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Republican presidential candidate and Ohio Governor John Kasich answers questions from the audience at the Paramount in Huntington. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

The race for commander-in-chief made a pit stop in Huntington on Monday with Republican presidential candidate John Kasich (R-Ohio) stumping at The Paramount.

Kasich, the governor of Ohio, spoke face-to-face with New York voters ahead of the April 19 primary with hopes of gaining momentum against his Republican counterparts in the race. He received some of his loudest cheers from the audience after delivering a line about his approach toward what has been a contentious campaign cycle battling the likes of Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

Republican presidential candidate and Ohio Governor John Kasich greets the crowd at the Paramount in Huntington. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Republican presidential candidate and Ohio Governor John Kasich greets the crowd at the Paramount in Huntington. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

“I may have been ignored for six months in my campaign because I spent my time taking the high road to the highest office, not the low road,” Kasich said.

Trump, a businessman, is currently leading in national polls as he has been for several months, but Kasich has been picking up speed as the Republican primaries make their way to the east coast. Real Clear Politics said Kasich has more than doubled his poll numbers from March 1 to April 1 going from 9 percent to almost 21 percent.

Audience members in the Huntington theater asked Kasich questions, many about whether or not he can actually take off the gloves and take on Trump, who has become known for his outlandish rhetoric and heated campaign rallies.

Kasich said while of course he could do it, he doesn’t necessarily want to.

“I don’t want to live in the negative lane,” he said. “I’ve got two 16-year-old twin daughters and a heck of a lot of people… in the state of Ohio who at this point are pretty proud of what I’ve done. I’ll fight, but I’m more interested in giving you the visual. I’d rather do it in a more positive, upbeat way, giving people hope.”

The governor tried to convince voters that he would be able to defeat both his Republican challengers, and eventually the future Democratic nominee by securing votes from both sides of the aisle.

“These things can’t get done with just one party,” he said. “If I’m president, we’ll have a conservative agenda, but we are not going to tell our friends in the other party to go away, to drop dead or demean them. We are going to invite them in. Before we’re Republicans or Democrats, we are Americans.”

In terms of specific policies, Kasich made several promises for his first 100 days in office, if he were to be elected.

“We will have a system that puts a freeze on all federal regulations except for health and safety, so we stop crushing small business,” he said. “I can tell you that we’re going to have lower taxes on businesses so they’ll invest in America and not in Europe, we’re going to have a simplified tax system with lower taxes for individuals and we’re going to have path to a balanced budget.”

He also addressed how he would handle immigration, an important subject to Suffolk County residents.

According to the Long Island Index, the number of white residents has declined in the past 10 years, as Hispanic and Asian populations have continued to grow. According to the United State Census, in 2014, foreign-born persons made up nearly 15 percent of the total population.

Kasich said he would implement a guest worker program that would help the 11.5 million illegal immigrants who have not committed a crime find a path to legalization.

“We’re not going to hunt you down,” he said.

Kasich said that Suffolk County is a diverse area with residents on all ends of the political spectrum, and he acknowledged he could represent more than just one party.

“I happen to be a Republican but the Republican Party is my vehicle, not my master,” Kasich said.

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Assemblyman Steve Englebright speaks in opposition of the Gap Elimination Adjustment during a 2013 protest against the state school aid cut. File photo by Rohma Abbas

New York State is doing away with a funding cut that has kept billions of dollars out of schools, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office announced last week.

Legislators recently agreed on a state budget that would end the Gap Elimination Adjustment, a deduction taken out of each school district’s aid for the last several years, originally enacted to close a state budget deficit.

Parents, educators and even legislators have long been advocating for the adjustment’s finish but the push became a shove after state Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport), the majority leader, sponsored legislation to get rid of it. Flanagan called axing the Gap Elimination Adjustment his “top education funding priority” earlier this year.

“We will not pass any budget that does not fully eliminate it this year,” he said. The deduction “has been hurting schools and students for way too long and it is past time that we end it once and for all.”

Over the past five years, legislators had reduced the total statewide deduction from $3 billion to $434 million. In the next school year, it will be removed all together.

“Over the years, the GEA forced many school districts to cut educational programs and reduce services,” Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) said in a statement. “This restoration of aid will greatly help local school districts, and our taxpayers, with the budget funds necessary to educate our children.”

State school aid is projected to increase to almost $25 billion overall — and Long Island is slated to get $3 billion of that.

The New York State School Boards Association noted that the additional aid comes just as the state’s almost 700 school districts are grappling with a “record low” cap on how much they can increase their tax levies, a limit mandated by the state.

“The infusion of state aid will help them preserve student programs and services while still keeping property taxes in check,” the group’s executive director, Timothy G. Kremer, said in a statement.

However, the association said the state should “make sensible adjustments” to the tax levy cap, suggesting officials no longer use the rate of inflation as the standard for setting the limit each year.

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The Hyundai Elantra after firefighters put out the flames. Photo by Steve Silverman and Matt Schwier

A 19-year-old woman was able to break free from her Hyundai Elantra before it was fully engulfed in flames just after noon on Saturday, April 2, in Commack.

The Hyundai Elantra engulfed in fire. Photo by Steve Silverman and Matt Schwier
The Hyundai Elantra engulfed in fire. Photo by Steve Silverman and Matt Schwier

The woman struck a tree while driving on Verleye Avenue, causing the car to overturn and eventually catch fire.

Emergency responders from the Commack Fire Department, Commack Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and Suffolk County Police Department responded to the crash near Lefferts Avenue. The Commack Fire Department responded with three engines and a heavy rescue truck.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames and used foam to cover the spilled gasoline.

The Commack Volunteer Ambulance Corps transported the teenager to Huntington Hospital.

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By Elana Glowatz

A 24-hour substance abuse hotline went live on April 1, providing Suffolk County residents with a new resource to help with battling addiction.

The Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence is operating the new hotline — 631-979-1700 — and will help callers get screenings, referrals and follow-ups, directing them to local resources that will help them or loved ones overcome addiction.

A flyer advertises a new substance abuse hotline. Image from the Suffolk County health department
A flyer advertises a new substance abuse hotline. Image from the Suffolk County health department

Officials announced the initiative at the end of February, calling it a partnership between the county, Stony Brook Medicine and the state’s health department, as well as private and public community partners in the substance abuse field. Those officials said having a single phone number for all those resources is key.

“This initiative will provide [the] opportunity for addicts to reach out during their time of need and access treatment and support options easily,” Suffolk County Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport) said in a previous statement. “Often, there is a critical and brief period of time when a person sees clarity and makes the decision to seek help. This hotline can be fertile ground for change and recovery as it can quickly link residents to crucial health care services.”

LICADD itself noted in a recent statement about the hotline that “the time to seek treatment is ‘now’” and that sometimes the “now” is late at night, early in the morning or on weekends or holidays. The agency also said that the period in which an addict is willing to get treatment could close without immediate help, due to “the pathology of denial, obsession and fear which often defines substance use disorders.”

Community leaders have ramped up efforts to fight opioid addiction in recent years while seeing an increase in heroin and prescription painkiller abuse and overdoses across Suffolk County. Those efforts have included more directed police enforcement and informational meetings. Police officers have also started carrying the medication Narcan, which can temporarily stop opioid overdoses and has been used hundreds of times in Suffolk.

Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket), who authored the law that put Narcan into officers’ hands, said about the new hotline, “Every second counts to a mother whose son or daughter was found and saved from overdosing. And every hour and every day that slips by trying to find quality, affordable, accessible treatment is critical.”

For 24/7 substance abuse help, call 631-979-1700.

To report drug activity to the police, call 631-852-NARC.

The county health department will provide oversight and analyze data to monitor the hotline’s effectiveness, and identify trends and emerging issues in the community.

At the same time the drug abuse hotline went live, the Suffolk County Police Department announced another phone number, this one a 24-hour tip line for residents to report drug activity in their neighborhoods.

“We are asking the public’s help to fight this scourge, and with the public’s help, we can make a real difference,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Tim Sini said in a statement.

Residents can call 631-852-NARC anonymously to report information about local drug dealers, and authorities will investigate the tips. Even anonymous callers can receive cash rewards for tips that lead to arrests.

“If you see something, say something and Suffolk County police will do something about it,” Sini said.

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The Northport Public Library. File photo from library

It’s budget season for libraries across Huntington Town, and they’re looking to keep costs low.

The Northport-East Northport Public Library has proposed an overall lower budget, but with a slight increase in the tax levy. The total budget is an approximate $160,000 decrease from last year’s; however, the board is proposing to collect $21,000 more in taxes than the year before.

Among the reasons for this is the fact that the library had $165,000 in unrestricted fund appropriation for last year’s budget, but not this year. Compared to revenues collected last year, the library expects to collect about $181,000 less.

The biggest costs for this year’s budget include employee salaries, health insurance, books and electronic resources.

Northport-East Northport 30-year-resident Margaret Hartough is running for re-election as library trustee. She is currently the head of the teen services department at the Half Hollow Hills Community Library.

“The Northport-East Northport Public Library has always been a special place for me and my family,” she said in a statement. “My children spent many hours at the library, and benefited from all the great resources and wonderful programs. I believe the library is truly the heart of the community and strong libraries build strong communities.”

Over at Huntington Public Library, the board of trustees has proposed a 0 percent increase for the budget; asking residents to approve the same approximate $8.8 million budget as last year.

The Harborfields Public Library. File photo
The Harborfields Public Library. File photo

Compared to the 2015-16 budget, building renovation costs are less than half of last year’s, with a difference of about $540,000. This contributes to the 0 percent overall increase. Costs are also going down by 80 percent for printing supplies and 100 percent for bibliographic utility, which is a service that provides record keeping.

Library trustee incumbent Charles Rosner is running unopposed for re-election. He first joined the board in 2011. Rosner received an MBA from Harvard Business School and before retiring in 2002 was a CEO at Gemcoware in Hauppauge.

Harborfields Public Library is following suit with Huntington and proposing a 0 percent increase for its 2016-17 budget, with a $4.8 million overall total. Most of the library’s costs mirror last year’s numbers, with the biggest difference in retirement and health insurance. Retirement costs decreased by $83,000, and health insurance costs increased by $50,000.

Centerport resident David Clemens is running for a seat in the Harborfields Public Library board of trustees. He previously served as a trustee for the Huntington Historical Society and the Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association. Clemens is currently a trustee of the Suffolk County Historical Society and chairman of the library committee there.

Finishing out the Huntington area is Cold Spring Harbor Library, with a proposed budget of about $2 million and an overall 0 percent increase. By far the biggest item on the budget is salaries for employees, which comes in at just over $1 million.

According to the library’s website, highlights of the budget include supporting vital programs like free e-books and homework help.

Residents can cast their votes on Tuesday, April 5, at their respective libraries.

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Botched burglary
A 30-year-old man from Bay Shore entered through the window of a second-floor apartment on Smith Road in Lake Grove at about 8:30 p.m. on March 26, police said. The man escaped the apartment without taking any items. When approached by police, he gave a fake name and date of birth. He was charged with second-degree burglary and false impersonation.

Hit-and-run
At the intersection of Route 25 and Edgewood Avenue in Smithtown on Jan. 12, a 25-year-old woman from Setauket was involved in a car crash just after 8 p.m., according to police. After the crash, she fled the scene without exchanging contact information with the other driver. She was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with property damage.

Reckless driver
At about 4 p.m. on March 25, a 41-year-old man from Brentwood driving a dump truck crossed the white pavement line on Terry Road in Nesconset, hitting a parked 2014 Dodge with the driver inside. No one was seriously injured. The man was charged with reckless driving.

Two guys, too much pot
A 21-year-old man from Northport and a 22-year-old man from Islip were seated in a parked vehicle on West Main Street in Kings Park at about 5:30 p.m. on March 26 when, police said, they discovered the pair was in possession of more than 25 grams of marijuana. They were charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Mind your own business
At about 10 p.m. on March 26, police said a 34-year-old man and a 37-year-old man both from Ronkonkoma shouted obscenities and threats at police officers and members of the Lakeland Fire Department near a home on West 3rd Street. They were arrested and charged with second-degree obstruction of governmental administration.

Saloon patron slugged
Just after midnight on March 19 at South Beach Saloon Inc. in Nesconset, a 23-year-old man from Ronkonkoma punched another man in the face, police said. He was charged with third-degree assault with the intent to cause physical injury.

iPod stolen and broken
On March 24, a 22-year-old man from Lake Ronkonkoma was found to be in possession of a stolen and damaged iPod on Ronkonkoma Avenue in Islip at about 12:30 p.m., police said. He was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and criminal mischief.

Stolen from Sears
At about 5 p.m. on March 24, a 41-year-old woman from Lake Ronkonkoma stole assorted electronics from Sears in the Smith Haven Mall, police said. She was later arrested in Brookhaven and charged with petit larceny.

Identity crisis
On March 24 at about 7:30 p.m., a 23-year-old woman from Patterson, N.J., was arrested in Commack for possessing a Pennsylvania driver’s license that did not belong to her, police said. She was charged with second-degree possession of a forged instrument.

Fence kicker on the loose
An unknown person kicked in the fence of a home on Morris Avenue in Lake Ronkonkoma at about 3 a.m. on March 27, police said.

Damaged door
On Wheeler Road in Hauppauge at about 2:30 p.m. on March 27, an unknown person dented the driver’s side rear door of a 2000 Toyota, according to police.

You’ll shoot your eye out
Police said an unknown person damaged the screen of a window at a home on Barley Place in Commack at about 11:30 p.m. on March 26 with a BB gun.

Violent encounter
An unknown person approached a man at a Smithtown home just after midnight on March 26 carrying a handgun, police said. The man with the gun demanded money from the victim and then hit him in the head repeatedly with the gun, causing lacerations to the victim’s head, according to police. The man fled on foot.

Dave & busted window
An unknown person broke the driver’s side window of a 2006 Toyota parked at Dave & Buster’s in Islandia on March 24 at about 11:30 p.m., according to police. A wallet with credit cards was taken from the car.

Poor park job
At the Devonshire apartment complex in Hauppauge, an unknown person scratched the driver’s side front and rear doors and tailgate of a 2015 Dodge at about 10:30 a.m. on March 24, according to police.

Caught in a Benz bind
On March 22, an 18-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station was arrested for criminal possession of stolen property, a 2012 Mercedes-Benz. Police pulled over and arrested the man around 4 p.m. on Route 112.

Catching some Zs
A 19-year-old Port Jefferson Station man was arrested on March 26 for driving while ability impaired, after allegdly being caught sleeping in the driver’s seat of his running 2016 Hyundai, which was blocking the intersection of Route 112 and Nesconset Highway. Police arrested the suspect at the scene, around 4:21 a.m.

License revoked
According to police, a Sound Beach woman was arrested on March 26 for petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. Police said on Oct. 11, the 27-year-old woman had stolen jewelry and assorted merchandise from Kohl’s on Route 25A in Rocky Point. She was also using a Florida driver’s license that didn’t belong to her. Police arrested her at the 6th Precinct.

Busted
On March 23, a man from Centereach was arrested for criminal possession of marijuana. The 27-year-old was in his 2012 Mazda on the corner of Blydenburgh Road and Horseblock Road when police discovered him in possession.

Not-so-great escape
A 22-year-old woman was arrested on March 21 for petit larceny. The Yaphank woman allegedly had stolen someone’s phone on Middle Country Road in Centereach several days before.

Mad for meds
Police arrested a 30-year-old man from Rocky Point for two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance after discovering him in possession of two different prescription medications that he wasn’t prescribed. Police arrested him on Westchester Drive in Rocky Point on March 21.
Police said someone stole medication from a store on Route 25A in Miller Place. The incident happened on March 26 around 10:25 p.m.

Less-glamorous bank heist
On March 22 around 3:08 p.m., police arrested a 31-year-old man from West Babylon for grand larceny. According to police, the man stole money from the Capital One bank on Route 25A in Setauket after he deceived the teller. Police didn’t expand upon what the man did to acquire the money.

Breakin’ down the cars
Between March 25 at 9 p.m. and March 26 at 6:30 a.m. at Broadway, Port Jefferson Station, an unidentified person broke the front passenger window of a 2015 Ford pickup truck.

Boozing for bucks
According to police, someone entered the L.I. Pour House on Route 112 in Port Jefferson Station on March 23 at 2:30 a.m. and stole a metal box that contained cash.

Put ’em up
On March 26 around 3:47 a.m., an unknown person punched a man near the Junior’s Spycoast bar on Main Street in Port Jefferson.

‘The Wicker Man’ sequel
According to police, someone stole a wicker chair from the front yard of a residence on Broadway in Rocky Point. The incident happened on March 25 around 8 p.m.

Unlocked and loaded
Between March 21 at 6 p.m. and March 22 at 7 p.m., an unknown person entered an unlocked 2006 Nissan Altima and stole cash and several gift cards. Police said the incident happened at a residence on Oak Street in Centereach.

Noise turns dangerous
On March 26 at 10:20 p.m., a man left his residence on Newton Avenue in Selden to investigate a noise when an unknown person approached the man and threatened him. Police said the complainant was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital after the suspect cut the man in the stomach.

Backpacking thief
Someone broke into a 2015 Maserati parked near the AMC Loews theater on Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook and stole backpacks and two passports. Police said the incident happened on March 24 around 9:03 p.m.

Hearthstone hit-and-run
On March 27 at about 8:30 p.m., a 46-year-old man from Dix Hills was driving a 2004 Mercedes on Vanderbilt Parkway near the intersection of Hearthstone Drive when he crashed on the side of the road and then fled the scene, police said. He was later arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident with property damage.

Heroin bust
Police said a 38-year-old man from Huntington Station possessed heroin near the intersection of Cooper Avenue and Route 25 at about 10:30 p.m. on March 25. He was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

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Asharoken Mayor Greg Letica, center, and Trustees Laura Burke and Mel Ettinger are all seeking a third term in Village Hall. Photo from Laura Burke

Three elected officials in Asharoken Village announced their bid for re-election on Monday morning.

Mayor Greg Letica and Trustees Mel Ettinger and Laura Burke all hope to land a third term in office in the June election.

“It has been an honor to have served the village alongside Trustee Ettinger and Trustee Burke for the last four years,” Letica said in a statement. “We are very proud of what has been accomplished since 2012 and look forward to the opportunity to serve the village in the next two years. Although there are still many important issues to face, we are confident that we will be able to draw together the community, as we have done many times in the past, to reach the best solutions for Asharoken.”

Letica, who has lived in Asharoken since 1957, has previously served as a trustee, village treasurer, deputy harbormaster, police contract negotiator and a budget committee member. In discussing his campaign for re-election, the incumbent touted the village’s strong finances.

“Long term, the village is in excellent financial shape,” Letica said in a letter to residents regarding the budget. “Our reserve accounts are properly funded and will allow the village to make necessary infrastructure improvements, update our police fleet, maintain our Village Hall and properly fund police retirement costs with little to no impact on the following year’s tax rate.”

This year, Asharoken officials have proposed a budget that complies with the state-mandated cap on tax levy increases but also maintains services throughout the village. And, according to a press release from the New York State comptroller, two financial stress tests of local governments in the last four years resulted in Asharoken receiving the best evaluation possible — no financial stress designation.

A major project that the village completed this past year was the construction of a new village hall, which Ettinger began working on almost 10 years ago.

“It has turned out to be fantastic,” Ettinger said of the new building in a phone interview. “It’s a wonderful facility where we not only hold village board meetings, but also court. Functions like the Asharoken Garden Club also use the space.”

As for why he is seeking a third term, Ettinger said, “I love the village. I feel we have accomplished a great deal with the current administration, but we still have a fair amount more to do.”

Ettinger has not only served as a trustee for the past four years, but also as police commissioner for almost a decade, the project manager for the construction of the new Asharoken Village Hall and once as the highway commissioner. He has lived in Asharoken for 25 years.

The village has also taken steps to decrease their environmental footprint.

Over the last four years, Asharoken has signed an agreement with Huntington Town and Northport Village to work together on protecting the water quality in Northport Bay. Asharoken has also made a deal in which its residents can use Northport’s e-waste recycling program, and one with Smithtown Town to initiate single-stream recycling in the village so residents can put all their recyclables on the curb together. As part of the latter agreement, Asharoken transports its recyclables to Kings Park, where Smithtown workers take the material for processing at a special facility in Brookhaven.

Burke has played an integral role in the recycling improvements.

“I helped to implement single-stream recycling in the village, which has been a tremendous success, resulting in tax savings,” she said in an email.

She also edits the village newspaper.

Burke grew up in Asharoken and, after living in the city for several years while working as a marketing executive, she moved back to raise a family.

“I’m pleased to be running for my second full term as trustee along with Mayor Letica and Trustee Ettinger, both residents with exemplary character and work ethic,” she said. “The current board … works well together, considers opposing views respectfully and makes decisions based on what is in the best interest of the Village of Asharoken and its residents.”

Residents have until May 17 to complete paperwork to run for the three village positions.

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Miller Place's Julia Burns moves the ball around the net and Harborfields' Aishling Brent toward goalie Erin Tucker. Photo by Desirée Keegan

It was a battle until the final seconds.

In a frenzied finish, four goals were scored in the final minute, ending with Harborfields’ varsity girls’ lacrosse player Angela Deren scoring the game-winning goal with 5.6 seconds left for a big 8-7 victory over Miller Place Tuesday.

“It feels great,” said Deren, a senior attack. “Our attack and our riding helped, and our goalie saved us a lot. It was a great team win.”

Deren was right — the Tornadoes’ sophomore goalkeeper Erin Tucker kept her team in the game, coming up with 15 saves on the evening.

She said she felt the excitement as the last seconds ticked off the clock.

Harborfields' Ella Simkins reaches to block a pass from Miller Place's Kelsey Lane. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Harborfields’ Ella Simkins reaches to block a pass from Miller Place’s Kelsey Lane. Photo by Desirée Keegan

“The energy on the field was amazing,” she said. “It felt like we won states, so it was awesome to be a part of.”

Miller Place started off scoring the first two goals of the game, and by halftime, had a 3-2 advantage.

Harborfields junior attack Mikayla Bergin scored the game-tying goal in the opening minutes of the second half, but Miller Place senior midfielder Alyssa Parrella helped her team edge ahead with her second goal of the afternoon off a foul shot.

“Although it didn’t go the way we wanted it to go, I know every single girl on my team put in the hustle and the heart today,” she said.

After Parrella tied the game, 5-5 with 6:40 left to play, she got a foul shot, but Tucker came up with one of her crucial saves.

“I knew I had the support of all of my teammates out there, which gave me the confidence I needed to make the saves when I needed to,” Tucker said. “It felt awesome to be able to help my team.”

Harborfields scored for the advantage, and after assisting on the goal, Harborfields senior midfielder Ella Simkins received a long pass up and across the field from Deren and shot the ball into an open right side for a 7-5 advantage with 55 seconds left to play.

With the game on the line, the Panthers pushed to even the score. Harborfields head coach Kerri McGinty said she knew Miller Place had what it took to rally back.

Harborfields' Angela Deren catches a quick pass. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Harborfields’ Angela Deren catches a quick pass. Photo by Desirée Keegan

“We knew that Miller Place was going to be really good, really athletic, have a lot of speed — we didn’t get off to the start we were hoping for, but what’s most important is that the girls had a team win here,” she said. “We’re a very dynamic team this year. We have a lot of goal scorers, great defenders, great midis, we have that mentality of sharing the wealth as well, which makes us a much harder team to prepare for.”

Parrella said what ignited the team to come back was senior attack Allison Turtorro’s goal after she received a pass in front of the cage with 34.5 seconds left.

“It gave us that much more adrenaline,” Parrella said. “That next draw control was huge for us.”

Miller Place won possession of the draw, and the team sprinted down the field as fast as it could. That’s when Parrella did her thing.

“I just really charged to the net and put in everything I had to score that goal,” she said of her fourth goal of the day.

She scored five goals in the prior game in a 15-4 win over Lindenhurst.

“Everyone went crazy. It was a big moment for us to step up and show other teams what we’re made of,” she said.

Miller Place's Alyssa Parrella hugs the sideline while maintaining possession against Julia Clementi and Falyn Dwyer and crossing the ball into Harborfields’ zone. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Miller Place’s Alyssa Parrella hugs the sideline while maintaining possession against Julia Clementi and Falyn Dwyer and crossing the ball into Harborfields’ zone. Photo by Desirée Keegan

After a foul forced a turnover in Miller Place’s zone, the Tornadoes had the opportunity to win with seconds left, and did.

“We all came together as a unit and rallied back,” Simkins said. “I feel like we’re all trying to piece together what we lost, so I think that we’re looking really good now, and as the season progresses I see us getting better and better.”

Although losing in the final seconds deflated her team, Parrella said things are coming together for her team, as it adjusts to a new coach and a new outlook on the game.

“Coach [Thomas] Carro told us to keep our heads up — this is only the beginning of what we’re calling our ‘new beginning,’” she said. “Looking back on last year, we definitely had a lot of weaknesses and that’s what Coach Cara really wanted us to focus on was our weaknesses. We’ve been doing stick work 24/7, shooting, working with our goalies, a little bit of everything, which is showing in the progress in our play. I think we’re just becoming a whole new team and we’re looking really good this year, so I hope we surprise other teams.”

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Protestors gather at the Huntington train station on Monday afternoon. Photo from Michael Pauker

Protestors are no longer minding the gap when it comes to the state’s minimum wage.

Protestors flocked to the Huntington Long Island Rail Road station during the evening rush hour on Monday in support of an increase in the state minimum wage.

The group also hit several other North Shore train stations in areas where state senators have not yet committed to supporting New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) proposal for a $15-per-hour minimum wage.

“This state thrives when every New Yorker has the opportunity and the ability to succeed,” Cuomo said in a statement in support of his minimum wage hike from $9 per hour. “Yet the truth is that today’s minimum wage still leaves far too many people behind — unacceptably condemning them to a life of poverty even while they work full-time. This year, we are going to change that. We are going to raise the minimum wage to bring economic opportunity back to millions of hardworking New Yorkers and lead the nation in the fight for fair pay.”

A protestor raises a sign on the platform. Photo from Michael Pauker
A protestor raises a sign on the platform. Photo from Michael Pauker

Members of the group Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, organized the protests with hopes of putting pressure on North Shore lawmakers.

“We’re making a splash during rush hour today to remind our state senators that the economic security of millions of New Yorkers is in their hands,” Rachel Ackoff, senior national organizer at Bend the Arc, said in an email. “Our state and country are facing an economic inequality crisis and raising the minimum wage is essential to help countless families get by and strengthen our economy.”

As for why the group chose to protest at train stations, Ackoff said it is a common ground for all walks of life.

“LIRR stations are the central meeting grounds of thousands of workers heading to and from their jobs each day,” she said. “We appreciated the cheers and thumbs up of the folks we encountered.”

Ackoff said many New York workers who are not making the minimum wage are struggling to support families.

“We’re so outraged by the fact that so many parents in our state, who are working full times jobs on the current minimum wage, aren’t even paid enough to provide for their families’ basic needs,” she said. ““It’s time for our state leaders to take action.”

She zeroed in on specific North Shore lawmakers, including state Sens. John Flanagan (R-East Northport), Carl Marcellino (R-Syosset), and Michael Venditto (R-Massapequa).

A protestor speaks to a passenger at the Huntington train station. Photo from Michael Pauker
A protestor speaks to a passenger at the Huntington train station. Photo from Michael Pauker

Marcellino, who presides over parts of Huntington, did not return a call for a comment.

Bend the Arc has several chapters across the country, and this year, they launched #JewsFor15 a campaign to support the fight for $15, by mobilizing Jewish communities across the country to support local and state campaigns to increase the minimum wage. They said they feel not supporting the $15-per-hour minimum wage is a violation of fundamental values as both Jews and Americans.

“By speaking up for the ‘Fight for $15 movement,’ we are honoring the legacy of our Jewish ancestors, many of whom immigrated to the U.S. at the turn of the century, worked in factories, and fought for higher wages and union rights,” Ackoff said.

Eric Schulmiller, of the Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore in Manhasset, echoed the sentiment while speaking at the Hicksville train station.

“I’m here today because striving for social justice is a core part of my identity as a faith leader and a core part of Jewish communal traditions,” he said. “Jews have been engaged in America’s social justice movements for generations and we’re not about stand on the sidelines now, when countless American families are struggling to make ends meet and economic inequality is growing more and more severe.”

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Xavier Palacios file photo by Rohma Abbas

Huntington school district may soon make ramps and restrooms more accessible to people with disabilities.

The school board approved the addition of the capital reserve proposition to the May 17 ballot with a six to one vote at a meeting on March 21.

If passed, the proposition would use almost $2.5 million of the district’s building improvement fund, or capital reserve, to update eight Huntington schools and make them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Superintendent Jim Polansky said the desire to become compliant with the ADA was not mandated, but it’s possible the state could block other capital improvement propositions if ADA requirements within a district are not met.

“There are some needs that really should have been addressed as far back as 20 years ago,” Polansky said at the meeting. “We’re not looking to refit the entire building. We’re looking to just put the basics in place. Those basics are ramps and at least one bathroom.”

Polansky said there are contingency plans in place for emergencies that might arise during the course of a school year which would require a ramp in or out of a Huntington district building, but this proposition would provide permanent solutions.

J. Taylor Finley Middle School, Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School and Flower Hill Primary School are among several of the buildings that would be equipped with ADA-compliant restrooms. ADA-compliant ramps would be added to a few schools, including Woodhull Intermediate School, Jefferson Primary School and Huntington High School. The high school would also get an ADA-compliant wheelchair lift and a compliant locker room restroom.

Xavier Palacios was the lone board member against adding the proposition to the ballot.

“These ADA requirements or suggestions have been around for almost two decades and we’ve submitted several capital proposals and they’ve never been stopped in the past, have they?” Palacios asked prior to the vote.

Polansky called it a roll of the dice to submit a different capital proposition to the state prior to making the ADA-compliant upgrades. “Aside from the fact that I think it’s the right thing to do,” he added.

“How do we prioritize this over needing a new roof?” Palacios asked.

Another board member, Jennifer Hebert, weighed in on the discussion.

“We don’t want to have a student showing up needing these kinds of accommodations and have to be retrofitting it as they’re in the building,” Hebert said. “We should do it now, so that if and when we have students that have these needs, we’ve already got everything equipped for them in the building.”

The state comptroller’s office released an audit report in March, which concluded Huntington exceeded the amount of money legally allowed in capital reserves for the previous three school years. By law, a district cannot have more than 4 percent of the ensuing school year’s budget saved in capital reserves, according to the report. Any money over that limit must be used to make improvements in the district. Thus, this proposition would help the district use the money currently sitting in its reserve fund.

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