The South Shore Press 2/5/25

The South Shore Press

There Are Two Genders From the

BY STEFAN MYCHAJLIW

There are two genders. Male and Female.

I’ll make it even more simple:

There are men and women, boys and girls.

That’s it.

When going to the Google Machine and you type in “two genders” one of the first search hits pops up from the website Medicine Net falsely claiming there are a whopping 72 genders. Seventy-two of them, including but not limited to:

• Affectugender. You name your gender based on your moods. If this were actually a thing I admittedly might identify as 837 genders per day, based on my hot Ukrainian temper.

• Amicagender. Gender depends on the friends around you.

• Blurgender. Your gender isn’t

clear but really blurry based on how you feel that very moment.

• Esspigender. The “spirits” around you determine your gender.

• Gender witched. This one has nothing to do with the Wizard of Oz, but rather you’re not sure which gender you are and not inclined to one or the other.

• Omnigender. You feel like you’re so many genders because you’ve “experienced all 72 of them.”

Let me be clear so there’s zero ambiguity: There are two genders, male and female. Period. Speaking of periods, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz can place as many tampons as he wants in girl's bathrooms in his home state’s schools. Biological boys pretending to be girls can never, ever have periods.

In the same respect, biological men cannot become pregnant. Sorry ladies, but we’ll never know

UNCENSORED

BY GEORGE SANTOS

In an outrageous move that imposes significant concerns about the integrity of our democratic processes, Democratic lawmakers in Albany are flexing their one-partyrule advantages and are reportedly considering amendments to the New York special election laws. This appears to be conveniently timed since we have an forthcoming special election in the 21st Congressional District, soon to be vacated by Rep. Elise Stefanik as she assumes the role of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Under the current law, New York Governor Kathy Hochul is mandated to declare a special election within 10 days of a congressional vacancy, with the election itself occurring 80 to 90 days thereafter. However, proposed changes aim to extend this timeline, potentially delaying the election until June or even

November. Proponents argue that these adjustments would allow for the consolidation of elections and also reducing administrative costs.

However, I see this maneuver for what it is; a partisan tactic designed to keep a Republican-leaning seat unoccupied, thereby impeding President Trump's legislative agenda during a period when every vote in the House is indispensable. Do not be fooled as this is merely the latest scheme by state Democrats to manipulate election laws to benefit them.

the deep love and excruciating pain of giving birth. Soft men can whine about a hangnail or kidney stone and insult you by comparing both to the pangs of childbirth, but we’ll really never know the true depths of that.

If a grown adult suffering from mental illness wants to incorrectly declare their gender as “blurgender,” go ahead and knock your socks off. Not that it matters, but I’m not going to participate in your fictional game of declaring or recognizing you as a blurgender. Go for it on your end.

What is extremely alarming, dangerous, and sick: when adults take their mental illness and permanently abuse and harm children, manipulating them into believing they’re the wrong gender.

Even worse, forcing children to have forever damaging sex change operations that disfigure them permanently and scar them psychologically. Many hospitals love trans surgeries for kids. They are cash cows for financially challenged health care institutions Thankfully we now have a commander in chief with common sense and a bold purpose to protect children from monsters who maul the genitals of children in order to placate their mental illness.

Continued on page 7

Will Hochul and Dems Play Legislative Defense to Block Congressional Election?

The 21st District is home to much of the North Country and has not been represented by a Democrat for over a decade. A prolonged vacancy would not only disenfranchise the district's constituents but also further aggravate an already undeniable sense of political alienation felt

Yorkers.

Moreover, this move sets a concerning precedent. Altering election laws in response to

immediate political contingencies undermines public trust in the impartiality of our democratic institutions. It suggests a willingness to prioritize short-term partisan advantages over the longterm health of our republic.

While the goal of increasing voter participation is laudable, any changes to election procedures should be implemented with careful deliberation and broad bipartisan support. Rushed, unilateral alterations risk eroding the foundational principles of fair representation and equal participation upon which our democracy is built.

As New Yorkers, we must remain vigilant against efforts to manipulate the electoral process for partisan gain. The integrity of our democracy depends on it.

by Upstate New

Credit: Grok/Twitter

Photo Illustration

ByDeborahWilliams

GOP Wants the Feds to Launch RICO Investigation of NYS Lawmakers

When an NFL quarterback approaches the line of scrimmage with a predetermined play but sees defensive coverage that doesn’t fit well with what they’re ready to run, he quickly calls an audible to change the gameplan on the fly.

New York State Conservative Party Chairman Jerry Kassar called his own “press conference audible” as he closed out his party’s annual conference in Albany.

Kassar had planned on ending his statewide conference talking about what he called New York’s “bloated budget proposal."

Instead, he and Republican lawmakers blasted a potential Democratic legislative maneuver that they believe warrants a federal, criminal investigation.

In this budget year, where Governor Kathy Hochul put forward a proposed budget of $252 billion that is up over $9 billion from last year, he thought the topic of the press conference would be waste, fraud, and abuse.

“As recently as two weeks ago, we decided we wanted to talk about waste and mismanagement. It's still my intent to mention the billions of dollars of Medicaid that go unchecked. It's still my intent to mention the $60 million staircase project,” said Party Chair Jerry

Kassar. “I intended to talk about the unemployment insurance scam going back to COVID when the State of New York borrowed billions of dollars and didn't pay it back."

Kassar added, “It was my thought to talk about taxes, fees, congestion pricing, and all the waste and mismanagement that goes along in a state capital that is controlled by the Democratic Party. But guess what happens? President Trump won and the Democrats in Albany and DC are looking for ways to fight back.”

A big topic that dominated the conservative conclave: grumblings that Democrats in the Assembly and Senate would pass legislation to give Governor Hochul more leeway in delaying the start of special elections in New York. The maneuver is seen by many as a way to stop a Republican from filling the seat of soon to be departing Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who is expected to be confirmed as President Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations. If the legislation passed, Hochul could also delay a state Senate special election where a Republican is expected to win.

Current New York law says that the governor has ten days to declare a special election for a vacant seat in Congress and an additional 80 to 90 days to hold the election.

The seat is in a solidly Republican district and the new congressperson will be a Republican.

With a slim margin in the House, every seat the Democrats can keep vacant for any extra day, they see as a win and a hardship for Republicans and more importantly, Trump.

“Regardless of party, this is a wholly un-American effort’ said Party Chairman Jerry Kassar.

“A lot of us on Island and Brooklyn are thinking, that the backside of this is the 22nd Senatorial District in Kings County, where the current senator is likely to get elected to the city council, causing a special that would take place in an extraordinarily strong Republican State Senate district that President Trump probably won two and a half to one at the beginning of June,” added Kassar.

Congressman Mike Lawler (R,CHudson Valley) and NY Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt (R,C, IP-Lockport) all spoke strongly against this effort on behalf of their colleagues.

“I am going to be requesting that the Department of Justice open up a RICO investigation into New York State because this is as corrupt a state as we have seen,” said Lawler.

Ortt said, “This is just the latest in a long brazen attempt the last several years going back to the

redistricting fiasco. Democrats don't like how some of the local elections are turning out. They don't like that they're getting their ass kicked in Nassau County. They don't like that they're getting their ass kicked in Suffolk County. They don't like that they're losing seats on the city council in New York City. That President Trump is doing better. They don't like that they lost their supermajority in the Senate.”

“So what do you do?,” Ortt said. “You break the law and fiddle with election dates to confuse the voter and leave New Yorkers unrepresented. That’s all they have.”

Many expressed the common

sentiment that Democrats’ failed policies have lost them ground, but they double down on them anyway. Since they don’t want to change their policies, they have nothing left but to cheat the voters.

While the bill has not yet been dropped, Kassar and others are getting ready to file a suit. Kassar made it clear that the Conservative Party is ready to fight. “There is a lot of precedent in the federal courts system around congressional special elections. Anything that involves Congress could very likely end up in federal court, so let’s just keep that clear that we’re willing to litigate no matter what.”

Trump's Victory Pushing Leftists to the Side Is 'Political Lent for Conservatives' Says Lawler

ByDeborahWilliams

Congressman Mike Lawler

(R,C- Hudson Valley) gave a fiery address at the New York State Conservative Party Annual Conference taking aim at Governor Kathy Hochul and relishing in President Donald Trump’s winning the White House.

Lawler is expected to be the Republican opponent to Gov. Kathy Hochul in the next gubernatorial election in 2026 and makes no bones about his views on the "failed and feckless" leadership of Hochul.

Lawler said he was “energized to be around so many conservatives, to talk about the issues facing our nation and state.

“I don't think I've spent more than five minutes with a liberal in a month. It's like a political lent for conservatives," said Lawler.

“I had the honor to speak with President Trump, both in the Oval Office and at Mar-a-Lago recently, about providing real tax relief for New Yorkers by lifting the cap on salt and repealing Kathy Hochul's congestion pricing scale.”

Lawler summarized the quick actions of the Trump

administration these last weeks, as well as the optimism, and excitement, felt by many Americans by saying:

“President Trump has hit the ground running with the most aggressive first few weeks of any presidency in modern history.

“President Trump is Making America Safe Again by taking bold action to secure our border and once and for all, cracking down on sanctuary states like New York.

“President Trump is Making America Affordable Again by working with Congress to extend and run the Trump tax cuts and pledging his support to our efforts to lift the cap on SALT.

“And, President Trump is putting American Values First Again by ending the weaponization of government against political rivals and undoing the un-American DEI policies that have infected federal agencies and federal workforce and our schools.

“President Trump is Making America Energy Dominant Again by bolstering domestic energy production and getting rid of absurd vehicle and home appliance mandates and restoring consumer choice.”

spoke about Trump’s efforts to reign in the size and cost of government by empowering those who identify waste, fraud, abuse, and inefficiencies and by requiring every federal worker to return to the office five days a week.

The reaction to all of this by the Democrats was described as “predictable.”

“The late great William F.

Buckley Jr. said it best when he noted, quote, liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are actually other views," said Lawler.

In a closely divided Congress, Lawler is very aware that “finding common ground on commonsense solutions with Democrats who are willing to put what's best for America ahead of their party” is crucial.

As full of praise as he is for Trump’s policies, Lawler was unabashed on his views of Gov. Hochul.

“I'm going to be clear, Kathy Hochul is a feckless and failed governor who must be defeated in 2026,” said Lawler.

“I am not sure that the New York State we love, which is already teetering on the brink, can survive another four years of the highest taxes and the highest cost of living in the country, which is why we continue to lead the nation in outmigration.

“New York cannot afford another four years of sanctuary state policies that have put the interest of criminal, illegal immigrants, ahead of hardworking law-abiding citizens. Dangerous cashless bail laws that coddle criminals, disrespect police, and put our communities at risk have to go.”

Lawler was clear that New York cannot prosper if a bloated patriarchal government continues operating as though it knows best how you and your family should live your lives and spend your money. Government needs to get out of the way.

Chairman Jerry Kassar along with Party members and elected officials with the Conservative Party endorsement.

Credit: South Shore Press Staff

Lawler

Credit: Deborah Williams

Congressman Mike Lawler (R,C- Hudson Valley) speaking at the NYS Conservative Party Annual Conference.

ByDeborahWilliams

Famed Pollster McLaughlin on How Trump Made Gains in New York

When the Harris-Walz campaign, and their media minions, were telling the American people that they were going to win, that they were 3 points up in Iowa, pollster John McLaughlin told a different story.

Famed pollster and strategic consultant, John McLaughlin gave a deep dive into the polling data throughout the Trump campaign at the NYS Conservative Party conference and spoke about how Trump made gains in New York and other Democrat strongholds.

Donald Trump won handily taking all of the battleground states and winning the popular vote leaving Democrats and the mainstream media stunned–some even in tears.

McLaughlin said Trump was even or ahead in national polling all along and that he had the momentum in all battleground states. Now disgraced pollster Ann Selzer’s poll showing Harris was up 3 points in Iowa may actually have helped Trump by energizing the base. Trump won Iowa by 13. Selzer was off by a whopping 16 points.

At the Madison Square Garden rally, and after, McLaughlin said he simply advised Trump to keep making his case to the American people.

“We're ahead, we're leading

in the seven battleground states, we're ahead of the national popular vote, we've been ahead of the national popular vote, since when we won the primaries, since before that, since Biden surrendered Afghanistan, just make your thoughts clear, and we'll win this,” McLaughlin said to Trump.

“I said to him (Trump), you’ve got to remember, it's eight days out, at this point in time, Mitt Romney was up by a point in the national polls. And then, when Hurricane Sandy hit, he forgot to come to New York, to New Jersey, to empathize with people who were hurting,” McLaughlin said.

“You've gone to East Palestine, you've been in North Carolina, and you’ve been there with the people. And I said, when Mitt Romney didn't do that, Obama came in and eight days later he turned a one-point deficit to a four-point national win.”

“President Trump only had one comment, he says, I'm not Mitt Romney,” said McLaughlin.

“People asked why send Trump to the Nassau Coliseum? From New York, he was sending a message to the whole country that we could get our country back.

McLaughlin was clear that the rallies in Madison Square Garden and Nassau Coliseum “helped him win the national

popular vote, which was really important to the whole country.” A decisive win so there could be no questioning the election was critical.

As for New York, “There are millions of Trump voters in the state who came out for Donald Trump. Even though he wasn’t going to win the state, they came out,” said McLaughlin and that helps every other down-ballot Republican.

“We did in a post-election survey, of the people that voted for President Trump, 51% of the answers were related to issues. Only 48% related to character. The reason why they're voting for Trump, the economy, the border, employment.”

Issue-related messages work. New Yorkers are leaving in droves for less Progressive states and states with lower taxes, cost of living, and crime. McLaughlin

emphasized that issue-related campaigns speak to the average voter–to the kitchen table and the wallet. This will help Republicans and Conservatives continue to make gains in New York and throughout the country. “We have the right message.”

McLaughlin spoke about how big polling errors can happen. “When that Iowa poll came out that Saturday night, I texted the campaign, I said to Susie (Wiles) - It's a bad call. It should be plus 10 Republicans.”

Under-polling Republican voters and not looking into the demographics of those polled can lead you off in the wrong direction quickly. Some media outlets intentionally under-poll to get a desired result. This can, and does, sway voters. They can feel defeated and not show up to vote for what they were falsely told is a losing candidate.

“Say, Trump gets over 90% of the vote in an area but you don’t want to show that - so you just don't put enough Republicans in the poll. When you get to the internal vote, you can see the polls were biased,” said McLaughlin.

“Some of these polls, The Morning Register being one of them, were rotten.” McLaughlin said the poll in the paper wasn’t good enough to “wrap around a fish."

'Assisted Suicide Is Still Suicide,' Patients Rights Fund Activist Pleads to Albany

ByMichaelJ.Reistetter

Patients Rights Action Fund (PRAF) Coalitions Director

Jessica Rodgers enlightened the annual Conservative Party Conference on Monday, Feb. 3rd about assisted suicide.

On “Death with Dignity,” she rejects wholeheartedly the notion that a patient can go to their doctor and ask for a prescription of lethal drugs that they can overdose on to end their life.

An Oregon report often cited in PRAF’s greater research concluded suffering, disability, socioeconomic reasons like the rising cost of healthcare, and the desire to cease being a burden on their families any longer are the reasons why patients seek out assisted suicide.

PRAF estimates roughly 10% of elder adults are experiencing abuse in this country right now.

“There are many people, many of us in this room, and many of our loved ones, I'm sure, who have needed aid in the dying process,” Rodgers appreciates, while condemning the policy being put forward by New York State giving doctors the green light to help off their patients.

“This is a human issue that we all come at with very personal stories and personal feelings about what death does and what death should look like.”

A social worker with a background in gerontology, Rodgers cites watching her mom outlive a "six months to live" prognosis three and half years later as empassioning her on this path. Doctors cannot be blindly trusted because they are just not the best prognosticators, she says.

Now, she works with Conservative and Progressive

allies alike to protect the rights of vulnerable people being conditioned to accept their fate without putting up a fight.

In 2023, one doctor wrote 76 prescriptions covered under the “Aid in Dying” policy, which Rodgers finds appalling. The policy language dictates a second doctor is required, and that dermatologists or psychiatrists are qualified to override a primary care provider who elects to ethically opt out of the assisted suicide process.

Nowhere does it state any doctor providing you the means to terminate your life must know you, your history, what you are facing at home, or what coercive pressures you may be facing.

Rodgers posits that the Hemlock Society-born notion that “anybody anywhere, for any reason, should be able to kill themselves” is running out of

steam.

“If your family is making you feel like you're a burden, if the cost of healthcare is weighing you down, if you think that everyone around you would be better off if you were just dead, and when your state and your

society are agreeing with you by carving you out as an exception to the suicide prevention that everyone else receives,” Rodgers asks, “can this ever really truly be an autonomous choice?

“Or is it a gateway, frankly, for a lot of people to save money?”

Credit: Deborah Williams

Credit: SSP

Jessica Rodgers speaks to the Monday morning crowd, day two of the 2025 Conservative Party Conference in Albany.

John McLaughlin, CEO & Partner of McLaughlin & Associates, giving a talk at the NYS Conservative Party Annual conference.

ByRobertChartuk

Andrew Giuliani Center Stage at Conservative Conference

Leading off the annual state Conservative Conference was Andrew Giuliani, a former candidate for governor and Trump surrogate who gave a rundown of the president’s first days in office and some insights into his personal character.

Noting the furious pace of Trump’s executive orders, Giuliani quipped that he may have missed a few more on his drive to Albany. “The President is on a torrid pace to keep the promises he made during the campaign. He’s already begun to shape this nation‘s future with decisive action.”

One such bold move referenced by Giuliani was Trump’s decision to take out ISIS terrorists hiding out in Somalia. "These killers threatened the United States and our Allies. The strikes destroyed the caves they live in and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians,” Giuliani quoted the commander in chief. “Our Military has targeted this ISIS Attack Planner for years, but Biden and his cronies wouldn't act quickly enough to get the job done. The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that 'We will find you, and we will kill you.'

A White House staffer during Trump’s first term, Giuliani noted how illegal border crossings plummeted after he declared a national emergency, deploying the military to secure the nation’s sovereignty and ensure its safety. “I always say that politicians

have narratives, but the statistics determine whether those narratives are true or fiction,” he said. “The statistics I'm about to share are staggering.”

Under the Biden administration, a record 302,000 illegal immigrants crossed the southern border in December alone, Giuliani noted. “In just the first week of President Trump, there were less than 600 illegal border crossers,” a reduction of over 99% from the record set just 13 months before. Crossings at the border with Canada dropped 90% to 510.

Giuliani referenced Trump’s 25% tariffs as a way to force America’s neighbors to crack down on both illegal immigration and the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the U.S.

Giuliani highlighted the $1.1 trillion in investments

announced by Trump, starting before he was even sworn in, pointing out that he has prioritized economic growth by leveraging the power of executive orders to cut the red tape for infrastructure, manufacturing, and small businesses. The 47th president’s strategy to “drill baby, drill” will reinvigorate the U.S. economy and allow the nation to avoid the problems that stem from a reliance on foreign energy. Trump’s acknowledgment of just two sexes, male and female, will get men out of women’s sports, boys out of girls’ bathrooms, and reinstate the Title IX protections of women competing in college, Giuliani stressed. Trump ordered that pronouns can no longer be specified in official business, defining sex as strictly male or female based on reproductive biology and genetics at birth.

The son of former New York

Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the Trump surrogate talked about the lawfare waged against Trump and many of his associates, including the mayor. “My dad would cheer me up after l became so disgusted with all the legal attacks by the Democrats,” said Giuliani, who was in the Manhattan courtroom with the president as he defended himself against the Alvin Bragg charges. “He taught me a lot about character and telling the truth.”

A former professional golfer, Giuliani has hit the links with Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance and gave the president tips on his grip. As for Vance, who hadn’t golfed in a year, he asked, “Is there any hope for me?”

Giuliani replied that he’d rather the VP focus on the country for the next 12 years rather than golf, implying that he’ll succeed Trump for two terms.

Giuliani was playing in a tournament at Trump’s National Golf Club Bedminster the same day the president was nearly assassinated in Florida. “He called to see how l did,” the former pro recalled, “and complained that the attempt on his life kept him from attempting a birdie putt.”

Giuliani said he didn’t have plans to run for public office any time soon but didn’t rule it out. He lost a GOP primary against Lee Zeldin, who was named as Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency administrator. “When I bring up running for office, my wife tells me to go downstairs and run on the treadmill instead.”

Maud Maron: 'New Yorkers Deserve Better than the Injustices Ushered in by DA Alvin Bragg'

ByMichaelJ.Reistetter

Many memorable guests who spoke at the Albany-held Conservative Party Conference from Feb. 2-3, including Chairman Gerard Kassar.

“I’m excited about Jerry Kassar, and his views and his insights,” Smithtown Clerk Vincent Puleo told The South Shore Press. Puleo had not attended the conference “for the last 4 or 5 years or so,” but knew to report this go around based on how they have "revved it up.”

On day one, Kassar proudly introduced the “common sense conservative” candidate for New York City district attorney looking to shake up statewide culture as a result: nonprofit consultant, community activist and former public defender in Manhattan, Maud Maron.

Between attacking every solitary item of incumbent Alvin Bragg’s track record and platform, Maron waxed poetic about her days as a 3-times elected “sports

Maron did not waste a gesture in her Feb. 2 speaking engagement when emphatically commending those who practice common sense, and lambasting those who do not.

mom” serving on Manhattan’s largest school board.

Maron most notably recalls being removed at one point for adamantly challenging First Amendment-reneging “speech codes.” She was subsequently reinstated by an Obamaappointed federal judge in Brooklyn the very same day the chancellor who originally ousted

her had his home FBI-raided in a larger corruption investigation.

This is not the only vindication Maron seeks, though. Not by a long shot.

“Alvin Bragg says ‘the best way to address the root drivers of crime and violence is to connect people with services they need to lead healthy and stable lives

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including housing, healthcare and job opportunities," Maron said.

As a former defense attorney, Maron indicated she preaches and practices compassion and empathy, and fully understands that people make mistakes. She has professionally crossed paths with many clients that “your heart just breaks for.”

At the same time, she believes the District Attorney of a oncegreat city ravaged by crime should be a prosecutor, not a social worker.

“You have to notice he’s very careful to never call a criminal a criminal,” Maron commented on Bragg’s proposal to tailor targeted interventions to "opportunists" who repeatedly engage in commercial theft. “He really can't call a spade a spade.”

Maron notes that halfway through Bragg’s term in 2022, shoplifting incidents in New York had increased by 68%, compared to 2019.

Continued on page 6

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Robert Chartuk, Deborah Williams, Howard Roark, Stefan Mychajliw, Tom Barton, Nancy Burner, Fredrick Miller, Rich Acritelli, Michael J. Reistetter, Tara D’Amato Proofreader Kaitlyn Bankson

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Andrew Giuliani

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By:DeborahWilliams

Election Victories Being Too Big to Rig Shouldn't Be a Thing

Elections should not have to be “Too big to rig” as President Donald Trump said while he was running for president. Brianna Lyman, Elections Correspondent, The Federalist echoed this sentiment during her talk at the NYS Conservative Party Annual conference this week in Albany.

Lyman discussed election rigging and the mainstream media's role in influencing what people see, hear, and ultimately think.

“Election rigging can happen at the ballot box, during registration cheating, ballot counting, and harvesting irregularities. Election manipulation through the media is another huge issue. People vote based on what they think they know so where they get their information matters,” Lyman said. “What we have seen over the past four years is that our media has gone from supposed truth-seeking journalists to propagandists for the Democratic Party.”

Lyman said there was a time when a time when “truth-seeking journalists held the government accountable” regardless of party. They asked tough questions and

demanded answers.

“Now, we have Democratic spokespersons masquerading as journalists, and expecting the American public to be okay with that. This includes Republicans who willingly go on all of these leftwing networks and take the most ridiculous gotcha questions. You do not have to answer to propaganda press, you do not have to explain common sense, moderate positions to the propaganda press.”

Some of those common-sense positions and observations that

Republicans and Conservatives were pilloried for saying out loud were “that President Joe Biden should not have remained in office up until January 20th and the reason he did is because the media was interfering in the election by working in concert to hide the President’s condition,” Lyman said.

“We all saw Joe Biden freezing on stage meeting, or being led by Obama, we saw Joe Biden falling both up and down the stairs or having trouble forming sentences.”

It was sad and horrifying to know, “That's our president right there.” Lyman emphasized,

“Unfortunately if you said what you saw out loud, as a conservative, you

were smeared, you were maligned, and your character was defamed, I would know that because I work for the conservative media and I've been called a right-wing conspiracy theorist for a good 10 months.”

Everyone saw, and many knew for a long time, that President Biden no longer had the capacity to be president at the time, let alone run for office again but there was a party-wide and media-wide effort to keep it hidden from the public. There was an effort to fool the voters. And, it nearly worked. If the now infamous debate had gone just a bit more smoothly, they may have gotten away with it.

Lyman recounted how when VP Kamala Harris was anointed, the media immediately set to work to pave the way for her. No hard policy interviews, no real demands that she even give interviews. And, if you did criticize, well Lyman said, “You were a racist or a misogynist.”

After everything was over and Trump won, Lyman spoke about how finally the veil started to lift, and both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times “wrote about how the White House and Democrat aides work to conceal Biden's cognitive and visible decline,

they limited Biden's interactions with members of his own party, in fact, members of his cabinet.” These are things that should have never happened. The voters deserved to know the president’s condition.

Lyman mocked these media outlets more than a little bit for being interested in exposing all of this so late in the game. “Wow, that is excellent journalism, four years too late. Do you see yourself?

“Look, you expect the Democrats not to care, they want their person to win, right? That's unsurprising, but a functioning media should care about these things. We should be able to trust them just a little-especially on the big things.” Mainstream media uses the public airwaves and acting as a communications arm of one party or another is just not okay.

Rensselaer County Exec Calls Himself, Trump 'Lightning Rods' at NYS Conservative Party Conference, Quotes 'Yellowstone'

ByMichaelJ.Reistetter

“You’re going to hear some people say about me, ‘Yeah, you know Steve’s a good guy, but he’s a lightning rod.’ Good, I’m glad. By the way: so is Donald Trump. He’s the all-time greatest lightning rod in history.”

Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin spoke these words as late afternoon broke into evening at the tail end of the first day of the Albany Hilton-held New York Conservative Party Conference on Sunday, Feb. 2nd.

The former assemblyman believes Trump will be “very involved” with the governor’s race next year, and will be supportive of a “MAGA, Conservative, commonsense candidate.”

Also a commercial airline pilot of 14 years and 12,000 hours before getting into politics, McLaughlin says for him, “It’s always been about two things: the people, and this nation,” because there was no room for error in his prior industry. “If I did not succeed in my mission, people would be dead.”

For this reason, he believes "lightning rod" leaders in government of the Conservative persuasion are the ones who historically get it done. “Reality is coming real hard for [Gov.]

during his remarks on Sunday, wherein he implored his fellow conservative party-men not just to take back America, but to make New York State “truly the Empire State” once again.

Hochul and the rest of the far left” in the aftermath of President Trump’s latest election victory, he says. “The voters know what’s going on. They are paying attention. They want a government that provides a better future and protects their quality of life."

McLaughlin calls the current political landscape “the fight for freedom,” a battle in which his party-men are at the frontlines with fixations on providing a “day of reckoning for progressive panderers.” He states the

Conservative Party—“especially in New York State”—is in many ways “the conscience of the entire movement.”

“[Democrats]...are fueled by a hatred of our values. They hate us because we win. They hate us because we are right. They hate us because we love America. And they hate what this country stands for… the days ahead will be filled with challenges and obstacles. But we have the most powerful ally in the Oval Office… and he will not fail.

“Only a lightning rod would say no to putting COVID-positive seniors in nursing homes,” McLaughlin explained, recalling his push against everything Gov. Andrew Cuomo during the pandemic.

“Only a lightning rod would stand up and push back against an illegal alien invasion of our nation. Those that say that about me are either Democrats, or weak RINOS, and are far too willing to bow down to the far left and try to destroy this nation. Ask yourself: What leaders have you ever seen in your life that are not lightning rods? So I wear that [being called

‘a lightning rod’] as a badge of honor.”

On this note, the longtime New York representative evoked the prestige western series “Yellowstone,” noting: “There’s a great scene in it where the cowboy’s talking to another cowboy. This kid’s on a buck’n bronco. And he says, 'You see that? You can’t teach that. You’re either born a willow, or you’re born an oak.'

“There are far too many willows in politics,” McLaughlin said. “It’s time we started electing more oaks.”

Maud Maron...

Continued from page 5

She also balks at Bragg’s proposal to combat more severe criminal activity, such as gun violence, by introducing aggravated weapon-wielders to “creative art as a means to heal.”

“Enhance and beautify public spaces, planting a garden in an empty lot, painting a mural encouraging peace… learning performance skills in a safe space… these are not solutions that are going to make New York safe.”

Adds Maron: "The DA of Manhattan should be laserfocused on making Manhattan safe again."

“And that is what I will do," Maron promises. "I will work hand in hand with law enforcement to protect our citizens. And this includes advocating for a change in the current bail reform laws that enable repeat offenders to commit more crimes.

"Everyone in this room can remember a New York that was safer. It wasn’t that long ago. We just have to vote our way there.”

Credit: Deborah Williams

Brianna Lyman, Elections Correspondent for The Federalist

Credit: SSP

Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin

ByTomBarton

Common Sense on the Ballot

At the New York Conservative Party Conference this weekend there was an abundance of topics that most of the nation would be able to guess would be on the agenda for an event of this nature. Most of the days were filled with policy discussions and there was no shortage of outstanding speakers who took to the podium to discuss the state of the country and New York State. Many might be shocked to hear one topic that was presented by almost all of the guest speakers and has become a lightning rod around the country.

Sports, it seems were on everyone's lips, and the protection of women in sports to be more specific. It seemed that nearly all of the speakers as well as the guests in attendance made a mention of a topic that just a

decade ago would have seemed ridiculous to be a major speaking point, but here we are.

President Donald Trump has begun to take action against allowing men to compete against women in athletics and while the room in Albany believed this was a common sense measure, for many around the country this is still a hotly debated idea. In New York State there are still avenues to allow boys to play against girls, and that is something many focused on being something that needs to be changed.

Each speaker shared their thoughts on the issue, and in most cases it has become very personal to each of them. While Andrew Guiliani spoke about his meetings with Riley Gaines and told her tale that she only knew that she was competing against a male when they were

in the locker room together, you could hear a collective gasp come over those attending. There is certainly outrage about the injuries that have occurred and the embarrassment and unfairness women faced, but the more people spoke the more there was a prevailing theme.

Not only were people upset about what was happening, but many cited those on the other side of the aisle being pushed to vote for Republicans because of the issue. Mothers and Fathers of little girls across the country put aside their party affiliation to vote for their conscience and to protect their young girls. More and more parents went into voting booths and even have changed party affiliation and are now with the common sense party, which has become the right.

Measures have begun to protect our young girls and women in sports, but more work has to be done. What was abundantly clear is that while there is a lot of work left to be

done, everyone is up for that fight, and everyone means both parties because parents are banning together to protect the children of this country.

NYS Conservative Party Talks About What to Expect in 2025

ByDeborahWilliams

The Annual New York State Conservative Party Conference speaker lineup was packed on day one. NYS Senator George Borrello (R,C-Batavia) and Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh (R,C-Ballston) were featured in a session entitled, "Surveying the Session: What Can New Yorkers Expect in 2025?."

The host opened up by mentioning how Sen. Borello and his family own businesses and that he can provide “a different perspective to the legislature because he is the guy that has to write the checks and balance the books.”

Assemblywoman Walsh was described as “a different kind of attorney because she has common sense” adding that “ there is no issue that she's been unafraid to touch and to deal with, to take on.”

Borrello said, “Our Conservative values are alive and well here in New York State. Let me start off by saying that I'm very proud that in this past election, we broke the supermajority in the state Senate. That's just the beginning and we hope to carry the momentum forward.”

When asked how NY’s far-left Democrats are dealing with the resounding victory of Donald Trump, Borrello said, “What you're going to see this year, and I think Mary Beth will agree with me, is a toxic level of Trump Derangement Syndrome in the state. It's already happening.”

Borrello and Walsh both see the disbelief of the election results as an opportunity for Republicans and Conservatives. Borello said, “This is our opportunity because they are looking to stand in the way of deporting criminals and other commonsense proposals. They refuse to see what regular

people are concerned about. People are committing crimes against the people of New York. Democrats in the legislature are committed to stopping the arrest and deportation of violent criminals. That is our opportunity.”

Walsh agreed saying, “I believe from everything we've seen so far, they're going to try to Trump-proof New York. What that means is they are going to try to stop Trump, and the federal government, from doing things that are good for New Yorkers-like making New York safer.”

Walsh spoke about how some Democrats have said, “They are not going have a big hissy fit over every single thing that Donald Trump comes out with, but they can't help themselves. They're in a twist over every single thing. We're going to hear that on the floor as we debate

bills.”

Illegal immigration and the expense and dangers associated with that are a big issue. “If you're a citizen and you collect welfare benefits, there are extra restrictions, but if you're an illegal immigrant, you get carte blanchewhatever you want,” says Borrello. “They're opening up new migrant shelters, one for single men. There are over a thousand single men who are illegally going to be housed in one facility. What can possibly go wrong there?”

Budget issues also came up. The proposed NYS budget is $252 billion-up $8.6 billion just from last year. A little over five years ago it was at $175 billion. The escalation in spending is unimaginable. Borrello says that since the Democrats control both Houses and the governor’s office the people’s

checkbook has been overused.

Walsh and Borrello spoke about the NY Republican agenda "Liberate New York." They will push as many things as possible to make New York better, safer, and more affordable. Walsh said, “That's the key to making sure that people want to stay here, raise a family here, operate a business here."

The average person in the public can understand that there's a disconnect between those in the political majority and what the average person is concerned about.

Whether it be public health, cell phone bans in schools, or education in general, both Borrello and Walsh expressed support for more local control instead of top-down, onesize-fits-all state control. New York is a large and diverse state with deep urban areas and wide open rural places. Each region should have more say in its governance than it does now. Both agree that most of the time if the state government gets involved things are likely to get worse and certainly more convoluted.

There Are Two...

Continued from page 2

President Trump just issued an executive order that threatens to pull federal funding to any hospital that cuts off the private parts of anyone under the age

It’s an order New York State Attorney General Letitia James is calling on hospitals to defy, claiming doing so violates New York State anti-discrimination laws.

It’s one thing for an adult to type in preferred pronouns in a work email and get offended when you address them as “sir or ma’am.”

Hurt feelings are temporary.

There’s a special place in hell for adults who have a physician chop off the genitals of innocent children who they manipulated into thinking they’re a girl born into a boy's body. It is a level of perverseness that up until this week hospitals across America were doing on a regular basis.

Think about how we feel now about doctors performing

lobotomies on kids from the 1930s all the way up until the 1960s. It was standard, acceptable health care practice for physicians to drill holes in the heads of children to “cure” them of depression or schizophrenia.

We are shocked at this barbaric practice.

Imagine what our grandchildren will think of us decades from now, knowing mentally ill parents chose to force gender-mutilating, trans surgeries on the children they supposedly love.

Hopefully hospitals will end this horrific practice, if nothing else out of fear of losing their federal funds.

Editorial Note: Tell us how you feel about this topic, whether you agree or disagree. We will publish editorials in next week’s print edition of The South Shore Press. Send your editorial submission to: news@ southshorepress.com. To confirm the authenticity of the author, please include your full name, email, and phone number.

Credit: Grok

Donald Trump Protecting Women in Sports

Credit: Deborah Williams

NYS Senator George Borrello & Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh

of 19.

ByRobertChartuk

Global Impact of Micron's $100 Billion New York Investment

Once famed as the Empire State, New York has the bones to rise up from its financial morass and become an economic superpower once again. That’s the assessment of Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, who nailed down a $100 billion investment from Micron for a mega computer chip project in his area.

The building of chips in the upstate community of Clay, N.Y., has global ramifications as President Trump has made the return of manufacturing to the states a priority of his administration. As it stands, Taiwan controls more than 90% of the world’s chip production,

a situation that would paralyze the U.S. economy if China made good on its threat to take over its island neighbor and cut off the supply.

Winning such a massive investment for a rural town was no easy feat, but the county executive had a lot going for him both in tenacity and geographically. McMahon was courting a similar facility by Taiwan Semiconductor, a massive factory that fell through because the site wasn’t large enough. It turns out that Taiwan Semi is a competitor with Micron in Phoenix and they were looking for new territory. McMahon knew what it would take to woo them.

The executive, whose county was shrewd enough to build up a $200

million surplus, bought out an entire neighborhood to increase its available plot from 500 to 1,400 acres.

Now, Central New York had all the ingredients to become North America’s new epicenter for technology. Aqueducts bring in an ample supply of fresh water from Lake Erie. They’re near a major energy hub and control their own sewer system, factors that corporations look at when planning huge projects.

But New York offers much more. “Many of the areas competing with us are flat with not too many features while we have it all,” McMahon said. The Excelsior

State has mountains, lakes, an ocean, Niagara Falls, New York City, ports, agriculture, military bases, and many other attractions and vital infrastructure. More importantly, it has a vast network for higher education, world-class research institutions, and a talented workforce. It also has a legacy of major industries—Corning, IBM, GE, Carrier, Kodak—companies that transitioned from the state due to shortsighted government policies.

County Executive McMahon offers his experience in winning the Micron project as a master class in setting up a community for a prosperous future. His advice should be heeded by politicians such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,

who infamously killed a major Amazon project in her district because she didn’t understand how tax incentives work. He warned New York leaders such as Gov. Kathy Hochul that the state’s confiscatory policies deter companies from coming here despite its other attributes.

To lose its moniker as the “Vampire State” and regain its economic glory, McMahon stressed, New York needs to stop its wasteful spending and cut taxes, end its status as a sanctuary state, rein in the MTA and its taxpayerbleeding congestion pricing, pull its unfunded mandates on local government, and stop battling President Trump in his campaign to Make America Great Again.

Credit: Robert Chartuk

Credit: Micron

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon

The $100 billion Micron plant in Clay, N.Y.

ByRobertChartuk

Trump Expresses Gratitude for Conservative Support

The New York Conservative Party certainly has the attention of President Trump, having delivered 321,788 votes for his reelection. He expressed his gratitude in a letter read by Chairman Gerard Kassar at the party’s 57th Annual Conservative Party Political Action Conference in Albany.

“Together, we are standing on the cusp of the most extraordinary period of political reform in the history of our country,” Trump wrote. “As you know, we have been given a resounding mandate to implement our agenda of prosperity, safety, and success-and we have spared no time in making good on our promises to the American People.”

The party issued its 2025 Legislative Program at the capital event, a platform that spells out many of the priorities also voiced by the president. “My Administration is working tirelessly to seal the border, stop the invasion of illegal aliens, rebuild our economy, drastically cut energy prices, reduce government waste and inefficiency, clean up our corrupt bureaucracies,

bring back law and order, reassert peace through strength on the world stage, and restore common sense in our culture, our classrooms, and our public square,” Trump said.

The 47th president received the endorsement of the state Conservatives at their convention in August at Jericho’s Milleridge Inn. Trump sent Congressman Jim Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, to accept the nomination on his behalf. Trump tightened his losing margin in the decidedly blue New York from 23% in his loss to Joe Biden to 11.6% against Kamala Harris. His 2024 Conservative vote total in the state was second only to Richard Nixon’s 1972 landslide victory over George McGovern. Trump’s Conservative plurality enabled the party to maintain Row C on New York ballots, a line needed by many Republicans in local races to edge out the Democrats.

According to Chairman Kassar, the 2024-2026 state Legislature elected 24 senators and 50 assembly members designated by the Conservative Party. “The 119th Congress elected seven

Representatives from New York State who ran with Conservative support,” he said, adding, “Our party has forged strong links to the Republicans and common sense Democrats of compatible views that have slowed the complete leftward drift of local governments.”

“Propelled by the support, commitment, and hard work of proud New York patriots like all of you, we will continue to build on this extraordinary momentum,” Trump told the Conservatives. “We will rescue the American Dream for citizens of every race, religion, color, and creed. And we will make New York safer, more prosperous, more beautiful, and greater than ever before.”

The President boasted that the “Golden Age of America is finally upon us—and we are only getting started.” He thanked the Third Party for its “incredible service to the State of New York, our movement, and our Nation. I look forward to seeing what you achieve in the months and years to come. May God bless you, and may He continue to bless the United States of America.”

Suburbs Key to Electoral Success

ByRobertChartuk

Meeting with President Trump during his 2024 campaign, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman told him the road to the White House runs through the suburbs. He elaborated on the subject as a featured speaker at the state Conservative Party’s recent conference in a talk titled, “Winning the ‘Burbs, How Common Sense Conservatism is Holding the Line on Long Island.”

A Republican in a county dominated by Democrats, Blakeman expressed confidence in Conservatism. “If we bring our message out, we can take this state back. People want to vote Conservative, they really do,” he said, telling the crowd: “You’re the ones who bring us back to reality and remind us of the values we should be professing and acting upon.”

Winning Nassau’s top seat in 2021, Blakeman said he kept his promise to the moms to get the masks off their kids. He got men out of women’s sports and boys out of the girl’s bathroom. He ended Nassau’s status as a sanctuary county for illegal immigrants.

“You had to wear a mask in school, but if you went across the street to the pizza place, you could take it off. Just bizarre,” said Blakeman in a room abuzz with the prospect of him running for governor. “The science was

always on our side. Dr. Fauci finally admitted what we already knew—he was making it up as he went along.”

Blakeman said he was subject to significant pressure against his executive order on illegal immigration. “We got calls from the Biden administration, calls from Governor Hochul’s office, calls from Mayor Adams's office, saying to me, "Nassau County needs to do their share and take in the migrants too,” he revealed. “I said to them very directly, you invited them in, you take care of them. It's like me inviting people to spend the weekend at my house and then telling my neighbor they have to take them.”

Instead of spending billions on illegal aliens, Blakeman, a former presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature, said his commonsense policy is to spend taxpayer dollars on “better schools, better hospitals, better infrastructure, and more cops on the street.”

Right after President Trump was inaugurated for his second term, Blakeman said he had the county police commissioner and sheriff reach out to ICE and say, We're on board. “We told them we would give them whatever they need,” he said of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “And they were quick to respond because they were relieved. They could finally do their job to protect

the borders of the United States.”

The county executive embedded 10 detectives with ICE and provided jail cells to house those picked up with criminal records. “They said they wouldn't be able to get the funding for this for maybe a couple of weeks or a month and I said you can start right away. Donald J. Trump’s credit is good with Nassau County.”

While other communities were defunding the police, Nassau hired 291 new officers. They set up an intelligence center and a training village that the FBI and Secret Service also use.

“We want to make sure that we have the cutting-edge training and all the tools the police need to get the job done,” Blakeman said.

He asked the Conservatives to consider how religion has become unpopular in certain places, including as the state capital. “Think about the foundation of this country. We were founded on religious freedom.” He referenced a Pew Research poll that found families with religion as part of their core values have children more likely to be prosperous and stay out of trouble.

“In New York, there is an attack on religion. These people want the state to control everything. They want the state to tell us how we should raise our children. And that's got to stop,” Blakeman declared.

He went on to say, “It was disgraceful that our state and New York City officials stood by while there was rampant antisemitism throughout this state, and you know what? The pro-Palestinian protesters were professionals. We know that because we coordinate with the NYPD, FBI, Secret Service, the CIA. And you know who they were funded by? The Communist Party.”

Concluding, the county executive stressed that suburban voters will vote for Conservative values and principles. “They just want to know that people are out there who care about them and care about their vote. And all it takes is to be bold, to have leadership skills, to talk to people about values. We need to multiply and go out and get our message to the people throughout the state and ask them what kind of state do you want? Do you want a state of failure? Do you want a state where people get ahead, not based on merit, but by people who pick winners and losers? Do you want a state that throws money away? If we bring that message out, we can take this state back.”

Credit: President Trump President Trump’s thank you letter to the New York Conservatives.

Credit: Robert Chartuk

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, left, discusses suburban issues with South Shore Press News Director Stefan Mychajliw at the Conservative Conference in Albany.

ByRobertChartuk

Illegal Immigration Stance Tanks Hochul

It should come to no one’s surprise that New Yorkers are fed up with Gov. Hochul’s spending billions in taxpayer dollars on illegal immigrants. A recent Siena College shows her still in the tank with voters who favor deporting aliens, especially those convicted of crimes.

According to the survey, 79% of those asked think criminal immigrants should hit the road, while 39% think even those without a record must go. They’re also adamant against giving

illegals free health care through Medicaid, a huge government benefit supported by Hochul.

The majority of Republicans and independents polled believe the state should support federal efforts to deport the migrants.

Known as the “Accidental Governor” after she ascended to the role in the wake of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s sexual harassment scandal, Hochul has struggled with her image.

The Democrat nearly lost to Republican Lee Zeldin in the heavily left-leaning state and

West Valley Demonstration Project

ByRobertChartuk

As Gov. Kathy Hochul moves ahead with her plan to build atomic plants to supplement the intermittent power supply from green energy, a contaminated nuclear waste site continues to haunt Western New York. Opened in 1966, the West Valley nuclear fuel reprocessing plant operated for six years and left behind 600,000 gallons of high-level radioactive waste in underground tanks.

Estimated at more than $10 billion, cleanup of the site has been a hot potato between the state and the U.S. Department of Energy. Despite a 1980 act of Congress directing the federal government to get the job done, the 150-acre site remains contaminated with radioactive waste from both commercial reactors and military weapons facilities.

“It has the hottest of the hot; the most radioactive waste is concentrated there,” said Diane D’Arrigo, Radioactive Waste Project Director with the Nuclear Information and Resource Service. “The state gave the license to the company that has long since left that buried waste in leaking trenches. Cleanup is estimated at around $10 billion, and it is fully a New York liability.”

According to D’Arrigo, radioactive water has leaked in Cattaraugus Creek, which runs into Lake Erie, from the site about 35 miles south of Buffalo.

nurses a 39% approval rating. Nearly 60% of the sampled electorate say they want someone else.

The Siena College Research Institute (SCRI) is a wellregarded polling operation based in Loudonville, N.Y. It is known for conducting public opinion surveys on politics, elections, and policy issues, particularly in the state but also nationally. SCRI is the leading pollster for New York elections, often working with local media outlets to gauge the sentiment of voters. The poll was conducted at the end of January among 803 registered voters.

Only 22% think Hochul has improved the state’s fiscal picture over the last year, according to Siena pollster Steven Greenberg. She hasn’t had a positive

Credit: Siena College

favorability rating since January 2024, and it has never once hit 50% in a state where 49% of voters are members of her party, Greenberg noted. “Never once have a majority of voters viewed Hochul favorably, and at present, only 55% of Democrats view her favorably.”

With Hochul not facing reelection until 2026, at least one Republican challenger has

expressed interest in taking her on: Rockland County Congressman Mike Lawler. Recent comments indicate his challenge will key in on the immigration issue. Another possible candidate is Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who said Hochul unsuccessfully pressured him to retain the county’s sanctuary status.

Hochul Pushes Plan for School Cell Phone Ban

ByDeborahWilliams

Governor Kathy Hochul launched a push to restrict smartphone use in K-12 schools statewide.

“So New York has this huge liability, and then we're turning around and going to make more of this waste?” she said, reiterating the hazards involved with reprocessing reactor byproducts.

The nuclear activist noted that along with Gov. Hochul, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are supporting atomic plants as part of the energy Green New Deal.

“We really need to do an education effort on our decision makers because some of the plutonium and uranium in the fuel is leaving behind many hundreds of different radionuclides that are processed into liquid and sludge. It's a huge mess. So it's just ridiculously stupid that they would advocate such a thing.”

Criticism is piling up on the state’s Democrats for banning fossil fuels without having practical plans to back up wind turbines and solar facilities when darkness and the lack of wind keeps them from operating. “It’s crazy to think that nuclear power will be the answer to our energy problem,” said Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano, who, among many Republicans, is pushing for modern natural gas facilities to bridge the gap. “New York has an abundance of cheap, clean energy right under our feet. Yet they won’t let us touch it in favor of intermittent sources and nuclear power. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

The Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association does not think that a one-size-fits all smartphone ban is the way to go.

“Our Association believes any policy regarding cell phone bans in the classroom should be left up to local boards of education to develop, implement, and enforce,” said Bob Vecchio, executive director. “We oppose a statewide policy or law on what should be a local decision, and if a statewide law is enacted it must have a lot of flexibility for local control and input."

“From parents and teachers to social justice and law enforcement leaders, New Yorkers agree that our young people succeed when they’re learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling,” Governor Hochul said. “Using the insights from my statewide listening tour, this comprehensive proposal to restrict smartphone use in schools will ensure that New York’s statewide standard for distraction-free learning delivers the best results for our kids and educators.”

When a ban was first proposed a variety of objections came up including parents who are concerned about being able to contact their child in an emergency or, god forbid, if a violent incident should occur. Those concerns remain. If a statewide ban goes into effect, the devil will be in the details on how this is managed and implemented.

Students at the William Floyd High School agree that a ban that

treats all students and school the same way is overreach. Olivia

Phillips, a senior at William Floyd High School, said, “I think that our schools know what is best for their student body. They have direct contact with parents and teachers who can give meaningful input.

Phillips added, “Putting a statewide ban in place is taking away school and family autonomy in decisions that directly impact them.”

The governor’s proposal would still allow simple cell phones without internet capability. The basic elements of the plan are:

• No unsanctioned use of smartphones and other internetenabled personal devices on school grounds in K-12 schools for the entire school day, including classroom time and other settings like lunch and study hall periods.

• Allows schools to develop their own plans for storing smartphones during the day — giving administrators and teachers the flexibility to do what works best for their buildings and students.

• Proposes $13.5 million in funding to be made available for schools that need assistance in purchasing storage solutions to help them go distraction-free.

• Requires schools to give parents a way to contact their kids during the day if needed.

Local school districts are already cash-strapped with electric bus mandates and other mandatory costs. Developing and paying for costly measures to store cell phones every day for thousands of students in districts across the state is a burdensome enterprise.

Parents, teachers, and students alike do acknowledge that some guardrails need to be in place. There is no doubt that smartphones have taken hold as major distractions and time-sucks in student’s lives. Smartphones can be useful tools for school research and are fun outlets for videos and social media. But, they have a dark side too. Balancing those things is the trick and a one-sized approach is not popular on the ground in many school districts.

NY to Ban Smartphones in Schools.

Credit: Grok AI/Twitter

The Nuclear Waste Processing Facility in West Valley

Credit: Department of Energy

ByRobertChartuk

Pump the Brakes on Electric Bus Mandate

Staring down an electric bus mandate that will cost schools more than $15 billion, state legislators have sponsored a bill to delay the requirement until 2045, or at least until the state converts its fleet so local districts do not have to be the “guinea pigs for the green dreams of left-wing policymakers.”

According to the lawmakers behind the pause, “The disastrous Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which, so far, has amounted to little more than a list of unworkable mandates with an unlimited price tag, continues to stretch the laws of math and physics.” As a result of the act, the 2023 state budget included a provision demanding school districts begin purchasing zeroemission buses by 2027.

“The idea that school districts can even begin to find the money for these buses is laughable,” said

Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano, a co-sponsor of the tap-the-brakes bill. “Residents, taxpayers, and voters have expressed serious concerns about the mandate, and school officials have indicated these purchases are unlikely to pass when residents vote on their school district budgets,” DeStefano noted, adding that a number of school districts have already voted down electric bus purchases.

The Assembly’s Republican Conference has also called for a full financial analysis of the CLCPA law. “We raise the obvious question: Why are the state’s school districts required to be the guinea pigs and undertake this transition before the state does?” asked Assemblyman Phil Palmesano of upstate Corning, the bill’s chief sponsor. Other legislation has been introduced during this session to allow schools to opt out of the bus mandate.

“This would be a huge help to those districts that cannot feasibly

make the electric bus transition, which is pretty much all of them,” said Senator Mario Mattera, a cosponsor, who noted that the state is also forcing fire departments to go all-electric. “People wonder why New York is so expensive; this is why.” The ranking member of the Senate’s Energy and

Telecommunications Committee, Mattera is also leading the fight against the state’s fossil fuel ban and eliminating natural gas for heating, cooking, and other uses such as barbecues.

“Energy policy can be complicated, but there’s a budget

Dems Down in the Dumps as Trump Soars

ByDeborahWilliams

A new Quinnipiac Poll shows the Democrat Party and its policy platform are the most unpopular they have ever been since the organization started asking about individual political parties in 2008.

The poll also shows President Trump begins his second term stronger than the first and that his strong stance on border issues is very popular. Trump is starting his second term in the White House with a job approval rating 10 points higher than at the start of his first presidential term.

A majority of voters (54%) say they are generally optimistic about the next four years with Trump as president.

Democrats, on the other hand, besides taking a beating at the polls in November losing the White House and both Houses of Congress, are also polling at new lows with voters. The Democrat Party has a 57% “unfavorable opinion” with voters. This is the highest percentage of voters having an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking this question in 2008.

“I see the Democratic Party is becoming less popular, I feel

terrible. I never want to see political parties become less popular, you know,” said Jerry Kassar, Chairman of the New York State Conservative Party, with a wry smile that could be "heard" through the phone.

Meanwhile, 43% of voters have a favorable opinion of the Republican Party, while 45% have an unfavorable opinion. This is the highest percentage of voters having a favorable opinion of the Republican Party since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking this question.

“When you campaign and you consistently bring out an out-oftouch message, you're going to eventually see that trickle down into the general support for your political party,” said Kassar when asked why the Democrats keep doubling down of far-left policies and rhetoric that have been so clearly rejected by voters – many voters that used to be in their camp. “It is an increase clearly in some strength among Republican voters, but there's also an increase in strength among people that feel most comfortable calling themselves Independents.”

Democrats have a window to listen to voters and take a policy turn but, it seems for now they can't admit that they got it wrong. They

are doubling down on, on what have been shown to be unpopular ideas.

Kassar added that "12 years ago or so you couldn’t say that everything they're saying was unpopular, but as time went by, the truth came out that some of these ideas were just not what people wanted to hear and did not believe they were in their best interest.”

Liberals shouldn't become

Conservatives, and Conservatives shouldn’t become Liberals, “but you can move within the greater framework to better connect with people,” said Kassar.

Opposition to an open border is also a huge issue in the minds of Americans. A majority of voters (60%) say they approve of sending U.S. troops to the southern border to enforce border security. Independents (57%), an important

reality that’s very clear: When school budgets increase, property tax hikes are never far behind,” said Will Barclay, leader of the Assembly’s GOP Coalition. “Forcing New York schools to pay $15 billion to subsidize the green dreams of left-wing policymakers will come at a steep price for every taxpayer.”

Questioning the safety of electric buses, Barclay pointed to a fire in Wilbraham, Mass., that saw four new buses go up in flames while charging. They had yet to carry a single student. The fire released harmful pollutants and left behind a scene of carnage that officials said will be difficult and costly to clean up.

“It is abundantly clear the bus mandate is not rooted in any real form of economics or common sense, and the sooner it is repealed the less time, energy and money will be wasted trying to satisfy these unrealistic demands,” Assemblyman DeStefano concluded.

voting block in this last election, also approve.

More than 4 in 10 voters (44%) support deporting all illegal immigrants to their home countries.

"The huge deployment of boots on the ground is not to a dicey, far away war theater, but to the American border. And, a majority of voters are just fine with that," Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said.

Private Education Fund Estimated at $10 Billion

ByRobertChartuk

Despite spending nearly $30,000 per student on education—almost twice the national average—New York ranks at the bottom in student performance. Policies out of Washington and Albany continue the poor results while making it hard for children to break away from government schools and attend better-performing private institutions.

The Invest in Education Coalition has a solution to the problem, which they say would benefit as many as two million students across all 50 states. They would like to see a tax credit for donations going into a fund that would provide scholarships for families to enroll their children in any school they want. Fueled by donors seeking tax relief, the fund is estimated to generate as much as $10 billion.

“There is no role for the U.S. Department of Education for this and no new federal spending or government mandates on states, school districts, private schools, including faith-based, or families,” explained the Coalition’s Peter

Murphy. He discussed the plan at the annual conference of the New York Conservatives, whose members support less government interference in the education process.

“The fund will help protect religious liberty and school autonomy by prohibiting governmental control or encroachment over Scholarship Granting Organizations that receive tax-credited contributions, schools that enroll scholarship recipients, or parents who instruct their children at home,” Murphy said. He noted that using private donations, not public funds, would

further protect against government overreach in education.

The strategy would be allowed under the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA), currently making its way through Congress. It's been reintroduced in the House by Rep. Adrian Smith of Nebraska and in the Senate by Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.

During last year’s session, the ECCA bill had 150 co-sponsors in the House and 30 in the Senate and was passed by the House Ways and Means Committee. “This was the most congressional support ever for a bill to enact parental choice in education, including from the Republican congressional leadership,” pointed out Murphy, who said President Donald Trump has also voiced his support.

The scholarship fund would be open to K-12 students from lowto-middle-class households with incomes up to 300% of the median gross income level, as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. More than 150 national and state-based organizations and influencers have endorsed the Educational Choice Act.

Credit: Robert Chartuk Invest in Education Coalition spokesman Peter Murphy

State legislators are trying to tap the brakes on the electric school bus mandate.

Credit: Chat GPT

Democrats are the most unpopular since 2008.

Credit: Grok AI/Twitter

ByTheSouthShorePress

Shock Poll: Gov. Kathy Hochul 'Underwater,' Says Siena College

According to the Monday, Feb. 3rd Siena College poll, Gov. Hochul has a negative “39-47%” favorability rating, and her job approval rating sits at “44-48%.” This shows little change from December’s poll.

31% of voters said they would re-elect Hochul, while 57% want “someone else.”

Translated, Siena’s headline says it all: Hochul’s Favorability, Approval & Re-Elect Ratings Remain Underwater.

Her next opponent may not be former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), the 2022 gubernatorial candidate just sworn in as President Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency

head appointee.

Nevertheless, anti-Hochul’s from Jump Street who backed Zeldin will happily back someone else who will give the citizens of New York more of what they want—which isn’t Hochul, per the numbers—and less of what has left them either indifferent or jaded.

By a 52-22% margin, voters posit that Hochul has not improved the fiscal condition in a state rife with economic issues under her watch.

“Governor Hochul’s favorability and job approval ratings continue to languish in negative territory,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg, who added that Hochul hasn’t had a positive favorability

rating since Jan. 2024.

Hochul’s favorability rating has never once hit 50% in a state where 49% of voters are Democrats.

“The good news for the Governor is that 10 of her recent proposals are supported by voters, eight very strongly,” Greenberg said. “Four proposals have strong majority support from Democrats, Republicans and Independents, and another four have majority support from all voters, and at least plurality support from Ds, Rs and Is.”

Hochul’s favorability, approval and re-elect ratings “remain underwater,” as the latest Siena Poll confirmed.

Greenberg says Hochul’s most strongly supported proposals are: providing free breakfast and lunch for all public school students, ensuring a police officer on all overnight subway trains for the next six months, increasing the child text credit, and requiring school districts to restrict smartphone usage.

Senator Palumbo Reproposes 'Karilyn's Law' Amidst Wendy

Williams Guardianship Discussion with TMZ

ByMichaelJ.Reistetter

State Senator Anthony Palumbo spoke to TMZ on Jan. 21st to announce he would be reintroducing legislation that would change guardianship laws regarding family visitation in the state.

Yes, you read that right.

According to Palumbo, “Karilyn’s Law” would permit families to visit loved ones by filing a motion with the court. The guardian would then have 10 days to show the court if the person intending to visit is displaying inappropriate. If this is not the case, the visit will be approved.

This announcement comes in the wake of former daytime TV personality Wendy Williams’s mass-reported conservatorship woes. Purportedly, Williams’s rapidly declining mental state resulted in her being forced to rescind the right to make decisions on her own behalf.

In his interview with the celebrity news giant, Palumbo described Williams’s confinement within an apartment completely separate from her family for years on end as “tragic.” The Senator noted that one’s failing memory should not prohibit them from being able to

spend time with loved ones.

Palumbo first proposed “Karilyn’s Law” in 2022. He is confident tis newfound interest will help appeal to the New York Legislature, where no legal mechanism against undue guardianship and elder care abuse currently exists.

The law is named after Karilyn Montani, “a senior and victim of the guardianship system whose loved ones have been denied due process rights to be heard and the right to an evidentiary hearing,” as per a June 2024 New York State Senate publication.

“On the surface, it appears that the guardianship system is designed to protect the rights of vulnerable individuals,” Palumbo said in a press conference shortly thereafter. “However, it's a system that is susceptible to abuse by unscrupulous court-appointed guardians, care managers, attorneys, and power of attorneys who are engaging in abuse for the sole purpose of financially exploiting aging adults and they're using the system as a vehicle to financially exploit vulnerable individuals.”

Alongside fellow elected representatives, Palumbo and company shared personal stories about witnessing their parents

and other loved ones fall victim to a faulty system sorely in need of rectifying.

“Unless you have gone through the elder care system yourself and you've experienced the horrific nightmare and the torment that it causes both you and your loved ones, you can't even begin to comprehend the level of torment that it causes,”

he said.

In the high-profile case of Wendy Williams’s Palumbo noted “Sadly, nobody is immune from guardianship abuse as we clearly see right now in the state of New York with Wendy Williams.”

He recalled Williams’s recent appearance on Power 105.1 Radio, wherein she expressed that she feels

like she is in jail, cannot see her loved ones, and has $15 to her name. Palumbo concluded: “I'm hoping that this bill will pass quickly and we can enact it into law and free everyone who's vulnerable in the United States or in this state of New York, and also give Wendy Williams the relief that she is seeking today."

New Tax Credit Proposed to Aid Small Business Advertising

ByDeborahWilliams

Senator Monica R. Martinez and Assemblymember Jen Lunsford, with support from the Empire State Local News Coalition, introduced legislation to establish a first-of-its-kind tax credit for small businesses that advertise in local media outlets.

The Lift Our Communities, Advertise Locally (LOCAL) Act will maximize the reach of small businesses’ advertising dollars and boost their visibility in their local communities. The new program will prioritize supporting minority-, womanand veteran-owned businesses, as well as any local business with 10 employees or fewer.

“Small businesses are centers of our communities, built upon relationships with neighbors,” said Senator Monica R. Martinez. “The LOCAL Act will strengthen those ties by making it easier to connect to local customers through the trusted media deeply rooted in the places they serve.”

President & CEO of the Long Island Association, Matt Cohen, said “By making community

advertising for small businesses more accessible and affordable, this proposed act will help them with their marketing strategy and customer engagement while simultaneously supporting local media outlets, which are also small companies.”

Under the LOCAL Act, a minority-, woman- or veteranowned business, as well as any business with 10 employees or fewer, would be eligible to receive a refundable tax credit of 80% of its first $5,000 of local advertising for a maximum credit of $4,000 per year. The program would be capped at $10 million annually.

“The LOCAL Act is about more than just advertising – it’s about investing in the economic health of our local community and investing in the kind of local journalism that we need now more than ever,” said Assemblymember Jennifer Lunsford By supporting the marketing needs of small businesses through advertising in local media outlets, the initiative will help small businesses promote their products and services,

while keeping investment local in the media outlets that New Yorkers rely on every day for critical information.

“Local media is a uniquely trusted voice for the Black community, and the ability to affordably advertise in local media outlets provides an important opportunity for our member small businesses to connect with their neighbors and customers,” said Phil Andrews, President of the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce.

The bill has gained strong support from nine major business trade groups –including the Long Island Association, the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, Upstate United and the National Federation of Independent Business – as well as the Empire State Local News Coalition's more than 200 local New York newspapers, which view the legislation as a winning solution to both increase investment in local small businesses and bolster the sustainability of local news organizations.

Senator Anthony Palumbo is hopeful his unlikely appearance on the national celebrity and pop culture outlet might just be the key variable that helps push his bill through.

Credit: Grok

Credit: nysenate.gov

ByRobertChartuk

New York State Capitol: A Monument of Power, Scandal, and Resilience

Standing as one of the nation's most architecturally distinct and historically rich government buildings, the New York Capitol in Albany is a masterpiece of grandeur, controversy, and resilience. Taking 32 years to build from 1867-1899 and costing $25 million—an astronomical sum at the time—the structure remains a testament to political ambition and architectural brilliance.

Unlike most state capitols that feature a traditional dome, the seat of New York stands apart with its Romanesque and Renaissance Revival architecture, resembling a European palace. The design evolved under multiple architects, including Thomas Fuller, Leopold Eidlitz, and Henry Hobson Richardson, each leaving a distinct imprint on the building.

The grand, fortress-like exterior is constructed of solid granite mined in Maine, with walls so thick that the structure's weight prevented the addition of a dome. The elaborate carvings, turrets, and arched windows reflect a mix of styles, ultimately resulting in one of the most unique government structures in the country.

One of the more notorious aspects of the Capitol’s construction was its association with William “Boss” Tweed, the corrupt leader of Tammany Hall. As head of the powerful Democrat political

machine in New York City, Tweed funneled millions of dollars into the contracts, enriching himself and his allies while inflating costs far beyond the original budget.

The rampant graft contributed to the project’s delays and ballooning expenses. By the time it was completed in 1899, its cost had surpassed the U.S. Capitol’s construction by nearly tenfold.

The ghost of Tweed apparently returned as Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced that repairs to the steps leading up to the Capitol building will cost $80 million.

Among the landmark's most famous features is the “Million Dollar Staircase,” an architectural marvel that took 14 years to complete and cost over $1.5 million, or $54.5 million in today’s dollars.

Designed by Isaac Perry, the grand steps rise 119 feet through four stories and are adorned with more than 77 carved faces, including those of Christopher Columbus, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, Mollie Pitcher, and other prominent figures. The intricate stonework, created by master craftsmen from across the world out of Michigan sandstone, makes it one of the most breathtaking interior features of any U.S. government building. Those wanting to lend an air of importance to their issues choose the imposing staircase as a setting for their press conferences and rallies.

Tragedy struck the Capitol in the early morning hours of March 29, 1911, when a massive fire tore through the building, destroying the State Library and thousands of historical documents, books, and records. The fire, believed to have started due to faulty electrical wiring, gutted much of the western portion of the building, leading to an extensive and costly restoration effort.

The destruction of the library was particularly devastating, as it housed original colonial records, handwritten notes by George Washington, and invaluable historical manuscripts—many of which were lost forever. Despite the damage, the Capitol was repaired and modernized, incorporating fireproofing techniques to prevent future disasters.

Today, the Capitol remains the seat of state government, housing the Governor’s Office, the state Assembly and Senate chambers, and various agencies. Its corridors and chambers echo with the debates and decisions that have shaped the state for over a century.

Visitors can explore the building through guided tours, taking in the legislative chambers, the Million Dollar Staircase, and the historic carvings hidden throughout the structure. The Capitol also hosts exhibits commemorating both its architectural grandeur and turbulent history. It is connected to

several key buildings and landmarks through an extensive system of underground concourses and corridors, making it easy to navigate the Empire State Plaza, especially during harsh weather. It features cafés, shops, art installations, and exhibits showcasing New York’s history.

The plaza connects to a performing arts center called “The Egg,” known for its unique curved architecture. You can also access

While it began as a symbol of excess and corruption, the New York State Capitol has endured as a beacon of resilience, democracy, and architectural grandeur, standing as a testament to the state’s rich history and ever-evolving governance.

the New York State Museum, Legislative Office Building (LOB), Justice Building, and the Corning Tower with its 42-story observation deck, the tallest building in the state outside of New York City.

Credit: Robert Chartuk

ByMichaelJ.Reistetter

Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Lights Into Gov. Hochul's Budget Proposal

“This budget is exceptionally disappointing,” Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro told The South Shore Press this week.

In an interview that spanned Gov. Hochul’s disregard for local road funding and the countrywide rock salt shortage, the former state assemblyman and current vice president (former president) of the Suffolk County Highway Superintendents’ Association did not hold back.

“Maybe I know a little bit more about the state budget than the average bear…but people need to understand,” Losquadro prefaced. “The Governor went out of her way to talk about the rampant inflation we face,” yet rewarded the New York Department of Transportation (DOT) with an additional $800 million to offset close to a 40% increase in costs since the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the proposal provides exactly $0 for local roads. According to Losquadro, local highway departments maintain 87% of these roads statewide. “It’s more than a shame,” he continued. Losquadro and his fellow

New

executive board members within the New York State Association of Local Highway Superintendents consider it “incredibly unfair and hypocritical” for the governor to acknowledge the scope of the problem on one hand, and deliberately ignore it on the other.

New York State collects approximately $6 billion from 11 million drivers, Losquadro laments.

“This is no longer just a case of doing more with less,” he said. “The rate of inflation outstripped that mantra years ago. From where we were 4-5 years ago, we’re maybe getting 60, 65 cents on the dollar from what we were spending then…”

Now, local highway leaders like Losquadro find themselves in the unenviable position of having to speak to the state legislature to find a way to finagle these funds from slippery hands that have proven to feed them zilch thus far.

Physical repairs are not the only form of roadway reform due to be in order. Those dialed into The South Shore Press’s newsroom, and local news in general, these past several months are intimately aware of the epidemic of speedsters wreaking absolute havoc across the

Island’s streets.

Poll any of your local representatives and you will know Albany has a knack for “hearing” downstate concerns without properly rectifying them in a timely manner, if at all. “The problem is that the Legislature is controlled by New York City,” says Losquadro.

Even though "the majority of the roads in the state fall outside of New York City limits, we are going to have to rely on representatives from across from the state to try and help us offset the costs,” he adds.

“That’s really the crux of this problem… we have to pay for the materials, we have to pay the contractors and the labor… the insurance for the contractors… the cost of business has gone up, and raw materials have increased tremendously.”

Beyond these frustrations, Losquadro cites no operational issues with regard to rock salt replenishment. He ensures Brookhaven’s salt farms are filled before the season starts, thereby insulating them against supply chain disruptions.

His concerns, vis-à-vis Hochul’s state budget proposal, lie in the “significantly increased” price

Top Cop on Tap for Suffolk

ByRobertChartuk

Crime was a key issue in the 2023 race for Suffolk County executive, with Ed Romaine coming out on top due in part to his pro-law enforcement, anti-criminal platform. He emphasized that with the right leadership, the police department has the capacity to keep the citizenry safe.

Romaine’s effort to solidify the department’s top brass culminated this week with the announcement of a new commissioner, Kevin Catalina, the county police second-incommand who’s also served as a Suffolk undersheriff and New York City officer. He steps up to lead one of the nation’s largest police forces with over 2,700 sworn officers and 600 civilian employees.

"Kevin has proven himself a leader and I have confidence in him to lead the department,” Romaine said announcing the promotion at a Hauppauge news conference. His appointment is expected to sail through the Suffolk legislature as its presiding officer, Kevin McCaffrey, and other key officials, including Sheriff Errol Toulon, attended the media event.

Catalina, 57, relieves Acting

Commissioner Robert Waring, who assumed the role at Romaine’s request as he searched nationwide for a new top cop. Waring, a 39-year police veteran, will return to his previous post as chief of department. Catalina succeeds Rodney Harrison, an appointee of former County Executive Steve Bellone.

It was the crime wave set in motion through the policies of Bellone’s fellow Democrats in Albany and Washington that became a top concern of voters in not only Romaine’s defeat of Dave Calone but also the governor’s race, where former Congressman Lee Zeldin nearly won over Kathy Hochul on a pro-police slate. The Republicans railed against their opponents for supporting cashless bail, defund the police, and anti-law enforcement rhetoric.

Romaine made good on his anti-crime promises during his first year in office as he increased the number of officers and demonstrated he has their back.

The department is at historically high staffing levels, with Romaine indicating that a new police headquarters may be built or the current facility in Yaphank will undergo a major renovation. He previously appointed Belinda Alvarez-Groneman, a retired

the "Dredging

of rock salt—which has been exacerbated by the NYDOT lowering the weight limit on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.

“There’s a section they call the ‘Triple Cantilever Section’ that’s by the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and they cut the weight restriction in half in that area,” said Losquadro, who revealed that Brookhaven’s rock salt comes from Atlantic Salt out of Staten Island.

Due to the weight restrictions, shorter load runs have been commissioned, which has increased the shipping costs and brought the cost per ton upwards of $100.

Losquadro vows to affordably bring material into Long Island not just for himself, but also for his fellow highway departmentheading and public works colleagues far and wide. He says they have “looked at rail(ways),” and notes the lone issue here is having sufficient capacity.

“When you bring these huge barges of material in, it needs to be unloaded somewhere, and then shipped out; so that is difficult,” he said.

“Finding an alternate means of distribution is something that we are currently looking at. Hopefully, we can bring costs down.”

county police detective, as a deputy.

“Kevin Catalina brings decades of law enforcement experience, the spirit of innovation, and unsurpassed dedication to the role of Suffolk County Police Commissioner,” said PBA President Lou Civello. “He has worked diligently to make Suffolk one of the safest counties in the nation, earning the respect of the rank and file. We congratulate him on being nominated police commissioner and look forward to continuing to work with him protecting Suffolk County residents.”

During his 27 years with the city police, Catalina rose to deputy chief and commanded units tasked with analyzing intelligence and preventing gang-related crimes. He oversaw police protection during many prominent events, including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and the New York Marathon. He took center stage at the recent unveiling of a new Crime Analysis Center at the Yaphank HQ, a “crown jewel” among facilities equipped with stateof-the-art technology to fight crime.

"I have been a Suffolk County resident my whole life.

I grew up admiring the Suffolk County Police Department," Catalina said at the Hauppauge announcement. "I went into law enforcement a long, long time ago with the hopes of becoming a Suffolk County police officer, and a year ago, I got the opportunity. It couldn’t have been a better year." He called his ascension to commissioner a "dream come true." He pledged to prioritize violent crime and make roadways safer by increasing the number of patrol officers. Another focus will be on illicit drugs and a reduction

in overdose deaths.

Catalina noted that his mother had passed away only a few days earlier, saying he wished she could have been around for his elevation to commissioner. "I think my mother would be very proud, happy, that I am being considered for this position," he said. "I don’t think she ever expected it. As a mom, you don’t expect your crazy kid to end up in this spot." A 1989 graduate of the state university at Oneonta, Catalina holds a bachelor's degree in business administration.

Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro speaks ahead of Congressman Nick LaLota’s $1.5 million check presentation for

of the Wave Wall" effort at Port Jefferson Harbor on Sept. 16, 2024.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Designee Kevin Catalina

Credit: Dan Losquadro-Facebook via Ed Betz

Credit: Suffolk PBA

ByDeborahWilliams

Long Island's Own Lee Zeldin Is Confirmed by the US Senate

Suffolk County’s own, former Congressman Lee Zeldin, has been confirmed by the United States Senate and was sworn in as the EPA administrator serving in President Donald Trump's administration.

From William Floyd High School to the White House, Zeldin has led a life of public service.

“It is my honor to serve as the 17th Environmental Protection Agency Administrator. Under President Trump’s leadership, we will take great strides to defend every

American’s access to clean air, clean water, and clean land,” said Zeldin.

“We will maintain and expand the gold standard of environmental stewardship and conservation that President Trump set forth in his first administration while also prioritizing economic prosperity.”

New York State Conservative Party Chairman, Jerry Kassar, has nothing but praise and high hopes for Zeldin, “I feel very happy for him as a person and for the nation on a larger level. I think he can articulate, activate, and administer

President Trump's views on the environment, which are, in my view, very even-handed. He seeks to protect the environment, but also will have an understanding that many of the regulations suffocate businesses and the ability for people to find work.”

Kassar makes no secret of being a friend and supporter of Zeldin and having urged him to run for governor against Hochul. “I think we're very fortunate. I want to see what he does. I'm very confident,” said Kasser.

The EPA vastly overreached during the Biden administration, creating a counterproductive regulatory environment that suppressed billions of dollars in economic growth. Citing his view that Zeldin has the smarts and temperament to find the proper balance between “environmental conservation and hysteria” Kassar was clear that “this is what people want.”

Many within the environmental community have “drifted a little bit past what the science says, and have swerved more into the realm of a wonkish set of ideas that, that may sound good on paper, such as wind energy,” says Kassar.

Wind energy is not a bad idea, but it hasn't been shown to work at the levels advocates want us to

On Call to Rescue Long Island Wildlife

ByRobertChartuk

Animals are incredibly tolerant in their coexistence with humans, giving up their habitat, dealing with their debris, and dodging a neverending assault from cars and trucks. Thankfully, when they need help, some people step up to assist.

One such rescuer is Karen Maloney, a devoted naturalist who springs into action when a call comes in about an animal in trouble. Sometimes, it’s difficult work, catching a distressed eagle or saving a large swan fighting for its life. The former gym owner is petite

but up to the challenge, approaching each case with a tenacious resolve to bring the animal to safety.

Her most famous case was capturing a bald eagle that had been suffering seizures and flying erratically through the treetops near Sunrise Highway. “The bird was huge, and it was an adrenaline rush when it landed right in front of me,” Maloney said of the eagle with its six-foot wingspan. “His mate was screaming overhead, and it kept flying back and forth over the service road, banging into trees and falling to the ground.” It took about two hours before Maloney

believe. It is the same with electric cars and other alternative energy such as solar panels. These methods have their place in the energy chain, but they cannot take the lead. And, people should not be forced to use energy sources they don't want or don’t consider reliable and affordable.

Kassar believes that Zeldin will be sympathetic and careful in working to protect the environment. “I think when you grow up along waterways, regardless of party, everybody wants clean air and clean water, but we want it in a practical way that doesn't cripple the economy.”

“He’s very close to the Pine Barrens, which is closely guarded as it protects the aqua filter out on Long Island. He has worked within

that complicated environment. I'm certain that he will look at the job as more than strictly from an environmental perspective, not an environmentalist perspective,” Kassar added.

During his eight years in Congress, Zeldin worked across party lines to preserve Long Island Sound and Plum Island. He supported key legislation that became historic, bipartisan success stories like the Great American Outdoors Act and Save Our Seas Act to clean up plastics from our oceans. He also led the fight for Sea Grant, combated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water, voted for the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act, and supported clean energy projects on Long Island.

and another rescuer could throw a blanket over the bird and get it to the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center for treatment.

Maloney’s interest in the island’s wild critters took flight when she ran her gym overlooking the Great South Bay. “We would watch the ospreys nesting and the wonderful animals all around us,” the Bayport resident said. She became a rescuer after coming upon a great blue heron tangled up in a fishing line at Sans Souci Park in Islip. Her concern led her to the rescue center, which features the region’s only wildlife hospital. She also gained media attention when a brood of snapping turtles was run over by a lawn mower at Suffolk’s Meadowcroft Estate in Sayville. Maloney was alerted to the gruesome scene and was able to usher 10 of the pingpong ball-sized survivors to the safety of a nearby creek.

She also helped some turtles from a nest near a set of Long Island Rail Road tracks. “The turtle mothers just lay their eggs and leave,” Maloney points out. “They are the worst mothers.” She also helped free a deer from a hammock, a cat from a pool filter, and aided plenty of swans, which she said seek out the warmth of paved roads to warm up in the winter—not a safe scenario. She once met the Cross Sound Ferry to take care of an injured groundhog.

Attributing her free time to

not yet having grandchildren, the rescuer also has a passion for art and wildlife photography. She was recently contacted by scientists with the Biodiversity Research Institute in Portland, Maine, who noticed one of their ankle bands on a golden eagle she had taken a picture of. The fact that the majestic bird traveled to Long Island from Square Lake in Aroostook County was of great value to the researchers.

Maloney gets a few rescue calls a week, mostly from the Evelyn Alexander Center in Hampton Bays, and is the go-to person for the police. The center operates a fulltime professional wildlife hospital

staffed by licensed rehabilitators, biologists, animal behaviorists, and volunteers. Each year, they handle over 10,000 calls concerning wildlife encounters and provide educational programs to local schools.

Maloney’s attraction to animals is mutual, as she’s been afforded some memorable moments with nature up close. As a gift, she presents friends with a stunning photo of a snowy owl, which landed right in front of her at Robert Moses State Park. “She was preening herself, posing as if to say thank you for the work you’re doing.”

Credit: Evelyn Alexander Rescue Center

Credit: Robert Chartuk Wildlife rescuer Karen Maloney

Wildlife rescuer Karen Maloney is also an avid nature photographer.

Credit: X/Twitter

Lee Zeldin at his Senate confirmation hearing.

Credit: X/Twitter

Lee Zeldin gets sworn in as EPA Administrator.

ByRobertChartuk

It was a shot heard around the world when President Trump told a group of international elites at their annual meeting in Switzerland how things will be with him back in charge. It will be an “America First” agenda, a drastic departure from the days of ex-President Joe Biden, who Trump said let the other countries of the world “rip us off.”

Appearing at their meeting in Davos through a video feed, Trump addressed the World Economic Forum, a group of global leaders from business, government, academia, and civil society that has gathered each year since 1971 to assert themselves over global issues. According to their detractors, the main focus of the elitists is to continue the immense gravy train of money flowing to them from the American taxpayers.

As opposed to Biden, who coddled the organization, Trump dropped jaws when he told them: “My administration is acting with unprecedented speed to fix the disasters we’ve inherited from a totally inept group of people and to solve every single crisis facing our country.”

He opened by reminding the forum of the breadth of his November victory, winning the popular vote and the Electoral College in a historic landslide. “What the world has witnessed in the past 72 hours is nothing less than a revolution of common sense,” he said. “Our country will soon be stronger, wealthier, and more united than ever before, and the entire planet will be more peaceful and prosperous as a result of this incredible momentum and what we’re doing and going to do.”

This begins, Trump continued, by confronting the economic chaos caused by the failed policies of the last administration. “Over the past four years, our government racked up $8 trillion in wasteful deficit spending and inflicted nationwrecking energy restrictions, crippling regulations, and hidden taxes like never before. The result is the worst inflation crisis in modern history and sky-high interest rates for our citizens and even throughout the world. Food prices and the price of almost every other thing known to mankind went through the roof.”

According to Trump, Biden lost control of what was going on in the country, particularly with the high-inflation economy and the border. “Because of these ruinous policies, total government spending this year is $1.5 trillion higher than was projected to occur when I left office just four years ago. Likewise, the cost of servicing the debt is more than 230% higher than was projected in 2020.”

The inflation rate Trump inherited remains 50% higher than the historic target, probably the highest in the country's history. “That’s why, from the moment I took office, I’ve taken rapid action to reverse each and every one of these radical left policies that created

Trump Lays Down the Law at Davos

this calamity—in particular, with immigration, crime, and inflation.”

On day one, Trump imposed freezes on federal hiring, regulations, and foreign aid, and created a new Department of Government Efficiency to wring savings from the Washington bureaucracy.

The 47th president boasted of terminating the “ridiculous and incredibly wasteful” Green New Deal, which he calls the “Green New Scam.” He blew international minds when he informed them of America’s withdrawal from the “one-sided” Paris Climate Accord and ended the “insane and costly” electric vehicle mandate. He declared a national energy emergency to “unlock the liquid gold under our feet and pave the way for rapid approvals of new energy infrastructure.” He reiterated that the United States has the largest oil and gas reserves of any country on Earth, “and we’re going to use it.” This, he promised, will not only reduce the cost of virtually all goods and services, it will make the United States a manufacturing superpower and the world capital of artificial intelligence and crypto.

The president calculated that the Biden administration imposed $50,000 in additional regulatory costs on the average American household over the last four years and promised to eliminate 10 old regulations for every new one, “which will soon put many thousands of dollars back in the pockets of American families.”

He also promised to pass the largest tax cut in American history, including massive tax cuts for workers and families and big tax cuts for domestic producers and manufacturers.

“My message to every business in the world is very simple: Come make your product in America, and we will give you among the lowest taxes of any nation on Earth,” Trump declared. “We’re bringing them down very substantially, even from the original Trump tax cuts. But if you don’t make your product in America, which is your prerogative, then, very simply, you will have to pay a tariff.” This will direct hundreds of billions of dollars and even trillions of dollars into the U.S. Treasury to strengthen the economy and pay down debt, he predicted.

Trump bragged that after his election, small-business optimism skyrocketed by 41 points in a single month, the highest ever. He announced an investment in the U.S. economy of up to $200 billion by SoftBank, a $500 billion Stargate deal by the bank with Oracle and OpenAI, and a $600 billion pledge by Saudi Arabia that he asked the Crown Prince to round up to an even $1 trillion. He’s also pushing the Saudis and OPEC to reduce the price of oil to spur economic growth.

According to Trump, the Russia-Ukraine war would end immediately if the price of oil dropped. “Right now, the price is

high enough so that the war will continue. You bring down the oil price; you’re going to end the war. They should have done it long ago. They’re very responsible, actually, to a certain extent, for what’s taking

place—millions of lives are being lost.” With oil prices going down, Trump demanded that interest rates also drop.

To stem the flow of illegal immigrants into the country, Trump

declared a national emergency and has begun deporting aliens, starting with those who have criminal records. He deployed active-duty U.S. military and National Guard troops to the border to assist in repelling the invasion. “We will not allow our territory to be violated,” he declared. “After four long years, the United States is strong and sovereign and a beautiful nation once again.”

Trump stressed that America is a free nation. “On day one, I signed an executive order to stop all government censorship. No longer will our government label the speech of our own citizens as misinformation or disinformation, which are the favorite words of censors and those who wish to stop the free exchange of ideas and, frankly, progress. We have saved free speech in America.”

First Lady Portrait Graces White House

ByRobertChartuk

The presidents of the United States aren’t the only ones with official portraits. The First Ladies have a place in history as well with stunning portrayals gracing the public domain.

The latest is a portrait of Melania Trump by Belgian photographer Régine Mahaux. The former model was captured in black-and-white by Mahaux, who is celebrated for her elegant and refined portraiture. Currently based in Paris, she has built an impressive portfolio featuring high-profile personalities from various fields.

The photo was taken in the Yellow Oval Room, one of three oval-shaped rooms on the second floor of the White House, with the Washington Monument in the background. It was placed in the White House a day after Melania’s husband, Donald J. Trump, was inaugurated as the 47th president. The couple’s return to Washington comes as they celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary.

The official portrait signifies a shift in the First Lady’s public image, suggesting a more active engagement in political life during her husband’s second term. In recent months, she has participated in more interviews and public appearances, indicating an increased involvement in her role as First Lady. She traveled with him four days after the inauguration to survey the hurricane disaster in North Carolina and the wildfire devastation in Los Angeles.

Mrs. Trump returns to the White House as only the second First Lady born outside the United States and the only one to become a naturalized U.S.

citizen. Louisa Adams, wife of the sixth president, John Quincy Adams, was born a U.S. citizen in London, England, in 1775 because her father was an American merchant. She did not have to go through naturalization, as did Mrs. Trump.

Born Melanija Knavs on April 26, 1970, the First Lady grew up in Sevnica, Slovenia, where her father sold cars, and her mother worked in the textile industry.

She attended the University of Ljubljana for a year before leaving to pursue a modeling career.

Under the name Melania Knauss, she found success in Milan and Paris before moving to New York City in 1996. She appeared in high-profile advertising campaigns and worked with renowned photographers in the fashion industry.

The Trumps first met in 1998 and were married in 2005. They have one son, Barron, born in 2006. In her role as First Lady,

Melania has focused on initiatives impacting the lives of children through her “Be Best” campaign, which addressed issues such as well-being, online safety, and opioid abuse.

She released her memoir, “Melania,” in October, offering an intimate portrait of her life, including her journey from Slovenia, modeling career, marriage to the president, and experiences during his first term. She also wrote about her personal challenges, such as the 2024 assassination attempt on her husband and the 2022 FBI raid on their Mar-a-Lago estate, where agents rifled through her personal belongings.

Melania Trump is recognized worldwide and is an elegant and deserving partner to the president. He frequently mentions the First Lady, famously quoting her reactions to his appearances and her request to clean up his language.

President Trump addresses the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Credit: News Feed

First Lady Melania Trump

Credit: Régine Mahaux

ByDeborahWilliams

Trump Keeps Promise Pardons Maliciously Prosecuted Pro-Life Advocates

The day before the recent March for Life Rally in Washington, D.C. President Trump followed through with his campaign promise to pardon pro-life advocates who had been maliciously prosecuted by the Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

The FACE Act, enacted in 1994 by former President Bill Clinton, prohibits use of physical force, threat of physical force, or physical obstruction to injure, intimidate or otherwise interfere with “any class of persons [in] obtaining or providing reproductive health services.”

Those pardoned were convicted of FACE Act violations for nonviolently demonstrating outside of abortion clinics.

"They should not have been prosecuted. Many of them are elderly people," he told reporters. "This is a great honor to sign this," President Trump said. "We

released 23 people that were unjustly put in (jail) and having to do with pro-life. And, they will be released, and they'll be out very shortly. It was disgraceful what happened."

New York State Conservative Party Chairman, Gerard Kassar said, “Promises made, promises kept is not just a slogan, but a reality with a strong leader like President Trump.”

“These individuals were unjustly prosecuted and

imprisoned for non-violent charges that should have never seen the light of day. Their convictions under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act represented an alarming escalation in the use of government power to target people of faith,” added Kassar.

Those convicted were serving prison terms of 6 months up to 5 years. The Biden Justice Department lawyers wanted to make the violations felonies

Trump Signs Laken Riley Act Into Law

ByDeborahWilliams

President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act as the first law of his second term as president of the United States. The Act requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain any migrants who are accused of theft and other crimes.

The Act includes language originally from the Protect Our Law Enforcement with Immigration Control and Enforcement (POLICE) Act that was first introduced by Congressman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-Patchogue) in 2021 and reintroduced at the

start of the 119th Congress.

Laken Riley was a 22-year old nursing student at the University of Georgia when she was brutally murdered by an illegal immigrant.

"While on her run, Laken was attacked, viciously assaulted, beaten, brutalized, and murdered by an illegal alien gang member who was set loose in our country by the last administration," Trump said.

Rep. Garbarino was honored to attend the bill signing earlier today at the White House alongside President Trump, as well as advocates for and contributors to the legislation.

so that maximum punishment was available. To reach felony status prosecutors charged some people with violating the KKK Act of 1871 - a law that was put in place to protect newly freed black Americans.

The Thomas More Society’s senior counsel, Steve Crampton, pointed out that only after Roe v. Wade was overturned (with the Dobbs decision) did the Justice Department “begin rounding up pro-lifers, all around the country, for incidents that occurred years before Dobbs was even decided.”

No one supports violence or impeding anyone from proceeding on their way in any lawful activity, but there have long been criticisms that Democrat administrations, especially Biden’s Justice Department, used the FACE Act as a tool to intimidate and target Christians.

“The idea that someone can come into this country illegally and continue to commit crimes without consequence is unacceptable,” said Rep. Garbarino. “I am proud to see my provision from the POLICE Act become law. This legislation is for our law enforcement officers on the front lines of the border crisis, for Laken Riley, for Sarah Root, and for the countless other Americans who have suffered at the hands of criminal migrants.”

The House vote on the Act was 264 to 159, with 48 Democrats voting with Republicans in support. All Republicans voted yes while thirteen New York Democrat members voted ‘no’. New York Democrats who voted yes were Ritchie Torres, Tom

Kassar added, “The Conservative Party has been calling for the release of the 23 pro-lifers who were simply exercising their constitutional right to free speech and religious expression. These cases are a clear demonstration of how federal laws have been misapplied and justice distorted. These 23 individuals are now free to go back to their lives, rejoice with family and friends, and can continue to stand up for the unborn without fear of a weaponized DOJ hunting them down.”

A Senate bill has been introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) that would dismantle the FACE Act. Conservative lawmakers have long argued that Democrats have weaponized it against pro-life groups and Christians.

"No administration in history has targeted Christians like the Biden Admin. We saw one persecution after another, from shutting down churches during COVID-19 to raiding pro-lifer's homes at the crack of dawn. EVERY pro-life prisoner Biden wrongly imprisoned should be pardoned," Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., wrote in an X post.

Suozzi, Josh Riley, Joe Morelle, John Mannion, and Laura Gillen.

In the Senate, just twelve Democrats joined Republicans to pass this commonsense bill.

New York’s Senators Schumer and Gillibrand both voted ‘no’.

Laken Riley’s killer had a criminal history and had been arrested several times in the U.S., only to be released under the Biden-Harris administration’s lax immigration procedures.

The final text of the bill, passed by the House and Senate and signed into law by President Trump on January 29, 2025, includes a provision from Rep. Garbarino’s POLICE Act that explicitly makes assaulting a law enforcement officer a deportable offense.

The Laken Riley Act will require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue detainers and take custody of illegal immigrants “effectively and expeditiously” when they commit certain crimes, including theft, burglary, larceny, and shoplifting offenses; assault on a law enforcement officer; and crimes resulting in serious bodily injury.

The Act will also mandate that ICE detain such illegal immigrants until they can be removed from the country and authorize state governments to sue for injunctive relief over immigration enforcement decisions that harm the state or its residents.

Credit: Getty Images

President Donald Trump signs pardon of pro-life demonstrators.

Credit: X/Twitter

Credit: X/Twitter

Credit: Congressman Garbarino's Office

President Donald Trump and Laken Riley’s mother at the signing of the Laken Riley Act. Laken Riley

Congressman Garbarino at the White House with leadership from law enforcement groups following bill signing.

NATION

ByRobertChartuk

Shanahan's 15 Minutes of Fame Not Yet Up

Few people had heard of Nicole Shanahan until Robert Kennedy named her as his running mate in the 2024 presidential election. After dropping out of the race to support President Trump and becoming his choice to run the Department of Health and Human Services, Kennedy stayed in the limelight. But what of Shanahan? Has she faded into obscurity? The answer is no.

Shanahan came out swinging when Kennedy was roughed up during his Senate confirmation hearings, vowing to fund aggressive election challenges against anyone going after him. This was no idle threat. Shanahan is the ex-wife of Google founder Sergey Brin, the seventh richest person in the world, and can back up her threat with considerable resources.

She’s also very passionate about Kennedy’s key issue, MAHA— Make America Healthy Again. The former Democrat supporter is fomenting a national movement of moms and dads wondering why their children are so sick, why America is so unhealthy. Kennedy promises to get to the bottom of it, taking on the pharmaceutical and food industries, and Shanahan will suffer no fool who gets in his way.

“The moms are pissed. I'm pissed watching the line of questioning

that Bobby has had to endure. The last two days of questions from individuals that have received millions upon millions of dollars directly from the pharmaceutical companies have been infuriating,”

Shanahan said in an interview on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast. “It’s time to clean out this mess from our government.”

According to the former vice presidential candidate, Kennedy’s appearance before the Senate was a historic moment in U.S. history, shedding light on an issue affecting millions. “That many families are impacted by this malfeasance, that's why today is historic, Shanahan said. “It's sad that it is historic. It's sad because it indicates how big of a problem we have on our hands today.”

An advocate of reforming the agriculture and food industries to

provide more healthy choices to Americans, Shanahan said she took her concerns to New York Senator Chuck Schumer, who asked for her help electing Democrats involved in tight races. She believes her support helped turn the tide in Georgia, pushing Senators Raphael Warnock and John Ossoff over the finish line. When it came time for them to address her issues, they were nowhere to be found.

“I was wrong to ever trust these people. And many Democrats are opening up to this acceptance that they were wrong,” Shanahan remorsed. “They were misguided. They were lied to. And it's all this bait and switch. And that's what the party's been. Nobody in their right mind can continue to support that.”

The manager of a well-financed Super PAC, the billionaire issued a stern warning to the senators not aboard the MAHA train. “While Bobby may be willing to play nice, I won't. If you vote against him, I will personally fund challengers to primary you in your next election, and I will enlist hundreds of thousands to join me. Big Pharma and Big Ag have exploited us for far too long,” she stated. “It ends now. You're either on the side of transparency and accountability, or you are standing in the way. The choice is yours. Please choose wisely.”

An attorney and entrepreneur,

Shanahan founded the BiaEcho Foundation, which aims to accelerate social change in order to establish a fair and equitable society for future generations to thrive. They invest in changemakers at the forefront of innovation who are tackling some of the world’s greatest challenges within the core areas of investment: reproductive longevity and equality, criminal justice reform, and a healthy and livable planet.

Trump Lays Down...

Continued from page 16

On a subject close to his heart, Trump referenced a historic Executive Order ending the weaponization of law enforcement against the American people and, “frankly, against politicians, and restored the fair, equal, and impartial rule of law.” He took action to abolish all discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion rules, policies that were “absolute nonsense,” throughout the government and the private sector. With the recent Supreme Court decision, he said America will once again become a meritbased country. “You have to hear that word: merit-based country,” he exhorted the Davos crowd.

Adding icing to his anti-woke cake, Trump announced that the official policy of the United States recognizes only two genders, male and female, prohibits men in women’s sports and girls’

bathrooms, and bans transgender operations.

In another game-changing announcement, Trump said he will ask all NATO nations to increase defense spending from 2% of their GDP to 5%, “which is what it should have been years ago. I insisted that they pay, and they did, because the United States was really paying the difference at that time, and it was unfair to the United States.”

Before even taking office, Trump revealed that his team negotiated a ceasefire agreement in the Middle East, “which wouldn’t have happened without us, as I think most of the people in the room know.“ He noted that efforts to secure a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine are underway, adding, “It’s so important to get that done. That is an absolute killing field. It’s time to end it.”

Nicole Shanahan

Credit: Bia-Echo Foundation

HISTORY LESSONS

BY RICHARD ACRITELLI

"Monsters exist, but they are too few in number to be truly dangerous. More dangerous are the common men, the functionaries ready to believe and to act without asking questions."

— Holocaust Survivor Primo Levi

The above words were written by Levi, an Italian-Jewish citizen who served with the partisans during World War II and was caught by the Fascists government. Threatened to be shot by the Fascists, he admitted that he was Jewish and was taken to a prisoner camp. Later, the Nazi’s deported Levi to the death camp at Auschwitz, Poland, in January 1944. This chemist survived the murderous brutality of this camp and a year later, Levi was one of 700 Italian-Jews that survived out of 7,000 that were sent to Auschwitz.

After the war, Levi wrote about his time at Auschwitz through his book “If This Is a Man.” His above words were recently echoed by Holocaust survivors, as they recalled the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by the Soviet military.

Today, the survivors of Auschwitz were most likely younger adults and children that somehow survived this extermination camp and lived with these horrific memories for the rest of their lives. Originally, Polish army barracks were built outside of the town of Oświęcim, an area of southern Poland that was annexed by the German government. After the massive arrests of Polish resistance, intellectuals, Jews, and later Soviet prisoners of war, this camp was situated near railroad lines to deport perceived “threats” of Hitler from all over Europe. After the Wannsee Conference on January 20th, 1940, it was ordered by SS General Reinhard Heydrich that the “Final Solution” of European Jewry would be carried out by the government agencies that met in this suburb outside of Berlin.

Almost 10 months after the start of World War II, Auschwitz opened on June 14th, 1940, as one of the primary locations to carry out the task of killing the 11 million European Jews. Many of the victims and survivors walked into this camp under the “Arbeit Macht Frei” (Work Sets You Free) sign. In an act of defiance, the imprisoned workers that made this sign, created the “B” in Arbeit upside down. Rudolf Franz Ferdinand Höss was the commandant of Auschwitz, and he was responsible for carrying out mass murder that was seen at this death camp. After speaking to SS Colonel Adolf Eichmann and watching the extermination operations at Treblinka, Höss initiated the use of Zyklon B to quickly carry out genocide at Auschwitz.

Höss had his family quartered near the brutality and killing that took place at Auschwitz and at the Nuremberg trials that began on November 20th, 1945, he was questioned about his responsibilities

to carry out his orders. American Army Captain Gustave Mark Gilbert asked Höss about his conscience and if he was morally conflicted over his job to zealously watch over the killing of over 1 million people. Höss responded that as a “SS” man, he was taught to obey orders without questioning them. He told Gilbert that he considered himself “normal” for being a major perpetrator of the Holocaust and stated, “Even while doing this extermination work, I led a perfectly normal family life.”

Auschwitz I, began its operations on May 20th, 1940, as there were over 232,000 children who were sent to this part of this death camp. Imprisoning between 15,00020,000 inmates at any one time, most of the prisoners lived in former Polish military barracks that were expanded by the Germans. By 1944, there were 16,000 prisoners held at this part of this death camp that became the main area for the commandant of Auschwitz I, the SS garrison officers and forces. This section determined the amount of labor, supply stores, and workshops were guarded by SS companies of soldiers. By October 1944, thousands of women inmates in Auschwitz I were used to make artillery shell fuses for the German army.

Less than two miles away from Auschwitz, the Birkenau camp was the largest part of this death center that was built in 1941. The Germans confiscated this land from Polish citizens and their houses were destroyed to build this portion of the “Final Solution” that was conducted at Birkenau. Most of the people that stepped off the trains had no chance of survival, as they were documented, stripped of their belongings, and generations of families were murdered. Birkenau was expanded to kill over 1.3 million Jews, homosexuals, Gypsies, Jehovah's Witnesses, Soviet prisoners of war and other “selfperceived” threats to the Nazis.

In 1944, as German forces were defeated on the Eastern and Western Fronts and were within one year of losing this war, Eichmann accelerated the “Final Solution.” He demanded that all occupied governments turn over Jews that ranged from the English Channel in France, through occupied Europe, and the Greek islands in the Mediterranean Sea, where many of them were sent to Auschwitz. By April of 1944, the Hungarian Jewish community was targeted by Eichmann who sought the destruction of the last remaining intact group of Jews in Europe. After repeated calls by the SS to arrest their Jews, the Hungarian government, a military ally of Germany, succumbed to the pressure of Eichmann to place this large Jewish population in ghettos before they were transported to Auschwitz.

With almost 500,000 Jews

Remembering the Important History of Auschwitz on the 80th Anniversary of Liberation

threatened by Nazi Germany, full trainloads of people were sent to Auschwitz under the direction of Eichmann. A former architecture student at the University of Michigan, Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg gained American funding through the War Refugee Board to save as many Jews as possible through his “Schutz-Pass.” He established houses that were owned by the Swedish government and flew its flag to protect Jews from being arrested. Wallenberg met with Eichmann and told him directly that he would try to save this Jewish population. Eichmann admitted that as Germany was bound to lose this war, he would carry out the “Final Solution” until the very end.

In almost two months, about 440,000 Jews were transported from Hungary in 145 trains arriving at Auschwitz to be murdered. With the Germans being defeated on the battlefield, Hitler’s government and SS killed over 68% of the last major European Jewry population. At the end of the war, Wallenberg was never seen again after he met with the Soviet military and secret police, he was arrested by them and accused of being a western spy. Opposing the evil of Eichmann in Budapest, Wallenberg risked his own life, used the cover of his government, and defied Eichmann to save over 100,000 Jews. Former Soviet Union government officials filed conflicting reports over the fate of Wallenberg, as decades after this war, his stories of heroism saved some of the Hungarian Jews from certain death at Auschwitz. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan made Wallenberg an honorary American citizen, being the first person since Prime Minister Winston Churchill to gain this national distinction.

At 15 years old, Elie Wiesel, a Hungarian Jew, was deported with his family to Auschwitz. Right away, Wiesel’s mother and sister were killed in the gas chamber, but he managed to stay alive with his father. Before the Soviet Union liberated Auschwitz, the SS forced thousands of survivors out of this camp through a “death march” into the interior of Germany. A physically weakened Wiesel and his father headed through brutally cold weather to reach Buchenwald. Just before this camp was liberated by General George S. Patton’s Third Army on April 11th, 1945. Wiesel’s father died of dysentery and this Holocaust account was later written by him in the major book of “Night.”

Buna/Monowitz was the third largest part of the Auschwitz prisoner and camp system. Making a massive slave labor system that was connected by railroads, Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler believed that this part of Auschwitz would serve to support parts of the industrial German war effort. Connected to the massive German firm of I.G. Farben, both the government and this company

used parts of Auschwitz to make artificial rubber. Farther away from the Soviet lines, Auschwitz not only killed people, but used massive slave labor to make war materials.

There were about 4 hundred thousand people that were forced to work in the massive factories that produced methanol, isooctane, carbide, etc. Many of these resources were made at the massive Buna/ Monowitz complex that spanned almost 8 miles. One third of the 29,000 workers that were used by I.G. Farben were Jewish. This major company knew of the mass killings at Birkenau, they realized the poor treatment of workers, and that if the war lasted longer, much of this slave labor would have been killed. Even as the Soviet military approached Auschwitz, there were attempts to widen the construction of manufacturing. But the shortage of skilled workers and the brutal treatment of the inmates diminished the materials that were built.

As it was difficult to conduct escapes and revolts against the overwhelming strength of the German SS and military that ran these camps, against immense odds, some of them did occur. Through the 1943 partial prisoner uprising and escape at Sobibor and the failed escape attempt at Treblinka, both camps were immediately closed and dismantled. Near the same time that Wiesel was at Auschwitz, the “Sonderkommando” were mostly Jewish labor that was responsible for handling the bodies from the gas chambers and crematoriums. Organizing resistance against the killing operations at Birkenau, these inmates surprised the guards and attacked them with tools, some hidden weapons, and they destroyed a crematorium. None of these inmates survived this operation against the SS to slow down the “Final Solution.”

After Poland fell to the Nazis after September 1st, 1939, Witold Pilecki, a former army captain, was a leader of the Polish resistance, and created an underground intelligence gathering system. A year later, rumors circulated about crimes that were committed against the people that were taken to Auschwitz, and Pilecki volunteered to enter this camp. To protect his family, Pilecki, a Catholic, was purposely arrested with papers stating that he was Jewish. Pilecki arrived at Auschwitz with the goal of collecting and sending information about the nature of this camp to the Polish resistance, where they forwarded these reports to the Allies. Pilecki assumed the name Tomasz Serafiński, was tattooed with number 4859, looked like and lived in the same poor conditions as the other inmates, and he recorded all the SS security and killing operations of this death camp.

Pilecki created an organized system of resistance and continually requested that an outside diversion

attack should be waged by the Polish resistance or the Allies. Organizing opposition against the SS, Pilecki believed that if an attack was carried out, he had the ability to take over Auschwitz from the inside. While Pilecki’s description was smuggled out of Auschwitz and to the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS), nothing was done. Pilecki sent numerous messages to the resistance to attack the railroad lines, crematoriums, and German military strength, only to wait in vain. He survived for 947 days in an environment that saw prisoners only live for 42 days through the meager food that was allocated to them. When no help was directed to assault Auschwitz, Pilecki worked in the bread bakery and with two other prisoners, he managed to escape.

Before liberation, Soviet-led Ukrainian soldiers learned of the existence of Auschwitz, when they captured Kraków. When Pilecki made it back to the resistance, they refused to assault Auschwitz before it was taken over by the Soviets. Later, Pilecki fought against the Germans in the Warsaw Uprising, was taken as a prisoner of war, and was freed by American soldiers in the West. Before going home, he was ordered to serve as an intelligence officer with the Polish military in Italy.

In Poland, Pilecki was arrested, interrogated, and hung for being an accused traitor for giving reports to the Free Polish Government in London. It was not until the end of the Cold War did Pilecki’s family learn about his mission to infiltrate Auschwitz and to expose these crimes to the world. Several months before Pilecki escaped from Auschwitz, President Franklin D. Roosevelt on December 8th, 1941, addressed the American people about the mass German killings of Jews and other groups in Europe. Whereas the American bomber crews massively operated over the skies of Europe during World War II, Roosevelt and Churchill controversially believed that the only way to save the Jews that were held by the Germans, was to win the war. Pilecki advocated for a land and air attack against the operations at Auschwitz that at its highest capacity of operations, killed 10,000 people per day.

It was not until the end of the war, when American soldiers fought through parts of Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia, did they fully witness the “Final Solution” in Europe. The Holocaust has always been a stark warning to protect and ensure the global human rights of all people. Eighty years later, the remaining survivors of this death camp met to recall the sheer terror of the Nazi government and to warn the world that these crimes against humanity should never be permitted to happen again.

BY NANCY BURNER, ESQ.

This decision should be based on three main things: 1) the type of trust are you creating; 2) the assets you are putting into the trust; 3) dynamics of the family or others involved.

The type of trust you are establishing is a factor in determining the amount of trustees you want to select. If you are establishing a revocable trust, you will likely be the initial sole trustee, unless you decide to name your spouse or someone else as co-trustee. It should be clear in the document who will act should you lose capacity or upon your death; this can be one person or multiple. The choice of trustee is more immediate with an irrevocable Medicaid Asset Protection Trust because the creator of the trust must relinquish control of the trust assets from the moment

of creation to ensure maximum protection. While you can maintain the right to change the trustee, you must initially decide if you will have one or more trustees serving.

The assets that you choose to fund the trust with may dictate the best trustee for the job. If the trust is going to hold only real property, you may want to choose a trustee with experience with this type of asset. Similarly, if the trust will hold investment assets, you will want to think about the qualifications of the trustee to manage such accounts. Exactly what goes into the trust can help you determine “who?” and “how many?”

Family dynamics may be the most important indicator of who should serve. Co-trustees with the ability to act separately can be a great idea if you think the trustees will work well together. But if you think there

may be friction, one trustee at a time may be your best bet. In New York, the default law is that “majority rules” for decisions by trustees when there are at least three trustees, and unanimous decision is required if only two trustees. However, the terms of the trust will control. You can avoid

family serving yours since 1976

) 281-6435 RomaFuneralHome@yahoo.com www.romafuneralhome.com

conflict by including language in your trust that dictates how to resolve specific disagreements. It is best to attempt to avoid conflict altogether because when co-trustees disagree, the beneficiaries of the trust suffer.

Careful planning and difficult conversations during life can

LIBRARY LIVING

BY TARA D’AMATO

Assistant Library Director

often prevent difficult disputes after life. No one wants to leave behind a task for people they care about that has the potential to cause dispute. Understanding family dynamics and revisiting them every few years after the creation of the trust can encourage problem-solving and teamwork amongst trustees and beneficiaries. Transparency is usually the best route, but you should work with your attorney to overcome potential weaknesses in your estate plan or help mediate once you are gone.

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

Stream Grammy Winners with Freegal Music

The Grammy Awards just happened, and did you know you can hear the winners by using free music downloads from your library? Anyone with a library card has free access to over 15 million songs from more than 28,000 labels, including the entire Sony Music catalogue. With the Freegal Music service, library cardholders

• Have a weekly download limit of 5 songs to keep and a streaming limit of three (3) hours daily. Library cardholders can keep track of individual download selections in the upper right corner of the site. Every song has a sample clip that you can listen to before completing a download, but you must be logged into the website to enjoy the sample clips.

• Enjoy easy access: Library cardholders will start by going to the

library’s designated website portal: http://www. communitylibrary.org/ digital and click “music”. Downloads on the website are in MP3 format with no DRM; also available are music videos in the MP4 format with no DRM. This service will work on almost any computer, player, tablet or smartphone. The Freegal Music mobile app is free in the Apple® App Store and Google® Play. Library staff will help cardholders with their first download and/ or set up an app for their device.

• Enjoy music videos, which cost two of your

allotted three weekly downloads. You’ll be unable to download a music video without two available downloads.

• Query the search engine, which provides both a simple and advanced search and will return results primarily by the album name from which the song originated.

Freegal Music is a program that appeals to all age groups. From the latest Billboard hits to children’s songs for a long car ride, to classical, jazz, gospel or show music--your Library has something to offer for everyone to listen to.

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

MAKER SPACE CLASSES

Silver Sneaker Full-Body Workout

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

Marketing

Held at our Main Building.

Your Small Business Using the Makerspace

Registration begins Friday, January 24.

Wednesday, February 19

7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Held at our Main Building.

Everyone Loves a Story

What’s on your Nightstand?

Thursday, February 13, 6:00 – 7:00 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.

Registration begins Wednesday, February 5. Looking for ways to promote your small business through swag and giveaways?

Come explore the possibilities that the Makerspace has to offer. Learn how you can put your logo, slogan, or other marketing content on objects such as mugs, keychains, embroidered patches, t-shirts, posters, and more!

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.

Crafting with Cricut: Painted Boards

Tuesday, February 25

2:00 – 4:00 p.m. or 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

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.

Held at our Main Building.

¡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.

Registration begins Tuesday, February 11. Join us to create your own personalized sign to decorate your home or office. In this class, will take an unfinished wooden board and paint it. Then we will use the Cricut to cut a design we will apply to the wooden board. Participants will learn how to navigate Cricut’s Design Space and create a customized design, cut by our Cricut machine. Materials for this craft will be provided (limit to one per registrant).

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 to see a list of upcoming authors and to register.

Tuesday, February 18, 2:00 p.m.

SATURDAY MOVIE MATINEES

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

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Saturday, February 1

To Kill a Mockingbird (NR) 1962

Saturday, February 8

King Richard (PG-13) 2021

Saturday, February 15

Hidden Figures (PG-13) 2016

Saturday, February 22

Freedom Writers (PG) 2007

LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF SUFFOLK

U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSRMF MH MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST

II, Plaintiff AGAINST DORA W. CHAN, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered February 2, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on February 18, 2025 at 10:30AM, premises known as 20 West Lake Drive, Patchogue, NY 11772. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Patchogue, in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York, District 0204, Section 012.00, Block 04.00, Lot 003.000. Approximate amount of judgment $469,615.02 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #610027/2018. Only Bank or Certified check payable to the Referee will be accepted for the downpayment. No third party check or cash will be accepted. Andrea Denicola, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 16003669 83603

L16147 - 01/15/2025, 01/22/2025, 01/29/2025 & 02/05/2025

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK

DITECH FINANCIAL LLC, -against-

STEVEN C. BRUMMERLOH, 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 November 25, 2024, wherein DITECH FINANCIAL LLC is the Plaintiff and STEVEN C. BRUMMERLOH, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will

sell at public auction at the BROOKHAVEN TOWN HALL, 1 INDEPENDENCE HILL, FARMINGVILLE, NY 11738, on February 20, 2025 at 10:30AM, premises known as 42 CRESTWOOD LANE, FARMINGVILLE, NY 11738; and the following tax map identification: 0200599.00-08.00-029.000.

ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND SITUATE, LYING AND BEING AT LAKE RONKONKOMA, TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK AND STATE OF NEW YORK

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 606046/2019. Annette Eaderesto, 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.

L16150 - 01/22/2025, 01/29/2025, 02/05/2025 & 02/12/2025

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF SUFFOLK MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC, Plaintiff AGAINST PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR OF SUFFOLK COUNTY AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF ELIZABETH RYDER, WHO WAS THE SURVIVING SPOUSE OF WALTER RYDER, JOHN RYDER AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF ELIZABETH RYDER, WHO WAS THE SURVIVING SPOUSE OF WALTER RYDER, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 31, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence

Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on February 24, 2025 at 1:30PM, premises known as 51 Morning Drive, Centereach, NY 11720. 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 442.00, Block 06.00, Lot 037.000. Approximate amount of judgment $382,685.97 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #600757/2020. Jonathan A. Baum, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 18-001871 83883

L16152 - 01/22/2025, 01/29/2025, 02/05/2025 & 02/12/2025

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK

MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC, -against-

THORE R. FOSS, JR., AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF PATRICIA FOSS, 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 November 21, 2024, wherein MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC is the Plaintiff and THORE R. FOSS, JR., AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF PATRICIA FOSS, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the BROOKHAVEN TOWN HALL, 1 INDEPENDENCE HILL, FARMINGVILLE, NY 11738, on February 21, 2025 at 11:00AM, premises known as 53 CHAMPLIN STREET, RONKONKOMA, NY 11779; and the following tax map identification: 0200566.00-03.00-031.000.

ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND WITH THE BUILDINGS

AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING AT RONKONKOMA, IN THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, STATE OF NEW YORK

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 621999/2021. Giuseppe T. Rosini, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

L16153 - 01/22/2025, 01/29/2025, 02/05/2025 & 02/12/2025

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF SUFFOLK Nationstar Mortgage LLC, Plaintiff AGAINST William Giangrande; Wendy Giangrande a/k/a Wendy R. Giangrande; et al., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered June 21, 2022, and Amended December 18, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on February 26, 2025 at 10:30AM, premises known as 119 Holbrook Road, Holbrook, NY 11741. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk, State of NY, District 0200 Section 727.00 Block 05.00 Lot 010.000. Approximate amount of judgment $734,335.93 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 064294/2013. The

auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the 10th Judicial District.

Annette Eaderesto, Esq., Referee

LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC

Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792

Dated: December 30, 2024

L16154 - 01/22/2025, 01/29/2025, 02/05/2025 & 02/12/2025

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT SUFFOLK COUNTY

MID-ISLAND MORTGAGE CORP., Plaintiff against MUHAMMET OZEN, et al Defendant(s)

Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Stern & Eisenberg, P.C., 20 Commerce Drive, Suite 230, Cranford, NJ 07016 and 1131 Route 55, Suite 1, Lagrangeville, NY 12540. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered August 21, 2023, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on March 5, 2025 at 11:00 AM. Premises known as 1 Ellen Ct, Lake Grove, NY 11755. District 0208 Sec 008.00 Block 11.00 Lot 029.000. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Lake Grove, Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $412,399.72 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 605329/2016. For sale information, please visit www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832. During the COVID-19 health emergency, Bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of the 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. Should a bidder fail to comply, the Referee may refuse to accept any bid, cancel the closing and hold the bidder in default. 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.

Steven P. Bertolino, Esq., Referee File # NY202200000067-1

L16156 - 01/29/2025, 02/05/2025, 02/12/2025 & 02/19/2025

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT SUFFOLK COUNTY

U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCAF ACQUISITION TRUST, Plaintiff against VINCENT DELLORCO, et al Defendant(s)

Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Leopold & Associates, PLLC, 80 Business Park Drive, Suite 110, Armonk, NY 10504. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered September 17, 2024, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738 on March 4, 2025 at 10:00 AM. Premises known as 108 Riviera Drive, Mastic, NY 11950. District 0200 Sec 882.00 Block 07.00 Lot 040.001. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Township of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $268,055.96 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 203289/2022. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 10th Judicial District's Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce

LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES

any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing.

Daniel J. Panico, Esq., Referee File # 10601958

L16157 - 01/29/2025, 02/05/2025, 02/12/2025 & 02/19/2025

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

COUNTY OF SUFFOLK

INDEX # 602624/2024

Filed Date: 8/8/2024

Supplemental Summons

Plaintiff designates Suffolk County as the place of trial based on the location of the mortgaged premises in this action

Mortgaged Premises: 2368 Louis Kossuth Avenue, Ronkonkoma, New York 11779

DLJ MORTGAGE

CAPITAL INC., Plaintiff, against JOHN E. STROH SR. AS HEIR AT LAW AND NEXT OF KIN

TO EUGENE ROBERT

STROH A/K/A EUGENE

R. STROH A/K/A EUGENE

STROH; PATRICK JAMES

STROH AS HEIR AT LAW AND NEXT OF KIN TO EUGENE ROBERT STROH

A/K/A EUGENE R. STROH

A/K/A EUGENE STROH; DARLENE ANN MCGEE

STROH A/K/A DARLENE ANN STROH AS HEIR AT LAW AND NEXT OF KIN TO EUGENE ROBERT

STROH A/K/A EUGENE R. STROH A/K/A EUGENE

STROH if living, and if dead, the respective heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignors, 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 of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and their respective husbands, wives or widow, if any, and each and every person not specifically named who may be entitled to or claim to have any right, title or interest in the property described in the verified complaint; all of whom and whose names and places of residence unknown, and cannot after diligent inquiry be ascertained by the Plaintiff; JOHN DOE AND JANE DOE 1 THROUGH 50, INTENDING TO

BE THE UNKNOWN HEIRS, DISTRIBUTEES, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, TRUSTEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, AND ASSIGNEES OF THE ESTATE OF EUGENE ROBERT STROH A/K/A EUGENE R. STROH A/K/A EUGENE STROH, WHO WAS BORN IN 1935 AND DIED ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2021, A RESIDENT OF SUFFOLK COUNTY, WHOSE LAST KNOWN ADDRESS WAS 2368 LOUIS KOSSUTH AVENUE, RONKONKOMA, NEW YORK 11779, THEIR SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST IF ANY OF THE AFORESAID DEFENDANTS BE DECEASED, THEIR RESPECTIVE HEIRS AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN, AND SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST OF THE AFORESAID CLASSES OF PERSON, IF THEY OR ANY OF THEM BE DEAD, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE HUSBANDS, WIVES OR WIDOWS, IF ANY, ALL OF WHOM AND WHOSE NAMES AND PLACES, ARE UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFF; CLERK OF THE SUFFOLK COUNTY DISTRICT COURT; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA O/B/O INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBORHOODS LLC; TOWN SUPERVISOR TOWN OF ISLIP; CLERK OF THE SUFFOLK COUNTY TRAFFIC & PARKING VIOLATIONS AGENCY; PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; "JOHN DOE #1" to "JOHN DOE #10," the last 10 names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the persons or parties, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the mortgaged premises described in the complaint , Defendants. 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 attorneys within twenty (20) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York); 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.

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 (DLJ MORTGAGE CAPITAL INC.) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. This action was commenced to foreclose a mortgage against property located at 2368 Louis Kossuth Avenue, Ronkonkoma, New York 11779 McCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC By: CAREN BAILEY, ESQ. Attorneys for Plaintiff 1 Huntington Quadrangle, Suite 4N25 Melville, NY 11747 631-812-4084 855845-2584 facsimile File # 23301647 HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE NEW YORK STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE SEND YOU THIS NOTICE ABOUT THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS.

PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. IF YOU FAIL TO RESPOND TO THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR HOME. PLEASE READ THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT CAREFULLY. YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT AN ATTORNEY OR YOUR LOCAL LEGAL AID OFFICE TO OBTAIN ADVICE ON HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE The State encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid office, there are government agencies and non- profit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Department of Financial Services at 1-800-342-3736 or visit the Department`s website at www.dfs.ny.gov RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AT THIS TIME. You have the right to stay in your home during the foreclosure process. You are not required to leave your home unless and until your property is sold at auction pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale. Regardless of whether you choose to remain in your home, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY and pay property taxes in accordance with state and local law. FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS Be careful of people who approach you with offers to "save" your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner`s distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law

requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services. § 1303

NOTICE

L16160 - 01/29/2025, 02/05/2025, 02/12/2025 & 02/19/2025

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

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

The Board of Education of Longwood Central School District invites the submission of sealed bids for:

Bid# 030525-1 Printing of Custom Paper Products

Bids will be received until: 11:00 A.M., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2025 at the Longwood Central School District, Central Administrative Building, Purchasing Department, 35 Yaphank Middle Island Road, Middle Island, NY 11953-2369 at which time and place all bids will be publicly read consecutively in numerical order as listed above. All bids must be submitted to the Purchasing Department on or before the date and time of opening in sealed envelopes, bearing on the outside the name and

LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES •

address of the bidder and the title of the bid. Any bids received after the time and date specified will not be considered.

Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from the district’s website www.longwood.k12.ny.us/ departments/businessoffice/bids, Empire State Purchasing Group’s website

www.bidnetdirect.com, or at the above office, weekdays, between 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Bid prices will be irrevocable for a minimum period of

forty-five (45) days from the date of the bid opening. The Board of Education reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or to award contracts which, in its judgment, are

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TVs

BY TOM BARTON

It's that time of year again where the public starts to get ready to make very public led bets and that is when smart bettors will take advantage.

The big game is of course going to be heavily bet by both the public and professional bettors alike, but with legalized sports betting exploding into 39 states over the past few years prop plays have become the new flavor of the week. It seems everyone with a microphone or whoever played football has an opinion of player prop bets and every of age college kid is using their fantasy stats to see what props will hit this week.

Once again that is good for the swift sports bettor. The public loves betting the Super Bowl, they love betting prop plays, but most of all they love betting overs on player prop play. This is where you can zag while they zig. Being counter to the public isn't always a winning formula. In fact in December Nevada sports books lost the most

money they have since 2012, so the public has been riding high, but with prop plays and overs it's a winning formula.

So this year why not be the grinch that stole the Super Bowl and bet under some player props and make yourself some money, especially if you're one of the millions of people who will watch the game, but don't really have a rooting interest.

The easiest under for props this year come with the player who will absolutely garner the most attention and that is Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes has been, and will be all over your television this week and anyone with a C-note in their pocket will know who #15 in red for the big game. That gives us a chance to look at the inflated lines and hit some unders.

Patrick Mahomes passing total number is set at 252 passing yards. While that might not seem like that much for someone who walks on water the way Mahomes looks at times, the numbers say this is an

Be A Party Pooper This Super Bowl

under bet. First, we have the Eagles secondary which has allowed the second-fewest passing yards in the NFL this year, letting up just 189 yards per game. Then you have the fact this Chiefs team all season has been a defense first and control the ball attack. Mahomes has gone under this passing total in exactly half of his games this season and in both playoff games. We can also look at the last time these two met up in the Super Bowl and Mahomes

passed for under 200 yards in that game.

Mahomes under 24 completions also can be tied to this play with the same data. Under 35 1/2 yard as his longest completion has hit in 10 of the last 13 games and while I won't touch his rushing stats it should be noted that the line has had a drastic move down already.

It's not just Mahomes we can bet against though as Saquon Barkely makes for a good bet against as

well. Barkley is all-world, but he is overpriced right now. His 112 1/2 yards rushing is a tempting under, but Barkley scares me just enough to lay off. Barkley under 25 1/2 yards for his longest rush however is certainly in play. The Chiefs will make a concentrated effort to pull out all the stops to slow Barkley down. They might wear down but the big plays will be lacking as they put a spy on him to keep him in check. We might see a 15- or even 20-yard burst, but this number being over 25 is almost unheard of and the value is there for an under.

To close this out the five most bet plays right now for the Super Bowl are all overs. Dallas Goedert receiving yards, Xavier Worthy rushing yards, Patrick Mahomes rushing attempts and both of Barkley's rushing yards per game and longest rush in the game. If you want to be a party pooper and root against both teams, it can be profitable this Super Bowl Sunday.

Fantasy Baseball - Three Youngsters to Win Your League

ByTomBarton

As we head into February and the talk around the sports world is about the upcoming Super Bowl with some people's sights set on March Madness already, a funny thing is happening in the fantasy baseball community and that is draft season is here.

For many fantasy players draft prep begins the day after the season ends, but for the large majority the grey days of February are when they really start to prepare for the season. You'll read a lot of columns talking about who to take with your first round pick, or what player to spend your bulk of cap money on, but that isn't what will win you a championship. A championship will be won or lost of those few make-or-break moves that you make who outperform their perceived value.

Let's take a look at a few of my favorite players who could win you a league title based on where they are being drafted compared to what numbers I see them posting.

Wyatt Langford is my first choice and I have been on the Langford bandwagon since last season. Langford was called up to the big leagues after torching everyone he saw and while that sort of dominance didn't continue there are a number of factors to say that a year-two breakout is coming. Langford isn't slipping in anyone's drafts too far, but by this time next

season he could be a surefire first round selection.

Langford put together a year of .253 average, with 74 RBI, 74 runs, 16 home runs and 19 stolen bases. This was a very solid overall line but it could have been much better when you take into account some surrounding factors. First off he had a home run drought that was simply bad luck. He didn't hit his first home run until 28 games into his career. We also have to look at the counting stats where the Rangers lineup dealt with a slew of injuries all season and now have one of the most potent lineups in all of baseball with Jung and Seager back. The Rangers have also committed to allowing his blazing speed to be more of an asset this season, so the steals should rise.

The most telling sign of a breakout though is his September

numbers. Langford hit 8 home runs in the month, coupled with 20 RBI, 25 runs, 7 steals and he batted .300. Let's not be too bold and expect a 40/40 .300 season from Langford but a 30/30 season with 90+ runs and RBI to go along with a .275 or so average is a dynamic player... oh and he is just 23 years old. This could be a league winner.

Another potential league winner is James Wood. Wood is a hulking specimen at the plate standing at 6'7" 234 pounds and the scary thing is he's light on his feet as well. Wood only hit 9 home runs in his just about 300 at bats but he graded out as elite in both exit velo and hard hit rates, so there is plenty more to come. For a big man he certainly can move as evidenced by his 14 stolen bases and with 40+ runs and RBI in an improving Nats lineup we have a very solid third OF.

But, there is much more left on the bone for Wood and that could make him a league winner. If you are a glass-half-full type of fantasy player then Wood has the makings of a first-two-rounds type of player. It's not hard to imagine the 25+ steals with 90+ runs and RBI. That leaves only the power which he lacked last season. The thing is Wood has had power at every stop and if you are gambling on a power bat to rediscover his mashing ways why not bank on a 22-year-old who stands as tall as Aaron Judge?

Continued on page 31

Half

Hollow Hills

Fencing

Is as Sharp as Ever

ByTomBarton

Credit: Section XI - Suffolk County Athletics | Facebook HHH Fencing

The Half Hollow Hills Boys Fencing team have finished a perfect season.

The team completed an undefeated regular season for the first time in program history this week. With that unblemished record Half Hollow Hills are also League I Champions for the third

consecutive year. The team ended up with a 13-0 record overall and that included their 8-0 record in league play. With their final win over Commack, 22-5, Austin Kim went 3-0 in sabre and Elias Alafifi went 3-0 in foil to lead the way. Playoffs will begin this week, and Half Hollow Hills will host the semifinal game on Tuesday.

Patrick Mahomes

Wyatt Langford

Credit: @DLLS_Rangers | X

SPORTS Suffolk's Thorn Is Inducted

ByTomBarton

Eastport-South Manor Central School District's Rebecca Thorn has earned one of the highest awards anyone could get in her sport.

The varsity girls lacrosse coach has been inducted into the USA Lacrosse, Long Island Metro Lacrosse Foundation and now can call herself a Hall of Famer.

Patrick Hayes, director of health, physical education and athletics, noted that Thorn’s coaching has undoubtedly changed the varsity girls lacrosse program. During her impressive 14-year coaching career, the team has garnered 174 wins, produced 13 All-Americans and 10 Academic All-Americans, clinched seven Suffolk County titles and taken home two New York State titles.

Thorn grew up in Sachem and

then graduated from Hofstra University in 2007 where she played on the women’s lacrosse team. With Hofstra the midfielder was named team captain. In 2005 she was named to the IWLCA/Brine All-America third team selection and IWLCA/US Lacrosse AllNorth Region first team selection. While in high school she played five years of lacrosse, six years of soccer, two years of basketball and ran track for one season at Sachem High School. She earned and AllLong Island selection, was a threetime All-Suffolk County selection in lacrosse, became an Empire State Games gold medalist in 2001 and her team won Suffolk County championship in soccer as a senior.

She also played for the Long Island Yellowjackets who put out a social media statement congratulating Thorn saying, "It was another

beautiful evening celebrating one of our own in grand fashion. Very proud of our friend and colleague. A great player and coach but even a better person."

Newfield Basketball Backs Their Coach

ByTomBarton

When Newfield Head Basketball Coach Andrew Gallo found out his wife had breast cancer their world came crashing down, but out of the terrible diagnosis Gallo was able to find some light.

With constant support from his team Coach Gallo came up with the idea for Hoops for Hope. During his wife’s third day of chemotherapy treatment he was inspired to give back to the community that had shown immense generosity during such a challenging time.

During Gallo's struggles the players helped to raise awareness and donations for breast cancer.

Coach Gallo took it a step further by Choosing Positively Pink as the event sponsor. Its founder, Maria McMullen, is a close friend of his wife and a former Middle Country teacher and together they began to put together this great and meaningful event.

All proceeds from the event were donated to Positively Pink, an organization dedicated to providing women about

The Ducks Are Making Moves

ByTomBarton

The Long Island Ducks made a slew of impact moves this week as they get prepared for the upcoming season.

This week they announced the signing of catcher Justin O’Conner. This will be O'Conner's first season with the Ducks, but his 3rd season in the Atlantic League and 14th in professional baseball.

O’Conner split the 2024 season with Rieleros de Aguascalientes of the Mexican League and the Kansas City Monarchs of the American Association. Defense was his calling card and in 46 games behind the plate, he threw out 48% of runners. Offensively he had 11 home runs, 38 RBIs, 37

runs, 61 hits, eight doubles, and a .740 OPS in 75 games, earning Mexican League Mid-Season AllStar honors.

to undergo chemotherapy or mastectomy surgery with supportive care baskets valued at over $700 each, free of charge.

The event was an effort that touched so many areas of the community. From players and coaches from both sides of the district, Centerreach and Newfield, selling basketball pledges for one dollar to fans and parents to honoring those in their families or communities affected by breast cancer. These pledges were proudly displayed on the gym walls during the game for everyone to see. Additionally, players sold pledges during the

school day, engaging faculty and students in the initiative.

The pledges, combined with raffles, T-shirt sales, ribbon sales and a $1,500 donation from the organization “Team Up 4 Community,” helped them raise over $5,000.

Coach Gallo’s vision, combined with the dedication of the Newfield Boys Basketball team and the Middle Country community, turned Hoops for Hope into more than just a fundraiser—it became a heartfelt tribute to those impacted by breast cancer and a powerful testament to the strength of unity.

The 32-year-old spent his first eight seasons of his professional career with the Tampa Bay Rays organization, reaching as high as Triple-A Durham.

The Ducks also re-signed lefthanded pitcher Mitchell Senger. Senger returns for his second season with the Ducks and fifth in professional baseball.

Senger was acquired by the Ducks from the New York Boulders of the Frontier League last September. He made only two starts with the Flock, striking out nine batters and walking just one in 12.1 innings of work. But manager Lew Ford liked what he saw saying, “We saw a lot of positive things out of Mitchell at the end of the 2024 season."

The 27-year-old made 32 relief

appearances with the Boulders in 2023, with 33 strikeouts in 34.1 innings. He began his professional career in the New York Mets organization, pitching in 13 games at the rookie level.

Senger was originally selected by the Mets in the 26th round of the 2019 amateur draft from Stetson University.

And earlier in the week the Flock added what could be the biggest off season bat of the winter when they inked infielder Troy Viola. This will be his first season with the Ducks and fourth in professional baseball.

Viola is an impact bat who spent the 2024 season with the Boise Hawks. In 94 games he had a robust .343 batting average, a

.427 on-base percentage, a .639 slugging percentage and a 1.066 OPS. He ranked fourth in the Pioneer League with 28 home runs while sitting fifth in doubles and eighth in both RBIs and hits. His season was highlighted by posting a .383 batting average on the road and a stretch in which he homered in five consecutive games from July 26-31. For his efforts, he was named a Pioneer League Mid-Season All-Star.

The 26-year-old went to school at Purdue where he earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and was recognized as the team’s Defensive Player of the Year, which makes him more than just a bat only player. Viola looks like a star in the making.

Rebecca Thorn

Credit: LI_yellowjackets | instagram

Justin O'Conner

Credit: Michael Polak

Mitchell Senger

Credit: Michael Polak

Troy Viola

Credit: Michael Polak

SPORTS Stony Brook Baseball Signs a Bionic Arm

ByTomBarton

Stony Brook University’s baseball team has a new member and this player has set the record for the youngest Seawolf ever.

The team welcomed 5-yearold Jordan Marotta to the ball club this past week. Marotta is the youngest-ever recipient of a cutting-edge bionic arm.

Head coach Matt Senk said, “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Jordan Marotta to our baseball family. Jordan embodies all the qualities we look for in a Stony Brook teammate — he’s positive, enthusiastic, selfless, fearless, and fun-loving. He’s truly an inspiration to our entire program, and we are incredibly lucky to have him as a Seawolf!”

Jordan joins the Seawolves through a partnership with Team IMPACT, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children facing serious illnesses and disabilities

by connecting them with college athletic teams.

Jordan went through all of the motions that any player would before selecting his destination and then he signed his letter of intent at the Stony Brook Athletics Complex. Surrounded by his family, new teammates, Stony Brook baseball staff, and members of the athletic department, Jordan became part of the team.

The honor is not just a paper declaration either. Jordan is an official part of the team and will have a huge contribution in games, practices and events.

Jordan is from Dix Hills and was born without his left hand. He recently became the youngest recipient of a customized hero arm designed to resemble his favorite superhero, Iron Man.

This groundbreaking prosthetic, developed by Open Bionics, uses special sensors to detect muscle

Rocky Point Lady Eagles Soar to the Top

ByTomBarton

After being picked by 58% of pundits the Lady Eagles of Rocky Point emerged as the New York State Queens at the 2025 Journeymen Girls State Duals.

The Eagles swept their three appearances by scores of 39-25, 45-17, and 38-18 over Phoenix, Minisink Valley, and Shenendehowa.

Rocky Point were the winners in 8 of the 12 individual bouts in the crossover finale against the Plains. That was led by big efforts by Julianna Hernandez, who was the 2024 Girls State Champion, Lily

contractions, transforming them into bionic hand movements. The prosthetic seamlessly attaches and detaches, enabling him to tackle new challenges with confidence.

“It is truly a special opportunity for us to have Jordan join our stony Brook family,” said junior Eddie Smink. “He is a strong, brave, remarkable kid that always brings his joy and love for the game every day. The impact of him and his story has truly changed our team for the better.”

Team IMPACT’s innovative, multi-year program has matched more than 3,000

children with college athletic teams nationwide, fostering connections that promote socialization, empowerment and resilience. Since its founding

in 2011, Team IMPACT has partnered with over 700 colleges and universities in all 50 states, impacting more than 75,000 student-athletes.

Pat-Med Earns Double Gold

ByTomBarton

The Patchogue-Medford High School’s competitive dance team, the Raiderettes, recently competed in the first competition in the program’s history—and they already have won gold.

The team earned double gold at the Long Island Dance Team Association (LIDTA) competition this week.

The Raiderettes comprise talented Patchogue-Medford High School dancers from ninth through 12th grades. The LIDTA competition, the first competition the team participated in, was held at Nassau Community College. The team placed first in jazz and first in contemporary.

“I am incredibly proud of our team,” said Raiderettes coach

Morgan Trava. “Many of our team members are competitive dancers outside of school as well, so their schedules are long and tiring, but they show up every day prepared to work hard and committed to doing their best. To bring home two first place trophies during their first competition speaks for itself. These girls are determined to do great things!”

In addition to their competitive success, the Patchogue-Medford High School Raiderettes are planning an upcoming dance clinic for local youth to support the growth of the sport. Participants will learn technique and choreography from the Raiderettes, culminating in a performance at the completion of the clinic.

Fantasy Baseball - Three...

Blenk, Ava Capogna (2023 State 4th), Julia Zuchowska (2x State Qualifier), and Madison Hernandez (2024 State Qualifier) who all got their arms raised in five of seven matches. Their performance was a come-from-behind victory as they railed 3-1 early to come back and win 24-13. There was a buzz after the win as they took down the favorites in the competition.

The highlight of the day was when the reigning champion, Hernandez also recorded a pin and she needed just 44 seconds to get on and off the mat versus Adrianna Geczi, in their 120-pound meeting.

Continued from page 29

The last player on the list is another freak athlete whose skills have never been in question, but with a position change there is a slight buy off from his value. That is Oneil Cruz from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Cruz broke the sports social media world when he broke every metric with his cannon of an arm thrown from short stop and his 6'7" frame firing it across the diamond was a sight to behold. But, we will no longer see that Cruz as the Pirates have now deployed him to center field. In many leagues he might still be available at shortstop playing over 100 games there last season, which gives him added value.

Cruz is a stat casts dream. His exit velocity and hard hit rate falls just short of the titans in the sport Judge and Stanton and they are about the only ones who do it better. Cruz hasn't been able to fully harness his God-given gifts yet he still makes for a solid fantasy player. His line of 21 homers, 22 steals, and .773 OPS make for a top 10 shortstop and someone you want to grab after the first few rounds go off the board, but why you should reach for him is because all of that came at age 25, when the organization was moving him around and he was finding his footing.

Like Wood it's not hard to see the potential of a breakout in his frame alone and while

his counting stats will likely be lower than we hope because of his surrounding cast in Pittsburgh, he is one of the few players that can legit threaten the 30/30 club or dare we say 40/40. It wasn't long ago that scouts were saying he could be like Acuna and while it hasn't happened yet his hard hit rates and age show us that might be just a fine-tune adjustment here or there. In fact, Cruz chases bad pitches much more than a superstar should and has made a conscious effort to correct that this season. If he unlocks that next level we are talking about a top 12 pick next season and a league winner for those who dare to reach this year.

Jordan Marotta

Credit: Patchogue-Medford School District | Facebook Pat-Med Dance Team

Credit: Rocky Point School District | Facebook Rocky Point Lady Eagles

STONY BROOK BASEBALL SIGNS