which are actually worse than what the government set on these hazardous chemicals,” Esposito said. “They’ve known about this for years and have done nothing.”

Esposito noted that the state Department of Health issued warnings against people eating fish from the Peconic River and the local waters that feed into it due to the contamination. “This is the first time they issued a warning like this in state history,” the environmental activist pointed out. “It’s very alarming.”

The South Shore Press has contacted EPA Director Zeldin’s office for updates on the situation.

Elon Musk's DOGE Has Been Busy 'Fighting the Matrix'

ByDeborahWilliams

President Trump’s DOGE had another busy week exposing waste, fraud, and abuse.

DOGE is not slowing down and, if anything, is speeding up its investigation into how the American people's tax dollars have been misused at home and abroad.

The South Shore Press weekly DOGE report brings you the highlights of what DOGE revealed over the last week.

This week, besides numerous revelations of rogue spending programs, DOGE won several significant court cases and launched administrative actions furthering the DOGE effort.

"We’re fighting the Matrix big time here," Musk said. "It has got to be done," said Musk in a speech where he received the “Golden

Chain Saw” from Argentina's President Javier Milei.

DOGE won an important case in court this week from an Obamaappointed judge, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper. Judge Cooper ruled against five federal labor unions that sued to stop firings of probationary federal employees and the deferred resignation program that told workers to either come back to the office or resign.

Then, Saturday night, DOGE, through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), sent an email to all federal workers saying, “As part of the Trump Administration’s commitment to an efficient and accountable federal workforce, OPM is asking employees to provide a brief summary of what they did last week by the end of Monday, cc’ing their manager.”

Employees are asked to send

approximately five bullet points describing what they did the week before. DOGE said that nonresponses will be considered as resignations. DOGE’s request and quick turnaround for the email response are meant to shock the broken and abused system.

Musk said on X, “The reason this matters is that a significant number of people who are supposed to be working for the government are doing so little work that they are not checking their email at all! In some cases, we believe non-existent people or the identities of dead people are being used to collect paychecks. In other words, there is outright fraud.”

U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, also an Obama appointee, handed DOGE another win by denying requests to prevent DOGE from reviewing data within the Department of Education, Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Energy, Department of Transportation and Department of Commerce.

In another win in court, District Judge John Bates denied requests to deny DOGE from accessing records at the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Several unions and not-forprofit organizations had filed suit.

Arguments that DOGE is acting without authority were rebuffed with the court ruling that DOGE is an agency of the executive branch and is allowed to send its staff to monitor other departments of the government.

Along the way, mistakes have been made when some essential employees have been given notice. When the errors were found, DOGE and the agencies acted quickly to reverse those terminations. DOGE and Musk maintain that in such a large effort to right-size the government and stop waste, fraud, and abuse mistakes will happen. Musk said from the Oval Office that when they make a mistake, they will correct it quickly, and they have.

From the United States Navy: Defending Freedom Around the World

ByStefanMychajliw

Electrician 2nd Class Ryan Gardner, from Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, renders honors during a “pass in review” aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG-105).

The photo was taken during Multinational Exercise Komodo (MNEK) 2025, in the Bali Sea on February 16th, 2025.

Hosted by the Indonesian Navy, MNEK 2025 is an international, joint exercise taking place in the vicinity of Bali, Indonesia, emphasizing multilateral maritime cooperation and disaster response protocols.

Riverhead Water District Superintendent Frank Mancini joins local officials and residents in requesting a Superfund designation for the former Navy property in Calverton.

DOGE continues discovering waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer funds by the federal government.

Credit: Grok/Twitter

Interior Communications

Interior Communications Electrician 2nd Class Ryan Gardner

Credit: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Devin Monroe

ByDeborahWilliams

Black Conservatives Speak Out During Black History Month

John Burnett is very clear about where he stands. He did not have a political conversion as many have and is clear that he has remained firm in his views and values, as the political parties around him have shifted.

Many now former Democrats say that they did not leave the party, the party left them.

“I was a Democrat, but there was no conversion. I've always been conservative in my values. So switching from Democrat to Republican didn't change my values. Didn't change my perspective. It was only paperwork.”

Burnett is first vice-chair for the New York State Republican Party, managing director and founder of 1 Empire Group, and a Newsmax host. The youngest of seven children in a family with a preacher father, Burnett has a strong foundation and well-considered values that guide him.

“If Democrats or anyone else value diversity then placing people into categories is antithetical to diversity. At the root of diversity is freedom and placing people

in boxes or profiling them is not freedom. Freedom is freedom of thought, freedom of movement and I don't mean physical movement,” said Burnett. “I'm using movement referring to the movement of thought with regard to positions on policy. Going with your own personal best interest. If each person acts in his or her own best interests, we will ultimately get to what is right.”

Talking about how the Left often tries to put blacks, Hispanics, women, gays, and other groups into ideological boxes Burnett says, “When this happens, people become trained or controlled through those categories and then it is the small group who can consolidate power moving things toward their will and not the will of the people.”

Burnett was clear that true diversity is diversity of thought, choice, and free will. “No one should be politically profiled” because of some characteristic they were born with.

Asked what he thinks was appealing to traditional Democrat voters about President Donald Trump, Burnett said it's about ‘how” Trump approached people as much

as the “what” of policy alignment.

In an era when the concept of “toxic masculinity” has been accepted by so many, Burnett points to Trump’s definitive, bold, and confident in his convictions and communication style.

“Democrats have convinced a people that when a man speaks up definitively and boldly it is toxic. That could not be further from the truth. Trump’s boldness and not having fear or anxiety of how the media was going to portray him gave him freedom,” Burnett said.

"Trump’s ‘freedom’ unlocked diversity of thought in others. What Trump said was already on the hearts and minds of the people trapped in those ‘categories” whether black, white, Hispanic, or Asian. Trump spoke with common sense. The people said, ‘he's making a very good point.’”

Burnett spoke about how traditional Democrat voters captured their own courage and voted in their own best interests.

“Once you approach people with logic and reason, you are on the path to winning them over. Trump was able to generate enough cognitive dissonance where people could not

ignore the truth any longer.”

Burnett closed out his interview with The South Shore Press with a powerful metaphor. He spoke about how Trump’s plain speaking gave people “a little lift so they could speak openly about what they believed. I am a preacher’s son and one story we must always remember is that the Devil convinced a third of the angels to go with him.”

The angels were in the presence of God - seeing all truth and all power, but the Devil still convinced them to follow him. There is a strong power of deception among us. That’s why people must always hold on to truth and common sense because if they don't, they will be convinced to believe a lie,” said Burnett.

80th Anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima – Trump Honors the Greatest Generation

ByDeborahWilliams

On the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Iwo Jima this week, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation encouraging all Americans to remember the “selfless patriots of the Greatest Generation.”

“Eighty years ago, on the morning of February 19, 1945, the first wave of United States Marines landed on the island of Iwo Jima -commencing 36 long, perilous days of gruesome warfare, and one of the most consequential campaigns of the Second World War,” said the proclamation.

Iwo Jima was a crucial battle in the victory over the Pacific during World War II securing an airbase for U.S. bombers and providing key protection of the flank for the invasion of Okinawa.

Rich Acritelli, Curator VFW 6249 Suffolk County World War II and Military History Museum said, “Locally, we have many citizens who either served at Iwo Jima or had family members that served on that rock of an island. Almost every family in this nation and on Long Island made sacrifices in the defense of this country.”

Trump’s statement read, “Five days into the conflict, six Marines ascended the island's highest peak and hoisted Old Glory into the summit of Mount Suribachi -- a triumphant moment that has stood the test of time as a lasting symbol

of the grit, resolve, and unflinching courage of Marines and all of those who serve our Nation in uniform.

"After five weeks of unrelenting warfare, the island was declared secure, and our victory advanced America's cause in the Pacific Theater -- but at a staggering cost.

Of the 70,000 men assembled for the campaign, nearly 7,000 Marines and Sailors died, and 20,000 more were wounded,” said Trump's statement.

“Winning the Battle of Iwo Jima signaled the beginning of the end of Japanese rule because we were getting closer towards their home islands. It was just a terrible, terrible battle because the misleading part of it was when the flag went up everyone thought that was victory.

All that showed was that that was the end of the first phase of the fighting,” said Acritelli.

Acritelli spoke of Private First Class Anthony James Denimarck Sr. “who was a tough Brooklyn kid who enlisted into the United States Marine Corps on April 7th, 1943. After graduating from Parris Island, South Carolina, he trained as an amphibious tractor crewman. He was deployed across the Pacific Ocean/Asia and experienced some of the harshest fighting of the war. On February 23rd, 1945, during a brief respite, Anthony watched the 'Flag Raising at lwo Jima.' His leadership qualities were absorbed by his son Michael, who played football for Newfield H.S., for the Detroit Lions, and was highly instrumental in coaching players at

Comsewogue High School.”

The Military Museum also features Paul Bowler who was part of a long line of Bowler Brothers who served this country. Bowler was from Hicksville and was a close friend of Ted Williams, as they were both fighter pilots for the United States Marine Corps. Bowler saw the triumphs of war through the advancing forces of the military to take the fiercely held islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

“He (Bowler) is looking down today on a strong family name that has emerged as teachers, lawyers, business figures, journalism,

and the coaching of lacrosse. His son Michael, an educator, coach, and club advisor, inherited his leadership skills as one of the finest lacrosse coaches ever to lead young men at Rocky Point High School,” says the exhibit.

Trump’s proclamation ends saying, “The battle of Iwo Jima was defined by massive casualties but also acts of gallantry -- 27 Marines and Sailors received the Medal of Honor for their valor during Iwo Jima. No other single battle in our Nation's history bears this distinction. Eighty years later, we proudly continue to honor their heroism, said the proclamation.

Credit: Suffolk World War II Museum

Credit: Suffolk World War II Museum

Paul Bowler served in World War II in the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Private First Class Anthony James Denimarck, Sr.

John Burnett, Vice-Chair of NYS Republican Committee, Newsmax host, and Founder of 1 Empire Group

Credit: John Burnett

HISTORY LESSONS

BY RICHARD ACRITELLI

There are about 250,000 Holocaust survivors living in ninety countries, but over the last several years, the numbers have dwindled with many recent deaths. The United States Holocaust Museum created a website that chronicles the lives of people who made it to this nation after the Nazi horrors of World War II in Europe. While this population has decreased, this National Holocaust Museum ensures that all survivors and the recent deceased are not “Forgotten.” Here are a couple of the accounts that are a little more researched on these important stories of local and national survivors of Hitler’s Final Solution in Europe.

Passing away on May 12th, 2023, David Bayer was a resident of Grasonville, Maryland. After traveling stops in Panama, and in Israel, Bayer fought for the independence of this newly created country, Bayer immigrated to America in 1955. For several decades, he owned a liquor store near Washington, D.C., and this Polish survivor volunteered at the Holocaust Museum. Bayer was born on September 27th, 1922, in Kozienice, Poland, to a family of four children, who owned a shoe factory that sold this product to stores across this country. Once World War II started through the German attack of Poland, the Bayers survived the start of this fighting in the woods. Right away this family lost all their possessions through the anti-Semitic laws that severely cut the rights of Polish-Jews.

Later, Bayer worked in a home as a translator for a gestapo officer and was ordered to help build a nearby canal, at the same time, in the Kozienice ghetto, almost his entire family was deported. During his twentieth birthday on September 27th, 1942, as Bayer was helping construct this canal, practically all this ghetto was sent to the Treblinka extermination camp. As most of his family members were murdered, Bayer was smuggled back into this ghetto, where he was put to work. Several months later, the 35 survivors of this town were sent to nearby ghettos, where Bayer made gunpowder at the Pionki labor camp.

By 1944, he was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, but had his life spared, as he worked in the Jaworzno coal mines. At this camp, a Polish-Jew Harry Haft, fought over 75 fights in front of the German guards and the SS. This account was portrayed within the film “The Survivor” that showed this deadly sport that was conducted at this concentration camp. After the war, Haft fought in refugee camps and as a professional who had lost to famed boxer Rocky Marciano. There were 2,500 prisoners who labored underground and to guard against lice, they took showers and were given two changes of clothing. Living in poor conditions, there

were 200 slave prisoners in rooms/ huts that were constructed to house only 50.

With the Soviet army quickly approaching the massive camp system that was under the watch of Auschwitz, the inmates were forced to march into the interior of Germany. As he was about to march from the Blechhammer chemical and women’s subcamp, this 23-yearold survivor of Auschwitz escaped and hid in the woods until the Soviets liberated this part of Poland. Weighing only 70 pounds, Bayer moved westward into the American sector of Germany. This later citizen that lived near the nation’s capital had “B74” tattooed on his arm, ran a business, embraced the safety of America, was married and had two children.

On May 8th, 1939, Herbert Launer arrived alone to the United States from Vienna, Austria. Seven months before, Launer was almost being beaten to death during the Kristallnacht terror against the Jews on October 9th, 1938. ProNazi thugs broke into his home, forced his father to clean the streets with a toothbrush, and he was severely attacked by a former nonJewish friend and a member of his soccer team. Over 100 Jews were murdered during Kristallnacht and 30,000 were sent to concentration camps in Germany. Many Jewish businesses, homes, and synagogues were destroyed, and the German and Austrian Jews were forced to pay $400,000, in today’s money, to help clean the terror that was waged against them. Life deteriorated in Austria for the Jews as the Nazis started building Mauthausen concentration camp that widely targeted and killed the “enemies” of the Third Reich.

It was a dangerous to be Jewish and living in Austria, as Hitler’s “Anschluss” expanded the antiSemitism laws against this religion. At 14 years old, Launer on April 30th, 1939, left Austria by himself, arrived in New York City, traveled to Ohio, and lived with family members whom he never met before. He quickly moved to New York City with distant family members, but decided to live in a boys' home, found a job, and took college classes at night. In 1943, he turned 18 years old and Launer enlisted into the United States Army. While he was not yet a citizen, his parents fled Austria and reached England on September 1st , 1939, and they found their way to this nation.

Following in the same footsteps of his father who was a highly decorated veteran of the Austrian army during World War I, Launer enlisted into the army, and served in the Pacific during World War I. Separated from his family for seven years, they withstood the earliest aspects of the Holocaust and were reunited in this country. Launer worked in the stock and finance

Stories of Holocaust Survivors Who Later Lived in the United States

field and was married for 50 years, until his wife passed away in 2001. He spoke about his experiences as a child in Austria, Kristallnacht, entering this country, and fighting for America in World War II. Launer passed away five years after his wife in 2006.

A former resident of Commack, Kurt Pauly was born on March 26th, 1930, in Aachen, Germany. This family had its roots to Germany since the 1700s, ran a butcher business, and while they were not religious, the Paulys saw themselves primarily as German citizens. Pauly spent time with his cousins Anne and Margot Frank who were forced to leave Germany and flee to Amsterdam in 1932. Once the Nazi regime took power, life severely changed for this family in 1933 through the fury of antiSemitic laws that widely hindered the lives of German Jews. Whereas Pauly was enrolled in German schools, his family believed that it would be safer for their children to attend a Jewish school. It was hazardous on the streets for Jews, as they were harassed, labeled with the “Star of David” and ostracized from daily life in Nazi Germany. Matters only worsened after the national creation of the Nuremberg Laws in 1935.

Realizing that life in Germany would never return to normalcy under Hitler’s power, in 1936, Pauly’s parents attained visas to enter Palestine. As they were fortunate to leave Germany, some of his older family members refused to leave, and they were later murdered at Theresienstadt concentration camp. Pauley lived in Palestine for two years, later his family gained admission to the United States, where they settled in Cincinnati, Ohio. At nine years old, Pauley enrolled in school as a first grader, where he finally learned how to speak English.

As Pauley and some of his members survived the Holocaust, many did not, and this included the Frank Family who hid for over two years in Amsterdam. Living above a warehouse and offices to evade the Nazis and certain deportation to Polish and German concentration

where Lifschitz's father was drafted into the Soviet Army and never seen again.

and death camps, they were arrested on August 4th, 1944. Nine months before the war ended and as Allied forces advanced across France, they were interrogated by the gestapo. They lived with the Van Pels and Fritz Pfeffer and these eight people were sent to the Nazi Westerbork transit camp before being transported to Auschwitz. Otto Frank was the only member of his family to survive the war, as his daughters Anne and Margaret died at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp from typhus.

Serving in the army during the Korean War, Pauley used the G.I. Bill to earn an accounting degree at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. He married a survivor of the Holocaust, and they later volunteered at the United States Holocaust Museum. Pauley died this past summer on August 19th, 2024.

Rifka Lifschitz became an elementary school teacher, after gaining her degree at Brooklyn College in 1959. Her path toward achieving an education and entering the United States was a difficult one for Lifschitz and her family. Born on December 12th, 1936, Lifschitz grew up in Eastern Europe at a very dangerous time for Jews. Now a part of the Ukraine, Lifschitz lived in Vășcăuți, Romania, with many generations of her large family running a dry goods store and a small factory. This family was part of the 700,000 Jews who lived in Romania, followed their faith, and were interwoven within their communities.

On August 23rd, 1939, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany were two powerful enemies who shocked the world by signing a nonaggression pact. Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov and Joachim von Ribbentrop, divided parts of Eastern Europe, and this treaty opened the way for Hitler to invade Poland on September 1st. While they later fought a brutal war against each other, this agreement briefly carved up this part of Europe, including Romania. About 10 months after signing this agreement, the Soviet Union occupied this area of Romania

Romania was an ally of Nazi Germany, and they supported Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union through “Operation Barbarossa” on June 22nd, 1941. This government was determined to take back the 30% of its territory that was conquered by the Soviet Union. Vășcăuți was reoccupied by Romanian soldiers and quickly severe anti-Semitic laws were established that instructed all Jews had only 24 hours to leave their homes and to take what they were able to carry. With most of her large family, they were moved to Mogilev, a part of modern-day Ukraine, they pooled their money together, bribed Romanian soldiers, and were transported across a river to Transnistria.

At first, they were taken in by another Jewish family, who had little food, and survived under poor conditions. The Romanian government created a Jewish ghetto, they had no possessions, survived an outbreak of typhus, but most of this family were still together. By the early part of 1944, the Soviets liberated this area of Eastern Romania, and this family was finally freed from living under these anti-Semitic laws. Going back to their old town, the Lifschitzes learned that Ukrainians from this area murdered parts of her mother’s family and they decided to leave Romania.

They made their way to a refugee camp in Germany that was organized by the American Army to aid Jews who survived the Holocaust. After being inflicted with pneumonia, Lifschitz’s mother married another survivor, and they received the necessary paperwork to immigrate to America in 1947. Years later, after receiving her education, Lifschitz was married in Brooklyn, and later moved to Maryland to raise a family. She taught third grade, was the principal of a Yiddish and Hebrew school and spoke about the horrors of surviving the Holocaust at the national museum in the capital. Seventy-six years after coming to America, this Romanian immigrant died almost two years ago from this date.

Whereas these are only a few stories that identified the absolute will of people to withstand the terror of the Holocaust, it is vital that these moments are never abandoned. It is imperative that schools and colleges across this nation continue to teach about the humanities to all current and future generations of Americans. Although the Holocaust ended some 80 years ago, our local citizens should make every effort to learn from the experiences of older survivors who openly address their stories of persevering during this dark period.

Credit: Ruslan Batiuk | Dreamstime.com

BY NANCY BURNER, ESQ.

Each year, there are slight adjustments to the financial eligibility requirements of community Medicaid for adults receiving the assistance of a home health aide. By law, the allowable income and asset limits are set at 138% of the federal poverty level. In 2025, an applicant must have less than $32,396 in countable assets and less than $1,800 in countable income. However, individuals with income or assets higher than this are not necessarily locked out of the program.

Countable assets can include bank accounts, cash value of life insurance, brokerage accounts, and nonqualified annuities, to name a few. Importantly, qualified funds such as a Traditional IRA, 403(b), and other tax-deferred monies are not considered as long as they are in “payout status.” For those with countable assets above the limit, New York does not currently impose a lookback period for the home care program. This means

New York Medicaid Eligibility in 2025

that an applicant can transfer excess assets to a family member, friend, or Medicaid Asset Protection Trust and be eligible to apply in the following month.

With income including, but

not limited to, Social Security payments, pension, and distributions from a tax-deferred retirement account, many adults in need will have excess income that is enough to cover their day-

1976

to-day expenses but not sufficient to pay for care needs. Good news… even with income that is over the limit, a pooled income trust (“PIT”) can be used to shelter the excess. A PIT is a type of supplemental needs

trust that is administered by an organization with an underlying charitable cause. The excess is moved into the PIT each month and then made available to the Medicaid recipient to pay expenses for their own benefit such as rent, mortgage, utilities, food, clothing, etc. Any unused funds will accumulate in the trust from month to month and can be used into the future until the time of death.

Even though there is currently no lookback imposed in New York for Community Medicaid applicants, advance planning is advisable. Protection of the home and other assets should be top of mind for those that may be seeking this type of care now or in the future.

- Britt Burner, Esq.

Britt Burner, Esq, is an attorney at Burner Prudenti Law, P.C., focusing her practice on Elder Law and Estate Planning. Burner Prudenti Law serves clients from Manhattan to the east end of Long Island with offices located in East Setauket, Westhampton Beach, New York City and East Hampton.

TARA D’AMATO

Help Your Child Get

Developing literacy skills begins at birth and continues through the toddler and preschool years. The best way to be sure that your child has the skills needed to learn to read is to have someone read aloud to them. *** Children who are read to start stronger in school. *** One thousand books sounds like a lot, but if you read only one bedtime story every night for three years you will have read 1,095! Read 10 books a week for two years and you will have read 1,040! If you read just three books every day for a year you will have read 1,095 books! 1KB4K: It’s free. It’s fun. It’s important. Who can join?

Families with preschool children birth through age 6. Register each child individually and then you can log books individually

for each child or log for all readers at the same time.

How to sign up:

Go to the website: https:// communitylibrary.beanstack. org, to use Beanstack, the software server for our 1KB4K program.

Or, stop by the Children’s Desk at the library.

When you sign up:

· Come to the library to receive a 1KB4K journal and a free book for your child to keep.

· After each 100 books, your child gets a sticker.

· When you have read 500 books, your child will receive a 1KB4K T-shirt and another free book.

· When you complete 1,000 books your child will receive a third book, a completion certificate and a special prize!

How does the program work?

Sign up your child and start reading. After first registering for the 1KB4K program through the library’s web link to 1KB4K, you may download the Beanstack Tracker app through the App Store or Google Play. Then log in each book read by either 1) on the library’s 1KB4K (Beanstack) site, 2) on the Beanstack Tracker app or 3) use the pages in your 1KB4K journal and bring them to the library and we will log them for you. Any book read to your child counts! If your child attends a library storytime, count those books, too. Any book read multiple times counts multiple times. If you are using the journal pages in your binder, after each 100 books, get new journal pages by stopping by the Children’s Desk. If you log the books on the Beanstack site you can print the list anytime you want. Read to your child early and often.

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. 2023 for the Main Building. Call or visit any building to register, regardless of program location.

Take Care of Yourself

Silver Sneaker Full-Body Workout

Everyone Loves a Story

SATURDAY MOVIE MATINEES

Tuesdays, February 4, 11, 18, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Held at our Main Building.

Registration begins Friday, January 24.

Held at our Main Library at 2:00 p.m.

Join certified Silver Sneaker instructor, Jennifer, for a light cardiovascular workout that combines strength and resistance training, balance, coordination, and stretching. Wear comfortable clothing. Resistance bands will be provided. This class is done either standing or sitting. Bring light weights and water to class.

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

Saturday, March 1

Little Women (NR) 1949

Saturday, March 15

Barbie (PG-13) 2023

Saturday, March 22

A League of Their Own (PG) 1992

Yoga in Spanish / Yoga en Español

Saturday, February 15, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Held at our Main Building.

Registration begins Saturday, February 1.

Join Tatiana for a beginner yoga class in Spanish! Tatiana Correa is a certified yoga instructor, RYT200. She will guide you through simple poses to stretch your body and relax your mind. Please bring a yoga mat.

Little Women (NR), 1949

Saturday, March 1 2:00 PM

¡Venga y acompañe a Tatiana para una clase de yoga que será para principiantes y en español! Tatiana Correa es una instructora certificada de yoga, RYT200. Ella le guiará a través de posturas simples para estirar su cuerpo y relajar su mente. Por favor, traiga una alfombra de yoga.

What’s on your Nightstand?

Thursday, February 13, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

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

Registration begins Tuesday, February 4.

Deciding what to read next? Join us for a discussion about books at Sunsets at Senix Restaurant! 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. Appetizers will be provided. Wine and beer will be available for purchase.

Book Discussion of The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store

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

Barbie (PG-13), 2023

Saturday, March 15 2:00 PM

A League of Their Own (PG), 1992

Saturday, March 22 2:00 PM

Held at our Main Building. Registration begins Thursday, January 23. Uncover a tale of family, faith, and community as we discuss The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. A compelling, multilayered novel set in 1972 and reflecting back to the 1940s in the small, racially segregated town of Pottawatomie, Pennsylvania. The story unfolds around a grocery store run by an elderly Jewish woman, and a mysterious death that occurs in the town. Through multiple perspectives, McBride explores themes of community, race, identity, and the complexities of human relationships. As the story progresses, secrets about the town’s past are revealed, touching on generational trauma and the intersection of different cultures. The novel blends humor, tragedy, and insight into the human condition. McBride shows us that even in dark times, it is love and community-heaven and earth-that sustain us. Copies of the book will be available for pick up at our Main Branch starting

The MMSCL is now participating in Author Talks These free, live virtual presentations are from some of the best-known authors.

Visit https://libraryc.org/communitylibrary upcoming authors and to register.

The featured February events and authors are:

and Smithsonian Institution Collaboration

Dystopian Tropes from an Indigenous Perspective: In Conversation with Waubgeshig Rice Award-Winning and Bestselling Author of

An Author Talk with Pulitzer Prize Finalist Lee Hawkins Award-Winning Journalist and Creator and Host of the podcast “What Happened in Alabama?”

How We Create Pandemics, From Our Bodies to Our Beliefs with Smithsonian Curator Sabrina Sholts A Library Speakers Consortium

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. 2023 for the Main Building. Call or visit any building to register, regardless of program location.

Take Care of Yourself

FUN AND GAMES

Silver Sneaker Full-Body Workout

Tuesdays, February 4, 11, 18, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Held at our Main Building.

Board Game Night

Thursday, March 6, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Held at our Moriches Branch. Drop in program, open to all. Attention all tabletop game enthusiasts! Come join Games Master Games for a night filled with board action.

Puzzle Exchange

Tuesday, March 11

Registration begins Friday, January 24. Join certified Silver Sneaker instructor, Jennifer, for a light cardiovascular workout that combines strength and resistance training, balance, coordination, and stretching. Wear comfortable clothing. Resistance bands will be provided. This class is done either standing or sitting. Bring light weights and water to class.

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Yoga in Spanish / Yoga en Español Saturday, February 15, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Held at our Main Building.

Held at our Main Building. Drop in program, open to all. Have you finished a fantastic puzzle and are looking for a new one? Come join other enthusiasts by the fireplace and find the next piece. Bring a puzzle to swap.

Registration begins Saturday, February 1. Join Tatiana for a beginner yoga class in Spanish! Tatiana Correa is a certified yoga instructor, RYT200. She will guide you through simple poses to stretch your body and relax your mind. Please bring a yoga mat.

Learn Mahjong

Thursdays, March 13, 20, 27

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Held at our Moriches Branch. Registration begins Thursday, February 27. Ever wanted to learn the basics of this beloved tile strategy game? Now is your chance! Join instructor Jacqui for three sessions of beginner instruction. No prior experience necessary.

¡Venga y acompañe a Tatiana para una clase de yoga que será para principiantes y en español! Tatiana Correa es una instructora certificada de yoga, RYT200. Ella le guiará a través de posturas simples para estirar su cuerpo y relajar su mente. Por favor, traiga una alfombra de yoga.

Everyone Loves a Story

What’s on your Nightstand?

Thursday, February 13, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Held at Sunsets at Senix Restaurant

favorite book of all time. Appetizers will be provided. Wine and beer will

layered novel set in 1972 and reflecting back to the 1940s in the small, racially segregated

perspectives, McBride explores themes of community, race, identity, and the complexities of human relationships. As the story progresses, secrets about the town’s past are revealed, touching on generational trauma and and insight into the human condition. McBride shows us that even in dark times, it is love and community-heaven and earth-that sustain us. Copies

The MMSCL is now participating in These free, live virtual presentations are from some of the best-known authors.

Visit https://libraryc.org/communitylibrary upcoming authors and to register.

The featured February events and authors are:

How We Create Pandemics, From Our Bodies to Our Beliefs A Library Speakers Consortium and Smithsonian Institution Collaboration Tuesday, February 4, 2:00 p.m.

Dystopian Tropes from an Indigenous Perspective: Award-Winning and Bestselling Author of Moon of the Crusted Snow Tuesday, February 11, 7:00 p.m.

I Am Nobody’s Slave: An Author Talk with Pulitzer Prize Finalist Lee Hawkins Award-Winning Journalist and Creator and Host of the podcast “What Happened in Alabama?” Tuesday, February 18, 2:00 p.m.

LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, 21ST MORTGAGE CORPORATION, Plaintiff, vs. JEFFREY ARTHUR CHAMBERLIN INDIVIDUALLY AND AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF ARTHUR CHAMBERLIN A/K/A ARTHUR L. CHAMBERLIN, ET AL., Defendant(s).

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 11738 on March 10, 2025 at 12:30 p.m., premises known as 3004 New London Avenue, Medford, NY 11763. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York, District 0200, Section 659.00, Block 01.00 and Lot 038.000. Approximate amount of judgment is $191,258.29 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #630393/2023.

Ian Sack, Esq., Referee

Taroff & Taitz, LLP, Attorneys at Law, 630 Johnson Avenue, Suite 105, Bohemia, NY 11716, Attorneys for Plaintiff

L16162 - 02/05/2025, 02/12/2025, 02/19/2025 & 02/26/2025

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. PATRICIA A. MEARA, AS HEIR, DEVISEE, DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF PATRICIA A. MUNOZ, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on December 2, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY

11738 on March 12, 2025 at 11:00 a.m., premises known as 42 Holiday Park Drive, Centereach, NY 11720. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York, District 0200, Section 367.00, Block 02.00 and Lot 010.000. Approximate amount of judgment is $438,774.75 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #607189/2015.

Georgia Papazis, Esq., Referee

Greenspoon Marder, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 2200, New York, NY 10105, Attorneys for Plaintiff L16163 - 02/05/2025, 02/12/2025, 02/19/2025 & 02/26/2025

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF SUFFOLKBROOKHAVEN.

NASSAU FINANCIAL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, Plaintiff -againstWALEED SHAHBAZ, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on September 23, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, located at 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY on March 14, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.

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, known and designated as Section 959.00 Lot 1.00 Lot 039.000.

Said premises known as 803 PROVOST AVENUE, BELLPORT, NY 11713

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 602790/2024.

LISA SINGER, ESQ., Referee

Terenzi & Confusione P.C. Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 401 Franklin Avenue, Suite 304, Garden City, NY 11530

{* SOUTH SHO4*}

L16165 - 02/12/2025, 02/19/2025, 02/26/2025 & 03/05/2025

REFEREE'S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF SUFFOLK

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff - against - STANLEY DABROWSKI, et al Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on January 12, 2023. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on the 12th day of March, 2025 at 9:30 AM. All that certain plot, piece, or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Lake Grove, Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York.

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

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

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

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

Index No. 617257/2018.

Donna England, Esq., Referee.

McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 840 New York, NY 10170 Tel. 347/286-7409

Dated: January 13, 2025

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

L16166 - 02/12/2025, 02/19/2025, 02/26/2025 &

03/05/2025

INDEX NO. 631567/2023

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

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

Mortgaged Premises: 108 AVENUE B, HOLBROOK, NY 11741

District: 0200, Section: 727.00, Block: 08.00, Lot: 024.000

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK

FAREVERSE LLC I/L/T/N FINANCE OF AMERICA REVERSE LLC

Plaintiff, vs.

JENNIFER L. STEADMAN, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF MARIE ANTOINETTE STEADMAN; ROBIN M. STEADMAN AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF MARIE ANTOINETTE STEADMAN, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF

MARIE ANTOINETTE STEADMAN, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff, SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK,

"JOHN DOE #1" through "JOHN DOE #12," the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint,

Defendants.

To the above named Defendants

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT

THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $535,500.00 and interest, recorded on July 14, 2020, in Liber M00023153 at Page 091, of the Public Records of SUFFOLK County, New York., covering premises known as 108 AVENUE B, HOLBROOK, NY 11741. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.

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

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME

If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.

Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action.

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

Dated: January 30th, 2025

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you.

LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES

ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC

Attorney for Plaintiff

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

L16167 - 02/12/2025, 02/19/2025, 02/26/2025 & 03/05/2025

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT

SUFFOLK COUNTY

U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCF 2 ACQUISITION TRUST, Plaintiff against VERONICA BRADY, et al

Defendant(s)

Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, NY 10591.

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered December 23, 2024, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on March 17, 2025 at 10:00 AM. Premises known as 225 Lyman Road, East Patchogue, NY 11772. District 0200 Sec 984.10 Block 06.00 Lot 009.000. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in Bellport, in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $174,293.19 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 623458/2023. 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.

Enza Brandi, Esq., Referee File # 2296-004118

L16169 - 02/12/2025, 02/19/2025, 02/26/2025 & 03/05/2025

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE OF THE BANC OF AMERICA FUNDING 2007-3 TRUST, -againstLEE FULFORD, 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 March 7, 2024, wherein U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE OF THE BANC OF AMERICA FUNDING 2007-3 TRUST is the Plaintiff and LEE FULFORD, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the SOUTHAMPTON TOWN HALL, 116 HAMPTON ROAD, SOUTHAMPTON, NY 11968, on March 13, 2025 at 10:30AM, premises known as 458 BRIDGEHAMPTONSAG H A/K/A 458 BRIDGEHAMPTON –SAG HARBOR TPKE, BRIDGEHAMPTON, NY 11932; and the following tax map identification: 0900052.00-02.00-030.007.

ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND SITUATE LYING AND BEING IN THE TOWN OF SOUTHAMPTON, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, AND STATE OF NEW YORK

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 036856/2008. Andrew Gilbride, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE

WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

L16170 - 02/12/2025, 02/19/2025, 02/26/2025 & 03/05/2025

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

COUNTY OF SUFFOLK

Brighthouse Life Insurance Company, Plaintiff, -againstJennifer Robinson as Heir to the Estate of Kathleen Paccione, Peter Paccione as Heir to the Estate of Kathleen Paccione, Patrick Paccione as Heir to the Estate of Kathleen Paccione, John T. Mather Memorial Hospital, Clerk of the Suffolk County District Court, Clerk of the Suffolk County Traffic & Parking Violations Agency, People of the State of New York, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, United States of America - Internal Revenue Service, Kathleen Paccione's unknown heirs-at-law, 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 said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise, any right, title or interest in the real property described in the complaint herein, James Krauss, Defendants.

Index #: 610021/2024

Filed: 04/18/2024

SUMMONS

Plaintiff designates Suffolk County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the subject premises is situated.

TO THE ABOVE NAMED

DEFENDANT(S):

YOU ARE HEREBY

SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your Answer or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a Notice of Appearance on the attorneys for the plaintiff within twenty (20) days after service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service; or within thirty (30) days after service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York; or within sixty (60) days if it is the United

States of America. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME

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

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

Dated: Bay Shore, New York April 17, 2024 FRENKEL, LAMBERT, WEISS, WEISMAN & GORDON, LLP BY: Deana Cheli Attorneys for Plaintiff 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, New York 11706 (631) 969-3100

Our File No.: 01-099455F00

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT

THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure $215,034.48 and interest, recorded in the office of the clerk of the County of Suffolk on January 30, 2007 in Liber M00021466, Page 485 covering premises known as 438 Auborn Avenue, Shirley, NY 11967.

The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.

L16179 - 02/19/2025, 02/26/2025, 03/05/2025 & 03/12/2025

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF SUFFOLK PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff AGAINST JOSE A. LOPEZ, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered December 17, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on March 24, 2025 at 10:30AM, premises known as 3 Park Avenue, Medford, NY 11763. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York, District 0200 Section 867-00 Block 01.00 Lot 040.000. Approximate amount of judgment $648,132.28 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #613544/2023. Andrew J. Levitt, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 22-004335 84419

L16180 - 02/19/2025, 02/26/2025, 03/05/2025 & 03/12/2025

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC

Plaintiff, -against- ROBERT W. JOHNSON JR. AS HEIR OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT W. JOHNSON; JOSHUA JOHNSON AS HEIR OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT W. JOHNSON; JEREMY JOHNSON AS HEIR OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT W. JOHNSON; if living, and if he/she be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or generally or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors,

trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; PHYLLIS ZANICHKOWSKY AS TRUSTEE OF THE ROBERT W. JOHNSON REVOCABLE TRUST, DATED JULY 12, 2020; MIDLAND FUNDING LLC APO GE MONEY BANK; DAVID NEY; COMMISSIONER OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; CLERK OF THE SUFFOLK COUNTY DISTRICT COURT; STATE OF NEW YORK; PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; and JOHN DOE AND JANE DOE #1 through #7, the last seven (7) names being fictitious and unknown to the Plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or parties, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the mortgaged premises described in the Complaint, Defendants. INDEX # 607016/2024 Original filed with Clerk April 29, 2024. Plaintiff Designates Suffolk County as the Place of Trial. The Basis of Venue is that the subject action is situated Suffolk County. Premises: 142 New York Ave Sound Beach, NY 11789. TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s Attorney(s) within 20 days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is

complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York); the United States of America may appear or answer within 60 day of service hereof; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. Said Supplemental Summons and Amended Complaint are being filed pursuant to Amended Court Order dated January 16, 2025. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this Summons and Complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF MORTGAGE

ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: Uniondale, New York, January 28, 2025. Pincus Law Group, PLLC. By: /s/ Linda P. Manfredi, Esq., Attorneys for Plaintiff, 425 RXR Plaza Uniondale, NY 11556, 516-699-8902

L16181 - 02/19/2025, 02/26/2025, 03/05/2025 & 03/12/2025

Notice of Public Sale: The following Self Storage unit contents containing household and other goods Will be sold for cash by StorQuest Self Storage 393 Smith road Shirley, NY 11967 (631)-729-6945 To satisfy a lien on 2/25/2025 at approx. 12:00pm at www. storagetreasures.com

030 Todd Tuttle 032 George Deabold 050 Donato Sangemino 075 Sam Mcdonald 091 Kaylyn Snyder 099 Michael Nicotra 109 Melissa Lauro 117 Jill Zwirz

238 Gary Green

248 JACQUELYN COLON

324 Gasner Pierre-Louis

372 Madeline Jones

376 Teresa Gallanti

415 Nafeste Butler

432 Anthony Angulo 482 Alanna Calandra 509 Gerard Jamieson 517 Jonathan Curtis 560 Michael Delmastro 603 Carmine Notaro

623 George Nelson

L16183-02/26/2025

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, NEWREZ LLC

D/B/A SHELLPOINT

MORTGAGE SERVICING, Plaintiff, vs. GILBERT

SANTIAGO, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee’s Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on December 5, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence

Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on March 27, 2025 at 12:00 p.m., premises known as 416 Kane Avenue, Patchogue, NY 11772. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York, District 0200, Section 975.70, Block 03.00 and Lot 013.000. Approximate amount of judgment is $185,508.03 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #607149/2023. Cash will not be accepted.

Erin M. McTiernan, Esq., Referee

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

L16184 - 02/26/2025, 03/05/2025, 03/12/2025 & 03/19/2025

NOTICE OF SALE

Supreme Court County of Suffolk

Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, d/b/a Christina Trust, not in its Individual Capacity but Solely in its Capacity as Certificate Trustee for NNPL Trust Series 2012-1, Plaintiff AGAINST

Corrine C. Ozcan a/k/a Corrine Ozcan, Ozer Ozcan, et al, Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated December 24, 2024 and entered on January 7,

2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY on March 31, 2025 at 11:30 AM premises known as 106 E Alcolade 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: 978.90, BLOCK: 02.00, LOT: 002.00 District 0200. Approximate amount of judgment is $319,048.21 plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 604316/2015.

Giuseppe Rosini, Referee

FRENKEL LAMBERT WEISS WEISMAN & GORDON LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706

L16185 - 02/26/2025, 03/05/2025, 03/12/2025 & 03/19/2025

Notice is hereby given that an On-Premise Restaurant Liquor License, NYS Application ID: NA 034025-103419 has been applied for by Holstein Grill Steak House Corp serving beer, wine, cider and liquor to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a restaurant, for the premises located at 189 Portion Rd, Suite B Ronkonkoma NY 11779.

L16186 - 02/26/2025 & 03/05/2025

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE: The following Self Storage unit contents containing household and other goods

will be sold for cash by StorQuest Self Storage 2021 Lakeland Avenue , Ronkonkoma NY 11779 (631) 954-2026 to satisfy a lien on 03/12/2025 at approx. 12PM at www. storagetreasures.com: James Timmons - 1052, Harry Belsha 2137, Madlyn Glazer-3061

L16187-02/26/2025

Notice of formation of DCG2 PROPERTIES UNIT 2 LLC Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on November 25, 2024. Office located in Suffolk County. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to: 275 GILLETTE AVE, BAYPORT, NY, 11705, USA. Purpose: To engage in any lawful activity.

L16188 - 02/26/2025, 03/05/2025, 03/12/2025, 03/19/2025, 03/26/2025 & 04/02/2025

NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE

STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT: COUNTY OF SUFFOLK

DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE, FOR NEW CENTURY HOME EQUITY LOAN TRUST 2005-2, Plaintiff, v. CHARLES BROWN A/K/A CHARLES BROWN JR. A/K/A CHARLIE BROWN, ET AL, Defendants.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT

In pursuance of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the Office of the County Clerk of Suffolk County on December 17, 2024, I, Annette Eaderesto, Esq., the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on March 28, 2025 at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738, at 10:30 AM the premises described as follows:

71 Matsunaye Drive Medford, NY 11763 SBL.: 0200-774.00-05.00017.000

ALL THAT TRACT OR PARCEL OF LAND situate in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk, State of New York.

The premises are sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment, Index No. 613506/2019 in the amount of $590,729.67 plus interest and costs. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the Court System's COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale.

Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff 500 Bausch & Lomb Place Rochester, NY 14604 Tel.: 855-227-5072

L16189 - 02/26/2025, 03/05/2025, 03/12/2025 & 03/19/2025

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BETTOR ANGLE TM

BY TOM BARTON

Legalized sports betting has slowed down the involvement of fixed lines and crooked athletes, but it hasn't put a full stop on the nonsense. More of that was found out this week in a college betting scandal that has now gone mainstream.

The Fresno Bee reported Saturday that guards Jalen Weaver, a former Nevada Wolf Pack player, and Zaon Collins were withheld from playing after being implicated in an internal investigation into wagering on games.

What makes the situation even murkier is that Mykell Robinson is also implicated, and he is no longer on the team. Weaver and Collins remain a part of the roster but were held out of the game this week against Air Force to fall to 5-23 on the year.

Per reports circulating, Weaver and Robinson allegedly

bet on the team to underperform (at 5-23 that's pretty easy) but where this gets tricky it wasn't to lose the game or the form that we are used to like point-shaving. Instead, it was on prop plays, which has long been a worry for sports books and legalization. The two allegedly bet on points and rebounds to be under their posted totals.

Robinson's games are being looked at, but you really don't have to look too far. He last played in a Jan. 11 overtime loss to Nevada in which Robinson scored just three points on three shots in 30 minutes. This raises eyebrows because he entered the game averaging 10.8 points per game on 10.8 shot attempts per game. He also had just four rebounds, with his season average of over 6.

Fresno State said in a statement that Weaver and Collins

Fresno State Involved in a Betting Scandal

were "being withheld from competition as the University reviews an eligibility matter." Weaver played at Nevada from 2021-22, appearing in 11 games, before transferring to Salt Lake Community College for a season and spending the last two at Fresno State. Since the statement was released, it's been learned that Weaver will not be returning to the program, and Collins has been let go as well.

Fresno State's President Saul Jimenez-Sandoval and Athletic Director Garrett Klassey met this week to discuss the future of Fresno State's basketball coach Vance Walberg. The don't feel like they have a cause for firing him over this.

It is interesting to note that there is no legalized sports betting in California, so the bets were placed illegally or somewhere else.

Fantasy Baseball - Are There Any True Aces Left?

ByTomBarton

When asking the question about what is an "ace" to baseball fans you'll get a slew of requirements to be an ace pitcher. The #1 on a team, old heads like winning pitchers, others like a workhorse starter, while others will take pure stuff. For now, the term "ace" can be debated by baseball fans far and wide, but for fantasy fans it's important to realize the dwindling requirements for a fantasy ace.

Every fantasy baseball fan is keenly aware of the 5 major categories to get you scoring. Wins, saves, K's ERA and WHIP are the standard, but when we talk about starting pitching there is an even more important stat that is

often overlooked. That is innings pitched.

Common sense will tell you that the more quality innings a pitcher gets you the more the values of things like ERA and WHIP will increase. The closer with a 3.00 ERA in 60 innings is quite different than the starter with a 3.00 ERA in 180 innings. That brings us back to the question of what is a fantasy ace? The counting stats of course matter, but innings pitched has to be studied.

Last season only four starters went more than 200 innings. Logan Gilbert, Zach Wheeler, Seth Lugo and Logan Webb were all over that mark and performed like true aces. Their ERA and

WHIP meant more to a season long fantasy team than someone with similar stats because of the innings logged. Taking it a step further only 21 pitchers went over 180 innings. The workhorse starter seems like a thing of the past, but these are the arms that fantasy players should be targeting. For more context Sonny Gray and Roniel Blanco both had a

terrific WHIP of 1.09, as did Seth Lugo. But Lugo's 200+ innings will be much more impactful in the WHIP category to your team instead of the 166 innings that Gray put up for example. Another example is Hunter Greene had a great 2.75 ERA but only pitched 150 innings, while I'd rather take Bryce Miller and his 2.94 ERA with 180 innings.

This isn't to say that innings pitched is everything. There are plenty of players who logged a good number of innings but weren't as productive as someone with fewer, but if you are torn between two players always look at innings pitched. We are in the days of the dwindling aces in the sport, but that doesn't mean you can't find the edge for those fading workhorses.

Port Jefferson Duo Takes Home

Some Championship Gold

ByTomBarton

Port Jefferson now has two champions after the Suffolk County Small School Indoor Track and Field Championships last week.

Alexa Jacobs set the new Section XI record in the 55 meter with a time of 7.04 at the League Championships last month. She then followed that up with a dominating performance at the Suffolk Small School Championships. For the second year in a row, Alexa repeated as champion in the 55 meter. She not only topped her previous best time of 7.04, but set a new personal record at 7.02 seconds. That also now sets the new Section XI record. She also won

Ace Pitcher

Credit: Grok

the 300 meter with a time of 41.94. Port Jeff wasn't done there as Evan Monaghan took home the title in the 55 meter hurdles at the Suffolk Boys Small School Indoor

Track and Field Championships. Monaghan now has been the small school county champion in this event for the second year in a row.

Credit: Section XI - Suffolk County Athletics | Facebook Alexa Jacobs

ByTomBarton

What Is It to Look Like a Yankee?

The New York Yankees have changed their stance in regard to their long-standing facial hair policy and this became huge news this week because of the differing opinions.

The baseball world is rarely affected by non-baseball news the way this story took on a life of its own and it played on fans' emotions. The Yankees have had their no facial hair, and no long hair policy in place since the early 70's. New owner George Steinbrenner instituted the rule as a way to bring a businesslike approach and respect to the field.

The Yankees were going to be the pro's pro team and that would be reflected in their appearance.

Thurman Munson often pushed the issue growing a 5 o'clock shadow often and bringing his mustache close to breaking the rules. Lou Pinella once told Steinbrenner that Jesus had long hair, and a beard why couldn't the Yankees? The boss's

response was that when Lou can walk across water, he can grow his beard. That was the sort of barbs that would come from the policy. Then in the 90's the hair rule was once again at the forefront when Don Mattingly famously pushed the issue. Steinbrenner thought the captain was growing his hair a little too long, despite most people not seeing much of a difference, and even the Simpson's poked fun at the situation.

Since then there have been a few times it's been mentioned but there hadn't been any sort of raucous recently. That is why it was such a shock when Hal, seemingly out of nowhere, announced he is lifting the no facial hair ban.

Devin Williams had shaved his beard for the first time in years just days before and Jeff Passan reported that he was a big part in the Yankees changing their policy. Williams met with Hal along with Stanton, Judge and Cole to discuss the situation. Hal's reasoning for lifting the ban

was he believed it might stop free agents from coming to the team.

Fans and past players were immediately divided on the ruling. I was on the side that seemed to be the minority. The Yankees should

Proof That Lettuce Is Bad for Your Health

ByTomBarton

There is finally proof for anyone who wants to win an argument with the health nuts who eat right out there, that eating healthy can be hazardous to your body. All you have to do is ask major league pitcher Dustin May.

Dustin May had one of the oddest sports injuries ever last season as he explained the incident in training camp this week. It's nothing to joke about because of the severity of the injury, but the source is still unusual. Last July May took a bite of lettuce and felt it not go smoothly down his throat. Reports say that May immediately knew something was wrong and that night he went to the emergency room where he had surgery to repair a tear in his esophagus.

According to the LA Times after taking one bite of lettuce at dinner, there was a “mega-painful” feeling in the pitcher’s throat and stomach for 15 minutes. May had unknowingly torn his esophagus tube. When he got home his wife Millie insisted he go to the ER where the perforation was discovered.

May has had a slew of injuries including a torn elbow ligament that ended up needing Tommy John surgery, and complications from that caused him to have the procedure again on his flexor, keeping him out parts of another season. He was finally getting healthy before the lettuce incident.

May is in camp with the Dodgers and looking to make the team for the upcoming season.

Where May's freak injury ranks on the all-time sports list is debatable, but it certainly is up

there. New York sports fans are keenly aware of freak injuries to star players. You don't have to go back too far to remember Jason Pierre-Paul and his fireworks injury or Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg.

Many of these freak sports injuries happen when the athlete is the happiest and celebrating. Most people who were alive remember Bill Gramatica celebrating a made field goal when he tore the ACL and who can forget Kendrys Morales celebrating a big home run and being injured at home plate? Perhaps the most famous was Gus Frerotte headbutting the wall after scoring a TD and spending the second half in the hospital.

That can also be one of the dumbest injuries in sports history. There are some contenders for that award though with Milton Bradley arguing with an umpire and tearing his ACL during the blowup. Another famous dumb injury was Steven Sparks, a Brewers pitcher who had dislocated his shoulder 15 different times hurting his shoulder when

he attempted to rip a phone book in half, and then there is always kicker Chris Hanson who took a motivational ax that head coach Jack Del Rio had put in the locker room to say keep on chopping and when Hanson missed the wood he sliced his leg, needed immediate surgery and missed 11 games.

The bar is set high for odd sports injuries and the Dodgers lettuce injury might not even be the weirdest food-related injury. Kevin Mitchell allegedly needed emergency dental work after he tried to eat a microwaved chocolate doughnut. Clint Barmes was carrying a bag of venison down some stairs when he fell and broke his collarbone derailing his rookie of the year campaign. Soccer player Kirk Broadfoot might take the cake though, no pun intended, as he microwaved an egg. When he tried to eat it the egg exploded and squirted hot liquid onto his face.

May's injury will be regarded as one of the strangest in sports history, but it's good that he's back on the mound and ready for the season, healthy once again.

that has been pulled to remove that workmanlike effort from society.

Nick Swisher, a former player, disagrees with me. Swisher said, "We knew as an organization we would have to evolve into something different." He went on to add "with the youth movement in the game, it's a different time."

To that extent I do agree, this is a different time, and the youth movement is here. But they in large parts are also ruining the game, so we have to be cautious of that direction.

have kept the policy in place. There is something unique about the New York Yankees...or there was. From the stadium that literally Babe Ruth played in, to the crisp pinstripes, to the no names on the back of the jerseys, to things like the facial hair policy, it meant more to be a Yankee. Little by little those things of "aura and mystique" are being ripped away. It was always a sense of pride that if you wanted to become a Yankee, you knew the rules and being a Yankee meant more than your hair length or beard. I understand the push back that it is an antiquated rule and that it doesn't help win, but it's a culture that was put in place and one that the country needs to get back to. The businesslike, do your job, and the team means more than the individual mindset is fading away, and this is one more thread

The most famous case of a different look was when Johnny Damon came over from the Red Sox to the Yankees. The Red Sox called themselves dirtbags lovingly as they were an unkempt group and Damon was the leader. He had long hair past his shoulders and a long beard, so much so his nickname became the caveman. But when Damon put on the pinstripes he respected George's rule and was clean-shaven. Damon chimed in this week and summed up the debate quite well. He said, "I think we need to keep it how it was with respect to Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Derek Jeter, Mariano." He continued, "The Yankees are a tradition so let's keep it. I cut these long locks off a long time ago because George Steinbrenner was such a great human being, a great boss, that I wasn't even going to question it."

Therein lies the problem with the policy being lifted. People were questioning it, or better yet were questioning the people in charge. That's when traditions die.

Longwood Track and Field

ByTomBarton

The Longwood Lions boys track and field team have qualified to compete at this year's Indoor New York State Championship Meet.

The boys 4x400 relay of Jaden Mitchell, Micah Laney, Kaden Reid, and Anthony Fraser ran a time of 3:28.79 at this week's state qualifier meet. With their win that now pushes the boys to compete at the state championships.

The team set all sorts of records this season and under

the leadership of coaches Bullock, Ferriolo, and Hansen, earned first place at the Indoor Suffolk County Championship for the first time since 2016.

Also headed to states is Garfield Geddes who qualified by finishing first in the long jump with a jump of 23 feet. Garfield has a personal best jump of 23 feet 5 inches which ranks him 15th in the country. He has excelled all season taking the Suffolk County large school Indoor Track Championship with a jump of more than 22 feet to take the long jump title.

Ruth and DiMaggio

Credit: Grok

Make a Statement

Credit: Longwood Central School District | Facebook Garfield Geddes

Credit: Grok

Dustin May

SPORTS The Suffolk Hall of Fame Adds Some Ducks

ByTomBarton

The Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame will be adding two new members and both are highstanding members of the Long Island Ducks.

The Hall announced that Ducks President/Chief Business Officer Michael Pfaff and Current Manager, and former player, Lew Ford have been selected for induction as part of the organization’s Class of 2025. Pfaff and Ford join Owner/ Founder/CEO of the flock Frank Boulton, who was elected in the class of 2003. They also add to the list of Ducks that include the late co-owner and co-founder Bud Harrelson, class of 1992 and former outfielder Justin Davies, who went in in the class of 2007.

“Michael and Lew are both tremendously deserving of this honor,” said Boulton. “They have been outstanding representatives of the Ducks organization, both on and off the field, and we look forward to celebrating this

accomplishment with them.”

Pfaff has been with the Ducks since 2002, taking over the position of general manager in 2006 before being named club president in 2011 and chief business officer in 2024. Since his taking over fans have been flocking to see the flock. The Ducks became the first team in Atlantic League history to eclipse the 9-million fan mark and have welcomed more sellout crowds than any team in the circuit under his leadership. He is also the first-ever three-time winner of the Atlantic League Executive of the Year Award winning the award in 2008, 2010, and 2016. Pfaff’s has overseen eight Championship Series appearances in a 10-season span while bringing three Atlantic League Championship trophies to Long Island.

Ford is entering his 15th season with the Ducks organization. During his franchise-best 13year playing career with the

Ducks (nine as a player/coach), he set the team record in hits while ranking second in franchise history for batting average, games played, RBIs, runs scored, doubles and total bases. Ford

played on three Atlantic League championship-winning teams with the Ducks and was named the 2014 ALPB Player of the Year. He also earned three AllStar Game selections and two

Postseason All-Star honors.

The Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame will hold their induction ceremony on May 29th at 6:00 p.m. at Flowerfield in St. James.

Ruling Says Macchia Can't Compete

ByTomBarton

The best Long Island track and field star in recent memory will not be competing for the rest of the season. The reason why Zariel Macchia isn't competing isn't because of an unfortunate injury, nor is it because of something of her choosing. Macchia has been banned from competing because of a technicality in the rule book.

The William Floyd High School senior was deemed ineligible for the rest of the indoor track and field season after what execs are saying were a rule violation that prohibits high school athletes from competing against college athletes. The decision came down from Tom Combs, the executive director of Suffolk County's governing body of interscholastic sports.

Macchia, who is not only a decorated athlete locally, but also is a prospective Olympian was told she would be ineligible after competing in the recent Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational with collegiate athletes. She finished third in that race but the race cost her dearly.

This is a technicality because the runners that she raced against were “representing a college.” The fine print is that if these same runners had not been representing

Pickleball Comes to Bayport-Blue Point

ByTomBarton

Bayport-Blue Point High School team sports elective participated in the school’s first bracket-style pickleball tournament this past week.

The tournament was put on as a way to raise awareness and support for the DezyStrong Foundation. The DezyStrong

Foundation was founded by Matthew and Dezy DiStefano. Dezy was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer in February 2019 and sadly passed away in January 2020. The foundation is dedicated to helping individuals and families affected by cancer.

The entire school was invited to attend and cheer on the students and staff as they faced off

their colleges and just entered as independent runners, Macchia would still be eligible and no rule enforcement would have been needed. Macchia, could have run for her college because she is a BYU commit, but ran in the race unattached.

Peter Macchia, her father, is investigating legal action, reports have said he has reached out to a lawyer and they plan to appeal ahead of the March 8th

competition on Staten Island.

The ruling does not allow her to participate in the state championships on March 8th but she will be able to compete again in the spring season, which makes the ruling seem even more slanted.

Macchia finished third in the mile at the Millrose Games earlier this month and has won six state championships in her high school career.

in this exciting event. In the days leading up to the tournament, students showed their support by purchasing DezyStrong gear and wearing it the day before and on the day of the tournament.

According to pickleheads.com there are 48.3 million pickleball players in the United States. The growth has been massive as it's popularity has skyrocketed over the years. In fact, pickleball

participation has grown an average of 223.5% over the last three years alone and has become the fastest-growing sport in America for the past four years.

Lady Lions Roar Into the States

ByTomBarton

Longwood senior Imani Smith is headed to the New York State Track and Field meet to compete for a state title.

Smith clinched first place in the Girls Track and Field Weight Throw competition this weekend with an impressive 41-foot throw, She also brought home third place in the shot put.

Smith not only is a dual competition star but she also is a dual sports star where she has excelled on the volleyball court as well.

Her teammate, junior Claire

Credit:

Zariel Macchia

Suffolk Hall of Fame Inductees

Credit: Michael Polak

Bayport-Blue Point High School Team Sports Elective Students

Credit: Bayport-Blue Point School District

Sclafani also delivered a strong performance, placing third in the Section XI Weight Throw with a distance of 35’11”.

Credit: Longwood Central School District | Facebook Imani Smith and Claire Sclafani

SPORTS New Team, Same Name for LI's Arena League Team

ByTomBarton

This weekend the newly formed arena football team that will be Long Island's true new team announced their team's name and logo.

It was a "Back to the Future" theme for the new team donned with a DeLorean in the parking lot and an appearance by Doc Brown. The theme was apropo as the team chose the same name as the old arena league name. The Long Island Dragons are back.

The newly formed Entertainment Football Association (ENTFLA) and General Manager Peter Schwartz

gathered in Hicksville for the event. Politicians like Joe Saladino and Senator Steve Rhoades were on hand, as were former players and league officials. The event gave us some insight as to what to expect from the team itself. As Schwartz has promised there would be a full entertainment feel to the team, not just a good on the field product.

The announcement ceremony added that entertainment aspect right away. There was a youth football clinic afterwards, but a play area set up during the event in a very family friendly atmosphere and with Back to the Futurestyle videos the excitement grew.

The Ducks Add to Their Flock

ByTomBarton

This week the Long Island Ducks added a few players to their roster for the 2025 season.

This week the Ducks signed right-hander Braydon Nelson and infielder Jack Lynch. Both players begin their first season with the Ducks and second in professional baseball.

Nelson joins the Ducks after playing with the Oakland Ballers of the Pioneer League in 2024. He appeared in 22 games and had a 3.64 ERA and four saves. The reliever worked 29.2 innings while striking out 34 batters.

The Ohio native played six seasons of collegiate baseball, including two years at St. Bonaventure University in New York and four at the University of Tampa.

Lynch joins the flock after spending the 2024 campaign with the Great Falls Voyagers of the Pioneer League. He played in 93 games, totaling 11 home runs, 71 RBIs, 58 runs, 110 hits, 25 doubles, two triples, 35 walks and 10 stolen bases. In addition to batting .292, he posted a .355 on-base percentage and an .811 OPS.

Prior to his professional career, the Connecticut native played six seasons of collegiate baseball, spending four seasons at Ithaca College in New York and two seasons at Manhattan University. Over the weekend the Ducks also signed right-handed pitcher Mark Washington. He also begins his first season with the Ducks.

Washington spent six seasons in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and one in the Houston Astros system, making it to AAA for both organizations. In 159 games during that time, he posted a 22-9 record with a 3.31 ERA, nine saves and 264 strikeouts to 116 walks over 274.1 innings pitched.

He began the 2024 season with the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys, making three appearances. He then spent the majority of the year with the Cleburne Railroaders of the American Association, ending his year with a 3-1 record, two saves and 33 strikeouts in 37.1 innings pitched.

The flock also announced they were bringing back pitcher Justin Alintoff for his third season with the Ducks.

“Justin has been willing and able to handle whatever situation we need him in,” said Ducks Manager Lew Ford. “We are happy to welcome him back to Long Island.”

Alintoff made 38 relief appearances with the Ducks in 2024, good for third-most on the team, and led all Ducks relief pitchers with 74.2 innings pitched. He posted a 3-2 record with a 4.46 ERA, one save and 60 strikeouts to 23 walks. The bulk reliever ate up important innings as he pitched more than one inning on 30 occasions, including 12 consecutive appearances from August 1 to September 11, and completed two or more innings of work 24 times.

past Dragons' players Jeremiah Pope and Will Holder, and past Dragons' cheerleaders. After a video from commissioner and former Bills star Andrew Reed the unveil was underway.

Sparky came running out with a banner and the new logo. The team would be the Dragons and the logo was described as "the old Dragon logo on steroids."

The team begins their home slate of games on June 14th and have not played at the Coliseum in 17 years. Schwartz said the next step is hiring a new head coach, but that would be completed shortly.

There Will Be a New Place to Play On Long Island

ByTomBarton

The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC) has been selected to operate Destination KP, the upcoming premier sports facility that will be located in King's Park.

SFC is a national leader in sports, recreation, and event facility management. The project will be led by Tim O’Connell, who has been appointed as general manager for the new venue designed as “the future of Long Island youth sports.”

O'Connell brings over 25 years of experience in sports and recreation management to Destination KP. He has an extensive background, including his tenure as a Deputy Commissioner of Parks and Recreation in Nassau County. Part of his responsibilities will be to "oversee operations, cultivate revenue growth, and build an engaged customer base for the state-of-the-art sports destination."

"I’m excited to be part of this historic, first-of-its-kind athletic

to travel out of state for tournaments will now be able to stay and play at home,” said O’Connell.

The project is massive as it is planned to be a 44-acre, stateof-the-art sports facility. The multi-purpose venue will not only support athlete development but also serve as a community hub, creating economic growth and opportunities for the region.

The facility will include seven outdoor multipurpose fields, a 65,000 sq. ft. indoor sports and recreation center, first-

class concessions space, and commercial office pads to offer sports medicine and physical therapy services. This space will be capable of hosting a myriad of sports events, tournaments, and programs.

Besides just a place for young athletes to go and play, the impact on the Long Island community will also aid in economic ways. The venue will bring in tournaments, leagues, and events, and generate tourism while providing opportunities for local businesses and new job opportunities.

Elcock Leaps Into the States

ByTomBarton

This weekend at St. Anthony's High School another Longwood Lion punched his ticket to compete for a state championship.

This time it was boys track and field star Jaden Elcock who qualified to compete in the pole vault at this year’s Winter State Championship.

The 5'7", 130 pound 17-year-old secured his spot with an impressive third-place finish when he cleared 12-6 at the Section XI Pole Vault and Weight Throw State Qualifier Meet.

Elcock has been a standout all season long and came into the meets two weeks ago ranked in the top

two in the season. He is looking to do big things in the tournament and with his season and this showing

up for

That is when the real fun began as Schwartz started to bring out special guests. They began with the Islanders' mascot Sparky. Then

Dragons Announcement

Quackerjack

Credit: Tom Barton

Credit: Long Island Ducks

project here on Long Island. Residents who’ve had

Credit: The Sports Facilities Company New Location Design

Longwood has a star in their hands. Next

Elcock is the NYS title hunt.

Credit: Longwood Central School District | Facebook Jaden Elcock

Credit: Tom Barton