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Victoria Espinoza

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Victoria Espinoza is the editor of the Times of Huntington & Northport. She once broke her elbow trying to eat a cookie.
https://www.victoria-espinoza.com/

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Students high-five Michael Brannigan as he holds his gold medal. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

By Victoria Espinoza

Paralympian and 1500-meter gold medalist Mikey Brannigan was welcomed back from Rio with deafening cheers and “USA” chants this past week.

The 20-year-old Northport resident returned to Northport Middle School Sept. 23, and hundreds of students lined the front entrance with homemade signs, waved American flags, and stretched out their arms for the opportunity to get a high-five from Brannigan.

Some tried to sum up what the perseverant athlete’s story meant to them.

“He can do so much,” one student said of Brannigan. “He won a gold medal in the Paralympics, what else can you say?”

Another student said she was inspired by Brannigan’s journey to victory.

“He’s autistic and was able to do all this stuff,” she said. “He overcame everything and worked so hard.”

Students high-five Michael Brannigan as he holds his gold medal. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Students high-five Michael Brannigan as he holds his gold medal. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

Brannigan was diagnosed with autism at a young age, and began running as a member of the Rolling Thunder Special Needs Program, a nonprofit organization that trains athletes with developmental disabilities.

Throughout Brannigan’s middle and high school careers, he made a name for himself as a runner. He was named Sports Illustrated’s February High School Athlete of the Month in 2015, and placed first in the T20 1500 meters at the International Paralympic Committee World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar last year. T20 represents the classification level Brannigan was designated as a Paralympic athlete.

In August, Brannigan ran a 3:57 mile at the Sir Walter Miller meet in North Carolina, which solidified his place in Olympic qualifications in the T20 Paralympic classification.

The gold medal winner spoke to Northport Middle School students in the auditorium, and urged them to never give up on their dreams and study hard.

“Find a passion you love and never give up,” Brannigan said. “You always have to be a student-athlete. Always be a student-athlete. Do good in the classroom, find a subject you love.”

While Brannigan was in middle school, he said he kept setting goals to get better and improve.

Some of Brannigan’s former teachers teared up after seeing him and said how proud they were to see all he has accomplished.

Principal Tim Hoss was among those proud fans, and he told Brannigan repeatedly how delighted the school was for him and how happy he was with the environment the students made for Brannigan.

Mike Brannigan smiles and holds his gold medal. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Mike Brannigan smiles and holds his gold medal. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

“Northport is an epicenter of patriotism, the waving of the flags and the cheering and the way you brought it home for Mikey makes us very proud,” he said.

Hoss led a Q&A segment, and asked Brannigan questions from students, including how he feels when he’s running so fast.

“I have so much energy,” Brannigan said, and the crowd laughed along with him. “It makes me a better runner.”

Hoss also asked how Brannigan felt as he completed his Olympic run.

“When I crossed the finish line in Rio, I went through the line and thought ‘don’t stop,’” he said. “And I didn’t. I did it. I was happy.”

When Brannigan was asked to give advice to the young students, he preached self-love.

“Work hard, and believe in yourself. …you’ll have good days and bad days, but never give up,” he told the students. “You have the talent inside of your heart and you’re strong enough to fight through. And that’s what I did.”

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Supporters for both candidates are out early on debate day at Hofstra. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

By Victoria Espinoza

A historic political event, which carried what felt like an unprecedented level of uncertainty, took place close to home Sept. 26.

Hofstra University was the place to be, as thousands of reporters, protestors, students and politicians flocked to the Hempstead campus to witness a debate featuring the first female presidential nominee of a major political party in United States history and one of the most powerful businessmen in the world. Hillary Clinton (D) and Donald Trump (R) were the main attraction, but there was so much more to be seen and heard on campus in the hours leading up to show time.

Major news outlets from all over the world covered the event.

The scene was already buzzing around 10 a.m. Businesses set up booths to hand out free debate gear, and MSNBC, Fox News and CNN were already warming up their outdoor stages for a full day of coverage.

Some students carried signs with Clinton and Trump’s name, while others raised humorous, homemade signs with messages like “Mom, please come pick me up, I’m scared.” Freshmen to seniors visited the photo booths and interview stands set up, and seemed enthused and excited to be a part of the historic day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y4EhseIuAE&feature=youtu.be

One of the more popular activities of the day was an inflatable, replica White House for students to jump around in. In the early morning it lit up the parking lot and seemed like a spot students would enjoy a carefree few minutes after the stations focused on national issues were seen.

But soon enough, the inflatable White House became a backdrop for a serious scene.

Dozens of #BlackLivesMatter supporters stood silently arm in arm, in front of the White House. Observers around the area were silent as well.

It was a reminder early on that this debate was not just an exciting event, but also would spur a serious conversation about the state of America, and how it we will be led into the future.

Bernard Coles, a senior at Hofstra, said he wasn’t confident the issues important to #BlackLivesMatter supporters would come up at the debate.

“We’ve been talking nonstop about Brangelina for the past week so I’m not very optimistic about it coming up but I hope so,” he said in an interview. He also said he feels Clinton best represents the #BlackLivesMatter cause.

Black Lives Matter protestors make their presence felt at Hofstra University on debate day. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Black Lives Matter protestors make their presence felt at Hofstra University on debate day. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

“I feel a thousand times more confident in the direction Hillary Clinton would take the country. She’s been trying to listen to us and support us and represent us for decades and I don’t understand why people are forgetting that.”

Although #BlackLivesMatter was not directly referenced Monday night, moderator Lester Holt asked a question entirely focused on race relations. Both candidates talked about solutions they have proposed to help improve the criminal justice system, while also touching on their personal relationships with ethnic communities.

About a half-mile from the center point of campus was the free speech tent, an area heavily guarded by police where supporters of lesser-known presidential candidates Jill Stein (G) and Gary Jonhson (L) protested their exclusion from the event.

Entrance to the free speech tent required passage through a metal detector and a search of belongings. Officers on horseback lined the street, and at the tent, a man dressed in a polar bear costume spoke out on global warming, and an “election frog” croaked “Rig it, rig it.”

Chris Roy, a Stein supporter, said it was a disgrace that she was not allowed into the debate arena.

“I’m thoroughly disgusted and disturbed and furious,” Roy said in an interview. He questioned why two parties are allowed to make the rules for other minor parties, and said Trump and Clinton should be speaking up to allow the other candidates in.

“She [Stein] is the only one that is in the trenches fighting with the people,” he said. “They’re [Clinton and Trump] both just totally corrupt. They don’t speak out for open debates, which is awful. When you turn on the television all you see is Hillary and Trump.”

Stein has been the presidential nominee for the Green Party for the last two debates, and was escorted off the premises Monday after reportedly failing to present the necessary credentials.

Costumes are used to emphasize political talking points. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Costumes are used to emphasize political talking points. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

Like Stein, Johnson is not new to the presidential campaign circuit. He has been the Libertarian Party’s presidential candidate for the last two elections.

Both candidates have been vocal about being denied the opportunity to debate.

Neither reached the 15-percent polling threshold on national surveys needed by the Commission on Presidential Debates to qualify.

Hofstra students throughout campus donned “Make America Great Again” hats and “I’m With Her” pins, and at the end of the night everyone argued over which candidate had the most success.

After leaving the scene of the debate, and walking out of what felt like a bunker, it seemed like all issues discussed during the day had been forgotten and all that mattered was Clinton and Trump’s performances.

Hofstra’s campus gave a voice to more than just the typical election season rhetoric, and helped remind a reporter like me that this election season is about so much more than just the two candidates who stood on the stage for 90 minutes.

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Huntington residents wearing “Pierce the Cap” shirts cheer after the town board votes to pierce the tax levy cap for the 2017 budget. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

By Victoria Espinoza

Huntington residents were unanimous at the town board meeting Tuesday night: Pierce the tax levy cap for the 2017 budget and keep our programs. And the town board agreed.

The proposed 2017 budget comes in at $190 million, with a tax levy increase of 2.85 percent, which would cost residents approximately $18 to $30 more per household, town spokesperson A.J. Carter said in a phone interview.

Town hall was packed with union, youth program and nonprofit members asking the board to support them in this year’s budget proposal.

Supervisor Frank Petrone (D) said at the town board meeting if Huntington is to stay within the state set tax levy cap of 0.68 percent for this year, the town’s workforce would decline; arts and youth programs would have to be cut; and parks and beaches would see a reduction in services and programs they offer.

“It’s not just a couple of bucks less for culture and arts. If we cut [funding] down, Huntington suffers. It’s millions of dollars out of the pockets of local residents.” —Ken Katz

“We committed ourselves to these programs because people are not traveling like they did — the economy is such that they are staying home and we felt it is our responsibility to … provide programs that would be cultural and recreational in nature, and social programs that help catch people in a safety net,” he said.

Jolena Smith, a Huntington High School student and member of the Tri Community Youth Agency, a not-for-profit organization that offers educational, recreational, social, cultural, athletics, counseling and advocacy programs for the town’s youth, became emotional when speaking about why it’s so important to her that the board pierce the cap this year and maintain Tri CYA funding.

“The Tri CYA provides all types of programs, services and activities to the youth that don’t have other choices or places to go,” she said at the meeting. “I’ve been coming to the Tri CYA for as long as I can remember, and it means a lot to me. The staff is an extended family. The Tri CYA helps kids stay off the streets. It helped me be the person I am today.”

Alicia Lawrence, president of the Tri CYA, talked about all the opportunities the not-for-profit offers to kids in town.

“Our staff is compassionate and professional,” Lawrence said. “They know the kids, they know the families and they know the community. They resolve problems before they escalate.”

Tri CYA offers numerous classes including cooking, reading and homework help, as well as provide students with school supplies, winter jackets and meals. The president said many of the children they work with are “at or below the poverty level.”

Ken Katz, a Huntington resident and member of the board of directors at the Cinema Arts Centre, also talked about how crucial funding from the town is for the survival of the CAC, a nonprofit organization that helps provide programs for students and seniors, as well as support many other local businesses.

“It’s not just a couple of bucks less for culture and arts,” he said. “If we cut [funding] down, Huntington suffers, not the Cinema Arts Centre. It’s not just going to a museum and seeing one less painting. It’s millions of dollars out of the pockets of local residents.”

Nonprofits were not the only voices heard. William Hennessey, president of Local 342 Long Island Public Service Employees, a union for workers in retail and wholesale food service, distribution, delivery and health care, spoke about the dangers of reducing the town workforce.

“[Local 342] represents many of the town employees residing in the town of Huntington,” he said. “If the staffing levels were to be substantially reduced due to budget cuts, the level of service that the residents of this town have become accustomed to would be severely reduced.” Hennessey used Hurricane Sandy as an example of when town employees worked “around the clock in 12-hour shifts” to help residents stay safe.

The board unanimously voted to approve the resolution to pierce the tax cap, to a round of applause from the audience, and the 2017 preliminary budget was passed out to the town board members.

According to Carter, Petrone said when he began the 2017 budget process this summer, he realized how much the town would have to cut to stay within the 0.68 percent state-mandated cap for this year. So instead, he drafted a second budget, which would pierce the cap. The budget holds social, youth and art programs at 2016 funding levels; there are no freezes on salaries for elected and appointed officials and union workers; and there are no layoffs, Carter said.

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Hugo Rizzo who raises money for research in their memory. Photo from Hugo Rizzo

One Northport resident found inspiration through loss.

Hugo Rizzo lost two brothers to lung cancer, and has since devoted his time to raising money for lung cancer treatment research.

“Mothers don’t deserve to bury their children,” Rizzo said through tears in a phone interview. “I had to tell my mother both times that her sons died. It has been up to me both times. Nobody deserves to get lung cancer.”

Rizzo said his family’s struggle is what makes him so passionate about being involved in cancer research organizations.

Carlos Rizzo who died from lung cancer at 60. Photo from Hugo Rizzo
Carlos Rizzo who died from lung cancer at 60. Photo from Hugo Rizzo

He also touched on the stigma he believes is associated with lung cancer patients, and how he wants to help change that.

“The stigma is that ‘you brought it on yourself,’” Rizzo said, “that it’s a smoker’s disease.” He said he feels this assumption is unfair, and “lung cancer patients share the same fears as colon and brain cancer patients.”

Rizzo said lung cancer is one of the most underfunded cancers in terms of research. According to LUNGevity Foundation, lung cancer is the leading cancer death, but only receives six percent of federal research dollars. That comes out to $2,366 per life lost, compared to $24,167 per life lost to breast cancer, and $14,510 to prostate cancer. LUNGevity also reported 60 to 65 percent of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers, and 10 to 15 percent of lung cancer patients have never smoked in their lives.

This year marks the first time Rizzo is part of the organizing committee for non-profit Free to Breathe’s Lung Cancer 5K in New York City and Brooklyn. The event is on Sunday, Oct. 30, starting at 10:30 a.m. at Cadman Plaza Park in Brooklyn. Rizzo said he is proud to help and wants to make sure the event is fun.

“This shouldn’t be a morose event, it should be hopeful, hopeful that we find better treatment,” he said.

The event includes a 5K run, walk, and kids run, as well as other activities, including face painting, a magic show and a yoga warm-up. There will also be guest speakers and a heroes wall to help show young children they are just as much heroes for being involved as the superheroes they read about.

Rudy Rizzo, who died from lung cancer at 64. Photo from Hugo Rizzo
Rudy Rizzo, who died from lung cancer at 64. Photo from Hugo Rizzo

Free To Breathe is a nonprofit organization made up of lung cancer survivors, advocates, researchers, health care professionals and industry leaders, all working to raise money for lung cancer research, increase the number of lung cancer patients participating in clinical trials, and build and empower the lung cancer community.

Rizzo said the nonprofit donates 83 percent of the money it raises to research and the development of programs.

“Before I get involved, I make sure [an organization] fits well with me,” he said. “And they give back such a high amount of what they fundraise.”

This year Rizzo said they are expecting between 400 and 500 participants, and are hoping to raise between $45,000 and $60,000. He said they were able to raise more than $40,000 last year.

“This is a movement that is growing,” he said. “If I can do my part to help others, to make sure they don’t go through what my brothers went through, then that is time well invested.”

To find out more information on Free to Breathe’s Lung Cancer 5K or to donate, visit www.freetobreathe.org.

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Camilo Rivera was arrested for slashing a man and causing serious injury. Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County Police Department 2nd Precinct officers were called to Fairgrounds Avenue in Huntington Station Sept. 20 after a 911 caller reported a male had been slashed at approximately 11:45 a.m.

The man, Juan Rosa Corrado, 38, was transported to Huntington Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

Following an investigation, Second Squad detectives arrested Camilo Rivera, 40, and charged him with first-degree assault.

Rivera, of Huntington Station, was held overnight at the 2nd Precinct and was scheduled to be arraigned at 1st District Court in Central Islip Sept. 21. Attorney information was not immediately available.

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Participants from the Walk a Day in Our Shoes event Sunday, Sept. 18, smile as they start their trek. Photo from Angela’s House

By Victoria Espinoza

More than 700 people walked a day in someone else’s shoes this past weekend.

Angela’s House, a Hauppauge-based nonprofit organization that offers support for families and children living with severe medical conditions, hosted its second annual Walk a Day in Our Shoes 3K Walk fundraiser at the Holtsville Ecology Center Sept. 18.

$45,000 was raised to help bring awareness to the organization’s cause. Limited options exist for families with children born and diagnosed as being medically frail, chronically ill or suffering from any type of life-threatening conditions when or if they leave the hospital.

Bob Policastro, founder and executive director of Angela’s House, said he was unaware of the limited options parents have until his daughter, Angela, suffered severe brain damage during birth, which left her very medically frail and in need of nursing care.

“The process is incredibly painful,” Policastro said in a phone interview. “You’re in this situation no one wants to be in, and you need to figure out how you’ll be there as a parent for your child.”

Participants from the Walk a Day in Our Shoes event Sunday, Sept. 18, smile as they start their trek. Photo from Angela’s House
Participants from the Walk a Day in Our Shoes event Sunday, Sept. 18, smile as they start their trek. Photo from Angela’s House

Policastro said he and his wife, Angie, had a hard time finding a specialized home or facility near where they lived in Hauppauge and eventually settled on a specialty hospital in Connecticut. The lack of services locally put additional emotional and physical strain on the parents because they were forced to travel more than two hours to spend time with their daughter in Connecticut. Angela eventually succumbed to her illnesses and died shortly after her first birthday.

The Policastros created the nonprofit in 1992 and since then have opened three homes in East Moriches, Smithtown and Stony Brook where children with serious medical conditions live and are cared for 24 hours a day.

The funds raised from the event will help continue the care in these three homes, as well as programs to help other families learn about the resources available for them and their loved ones who are struggling with life-threatening medical issues.

One mother wrote about her experience with Angela’s House. Her son Johnny required a tracheotomy and a feeding tube around five years old. She said as his condition worsened, she was no longer able to take care of him at home, and that’s when she found Angela’s House.

“Bob and his wife Angie have been working tirelessly to have a home built for children [whose] medical needs were too great for families to care for their child at home but whose family is on Long Island,” she wrote. “Johnny spent nearly 16 years at Angela’s House and during that time he has received excellent medical care and a tremendous amount of LOVE. The wonderful nurses and aides tirelessly provided Johnny with kisses, hugs and jokes. Johnny rewarded them with the simplest of gestures … his smile.”

The day included face painting, a D.J., a zoo and lunch provided by Applebee’s.

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File photo by Victoria Espinoza.

It’s official: bagging your groceries will cost you.

The Suffolk County Legislature approved a 5-cent fee per plastic grocery bag this month, which will be collected and kept by stores. The main goal of the legislation is to reduce bag waste by incentivizing shoppers to avoid the fee and bring their own bags.

“I feel relieved,” Suffolk County Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport) said in a phone interview. “But I am also concerned.”

Spencer said he is “sensitive” to struggling families with the current cost of living, and doesn’t want them to feel like this is a new fee or tax being imposed on them.

“This is nothing new, people are paying for these bags already,” he said.

“Plastic bags are a mistake of the past. Reusable bags are the solution for the future.” —Adrienne Esposito

According to the legislator, grocery stores already work the price of the plastic bags they give away into the price of products they sell.

A report conducted by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments about plastic bags stated consumers pay $37.50 per year in hidden bag costs passed on by retailers.

But some residents are not on board with the future fee. Suffolk County Legislator Sara Anker (D-Mount Sinai) said she heard many responses from senior citizens in her district that they don’t like the new bill.

“I had an overwhelming response from residents not supporting the fee,” she said in a phone interview. “To [the senior community] it’s just another expense. The 5 cents goes right back to the retailer, and it should really go to a designated environmental fund.”

The idea of the fee going to an environmental cause was first implemented in Washington D.C., the first place in the United States to impose a 5-cent fee on plastic bags, with the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act. According to the legislation, only 1 out of the 5-cent fee is collected by the store, and the rest is deposited in the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Fund.

In a 2013 study of the D.C. law, researchers found that both residents and businesses reported a significant reduction in disposable bag use and a majority of residents and businesses supported the bag fee. In addition, both residents and businesses said they saw fewer plastic bags littering the area.

Spencer said creating legislation similar to that in D.C. was discussed, with part of the fee going toward an environmental cause, however it ended up being out of his control.

“I would love to do that, but we don’t have the taxing authority,” Spencer said. He explained it would require state action for part of the fee to be divided and sent to an organization.

“I would love to see that money go towards conservation,” he said. “But it is important to move forward now and not wait for the state to act. On a county level, we’ve taken the lead.”

Spencer said he hopes eventually the state will create legislation that will supersede his own, but for now he must continue to do his job.

Citizens Campaign for the Environment Executive Director Adrienne Esposito applauded Spencer’s legislation.

“Plastic bags are a mistake of the past,” she said in a statement. “Reusable bags are the solution for the future. This legislation will reduce plastic bag use by 60 percent or more and that will make our communities and our bays cleaner and greener, and save us money. Kudos to Suffolk County Legislator Doc Spencer for his leadership and persistence in protecting our environment.”

The CCE said there is more plastic in the oceans than plankton, with 46,000 pieces of plastic in every square mile. Many marine animals are choked and strangled by bags, or die consuming them. The CCE said plastic pollution negatively impacts 267 species of marine life.

John Durso, president of Local 228, a retail labor union and Long Island Federation of Labor, said the bill will introduce positive change to Suffolk County. “The Suffolk County plastic bag law is truly an innovative bill that takes great steps to cut back on environmental waste, while also addressing the needs of local workers and businesses,” he said in a statement. “We were glad to work with the Suffolk County Legislature to collaborate on a landmark legislation that will protect our environment for future generations of Suffolk County’s working families.”

The fee will go into effect Jan. 1, 2018.

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Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
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Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 18. photo by Victoria Espinoza

Northport Village celebrated it’s annual Cow Harbor Day with a parade and fair this past Sunday, Sept. 18 Local fire departments, village organizations and the Northport-East Northport High School marching band, cheerleaders, and kick line came out to march.

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A scene from the Heritage County Fair hosted by the Smithtown Historical Society this past Sunday, Sept. 18. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
A scene from the Heritage County Fair hosted by the Smithtown Historical Society this past Sunday, Sept. 18. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from the Heritage County Fair hosted by the Smithtown Historical Society this past Sunday, Sept. 18. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Scenes from the Heritage County Fair hosted by the Smithtown Historical Society this past Sunday, Sept. 18. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
A scene from the Heritage County Fair hosted by the Smithtown Historical Society this past Sunday, Sept. 18. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
A scene from the Heritage County Fair hosted by the Smithtown Historical Society this past Sunday, Sept. 18. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
A scene from the Heritage County Fair hosted by the Smithtown Historical Society this past Sunday, Sept. 18. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
A scene from the Heritage County Fair hosted by the Smithtown Historical Society this past Sunday, Sept. 18. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
A scene from the Heritage County Fair hosted by the Smithtown Historical Society this past Sunday, Sept. 18. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
A scene from the Heritage County Fair hosted by the Smithtown Historical Society this past Sunday, Sept. 18. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
A scene from the Heritage County Fair hosted by the Smithtown Historical Society this past Sunday, Sept. 18. Photo by Victoria Espinoza


On Sunday, Sept. 18th, the Smithtown Historical Society hosted its annual Heritage Country Fair, keeping up with its long-standing tradition of carrying the past to the present.

The Fair entertained an assortment of appealing attractions, such as Antique Cars, Barn Animals, Children’s Craft, Civil War Soldiers, Hay Rides, Old Time Base Ball, Pony Rides, Live Music, Food, and much more. Demonstrations included the Island Long Riders, with mounted cowboy shooting as well as woodworking, spinning, quilting and ethnic folk dancing.

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A North Shore resident locks his car before going into work. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

It may seem like a no-brainer, but according to the Suffolk County Police Department many North Shore residents are forgetting to lock their cars.

The department recently launched a new “Lock It or Lose It!” campaign aimed at encouraging residents to lock their parked vehicles.

Police Commissioner Tim Sini said the department is looking for the public’s help to bring down this type of petit crime.

“Every day, the hard-working men and women of the Suffolk County Police Department are out there in force doing their best to keep crime down,” he said in a statement. “Oftentimes, though, it is the partnership with the public that helps get us the results. The first line of defense is [to] lock your doors. Also, make sure if there are valuables in your car, they are not in plain view.”

Although it may seem simple, many Long Islanders are leaving their cars unlocked.

A periodic check of Suffolk County police reports will turn up dozens of incidents of items stolen out of unlocked cars parked in driveways, parking lots or other locations.

The department has partnered with Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and multiple television and radio stations to routinely broadcast a 30-second public service announcement during the next month to remind residents to lock their vehicles.

“Unlocked vehicles give criminals an additional bonus of stealing sensitive personal documents resulting in identity theft without a victim realizing the fact until it’s too late,” Crime Stoppers President Nick Amarr said in a statement. “The Lock it or Lose It campaign is a way to remind residents how they can help prevent becoming the victim of a crime.”

According to the department, most vehicle break-ins are crimes of opportunity, and if a vehicle is locked, a criminal will usually move on. Locking car doors should substantially decrease the likelihood of being victimized. Approximately 312 cars are targeted every month in Suffolk County, according to a statement from the police.

On the North Shore, cell phones, wallets, credit cards, cash, GPS, cell phone chargers, laptops and tablets are among the most common items taken when someone breaks into a car.

Campaigns just like Suffolk County’s are becoming the norm throughout the country, as police departments in many states try to remind residents they can help reduce crime in their neighborhoods.

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