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2024 Elections

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METRO photo

By Nancy Marr

Have you ever thought about the ways that our country might change if everybody voted? If all the citizens, young and old, could register their opinions by going to the polls?  Where could we start to make that happen?

It has been estimated that by February 2024 a total of 91,089 New York State teens have pre-registered to vote, an increase of 11.4% since February 2023. The Civics Center (www.thecivicscenter.org) pointed out that represents fewer than 20% of the state’s age-eligible teens (New York State allows teens to pre-register at 16, although they do not vote until they are 18).  

We commend NYS Senator Shelley Mayer from White Plains for writing legislation, New York State Election Law 5-507, signed by Governor Hochul, requiring NYS  high schools and boards of education to adopt policies and procedures by July 1, 2024, to promote student registration. Schools are asked to provide registration access, information and assistance during the school year.

In school districts in New York State, students may work to earn a Seal of Civic Readiness. They learn how to identify and address problems in their community or school and earn at least two points in Civic Knowledge and two points in Civic Participation. Students may also earn points by completing a middle school Capstone project or a high school Capstone project. 

What other methods have high schools and colleges found to be successful in increasing voter registration? In many schools a Civics Day in high schools and middle schools highlights the importance of voting and preparing to vote. In many schools, social studies teachers plan their curriculum around the importance of voting, and offer opportunities to register in school. Many college students arrive at their school already registered. 

But for many students, voting is too abstract. They are more likely to register if they see evidence that their vote might address a problem that they know of. Generation Citizen, a nonprofit organization that works with schools, has been successful in leading student efforts to pinpoint problems in their school or community and find ways to correct them. The students research the source of the problem, and possible solutions, sharing their findings with the student body and faculty. Most often they learn which public officials could help them, and how to reach them.

They learn that they can contribute to a better environment for their school or community through their study and actions, and show other students that they can make a difference. The students in the Patchogue-Medford High School were successful in adding sidewalks in front of their high school.

Most important, perhaps, are efforts to involve young people in speaking up about issues that affect the residents in their community. For instance, a Youth Advisory Board was formed in Islip in 2022 to address the pressing issue of youth disengagement in Brentwood, Central Islip, and North Bay Shore. 

Led by the board of their peers, they have held Youth Town Halls to address the issues of climate change and climate justice, and advocated for a local skate board park. Recently, knowing that many college students from families with low incomes rely on the New York State TAP (Tuition Assistance Program), they led, and won, a campaign to raise the TAP stipends each year. 

Gathering support from other students by working through social media, they made contact with NYS Assemblymembers Phil Ramos and Patricia Fahy and NYS Senator Monica Martinez, convincing the state legislators to raise the family eligibility level for TAP from $80,000 to $125,000 and the amount of the awards to at least $1000. In May, the Youth Advisory Board partnered with the NYS Higher Education Services Corporation to present information on the TAP program at a Youth Town Hall meeting at Brentwood High School.  

In each of our communities we need to reach out to the members of the Board of Education to remind them that we support more civic education in our schools, especially the New York State recommendation that schools find ways to encourage and provide registration opportunities for eligible students.                  

Nancy Marr is Vice-President of the League of Women Voters of Suffolk County. For more information, call 631-862-6860.

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By Ava Himmelsbach

Among growing anticipation to hear the plans and propositions of the United States presidential candidates, the long-awaited first presidential debate for the 2024 election is scheduled to take place this Thursday, June 27.

With this political face-off right around the corner, TBR had a question for locals: “What topics would you like to see addressed in Thursday’s presidential debate?”

Photos by Ava Himmelsbach

Muriel and Patricia, Smithtown 

Muriel and Patricia are interested to see how the candidates will address various relevant topics. “Well, number one is immigration,” Patricia mentioned. “Climate control is important,” Muriel later brought up.

Additionally, Muriel and Patricia shared that they would like to hear about the economy in the presidential debate. They are curious to hear how the candidates will speak about topics such as the housing market, Wall Street and student loans.

Barbara Thompson and Kevin Thompson, Islip

Barbara Thompson and Kevin Thompson, Former Islip residents now residing in Florida. They hope to hear conversations free of banter and full of respect in the upcoming debate. “There should always be things on the docket regarding our educational systems and our welfare systems, of course,” Kevin noted. “And the subject of firearms, it’s all a very debatable thing, but no one seems to be making any decisions regarding it. They all seem to be fighting over it.” Barbara added that she and Kevin now reside close to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, a place devastated by a mass shooting in 2018. This tragedy has contributed to their attention to the topic of firearm ownership.

Among these concerns and curiosities involving the topic of firearms, Barbara and Kevin also stated that they hope Thursday’s debate includes topics of social security for the future, welfare for the elderly and aid for immigration.

Nancy and Paul

Nancy and Paul highlighted their interest in topics related to immigration and the economy, as well as oil and its sources. They are both curious to see how the subject of the economy will be addressed in the debate. Paul specified that he is interested to hear more about economic changes that may arise under the elected candidate. 

Nancy and Paul declined for their picture to be taken or other personal information to be included.

Mike and Kristen, Port Jefferson 

Mike emphasized “dealing with foreign affairs” as the primary topic that he hopes is discussed in the debate. He mentioned the need for attention toward the country’s global relations, noting his interest in “strengthening our relationships overseas” and “eliminating the possibilities of going to war.”

“Mental health concerns for everyone should be covered,” added Kristen. They both agreed that access to health care, including care for mental health, should be addressed.

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By  Aidan Johnson and Samantha Rutt

Former CNN anchor John Avlon will face off against incumbent Congressman Nick LaLota (R) on Election Day, Nov. 5, after winning the Democratic primary for New York’s 1st Congressional District on June 25. Avlon garnered over 70% of the vote, with 19,026 votes in a landslide victory against opponent Nancy Goroff, former chair of the Department of Chemistry at Stony Brook University, who received 8,053 votes. There were 58 write-in votes.

The race saw its fair share of contentious moments, with Avlon and political action committees supporting him attacking Goroff on her loss in the 2020 congressional election against Rep. Lee Zeldin (R). Meanwhile, Goroff and PACs supporting her criticized Avlon on his past work for Republicans, including with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

In a speech after the results, Avlon thanked his supporters and said the next stage of the campaign has started “right now.”

He also stated that it was important to reach out to independent and center-right voters, saying most Americans want “reasoning together over a common set of facts to solve the common problems we face.”

“I’ve always believed that politics is history in the present tense, and that this is our chance to write a new chapter of the American story,” he said.

In a statement, Goroff congratulated Avlon and called for Democrats to “come together to defeat Nick LaLota and flip this seat in November,” adding that Avlon will be “a commonsense voice for the people of Suffolk in Washington and a vast improvement over LaLota, who has proven to be far too extreme for this district.”

“The people of Suffolk deserve a representative who will work hard and find solutions to the major problems facing our community, and that is John Avlon,” she said.

Kassay triumphs

In the race for the state 4th Assembly District, Rebecca Kassay, business owner, environmentalist and former deputy mayor of Port Jefferson Village, garnered nearly 64% of the vote with 3,395, outpacing opponent Skyler Johnson, who received 1,909 votes. There were 11 write-in votes.

“In this pivotal moment for our communities and our government, I am grateful to have earned the trust of voters here in Assembly District 4,” Kassay said in a statement following the election announcement. “I am entirely committed to the tireless work required to lead our district and our state through unprecedented challenges. In the thousands of conversations at the doors of district residents, one thing was clear: People want their government to focus on delivering for their communities instead of being distracted by divisive politics-as-usual.”

Kassay congratulated opponent Johnson on his campaign.

“I commend Skyler Johnson and his team for their work energizing voters and engaging more residents in the important issues facing our communities. Primary elections can be divisive, and we are grateful to have shared a positive, message-based primary here in Assembly District 4.”

Johnson congratulated Kassay on her win and has since offered his support for her continued campaign. 

“I’d like to congratulate Rebecca Kassay on her win. There is a lot at stake in New York – and all that matters is defeating anti-choice, anti-Democracy politicians in November. Rebecca has my full support in this mission,” Johnson said in a statement following the election results.

The primary elections have set the stage for a dynamic and competitive general election. Avlon’s decisive victory in the Democratic primary for the 1st Congressional District demonstrates a strong mandate from his party, positioning him to challenge LaLota in November. Avlon’s call for unity and outreach to a broad spectrum of voters highlights his strategy for the upcoming campaign. 

Meanwhile, Kassay’s success in the 4th Assembly District primary reflects her commitment to addressing community concerns and fostering positive political engagement as she attempts to unseat incumbent Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson).

As both Avlon and Kassay prepare for the next phase of their campaigns, their focus on commonsense solutions and effective leadership will be critical in their bids to represent the people of Suffolk County.

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Marie Parziale, Xena Ugrinsky and Kyle Hill outside the polling site on June 18. Photo by Lynn Hallarman

By Aidan Johnson

Kyle Hill and Xena Ugrinsky will join the Port Jefferson Village Board of Trustees after winning the June 18 election, receiving 796 and 673 votes, respectively.

“What an outstanding turnout from Port Jefferson voters yesterday,” Port Jefferson Village Mayor Lauren Sheprow said. “We are very passionate about our elections!” 

The race saw three candidates—Hill, Ugrinsky and Port Jefferson resident Marie Parziale—compete for two open seats, replacing Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay and Village Trustee Drew Biondo. Parziale finished in third place with 449 votes.

Additionally, 90 write-in votes were cast, including for names such as former Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden, former Village Mayor Hal Sheprow, Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay and Brookhaven Town Democratic Committee Chair Anthony Portesy.

“I congratulate Xena and Kyle on their victories and look forward to working with them starting with our first meeting as a Board on July 1,” Sheprow said in a statement. “We have a lot of work to do! I know Xena will hit the ground running and I look forward to getting to know Kyle and hearing more about what he would like to contribute as a Trustee.”

In an interview after the results were announced, Hill expressed gratitude for the support he received.

“I feel like our campaign was really about reaching out to folks that are in the village, not on social media, and really just want to see the place as great as it can be. Having those conversations face to face with folks was a great experience,” Hill said.

“I’m excited to work with the entire board and mayor and looking forward to all the great things that we can do together,” he added.

In a speech to her supporters, Ugrinsky also expressed appreciation for the support and help she received.

“I promise that I will do my best to try and solve some of these problems, and I don’t care if it takes two years, six years, or ten years,” Ugrinsky said. “Even if there’s a term limit, I’m here as a resident; I care so deeply about this village, and I hope to make you all proud.”

In a statement, Parziale congratulated Hill and Ugrinsky on their win, saying she looks “forward to the positive changes you will bring.”

“I remain dedicated to uniting our community and encouraging participation in the village’s ‘Make a Difference’ committees. Additionally, I am committed to advancing the uptown economic development plan and am honored to have accepted the chair of the committee,” Parziale stated.

The last meeting of the current village board will be on June 26 and the swearing-in ceremony will take place on July 4.

 

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Trustee candidates Kyle Hill, Marie Parziale, and Xena Ugrinsky sit before the audience at the Meet the Candidates event on Tuesday, June 11. Photo by Aidan Johnson

By Aidan Johnson

The Port Jefferson Village trustee candidates — Xena Ugrinsky, Kyle Hill, and Marie Parziale — participated in a meet-the-candidates night at the Village Center June 11. The event was sponsored by the local chamber of commerce and the civic association. Two of the candidates will be elected, replacing Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay and trustee Drew Biondo.

Introductions

Ugrinsky, who has lived in Port Jefferson for 12 years, said she feels “a deep connection to the [maritime] culture.” She has been an “active participant” in the trustee meetings over the past two years, led the election task force, sits on the budget and finance committee, and chairs the Port Jeff Power Plant Working Group. For three decades, she has had a career in finance, technology and the energy sector.

Parziale, who has lived in Port Jefferson for 29 years, works as the senior alumni career coach at Stony Brook University. She described her “superpower” as “connecting with people, seeing the best in them, and linking them with opportunities.” She also said that to solve Port Jefferson’s problems, “we need a long-term strategic plan and we must be part of the process,” and emphasized “the ability for our leaders to bring stakeholders and experts together to find solutions.”

Hill, who grew up in Farmingville and currently lives in Port Jefferson with his partner, said that he’s “been coming down to Port Jeff ever since I had my learner’s permit.” After finishing his master’s at Stony Brook University, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked on Capitol Hill for 10 years, “advancing mostly bipartisan policy projects.” He is a volunteer EMT with the Port Jefferson EMS and served on Port Jefferson’s election task force, where they “recommended leaving the term lengths at two years and also recommended adding term limits to the mayor’s office.”

Issues facing Port Jefferson

Parziale wants to hear “more of what the solutions are that the school district’s coming up with and have them present them to us.” She also sees flooding as a major issue, as well as the East Beach bluff, saying that a vote on the project was needed before continuing to phase two, and it was necessary to figure out why phase one did not work.

Hill believes that flooding is a main issue, especially in terms of the firehouse due to “incidents where they can’t get their trucks out” and having their equipment damaged. He also believes the bluff is “a true disaster waiting to happen,” saying he was the first candidate to call for a referendum on the future of bluff spending.

Ugrinsky said, “We can’t fix the school district’s problems,” but the trustees can help by solving the power plant’s problems, “which delivers revenue to the schools.” She additionally cited flooding as a main issue, saying that “we have a lot of residents who have experience in this area or problems that have already been solved.” She agrees that a referendum for the bluff is needed, and said that development was a main issue: “We really need to figure out how we preserve our maritime culture.”

Maryhaven property

Parziale said that Beechwood Homes is in discussion over the Maryhaven property, but nothing has been finalized. However, she would like to see starter homes built there “so that we have something that’s affordable for our young people,” adding that this could attract families with students.

Hill said that preserving the “historic nature of Port Jeff” is the most ideal choice, adding that “it would be great if we had seniors condos in just that building.” He also said that St. Charles is not “being the best neighbor in maintaining that property,” as he’s been hearing that the area has break-ins. He noted that the area is already zoned for housing, and it is only a board issue if there’s a zone change.

Ugrinsky said that it was important that any residences would be tax-paying residents, and that the developer does a traffic, water and sewer assessment before breaking ground.

Environment and development

Hill wants to “preserve every inch of open space that we have left in this village,” which can also be done by partnering with the hospitals to preserve their open space as well, and “encourage them not to just make more parking lots, but to find other solutions.” He said that there wasn’t much of a choice but to preserve open space, because the more space gets blacktopped over, the fewer places there are for the flooding to go.

Ugrinsky agreed that preserving the green space is necessary to help soak up the water. She also said that evaluation of the underground springs is needed, noting that some of the pipes underground “are too skinny for the volume of the water that’s going through, nor have they been cleaned in decades.” She added, “We need to develop smartly, with foot traffic, where stores can be put.”

Parziale said that the environment and development need to have a “very delicate balance between the two.” She is also for as much green space as possible, and for smart development, saying, “We need to work closely with our developers so that they’re giving back some of that space, and they’re doing the right thing with the property in all ways, including traffic, water, sewer and green space for people that are living in those spaces.”

Fiscal responsibility

Hill said that it was important to come up with ways to offset resident taxes, “and that’s making sure that our commercial areas are thriving, and taking advantage of things like metered parking,” which he said brings in the most revenue to the village after taxes. He said it was important to bring in revenue from more than just the residents, which would help to have “a more successful village, and people are going to want to be here.”

Ugrinsky said that “every municipality in the United States is dealing with declining revenues and increasing costs while trying to serve their populations.” She said that the village should look at the contracts it has in place, and that “there may be volume buying opportunities that people just have not had the time to look at.” She added that they should “stop bonds happening to us and really get the population involved with how we’re going to spend.”

Parziale said that she agreed with Ugrinsky on this topic.

The election is on Tuesday, June 18. Voting will take place at the Village Center from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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Marie Parziale. Photo courtesy of Parziale

By Aidan Johnson

Port Jefferson resident Marie Parziale is running for the village board of trustees. Also known as Marie Johs — though her name will appear as “Marie Parziale” on the ballot — she announced her bid on May 29. She has been a resident of Port Jefferson since 1995 and works as the senior alumni career coach at Stony Brook University, along with being an elder and deacon at the First Presbyterian Church of Port Jefferson.

In an interview, she recounted how she got involved with the village early into her residency.

“I was lucky enough to have [former mayor] Jeanne Garant living a few doors down [from me], and we had a neighborhood community association. Of course, Jeanne was involved, and I jumped right in,” Parziale said, also describing how she helped on Garant’s mayoral campaign.

Parziale also took pride in discussing how she was part of the committee that worked with the architect that designed the inside of the Village Center, along with being on the parking committee and Vision 2010, a committee created to envision and discuss the goals and future of Port Jefferson by the year 2030.

“When I look back at the happiest times in my life I’m giving,” she said. “I really wanted to jump right back and do community work.”

One of her biggest issues is the revitalization of the downtown and uptown areas of Port Jefferson.

“I work at Stony Brook, and the person who hired me is the vice president of student affairs now, so he oversees residential life, and we have an issue there that there’s not enough housing for students. Upper Port is one stop away [on the Port Jefferson Branch of the Long Island Rail Road],” Parziale said.

She explained her vision of providing a place for graduate students in the uptown area, which would allow more room on the Stony Brook University campus for first- and second-year students.

“What’s missing in this village up there is … a good, vibrant energy, a young energy,” Parziale said, describing an area that would include coffee shops and bookstores.

Parziale also said that a stronger village police presence was needed in the Upper Port area.

“If code had a presence up there, there would be a level of safety, and then people will be willing to come in and invest. I know the developers are building, but we don’t want empty shops like we have down here,” she said.

Parziale praised Mayor Lauren Sheprow for “keeping us up to date on her promises,” though the candidate expressed a need to better amplify this to the community.

“I think what maybe could be better is that she’s got some wonderful things on the website that’s explaining it, but it sounds like people aren’t going there, so maybe a little bit better PR [to be able to] better amplify all that’s being done.”

Parziale is joined by two other candidates for village trustee, Xena Ugrinsky and Kyle Hill, for the two open seats. A meet the candidates night for the three candidates will take place on June 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Port Jefferson Village Center.

The election is on Tuesday, June 18, at the Village Center from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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By Samantha Rutt

In a move to address environmental concerns on Long Island, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has signed the Suffolk County Water Restoration Act. This legislation grants county officials the authority to present a proposal to voters, seeking approval for a 0.0125% increase in the county sales tax. The revenue from this tax hike is earmarked for sewer expansion projects and the replacement of nitrogen-polluting septic systems with advanced clean water technology.

The act, sponsored by state Sen. Monica Martinez (D-Brentwood), is projected to generate between $3 billion and $4 billion in new funding dedicated to water quality improvements. These funds will be divided between expanding sewer infrastructure and upgrading outdated cesspools and septic systems with modern, nitrogen-removing technologies. This initiative aims to combat nitrogen pollution, which poses a severe threat to the region’s ground and surface waters.

“Today, we have given authorization for the voters of Suffolk County to decide how best to address the impacts of nitrogen pollution,” Martinez said in a statement. “This serious threat to our region’s ground and surface waters is reversible, but only by making investments in the technology and infrastructure needed to stop its release into the environment. I am proud to have had this once-in-a-generation opportunity to sponsor legislation that addresses one of Long Island’s greatest environmental challenges, and I thank Governor Hochul for her continued support.”

Governor Hochul’s presence represents the importance of the legislation, which passed the New York State Assembly unanimously in April and subsequently cleared the state Senate with a 57-1 vote. The bill’s progression to the governor’s desk highlights the urgency felt by legislators, environmental advocates and the community regarding the need for decisive action on water quality issues.

David Ansel, vice president of water protection at Save the Sound, expressed his enthusiasm for the legislation in a statement: “We are thrilled that Governor Hochul made signing the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act such a priority, and appreciate that she came to Long Island to showcase the importance of this legislation. We appreciate the leadership and commitment of Assemblyman Fred Thiele [D-Sag Harbor] and Senator Monica Martinez, who sponsored the bill in their respective chambers, as well as the overwhelming bipartisan support of the New York State Legislature.”

The next step lies with the Suffolk County Legislature, which is expected to convene on June 4 to discuss and potentially approve placing the funding program on the November ballot. Last year, a similar measure failed to reach voters due to disagreements among lawmakers over the allocation of funds for sewer and septic system projects.

If the referendum passes, the Suffolk County water restoration sales tax will remain in effect until 2060, providing long-term funding for essential water quality improvements. This initiative represents a significant opportunity for county residents to invest in the health and sustainability of their local environment.

Ansel added, “Now, we look forward to the Suffolk County Legislature taking the necessary next steps to ensure the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act is added to the November ballot, giving county voters a voice in their clean water future. So much work remains to be done to protect Long Island Sound, its rivers and streams, and Suffolk County’s groundwater from the degrading effects of nitrogen pollution. But for the first time in decades, we are making progress toward addressing this long-standing problem in a meaningful way.”

As the county Legislature prepares for this critical vote, the collaboration between state and local leaders, environmental advocates and the community underscores a shared commitment to preserving Long Island’s precious water resources for future generations.

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Port Jefferson village trustee candidate Kyle Hill. Photo courtesy Kyle Hill

By Aidan Johnson

Port Jefferson resident Kyle Hill has entered the race for village trustee.

Hill, who announced his bid on June 16, was originally a Democratic candidate for the 1st Congressional District, but suspended his campaign on Feb. 28, stating, “I will never be able to fully put into words my sincere gratitude and appreciation for the warm reception and excitement I received all across the district.”

After attending graduate school at Stony Brook University, he worked for Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY 2/3) on Capitol Hill. Hill has a background in public policy, with many of his projects extending across the aisle. He is also a volunteer EMT with the Port Jefferson EMS.

He decided to run for trustee after being encouraged to do so by Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay in order to “carry on her environmental legacy,” he said.

He stressed flooding as one of his major issues, describing how it is more than just an inconvenience.

“The fire department floods a lot … and it’s wild that we are just letting this happen without a solution coming to the forefront, because if the firehouse is flooded out how can they respond to emergencies, ” Hill said in an interview. 

While Hill was open to considering moving the firehouse, he noted that since the fire station has special district status the village could not tell them to move, and he also stated the importance of acknowledging what the firehouse members wanted.

However, he said that it was important to focus on alleviating the flooding itself, including by preserving open space in the village.

“I think it would be really great if we had a true census on what’s left of open space because if you hardscape everything, the water can’t seep back into the soil — and that’s what causes flooding because the water has no place to go,” Hill said.

Hill is joined by two other candidates, Xena Ugrinsky and Marie Parziale, for the two trustee seats, meaning that two out of the three candidates will be elected. He did not offer an opinion on Parziale as he had not yet met her, but said that he and Ugrinsky had a good working history together as they both worked on the elections task force.

He also advocates for keeping the school district open, adding that it is important for everyone to focus on solutions instead of arguments.

Hill believes that he could give a “young voice perspective” on the board of trustees. 

“I think me being on there would be an important perspective for the future of the village, and just being able to bring folks together and focus on the problems,” he said.

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Three Village 

Budget vote: 

Yes: 2,140
No: 1,140 

Board of education election: elect three, third highest gets one-year term.

Shaorui Li – 1,976

Susan Rosenzweig – 1,970

Stanley Bak – 1,688

Amitava Das – 1,683

 

Port Jefferson 

Budget vote:

Yes: 640

No: 148

Trustee election: To elect three board of education trustees for a three-year term, July 1, to June 30, 2027. 

Tracy Zamek – 598

Traci Donnelly – 574

Michael Weaver – 563

 

Comsewogue 

Budget vote:

Yes: 540

No:  204

Trustee election. Incumbents ran unopposed:

Margaret Mitchell – 593

Richard Rennard – 543

Corey Prinz – 508             

 

Shoreham-Wading River

Budget vote:

Yes: 526

No:  125

 Board of education election, vote for two:

Jim Lauckhardt – 537

James Smith – 487

 

Miller Place 

Budget vote: 

Yes: 565

No:  170

Board of education trustee election, elect one:
Bryan Makarius – 584 
Votes for other candidates –  43     

 

Rocky Point        

Budget vote:

Yes: 846 

No:  289 

Board trustee election, vote for two: 

Michael Lisa – 599 

Stacey Lasurdo – 482

Elizabeth Diesa – 367

Shelita Watkis – 361                

Michael Sanchez – 289

Capital Reserve Fund vote:

Yes: 919 

No:  217  

Hallock Homestead Museum vote:

Yes:  787

No:   352

 

Mount Sinai 

Budget vote:

Yes: 802

No:  212

The terms are three years. Vote for two, elected at-large. 

Paul Staudt (incumbent) and Joseph Randazzo ran unopposed 

 

Hauppauge 

Budget vote:

Yes: 584

No:  278 

Board of education, two terms (three years): 

Catherine Collins – 583

Brian Michels – 574

 

Kings Park

Budget vote:

Yes: 1,046

No:     533

Board of education election: 

Kevin Johnston (incumbent) and James Lovastik ran unopposed

 

Smithtown

Budget vote:

Yes: 4,569

No:  1,722

Board of education, vote for two:

Dana Fritch (3,614) defeated Stacy Murphy (2,664) (incumbent)

Emily Cianci (3,605) defeated Karen Wontrobski-Ricciardi (incumbent) (2,669)

 

Commack

Budget vote:

Yes: 1,701

No: 400

Board of education, vote for one:

Dana Schultz – 1,047

Gus Hueber – 997

 

Middle Country 

Budget vote:

Yes: 1,578 

No: 569

Board of education, vote for three: 

John DeBenedetto – 1,568

Denise Haggerty – 1,531

Arlene Barresi – 1,501

 

Harborfields 

Budget vote:

Yes: 1,227 

No: 279 

2015 Capital Reserve Fund:

Yes: 1,217 

No:     254

Board of education’s three open seats, currently held by incumbents Susan Broderick, Eve Meltzer-Krief and Suzie Lustig (not seeking reelection):

Susan Broderick – 1,124 

Rachael Risinger – 1,053 

Eve Meltzer-Krief – 1,044

David Balistreri – 396 

Freda Manuel – 316 

 

Elwood 

Budget vote:

Yes: 652 

No:  287

To expend $500,000 in capital reserve for districtwide security enhancements and purchase of district wide maintenance and grounds vehicles.

Yes: 714

No:  213

For the board of education’s two open seats, currently held by incumbent members James Tomeo and Heather Mammolito (not seeking reelection):

James Tomeo – 717 

Walter Edwards – 620

 

Cold Spring Harbor 

Budget vote: 

Yes: 657                            

No: 186                            

Board trustees, two elected at large:

Heather Morante Young (incumbent) – 555

Mark Attalienti – 484

Scott Kaufman – 414

 

Northport-East Northport 

Budget vote:

Yes: 2,202

No:  1,536

Board of education election:

Terms are three years. Voters select two candidates among four who are running: 

Carol Taylor (incumbent) – 1,984

Michael Cleary – 1,860

Paul Darrigo – 1,601

Victoria Bento – 1,328

 

Huntington

Budget vote:

Yes: 1,059         

No:     206

Board of education, vote for three:

Theresa Sullivan (incumbent) – 882

Thomas Galvin (incumbent) – 856 

Annie Michaelian – 812

Sara Baliber – 656

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File photo.

By Aidan Johnson

The Democratic congressional candidates for District 1 — Nancy Goroff and John Avlon — attended a meet the candidates night at C.P. La Manno’s restaurant in Miller Place April 30. During the debate, Goroff and Avlon discussed issues such as foreign aid, social media, Social Security and more. The congressional seat is currently held by Nick LaLota (R-NY1).

Introductions

Avlon, who served as an anchor on CNN before deciding to run for Congress, said that he joined the race because he “didn’t feel like this was a time for talking, I think this is a time for doing.” He also described being frustrated that the district was being seen as a battleground swing district, and that it was important to win both Democrats and Independents “to build the broadest possible coalition to defend our democracy, defeat Donald Trump [R] and win back the House.”

Goroff, who has formerly served as chair of the Department of Chemistry at Stony Brook University and previously ran for the congressional seat in 2020 against former Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-NY1), described how she co-founded a nonprofit called the Long Island Strong Schools Alliance, along with a nonpartisan political action committee to get “good people elected to the school board.” According to LISSA’s website, its mission is “to support policies that strengthen education in our public schools, with a focus on critical thinking skills, civic engagement, diversity, equity and inclusion.” Goroff said that LaLota has “not been there for the people of this district.”

Social Security and Medicare

Goroff described Social Security and Medicare as being “two of the most successful programs this country has ever had.” She said that Medicare’s age should be lowered from 65, and that the income level tax cap for Social Security, which currently stands at $168,600, should be increased.

Avlon also supported raising the income tax cap for Social Security. “The one thing we got to do is make sure we’re rebuilding and strengthening the middle class, and making sure that people have a path from the working class to the middle class, and making sure that we’re keeping our promise on a federal level with Social Security and Medicare,” he said. 

Social media

Avlon supports the law that will force ByteDance, a Chinese technology company, to divest itself of TikTok or have it banned in the United States, saying, “If you’re owning a major media platform or company, it’s reasonable that you’re not being owned by a hostile foreign power that’s trying to propagate its own disinformation.”

Goroff pointed out the distinction between “keeping platforms free and open for fair information and banning people on those platforms,” stating that having TikTok either banned or sold is about not subjecting people to disinformation, with this issue also extending to making sure that other platforms, such as Facebook and X, formerly Twitter, are “fair and open platforms.”

Ukraine and Israel

Avlon said that he would “absolutely” support funding for Ukraine. For Israel, he said that when seeing “a vicious act of terrorism like October 7, I believe instinctively and deeply that we need to stand with the victims of terrorism and not blame the victims of terrorism.” He also stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it difficult to have more broad and bipartisan support for Israel, due to his policies and the level of civilian casualties, along with “the hamstringing of humanitarian aid.” Avlon called for a two-state solution with a demilitarized Palestinian state.

Goroff also supported aid for Ukraine. For Israel, she stressed that the conflict is very complicated, with its history extending far past the current conflict. She explained that Hamas is a terrorist organization that is “absolutely not helping the people of the Palestinian communities.” However, she said that the Palestinian National Authority is not helping either, due to extensive corruption that provides no alternative to Hamas. Additionally, she said that Netanyahu has “done everything he can” to strengthen Hamas against the Palestinian National Authority. Overall, Goroff called for a regime change in Israel, and a legitimate government in the West Bank, along with Israel increasing trade with its bordering countries, and for these countries to increase trade and stop worrying about uprisings within their populations.

Water quality, septic systems and sewers

Avlon called cesspools and septic systems a “fundamental issue of infrastructure and investment that needs federal dollars.” He said that it is necessary to protect the Long Island aquifers, which will require federal investment, some of which “has already been allocated to expand our sewer system and get us off septic.” If elected to Congress, Avlon would want to serve on the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, in order to help bring solutions to these issues.

Goroff said that water quality was an extremely important topic: “Voters across the political spectrum care about what our coastline looks like and what the water that comes out of our tap looks like.” She noted that there are places on Long Island that need sewers, which could bring opportunities for businesses, but there are also some places where sewers would not make financial sense. 

The Democratic primary is on Tuesday, June 25.

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