Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, at podium, and Town of Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim at a press conference Feb. 25. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) and Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) stopped by Smithtown’s senior citizens center to talk about COVID-19 and distribute at-home tests to center visitors Friday, Feb. 25.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone talks with visitors at the senior citizen center. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Before the press conference, county Legislator Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) began delivering the 10,000 at-home COVID-19 test kits received by the town courtesy of the county. The kits were distributed on the day of the press conference and Monday to local assisted living communities, faith-based and small food pantries and community centers in the greater township.
Bellone said he reached out to New York Gov. Kathy Hocul (D) for help with continuing aid to vulnerable populations.
“This was the time to really begin the conversation about how we transition back to normal, to the stage where we are living with the virus, essentially the endemic stage of the virus, and you’re seeing that conversation happening now around the country, as well, which I think is very important,” Bellone said. “As we do that, as we move to that different stage of the virus and manage that risk moving forward, we do still need to be making sure we’re doing everything we can to provide the resources necessary to protect vulnerable populations, senior citizens, those who may have issues with immunity, etc. We need to make sure that things that we know work that are available that they are easily accessible and available to those residents.”
Suffolk officials have been working with various partners such as nonprofits and law enforcement agencies since the beginning of the year to distribute at-home tests, masks and hand sanitizer to the most vulnerable. Bellone said the county has distributed at this point over 200,000 test kits and expects over the next six months that Suffolk will be distributing several hundred thousand more test kits, focusing on the most vulnerable populations.
Bellone added that vaccines, testing and therapeutics have been making a difference.
The county supervisor thanked Wehrheim for his help during the pandemic.
“Supervisor Wehrheim has been an example of the kind of leadership that you need in unprecedented times, and I truly appreciate his partnership and the work that we were able to do together during the pandemic,” Bellone said.
Wehrheim also thanked Bellone for helping the town ensure that no one went without essentials during the pandemic and for the county’s continued support, especially for those on fixed incomes.
“Now families can visit loved ones in nursing homes with easy access to at-home test kits,” Wehrheim said. “Our older seniors can come back to a great senior community and our great senior citizens department to enjoy socializing. Most importantly, we can get back to living again, safer.”
New phase
Bellone said Suffolk County is moving into a new phase of the pandemic.
“We just recently went through what I would characterize as the second most impactful wave of this virus,” he said, adding the omicron wave’s variant infection and hospitalization rates were as high as at the beginning of the pandemic and the county once again saw double-digit deaths.
“We know that this pandemic has caused incalculable devastation, and there will be impacts that we’ll be dealing with for a long time to come, no doubt,” he said. “But, what is clear now is — I think a couple things — we’re moving into a different phase, and this virus is not going to go away. It is going to be here with us. It is something that we are going to be living with.”
Paws of War providing veteran's service animals with free veterinary care as part of their Hearts and Heros vet clinic. Photo by Anthony Lambroia
In support of their mission of giving back to veterans and first responders, non-profit Paws of War recently hosted their “Hearts and Heroes” event at their headquarters in Nesconset, where they provided 27 service animals with free veterinary care, which included wellness checks, flea and tick medications, vaccinations, bags of dog food and microchipping service.
Dr. Marissa Altieri, DVM, treated over 27 service animals at Paws of War’s Hearts and Heros free vet Clinic. Photo by Anthony Lambroia
The pandemic has brought financial challenges to veterans and first responders. Many disabled veterans live on low or fixed incomes and their service animal’s medical care is essential so they can provide the level of support and comfort upon which the veterans depend.
“As a former veteran, I know how critical and expensive it is to take care of these service animals. They are more than just pets; these animals provide emotional support and tasks for these heroes when it is needed most,” said Kelli Porti, Veteran & Community Outreach Liaison for Paws of War.
Dr. Marissa Altieri, DVM, volunteered her expert veterinary care to the pop-up clinic and its patients, donating her time to assist Paws of War as a way to give back to the community and support the non-profit’s mission.
“Veterinarians enable animals of all kinds to live their best life and to be as happy and healthy as possible. Service animals are responsible for their health and well-being and in many cases the lives of their owners. Volunteeringmy time and medical knowledge for Paws of War and their mobile clinic is my way to honor these veterans for all they have done for our country,” said Dr. Altieri.
Hearts and Heroes is part of a continual program, Vets for Vets, hosted by Paws of War that gives back to service men and women by providing free veterinary care for their service animals; their wellness is essential in providing their exceptional service to their owners who are U.S. military veterans suffering from the emotional effects of war.
For more information about Paws of War and their Hearts and Heroes program, visit their website, https://pawsofwar.org.
The following incidents have been reported by the Suffolk County Police:
Centereach
■ Ocean State Job Lot on Middle Country Road in Centereach reported a shoplifter on Feb. 18. A man allegedly stole assorted items including a heater and cleaning products valued at $110.
Commack
■ A woman called the police to report that a man had approached her in the Michaels parking lot on Veterans Memorial Highway in Commack on Feb. 15 and allegedly snatched her iPhone from her as she was returning to her car. The phone was valued at $500.
■ A customer at Whole Foods on Veterans Memorial Highway in Commack called the police on Feb. 13 to report that her wallet containing cash and credit cards had been stolen from her pocketbook which had been left in a shopping cart unattended.
■ Target on Veterans Highway in Commack reported a petit larceny on Feb. 8. A man and a woman entered the store and allegedly stole several air mattresses, clothing, pots and pans valued at approximately $380.
■ Speedway on Jericho Turnpike in Commack reported that a man entered the store on Feb. 12 and allegedly stole cigarettes and cash.
Huntington Station
■ OK Petroleum on East Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station reported that someone stole $50 worth of gas on Feb. 11.
Lake Grove
■ Zales Jewelry at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove reported a grand larceny on Feb. 16. A man asked to see two gold necklaces, allegedly grabbed the necklaces and ran out of the store. The jewelry was valued at $7,450.
■ Macy at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove reported a grand larceny on Feb. 12. A man allegedly grabbed a gold chain valued at approximately $4,000 and fled the store.
Melville
■ Macy’s Backstage on Walt Whitman Road in Melville called the police on Feb. 14 to report a shoplifter. A woman allegedly stole assorted clothing worth approximately $1,000.
■ Dick’s Sporting Goods on Walt Whitman Road in Melville reported a petit larceny on Feb. 14. Two men allegedly stole men’s clothing valued at approximately $480.
■ Costco on Broadhollow Road in Melville reported a grand larceny on Feb. 18. A man entered the store and allegedly stole a Firman Generator, a Dyson vacuum and two Vitamix blenders. The merchandise was valued at $1650.
Miller Place
■ A resident on Oakland Avenue in Miller Place reported that someone entered their unlocked vehicle parked on their driveway on Feb. 16 and removed an iPod Touch and Apple AirPods valued at $320.
■ A resident on Rolling Road in Miller Place reported that someone entered their unlocked vehicle parked in the driveway on Feb. 15 and removed women’s sunglasses valued at approximately $300 and a $50 gift card.
Port Jefferson Station
■ A resident on Grant Street in Port Jefferson Station called the police on Feb. 18 to report that an unknown person had entered their unlocked vehicle the night before and stole assorted gift cards and cash.
■ Staples on Nesconset Highway in Port Jefferson Station reported a shoplifter on Feb. 17. A man allegedly stole a Brother Laser Printer valued at $200.
■ A resident on Superior Street in Port Jefferson Station reported that someone entered two cars on Feb. 15 and took a total of $330 in cash. The vehicles had been unlocked.
■ A resident on Hooper Street in Port Jefferson Station reported that a catalytic converter had been removed from their 2001 Honda Accord on Feb. 15. The item was valued at $500.
St. James
■ A resident on Grove Avenue in St. James called the police on Feb. 18 to report a rear window of a vehicle was broken and a child’s booster seat was stolen. The damage to the vehicle was $220.
Selden
■ Suffolk Wines and Liquors on Middle Country Road in Selden reported a shoplifter on Feb. 14. Two men allegedly stole two bottles of liquor valued at $225 before fleeing in a car driven by a third man.
■ Aldi Supermarket on Middle Country Road in Selden reported a shoplifter on Feb. 13. A woman allegedly stole 4 containers of Tide Pods and 6 bags of frozen shrimp valued at approximately $140.
Smithtown
■ A resident on Cygnet Drive in Smithtown called the police on Feb. 13 to report that someone had siphoned $48 worth of diesel fuel from their Audi Q7 the night before.
Sound Beach
■ A resident on Cedar Road in Sound Beach called the police on Feb. 16 to report that credit cards had been stolen from their unlocked vehicle the night before.
South Setauket
■ Target on Pond Path in South Setauket reported a grand larceny on Feb. 17. Two men entered the store and allegedly filled bags with an assortment of health and beauty products and walked out without paying. The value of the items was approximately $3,000.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppersto submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS.
Catalytic converters in cars have been stolen across the country. Stock photo
By Raymond Janis
A wave of catalytic converter theft is sweeping through Suffolk County.
“If they grab two a night, that’s a nice living on the theft market. It’s becoming very popular across the country.”
— Bobby Lemmo
A catalytic converter is a valuable auto part attached near the engine of a motor vehicle. It converts harmful toxins generated by a vehicle’s exhaust system into less hazardous gasses.
“There has been an uptick in the theft of catalytic converters from vehicles in recent months,” said a spokesperson for the Suffolk County Police Department in an email statement. “The department made several arrests of individuals stealing catalytic converters in 2021 and most recently arrested a Medford man for stealing a catalytic converter from a Toyota in Bellport on Jan. 4.”
The catalytic converter contains precious metals such as platinum, zirconium, rhodium and palladium. Given its accessible location underneath the chassis, the catalytic converter has become an attractive target for thieves.
“Most catalytic converters are made with a ceramic honeycomb substrate infused with platinum, zirconium and some other metals depending on the model,” said Bobby Lemmo, certified automotive technician and resident of Smithtown, in a phone interview. “These are very rare and very expensive metals. A replacement from a manufacturer runs anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000. On the junkyard market, the ones that they’re stealing sell between $200 and $600.”
Compared with other auto theft crimes, catalytic converter theft is relatively low risk and simple yet highly profitable. Using basic tools that can be found in a hardware store, a catalytic converter can be stolen within minutes. According to Lemmo, criminals can support a stable livelihood by stealing just a few of these converters per week.
“They target certain cars that they know, where the position of [the catalytic converter] is easy to get to. It literally takes a minute,” he said. “If they grab two a night, that’s a nice living on the theft market. It’s becoming very popular across the country.”
Recent supply chain shortages and scarce resources have also fed this spike in catalytic converter theft.
“They used to be readily available, but they’re tougher and tougher to get. They’re just not around now,” Lemmo said. “It’s affecting theft insurance, too. People are putting theft insurance on a car that they normally wouldn’t.”
According to a 2021 report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the national rate of catalytic converter theft has “skyrocketed” throughout the pandemic. Additionally, as the value of the precious metals within the converters has increased, the theft rate has kept pace. Lemmo, whose business is based in Queens, said that he replaces stolen catalytic converters regularly.
“I don’t know how many we have replaced in the past year, but I would say a car every one or two weeks and mostly four-cylinder cars because they’re just easier to get to,” he said. “And that’s just us. We’re one small shop.”
Some vehicles are at greater risk than others. According to Lemmo, the Honda CR-V is the most popular model for theft.
“The Honda CR-V is probably number one,” he said. “It’s high enough off the ground that they don’t even need a jack. They can lay right on the floor to take it.”
The proliferation of catalytic converter thefts has prompted some public officials to propose stricter penalties for thieves and purchasers. New York State Sen. Diane Savino (D-Staten Island) spotted this trend in her district that covers the north of the island and parts of southern Brooklyn. Her proposed bill would impose greater restrictions on the purchase, sale and possession of stolen catalytic converters.
“We started noticing an increase in catalytic converter thefts in Staten Island about a year ago,” she said in a phone interview. “It’s an increasing problem not just here but all around the state. Working with one of my assembly colleagues, we’re looking to crack down on it by making the dealerships more responsible for the sale and resale of catalytic converters.”
Savino said that while it is illegal to steal a catalytic converter, her proposed legislation would make the crime less profitable. Her bill places harsher penalties on resale vendors, those who purchase the stolen converters cheaply and resell them at a premium.
“If someone steals a catalytic converter, there’s only one thing they’re doing with it,” Savino said. “They’re taking it to a chop shop, a salvage store or an auto dealer and they’re reselling it. We’re making them responsible for the product they are reselling.”
Other than stricter penalties, Lemmo believes manufacturers could alleviate the problem by serializing the converters. Serial numbers could both disrupt the resale marketplace and make the parts traceable, so that victims of this theft may have their stolen converters returned to them.
“For some of the newer cars, they have already gotten to the point of serializing them,” Lemmo said. “Possibly it could come back or, if anything, it will discourage them from taking it. Technically, it’s against the law for a scrap metal dealer to recycle one with a serial number.”
While Savino supports the issuance of serial numbers for new catalytic converters, she acknowledges the difficulty of targeting manufacturers through statewide legislation.
“It’s not out of the realm of possibility, but making manufacturers do something when they are not in the state of New York is just one more layer that would make it more difficult to enforce,” the state senator said. “It’s always easier to enact legislation that you can enforce within the four walls of your own state. When you’re doing something that affects products that are possibly manufactured overseas, it’s harder.”
For those concerned about the vulnerability of their car’s catalytic converter, the NICB recommends that vehicle owners install a catalytic converter anti-theft device, available from various manufacturers; park in a garage or well-lit area; and plant motion sensor lights to deter potential thieves.
Members of Ted Lucki’s family were in a forced labor camp. Lucki’s grandmother Anna, left, grandfather Nicholi, second from left, are shown with their children, including Lucki’s father Michael in the back row. Photo from Ted Lucki
By Ted Lucki
“Good morning, Lori. How are you?” (I said to my wife.)
She said, “I feel great.”
Ted Lucki’s family arrived in America in 1948. Photo from Ted Lucki
I said, “You should be ready. “
“Ready for what?”
“My relatives will be coming from
the Ukraine.”
“When?”
“When the first tank crosses the Ukrainian border with Russia.”
Lori said, “You worry too much.”
I replied that the cycle repeats itself every 70 years or so.
An old Ukrainian folk tale: What is the difference between a Ukrainian and a Russian? The Ukrainian has two shots of vodka and falls asleep. The Russian has two shots of vodka and wakes up to finish two bottles of vodka.
Let’s go back in time to 1944 and stories from my grandfather Nicholi. His family was ethnically Ukrainian but lived in Eastern Poland. The borders were constantly moving by advancing and retreating armies. Welcome to the Eastern Front.
My grandfather was in the Austrian army during World War I and knew the German commander in his town. The commander told him that his unit was moving out in the morning. He said that the Red Army was marching, and they were killing everybody in their way. If you were alive, you must be a traitor. This was the logic of Joseph Stalin, who governed the Soviet Union from 1922 until his death in 1953.
So, my grandfather, Nicholi, woke up his wife and five children — including my father and 2-year-old sister. They loaded up their horse-drawn wooden wagon and headed west trying to avoid the advancing Red Army. They made it to Czechoslovakia. They sold the wagon and bought train tickets to Vienna, Austria.
Grandpa Nicholi was a student there after World War I and knew some old friends. They then made it to Salzburg, Austria, and were arrested. They had Polish passports and were not allowed legal passage to Austria. They were arrested and sent into a forced labor camp. They worked in the slave labor camp for two years building boxes for ammunition.
When the war ended, they were fortunately liberated by the American Army and put into refugee camps. They waited for one year before they were sponsored by a medical doctor in Cincinnati, and ultimately ended up in Buffalo. They survived and they were together. They had hope for a new life. Thank God, they made it to America. Many of my relatives were killed or sent to their deaths in Siberia. Those were insane times. I thought the world was more civilized now.
The Red Army is on the march again. Sounds like a very similar tune. Sounds like a similar strategy: the domination of the Ukrainian people.
So, Lori, when the tanks roll, my extended family will head west. They’ll hop a train to Poland, fly to JFK, and I will go pick them up. I do not really know them. We met them 20 years ago on our trips to Ukraine. But I am sure they remember us. We were the lucky ones that got out alive.
I hope history doesn’t repeat itself.
Please join me in “praying for peace” and hoping that America understands its leadership role in our crazy world.
Ted Lucki is the former mayor of Belle Terre and president of the Welcome Friends Soup Kitchen.
Over the course of the last month, local elected officials were speaking out against Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) plan to allow, potentially, accessory apartments to every home throughout the state.
Members of Congress across Long Island bashed the idea, state senators and assembly members did, too. It even got to the hyper local level when Brookhaven and Huntington towns both held press conferences asking Hochul to reconsider the plan, saying that it would not fit into the landscape of Long Island. The Town of Smithtown strongly objected, too.
It was bipartisan. Members from both parties said that it would impact the way we live here, parking would be terrible, property values could decrease and the already concerning sewage issues we have on Long Island would worsen. It simply wouldn’t work.
And just this week, it looks like all that kicking and screaming had an impact. Hochul decided to pull the plan from the state budget.
So, what does this mean?
The events that led up to her decision were important. All of those press conferences hosted by our elected officials were worth the time and effort. The stories that the media reported on got other people talking, thinking and writing.
This shows how important it is to reach out to our local representatives. Tell them what you want and ask them to help make a change. That’s their job.
Reach out to us, your local media and write letters to the editor. Voice your concerns and demand action.
Some things cannot be changed or might take longer than desired. But there are other opportunities that can be fixed before they take flight.
If it wasn’t for our local elected officials looking over the state budget and noticing the line about the apartments, some of us might not have known about the issue until it was too far along to be stopped.
That’s when people begin to complain, but sometimes not much can be done.
Stay vigilant and be proactive instead of reactive. Use what resources are available to us now to make continuous changes that will benefit us and our families.
We’re all in this together and the more we communicate, the better. But we should remember to say “thank you” to those who made it possible when you finally get your way.
Cindy Smith, left, at a press conference in 2021 helped organize efforts against Gyrodyne’s development in St. James. In the above photo she is flanked by allies in the Stop Gyrodyne movement, Judy Ogden of Save Flowerfield and Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn. Photo from Warren Strugatch
Cindy M. Smith, a Stony Brook resident who helped organize community efforts against Gyrodyne’s development efforts in St. James, died Tuesday, Feb.15, in Manhattan. She was 61 and had leukemia.
Cindy Smith at the New York Botanical Garden. Photo from Warren Strugatch
A steadfast supporter of the arts, a dedicated environmentalist, and a proud advocate of the North Fork’s cultural heritage, Smith became a civic activist in order to protect the community’s quality of life, said her husband and business partner, Warren Strugatch.
“Cindy linked the Flowerfield project with increased traffic congestion,” Strugatch said. “The more she looked into the planning, the more she believed there was no planning. She hated politicians building a sewage treatment plant over Stony Brook Harbor and no one stopping them.”
To help civic leaders speak in a unified voice, Smith organized the Greater Stony Brook Action coalition in 2017. “The coalition came out of our conversations about Jane Jacobs and how she confronted Robert Moses in the 1960s,” said Strugatch. “Cindy enrolled eight civic organizations in the new coalition. Eight isn’t a huge number, but 30,000 is. That’s how many residents were enrolled in the civics, collectively. Now, politicians had to listen.”
Smith spoke exhaustively about how the planned development would snarl traffic up and down the North Shore. “Cindy understood that medical facilities are the worst traffic generators you can imagine,” said Strugatch. “Thousands of people come in and out at all hours. Cindy pressed the fact that traffic would be at perpetual standstill.”
Smith also researched sewage runoff, toxic sewage effluent, emergency vehicle access, and damage to historical continuity and quality of life.
“Cindy didn’t think the project was good for either Brookhaven or Smithtown,” said Strugatch. “She felt public opinion would turn when people learned the truth. That’s exactly what happened.”
James Bouklas, president of We Are Smithtown, said: “Stony Brook and Smithtown residents have lost a tough fighter and a true friend. She worked tirelessly to sound the alarm about how our water, traffic, and quality of life are in danger.”
Friends and allies describe Smith as a big supporter of the arts, which she often called an economic driver. While confronting Gyrodyne over its development plans, she applauded the company’s support for onsite arts programs such as the Atelier studio and the Brick ceramics studio. She was a regular at studio openings, often leaving with spur-of-the-moment purchases.
“Cindy and I became friends after running into each other at community art exhibitions, concerts and gallery openings,” said Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn. “Cindy was passionate about the arts and recognized the positive impact local artists have on enriching our community, our cultural experience and unique sense of place.”
Born in Smithtown in 1960, Smith was the daughter of Lawrence Smith Sr, who owned auto restoration shops, and Patricia (Slattery) Smith, a homemaker who eventually worked in the home mortgage industry. She and her younger brother Larry distributed Pennysavers after school in various neighborhoods, earning money their parents put toward college tuition.
Cindy Smith on her wedding day. Photo from Warren Strugatch
As a girl, Cindy attended Sweetbriar Elementary School andAvenue Junior High School. She graduated from newly constructed Smithtown West in 1979. Throughout high school she volunteered at the Smithtown Public Library and other community programs.
As an undergrad, Smith attended Hofstra University where she studied marketing and communications. She interned at the Smithtown News under editor Vicky Katz, who later taught at Stony Brook University. “Everything she knew about communications, she attributed to Vicky,” Strugatch said.
After graduating Hofstra, she took the first of a series of small company marketing jobs. Blockbuster Entertainment hired her in 1985 as Northeast marketing director. Her experience promoting the 50th anniversary videocassette release of “The Wizard of Oz” provided her favorite career story.
Responsible for getting major media coverage of the anniversary release, Smith led a tour of midtown Manhattan for several actors who’d played Munchkins in the film. At nearly six feet tall, Smith towered over her charges. The appearance at Carnegie Deli produced major media coverage.
When Blockbuster’s growth slowed down, Smith was hired by the EGC Group, a marketing and advertising firm. As a vice president she handled accounts of Brother International, Häagen-Dazs, the International Flower Bulb Center, the Long Island Aquarium, and the Oyster Festival. “Everything I do is about customer experience,” she once said.
After EGC, Smith partnered with her husband, Warren Strugatch, creating a consulting organization called Inflection Point Associates. The company helped clients improve efficiency, increase sales and profitability, and create scalable growth solutions. The company also provided event management and marketing services to clients across the Northeast.
In recent years, Smith served as vice president of Select Long Island, a pro bono effort to raise Long Island’s stature among corporate location advisors. She helped organize a groundbreaking economic development meeting bringing together Long Island’s top economic development officials in April 2019.
Smith purchased a rambling home in Stony Brook 20 years ago and, with her father’s assistance, converted the purchased house into a residential showplace photographed by décor magazines. She and her husband hosted many small gatherings of local artists, musicians, and arts administrators. Many featured Smith’s extensive collection of Christopher Radko holiday ornaments and 11-foot Christmas trees.
Ned Puchner, executive director of Gallery North in Setauket, recalled how Smith “helped welcome me and my family into this community. She made me feel supported as both the new director and as a person trying to find his place” here.
In addition to Strugatch, Smith is survived by her brother Larry, an industrial executive; his wife, Dawn Smith, and their daughters, Lauryn and Kathryn.
Another cultural leader, Neil Watson, executive director of the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook, described Smith as a familiar face at openings and educational programs. “Cindy was a person full of grace and deep humanity,” he said. “She had a sense of caring and knowing that shined through.She was also whip-smart. We have lost a wonderful part of this arts community.”
Hospitalized in late September, Smith received treatment for leukemia at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medicine’s oncology program. Her husband said he held her hand just before she died, unquestionably seeing the grace of God in her forgiving face — three times. Hours later, she died as her husband retold her Munchkins-in-Manhattan story to a trio of visiting doctors.
“I got to the end, and she breathed her last,” Strugatch said. “She finally went over the rainbow. Cindy always had exquisite timing.”
Cindy M. Smith was buried Saturday, Feb. 19, and services were held at Branch Funeral Home in Smithtown. In addition to friends and family members, speakers included state Assemblyman Steve Englebright and Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn.
Cindy will be remembered for dedicated service preserving our community’s quality of life,” said Englebright. “She was a great civic leader. The work she did to hold the line on overdevelopment means a lot.”
Strugatch said: “Cindy was a very gentle soul and an extraordinarily kind person. But she was a firebrand when it came to defending her community.”
After bipartisan backlash from Long Island officials, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has dropped her budget proposal that would require local governments to expand legalizing accessory apartments.
“I have heard real concerns about the proposed approach on accessory dwelling units,” Hochul said in a statement. “I understand that my colleagues in the state senate believe a different set of tools is needed, even if they agree with the goal of supporting the growth of this kind of housing.”
The plan stated that, to increase affordable housing across the state, dwellings would be allowed to convert garages, basements and backyard units as apartments. Both Democrat and Republican lawmakers from the town, county, state and federal levels all said this could hurt Long Island, and essentially eliminate single-family zoning.
“I am submitting a 30-day amendment to my budget legislation that removes requirements on localities in order to facilitate a conversation about how we build consensus around solutions,” she added.
The plan was introduced in January during the State of the State. Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY3) was one of the first to call the governor out on it, which then resulted in Brookhaven, Smithtown and Huntington towns to voice their concerns.
“One small victory, but many battles ahead,” Suozzi told TBR News Media in a statement. “We successfully stopped Governor Hochul’s radical proposal from being passed in the budget, but we’re not done yet. Now we must stop her and the state legislature from passing this misguided legislation during the Albany legislative session.”
Throughout the last month, these lawmakers argued that the plan could have potential impacts on Long Island’s quality of life, the environment and local school districts.
““I’m pleased that Governor Hochul pulled the Accessory Dwelling Unit legislation from the budget, but that isn’t enough,” said Suffolk County Legislator Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst). “At this time, there are still discussions of tweaks to the law. Local officials on Long Island are adamantly opposed to any modifications that remove our ‘home rule.’ We know what is best for our community and we don’t need New York City and New York State dictating to us what our communities should look like. As we’ve seen with the pulling of the bill, combining our voices and speaking out ensure that we can be heard. I urge all residents to contact their State representatives and the governor’s office, to voice their opposition to any modification of ADUs here on Long Island.”
Several Suffolk County lawmakers spoke up against the ADU legislation Feb. 11 with the help of several state assembly members and senators.
“The removal of this proposal from the budget is great news for all of our communities and I am proud to have stood with my colleagues in town, county, state and federal officials from both sides of the aisle to fight to protect local control,” said state Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James). “This shows that joining together and standing united can lead to positive change for our residents.”
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) held a press conference Feb. 3, as one of the first townships to take a stance on the issue.
“The call to remove this misguided proposal was finally heard by the governor and we will continue to maintain local zoning control,” he said in a recent statement. “Our right to home rule on issues like housing is what protects our communities from turning into the crowded neighborhoods that we see in cities, which is not what the residents of Brookhaven Town want.”
Hochul still has plans to combat the affordable housing crisis, and the emphasis on increasing accessory apartments and improving their safety will be targeted in New York City rather than the suburbs.
“Albany extremists will resurrect this terrible idea the moment bipartisan opposition gets distracted,” said Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth (R). “Stay vigilant!”
Even before the pandemic, stand up comics, who took to the air to entertain the rest of us with their clever observations, often spent considerable time describing the absurdities of airline travel.
The process, as each airline and each airport appears to have somewhat different rules, has become even more bizarre.
Each airline has its own baggage limitations. For some larger planes, you can take one carry-on and one personal bag. For some smaller planes, however, especially if you’ve bought the cheapest seats on smaller flights, which we do as a rule, you can only bring one carry-on. You can’t even get a boarding pass unless someone comes and inspects the size of your bag.
Once you have your boarding pass, you head to security with your mask on.
The first screener who checks boarding passes and IDs has to have one of the harder jobs. Everyone is trying to catch a plane, which means that, even if they are early, they are still under time pressure. Many feel the need to share their sense of urgency with people who fly under the radar in our lives unless something goes wrong. When these security agents do their jobs well, we expect it, and when they don’t, we are outraged, frustrated, annoyed and irritable. It’s a bit like being a referee or an effective traffic cop.
Anyway, we shuffle up to the line with the largest possible bag that won’t require checking. When we get to the front, we hand our ID and ticket over, wait for the cue, and then lower our masks.
I like watching people lower their masks. Many feel the need to smile, as if the person is taking a picture of them. It’s ironic because the photo from a driver’s license or a passport looks much more like a 6 a.m. mug shot than a, “this-is-me, this-is-my-face, I’m-about-to-go-somewhere-awesome smile.”
Every so often, someone is selected for random additional screening. On a recent trip, they checked my wife’s phone on the way out and my phone on the way back.
During that trip, one of the conveyer belts that enables the screener to look at x-rays of our underwear was moving especially slowly. Each time a new person approached the conveyor belt, that person could and sometimes did push his or her huge suitcase ahead of the ones from the people who were ahead of them.
Fortunately for me, I travel with a small but powerful force of nature, also known as my wife. She doesn’t allow dysfunctional systems to slow us down, even if that involves shaming people who are trying to shove their suitcases ahead of the ones on the belt.
My wife was so effective that the system not only worked as it should for the few minutes we stood there, but a TSA agent jumped in to reinforce what my wife was doing.
Once we get on a plane, the battle for overhead space begins, with the special people getting first dibs on that space while the people in the last groups get the leftovers. It’s so Darwinian: people who spend extra money are the Alpha Fliers, while those who fly economy get the scraps, with flight attendants telling them to gate check their allowable luggage, which will hopefully be waiting for them on the jetway when we arrive.
People jockey for position at baggage check, where they want to stand directly on a line with the ramp that delivers their luggage magically from below. I’m sure that magic requires considerable lifting and hefting from the people we rarely see.
The final competitive positioning occurs at the curb, where the faces of tired fliers often look much more like the pictures from their IDs than the faces they make at the beginning of their trips. The tired fliers stare at approaching vehicles, looking for their Ubers, family members, or buses to bring them back to their world.
Calling all photographers! Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown hosts a program titled Up-Close for Photos — Birds of Prey on Saturday, Feb. 26 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Take photos of birds of prey on natural perches and on the glove. You may bring tripods and any photo equipment you’d like. Learn about the center’s raptors while you’re photographing, and meet a special visitor that doesn’t live at the center. $25 per person. To register, visit www.sweetbriarnc.org or call 631-979-6344.
“Supervisor Wehrheim has been an example of the kind of leadership that you need in unprecedented times, and I truly appreciate his partnership and the work that we were able to do together during the pandemic,” Bellone said.
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