Town of Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim. Photo from Nicole Garguilo
Smithtown Councilman Ed Wehrheim (R) is leading the charge in an effort to shake up the town’s current government leaders.
The councilman has served since April 2003, when Supervisor Pat Vecchio (R) appointed him to fill the seat left by now- NYS Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick (R-St. James.) In November, he’ll try to unseat the man who appointed him.
Wehrheim said he believes the town board needs some major changes.
Last month at the Smithtown Republican Convention, a surprise shocked many members when chairman Bill Ellis led the way for three new challengers — including Wehrheim — to get support from the party instead of Vecchio, and councilpeople Lynne Nowick (R) and Tom McCarthy (R.)
Wehrheim said the existing town board has a lack of transparency between members, which he would no longer tolerate if he were at the helm.
“If you leave board members out of discussions, the plans are doomed for failure,” Wehrheim said in a phone interview. “In my administration that wouldn’t happen. Teamwork is what gets it done.”
Of course, Wehrheim faces an uphill battle, as he’s running against a man who just recently had town hall named after him and has held the position for more than 30 years.
But Wehrheim said he is the candidate with the most government experience, serving since 1971 as director of parks, buildings and grounds. Within his tenure there, he managed an $8 million budget and worked with the other departments in Smithtown frequently.
“I thoroughly enjoyed helping people,” he said. “I gained a vast amount of experience in how the other government departments operate, and I put that knowledge to work when I joined the town board.”
During his four terms on the board, Wehrheim said he’s proud of the many projects he accomplished, including business development for the villages and hamlets.
The councilman worked to renovate the Smith Haven Mall, negotiated deals to develop stores on Crooked Hill Road in Commack, helped Whisper Vineyards set up shop in Smithtown and more to help increase tax revenues for the town.
“I have a good track record of making empty properties into something valuable and profitable for Smithtown,” he said.
With his parks background, Wehrheim said he has also worked hard to keep the beaches, parks and baseball fields of Smithtown up to par.
One major plan Wehrheim and his running mates, councilman candidates Bob Doyle and Tom Lohmann, hope to implement if elected is a business advisory council.
“We would bring members from the chambers, civic groups and local development businesses to the table when we want to make new development plans,” he said. The plan would foster distinctive and attractive communities with a strong sense of place, according to Wehrheim.
Ellis is an advocate for Wehrheim and said he has a lot of support within the Smithtown Republican Committee.
“He is the best man for the position,” he said in a phone interview.
The proposed plan for the assisted living facility in Huntington Station. Photo from Sunrise Development Inc.
By Victoria Espinoza
The sun seems set to rise on a new assisted living facility in Huntington Station.
Last week the Huntington town board unanimously approved a zone change for a 5.7 acre property on Jericho Turnpike and West Hills Road owned by Sunrise Development, Inc.
The land, located at 300 West Hills Road, is currently in a residential zone, and will be changed to a residential health services district to allow for the developer to create a two-story, 90-unit structure with 136 beds. After meetings with the town planning board, the developer has agreed to changes including staff shift changes timed to avoid peak traffic with the nearby Walt Whitman High School, “significant” landscape buffers between the facility and residences, and more.
At the May town board meeting, at least 10 residents that will neighbor the facility came to speak in support of the plan, though other residents came to oppose it.
According to the applicant, they held three community meetings as well as individual meetings with residents to hear their concerns and ideas to help make the facility the best it could be for the entire neighborhood.
Priscilla Jahir, a 34-year South Huntington resident was one of those speaking in opposition.
“I have no personal vendetta against seniors as I am one,” she said at the meeting. “I oppose the increase in traffic on West Hills Road, both during the 14-month-plus construction time and afterword as any increase in traffic will be a hardship to anyone traveling along that route. I feel that this facility is better suited for a larger access road.”
Diane Tanko presented a petition asking for a reduction in the size of the plan before granting them a zoning change.
Councilman Mark Cuthbertson (D) said the main traffic contributors are expected to be the employees, not the residents who will live at the facility.
“If you reduce units you’re not really reducing traffic generation,” Cuthbertson said. “The people living there are generally not driving.”
Tanko responded that visitors also increase traffic, but Councilwoman Tracey Edwards (D) said “sadly,” there were not many visitors at the other locations during the several times of the day she went to track the traffic and fullness of the parking lots.
Kevin McKenna, a South Huntington resident said he was in favor of the plan.
“I have two kids that attend Walt Whitman High School and I pass this location at least twice a day,” he said at the meeting. “I attended an informational meeting for the project set up by Sunrise and I walked away very impressed with the plan and the measures they’re taking with bringing the project to the neighborhood.”
He said he appreciated specifically how Sunrise intends to exceed setback measures for houses and fund landscape dividers at houses near the property.
Thomas Newman, a third-generation Peach Tree Lane resident said he’s seen the area change throughout the years and supports this change.
“After 25 years of being in the business of architecture and seeing their [Sunrise] designs, I think it would be an asset to our community,” he said. “I’d be happy to have my kids live fourth-generation on that street with this.”
Arthur Gibson, president of Plumbers Local Union 200, spoke in support of the plan.
“They’ve built I believe 15 similar units on Long Island, and they’ve consistently used a contractor…meaning local jobs for local people,” Gibson said at the meeting. “There’s so many times, I could tell you horror story after horror story where our contractors don’t get paid. Sunrise Senior Living, they pay their bills, and that’s very important for a construction man or woman on Long Island.”
The company said they are “negotiating in good faith” with the union currently for the job.
A scene of the car crash in East Northport Friday afternoon. Photo from East Northport Fire Department.
The East Northport Fire Department responded to a motor vehicle accident involving a car that crashed into the gas pumps at the Metro Mart Gas Station on Route 25A east of Laurel Road Friday, June 16, at about 4:05 p.m.
The driver was able to remove himself from the overturned car and was transported to Huntington Hospital with minor injuries. An ambulance, two heavy rescue engines and a paramedic responder were dispatched with approximately 25 fire and EMS personnel, under the command of Assistant Chief Dan Flanagan. The Town of Huntington Fire Marshal and Suffolk Police were also on the scene.
One of the sand sculptures at the Tybee Island competition. Photo from April Ingle.
In late May, more than 500 participants transformed Tybee Island, Georgia, into a temporary art gallery, created with sculptures made out of sand, and one Nesconset native dominated the scene.
Savannah College of Art and Design student Sabrina Shankar, majoring in production design, was on the team that took home the top prize, the SCAD Landmark Award, for their piece, “Pepe Hall.”
Shankar, 20, answered questions through email about her inspiration, sand sculpture and more.
How do you execute a sand art sculpture? What tools or materials are needed, and how long does it take?
When my partner Ryan Hurley and I decided to create a sand sculpture for SCAD’s Sand Arts Festival, we began planning out the whole process and prepared supplies immediately. The essential tools to creating a perfect sculpture include a bucket for water, a large shovel, a small shovel and sculpting tools.
Fortunately, I have taken SCAD’s ceramics course and had the sculpting tools needed to create fine lines. On the day of the event, Ryan and I split up tasks as one began to get water from the ocean and the other started creating a large mound of sand for the building.
Sabrina Shankar won first place with her team. Photo from LinkedIn.
Because Tybee Island’s sand is a little grittier, and the sun was very strong, we needed to add a bucket full of water to every couple of shovels of sand in order to keep the sand wet and sturdy for when we began sculpting.
How did you come up with the plan for the winning sculpture?
Ryan and I spent the morning of the competition carefully looking at the details that are found in architecture of SCAD’s Pepe Hall. We used Google Maps to screen shoot images of all sides of the building from multiple angles to take with us as inspiration.
Both Ryan and I wanted to create a SCAD landmark for the competition. When deciding on a building, we wanted to feature one that’s prevalent at SCAD and also had a castle-like feel to it. Additionally, Ryan is a fibers major so he spend a large portion of his studies in this building.
How and why did you first get interested in sand sculpture?
Ever since high school I have loved to sculpt. However, the first time I really became interested in sand sculpture was my freshman year at SCAD when we had a famous sand sculptor come in and display his work.
I always knew how challenging, time-consuming and rewarding this type of sculpture was, but seeing his work and hearing him talk about it intrigued me to try it. I later attended one of his workshops where he taught us all different tips and tricks on how to make the sculpture stand out in the crowd.
A few weeks later, I then competed in my first sand arts during freshman year at SCAD, and was fortunate enough to win in the SCAD landmarks category for creating Poetter Hall.
What are the hardest and most enjoyable parts of it for you?
The hardest part of creating a sand sculpture is the hard labor that goes into creating a large base. Besides the countless trips to the ocean gathering water, the shoveling process can be taxing and requires a lot of strength.
The most enjoyable part of creating a sand sculpture is the audience that comes by to check on your work and see how the progress is going. This past year, Ryan and I had an elderly man check up on us during the entire process and he would ask us questions, provide critique and most importantly display enthusiasm throughout the process.
Seeing both SCAD students and the Savannah public cheer us on was a rewarding process.
What was it like to win, how did you feel? What did it mean to you to win for your recreation of an iconic SCAD landmark?
Unfortunately, Ryan and I were unable to attend the winning ceremony due to other engagements, but I remember checking my phone that afternoon and seeing multiple missed calls from a variety of friends. I immediately called one back and she started screaming on the other line a congratulations we had just won SCAD’s Sand Arts Competition. I was so excited and called Ryan to share the good news. We couldn’t believe it, especially after seeing all of the other talented contestants but were extremely grateful.
One of the sand sculptures at the Tybee Island competition. Photo from April Ingle.
Do you want to continue your sand sculpting career after college, and how?
I think it would be amazing to continue sand sculpting after graduating from SCAD, but in a variety of other aspects.
Why should more people start taking an interest in sand sculpture?
I think sand sculpting is a very unique art and although it is very challenging you can always see everyone smiling and having a good time no matter what their sculpture looks like. Events like the SCAD Sand Arts bring back memories of being a child and building a sand castle on the beach.
What lessons have you learned as an art student that helped you prepare?
As a production design major, I have been taught how to best display a space in order to convey the story I wish to tell. Through sand sculpting, whether it be replicating a building such as Pepe Hall or creating an out-of-the-world creature as a free-form sculpture, we are all trying to convey some sort of story. With every cut into the sand there was a purpose and special attention to detail in order to accurately represent Pepe Hall.
I believe that whether it may be SCAD Sand Arts, SCAD Sidewalk Arts Festival, the Savannah Film Festival, the SCAD FASHWKND or one of the many other signature events at SCAD, it is so important to participate and enjoy everything that SCAD is providing to us. These events always provide such a fun and engaging atmosphere and a welcomed break to the everyday studies. I always enjoy seeing all of the talent that SCAD students have that I may not see on a daily basis; not only does it provide inspiration, but it also allows me to meet new individuals for future collaborations.
What advice do you have for future art students?
If I had to provide advice to future freshman, upperclassmen or anyone in general, I would say they shouldn’t be afraid to try something new or give something your best shot even if you are uncertain of the outcome. Sometimes, the best kind of stories come from days when we are uncertain but decide to take a leap of fate and venture into a new path. Winning SCAD’s Sand Arts Competition not once, but twice during my three years has been some of my greatest accomplishments at this university and I would have never succeeded had I not tried.
Participants to create water report card for harbors and bays of the Long Island Sound
Tracy Brown shows the most recent report card for the water quality of the open Long Island Sound. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
There’s a team collaboration happening across Long Island to ensure the Long Island Sound’s water is as healthy as possible.
Save the Sound, a nonprofit organization based out of Connecticut, is working with local groups and volunteers to create a water quality report card for the Sound’s bays and harbors, in an effort to increase available data for residents to have access to information on the health of the Sound.
Monitoring of the open Sound, the areas of the water body beyond bays and harbors, in the last decade has revealed the increasing presence of nitrogen pollution — which leads to algae blooms, red tides, loss of tidal marshes and fish die-offs — and the incremental improvements brought about by wastewater treatment plant upgrades. But researchers have acknowledged that results found in the open Sound may not reflect conditions in the bays and harbors, where a large part of the public comes in contact with the Sound.
A volunteer conducts a water test. Photo by Victoria Espinoza.
In May, Save the Sound started conducting the Unified Water Study in 24 sites across the Sound, and participants will be testing the water twice a month through October, looking at dissolved oxygen levels, temperature, dissolved salt levels, water quality and more.
Organizers gathered at Huntington Harbor in Halestie to conduct a test Tuesday, June 13, and explained why the report card is so important for the future of bays and harbors across Long Island.
“The Long Island Sound Funders Collaborative funded a report card for the sound, with the first one coming out in 2015, and through the report card process we realized that most of the data we had collected to talk about water quality and the health of the sound was for the open Sound,” Tracy Brown, director of Save the Sound said at the harbor. “And when we published the report card and showed the scores of water quality but we didn’t go into all the bays and harbors the public said, ‘well how about my harbor, how about my cove?’ The bays, harbors and coves are their own unique ecosystems. So we realized we had a data gap.”
Brown said certain groups have been doing their own studies in smaller areas but nothing uniform to have a comparative level. The report card focuses on the ecological health, not bacteria levels and risk of contamination for humans entering the water, but rather the creatures living in the water 24/7.
“The pollutant of concern is nitrogen,” Brown said. “This study was designed to get into all 116 little bays, harbors and coves that encircle the sound, and our goal is to get into each of them taking the exact same measurements for an assessment to say which of the bays and harbors are not handling the nutrient input well, which ones are really suffering from nutrient pollution and then we can direct conservation resources.”
Brown said one of the leading causes of increased nitrogen is contamination from the septic systems, as urine has high levels of nitrogen. She said efforts like Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone’s (D) initiatives to improve groundwater and limit nitrogen pollution are a step in the right direction.
“Nitrogen pollution has been identified as the single greatest threat to water quality, but for the first time in decades, we have a historic opportunity to turn the tide in our effort to reclaim our waters,” Bellone said in a statement when announcing countywide nitrogen-reducing initiatives for homeowners.
Brown reiterated some of the dangers of high levels of nitrogen.
“High levels of nitrogen feed growth, creating algal blooms, and when the algal blooms die they suck the oxygen out of the water in that decay process so you create these low oxygen zones,” she said.
Low oxygen levels mean finfish and shellfish can’t live in the area, and high nitrogen levels also lead to the destruction of coastal wetlands, which not only serve as a habitat for animals but also are a defense for homes from destructive storms. Brown also said high nitrogen levels are being linked to high acidification levels, which prevent shellfish from forming their shells and reduce the population’s ability to reproduce.
About a year ago Peter Janow, a Cold Spring Harbor resident, got in touch with Save the Sound, after hearing about their efforts, and extended an offer to help if they needed any hands for the Huntington and Northport bay areas.
A reading done after volunteers test the water quality in the Huntington Harbor. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
“Once they created the Uniform Water Study they got in contact with me and asked if I could help out and I said ‘absolutely brother,’” Janow said of how he first got involved. He eventually ended up joining more volunteers to work on the area together. He said he was motivated to get involved to both make a difference and help become a stronger part of his community.
“Most folks, especially on Long Island we’re surrounded by gorgeous scenes, the harbors, all the water sports,” Janow said. “We [the volunteers] share in the duties, and the role is covering the greater Huntington and Northport complexes including Lloyd Harbor, Huntington Harbor, Centerport Harbor, Northport Harbor and Duck Island Harbor, and each one of those areas has its own qualities. We have a total of 25 specific locations we’re testing water samples from.”
Janow said he and the others divide the areas up into two different days, spending about three hours each day testing water samples.
The combined efforts are for the benefit of all Long Islanders, and residents can help without getting on the water themselves.
“We really hope the public will see the significance,” Brown said. “If you want a better grade, you need to take care of your wastewater, and reduce your lawn fertilizer. The science community has identified nitrogen as enemy number one to the Long Island Sound, and the philanthropic community said, ‘what can we do,’ and then they reached out to regional groups to execute their vision, and then we’ve reached out to local groups for help. That’s what’s so interesting about this study — the collaboration.”
The collaborative effort is far from over. Brown said there is still a need for more volunteers to cover areas east of Huntington, including areas in the towns of Smithtown and Brookhaven, especially near the Nissequogue River and Port Jefferson Harbor.
This effort travels all the way to Connecticut, and one science teacher at a town in Dover took the initiative to volunteer himself and his Advanced Placement students to help contribute.
“One of the things that makes it possible for groups to organize to participate in this study even if they’re not already a group is that we provide the equipment, we provide the training, we provide the standard operating procedures and Save the Sound is available to help them get off the ground and make sure they succeed,” Brown said. “If we’re going to reach all 116 systems around the Sound that we want to reach, we’re going to need more groups. We’re going to need new groups that don’t exist yet to organize around the study and ask if anyone is in their bay or harbor yet.”
Anyone interested in getting involved with Save the Sound should reach out to Peter Linderoth, the Save the Sound water quality manager at [email protected].
Councilwoman Lynne Nowick smiles. Photo from Lynne Nowick
Smithtown Councilwoman Lynne Nowick (R) has been serving the public for more than 20 years, and she has no intention of slowing down.
The incumbent is looking for another term on the town board this fall, and said she wants to build on the successes of her two-decade long tenure.
“My heart is in it,” Nowick, a life-long St. James resident said in a phone interview. “I feel I am the best candidate because I have been working on this town for 22 years, and I will continue to work for this town.”
At the Smithtown Republican convention last month however, things did not go according to plan for the GOP town board incumbents, as chairman Bill Ellis led the way for three new challengers to get support from the party over Supervisor Pat Vecchio, Nowick and Councilman Tom McCarthy.
At the meeting Nowick said losing the nomination from the party would not deter her and she would “see them at the primary this September.” She said she preferred not to comment on the party division during the interview, saying she wanted to focus on her job.
She said her experience working in government for many years is a strong asset for her.
“I have a good rapport and relationships with county officials, as I worked with them for 17 years, and I feel that’s important to be able to work with them,” she said, referring to the years she served as a Suffolk County legislator for the 13th district.
During her tenure as a county official, Nowick said she was able to preserve properties and open space in Smithtown, including areas in Head of the Harbor, St. James and near the Nissequogue River. She said she was also able to secure funding for a sewer study project in Smithtown, and was instrumental in creating the first family concert series in Suffolk County, which was held in Smithtown.
“That was a shot in the arm for the community,” Nowick said. “It helped the town flourish by bringing families to the downtown area. That is downtown revitalization at its finest.”
Nowick added she was proud of the work she did focusing on keeping young kids safe and healthy.
She banned the sale of cough suppressants to young people, as well as the sale and possession of salvia, a psychoactive plant. She also worked to get a safety label put on energy drinks to warn consumers about the health risks, and created a drug take-back program in Smithtown.
“I was always trying to take care of the young people,” she said. “I believe parents aren’t always aware of the dangers.”
In terms of the success she’s had while serving as a town board member, the councilwoman said she’s proud of the town’s financial stability.
“We can brag about the fact that we have the gold standard on bond ratings with a AAA,” she said. “We’ve managed to maintain almost the lowest amount of debt per capita in Suffolk County, and our fund balances are strong and stable.”
She also highlighted the fact that Smithtown residents experienced a tax decrease this year, and there is expected to be no tax increase in 2018.
For the future, Nowick wants to continue to build on the sewer projects for the town, as well as improve infrastructure like the sidewalk project on Lake Avenue in St. James.
Vecchio praised Nowick’s efforts serving the town.
“She has been a diligent and dedicated councilwoman who has complete knowledge of all the issues that confront the town and she is an influential voice in meeting the issues,” he said in an email.
Town board decides not to renew contract with current owner due to violating tax laws
The Grateful Paw Cat Shelter is located on Deposit Road in East Northport. File photo by Victoria Espinoza
By Victoria Espinoza
Huntington residents rallied behind the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter, of East Northport, this week after the Huntington Town Board announced it was evicting the shelter for failing to notify the board it had lost its 501(c)(3) not-for-profit in 2015.
Town Attorney Cindy Mangano addressed the public before the speakers began at the board meeting Tuesday, June 13, summarizing how the shelter, run by the League for Animal Protection and served exclusively by volunteers had taken this turn. She said the shelter was notified April 20 by the town to evacuate their Deposit Road establishment within 90 days due to losing their nonprofit status and violating federal and state law.
“In April, everybody here knows it’s time to file your tax returns or seek an extension,” Mangano said. “Charitable not-for-profit organizations must do the same thing. Earlier this year my office sat with Debbie Larkin, the president of LAP, and we were in the process of drafting a new agreement when we learned that a resident had incurred a penalty from the IRS for claiming a tax deduction for a donation to LAP.”
“I’m a cat lover, but five years without a filing, and it was known and the town was not told. I personally don’t have confidence in the league anymore to go forward when they knew the situation existed.”
— Frank Petrone
Mangano said the shelter had actually lost its not-for-profit status in 2015, but never advised the town, which was a breach in their original contractual agreement with the town. According to the town attorney, the LAP lost its charitable status because they did not file paperwork in time with the IRS and the New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau office.
“When this came to my attention I scheduled a meeting with Ms. Larkin,” Mangano said. “She told us she knew but she failed to advise us of this fact. So I cannot in counsel to this board advise the board to enter into a new agreement with an organization that as we speak has violated its agreement with the town and is in violation of federal and state laws.”
Residents flocked to the podium to defend the shelter and its contribution to the Huntington community.
“I’m here today to appeal to the town’s decision,” Sharlene Turner, who has adopted many cats from the shelter, said. “Please give the league a renewed opportunity to prove itself.”
Turner suggested setting up strict guidelines and rules moving forward. She commended the dedication of the volunteer staff for providing a safe and warm environment for the animals.
“All volunteers know each cat by name,” she said. “They know their personalities and the relationship a cat has with every other friend in the shelter.
Donna Fitzhugh has been a volunteer at the shelter since 1989.
“I have volunteered over 3,000 hours,” she said. “As you can tell I love working with LAP and volunteering my time and energy to this very worthy organization that has been serving this community for over 43 years. Yes we screwed up, something happened, and we want to rectify this — we do not want to leave. We want to stay and serve the residents of the Town of Huntington.”
Haley Shore, an 11-year-old who donned cat ears at the meeting, said she’s been volunteering at the shelter for about seven years.
“When I heard the news Huntington was going to possibly close the shelter, I was devastated,” she said. “The shelter has become my second home. But this is not about me, it’s about the shelter and all the innocent cats. What are they supposed to do without all of their dedicated and loyal volunteers? For some of these cats this has been the only home they’ve ever known. The cats can’t talk, so we have to be their voices.”
Haley also brought a petition signed by many friends and neighbors.
Several of the volunteers asked the board what would happen to the cats if the shelter closed its doors. According to the town, two other shelters have offered to take over including The Little Shelter in Elwood. However volunteers argued they don’t offer the same amount of health services for animals as the Grateful Paw staff does.
“Yes we screwed up, something happened, and we want to rectify this — we do not want to leave.”
—Donna Fitzhugh
Supervisor Frank Petrone (D) assured the audience that all of the cats living at the shelter now would continue to be cared for, and the shelter would continue with its no-kill policy. However despite the pleas of many residents, he said he had great concerns moving forward with LAP.
“Animals will not be harmed,” Petrone said at the meeting. “I’m a cat lover, but five years without a filing, and it was known and the town was not told. I personally don’t have confidence in the league anymore to go forward when they knew the situation existed.”
Petrone said it’s not as easy as the shelter just refiling for not-for-profit status.
“These laws were broken,” he said. “So you’re telling us just go forward and let’s make it nice. Well it’s not that simple.”
No further decision was reached by the board at the meeting.
Firefighters respond to house fire. Photo by Jack O’Loughlin
The Commack Fire Department responded to a house fire on Astor Court shortly before 2 a.m. Monday, June 12, according to the fire department.
Firefighters arrived to find five residents — two adults and three children — safely evacuated with flames engulfing the home. About 50 firefighters battled the blaze and were assisted by the Kings Park, Smithtown, and Hauppauge fire departments. The East Northport Fire Department provided standby coverage and the Commack Volunteer Ambulance Corps was on the scene for EMS support.
The fire was brought under control in approximately a half-hour, under the direction of Commack Fire Chief Rich Myers and Second Assistant Chief Bobby Wilkins. The cause of the fire appears to be accidental, and is under investigation by the Town of Smithtown and Commack Fire Marshals. The home was extensively damaged, and the Red Cross was on the scene to assist the family.
Suffolk County Police are searching for a kayaker who was reported missing in Northport Sunday June 11.
Selvin Vasquez-Enamorado launched his kayak from a beach near Crab Meadow Beach to go fishing sometime between 3 and 4 p.m. When Vasquez, 24, of Huntington Station, did not return home, a friend called 911 at approximately 6 p.m.
Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau and Aviation Section, United States Coast Guard, Huntington Harbormaster, Smithtown Harbormaster, and United States D.E.C. Marine Units have assisted in the search.
The kayak was recovered.
Detectives are asking anyone with information to call the Second Squad at 631-854-8252.
Harborfields High School. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Harborfields Central School District is looking to improve how teachers teach and students learn, with Tech 2.0, an education initiative meant to equip the district with technology-driven learning aids.
As soon as Superintendent Francesco Ianni took over at Harborfields, he said, he started to work with the administration to roll out this plan, which involves students and teachers using Chromebooks, lightweight laptops, with lesson plans.
“The nice thing about this plan is it’s a wonderful opportunity for the entire district,” Ianni said in a phone interview. “We’re not only providing Chromebooks, but a plan for teachers’ curriculum to revamp how we teach and learn here. We want to make sure these are meaningful changes, not just another machine we’re bringing in.”
Currently the district has a certain amount of Chromebooks teachers can sign out in advance for a class lesson. But Tech 2.0 would create a plan where every lesson has possibilities with Chromebooks to enhance the class. Ianni said the initiative is expected to begin in the 2018-19 school year, when every student and teacher in the high school will have a Chromebook, and right now the district is using a pilot program for selected teachers to get a jump-start on learning how to use the technology effectively with their students.
“We don’t know what the future will look like but we want to give the students every opportunity to learn and be prepared,” Ianni said.
Administrators have sat in on several classes involved in the pilot program, and said they have already noticed exciting new ways students are getting involved in lessons.
Jordan Cox, executive director of instructional services, said students have been able to go on virtual field trips, take polls on events and take quizzes attached to the end of a presentation.
“The students have the ability to look at 3-D objects and interact with classmates on Google Docs, which is especially helpful if a student is out sick and needs to work on a group assignment,” Cox said in a phone interview. “This changes the learning landscape.”
He sat in on a class of students learning about World War II and the Holocaust, and the kids were able to take a virtual reality tour of a concentration camp.
Ianni said he observed a lesson recently, in a class learning about applying to college and applying for financial aid. He said the students were able to use Google Earth to go on virtual tours of the campuses of schools they were interested in. He also said this plan will help teachers see what students are understanding in real time. In a math class he sat in on, the students were taking a quiz and the teacher was able to look at the grades right away, instead of taking them home to grade that night. She saw a majority of the class was struggling with a certain question, and she was able to go over it again with the class right then.
Rory Manning, assistant superintendent for administration and human resources, said another benefit of using the Chromebooks comes with the price tag.
“We used to have desktops in certain classrooms, but with these Chromebooks it’s cheaper,” he said in a phone interview. The district is now able to offer more resources than before, he said.
Administration is not the only supporter of Tech 2.0
The Harborfields Alumni and Community Educational Fund, a not-for-profit established to support educational programs in the district, made a $50,000 donation to the initiative, which is going to help purchase more Chromebooks for the classrooms.
In April HACEF hosted a Mardi Gras gala with members of the Greenlawn community, which raised $34,000 in a single night. HACEF then decided to donate $16,000 of its own funds to help bring the total to $50,000.
“It’s amazing the support from the community,” Karin Fey, vice president of HACEF, said in a phone interview. “This is the wave of the future, and we wanted to give something significant to show how important we think this is.”
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