CLOSE
Authors Posts by Rita J. Egan

Rita J. Egan

1130 POSTS 0 COMMENTS

by -
0 1659
Mike Siderakis discussed concerns about revised plans for The Lofts at Maple & Main. Photo by Rita J. Egan

Suffolk County legislator Democratic candidate, Mike Siderakis, is keeping his eye on development in Smithtown.

On April 27, Siderakis held a press conference in front of the site for The Lofts at Maple & Main along Main Street. Currently, the property features a variance and special exceptions sign that lists a Town of Smithtown Board of Zoning Appeals meeting April 13. The virtual meeting before the BZA was adjourned to July 13, even though the original variance sign remains on the property.

The candidate said developers, VEA 181st Realty Corp., are now asking for the proposed building to be all apartments instead of mixed use. The developer could not be reached by phone for comment.

Siderakis said after fanfare about the groundbreaking a year and a half ago, there hasn’t been much information about modifications.

“Seventy-one units wasn’t enough for them,” Siderakis said. “They want more, and they intend to get more by going to the Board of Zoning Appeals, in the dead of night. They intend to use the cover of a pandemic, with meetings on Zoom, and with the link only available to those who know how to request it, to make this major change without public input.”

Ground was broken on the former site of Nassau Suffolk Lumber & Supply Corp. in October 2019. The initial plan was to build a three-story 71-unit one- and two-bedroom apartment complex with 15,000 square feet of retail space on the lower level.

The goal of the developers was to create a transit-oriented development in Smithtown, with the building one block away from the train station. The apartments would be geared toward young people starting out or seniors looking to downsize. According to an October 2019 The Times of Smithtown article, the apartments are expected to generate $250,000 in tax revenue and result in 50 new jobs.

Siderakis said the developers, consultants and local leaders said Smithtown needed projects such as the proposed building.

“They brushed aside concerns about traffic, about who is going to pay for the influx of kids into our schools, about the costs of roads, maintenance or public safety,” he said. “They make glossy renderings of pristine buildings and tell us that these projects reduce our tax burden — our taxes, apparently, have been going up year after year after year because we haven’t built enough? And so, we swallow this tough pill. And we deal with the new construction. We tell ourselves that we need more housing for our kids, affordable housing, even though at thousands of dollars per month — $1,900 for a one-bedroom and $$2,900 for a two-bedroom — it’s anything but affordable.”

After the developer bought the site in 2008, according to an October 2019 The Times of Smithtown article, it violated a Smithtown stop-work order and in 2009 illegally demolished the building. After piles of debris and concrete were hauled away, the situation became the subject of a 2011 Suffolk County grand jury investigation alleging that an unnamed town official recommended demolishment to save taxes. No charges were filed, but Smithtown Town Board members voted in July 2014 to tear down the already demolished structure and adjacent buildings and approved the site plans for The Lofts at Maple & Main at its August 2018 meeting.

Siderakis said county Legislator Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) should be making noise about the project instead of brushing it off as a town problem.

“She should have gotten on her soapbox, like I am here today, and warned the community about this bait and switch,” he said. “But where is Leslie Kennedy? She’s not part of this fight. Actually, she isn’t part of any fight that involves sticking up for the residents — not the 200-units on Smithtown Boulevard in Nesconset, not the four-story hotel in Smithtown and certainly not the millions in county tax giveaways for unpopular projects throughout the district.”

After the press conference, TBR Newsmedia reached out to Kennedy’s office for comment. The county legislator said in an email Smithtown’s agendas are available on the Town of Smithtown’s website.

“The town chose this project for two reasons — to make temporary housing available and to add strategically located business space, contributing to a walkable downtown,” Kennedy said.

The legislator added the last she heard was the requested variance asked for an increase to 76 apartments and decrease of 800 square feet of commercial space, which she said, “may be too intense on this heavily trafficked dangerous roadway and defeats the original purpose of mixed-use development and a walkable community.”

“I am fairly certain that this is how the Zoning Board of Appeals will view this, but I always encourage community involvement in any level of governmental permitting decisions,” Kennedy added.

by -
0 291
Elected officials and the family of Daniel Flynn get ready to cut the ribbon at the grand reopening of the Daniel J. Flynn Memorial Park. Photo from Town of Smithtown

A baseball field stands as a reminder of the sacrifice of one former Kings Park resident.

Town of Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim and Daniel Flynn’s family view the new memorial stone at the park dedicated to the fallen Vietnam solider. Photo from Town of Smithtown

Town of Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) and town officials were on hand Friday, April 23, for the ribbon cutting and grand reopening of the Daniel J. Flynn Memorial Park on Old Commack Road. They were joined by members of Flynn’s family, the Vietnam Veterans of America, Kings Park civic and chamber.

The ballpark, which was constructed in 1979, was recently renovated with four resurfaced synthetic turf fields that feature a built-in drainage system, warning tracks and pitchers’ warm-up mounds. LED energy-efficient sports lighting was also added to the park, and a two-story air-conditioned building includes a concession stand, pro shop and handicapped-accessible bathrooms on the first floor. The second floor features a press box.

Wehrheim said he knew Flynn growing up.

“I think you will agree what a beautiful facility this is for the honor of someone that’s been close to me,” the supervisor said. “I grew up as a very young child with the Flynn family. We played together. We went to school together. Truth be told, Danny always was the best ballplayer.”

Flynn was a member of the 720th Military Police Battalion, C Company, and was a private first class. Just 20 days after his arrival in Vietnam, he was killed in action May 25, 1968, after taking the place of a friend on an escort assignment.

The Kings Park High School graduate was a member of the school’s varsity baseball team, and he played semi-professional baseball on the grounds of Kings Park State Hospital. He received tryout offers from the St. Louis Cardinals but instead enlisted in the U.S. Army

Wehrheim said that the ballpark deteriorated greatly since it was built in 1979. He added the project was budgeted for $4.2 million, however, the town went over the projected costs by approximately $3 million. He thanked the town’s Comptroller’s Office for finding the money to complete the project. Wehrheim added that the renovations were supposed to be completed in 2022, and they were a year ahead of schedule.

Dennis Flynn thanked those who made the renovations of the ballpark named in his brother’s memory. Photo by Rita J. Egan

He said, in addition to honoring Flynn, the park was renovated for the children and families in the community.

“It had to be top notch and that’s exactly what we did,” he said.

Richard Kitson, president of the Suffolk County Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America, congratulated the town on the job.

“I come from Levittown where you have a little sign in front of the library, and it’s very nice, but it’s not this,” he said.

Kitson said the rededication of the ballpark was an important event.

“Nothing more meaningful is happening on this Island than what’s happening here, and the reason it’s happening is because patriots like the people behind me never forgot the only way to honor Daniel is to never forget him,” he said.

Flynn’s brother Dennis Flynn, who Wehrheim described as the patriarch of the Flynn family, took to the podium before the ribbon cutting. In addition to introducing his family members and thanking the Town Board and departments involved in the renovation, he had a message for his deceased brother.

“Thank you for sacrificing your life to make this country stronger,” he said.

by -
0 2184
Ryan and Aneta McGann with their daughter Mia stand in front of one of the climate-controlled containers where they grow produce on their East Setauket property. Photo by Rita J. Egan

An East Setauket husband and wife are looking for a change that has caused a bit of controversy in their neighborhood.

Inside the containers are movable walls where produce grows. Photo by Rita J. Egan

Ryan and Aneta McGann will ask the Suffolk County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board to recommend their Main Street property to be part of a certified agricultural district during an April 22 Zoom meeting. Once the request is presented to this county board, the McGanns will then have to appear before the Suffolk County Legislature for a final decision.

The McGanns currently have three climate-controlled containers that they use to grow produce and herbs on their property. Their request for the designation has raised some concerns by neighbors who contacted the Three Village Civic Association and local elected officials. Many are worried that if the property is designated farmland that the number of climate-controlled containers will increase and become unsightly. They also wonder if there will be customers coming and going, and will there be a potential for the couple to grow cannabis and hemp in the containers.

George Hoffman, president of the Three Village Civic Association, said the attempt to be included in the county’s agriculture district program could be seen as getting around local zoning, and that even one container on the lot could interfere with neighbors enjoying their own property.

Hoffman said the civic association is concerned with a violation of town zoning as the property is in a residentially zoned neighborhood in the East Setauket Historic District.

“Many of Mr. McGann’s neighbors reached out to the civic association to complain about the commercial use of the property and how it is diminishing their enjoyment of their property in having to live next to an industrial use,” Hoffman said.

“Many of Mr. McGann’s neighbors reached out to the civic association to complain about the commercial use of the property and how it is diminishing their enjoyment of their property in having to live next to an industrial use.”

— George Hoffman

The McGanns recently began running a vertical farm on their slightly more-than-1-acre land called HydrOrganic Farms. Crops are grown along vertical walls set up in three 40-by-8-foot climate-controlled containers. Each container has its own environment, according to Ryan McGann, where one is used for growing produce such as lettuce, while another can be used for herbs such as basil, sage and even edible flowers.

Ryan McGann said growing crops in the containers has many benefits including produce and herbs not being subject to the elements and the elimination of the use of pesticides. He added selling fresh produce helps to build relationships with local business owners and chefs.

“I get good feedback on the produce, and it’s fun to see what they do with it because it’s a little bit different than standard field-growing produce,” he said.

HydrOrganic Farms is approved to produce cannabis and hemp through the New York State pilot program. However, Ryan McGann said the couple have no plans to grow the products except maybe for a small yield study, to see if it grows vertically in such containers at the East Setauket location.

“Any large-scale production projects will be at another expansion site specifically for hemp,” he said.

He added that they have such a high demand for their current produce that it wouldn’t make sense to grow hemp on a large scale on their East Setauket property.

Bill Zalakar, president of the Long Island Farm Bureau, said it can cost “millions” to grow cannabis and hemp due to licensing fees, operations and security measures. He added the hemp plant also grows too tall to be in a container.

Zalakar said he has seen the McGanns’ containers and has been helping them with the process, which also included going before the Brookhaven Town Board.

“Any large-scale production projects will be at another expansion site specifically for hemp.”

— Ryan McGann

The McGanns have “been trying to do it right,” he said. “It’s not like they are trying to hide anything.”

Regarding adding more containers to the property, the McGanns said they have no plans to, but they are in the process of building a barn on their land. They also deliver the produce to their customers, which includes local restaurants, so there aren’t people coming to their home. Ryan McGann said with the property being a flagship-shaped lot they feel that the containers are not visible from the street, and he has taken the time to explain the process to neighbors.

The husband said if they do expand, they will have containers in other locations. This is possible, he said, because the containers can be controlled through the internet, and he can change parameters remotely from his home. The hope is to place more farming containers in a Huntington location to be closer to some of the restaurants they do business with.

Town of Brookhaven Councilman Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) said while such pods are an excellent idea when it comes to growing produce, he said there need to be rules as to where the containers can be set up and they can’t be placed just anywhere.

“It can really change the look and feel of a neighborhood,” the councilman said. “That’s why we have zoning.”

He added it could set a dangerous precedent townwide if the McGanns were able to receive an agricultural district designation from
the county.

State Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D) wrote a letter to the Suffolk County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board to object the possibility of the property being included in an agricultural district. Englebright echoed the civic association’s concerns that the McGanns live in a residential zone in a historic district. He added in the letter that in 1971, the New York State Legislature created Article 25-AA Agricultural and Farmland Protection Program as a part of the Agriculture & Markets Law. Englebright said it was clear that the intent of this law is to protect farm operations and the land base associated with it.

“Granting inclusion of the landowner’s 1.1-acre residential neighborhood parcel in an agricultural district is contrary to the legislative intent of the law as the landowner’s agricultural model does not involve soil, or land, or even sunlight,” Englebright wrote.

The McGanns said they are curious to find out the history of their property in the future to discover whether or not farming was ever done there in the past.

For now, the couple said they are hoping that the Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board will recommend their property for inclusion in an agricultural district so they can continue growing and delivering locally grown produce to nearby customers.

by -
0 325
1 of 17
Seven hundred cars were on display at the Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser in Commack April 18. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Seven hundred cars were on display at the Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser in Commack April 18. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Seven hundred cars were on display at the Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser in Commack April 18. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Seven hundred cars were on display at the Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser in Commack April 18. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Seven hundred cars were on display at the Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser in Commack April 18. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Seven hundred cars were on display at the Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser in Commack April 18. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Seven hundred cars were on display at the Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser in Commack April 18. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Seven hundred cars were on display at the Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser in Commack April 18. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Seven hundred cars were on display at the Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser in Commack April 18. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Seven hundred cars were on display at the Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser in Commack April 18. Photo by Rita J. Egan
The band RPM and Friends performed at the Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser in Commack April 18. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Seven hundred cars were on display at the Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser in Commack April 18. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Seven hundred cars were on display at the Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser in Commack April 18. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Seven hundred cars were on display at the Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser in Commack April 18. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Seven hundred cars were on display at the Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser in Commack April 18. Photo by Joe Cali
Seven hundred cars were on display at the Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser in Commack April 18. Photo by Joe Cali
Seven hundred cars were on display at the Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser in Commack April 18. Photo by Joe Cali

The pandemic may have caused it to be canceled last year, but the annual Cars and Guitars Classic Car Show and Fundraiser came back stronger than ever Sunday, April 18, in the Miller’s Ale House parking lot in Commack.

Throughout the late morning and early afternoon, hundreds viewed the classic cars on display. Hosted by East to West Classic Cars, the event raises money for the national nonprofit Hope For The Warriors, which provides assistance to combat wounded service members, their families, and families of those killed in action. East to West Classic Cars president Dean Nichol said the club has had a relationship with the nonprofit for 10 years, and 91 cents on every dollar donated goes to the cause. Nichol said this year the event was so popular that they ran out of room after 700 car owners showed up to display their vehicles. He added that 30% more than 2019 was raised for the cause.

The event also included entertainment by the band RPM and Friends. 

According to a press release from the car organization, Robin Kelleher, president and founder of Hope for the Warriors, was in attendance April 18.

 “I left with tears in my eyes as I drove away, after such a tough year in 2020 finally some normalcy,” Kelleher said.

by -
0 300
Three men were saved on the Long Island Sound April 18. Photo from Suffolk County Police Department

Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers rescued three men from a sinking boat on the Long Island Sound the morning of April 18.

Marine Bureau Officers Joseph Lanzisera and Tyler Smith were aboard Marine Bravo when they heard a mayday call for a sinking boat over VHF radio at approximately 11:20 a.m. Within minutes, the officers located a partially submerged recreational 21-foot Trophy with three men on board approximately ½ mile north of Crab Meadow Beach in Huntington.

The passengers, Shawn Davis, 42, Vinson Davis, 56, and McCarthur Barker, 69, all of Hackensack, NJ, were all wearing life vests and were safely transferred to Marine Bravo. There were no injuries.

The United States Coast Guard and the Town of Huntington Harbor Master also responded. The three agencies were able to pump out water from the vessel while towing it to Soundview Boat Ramp in Northport.

by -
0 637
Police commissioner Geraldine Hart. File photo

On April 14, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart announced she was stepping down from the position.

The announcement comes three years after she took over the role Tim Sini left vacant when he began his term as Suffolk County district attorney. Hart has accepted the position of Hofstra University’s director of Public Safety. According to Hofstra’s website, she will begin this summer.

Hart, who is a 21-year FBI veteran, was the 14th commissioner of SCPD and the first female police commissioner in Suffolk’s history.

According to the Suffolk County Police Department, Chief Stuart Cameron will serve as acting commissioner until Hart’s replacement is found.

by -
0 769
Former Setauket Fire District commissioner Jay Gardiner recently received a proclamation for his service from Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn. Photo from Kara Hahn’s office

When Jay Gardiner decided last year not to run for reelection for fire commissioner in the Setauket Fire District, the former chairman of the board put the cap on decades of fire rescue experience.

Jay Gardiner, second from left, celebrates the grand opening of the district’s main firehouse in 2019 with former Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Valerie Cartright, Fire Chief Paul Rodier and Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine. Photo by Bob O’Rourk

The longtime member of the Setauket Fire Department, who completed 30 years of volunteer service at the end of 2019, said he and his wife, Diane, are planning to move to Florida at the end of the year. While the soon-to-be 70-year-old is looking forward to spending more time with his wife and playing golf, he said he will still run his business Gardiner Plastics from a home office. The former commissioner said if he didn’t do some kind of work, he would be bored.

“I’ve been a workaholic most of my life,” he said.

When Gardiner joined the fire department in 1989, he already had 20 years of community service under his belt. Originally from Fresh Meadows, he served as an EMT in Queens with several volunteer ambulance crews.

“I’m a city boy, but I moved here in ’86,” he said. “It still makes me an old-timer, but that’s late compared to a lot of people that I know.”

Through the decades, in addition to volunteering with the department, he was an EMS lieutenant for the last 12 years. He was also an associate professor of Emergency Medical Care at Suffolk County Community College for 20 years, and he taught instructor-level courses for Suffolk EMS. At St. Francis Hospital, he was on the training faculty where he taught advance life support courses to its medical staff.

The South Setauket resident was appointed as commissioner in May of 2015 to fill the remainder of the term previously held by Thomas Gallagher. Later that year, Gardiner was elected to a five-year term as commissioner, and during his last three years on the board, he served as chairman.

When Gardiner first ran for fire commissioner in 2015, he said he felt his business background would come in handy. The former commissioner holds an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business and has served on several organizational boards in the plastic industry.

When it comes to the board of fire commissioners and the departments in the district, Gardiner sees it as a team effort, and he’s proud of what the district has accomplished over the last few years.

“You can’t get the fire truck or the ambulance to the scene with one person,” he said. “It takes a group of people. It takes an officer. It takes a crew. It takes a driver. And if you don’t have all those working together, you don’t have an efficient department or an efficient board. The board has to work together, we have to be a team, and we’ve been very fortunate.”

“The board has to work together, we have to be a team, and we’ve been very fortunate.”

— Jay Gardiner

Some of the accomplishments Gardiner listed include the renovation of the main firehouse on Route 25A, the purchase of four new fire engines and updated equipment such as radios and air packs to modernize the emergency system. He also counts the addition of a few career firefighters during the day to the department as an accomplishment of the board.

“We were the first one on Long Island to actually call them career firefighters,” Gardiner said. “Nobody wanted to take that jump. It’s not an indictment on the volunteers.”

While it was a tough decision, he said the commissioners have a responsibility to the community. 

“Your job is a fiduciary responsibility to take care of that community, and 30 years ago, there were loads of people who lived in the community during the day, they could respond to the alarms,” he said. “The demographic has totally changed.”

With his departure from the board of commissioners, one of his teammates for decades, John Wastiewiz, took over as chairman of the board. Wastiewiz said he has known Gardiner since before the latter joined the fire department, when his wife worked for Gardiner Plastics. Wastiewiz described the former commissioner as the ultimate professional, and said he considered Gardiner the go-to guy, especially when it came to questions about EMS.

“Everything he’s done, whether it’s paramedic or fire commissioner, he’s always strived to be the best and constantly improving his skills and education, and he’s just a very good guy in general.” Wastiewiz said.

Gardiner said when it comes to being a volunteer firefighter he misses responding
to scenes.

“My wife always looks at me and she goes, ‘You miss it, don’t you?’” he said. “I say, ‘Yup,’ but everything has its time.”

When he moves to Florida, he said he will also miss the Three Village area, where his children grew up and went through the Three Village school district. He said he will especially miss the sense of local history and the area near Emma Clark library and the Frank Melville Memorial Park.

“We’ve always loved living in this area,” he said. “It has good restaurants and good people. The civics and the chamber of commerce do a lot of work to try to build up the area.”

However, while Gardiner and his wife may be moving, he said they will be back to visit as their four children, three daughters-in-law and three grandchildren live on Long Island.

When asked if he had some advice to share with his fellow Setauket firefighters, Gardiner said it’s important to remember the constant commitment to the community. 

“Never get complacent,” he said. “There’s always room for improvement. It gives you the motivation to push forward. You don’t want to say, ‘I’m done.’”

by -
0 739
The Philips Azurion 7 provides imaging capabilities at ultra-low radiation dose levels. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine

Stony Brook University Hospital has taken a step in offering cardiac diagnosis and treatment that is even more advanced than in the past.

SBUH’s Dr. Robert Pyo, Dr. Henry Tannous, Dr. Eric Rashba and Dr. Hal Skopicki stand in the new multifunctional lab. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine

Recently, the hospital announced the opening of its Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology Advanced Multifunctional Laboratory in the Stony Brook University Heart Institute at SBUH. The lab consolidates comprehensive cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology services into one location.

The multifunctional laboratory measures 845 square feet to allow room for various medical teams to perform emergency procedures at the same time if needed. The room includes anesthesia equipment, state-of-the-art angiographic suite equipment and the latest electrophysiology technology. In the lab, physicians are able to continue treating a patient even if the scope of a procedure changes from minimally invasive to more invasive.

When it came time to design the multifunctional laboratory, administrative and medical professionals were able to provide input including Cath Lab Director, Dr. Robert Pyo and EP Lab Director Dr. Eric Rashba.

Pyo said it was important to get input not only from doctors but nurses and technicians, who play a crucial part in documenting procedures, information that will be used during a patient’s treatment.

Rashba said time was spent with the construction group to ensure everything was laid out correctly and that it would work for both specialties in the multifunctional lab. He added that work began April 12 to renovate five existing labs, three Cath and two EP, adjacent to the new Cath/EP lab on the main level of the Heart Institute. One lab at a time will be worked on, and while the additional renovations will take several months, Rashba said the number of patients that Stony Brook doctors can treat will increase, and patients will be able to get appointments quicker than in the past.

“What we’ve seen over time in electrophysiology is that you see more and more patients with arrhythmias that need treatment,” he said. “There’s been an incredible growth in ablation procedures, in particular atrial fibrillation. This will allow us to meet the community need with less waiting times for procedures. So, we’re looking forward to that.”

Since the lab opened March 30, both doctors said the imaging has been superior to what they had been using before. The lab includes an image-guided diagnostic and therapeutic imaging system called the Philips Azurion 7.

“We’re replacing systems that have been installed for over 10 years,” Rashba said. “First of all, we can see a lot better what the definition of the structures are we need to see, plus the radiation definition is a lot lower. So, we’re getting better imaging with less dose to the patient.”

Rashba added that some EP procedures can even be done without radiation.

Pyo said the new multifunctional lab also saves doctors precious time when treating heart patients with both catheterization and electrophysiology in the same room.

“The importance of timing, reducing the time to treatment, whether it’s minutes or seconds, is relative,” Pyo said. “I think that in any case, even in patients who come in electively, getting early diagnosis is crucial.”

Being able to respond quicker is especially crucial with treatment of heart attacks.

“Patients who are presenting with a heart attack, minutes, even seconds, count toward early diagnosis and treatment,” Pyo said, adding if patients don’t get treatment early enough they could suffer irreversible damage.

by -
0 419
Photo from Congressman Lee Zeldin's office

One U.S. congressman has his eyes on Albany for the 2022 election cycle.

Last week, Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY1) announced his run for New York State governor. To kick off his campaign, Zeldin released a video on his website and to his social media accounts.

“We have two choices,” Zeldin said in the video. “We can raise the white flag and surrender to mediocrity, corruption, coverups, more job losses and even higher taxes. We might as well just turn the lights off. Or we can roll up our sleeves and get to work to save our state. That’s what I’m going to do as New York’s next governor. Let’s do it together and show the world the real New York.”

Zeldin has been openly critical of Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), from the governor’s alleged cover-up of nursing home deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic to the sexual misconduct allegations made against him.

“At the helm of New York’s downfall is Governor Andrew Cuomo, whose disgraceful and deadly nursing home order and cover-up is part of a long line of scandals, lies and harassment,” Zeldin said in a recent campaign email. “Cuomo has abused the power and trust granted to him and it is time for him to immediately exit stage left.”

Zeldin has served as congressman in Congressional District 1 since January 2015.

by -
0 236
File photo

The governor has asked the New York State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to offer assistance in a Setauket vandalism incident that involved anti-Semitic graffiti.

In an April 10 press release from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) office, it was announced that he directed the task force to offer assistance to the Suffolk County Police Department Hate Crimes Unit in the investigation of anti-Semitic graffiti that was found on playground slides on the grounds of Setauket Elementary School April 4. 

“I am appalled at media reports on the discovery of anti-semitic graffiti on Setauket Elementary School’s playground equipment on Long Island,” Cuomo said in the press release. “This hateful graffiti is diametrically opposed to the values of tolerance and understanding that are pillars of the society we’ve built in New York State, and the fact that it was found in a place of learning for young children makes it even more disturbing. I am directing the New York State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to immediately offer assistance in the investigation being conducted by the Suffolk County Police Department Hate Crimes Unit, and I look forward to seeing the people responsible for this crime brought to justice.”

In an April 5 letter to school district families, Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich said a community member alerted the district that the school’s playground slides had been vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti and inappropriate language. The graffiti was cleaned before students returned to school April 6.

“The district takes these matters very seriously and does not condone the use or promotion of hateful messages or references on our campus or elsewhere,” Pedisich said in the letter. “This type of reprehensible and criminal behavior, and the destruction of district property will not be tolerated.”

The superintendent asked that anyone who had information on the incident to reach out to the district or SCPD. She also encouraged families to discuss the negative consequences of such an act with children.

According to SCPD, there has been an investigation since police responded to the school on April 4 at approximately 12:05 p.m. The hate crimes unit does not believe the incident was aimed at one specific individual.

Prev1...383940...113Next Page 39 of 113
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©