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Yearly Archives: 2023

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A scene from 'Finding Nemo' Jr. at SPAC. Photo by Jackie St. Louis

Just in time for spring break, the Smithtown Performing Arts Center, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown presents Finding Nemo Jr. through Saturday, April 8.

Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. Featuring memorable songs such as “Just Keep Swimming,” “Fish Are Friends Not Food,” and “Go With the Flow,” Finding Nemo Jr. brings a vibrant underwater world to life on stage in a story full of family, friendship, and adventure.

Final performances are on April 6 and 7 at 1 p.m. and April 8 at 10:30 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. All seats are $25. To order, call 800-595-4849 or visit www.smithtownpac.org.

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Photo from PSEG

April is National Safe Digging Month and PSEG Long Island reminds customers, contractors and excavators that the law requires them to call 811 before digging to ensure underground pipelines, conduits, wires and cables are properly marked out.

Every digging project, even a small project like planting a tree or building a deck, requires a call to 811. It’s the law. The call is free and the mark-out service is free. The call must be made whether the job is being performed by a professional or a do-it-yourselfer. Striking an underground electrical line can cause serious injury and outages, and result in repair costs and fines.

“It’s spring once again, and people on Long Island are starting outdoor improvements to their homes and businesses. Calling 811 ahead of time helps protect underground utility lines and, more importantly, the safety of anyone digging,” said Michael Sullivan, PSEG Long Island’s vice president of Transmission and Distribution Operations. “Customers are getting the message. Last year there were more than 215,000 mark-out requests in our service area, and so far this year, there have been more than 44,000 requests to 811.”

According to Common Ground Alliance, a member-driven association of nearly 1,800 individuals and 250 member companies in every facet of the underground utility industry, 40% of active diggers in North America do not call 811 because they think their project is too shallow to require it. All digging projects require a call to 811.

A free call to 811 in the service area automatically connects the caller to the local New York one-call center, which collects information about digging projects. The one-call center then provides the information to the utility companies, which send representatives to mark the locations of nearby underground lines with flags, paint or both. Once lines have been properly marked and confirmation from all of the utility owners is received, projects may proceed as long as caution is used around the marked areas.

Here’s important information to consider:

  • Underground gas and electric lines are everywhere, even on private properties. These facilities can be easily damaged if dug into, with the potential to cause serious injuries. Digging into these lines can also disrupt vital utility services, resulting in costly delays, expensive repairs and environmental or property damage.
  • Whether the job is a major home improvement project or something as simple as a fence or mailbox post, a call to 811 must be placed beforehand to determine where it’s safe to dig.
  • Call 811 at least two business days before the commencement of each job to have underground pipes, wires and equipment located. Each facility owner must respond by providing the excavator with a positive confirmation indicating that marks are in place where utility lines are buried or that there are no existing facilities in the area of the proposed work. This service is free of charge.
  • Be sure to wait until all of the utilities have responded. Don’t dig until lines have been marked or you have received confirmation that the area is clear of facilities.
  • Property owners must maintain and respect the marks. Always hand dig within 2 feet of marked lines to find the existing facilities before using mechanized equipment.
  • If gas lines are damaged or there is a gas smell when excavating, call 911 immediately from a safe area.

Calling before you dig is more than a good idea − it’s the law. Additional information, including a booklet on safe excavating practices and the protection of underground facilities, can be found on the PSEG Long Island website.

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Pictured above is “Peep,” one of the chicks sold to District Attorney Squad Detectives during their investigation.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on April 5 that multiple Suffolk County businesses have been charged with misdemeanors for selling day-old baby chicks in quantities less than allowable by New York State law.

“Each spring around Easter time, people purchase newly born baby animals, including chicks, ducklings, and rabbits, to use as live decorations or to give as gifts,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Sometimes, these animals are also dyed bright colors which can cause illness and death to the animal. I remind everyone that animals are not toys or merchandise, and my office will continue to protect animals by enforcing the laws regarding their care and sale.”

“The only animal that belongs in an Easter basket is a stuffed animal or one made of chocolate. Ducks, chicks, and bunnies require daily care, safe housing, specialized veterinary care, and a 10- year commitment. Yet, when they’re sold individually to impulsive customers, they first end up in Easter baskets, and next, abandoned in local parks where they’re unable to survive. Without a flock, they often die from lack of warmth or become imprinted on humans, permanently compromising their welfare,” said John Di Leonardo, anthrozoologist and Executive Director of Humane Long Island.

“Humane Long Island thanks the Suffolk County District Attorney and its Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team for their investigation, and urges families to remember that domestic animals are thinking, feeling individuals who need lifelong care.”

“As a former federal prosecutor, I know that a law is only as good as the effort put into its enforcement. The businesses that sell these baby chicks know that they are violating the law and harming animals and they didn’t care, thinking that they would never be caught,” said Bonnie S. Klapper, Esq., counsel for Humane Long Island. “Thanks to the excellent work of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and its investigators, they now know otherwise.”

Restrictions on the sale of baby chicks, ducklings, other fowl, and bunnies are set forth in New York State Agriculture and Markets Law (“AML”) section 354, which states in part that “no person shall sell, offer for sale, barter or give away living baby chicks, ducklings or other fowl or baby rabbits under two months of age in any quantity less than six.”

Additionally, the law prohibits the sale, “offer for sale, barter or display living baby chicks, ducklings or other fowl or baby rabbits which have been dyed, colored or otherwise treated so as to impart to them an artificial color.” Any violation of this law may result in a misdemeanor charge punishable with up to one year in jail and a $500 fine.

For the past several weeks, members of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Suffolk County Police Department’s District Attorney Squad investigated businesses that were illegally selling baby chicks, and subsequently made multiple arrests including:

 LONG ISLAND POULTRY – On March 3, 2023, Suffolk County Police Department Detectives entered Long Island Poultry located at 2089 Sound Avenue in Calverton, and purchased four baby chicks which were only a few days old. On April 4, 2023, Long Island Poultry was charged with one count of AML 354(3). They are due to appear in Suffolk County First District Court on April 24, 2023 to be arraigned on the charge.

 RALEIGH POULTRY FARM, INC. – On March 23, 2023, Suffolk County Police Department Detectives entered Raleigh Poultry Farm, Inc. located at 335 Old Indian Head Rd in Kings Park, and purchased three baby chicks which were only a few days old. On April 4, 2023, Raleigh Poultry Farm Inc. was charged with one count of AML 354(3). They are due to appear in Suffolk County First District Court on April 24, 2023 to be arraigned on the charge.

 AGWAY OF PORT JEFFERSON – On April 3, 2023, Suffolk County Police Department Detectives entered Agway of Port Jefferson, located at 295 Route 25A in Mount Sinai, and purchased two baby chicks which were only a few days old. At the same location, minutes later, another Suffolk County Police Department Detective purchased four additional baby chicks which were only a few days old. On April 4, 2023, Agway of Port Jefferson was charged with one count of AML 354(3). They are due to appear in Suffolk County First District Court on April 24, 2023 to be arraigned on the charge.

If you have any information regarding the illegal sale or dying of baby animals, please contact the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office at [email protected].

Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

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Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County Police arrested a man on April 5 for allegedly stealing cooking oil from a fast food restaurant in Huntington Station multiple times this year. Second Precinct Crime Section officers have been investigating multiple thefts of cooking oil from Chick-fil-A, located at 200 Jericho Turnpike since January, 2023. The suspect allegedly siphoned oil into a rented truck, and then resold the oil.

After an investigation, police arrested Hector Castrol-Espinal for allegedly stealing cooking oil from the store on January 24, January 31, February 10, February 18, and March 23. Castrol-Espinal, 23, of 8617 88th Ave., Woodside, New York, was charged with five counts of Petit Larceny. He was issued a Desk Appearance Ticket and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on a later date.

Police believe more businesses have been targeted. If anyone believes they have been a victim of this crime, to make a police report, by calling 631-852-COPS.

A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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Pixabay photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

I’m a happy idiot, or HI for short. I admit it. I’m even thinking of forming a club. No, it’s not a political party, and no, we’re not excluding anyone, which means that self-hating people will struggle to accept that we accept them without exception.

Whew, it feels good to get that off my chest. I know, I know. I’m supposed to find people who disagree with me, who come from a different political party, who celebrate different holidays or different religions annoying or frustrating. I’m supposed to look past those people at the ones who live and think like I do.

How do I know that? My political leaders and the pundits on TV spend a great deal of time telling me that other people are ruining my life, this country, history, religion, baseball and apple pie. Most apple pie has dairy in it anyway, and I’m allergic to dairy, not that I’m offended by dairy or anyone who eats it. I like watching people eat food with dairy, like ice cream, because I know it makes them happy, and as a charter member of the happy idiot club, I’m pleased to share vicariously in other people’s happiness.

I can’t ascribe to the endless need to bicker and find fault. It’s not who I am, and it’s not fun. Sure, people can be annoying and can say things that I find problematic or objectionable.

And, yes, I would take issue with anyone who trampled on principles I believe in or who, through word or deed, violated my sense of right or wrong or who broke the law.

As a matter of daily living, though, I don’t celebrate moments when the other side loses because I often have friends on both sides of any aisle, and I don’t believe a loss for the other side is as good, if not better, than a victory for me. 

I’m not going to revel in the schadenfreude that has come to define so much of American life, in which taunting, making faces, humiliating or name-calling makes people happy.

On a daily basis and apart from when I watch political leaders or pundits on TV, I find most people unobjectionable. When I start chatting with someone — whether that’s on the sidewalk, in the supermarket, at the gym, or at an early season baseball game — my first thought isn’t about how they might have voted for the wrong person or that they might believe in the wrong things. I don’t judge the tattoos on their arms, their piercings, or the different clothing they wear.

I listen to what they say and to how they say it and have found that they are as welcoming of me, with my untucked shirt and the endless array of sports paraphernalia I wear, as I am of them.

More often than not, they talk about something relatable, like their day, the struggle to help their children, the search for a plumber who won’t charge too much or their excitement that their daughter just got into an extraordinarily competitive college.

With our phones, we have endless ways to connect with people from all over the state, the country and the world. Our political leaders, however, would have us believe that we should make an effort to disconnect or to disrespect those whom we consider different or other.

Well, as a happy idiot, I won’t scream at you and tell you whom to hate, fear or blame. Like me, you can enjoy the comfort of friends and neighbors hoping for a better tomorrow without the screaming, shouting, insulting or hating. Being happy doesn’t keep you from succeeding or working hard: it keeps you from wasting energy being annoyed, angry, irritated or fearful. So, come, join the happy party. 

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Pixabay photo

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

This is a shout-out to all would-be entrepreneurs. Saturday marks the 47th birthday of The Village Times and hence the beginning of Times Beacon Record News Media. So, if you are thinking of starting your own business or organization, stop thinking.

Just do it.

We know whereof we speak. I mention our start to prove what can be done with energy, commitment, good helpers and a dream.

And a little bit of luck. While we started in 1976, during a depression in the economy, women were beginning to enter the workplace. We had some of the brightest members of the community looking for work just when we needed help the most.

To start something new, unless it is philanthropic in nature, you will need money. Obtaining start-up funds will measure how good a salesperson you are. You will have to communicate your idea and your passion to those from whom you are asking for funds.

We sold shares in a closed corporation to gather our initial underwriting.

Whom should you approach?

The answer to that depends on finding people who might share your passion for what you are starting or who love you enough to support your getting it off the ground. Unless you have tangible assets to offer as collateral, don’t bother going to most banks.

Since we were proposing starting a community newspaper, we went to members of the community and asked for their participation. At the time, the type of corporation we used limited us to 10 stockholders. I believe that is no longer the case.

How much to ask?

We had no idea how much it would cost to get started, so we picked a number that we thought would not seriously affect any investor if it were lost. We also tried to estimate how much the market of investors would be willing to spend.

The result: We were woefully undercapitalized and have always run from behind. That’s exciting but not smart business strategy. Ask others in your field who might be sympathetic to your efforts to estimate one year’s expenses, at the very least, and set that as your minimum goal.

When we ran out of money at a key moment, we were able to include one extra stockholder who brought us fresh cash. This was not necessarily appreciated by the other shareholders because it diluted their equity a bit. But we persevered.

It is vital that you know yourself. Being the founder is not for everyone. Most people would rather work for a company and receive a predictable paycheck rather than take chances every week with not meeting the payroll or being able to pay the bills. The boss has to deal with problems routinely that may seem far removed from the original goal of the company. Personnel matters are an example.

Don’t try to learn everything there is to know about your prospective business before you start, first because you can’t really know what lies ahead and also because you will learn more as you go forward. I believe we fell into every unimaginable briar patch that we could, including a move on us to become unionized, despite the fact that no community newspaper in the state had a union, and a lengthy audit for proper classification of our staff.

That can happen to you. We learned from every thorny experience.

Also, we were protected by our ignorance and just plowed ahead. Not considering failure kept it from entering our thinking.

Surround yourself with good workers. You may not be able to afford experienced people in your field, but more importantly, find bright helpers who totally share your dream. They, and you, will learn as you go. And attribute the successes to them because none of us can go it alone. It is the staff of our newspapers and media company that earned us 11 prizes in this past week’s annual Better Newspaper Contest for New York State publishers. Yay for each one and for the whole team together.

We have been lucky in being accepted and patronized by our customers: readers and advertisers. I believe that if you offer your best work and respond to their needs, all while maintaining a brand known for integrity, your customers will make you a success.

Go for it. And best of luck!

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Omaiah Thompson
Emmanuel Huertas
Keyshawn Middleton
Elijah Webber

On March 29, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney  announced the sentencings of OMAIAH THOMPSON, EMMANUEL HUERTAS, ELIJAH WEBBER and KEYSHAWN MIDDLETON, for allegedly engaging in the retail theft of more than $7,000 worth of fragrances from the Ulta Beauty retail store located in Smith Haven Plaza, Lake Grove in April 2022.

“My office has made combatting organized retail theft a top priority. Through our partnership with
local and state law enforcement agencies, we have been able to catch many of those who have
committed brazen and egregious retail thefts over the past year,” said District Attorney Tierney.
“My prosecutors followed these cases through to conclusion. In Suffolk County, you cannot steal
other people’s property without consequences. We will continue to use every law enforcement tool
at our disposal to see that these types of criminals are prosecuted and held responsible for their
actions.”

In early 2022, Ulta Beauty stores were the victim of numerous grand larcenies throughout the Tri-
State area and Suffolk County. The Suffolk County Police Department conducted surveillance at

Ulta retail locations throughout the county in an effort to determine the identity of the suspects of
these repeated larcenies.

On April 1, 2022, Suffolk County Police Detectives assigned to the Suffolk County District
Attorney’s Squad were conducting surveillance at an Ulta Beauty Store in Lake Grove when
THOMPSON, MIDDLETON, HUERTAS and WEBBER were allegedly observed stealing approximately
$7,430 worth of fragrances from that location. MIDDLETON, WEBBER AND HUERTAS
entered the store while, THOMPSON remained in the getaway vehicle. The men took fragrances
from the store without paying for them then attempted to flee in a white Mercedes driven by
THOMPSON. While driving the Mercedes in an attempt to escape, THOMPSON intentionally
hit an unmarked DA Squad vehicle as detectives were attempting to stop the defendants. The four
were ultimately arrested in the parking lot.

On September 19, 2022, THOMPSON, 25, of the Bronx, pleaded guilty to one count of Attempted
Assault in the Second Degree and one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree. THOMPSON
was represented by Joseph Hanshe, Esq. On March 28, 2023, THOMPSON was sentenced to two
and three quarters (23⁄4) to five and a half (51⁄2) years in prison. She is also serving time for a
conviction related to weapons charges in the Bronx.

HUERTAS, 21, of the Bronx, pleaded guilty to one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree
on August 25, 2022. On January 13, 2023, Huertas was sentenced to six months in the Suffolk
County Jail and five years of probation.

WEBBER, 20, of the Bronx, pleaded guilty to one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree on
October 13, 2022. He was sentenced on November 16, 2022 to six months in the Suffolk County
Jail and five years of probation.

MIDDLETON, 24, of the Bronx, pleaded guilty to one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree
on August 17, 2022. He was sentenced on January 12, 2023 to three months in Suffolk County Jail
and three year of probation to run consecutive to a one year jail sentence he is currently serving in
Manhattan.

Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments.
Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

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Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich joined local officials at Stony Brook train station to express his concerns with the governor’s housing proposal. Photo by Rita J. Egan

Town of Brookhaven elected officials made it clear at a March 30 press conference how they feel about a plan proposed by Gov. Kathy Hochul (D).

Brookhaven officials gather at Stony Brook train station to express their concerns with the governor’s housing proposal. Photo by Rita J. Egan

The governor has included a housing program titled The New York Housing Compact in the 2024 state budget. Opponents say the proposal should be a stand-alone item and not incorporated in the budget which was due Saturday, April 1. However, on April 3, state lawmakers voted to extend the deadline to April 10.

Town deputy supervisor Dan Panico (R-Manorville) and councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) joined town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) at the March 30 press conference to express their concerns regarding the housing proposal. Members of the Three Village Chamber of Commerce, The Ward Melville Heritage Organization and Stony Brook Concerned Homeowners were also on hand to show their opposition to the governor’s plan.

In her State of the State message earlier this year, Hochul proposed the housing strategy calling for 800,000 new homes to be built in the state over the course of a decade to address the lack of housing. Among the plan’s requirements would be municipalities with Metropolitan Transportation Authority railroad stations to rezone to make way for higher-density residential development. All downstate cities, towns and villages served by the MTA would have a new home creation target over three years of 3%, compared to upstate counties that would need to build 1% more new homes over the same period.

Romaine criticized the plan setting goals that would eliminate current local procedures

“You are exempt from environmental concerns,” he said. “You don’t have to have sewers. There are no height restrictions. There is no community feedback and local zoning is ignored.”

Romaine said if the plan goes through it would cause quality of life issues, including more traffic and congestion on the roads.

“We need incentives because we need sewers,” the supervisor added. “We need infrastructure, and we are willing to work with the state. But if you seek to override zoning and impose against the will of the community housing that is not compatible, you are undermining the very fabric of the quality of life in Brookhaven Town.”

Panico echoed the supervisor’s sentiments and added there are areas in the town where multi-housing developments make sense due to town codes being amended.

Brookhaven’s Deputy Town Supervisor Dan Panico joined local officials at Stony Brook train station to express his concerns with the governor’s housing proposal. Photo by Rita J. Egan

“I can give you a couple of examples, right in Port Jeff Station, in Mastic Beach, in East Patchogue, in North Bellport,” Panico said. “Places that lend themselves to this type of development that are not overly constricted by traffic already.”

Kornreich also said the plan is misguided and that local control is important because elected officials possess the granular information to make decisions that are the best for the community.

“The point that my colleagues have made is that different areas have different challenges and require different solutions,” he said. “But we’re not here to engage in scare tactics, and this isn’t NIMBYism, we’re just trying to say a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t going to work community by community in the same way.”

Kornreich added plans are already in the works to “revitalize and redevelop a true downtown area around the train station in Port Jefferson Station, just one stop down the line from here, and create a walkable neighborhood with diverse housing stock that people can actually afford.”

The councilmember said near the Stony Brook station, where the press conference took place, “is not a downtown that can bear any real intensity.”

He added there are no privately held plots around the Three Village train station  large enough for major development.

Jane Taylor, executive director of the Three Village Chamber of Commerce, said housing plans need to take into consideration local zoning, location and consider community support. 

“Being told by the state that we have to do it creates landmines for those of us who live here,” Taylor said. “We’ve got concerns about sewers, our water supply. Those are all things that are very important and need to be addressed.”

Gloria Rocchio, WMHO president, thanked Romaine for “shining a spotlight” on the issue.

“While Long Islanders, traveling back and forth to work trying to make a living, not really knowing what’s happening, this negative zoning proposal is looming,” she said. “It will change our beautiful Island forever. The reason that Long Island is the way it is now is because of local elected officials working together with residents.”

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Police car

Suffolk County Police arrested a man on April 5 for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor
vehicle following a fatal crash in Brentwood.

Brandon Gillespie was at the wheel of a 2012 Jeep Liberty stopped in the right lane of eastbound Long
Island Expressway, east of Sagtikos Parkway, when the vehicle was rear-ended by a 2016 Ford box
truck at approximately 12:45 a.m. Gillespie, 36, of Smithtown was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner.

The driver of the Ford, Taron Smith, was not injured. Smith, 31, of Patchogue was arrested and charged with alleged Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle 3rd Degree. He was also issued multiple summonses for Federal Motor Carrier Safety violations. He will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip at a later date.

Both vehicles were impounded for safety checks.

Anyone with information on this crash is asked to call the Third Squad at 631-854-8352.

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Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD

Just released! Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly stole merchandise from a Commack store.

A man allegedly stole approximately $200 worth of bedding, from Target, located at 98 Veterans Memorial Highway, on December 26 at approximately 4 p.m.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.

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