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Times of Smithtown

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Smithtown Town Hall. File photo by Rachel Shapiro

Smithtown homeowners are slated to receive more hefty state tax rebate checks this year, thanks to a healthy report from the state comptroller, the town said this week.

The New York State Deputy Comptroller Division of Local Government and School Accountability sent a notice to the Town of Smithtown on Dec. 10 outlining that the town’s tax levy limit and tax levy for the fiscal year ending in 2016 was reviewed with “no findings.” This meant that the Smithtown residents could expect a state tax rebate check more than double the amount of last year’s amount of $173, Supervisor Pat Vecchio (R) said in a statement.

These rebate checks are made available to residents who also qualify for the state’s STAR exemptions — which includes roughly 31,734 homes in the town, Vecchio said.

“Irrespective of the debate on whether tax incentives stimulate the economy, one thing I know for sure is that had we not complied with the tax cap requirements, nearly $14 million of money from the state would have gone elsewhere and not into our homeowners’ pockets,” Vecchio said in a statement.

According to the supervisor, the economic impact to Smithtown would have been huge had the town not compiled with both requirements of the tax program. In order to receive the tax cap rebate checks, Smithtown had to keep the 2016 tax increase below the town- specific allowable tax cap amount of .99 percent and also meet the requirements of the government efficiency plan imposed by the state. This plan required that Smithtown achieve savings through intramunicipal agreements of 1 percent of its 2014 tax levy or at least $536,000 in savings.

Vecchio said the actual savings should approximate $785,000 and the tax increase of .81 percent was well below the limit of .99 percent.

The effect of complying with these requirements has a triple effect for residents, Vecchio said. Smithtown residents should benefit from the efficiency savings of $785,000, the tax increase being below the town’s maximum amount of .99 percent, and most of all, cumulatively, town residents should receive about $13,725,000 in rebate checks, the town said in a statement.

“When you take into account the economic impact of putting nearly $15 million into the pockets of our residents and taking into account the effect of spending this money in our small business community, the affect is enormous,” Vecchio said.

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Curbing a DWAI
Police arrested a 20-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station for driving while ability impaired on Dec. 15, after they saw him drive over a curb on Wilson Avenue and pulled him over.

Hitting the trifecta
A 31-year-old Medford man was arrested for driving while ability impaired on Dec. 17 after he failed to maintain his lane and struck a grassy median while speeding on Lincoln Drive in Rocky Point. Police said the man was going 70 miles per hour in a 45-mile-per-hour zone in a 1998 GMC.

Wanted woman
On Dec. 16, police collared a Wading River woman who had five warrants out for her arrest. At the time officers found her on Babylon Drive in Sound Beach, the 26-year-old was also allegedly in possession of a controlled substance, and was charged with that crime.

That sucks
Police arrested a 28-year-old man from Lake Grove for petit larceny on Dec. 16, right after he stole two vacuums from a store at the Centereach Mall.

Hand-to-hand-to-cuffs
Police observed a woman in a hand-to-hand drug transaction on Route 25A in Selden on Dec. 18, and stopped the 55-year-old before she could pull away in her 2002 Cadillac. Officers found heroin in her possession and arrested her for criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Caffeine fiend
On Dec. 18, a 69-year-old man from Centereach was arrested for petit larceny. According to police, the man entered the Shoprite on College Road in Selden on Sept. 15 and took a Keurig Coffee Maker worth around $190.

Vroom vroom to jail
Police arrested a 29-year-old Ronkonkoma man on Dec. 13 for driving while ability impaired, after the suspect failed to maintain his lane while driving a 2008 Volkswagen south on Nicolls Road in Stony Brook. Police said the man was speeding, at 62 miles per hour.

Unwarranted steal
A 27-year-old woman from Port Jefferson Station was arrested for petit larceny on Dec. 18, after stealing assorted costume jewelry, clothing and other items from a store on Route 347 in Setauket-East Setauket. According to police, there were already two unrelated warrants out for the woman’s arrest.

Cashing in
Between Dec. 13 and Dec. 15, an unknown person withdrew more than $200 cash from a bank without the Port Jefferson Station cardholder’s permission.

That’s a big dog
On Dec. 19, an unknown person entered the Walmart on Nesconset Highway in Setauket-East Setauket and stole a television and a dog bed. Police said the person may have used the dog bed to conceal the TV.

In hot water
An unidentified person stole three faucets from the Lowe’s Home Improvement store on Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook on Dec. 18.

Taking it to-go
On Dec. 18, three unknown men with guns entered the Peking Chinese Kitchen on Middle Country Road in Selden as someone was closing the restaurant. The men demanded money but the suspects fled empty-handed.

Visa revoked
On Dec. 19, someone stole a jacket, a wallet and a person’s visa from a car in the Starbucks parking lot on Middle Country Road in Selden.

Rock on Tree
According to police, an unidentified person threw a large rock at a 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer and damaged the car. Police didn’t specify where the car was damaged but said the incident happened some time between Dec. 18 and Dec. 19 on Tree Road in Centereach.

Tired of theft
An unknown person gained entry to the Mavis Discount Tire on Route 25A in Mount Sinai and stole money from the register before fleeing the store. The incident happened on Dec. 14 around 8:25 p.m.

Smashed
On Dec. 19, someone smashed the back window of a 2009 Honda outside a residence on Deepdale Drive in Rocky Point.

Police are in purse-uit
An unidentified person stole someone’s bag from the Walmart at the Centereach Mall on Dec. 19. Police said the victim put the bag down and walked away. When they returned, the bag was gone. According to police, the bag contained money and an ATM card.

Lest we forget the Lexus
On Dec. 18 at 2 p.m. police said an unknown person stole a 2015 Lexus parked on Jericho Turnpike in Elwood.

Climbing in your windows
Police said an unknown person entered a 2015 Jeep with a window open in the parking lot of Eastern Athletic Club on Jericho Turnpike in Dix Hills on Dec. 18 at midnight and stole an iPad and credit cards.
On Dec. 18 a 50-year-old man from Wyandanch was arrested for a previous incident that occurred sometime between June 17 and 18. Police said he broke through a window at a residence on May Street in Huntington Station and stole electronics. He was charged with second-degree burglary.

Painted love
On Dec. 19 an 18-year-old man from Huntington was arrested for multiple graffiti incidents. According to police, he spray painted several vehicles parked on Stewart Avenue in Huntington and a wall on the exterior of a Payless Shoe store on New York Avenue in Huntington on Nov. 26 and 27 around midnight. He was charged with making graffiti.

Honda hijacked
A 22-year-old from East Northport was arrested on Dec. 16 after police said he took a 1998 Honda without permission at 2:30 a.m. and then hit a pole with the car while driving on Cuba Hill Road in Huntington and then fled the scene. He was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle without the owner’s consent.

If only it was a candy cane
An 18-year-old man and a 19-year-old man from Huntington were arrested on Dec. 19 at 3 a.m. after police said they hit a man in the head with a cane and stole his money on Fairview Street in Huntington and then tried to flee the scene. When searched, the men were discovered to have gravity knives and marijuana in their possession. They were charged with resisting arrest, unlawful possession of marijuana, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree robbery with use of a dangerous instrument.

Jag at the Jag Salon
At Jag Salon on Wall Street in Huntington on Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. an unknown person entered the business through an unlocked window and stole money.

Taken: Tools edition
Police said a 38-year-old man from Holbrook stole assorted power tools from Home Depot in East Islip at 1:15 p.m. on Dec. 17. He was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny valuing property of more than $1,000.

Minor problem
A 45-year-old man from Commack was arrested on Dec. 18 after police said he sold beer to a minor at a food market on Laurel Road in East Northport at 7:30 p.m. He was charged with first-degree unlawfully dealing with a child.

Gone in a blink of an eye
On Dec.19 at noon at Blink Fitness on Broadhollow Road in Elwood police said an unknown person stole a wallet with credit cards inside of it from an unlocked locker inside the gym.

Dry cleaners cleaned out
On Dec. 16 at 6:30 p.m. an unknown person broke a window of Parkmore Dry Cleaning on New York Avenue in Huntington and stole money.

Of-fenced taken
A 16-year-old from Holbrook was arrested on Dec. 19 at 10:40 p.m. after police said he was trespassing on the property of United Fence and Guard Rail Corporation in Ronkonkoma and damaged the windows of five vehicles. He was charged with third-degree criminal mischief valued at more than $250 and first-degree criminal trespassing.

Dissed on Craigslist
Police said a resident of Mount Pleasant Road in Smithtown reported that on Dec. 16 at 8 p.m. someone used counterfeit money to pay for a transaction done through Craigslist.

Blurred lines
On Dec. 19 a 29-year-old man from East Setauket was arrested at 2 a.m. after police pulled him over for making an illegal left turn while driving a 2002 Chevy on East Main Street and then discovering he was driving drunk. He was charged with driving while intoxicated within 10 years of being convicted for a previous DWI.

Illegal use of legal papers
A woman reported to police that an unknown man followed her into her driveway on Roderick Court in Commack on Dec. 17 at 2:35 p.m. and threw legal papers in her face and ran off.

On tree down on Acorn Road
Police said a 51-year-old man from St. James crashed a 2014 Lexus into a tree while driving on North Country Road and Acorn Road at 10:50 p.m. on Dec. 17 and then discovered he was drunk. He was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated within 10 years of being convicted for a previous DWI.

Tool stealing stools
Police said a 38-year-old man from Holbrook stole assorted power tools from Home Depot in East Islip at 1:15 p.m. on Dec. 17. He was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny valuing property of more than $1,000.

Minor mistake
A 45-year-old man from Commack was arrested on Dec. 18 after police said he sold beer to a minor at a food market on Laurel Road in East Northport at 7:30 p.m. He was charged with first-degree unlawfully dealing with a child.

Don’t phone home
Police said a man called on Dec. 19 at 1:49 p.m. to report that an ex-tenant from a residence on Karen Place in Commack was calling continuously and threatening the man.

This stinks
On Dec. 17 at 5:30 p.m. an unknown person stole assorted cologne and perfumes from Ulta Beauty on Veterans Memorial Highway in Commack.

Kohl’s woes
An unknown person stole assorted clothing and jewelry from Kohl’s on Crooked Hill Road in Commack on Dec. 18 at 1:42 p.m.

The Doors
On Dec. 18 at 7 a.m. an unknown person entered a residence through a back door on Harned Road in Commack and stole assorted jewelry and a television.

Retired tires
On Dec. 17 at 1:20 p.m. an unknown person slashed two tires of a 1989 Acura parked in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven on Lake Avenue in St. James.

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Huntington's Katie Reilly maintains possession of the ball as she calls a play, as Jillian Unkenholz defends for Smithtown. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

Despite the Smithtown West girls’ basketball team clawing back and taking its first lead of the game with just over five minutes left in regulation, Huntington closed the gap and edged ahead by a point, holding onto the lead in the final minute for a 44-43 League III victory Monday night.

The Bulls opened the third quarter with six unanswered points and trimmed their deficit to four to open the final quarter trailing 31-27.

Anna Gulizio scores for Huntington over the head of Smithtown's Sarah Harrington. Photo by Bill Landon
Anna Gulizio scores for Huntington over the head of Smithtown’s Sarah Harrington. Photo by Bill Landon

Smithtown West head coach Katie Combs said her team missed many opportunities early in the game.

“Predominantly layups and our free throws killed us today,’ she said. “Had we not done that, we should’ve won that game by 10. We’re a much better team than that, and in the second half, we had to step up and show it.”

With 5:45 remaining in the game, Smithtown West drew within one point when Rebecca Meyers went to the line shooting for two points. The senior forward missed the front end, but nailed the back to tie the game at 33-33. On their next offensive possession, the Bulls took their first lead of the game when junior forward Gabby Horman, on a rebound, banked two points to put her team out in front, 35-33.

“We started getting our steals with our press, which carried over on offense,” said Horman, who led her team in scoring with 12 points. “Coach told us at the halftime that we need to dominate in the second half and get the ball down low.”

Huntington edged ahead by a field goal and a free-throw appearance, but Horman retied the game when she went to the line shooting two and split the opportunity.

Both teams were plagued by penalties in the final two minutes of the game, and both teams traded points at the foul line. Leading by one, the Bulls found the rim to edge ahead 43-40 with 1:33 left in regulation.

“Our girls just worked really hard in that second half,” said Smithtown West freshman Jillian Unkenholz, who scored 10 points on the evening.

Huntington went to the free-throw line next, but came away empty as the score stalled with 55 seconds left on the clock.

Huntington sophomore Alex Heuwetter let a three-point attempt fly with 35 seconds left, and her shot hit its mark to tie the game again, this time, at 43-43.

Huntington's Taylor Moreno tries to force a turnover from Smithtown's Jillian Unkenholz. Photo by Bill Landon
Huntington’s Taylor Moreno tries to force a turnover from Smithtown’s Jillian Unkenholz. Photo by Bill Landon

“We sat back on them a little bit — we got comfortable with where we were at and they took advantage of that,” Huntington senior Taylor Moreno said. “The second wave of our bench came in and that completely changed the whole demeanor of the game, which gave us confidence to make that last push and we were able to come out with the win.”

With less than six seconds remaining in regulation, Huntington senior guard Katie Reilly drove the lane and was fouled, sending her to the charity stripe. She scored on the first, but missed the second opportunity to put her team out front 44-43. Reilly and Heuwetter both topped the Huntington scoreboard with 14 points apiece.

Despite her strong performance in the final quarter, Reilly said the coach wasn’t pleased at the halftime break.

“Well, the subs went in to start the second half — all five of us came out because we were slacking a little bit,” Reilly said. “So coach sent in five new people and they carried us, so it was a real team effort.”

With 4.2 seconds left on the scoreboard, Smithtown West had one final possession, inbounded the ball and passed to the baseline only to have it picked off by the Blue Devils as the buzzer sounded.

“We let them hang around and I think that was our biggest problem — we were content where we were instead of separating ourselves,” Huntington head coach Michael Kaplan said. “The girls who came off the bench really stepped up and contributed to the win, because whoever’s playing the hardest is going to play, and our subs came in and gave us a spark and energy that rejuvenated the rest of the team.”

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Government efficiency program yields results with six-figure grants

Smithtown Town Hall. File photo by Rachel Shapiro

The Town of Smithtown has been awarded two efficiency grants, courtesy of the state, Supervisor Pat Vecchio (R) said in a statement.

New York State has awarded Smithtown a total of $902,363 to help the town continue its regional fuel facility consolidation project and another $288,750 to help its regional storm water management initiatives, Vecchio said. The grants came as part of the state’s local government efficiency program, which encourages projects that will achieve savings and improve municipal efficiency through shared services and consolidations.

The regional fuel facility consolidation project was created to expand and update fueling stations in order to consolidate fueling operations among municipalities within the township, Vecchio said. In addition to cost savings, the project should improve the town’s fueling needs in the event of large-scale disasters like a hurricane, the supervisor said.

Smithtown’s fueling station is located at the town’s highway department. The new facility, Vecchio said, will have a larger capacity for fuel reserves, use backup generators and have a computerized monitoring system to protect the environment and control fuel inventory. Smithtown municipal partners, including the Village of Nissequogue, the Village of the Branch and the Village of Head of the Harbor should be using this upgraded facility along with Smithtown, St. James, Kings Park, Nesconset, Hauppauge and the Commack fire districts.

In August, Vecchio was authorized to submit a grant application for funding the Regional Stormwater Management Initiative through the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation water improvement program. He said funding from that grant allows the town to implement its stormwater management program in partnership with the villages of Nissequogue, Head of the Harbor and Village of the Branch.

“These two grants move us in the right direction,” Vecchio said in a statement. “It is projects like these that give the town, the villages and the fire districts an opportunity to modernize facilities, share and improve services while reducing the tax burden.”

The project included the maintenance of storm water catch basins throughout the town and the villages and the purchase of a vacuum truck that will be shared by all four municipalities. Proper maintenance of the basins should reduce the amount of contaminated sediment entering the ground waters, Stony Brook Harbor and Millers Pond, Vecchio said.

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Many of us may think that black-and-white photographs are not interesting. Mimi Hodges, an enthusiastic photographer and Sound Beach resident, doesn’t agree. She likes to take black-and-white photographs of local places. As she puts it, “color can sometimes be a distraction.”

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A sundial at Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown. Photo by Mimi Hodges
An arch bridge at Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge in Shirley. Photo by Mimi Hodges
A Celtic cross at Little Portion Friary in Mount Sinai. Photo by Mimi Hodges
The exterior of the Brewster House in Setauket, circa 1665. Considered to be the oldest house in the Town of Brookhaven, the Brewster House was home to six generations of Brewsters and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Photo by Mimi Hodges
The interior of the Brewster House in Setauket, circa 1665. Considered to be the oldest house in the Town of Brookhaven, the Brewster House was home to six generations of Brewsters and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Photo by Mimi Hodges
The interior of the Brewster House in Setauket, circa 1665. Considered to be the oldest house in the Town of Brookhaven, the Brewster House was home to six generations of Brewsters and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Photo by Mimi Hodges

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Benzing the rules
On Dec. 10, police arrested a man from Miller Place for unlicensed operation of a car. The 32-year-old man was driving a 2007 Mercedes down Route 25A in Miller Place when police pulled him over and found the man’s license had been suspended 10 times before.

Not what the doctor ordered
Police arrested a 26-year-old man from Shoreham for criminal possession of a controlled substance on Dec. 10, after pulling him over on Echo Avenue in Sound Beach for an unknown reason and discovering prescription medication in his car that had not been prescribed to him.

A holiday steal
A 30-year-old woman from Selden was arrested for petit larceny on Dec. 12, after she allegedly stole toys and clothing from the Kmart on North Ocean Avenue in Farmingville two days before.

Impaired judgment
Police arrested a 51-year-old man from Selden for driving while ability impaired on Dec. 11. He had been driving a 2000 Toyota down Route 25 in Selden when he failed to maintain his lane and police pulled him over. He has had previous DWAI convictions in the past 10 years.

To the left, to the left
A man from Stony Brook was arrested on Dec. 11 for driving while ability impaired in a 2003 Subaru on North Country Road in Setauket-East Setauket after he made a left turn from a no-turn lane. Officials saw the 30-year-old make the turn and arrested him at the scene.

Window pains
On Dec. 12, police arrested a 23-year-old man from Stony Brook for criminal mischief. Police said the man cut a window screen of a residence on Christian Avenue an hour before his arrest.

Smoking green on Greenhaven
Police arrested an 18-year-old from Centereach on Dec. 9 for criminal possession of a controlled substance after catching him smoking marijuana in a 2000 Lincoln Town Car on Greenhaven Drive in Port Jefferson Station.

Coke to cuffs
A 22-year-old man from Middle Island was arrested for criminal possession of a controlled substance on Dec. 10 on Mount Sinai Avenue in Mount Sinai. Police officers had allegedly found cocaine in his car.

East Broadway brawl
Police arrested a 55-year-old woman from Centereach for harassment around midnight on Dec. 12, minutes after she shoved someone and made harassing comments at Danfords Hotel & Marina on East Broadway in Port Jefferson.

Parking lot larceny
An unidentified person entered a parking lot on East Main Street in Port Jefferson and stole a purse, iPod and phone charger from a parked car. Police didn’t specify the car’s make and model or if it had been unlocked at the time of the Dec. 12 incident, but there was no sign of a break-in.

Grinch steals Christmas again
On Dec. 12, an unknown person stole holiday decorations and extension cords from the front yard of a residence on North Country Road in Mount Sinai.

You’ve got mail
Someone stole a mailbox from a residence on Glenwood Avenue in Miller Place on Dec. 13, around 4:13 a.m. On that same day, between 2 and 11 p.m., someone stole a mailbox from a residence on Devon Road in Sound Beach.

A lesson in stupidity
Someone stole a 2015 Honda from a 7-Eleven parking lot on Middle Country Road in Selden. Police said the car was on when it was stolen. The incident happened on Dec. 12 between 6:55 and 7:03 a.m.

Go home, caller
According to police, a Home Depot employee received a harassing phone call while at work on Dec 12, at the location on Pond Path in Setauket-East Setauket.

Needed money for books
Between Dec. 9 and 10 someone used another person’s bank card to withdraw money from a Teacher’s Federal Credit Union account. The incident was reported on Circle Road at Stony Brook University around midnight.

Chores and cartoons
Police said someone stole a washing machine and a television from a residence on Eos Road in Rocky Point on Dec. 11 around 10 a.m.

Scholarly slash
On Dec. 12, someone slashed the two rear tires of a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee while the car was parked on Harvard Road in East Shoreham.

Knife strife
A 33-year-old from East Meadow was arrested at the corner of Main Street and New Street in Huntington at 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 12 after police said he was recklessly waving a black folding knife in the air on a public sidewalk and alarming pedestrians. He was charged with disorderly conduct for violent behavior.

Necklaces nabbed
Police said a 25-year-old man from East Northport stole jewelry from someone on Cornflower Lane in East Northport at 8 p.m. on Nov. 23. He was arrested on Dec. 10 at the 2nd Precinct and charged with third degree grand larceny.

Wallet woes
On Dec. 12, a 28-year-old man from Huntington was arrested at the 2nd Precinct after police said he stole a wallet from someone’s purse on Nov. 2 at 11:47 p.m. on New York Avenue in Huntington. He was arrested just before 5:30 p.m. and charged with petit larceny.

Rocking out
Police arrested a 34-year-old man from Huntington on Dec. 9 for a previous incident on Oct. 19 at 5:50 p.m. where he threw a rock through a storefront glass door on Gerard Street in Huntington. He was charged with second degree criminal mischief.

FedEx theft
On Dec. 11, at 6:50 a.m., an unknown person stole a FedEx package left at the front door of a home on Mechanic Street in Huntington.

Feeling blue on Blue Goose Lane
A 36-year-old man from Northport was arrested on Dec. 8 after police said he had marijuana on him at the corner of Little Plains Road and Blue Goose Lane in Huntington Station at 4:20 a.m. He was charged with fifth degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Crack is whack
On Dec. 11, a 47-year-old man from Coram was arrested on Maplewood Road in Huntington Station after police said he was driving without a license and was in possession of crack cocaine at 10:34 a.m. He was charged with seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Gone in a flash
An unknown person stole camera equipment from a 1995 Honda Civic parked on Mechanic Street in Huntington on Dec. 9 at 1 p.m.

May-day on May Street
Police said an unknown person stole a wallet and cell phone charger from a 2011 Hyundai parked on May Street in Huntington Station on Dec. 11 at 11 p.m.

High road
A 27-year-old man from Brentwood was arrested on Dec. 10 after police said he had heroin in his possession at 1 p.m. on Walt Whitman Road. He was charged with third degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Resident of fence-ded
On Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. an unknown person stole parts of a fence from the back of a pickup truck parked in a driveway on Old Northport Road in Commack.

Flee attempt
A 59-year-old woman from Kings Park was arrested on Dec. 13 after police said she hit a 2013 Mitsubishi while driving a 2013 Toyota on Lou Avenue in Kings Park at 1:23 a.m. and then tried to flee the scene. She was charged with operating a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of a crime with property damage.

Screwed
On Dec. 13 a 42-year-old woman from North Babylon was arrested at the 4th Precinct after police said she tried to return deck screws for store credit from Wood Brothers Air Compressor on Express Drive in Brentwood that she had taken from the sales floor just before 3 p.m. on Oct. 27. She was charged with petit larceny.

Santa Claus isn’t coming to town
On Dec. 10 at 1:30 p.m. an unknown person stole a five-foot singing and dancing Santa Claus on display on a resident’s front porch on Orchard Street in Hauppauge and fled in a red Jeep.

Ring ring
Police said a 37-year-old man from Moriches made threatening phone calls to another person at 7:05 p.m. on Dec. 9. He was arrested on North Country Road in Smithtown and charged with first-degree criminal contempt by telephone.

Blown away
A 79-year-old man from Fort Salonga was arrested on Dec. 11 after police said he used a leaf blower to blow leaves and ash residue onto someone’s parked car on Woodmere Drive in Fort Salonga repeatedly at about 2:20 p.m. He was charged with second-degree criminal contempt and second-degree harassment.

Bowling lane blues
An unknown person damaged a 2005 Honda parked in AMF Commack Vet Lanes parking lot on Jericho Turnpike in Commack on Dec. 10 at 1:45 p.m. Police said the car’s rear driver-side window was damaged and a leather shoulder bag, cash, laptop, wallet and credit cards were stolen out of it.

Xanax bust
On Dec. 10 a 21-year-old man from Hauppauge was arrested at about 11:30 a.m. on Townline Road in Hauppauge after police said he had Xanax in his possession without a prescription. He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Motor Parkway market
Police said a 21-year-old man from Brentwood sold heroin and crack cocaine on Motor Parkway in Brentwood on Nov. 17 and 18 and Dec. 1 and 4. He was arrested on Dec. 10 after police said he tried to flee the scene just before 9 a.m. and charged with four counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, one charge of fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest.

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The Kings Park community can now expect more than $41 million in capital projects to give facilities within their school district a much needed upgrade. File photo

Kings Park schools are getting a face-lift.

On Tuesday, Dec. 8, community residents approved a capital project bond referendum totaling $41,422,515. The final vote was 1,331 yes, 499 no.

The board of education and Superintendent of Schools Timothy Eagen extended their appreciation to all those who participated in this vote.

“This bond is exactly what our facilities and grounds need to rebuild a foundation of pride in Kings Park,” Eagen said in a statement. “I am very thankful that the community has been so supportive of this project. Our infrastructure is in desperate need of updating.”

The results of the vote demonstrate that community residents value the quality education Kings Park provides to its students and the importance of maintaining and renovating district facilities for the benefit of students, staff and the community.

With the approved project, all six buildings within the district would see building improvements, including roof replacements, bathroom renovations and door and hardware replacements, as well as asphalt and pavement upgrades as necessary.

Plans also call for auditorium upgrades, gymnasium renovations and the creation of a multipurpose athletic field and accompanying concession stand/comfort station at Kings Park High School. Additional high school renovations include upgrading the library to provide for 21st century student research and learning needs and resurfacing and upgrading the high school track.

The full listing of projects can be found on the district’s website, www.kpcsd.k12.ny.us.

“On behalf of the BOE, I thank everyone who voted,” said board President Pam DeFord. “I would also like to thank the entire Facilities Committee and Dr. Eagen for the effort and time they dedicated to this project. From the beginning, taking on this bond project was a community effort. Many community members worked collaboratively to assess the needs of our district, keeping in mind the needs of our students as well as watching the cost factor for all residents. It was wonderful to have the community support the work of the committee. As we start ‘rebuilding our Kings Park pride,’ we should all be reminded of this great community. As you may have heard before, ‘it takes a village to raise a child,’ and together, that is exactly what we are doing in our community. ”

The district said that it looks forward to the community’s future involvement as the plans and projects proposed in the approved bond become a reality.

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Smithtown's Chris Crespo leaps up to the rim between West Islip defenders. Photo by Desirée Keegan

Defense won the Bulls this basketball game.

The Smithtown West boys’ basketball team came out blocking shot after shot against a tall West Islip team, outscoring the competition 55-28 in its League III opener.

“I loved the defensive intensity. The defense is our backbone this year,” Smithtown West head coach Mike Agostino said. “We like to hold a team under 30 points. We have to defend, we have to help each other and play pressure defense, and that’s what gives us extra possessions and gets us extra shots.”

Smithtown's Greg Giordano moves the ball up the court. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Smithtown’s Greg Giordano moves the ball up the court. Photo by Desirée Keegan

Although the Bulls won by a wide margin, the game wasn’t always that way.

After more than three minutes of play, both teams were scoreless. It wasn’t until the 4:36 mark that senior Matt English nailed the tail end of his free-throw attempts to get the first point on the board.

A minute went by until the team scored again, with senior Doug Levy coming up with a big block before sophomore Chris Crespo intercepted an inbound pass and converted it for two points. After another Levy block, West Islip called a timeout.

“The first half, we didn’t get shots to fall, but we were playing really good defense,” Crespo said. “Shots blocked, a lot of steals, points on turnovers and a lot of good stuff like that, so I think the defense really helped us win this game.”

At the 1:11 mark, English scored on a putback to extend the Bulls’ lead to 5-0, but a West Islip field goal and three-pointer sandwiching junior Kyle LaGuardia’s free throw and field goal off a rebound on his own free-throw miss brought the score to 8-5 at the end of the first quarter.

Nick Grande looks to make a pass for Smithtown. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Nick Grande looks to make a pass for Smithtown. Photo by Desirée Keegan

Crespo started off the second stanza with a three-pointer, and after a West Islip field goal, Levy added a putback and junior Gordon Shouler followed with a three-pointer of his own to extend the team’s lead to 16-7.

“Going into the second and especially in the third quarter, we were really getting our shots to fall,” Crespo said. “And still, the defense continued to remain strong.”

By the halftime break, Smithtown West had doubled West Islip’s score, 24-12.

“We don’t shoot as much as other teams have, but we do have plenty of guys that can shoot and get hot quick,” Agostino said. “We just have to find our rhythm, but this is only our second game.”

English and senior guard Nick Grande powered the Bulls through the third. First, English began the scoring with a putback, and after four West Islip points, Grande started off his scoring for the evening with a field goal.

English swished two free-throw points, and West Islip scored a field goal of its own, but Grande answered back when he converted a putback for two.

West Islip grabbed another rebound, but Grande nailed a three-pointer to extend the Bulls’ lead to 37-18. The two teams traded field goals again and West Islip tacked on a two free throws to bring the score to 39-22.

Gordon Shouler defends for Smithtown. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Gordon Shouler defends for Smithtown. Photo by Desirée Keegan

“Everything starts on defense and I think we played four full quarters of defense, so that’s always going to keep you in the game,” Grande said.

What helped the team besides its defense was having a myriad of players that can score. Eight different players contributed to the team’s total score, which isn’t common.

“When other teams are getting fatigued, we’re still rotating new guys in,” Grande said. “It definitely puts a lot of pressure on them to keep up with us.”

Five different players scored in the fourth quarter, and by midway through the final eight minutes, Agostino was able to swap in his bench players to get playing time.

Grande and Shouler finished with 11 points each, Crespo added eight with six assists and three rebounds, and English scored seven points and had seven rebounds.

“Even those guys that are coming in late in the game, they’re doing the same thing,” the head coach said. “They’re defending, they’re being aggressive, they’re rebounding and it’s those constant waves of aggression that are coming at teams that I think can really help us down the line.”

Agostino would like to see some improvements in the team’s offensive game, but so far, he likes what he’s seeing.

“Once that happens,” he said of the progression throughout the season, “I think we’ll be really tough to beat.”

Smithtown West travels to Newfield on Thursday, with tipoff scheduled for 5:45 p.m.

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Glenn Jorgensen poses with a tree stump at the Montclair Avenue highway yard. File photo by Rachel Shapiro

Smithtown’s former Highway Superintendent Glenn Jorgensen was sentenced to 560 hours of community service and three years’ probation in state Supreme Court on Friday after pleading guilty to charges accusing him of falsifying public documents, records showed.

Back in October, Jorgensen, 64, pleaded guilty to the felony charge of offering a false instrument for filing and the misdemeanor charge of official misconduct relating back to a construction project he headed in November 2014, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said. He appeared in front of Supreme Court Justice Mark Cohen in Riverhead on Friday, where he avoided four months of jail time and received a plea deal that included his community service sentencing as well as a surcharge of $375 to be paid over the next 90 days.

Anthony La Pinta, Jorgensen’s Hauppauge-based criminal defense attorney, could not be reached from comment.

According to the criminal complaint against Jorgensen, the former highway superintendent instructed an employee of Smithtown to alter road construction reports to hide his approval of Medford contractor Suffolk Asphalt Corp. paving as many as eight Smithtown streets in below-freezing temperatures throughout November 2014.

“This disposition compels the defendant to resign from his elected position and his admission of guilt before the court confirms the facts uncovered during the investigation,” Robert Clifford, spokesman for the DA’s office, said in a statement earlier this year. “As the superintendent of highways, Mr. Jorgensen knowingly had false information about the paving of town roads filed as an official town record, and he knowingly directed that inaccurate information be filed to make it appear as though the roadwork met state mandatory specifications.”

Jorgensen resigned from his position Oct. 16.

“It is a sad occurrence and I will have no comment other than I have sympathy for Mr. Jorgensen and his family,” Smithtown Supervisor Pat Vecchio (R) said in an October statement.

In April, Jorgensen was charged with tampering with public records, falsifying business records, filing false records, official misconduct and grand larceny, Suffolk County District Attorney Tom Spota said. Initially, Jorgensen pleaded not guilty to the charges.

At the time, Jorgensen, of St. James, was accused of altering road construction reports and stealing a public work order for an improper repaving. He tried to conceal his approval of paving at least eight Smithtown streets in freezing temperatures last November and then directed a highway foreman to alter the record of the weather conditions done during the repaving work.

Jorgensen had also been accused of sexual harassment involving his former secretary. The town was issued a notice of claim alleging he sexually harassed her in December. The claim also alleged he had taken her out to job sites, out to eat and eventually fired her after finding out she was dating an employee of the highway department.

District attorney detectives found work orders for the improper repaving jobs hidden under Jorgensen’s bed at his Hope Place residence in St. James.

Jorgensen worked for the Smithtown Highway Department for 37 years, and won election for highway superintendent in 2009 and 2013.

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Congressman Steve Israel speaks on the dangers of hoverboards at the Commack Fire Department on Dec. 15. Photo by Victoria Espinoza.

One of this year’s hot holiday items might be a little too hot.

Hoverboards have been flying off the shelves this holiday season, but recent safety issues, including multiple cases of boards catching fire or exploding, have given some shoppers pause. That’s why U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (D) gathered with members of the Commack Fire Department Tuesday and urged consumers against buying hoverboards specifically made in China, because he said the type of batteries used in them may ignite.

“Hoverboards may be the hot holiday gift, but they are literally catching on fire and igniting questions about their safety and the safety of lithium-ion batteries,” Israel said. “New Yorkers should remain hesitant before purchasing these hoverboards and stay vigilant while using and charging them.”

Hoverboards are self-balancing and electronic two-wheeled devices on which people can travel from place to place. When riding one, a person may appear to be levitating, or hovering, similarly to those on the hoverboards featured in the film “Back to the Future II.”

Israel stood beside a photo display of several fires that the Commack department had already responded to where hoverboards caused combustion inside someone’s home, destroying property and, sometimes, entire rooms.

Hoverboards shipped from overseas use lithium ion batteries, which can combust if heated or overcharged due to their limited voltage range. Israel called for more research from the U.S. Department of Energy on the safety of using lithium ion batteries in hoverboards.

The congressman also noted that airports already task their security personnel to remove all lithium ion batteries from checked bags for the same reason.

“Well if we know that those lithium ion batteries could be a hazard to the plane, and we know a hover board with a lithium ion battery could be hazardous to our homes, that says we need to do a little bit more research,” Israel said.

Commack Fire Marshal Joe Digiose flanked the congressman on Tuesday and said he urged residents to be careful when buying hoverboards until more research is completed. He said there is no research that shows the American-made products are not working well, but the ones from overseas pose more of a danger and are being shipped at a very high rate to the United States.

“We recommend you don’t buy them but if you do, buy an American-made one,” he said.

Don Talka speaks on research of lithium ion batteries at the Commack Fire Department on Dec. 15. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Don Talka speaks on research of lithium ion batteries at the Commack Fire Department on Dec. 15. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

Don Talka, senior vice president and chief engineer at Underwriters Laboratories has been involved in research on lithium ion batteries for years, starting back when they were involved with similar issues in laptops. He said the major problem is the mating of the battery with the rest of the electronics used in the hoverboards.

“What we’ve learned through our research … is that the combination and how these pieces interact causes the issues,” Talka said. “And how the batteries are charged and discharged are all items which need further investigation.”

At the press conference, Israel inspected the box that a hoverboard came in, and said that despite all the instructions and caution labels about the product, there is nothing to be said about the battery.

“That has been established as one of the single greatest threats to property and potentially lives when they’re coming from China,” Israel said. “That’s why we want to comply with the energy chair to fully research this and make sure that people aren’t being exposed to greater risk and threat by lithium ion batteries.”

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