The metal beam is brought to Huntington from Port Authority. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
The metal beam recovered from the Twin Towers. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Cold Spring Harbor firefighters ceremoniously fold the American flag covering the metal beam recovered from the Twin Towers. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Cold Spring Harbor firefighters stand behind a metal beam recovered from the Twin Towers. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Cold Spring Harbor firefighters salute a metal beam recovered from the Twin Towers. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Cold Spring Harbor firefighters ceremoniously fold the American flag covering the metal beam recovered from the Twin Towers. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Cold Spring Harbor firefighters stand behind a metal beam recovered from the Twin Towers. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
A bagpiper plays during the event. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Cold Spring Harbor firefighters ceremoniously fold the American flag covering the metal beam recovered from the Twin Towers. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Cold Spring Harbor firefighters ceremoniously fold the American flag covering the metal beam recovered from the Twin Towers. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Cold Spring Harbor firefighters ceremoniously fold the American flag covering the metal beam recovered from the Twin Towers. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Cold Spring Harbor firefighters and a bagpiper stand behind a metal beam recovered from the Twin Towers. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
A piece of Tower 1 from the World Trade Center made its way to the Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department Wednesday to be used as a memorial for the community.
Thomas Buchta, a member of the department, said receiving the metal is important for many reasons.
Brothers Daniel and John Martin, of the Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department, lost their father, Peter C. Martin, a lieutenant in the Fire Department of New York’s Rescue 2 in Brooklyn, during the 9/11 terrorist attack.
“It’s significant for us and for the community to remember … what really took place that day and how many people sacrificed and are still to this day perishing because of illnesses that they received from the Trade Center,” he said. “It’s never-ending. [There are] so many to remember. We don’t ever want to forget what happened. We never want to see that happen again, so that’s why it’s important to remember what transpired that day so we keep vigilant and never let it happen again.”
Bob Thornton, another firefighter at Cold Spring Harbor, said the moment has been 14 years in the making.
“It all started back on 9/11, when we got the call to go in,” he said. “I was fortunate [enough] to be one of the 12 guys from our department that went in.”
Thornton said he and other firefighters were sent to Belmont Park to wait to go to Ground Zero, but after three days, they were discharged and sent home.
“It’s like the end of a dream,” he said of finally having the metal come to their community. “I’ve written letters for 14 years to try and get this metal. You kind of lose steam when nothing happens and the years roll by. Now we’re finally coming to fruition.”
Members of the department picked up the beam early Wednesday morning at The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey storage facility, transported it to the North Shore along with units from the New York City Police Department, the Suffolk County Police Department and others.
The steel beam is 17 feet long and 4 feet wide and weighs about 18,000 pounds. According to the department, it is one of the last remaining pieces of steel available for use as a memorial.
Firefighters surround the two cars involved in the crash Friday morning .Photo from John Mancino
Firefighters examine one of the two cars involved in the crash Friday morning. Photo from John Mancino
On Friday, May 20, the Northport Fire Department responded to an early morning car crash at the intersection of Route 25A and Cherry Street in Northport.
An ambulance, a heavy rescue truck and one fire engine were at the scene. The police said three people were inside the two vehicles that had crashed, but no one was injured.
Emergency medical technicians examined the three people and all refused medical assistance.
Firefighters helped remove the damaged vehicles from blocking traffic on Route 25A.
The poster for the short film "Grace." Photo from Marisa Vitali
By Victoria Espinoza
“Grace” did not come easy for Northport native Marisa Vitali, but she has used her struggles to help inspire others.
The poster for the short film “Grace.” Photo from Marisa Vitali
The village will be rolling out the red carpet for the premier of Vitali’s short film, “Grace,” based on her experiences battling addiction and recovery. In an interview, the filmmaker said she wanted to tell her story differently and focus more on the light at the end of the tunnel.
“I felt like a turtle without a shell, raw and emotionally exposed,” Vitali said of her struggles. “This was the story I wanted to tell in the film ‘Grace.’ Anyone can watch a film and learn how to shoot a bag of dope or smoke a crack pipe. I wanted to tell a story of hope and recovery and bridge a gap between addicts and non-addicts to start that conversation of recovery.”
The film focuses on a woman in her first year of recovery working at diner, which mirrors Vitali’s real life. She worked at Tim’s Shipwreck Diner in Northport during her first year of recovery. Vitali said she included the snapshot in her film because of how important the first days of improvement are for recovering addicts.
“The first year is the most difficult,” she said. “You’re left with fear, shame, anger and guilt.”
Vitali, who is now nearly 15 years sober, said she went to an outpatient program at Daytop Village Inc. in Huntington Station once she made a commitment to get clean, and continues to attend support meetings.
Discussing the problem is half the battle, Vitali said. She said a lot of people think addiction will never happen to them, or their loved ones, so they end up not having the information they need to deal with the struggles of substance abuse.
“Addiction is still portrayed as a taboo topic,” she said. “There is a lot of stigma attached to it. There is something to be said about how we can all be a little more compassionate for one’s struggle to overcome against all odds.”
Anthony Fernandino, chair of the Northport-East Northport Drug and Alcohol Task Force, said he hopes the film sparks a conversation about the importance of the prevention side of dealing with drug addiction.
“I felt like a turtle without a shell, raw and emotionally exposed.” — Marisa Vitali
“We want to continue to raise awareness, and provide the community with more education,” he said in a phone interview. “If we can prevent a kid or give a parent the tools they need to prevent this from happening, it is a much easier [task] than treating a kid who is already in the throws of addiction.”
He said this film could help give parents new talking points for more open conversations with their children and provide concrete examples of what to do to keep a safe and healthy environment.
This film also lines up with an ongoing battle facing Suffolk County, and the nation as a whole.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 28,000 overdose deaths in 2014 as a result of heroin or opioid abuse across the United States — the highest number on record in any single year. Last year alone, Suffolk County suffered 103 fatal heroin overdoses and tallied more heroin-related overdose deaths than any county in New York from 2009 to 2013, according to the New York State Opioid Poisoning, Overdose and Prevention 2015 Report.
“Grace” was filmed at Tim’s Shipwreck Diner in the village, and Vitali said the community has been extremely supportive of this endeavor.
Marisa Vitali grew up in Northport, which is also the setting for her short film. Photo from Marisa Vital
“It was important to shoot in Northport because it was a homecoming of sorts, and it felt like I had come full circle.”
Not only has “Grace” been received well by the community, it has also won film awards including Best Drama at the Cape Fear Independent Film Festival, the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the Long Island International Film Expo, and was selected for the short film corner in the Cannes Film Festival.
And the journey isn’t ending anytime soon for this short film.
Vitali said she is working to use the film, along with a lesson plan, as a learning tool for health classes in the Northport-East Northport school district.
“This was one of my intentions,” she said. “I wanted it to be available for educational purposes because there is not a lot of education on coming out of addiction and the recovery process.”
“Grace” will be shown at the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport on June 7 in an event hosted by the Northport-East Northport Drug and Alcohol Task Force. All proceeds will benefit Youth Directions and Alternatives, a nonprofit organization serving communities throughout Huntington by developing services and sober programs for youth in the communities.
Following the film premiere, there will be a question and answer session with Vitali and the director of the Huntington Drug and Alcohol Task Force Barry Zaks, where they will also discuss ways in which the community can work to address the issue of addiction.
The event was created for high school students, as there is some inappropriate language. Tickets for the event can be purchased at www.engemantheater.com/event/grace-premiere.
In the Northport-East Northport school district, change is coming.
Residents approved a $161 million budget on Tuesday night with 2,568 votes in favor to 687 against, ousted an incumbent from the school board and reduced the number of board of education members from nine to seven. The district clerk’s office said the latter change will go into effect next year. Trustees Regina Pisacani, Donna McNaughton and Jennifer Thompson will all be up for re-election next year, but only one of their three seats will be open.
Shawne Albero, left, hugs Allison Noonan after results are announced. Residents voted in Noonan but not Albero. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Northport’s budget stayed within the 0.55 percent tax levy cap, and a separate proposition for $2 million in capital improvements, which was approved with 2,848 to 390 votes, will include many athletic facility upgrades for the coming year, including a new gym ceiling and field repairs.
Board President Andrew Rapiejko did not support the reduction in board members.
“It was not a board-supported proposition,” he said. “I think nine members is more representation. It’s a very large district and if you look at even right now, we just have one board member who’s from East Northport out of nine people.”
Armand D’Accordo, a member of the United Taxpayers of Northport-East Northport, the group that introduced the idea for a smaller board, said he was pleased with the results.
“Clearly the nine-person board was not getting the job done,” he said. “Now we have an opportunity to break up the majority of incumbents that have been on the board for too long and get more independent and objective members. Most importantly, fewer members will provide more effective governance over the district and improve academic outcomes.”
Rapiejko and Trustee Lori McCue were both voted in for another term with 1,984 votes and 1,560 votes, respectively.
“I’m very grateful for the people who came out and supported me,” McCue said. She looks forward to finishing an energy performance contract with the district that aims to make it more energy-efficient.
Northport resident Allison Noonan came in first for the night, with 2,039 votes, and said she felt grateful and humbled by the results, and is excited to add a fresh voice and a fresh perspective to the board.
Incumbent Julia Binger came in fourth 1,543 votes and Shawne Albero collected 1,410 votes, so both fell shy in their bids for the board.
Superintendent Diana Todaro and Assistant Superintendent Francesco Ianni were both delighted the budget passed. File photo
Tuesday night was a success for school districts in the Huntington area, with all budgets approved, including Harborfields’ cap-piercing $82.8 million budget.
Throughout budget season, Assistant Superintendent for Administration and Human Resources Franceso Ianni had presented the board with several options for the 2016-17 budget. Some stayed within the 0.37 percent state–mandated tax levy cap, but did not offer programs the community had been asking for, like full-day kindergarten. Others included such programs but went above and beyond the cap. After much debate, the board adopted a nearly $83 million budget with a cap-busting 1.52 percent increase to the tax levy.
Among the costs in the budget are $600,000 for full-day kindergarten, $70,000 for a BOCES cultural arts program, $52,000 for a third-grade orchestra program and $120,000 for an additional special education teacher and two teaching assistants.
Harborfields residents have been vocal about wanting full-day kindergarten on the budget and one group, Fair Start: Harborfields Residents for Full-Day Kindergarten, traveled to Albany to seek help from state legislators on making it possible.
Rachael Risinger, a member of Fair Start, said she and the organization are elated to see a budget pass with full-day kindergarten on the menu.
“We are extremely thankful the Harborfields community came together to pass this year’s school budget,” she said in an email. “Kindergarten orientation was this week and we’ve heard from so many parents how excited their young kids are to go to full-day kindergarten starting in September. Now they will have the same fair start as every kindergarten student on Long Island.”
The district needed a 60 percent supermajority to override the cap in its budget, and with 2,099 votes in favor and 1,017 votes against, the supermajority was achieved.
Superintendent Diana Todaro said she is pleased with the outcome.
“It’s a budget that supports and meets the needs of all of our children, from kindergarten through the high school,” she said. “We just want to thank our community, parents, staff members and especially the board of education who supported us throughout this entire process.”
Ianni, who will be taking over for Todaro in 2017 as superintendent, said he is excited to work with the programs in this budget next year. “I’m very exited and pleased for the students and the community, [for] all the programs that we’re going to have,” he said. “I’m really excited [to go] into the new school year as the new superintendent in January, [with] these kinds of programs in place.”
Incumbent Hansen Lee and newcomer Colleen Wolcott were also voted in as school board members for the upcoming year, with 1,569 and 1,301 votes, respectively.
“I am extremely excited about the passing of this historic budget, and how the community came together for all of our kids,” Lee said. “[And] I am excited about my second term and [am] looking forward to more exciting things to come at Harborfields.”
Wolcott said she is eager to get started.
“I’m very excited to serve my community more than I have already been doing,” she said. “It is my honor. I’m excited to have a voice on the board of education and to work collaboratively with the district to make it better than it already is.”
Challengers Chris Kelly (1,001 votes), Marge Acosta (992 votes) and Joseph Savaglio (571 votes) fell short in their own bids.
From left to right, Dean Balsamo, Michael Russo, and Antoinette Russo, who were all arrested yesterday by Northport police. Photos from Northport Police Department
A trio of Patchogue residents, including a mother and son, were arrested by the Northport Police Department on May 11 following a stakeout at the CVS Pharmacy in the village.
According to the department, detective Peter Hayes identified 20-year-old Michael Russo and 46-year-old Antoinette Russo, two of three suspects, at about 7 p.m. on May 11 entering the CVS on Fort Salonga Road. They were stopped as they exited the store, and allegedly found with nearly $900 worth of items in their possession. The police said the store was unaware of a theft.
The 46-year-old woman was charged with two counts of fourth-degree grand larceny and petit larceny and one count of fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. Her bail was set at $129,000.
Her son was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and two counts of petit larceny, and his bail has not yet been set.
Dean Balsamo, 36, was also arrested on the scene, after police said they discovered he was driving the mother and son’s getaway vehicle. He was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and petit larceny, and his bail was set at $23,000.
Attorney information for the three defendants was not immediately available on Thursday afternoon.
The department said on Thursday that the trio has stolen thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from other drug stores in the area.
On April 26, the suspects allegedly stole $1,300 worth of merchandise from the same CVS, and two days later took $2,816 worth of goods from the Rite Aid on Fort Salonga Road.
On May 7 they allegedly struck both stores again, netting $2,0176 from CVS and $585 from Rite Aid.
According to police, the Russos would enter the stores with a small, previously stolen item hidden on their person and intentionally set off the anti-theft alarm. The store staff would allow them to enter thinking the alarm went off in error. The suspects would then fill bags they were carrying with items from the store, go to the counter and pay for one small item, usually a beverage, and proceed to exit. When the anti-theft alarm would go off again, the store staff would let them leave thinking it went off in error once more.
The three are suspected in similar crimes in other locations throughout Suffolk County, police said.
Assistant principal Tim Russo smiles at the board of education meeting before his appointment as principal is announced. Photo by Alex Petroski
The Tornadoes have a new leader.
Assistant Principal Tim Russo was appointed principal of Harborfields High School Tuesday night at a board of education meeting.
Russo has been a part of the district for 15 years now, holding several roles over that time as an athletic coach, social studies teacher, student manager, and assistant principal.
“I think my experience in the district, being here so long, gave me an understanding of the culture of the district and the school itself,” Russo said of why he thinks he makes a good fit for the job.
Russo said he’s enjoyed his time at Harborfields and he feels like his time spent there has been an ideal scenario.
“This is the first district I ever worked in, and I couldn’t really see myself ever leaving the district,” he said. “I’m just so happy here. And this is a perfect fit for me; it felt like everything kind of aligned. You’re in the spot that you’d love to be, you get the opportunity to move forward professionally and continue to work still with all of your closest friends and colleagues.”
Current Principal Dr. Rory J. Manning is leaving the position to take over for Francesco Ianni as assistant superintendent for administration and human resources next year. And Ianni is leaving his post to become superintendent of the district, as it was announced earlier this year that Diana Todaro would be retiring in 2017.
“It has been a pleasure to work with Mr. Russo these past years in his roles as teacher, student manager and assistant principal,” Todaro said in a letter to the district. “I wish Mr. Russo much success in his new role and I am extremely confident that he will lead the high school through many new initiatives, in addition to ensuring the high standards of excellence.”
Ianni has been working with Russo for years, originally when Ianni was an assistant principal at the high school and Russo only just a social studies teacher there.
“He’s a great guy with an outstanding personality that works well with kids and the faculty,” Ianni said in a phone interview. “He’s been a great teacher, and coach, and in all of the communities here, he is very well respected. It’s always difficult to bring a great school to next level, but he has the ingredients to be successful and to provide students with the necessary support to go to the next level.”
Russo said is he up to the challenge of bringing the high school to that next level.
“I’ve been given the opportunity to take the school from being outstanding to maybe just a little bit more outstanding,” he said. “I want to be a guide, to lead the faculty and let them understand that we’re confident in everything we do in the buing and we just want to continue to do the right thing for the kids and make sure we continue to be great.”
Superintendent Robert Banzer speaks about the three propositions on the ballot for next week’s budget vote at last Thursday’s board meeting. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Northport-East Northport residents must support or deny three major proposals next week: a $161 million budget, $2 million in capital improvements, and reducing the amount of board members from nine to seven.
The 2016-17 budget includes an American sign language elective at Northport High School, an elementary special education program and the purchase of a new school bus.
“This really emphasizes what this budget and what this school is all about,” Vice President David Badanes said at the May 5 meeting. “At the end of the day, it’s about students — there are students who are great in robotics, students who are great in music, students who are great in foreign languages. From A to Z, students in this district continue to shine.”
Northport proposes collecting $140.9 million in taxes, a 0.55 percent increase to the tax levy from last year’s budget, which will raise the average home’s taxes assessed at $3,800 an additional $56.40. This budget meets the state-mandated tax levy cap of 0.55 percent.
The second $2 million proposition on the ballot includes boiler replacements and a new gym ceiling at Northport Middle School, with funds taken from the 2008 general construction/electromechanical capital reserve and the 2012 capital reserve fund.
The district’s Athletic Facilities Citizens Advisory Committee first introduced many of the capital projects in a presentation led by trustee Regina Pisacani last December, after the committee conducted tours of the district’s facilities to see what improvements were needed.
Members of the United Taxpayers of Northport-East Northport presented a petition at a school board meeting last June, with more than 300 signatures, asking for the board size to go down by two members.
Armand D’Accordo, a member of the United Taxpayers of Northport-East Northport who presented the petition at that meeting, said he’s seen a number of issues with the current board size.
“I have gotten the sense at board meetings, both through watching and interacting, that it seems a bit dysfunctional, due to the makeup of how many members and how long they’ve been around,” D’Accordo said.
According to the district clerk’s office, if the proposition passes, it will go into effect in next year’s election. Trustees Pisacani, Donna McNaughton and Jennifer Thompson will all be up for re-election next year, and only one of the three seats would be open.
Board members have said they disagree with the proposal, arguing that a larger board size means more representation for the district.
“I’ve always liked the idea that the community has this degree of representation with nine members,” trustee Julia Binger said in a phone interview.
Trustee Lori McCue echoed her sentiment: “The downside for the community is a lack of representation,” McCue said in a phone interview. “I don’t feel this would benefit the community.”
The Northport-East Northport budget vote will be held from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. next Tuesday, May 17 at Dickinson Avenue Elementary School, Fifth Avenue Elementary School and the William J. Brosnan Building.
Firefighters stand around the house on Dawson Street after the fire was stopped last night. Photo by Steve Silverman
A 76-year-old man died last night after being trapped in his burning Dawson Street home.
The Huntington Manor Fire Department and Suffolk County Police Department responded just after 9 p.m. on Thursday to a report of a residential fire in Huntington Station with an occupant trapped inside. During a search of the house, firefighters located Henry Lindemann and removed him from the blazing home.
Police officer Angela Ferrara, a member of the SCPD’s Medical Crisis Action Team, began advanced life support measures, placing an advanced airway for patient ventilation and administering intravenous fluids. Huntington Community First Aid Squad transported Lindemann to Huntington Hospital, and Ferrara and EMTs continued advanced life support on the way, but he died at the hospital a short time later.
The victim’s sister, 68-year-old Diane Lindemann, had been able to escape the burning house. She was treated for smoke inhalation at Huntington Hospital.
Firefighters stand around the house on Dawson Street after the fire was stopped last night. Photo by Steve Silverman
About 65 firefighters using eight trucks from the Huntington Manor, Melville and Huntington fire departments battled the blaze, which was controlled within 45 minutes, under the command of Huntington Manor Chief Frank McQuade and supported by Assistant Chiefs Mike DePasquale, Jon Hoffmann and Chuck Brady. Ambulance crews from the Melville, Dix Hills and Halesite fire departments, as well as paramedics from the Town of Huntington Cyanide Response Team, assisted at the scene. The Greenlawn Fire Department handled standby coverage.
The fire is under investigation by the SCPD Arson and Homicide Squads and the Town of Huntington fire marshal, but police said the fire did not appear suspicious.
Cold Spring Harbor has three competitors vying for two seats on the board of education, including one incumbent and two newcomers.
Lloyd Harbor residents George Schwertl, a member of the Cold Spring Harbor Library board; and Lizabeth Squicciarni, a member of the Citizen Faculty Association, a parent-teacher association at the CSH Junior/Senior High School, are going up against Vice President Amelia Walsh Brogan, who is seeking a third term.
Lizabeth Squicciarni
Squicciarni, an eight-year Lloyd Harbor resident, has served as co-vice president and secretary on the CFA board and is a member of both the Cold Spring Harbor Education Foundation and the Central Parents Council.
She said she would like to carry on the success the district has already established.
“Like many residents in our community, my husband and I decided to move to the Cold Spring Harbor school district because of its impressive reputation and consistent ranking among the top-rated districts in the country,” she said in a district letter. “We have not been disappointed … I would like the opportunity to keep moving our district forward.”
Aside from district work, Squicciarni is a New York State certified emergency medical technician and volunteers with the Fair Harbor Fire Department on Fire Island.
“I believe my background gives me the unique ability to see issues from all perspectives,” she said.
Amelia Walsh Brogan
Amelia Walsh Brogan photo from the candidate
Brogan, current vice president, has served the board for the past six years as a trustee, president and vice president. She also serves on the Audit Committee, Policy Committee and Contract Committee. In a letter to the district, Brogan said among her recent accomplishments was working to find a new superintendent.
“I was active in the search and appointment of our new superintendent of schools,” she said. “My continued commitment to academic excellence, future innovations and desire to build on our successes were imperative in my decision-making process.”
Brogan also said that during her tenure the board has maintained its AAA bond rating and adopted well-balanced budgets that were below the state-mandated tax levy increase cap that maintained student co-curricular and athletic programs and expanded some educational programs.
George Schwertl
Schwertl, who has four children currently enrolled in the district, said he is impressed and proud of the education they are receiving and knows “how important education is to our families and the community,” in a letter to the district.
Aside from serving on the library board, Schwertl is involved with the Ronald McDonald House, a nonprofit that raises money to improve the health and well-being of children.
“I have a strong commitment to our community, having lived in Suffolk my entire life,” he said. “I am a strong advocate of our teachers and believe in the power of education, sports, music and extracurricular activities to prepare students for college and help make them the best they can be.”
Schwertl also said he promises an open door policy if elected, and to be a strong voice for the community and children.
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