From left, Port Jefferson Middle School students Kieran Casey, Emmanuel Batuyios, Lia Donohue and Gianna Viviano with Assistant Principal Brian Walker and Superintendent of Schools Jessica Schmettan. Photo from PJSD
Port Jefferson Middle School students Emmanuel Batuyios, Kieran Casey, Lia Donohue and Gianna Viviano have many diverse interests as students.
The one commonality is their daily participation as members of the morning announcements crew.
The four were cited by Assistant Principal Brian Walker for turning something that could be ordinary into something extraordinary, with hallways buzzing with excited energy and contagious compassion and encouragement.
“These four students display character way beyond their years — their positive and inspiring voices fill the airways of the middle school every morning,” Walker said at a recent board of education meeting.“Each day they provide the building with words of wisdom, leadership quotes and inspirational stories.”
Interim Principal James Nolan and Walker are encouraging the group to join in the discussions for future leadership moments and the student-driven leadership club.
After a one-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, the Art League of Long Island is proud to be hosting its 65th annual Members’ Exhibition in Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery. In the first part of the Art League of Long Island’s Members’ Exhibition, Juror Mary Cantone has selected six artists to receive awards of excellence and honorable mentions. Part One of the exhibit features 58 works of art and is on view in the Art League’s Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery through March 11. Part Two will be on view March 19 through April 8, with Ms. Cantone continuing her role as exhibition juror.
Awards of Excellence: Diana Aliberti, “Apples and Pomegranates”, Watercolor; Andrea M. Gordon, “Orchid Couple”, Digital Photograph; Lucy Brown Karwoski, “Into Another Galaxy”, Intaglio Print
Honorable Mentions: Caryn Coville, “Fairy Rose”, Colored Pencil on Pastel Mat; Rachel Dove, “Haven Pit Fired Stoneware”, Cotton Cord, Dyed Raffia Palm; Gia Horton, “Reflections in Blue”, Oil Paint
About the Juror:
Mary Cantone recently opened the William Ris East Gallery in Jamesport, New York on Long Island’s North Shore to continue the traditions of the William Ris Gallery, whose roots began in Pennsylvania in 1966 when Barbara Starr Schreckengaust and William Ris Schreckengaust founded the gallery. Today, the gallery is owned by Mary Cantone, the beloved daughter of Barbara and sister of Bill. Mary’s career in designing interiors and space planning has included collaborating with artists and encouraging clients to enhance, with passion, the fine arts. A bonus to Cantone’s innate and nurtured abilities is her keen sensibilities for mixing mediums, styles and colors. The gallery’s stable of artists, while still growing, has a dedicated following that is renowned and recognized nationally.
The Art League of Long Island is located at 107 East Deer Park Road in Dix Hills. The gallery is open to the public, free of charge. Artwork on display may also be available for purchase! For more information about the Art League gallery hours visit www.artleagueli.org
Stay connected! The Smithtown Historical Society hosts a Technology Savvy Seniors program at the Brush Barn, 211 E. Main St., Smithtown every other Friday including March 11 and 25 at 10 a.m. This free technology workshop is geared to help seniors with their cell phones, tablets, laptops and more. Topic will vary at each session. Call 631-265-6768 for further details.
New York Attorney General Letitia James today delivered more than $640,000 to five nonprofit organizations that are leading the fight against breast cancer. The funds were recovered by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) from organizations and individuals who defrauded New Yorkers into making donations that went into the pockets of telemarketers.
The OAG recovered the funds from the Breast Cancer Survivors Foundation, Inc. (BCSF), a sham organization, and Garrett Morgan, a telemarketer who misled donors into contributing to a sham breast cancer organization on Long Island. The $644,054.79 in restitution was distributed to the American Cancer Society, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition, Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition, and Manhasset Women’s Coalition Against Breast Cancer.
“It is unconscionable that organizations and telemarketers preyed on the public’s generosity and deprived breast cancer patients of vital support during a time of tremendous physical, mental, and emotional distress,” said Attorney General James. “Today, I am honored to return these funds to the people and organizations that need them most. My office is proud to be a partner to these five incredible organizations and help them in supporting breast cancer patients and survivors throughout their journey.”
In 2017, OAG announced an agreement with BCSF and its president and founder. The BCSF posed in phone and mail solicitations as a medical center for breast cancer patients, when in reality it was a shell organization funneling donations to an outside fundraiser, which pocketed 92 cents of every dollar donated to BCSF. The OAG’s agreement required BCSF to shut down immediately and pay more than $300,000 in restitution, the last of which was received by OAG in 2021. The OAG also obtained $40,000 from BCSF’s auditors, McEnerney, Brady & Company LLC and Edmund Brady.
In 2013, OAG won a judgment against Garrett Morgan for fraud in raising funds for the Coalition Against Breast Cancer, a sham Long Island organization. The organization raised millions of dollars with solicitations that claimed there was a “mammography fund,” when there was none, and that donations would provide free mammograms to uninsured women. Morgan did not pay the judgment and, acting on a motion by OAG, the court appointed a receiver to collect or sell Morgan’s property to satisfy the judgment. In 2021, the receiver delivered $303,747.86 to OAG.
The OAG’s Charities Bureau selected five nonprofit organizations to receive the restitution funds, including:
The American Cancer Society ($314,054.79): The American Cancer Society will use the award to support an initiative that increases breast cancer screening in high poverty areas, including screening among women who have never been screened before or who are not up to date with screening. The initiative focuses on uninsured and underinsured women by partnering with community health centers. With funds from OAG, the American Cancer Society will launch a new cohort of community health centers to participate in the mammogram initiative.
“The American Cancer Society is committed to expanding access to care for all and removing barriers that prevent cancer patients from getting the care and treatment they need,” said Dr. Karen Knudsen, CEO, American Cancer Society. “The pandemic brought about dramatic declines in breast cancer screenings. We are grateful that funds from the New York Attorney General’s Office will expand our lifesaving initiative to increase cancer screening rates and ultimately save lives.”
Photo from Attorney General’s Office
Living Beyond Breast Cancer ($225,000): Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a national nonprofit organization, will use the award to support its Living Beyond Breast Cancer Fund, which provides one-time grants to help those on limited incomes manage the financial burden of breast cancer. Grants range from $500 to $1,000 and are for living expenses. Grants are paid directly to vendors or billers. Recipients of the one-time grants must be in active treatment for breast cancer or living with metastatic breast cancer, and have a household income under 400 percent of the U.S. federal poverty line.
“We are honored to have been selected by the New York Attorney General’s Office,” said Jean Sachs, CEO, Living Beyond Breast Cancer. “Living Beyond Breast Cancer was founded over 30 years ago to offer trusted information and a community of support for all people directly impacted by breast cancer. We annually serve over 600,000 people across the country. A critical program of ours is the Living Beyond Breast Cancer Fund, a financial assistance program that pays the bills for women in treatment for basic needs such as rent, utilities, and transportation. Since 2006, we have been able to disburse over 3,150 grants for an approximate total of $2,530,000 to women and their families. Since the pandemic began, we have doubled the number of grants available to give to recipients as a way to alleviate financial hardship faced by so many across the country. The funds provided by the New York Attorney General’s Office will allow us to continue this intensive support, and help women in treatment focus on their health and not on their bills.”
West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition on Long Island ($30,000): West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition of Long Island, Inc., will use the award to provide patients undergoing breast cancer treatment with services such as transportation, meals, childcare, house cleaning, wigs, advice, and support from former cancer patients.
“The West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition for Long Island, Inc. is extremely grateful to the Attorney General’s Office and its commitment to overseeing that funds raised to help women with breast cancer go to legitimate organizations that provide services to the many women on Long Island going through chemotherapy and radiation,” said Margaret Campise, president, West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition. “This award will ensure that many Long Island women will be taken care of through our ‘Lend A Helping Hand’ program, which offers free services like house cleaning, transportation to treatments, co-payments, wigs, prosthesis, and post-operative care. On behalf of the many women going through breast cancer, and the West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition for Long Island, I want to thank the Attorney General’s Office.”
Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition ($35,000): Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition, Inc., will use the award to provide an array of services to patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer and gynecological cancers, including transportation to medical appointments, housekeeping, meals, and childcare as needed during treatment.
“About 1 in 8 U.S. women (13 percent) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of a lifetime and when that happens a woman’s life, and the lives of those who love her, are thrown into turmoil as she undergoes a horrific treatment ordeal,” said Nick Radesca, volunteer & vice president of finance, Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition. “Because most people’s lives have been impacted by this disease, many willingly donate to breast cancer charities. I want to thank the New York State Attorney General’s Office for bringing unscrupulous individuals to justice and redistributing defrauded donors’ funds to legitimate organizations. Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition, Inc. will use its share to provide free support services such as transportation to and from medical appointments, housecleaning, financial assistance, childcare, meal preparation, and other needed services.”
Manhasset Women’s Coalition Against Breast Cancer ($40,000): Manhasset Women’s Coalition Against Breast Cancer, Inc., will use the award to support its outreach program, which provides services to patients in the form of transportation, childcare, house cleaning, wigs, and non-financial support including advice and general emotional support of other former patients.
“The Manhasset Women’s Coalition Against Breast Cancer congratulates the Office of the New York Attorney General’s Charities Bureau for their efforts in pursuing the shutdown of the Coalition Against Breast Cancer and the Breast Cancer Survivor’s Foundation, both fraudulent organizations,” said Lynn Minutillo, member of board of directors, Manhasset Women’s Coalition Against Breast Cancer. “The MWCABC is so very grateful to be designated as a recipient of funds secured in the settlements of these cases. The women with breast cancer with whom we engage will be better served financially, emotionally, and educationally. Be assured we will strive to be conscientious stewards of the funds entrusted to us.”
The recovered funds distributed today are part of OAG’s Operation Bottomfeeder, which is an initiative of the Charities Bureau to identify fraudulent charities and their fundraisers. This is done through an analysis of annual financial reports, fundraising contracts, and other documents that nonprofit corporations file with the Charities Bureau, and has allowed OAG to take appropriate enforcement action against those engaging in fraud. In 2020, as a part of Operation Bottomfeeder, Attorney General James announced a multi-agency agreement imposing a nationwide, permanent, ban on Outreach Calling, a for-profit fundraiser, from charitable fundraising. To date, Operation Bottomfeeder has recovered approximately $1.7 million from sham charities and their fundraisers and has redistributed that money to legitimate charities.
This matter was handled by Enforcement Section Co-Chief Yael Fuchs and Assistant Attorneys General Peggy Farber, William Wang, and Sharon Sash under the supervision of Charities Bureau Chief James Sheehan and Deputy Bureau Chief Karin Kunstler-Goldman. The Charities Bureau is a part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.
Humpty Dumpty Nursery School of Greenlawn recently took part in their 14th annual Pajama Program a not for profit organization that provides pajamas for children in need in the United States and around the world. All the children took part and collected over 75 pairs of pajamas. This truly was a valuable experience as the children learned the importance of helping others. The children all attended a pajama party celebrating their accomplishments. Pictures from left with the children are Miss Ginnie, Miss Carmel, Miss Melissa, Miss Jean and Miss Barbara .
Town of Smithtown residents can now renew or obtain parking permits (vehicle window sticker) from the comfort of home. The permit allows residents to park registered vehicles at Town parks, beaches and public facilities within the township. The Town Clerk’s office, in conjunction with Public Safety, has launched Citizen Connect, an online web portal for residents to request the parking permit, without the hassle of making a trip to Town Hall. To register, log on to www.tocite.net/smithtownny/portal.
The physical permit is in the form of a sticker, and allows residents access to Smithtown’s parks, beaches and recreation facilities. The new permit is effective from April 1st, 2022 through March 31st, 2024.
“This is just one example of how Smithtown is modernizing services and providing ease of access to its residents every day. Now, community members have the option of registering to get their Town sticker online with a quick five minute process. And anyone who is accustomed to, or prefers to do so in person, can still walk into Town Hall to get their new permit. I commend our Town Clerk, his team and the Department of Public Safety for orchestrating this new and efficient process,” said Supervisor Ed Wehrheim.
Registering online for a Smithtown parking permit is a fast and convenient process. Residents simply log on to www.tocite.net/smithtownny/portal, create an account, input the required information, and upload an image of the vehicle’s registration.
Note: Residents should confirm that vehicle registration is current and issued to a Town of Smithtown address, or additional proof of residency will be required to be uploaded. Once the online submittal is completed, and the request for a parking permit is approved by the Town Clerk’s office, residents will be sent the new 2022-2024 parking permit through the mail. The parking permit should be placed on the OUTSIDE of the driver’s side passenger window.
“We have been working with Citizen Connect for months to create an easy, accessible web portal for our residents to use to request their resident parking permit. We listened to our residents’ concerns and have changed the design of the permit. The new permit will now adhere to the outside of the vehicle’s window to avoid any contact with the interior for those who have tinted windows. Also, our town is no longer listed on the permit, so it keeps the place of residency private. We are excited for these changes and for the new permit to go in effect,” added Town Clerk Vincent Puleo.
How to Register Online for the Town of Smithtown’s Resident Parking Permit:
For the first time in Smithtown history, resident parking permits can now be requested online. Below are the steps on how to register to Citizen Connect to request the permit.
Create an account – Click “Login” located at the upper right hand corner of the screen. The sign-in page will open. Click “Create Account” underneath where it says “New to Citizen Connect?” Fill in the required fields (name, email, & password).
Activate your account by confirming the email – Once you’ve created an account, you must check your inbox for an “Email Confirmation.” Click the link in the email to activate your account.
Add vehicle and address information – After your account is activated and you’re logged in to Citizen Connect, click “View Permits” and then click the “Register” button. Fill in the information under the field “Address 1.” Then click “Add Vehicle to Permit” and fill in your vehicle’s information listed on its registration.
Upload your vehicle registration – Take a photo of your vehicle registration, and upload it to the website for proof of residency and to be in accordance with the law.
Register for permit – Once all of the required information has been submitted, at the bottom, read the disclaimer and click the box next to it. Click “Register For Permit.”
Check the Mail – After you have successfully registered and the Town Clerk’s office approves your request, your resident parking permit will be sent to you via mail.
DID YOU KNOW: The Town Clerk’s office is often considered the record keeper of the Town. It is the office responsible for recording vital records, and the distribution of various permits and licenses. Located inside of Smithtown Town Hall, the Town Clerk’s office is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00AM-5:00PM (4:00PM in July and August). For more information and updates about the Town Clerk’s office and services, follow on Facebook and Instagram: @SmithtownTownClerksOffice.
The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport will kick off the first of a series of Thankful Thursdays on March 10 at 7 p.m. in the Reichert Planetarium. Funding is generously provided by BAE Systems.
The evenings will feature a family-friendly planetarium show. After the show, astronomy educators will invite visitors to look through telescopes at the night sky – weather permitting.
The featured show on March 10 is Stars: The Powerhouses of the Universe. This intriguing show takes the audience on a journey to the farthest reaches of the galaxy to experience both the awesome beauty and destructive power of stars. Narrated by actor Mark Hamill of Star Wars.
Edna Louise Spear Elementary School students in Carleen Parmegiani’s class. Photo from PJSD
Students in Carleen Parmegiani’s and Darlene Wells’ second grade classes at Edna Louise Spear Elementary School are a diverse group with varied interests.
The students wrote and illustrated their own fact-based books, choosing a topic based on their knowledge of friends, fishing, outer space, pets, sports and winter fun, among others.
Edna Louise Spear Elementary School students in Darlene Wells’ class. Photo from PJSD
They shared their advancing English language arts skills with a writing celebration to highlight their nonfiction writing curriculum.
The classes rotated sitting at tables set up so administrators and students could stop to hear the stories and see the illustrations that were created.
Visitors were encouraged to ask questions of the writers and leave a note in the paper hearts to share special comments.
“The students were so excited to share their writing,” Wells said, noting that the event also helped to build their social and public-speaking skills.
Blue and gold lights at Huntington Town Hall Tuesday March 1 2022 in support of Ukraine's fight for freedom
Town electrician Tony Beigelbeck installs blue and gold lights at Huntington Town Hall
Blue and gold lights at Huntington Town Hall Tuesday March 1 2022 in support of Ukraine's fight for freedom
Blue and gold lights at Huntington Town Hall Tuesday March 1 2022 in support of Ukraine's fight for freedom
Town of Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth lit Huntington Town Hall in blue and gold lights on February 26 in support of Ukraine’s fight for freedom.
“I have directed Huntington Town Hall to be illuminated blue and gold as we stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people fighting for their freedom,” posted Supervisor Ed Smyth on social media. “Thank you to Director of General Services Bill Musto, Town electrician Tony Beigelbeck and staff for their service around the clock.”
Stephanie Baez will be one of the guest speakers at the event. Photo from SBU
Stony Brook University recognizes Women’s History Month with its annual celebration that highlights the achievements of women, raises awareness against bias, and promotes social action for equality. This year’s theme #BreakTheBias was adopted from International Women’s Day which is held annually on the first Tuesday in March. Events will take place through Monday, March 28.
The university’s “Hybrid Opening Program in Celebration of International Women’s Day” will take place on Monday, March 7 at 1 p.m., ET in the Student Activities Center Ballroom A with limited seating, and will also be accessible on Zoom. This year’s program will feature a discussion about issues facing women with three accomplished SBU alumni — Maureen Ahmed ’11, Stephanie Baez ’08 and Brooke Ellison ’12.
The program will be hosted by senior Cassandra Skolnick, a student member of the Women’s History Month Committee who is majoring in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. In addition, student moderators will be Amber Lewis, a Junior, Journalism major; Minors in Music and Women’s Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Sanjana Thahura, a Senior, Biology major with Interdisciplinary Biology Specialization, Undergraduate College Academy Minor in Health and Wellness. Attendees can register online to attend the opening ceremony on Zoom.
Meet the panelists:
Stephanie Baez
Maureen Ahmed (‘11) is a foreign-affairs officer with the U.S. Department of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL), where she provides policy guidance on how to advance human rights, democracy, and governance across South and Central Asia. Ahmed is also an international human rights activist and policy leader with expertise in diplomacy, foreign policy, human rights, gender, global health, HIV epidemiology, and civil society integration. Prior to DRL, she worked at the Department’s Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (O/GAC), where she managed the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) South Africa program, the United States’ largest global health assistance program Ahmed was named a 2020 National Security Fellow with the Truman National Security Project and a 2019-2020 Penn Kemble Fellow with the National Endowment of Democracy.
Maureen Ahmed
Stephanie Baez (‘08) is vice president for Communications and Public Affairs at Global Strategy Group in New York, a public relations and research firm. She leads strategic communications planning initiatives that incorporate traditional and digital communications channels and platforms, as well as grassroots/grasstops components. Baez served as the communications director for Congressmen Hakeem Jeffries and John Conyers, was senior vice president of public affairs for the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and was director of communications and public affairs for the Central Park Conservancy. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a concentration in Journalism.
Brooke Ellison
Brooke Ellison (‘12) is an associate professor in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and Behavioral and Community Health in the Stony Brook School of Health Professions. She is also director of the PhD program in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, and director of the Center for Community Engagement and Leadership Development. Ellison’s work as a researcher and scholar focuses on the ethics and policy of science and health care, particularly the intersection of disability and bioethics, and strategies to make healthcare and technology accessible to those most in need. Ellison was paralyzed from the neck down after being hit by a car while walking home from her first day of junior high school; 10 years later, she graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University. She received her PhD in sociology from Stony Brook in 2012, was chosen to be a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader in 2014, and in 2017, was chosen to serve on the board of directors and executive committee of the New York Civil Liberties Union. In 2018, Brooke was named a Truman National Security Project Political Partner and was appointed to serve as a commissioner on the Suffolk County Human Rights Commission in 2020.
On Monday, March 21 (2pm, ET) as part of the speaker series is “In Defense of All Women’s Spaces,” at Melville Library, Special Collections Seminar Room, E-2340.
Stony Brook University graduate instructor Stephanie Bonvissuto will host this discussion:
How does accessing social spaces relate to the social construction of gender and sexual identities? How can site-specific signage taken as signifiers offer a view into societal ethics and cultural ethos? What are the institutional investments in policing bodies and enforcing cis-heteronormativity? And what can queering space (and spatiality) offer in terms of the future design of ‘something else’? This talk takes as its point of departure debates around public gendered restrooms to consider the biopolitics of space, the designs of power and knowledge, and the generative connections between spatial equity and social justice.
On Monday, March 28 (between 3-5pm, ET), “Closing Program in Celebration of International Women’s Day” in the Student Activities Center Ballroom A with limited seating.
Former National Public Radio host of “The Takeaway” as well as New York Times/CNN reporter Tanzina Vega (‘96) will host.
Meet the host:
For more than a decade, Tanzina Vega’s (‘96) journalism career has centered on inequality in the United States through the lens of race and gender. She’s been a reporter and producer for the New York Times and CNN where her work spanned text, digital and broadcast television. She most recently spent three years as the first Latina weekday host of “The Takeaway” on WNYC, New York Public Radio. Tanzina has covered many of the most consequential news events of the past decade, including multiple presidential elections, the COVID 19 pandemic, the rise of #BlackLivesMatter, Puerto Rico’s political crisis and the January 6 Capitol insurrection. In 2019 she was awarded the Robert G. McGruder Distinguished Lecture and Award from Kent State University. Prior to that she was a fellow at the Nation Institute and a Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. She is a distinguished graduate of the Craig Newmark School of Journalism at City University of New York where she earned Masters in Digital journalism. She lives with her son in New York City.
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