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Times of Smithtown

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File photo by Raymond Janis

Participate in the upcoming Bond Referendum Vote

As the elected board of trustees of the Smithtown Special Library District, we are writing to urge all district residents to participate in the upcoming bond referendum vote on Tuesday, July 1. As our community is aware, the storm last August devastated the lower level of our Smithtown Building, located at One North Country Road.  

Like many patrons, we ourselves were heartbroken by the damage that occurred. The lower level was so much more than just a place to store library materials. It represented the space to gather and connect with one another in our Community Rooms, a place for our patrons to explore their creativity and imagination in the Learn Lab – and, of course, a place to research and honor our region’s rich history in The Richard H. Handley Collection of Long Island Americana, otherwise known as the Long Island Room. 

While we are grateful to have reopened the first level of the Smithtown Building last month, there is more work to be done. Through the bond referendum proposal, we look forward to not only restoring what was lost in the storm – but reimagining the space and the services we offer to best meet the needs of our community.  

Through our “reimagining,” we look forward to introducing a podcast studio and the Federal Depository Library Program – both initiatives that were planned prior to the storm but were paused due to the building’s closure. In addition to housing the Federal Depository Library Program, our expanded Government Services Department will house the Patent and Trademark Resource Center and Passport Acceptance Facility.  

As trustees, we have heard the voices of our neighbors who miss the programs and spaces that brought us together. We see this as an opportunity to honor the library’s legacy while positioning it for the future for all residents in our community – from infants to seniors.  

We invite all community members to learn more about the proposal by visiting the library’s website at www.smithlib.org. Please also join us for a Community Open House at our Smithtown Building, located at One North County Road, Smithtown, on Tuesday, June 24, from 7:00 to -9:00 p.m. 

Thank you in advance for your participation on July 1. As a reminder, polls will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. at all four library buildings. We look forward to seeing you there! 

Sincerely, 

The Smithtown Library Board of Trustees  

Research takes time, commitment & patience

When people think of science, they often picture breakthroughs: a new drug, a prosthetic device, an app for mental health. But science also begins with quieter questions.

I study maternal behavior in mice at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. I watch as a mother retrieves her scattered pups and brings them back to the nest. It is a simple act, but it reveals something powerful: the brain has circuitry for care.

In the Shea Lab, I ask what allows that care to happen. Which neurons fire when a mother searches for her pup? How do cues like sound or smell spark motivation? These are basic questions with no immediate product. But they form the foundation for understanding caregiving across species.

Some caregivers, in any species, do not respond in expected ways. In humans, postpartum depression, trauma or stress can alter parenting. To understand those disruptions, we must first understand how care functions when things go right. That begins in the brain. That kind of understanding depends on model systems we can study closely, like mice.

This work is often hard to fund. It is not linked to a clinical trial or a startup. It does not come with urgency built in. Yet without it, we would not know where to begin. Foundational studies in rodents showed how hormones like corticotropin-releasing hormone can disrupt maternal care. That early research helped uncover how stress alters brain circuits tied to bonding and motivation. These insights now shape how we approach mood disorders like postpartum depression.

Basic research like this is increasingly under threat. Studies that include terms like maternal or reproductive are sometimes stalled or rejected for political reasons rather than scientific ones. The result is a narrowing of what gets supported.

If we fund only projects with immediate payoff, we lose the slow, essential work that makes future breakthroughs possible. Basic science is not a detour. It is the path.

Model organisms are not a limitation. They are a strength. They allow us to ask precise, causal questions we cannot ask in humans. That is how we build maps of brain function and uncover principles that scale to complex systems.

Science needs time and space to explore. If this matters to you, speak up. Ask what kind of science your institutions support. Advocate for policies that protect curiosity-driven research. The science that teaches us to ask better questions is worth defending.

Hoda Tromblee, Cold Spring Harbor

Close the wage gap for people with disabilities

Organizations in New York can pay a person with a disability as little as $0.05 per hour, and it is legal. This must end.

It’s time for New York to eliminate the subminimum wage and treat people with disabilities with the fairness they deserve. The New York State Senate has passed Bill S28 to do just that, and now it is time for the Assembly to act before their session ends. 

As the father of John Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome, I’ve seen firsthand what people with differing abilities can accomplish when given the chance. John co-founded a business with me, John’s Crazy Socks, and we have learned that hiring people with differing abilities is not charity, it’s good business. More than half of our employees have a disability. They work hard, deliver incredible results and earn the same wage as their colleagues. 

The subminimum wage law, a relic of 1938, allows people with disabilities to be paid as little as 5 cents an hour. That’s not just outdated, it’s wrong. It tells people that their labor, and their lives, are worth less.

New York should lead the nation by ending this discriminatory practice. No exceptions. No more second-class workers. I urge the State Assembly to pass A28 and help build a more inclusive and just future for all.

Mark X. Cronin, Farmingdale

SCWA is doing good work

It was with pleasure that I read about how “Suffolk County Water Authority achieves full compliance with federal PFAS standards — six years early” [TBR News Media, June 12]. I live behind one of those “17 granular activated carbon (GAC) treatment systems for PFAS” and while I was dubious about those two big green tanks that they erected on their property, I was informed of their purpose and now we see the result. Bravo. It will be a pleasure to pay Suffolk County Water Authority bills in the future.

Bruce Gaugler

Port Jefferson Station

An Open Letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul

Residents of the hamlet of Port Jefferson Station/Terryville, and our neighbors in Setauket and Village of Port Jefferson, bore the burden for years of the egregious pollution for profit at the hands of the disgraced owner of Lawrence Aviation. The concern for public health and safety was a significant concern for decades. Thankfully, the cleanup by EPA of this Superfund site rendered the parcel suitable for redevelopment giving hope to many of us who worked tirelessly to turn lemons into lemonade. We now can realize a public benefit, securing a bright and clean energy future where there once was blight and danger. The Suffolk Landbank worked together with stakeholders to develop plans to provide open space, a solar energy farm and a potential new MTA rail yard for the Long Island Rail Road on 40 acres of the property.

In the past, 40 acres and a mule were offered to provide economic self-sufficiency to those deserving a better future. The ability to retain the potential for the electrification of the Port Jefferson Branch of the LIRR will play a significant role in ensuring residents in our area and ridership along this line can join the modern era of clean and convenient transportation. This opportunity could be the “engine that drives” the resurgence and planned growth of our region with true transit-oriented development, adding to our economic self-sufficiency. Unfortunately, the mule in this case is the stubborn intransigence of the Department of Transportation that, for reasons that defy logic, threatens this entire undertaking based on a potential highway that will never be built.

This can easily be resolved with an easement agreement to address this issue. However, the original deal with the MTA to move this vision forward must be concluded by June 30, 2025, well before any final understanding with DOT can be worked out. We strongly request your immediate intervention to ensure this project can move forwawrd and the will of the people locally not be thwarted by bureaucratic dithering. We need your help to realize the better future we deserve by squeezing DOT to pay $10 to get this deal done and help us make some lemonade!

Ira Costell, President

Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Associatio

WRITE TO US … AND KEEP IT LOCAL  

We welcome your letters, especially those responding to our local coverage, replying to other letter writers’ comments and speaking mainly to local themes. Letters should be no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style, good taste and uncivil language. They will also be published on our website. We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include an address and phone number for confirmation. Email letters to: [email protected] or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733

 

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METRO photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

Amid efforts to revisit budgets and cut federal spending, numerous initiatives have cut, frozen or threatened to reduce contributions to science.

Such approaches, through the Big Beautiful Bill and the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, threaten the future of research.

“Science funding is critical, and paying the full costs of scientific research is important,” explained Kevin Gardner, Vice President for Research and Innovation at Stony Brook University. “We pay the full price for defense contractors and don’t expect them to lose money doing important work for the federal government. Universities are the same.”

Indeed, in the Big Beautiful Bill, cuts to Medicaid threaten health care, which could have implications for the care hospital patients receive as well and the health of local hospitals themselves.

“Cuts to Medicaid indeed are a tremendous threat both to our community and to those that rely on the medicaid program and to the hospitals and academic medical centers that treat patients,” Gardner added. “They threaten the viability of academic medical centers across the country, including Stony Brook.”

Cuts to Medicaid funding may also strain state budgets, which may affect state university funding as well.

Even as senators prepare to review the Big Beautiful Bill, which passed a contested House by a single vote and that has some Republicans expressing buyer’s remorse, Gardner worried about federal research support.

“I remain very concerned about research funding,” Gardner wrote in an email. “I sometimes hear hopeful things, but overall I am not confident at all that the robust research funding that has driven prosperity across the US will continue.”

Gardner and co-author Michael Kinch, Chief Innovation Officer at Stony Brook, wrote an opinion piece in STAT News.

Half of all the drugs approved in the United States from 2020 to 2024 had key patents from academic universities. Most of that work was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), according to their opinion piece.

And yet, the administration has shared a proposed budget for 2026 that cuts National Institutes of Health funding by 43 percent compared with 2025 levels, according to STAT  News.

While spending less might appear beneficial in the short term, it threatens innovation, people’s health and future economic gains that might have otherwise come from research.

In dollars and cents, the return on investment from every dollar of NIH spending on research leads to $2.46 in economic activity overall, according to Bruce Stillman, President and CEO of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL).

Cutting back not only has economic consequences but could affect training opportunities for future researchers.

Investments in basic scientific research, such as the kind done at CSHL “fuels innovation, boosts the economy, and paves the way to key medical advances,” Stillman wrote in the president’s essay.

The messages, policies and words from the Trump administration and some of the members of his cabinet have suggested that they are prepared to cut science funding by as much as 50 percent, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Political leaders from both sides of the aisle generally understand the value and importance of science, said Gardner.

These leaders, regardless of their party, need to stand up for the health and well-being of their constituents and the strength of the economy today and in the future by supporting science.

In the meantime, leaders in other countries have sensed a huge opening and are offering the best and brightest current and future scientists impressive and attractive packages to work in other institutions. These packages have worked for some scientists, who have decided to pursue their research interests on foreign soil, the way so many scientists from earlier decades used to do in the United States.

Our American politicians must stand for more than whatever their parties or their party leaders want or demand, particularly now. Yes, the country needs to make hard choices. Voting for science funding, supporting grants that have already passed through a rigorous screening process, and encouraging the kinds of questions that lead to a better future, should not be one of them.

That includes basic research, which is different from translational research.

“I visited a lab yesterday and was shown a new type of microscope that allowed a new way to observe living cells divide,” Gardner explained. “We don’t know what the new discoveries will be from that work, but we can imagine all the ways cell division contributes to health and disease.”

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Yuka Mobile App. Photo from Yuka Facebook

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief,
Publisher

In a world of apps, I have recently added two to my cellphone. One has to do with what we eat. The other tells me what birdsong I am hearing. Both are useful and please me, so I will share them with you if you haven’t already discovered them.

The first is Yuka.

“The app prompts users to scan the bar codes of foods and personal care items—in grocery stores and at home—and then offers a score out of 100 to indicate how ‘healthy’ it is for you or the environment,” according to The New York Times, where I learned of this clever app. 

When you touch the icon, a scanner opens. Then all you have to do is position the bar code of the product in the box provided on the screen, and you are immediately rewarded with both a specific number and a verdict.

It’s an irresistible toy. I went running around the house, first to the pantry in the kitchen, then the bathroom and the bedroom, pointing at items I use. 

I was often shocked. The first bottle I evaluated was a peanut salad dressing I use frequently. It came out with a score of 24/100 and the word “bad.” Who knew? The app further broke down the rating by listing negatives: additives (1 limited risk), sugar (10 grams too sweet), sodium (220mg too much), and calories (120 a bit too caloric). It then went on to list the positives: protein (2g some protein), fiber (0.9g some fiber), and saturated fat (1g low impact).

Sadly, since I like the flavor so much, the app could not offer a better alternative for this dressing under “recommendations.” 

On the other hand, a green lentil pasta I enjoy is rated 100/100 excellent. No additives, no synthetic herbicides and therefore organic, excellent amount of protein (21g), excellent amount of fiber (9g), no saturated fat, low sugar (1g), and no sodium. The only negative was its caloric count: a bit too caloric (310 calories). That was all welcome news.

Now I am going to have to stop putting the peanut dressing on the pasta and find some other topping, perhaps Silver Palate Marinara sauce with low salt, which was rated excellent at 75/100.

It was fun checking out my foods on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Originally introduced in France in 2017, this app came to the United States in 2022 and has more than 40 million followers now. Yuka uses an algorithm to score the products based on 3 parts: nutritional quality (60 percent), additives and their risk (30 percent) and organic (10 percent). As you might guess, high protein and high fiber are “good,” high sugar, sodium, saturated fats and calories are “bad.” 

This app is just one offering toward the goal of eating healthy, but it can help.

Merlin Bird ID mobile app

The second app is one for the birds. Literally. It’s called Merlin Bird ID and it will tell you what birds are singing nearby. The way it works, I guess, is that it records the bird sounds, then matches them up with its data base of birdsong. At the moment when I am writing this, the Merlin Bird has identified the American Robin in my backyard. It has also shown me a picture. 

Again, it’s great fun knowing who else is in the neighborhood. Oops, the Robin has just been joined by a Gray Catbird, a Song Sparrow, a Northern Cardinal and a Yellow Warbler. I wonder if they are talking to each other or just thinking out loud.

The other day, when I thought I was surrounded by half a dozen birds, my app told me it was just a Mockingbird holding court.

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File photo by Kyle Barr

Driving to work in the morning, we may brace ourselves for the pothole that, day-after-day, violently shakes our car as we drive over it. However, one day to our delight, we notice it is filled with smooth asphalt. Then, we may decide to stop for coffee at a recently opened shop before heading to work. We take a detour to avoid traffic near a new housing development.

From the pothole, to the new coffee shop, to the traffic, the rhythms of our days are shaped by our elected officials and the decisions they make on behalf of the community.

As the conduit for local news, we hear residents’ opinions on development, infrastructure, funding, open space, historical preservation, economic growth and policy. These issues are constantly topics of discussion, and rightfully so. The decisions our town and village officials make in these areas shape our lives: where we shop and live,  and how much we pay in taxes. We all have opinions on the decisions local officials make. June 17 is the day we can act. 

Our local elected officials have the power to make changes that could impact us for years after they leave office. As their constituents, we are their guides and as voters we choose and empower the decision-makers. What do we want our community’s future to look like and which candidate will take us there? 

We give local elections less thought and focus, especially when compared to the highly publicized federal elections. Over half of eligible voters turn out for federal elections while fewer than a quarter vote in local elections. 

In May, residents voted on their district’s budget, and if there were available seats on the board, for school board trustees. In the Huntington Union Free School District, only about 1,000 residents voted out of the 24,000 registered voters in the district, according to the district website. That amounts to around 4%. 

School board trustees could have a significant impact on the quality of education and programming. What the children in that district learn, what clubs they join, and what amenities the building offers can be altered by school boards. Our elections have concrete implications, not only during a two or four-year term, but in decades to follow. 

This month, we are voting for the mayor and trustees of Port Jefferson Village and for town supervisor and several board members for the towns of Smithtown and Huntington. In November, we will vote for our congress members, assembly members and senators.

To work towards what we envision for our community, and to protect the parts we value, we must do our part and vote. 

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From left, Barbara Tyler with guide Cathy Duffy. Photo by Beverly C. Tyler
An item on view at the Mather House Museum. Photo by Beverly C. Tyler
An item on view at the Mather House Museum. Photo by Beverly C. Tyler
An item on view at the Mather House Museum. Photo by Beverly C. Tyler
An item on view at the Mather House Museum. Photo by Beverly C. Tyler

By Beverly C. Tyler

Driving along Main Street in Port Jefferson, turn east onto East Main Street and bear right at the historic Biddle fountain reproduction onto Prospect Street. On your left at number 115  is the home of the Historical Society of Greater Port Jefferson in the John R. Mather house and grounds. Mather was a famous shipbuilder in Port Jefferson and a descendant of local shipbuilders. He built the home in the 1840s and added the present front of the house in the 1860s. His son John T. Mather bequeathed funds to create a community hospital. The J.T. Mather Memorial Hospital opened on New Year’s Eve 1929.

My wife Barbara and I were welcomed to the house by guide Cathy Duffy who began with the 1860s parlor filled with period pieces, maritime paintings and artifacts. The next room, listed as the library, includes a wonderful collection of half-hull models used as one of the first steps in ship design and construction. One of these half-hull models is of the schooner yacht “Wanderer” which was built in East Setauket in 1857 and became an infamous slaver, transporting more than 600 enslaved Africans from the west coast of Africa to Jekyll Island, Georgia in 1858.

In the next room, in a case labeled “Recent Acquisitions” is a painting of the “Wanderer.” This room, guide Duffy noted, is the main exhibit room for the 2025 exhibit “Treasures From Our Attic.” The “treasures” here also include hand-made quilts, costumes, samplers, and three dresses. The most interesting item was a paper dress made for an 1876 masquerade party. The dress was constructed from current issues of Harper’s Weekly and was worn by the party hostess, Mrs. James E. Bayles. Engraved pictures showing scenes of the day decorated almost every inch of space on her dress. The other two dresses are a wedding dress and a Campfire Girl’s uniform labeled “Woodgatherers.” It includes a beaded necklace of “badges” earned.

The grounds and buildings include a tool shed with maritime tools and artifacts, the Dr. R. Sherman Mills general store and post office, and a replica of a sail loft on the lower level. The archival building includes a large collection of documents and photographs which is available to researchers by appointment. 

For me, the number one attraction on the grounds is the Spinney Clock Building, which was added to the property in 2000. Inside are more than 200 magnificent clocks donated to the historical society by Tex Spinney. The collection ranges from tall grandfather clocks to mantle clocks with beautiful hand-painted scenes. A grandfather clock, made by Tiffany, is nine feet six inches high with a fully carved case. A black marble astronomical clock includes a barometer and calendar and a mouse clock strikes “hickory, dickory, dock.” Volunteer clock enthusiasts from the Spinney Clock Collector’s Guild maintain the collection and offer classes in the care and repair of antique and newer timepieces.

When you visit the John Richard Mather house, be sure to pick up the three free “Historic Walking Tour guides that describe the homes, sites, businesses and features of the historic Port Jefferson downtown and harbor areas. Each guide covers a specific concentrated area with a minimum of walking, so enjoy this area, rich in history and beauty.     

Mather’s home, the surrounding museum buildings and the consignment shop are open Wednesday –  Sunday 12-4 P.M. through October 5th.

Beverly Tyler is Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Rd., Setauket, NY 11733. Tel: 631-751-3730. WWW.TVHS.org 

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Best College TV Broadcast: (From Left) Prof. Holli Haerr, Jeff Kramer, Daniel Garcia, Fernando Gomez, and Prof. Brigette Boyle, Courtesy of Five Towns College

Five Towns College has announced its outstanding performance at the 2025 Press Club of Long Island (PCLI) Media Awards Dinner, held on June 5 at Fox Hollow in Woodbury, NY. Representing the college at this distinguished event were faculty members Professor and Department Chair Holli Haerr and Professor Brigette Boyle, and students Jeff Kramer, Fernando Gomez, and Daniel Garcia.

Daniel Garcia – Best College TV Reporter (1st Place) Courtesy of Five Towns College

Competing among peer colleges and universities across Long Island and alongside leading professional news outlets, Five Towns College students received top honors in two of the event’s most competitive categories:

  • Best College TV Broadcast (1st Place) was awarded to Promote the Vote 2024, produced in Prof. Haerr’s advanced broadcast classes. The program, which aired on The Record Online, featured a dynamic team of student journalists, including Daniel Garcia (producer), Jeff Kramer, Fernando Gomez, Stephen Cooney, Tyler McCready, Alexis Mack, Jena Chambers, Thomas DiSalvo, Madelyn Llanes, Sydney Mountain, Jose Rojas, Aaron Jones, Winter Petracca, and Anthony Deus.
  • Best College TV Reporter (1st Place) went to senior Daniel Garcia, who earned the top honor for the second consecutive year. His compelling storytelling and on-camera reporting, including pieces like NYC’s Bryant Park Winter Village boasts holiday fun for all, continue to set a high standard in student journalism.

“I am extremely proud of our students for their wins in these two categories. I think it really shows the quality of work our Five Towns College Mass Communication students can do,” said Prof. Holli Haerr, Chair of the Mass Communication Department at Five Towns College. “This is the first year we’ve done serious election coverage, including Promote the Vote and our first ever live coverage on election night. Students Daniel Garcia and Jeff Kramer were interested in informing students about the issues, and I think it was great experience for all the students who worked on those projects.  I’m thankful for them for their leadership on this. I’m also excited that Daniel has won best college TV reporter for a second year in a row. His hard work and dedication have really paid off and can hopefully inspire other students as well.”

The Press Club of Long Island, a chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists founded in 1974, is dedicated to protecting First Amendment rights, promoting ethical journalism, and fostering excellence in reporting across Long Island.

Five Towns College is honored to be recognized by such a respected organization and applauds its students and faculty for their creativity, commitment, and professional growth.

About Five Towns College: Located in Dix Hills on Long Island, Five Towns College has been educating creative students for over 50 years. Dedicated to musicians, artists, filmmakers, and performers, and scholars, the College offers hands-on programs led by industry professionals. Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and other national organizations, Five Towns College prepares students for careers in music, business, multimedia, and the performing arts. Its graduates have gone on to succeed at top companies in the music, media, and film industries. For more information, visit www.ftc.edu

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Cicada. Pixabay photo

By Peter Sloniewsky

In 2025, Brood XIV of periodical cicadas are emerging across the eastern United States. This specific brood is among the three largest of all the periodical cicada broods, which famously emerge every 17 years. Beyond its size, this brood is not unique in any biological manner, although it was the first observed by European settlers in the Plymouth Colony. 

Cicadas courtesy of Three Village resident, Herman Warner. Photo by Beth Heller Mason

Broods of cicadas emerge every 17years: the length of time that is required for the cicadas to grow into adulthood. These broods are categorized by their generally synchronized emergence timing, although stragglers are also important for continued genetic diversity and interbreeding between broods. 

University of Connecticut entomologist Chris Simon emphasized the prevalence of misconceptions surrounding that 17-year period. 

“They don’t hatch out of the ground; they hatched from eggs in tree branches seventeen years ago,” Simon wrote in an email. “They are not sleeping underground, they are actively growing and passing through five juvenile stages.” 

Simon also addressed some other misconceptions about the insects while elaborating on their environmental importance. 

“They will benefit the local environment by fertilizing the soil, and feeding birds, turtles, snakes, fish… etc. above ground and soil invertebrates and moles underground,” Simon wrote. “Periodical cicadas are not dangerous… we are much more of an imposition on them, clearing their trees and building asphalt parking lots on top of them.” 

She added: “They don’t fly around in large groups and they don’t ‘emerge in writhing masses.’” 

Three Village resident Herman Werner said he had noticed an unusual number of cicadas on his property, but noted that their impact had indeed been minimal. 

“They don’t really bother anything,” Werner said. “[They] just get louder as the day gets warmer.” 

Simon stressed that people should try to enjoy the moment of emergence rather than considering the cicadas a threat.

“Rather than thinking of them as alarming or ‘annoying,’ think of having a ‘David Attenborough special’ in your own backyard,” Simon said. “They don’t invade. They have been there the whole time, quietly feeding on roots underground.” 

Simon also added an anecdote about the origin of the insects’ scientific name. 

“Avoid saying things like a certain area of the country was ‘spared’ from a ‘Magicicada’ emergence!” Simon wrote. “Rather, those areas were denied the spectacle! Periodical cicadas are ‘magical’; that is why they were renamed ‘Magiciada.’”

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Town of Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim

By Peter Sloniewsky

Two-term incumbent Town of Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R, Kings Park) is running in the Republican primary for a third term on June 24. After taking office in 2018, Wehrheim has taken action to improve fiscal stability, revitalize business districts and enhance infrastructure. 

Prior to his two terms as supervisor, Wehrheim was born into a three-generation Kings Park family before serving in Vietnam, gradually rising through Smithtown Department of Parks bureaucracy and eventually serving as a town councilmember. In an interview with TBR News Media, he emphasized the importance of continuing what he considers to be a productive two terms. 

“I’m running on our record of accomplishments with the administration here in the Town of Smithtown,” Wehrheim said. “I’ve been around the government since 2003 here in Town Hall, and I think [voters] would verify that I’m very approachable at any time, and public service is very high… I’m here to do the best job I can for the Town of Smithtown taxpayers and will continue to do so.” 

Wehrheim noted the importance of continuing his work on a few issues. Namely, he intends to prioritize continued fiscal stability and overhauling community parks. 

“Smithtown is a fiscally stable town, and we’ve had an AAA bond rating since I took office in 2018,” Wehrheim said. The AAA bond rating is the highest financial distinction. “We have completely overhauled the parks and recreation facilities in Smithtown, and we are at this point about 75% complete.” 

Wehrheim also stands behind his administration’s work on business district revitalization. This issue stands to substantially affect this primary, considering Wehrheim’s opponent’s general opposition to substantial further development. 

“St. James’ downtown revitalization has been completed,” Wehrheim said. “We’re working on completing the renovations of the Kings Park business district, and the engineering plans for Smithtown and Nesconset are in the early stages.” 

He also took care to address some matters expected to arise in the near future. In Wehrheim’s view, the most pressing issues facing the town are the closure of the Town of Brookhaven landfill and the resulting solid-waste crisis, alongside the need for storm-safe infrastructure as Long Island weather becomes more severe. 

“All of Long Island is going to be faced with a solid-waste crisis, caused by the Brookhaven landfill due to be closed in two years… That is a pressing issue because of the cost to ship this material off the island… There are many, many entities working on remedies for that, but it is a pressing issue. The Suffolk County Supervisors Association is working diligently with state and federal officials to come up with an answer for how we would do that economically,” Wehrheim said.

“As everybody knows, the storms on Long Island have become increasingly severe, which causes intense rainfall,” he added. “All of the drainage structures throughout the whole road system, not just in Smithtown but in most towns in Suffolk County, were designed and engineered to take a two-and-a-half-inch rainstorm. So they’re inadequate. We’re in the process with our highway department of starting to replace those drainage structures and the infrastructure under the roadways to be able to accept more in line with a four- or five-inch rainstorm.” 

Wehrheim also drew a strict contrast between his campaign and that of his opponent, Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta (R, Fort Salonga). 

“At this point, my opponent is running on open space and burying electric lines. That’s basically what his campaign is about,” Wehrheim said. “I am running for reelection on my record of accomplishments and how I have conducted my governmental operation here in the Town of Smithtown for residents… I think any resident you call will tell them that, if they call here, they get an answer back.”

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Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta. Photo courtesy Leg. Trotta

By Peter Sloniewsky

At the June 24 Republican primary, Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta (R, Fort Salonga) is running to replace incumbent Ed Wehrheim (R, Kings Park) as the Republican candidate for Town of Smithtown supervisor. 

Trotta initially took office in 2014 following a lengthy career with the Suffolk County Police Department and will be term limited in November. Trotta’s platform includes limited development, open-space preservation, term limits and more generally limited town government. 

“They want four-story apartment buildings in downtown Smithtown,” Trotta said, referring to the current administration. “Their own consultants said that the people of Smithtown and Kings Park… do not want high-density apartments. And the first thing they did was shove high-density apartments into less than half an acre.” 

Trotta also referenced New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s (D) plan for transit-oriented development, which involves the rezoning of residential areas around train stations to incentivize housing development. This development has been the subject of much debate and has generally received mixed reviews from suburban representatives on the state level. 

“At our train stations in Smithtown, her mandate was fifteen units per acre,” Trotta told TBR News Media. “They’re trying to shove forty-six in a half an acre… it defies logic. They’re urbanizing and making Smithtown into Queens.” 

When asked directly about Smithtown’s affordable housing, Trotta offered an alternative response. 

“When a house goes up for sale here, it sells in an hour. It’s affordable to someone… there are people that can afford to live here,” Trotta said. “It’s just getting older! Homes will free up… when you build all of these apartments, you’re robbing a generation of building equity by putting young people in those apartments.” 

“I’m not saying all apartments are bad,” Trotta added. “I’m not against all apartments, but the proliferation of it is ridiculous.” 

Trotta is also running on a platform of anticorruption measures and term limits. Previously, his tenure as a police officer and legislator was marked by strict opposition to the power of the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association. The New York Times even reported in 2021 that Trotta’s foremost motivation in running for the Suffolk County Legislature in 2014 was to investigate the police department. 

“I’m honest, I’m trustworthy, and I’m cheap,” Trotta said. “I will watch after every dollar… I’ll watch every dollar of tax money, and I’ll root out any corruption.”

Lastly, Trotta plans to prioritize public-space management and expansion. As a Suffolk County legislator, such actions have been a major part of his tenure. 

“I’ve been responsible for over 400 acres being preserved in the town of Smithtown,” Trotta said. “People moved here for the suburban lifestyle, not an urban lifestyle.”

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The Smithtown Library's Main Branch. Photo courtesy of smithlib.org

Smithtown Special Library District Board of Trustees adopt resolution to move  forward with public vote on financing for capital improvement project Public vote to be held on Tuesday, July 1 

At its May 6 special meeting, the Board of Trustees of the Smithtown Special Library  District adopted a resolution to proceed with a community vote on Tuesday, July 1, on the  financing of capital improvement work. The Board is proposing renovations to the  Library’s Smithtown Building, located at One North Country Road, to address damage  caused by the catastrophic storm of August 2024. 

“As most residents are aware, the Smithtown Building suffered devastating damage  to its lower level due to the tremendous level of flooding experienced from the storm,” Library Director Rob Lusak said. “The lower level remains unusable and in need of  significant renovations. It is our hope to reimagine and rebuild the space so that it can once  again serve as a vital resource for the community.” 

Funding will be used to renovate the space to house the Library’s LearnLab (the  makerspace area), a podcast studio for community use, study areas and room for Literacy  Suffolk, which provides literacy services to adults. 

Additionally, the lower level will accommodate the Library’s newly established  Government Services Department, which will house the Patent and Trademark Resource  Center and Passport Acceptance Facility. It will also house the Library’s new Federal  Depository Library collection, which will provide free and open access to government  documents.  

“Our Library was designated as a federal depository library last summer; however,  due to the flood, we were not able to allocate space for this collection,” Lusak said. “We’re  pleased to make this significant addition available to the community.” 

The Richard H. Handley Collection of Long Island Americana (better known to  residents as the “Long Island Room”) will be relocated to the first floor of the building in  museum-quality shelving with temperature and humidity controls, UV-protective glass and  other archival standards in place to preserve and protect the historic documents. 

The total cost of the proposed construction is not to exceed $16.5 million. While it is  anticipated that FEMA funding and/or funds from other sources will be used to pay or  reimburse all or most of the improvement costs, the Library must plan to finance the full  amount to ensure the project can move forward without delay, regardless of the timing or  availability of outside funding.  

This will be done using a combination of bond financing (including the use of bond  anticipation notes, “BANS”) to fund the work in a responsible and cost-effective manner.  BANs are one-year notes that allow the Library to begin construction while it waits for  reimbursement from FEMA. This approach affords the Library the flexibility to finance only  that which it needs and therefore potentially reduce borrowing costs. Once the project is  underway, the Town may issue long-term bonds to repay the BANs and spread the cost of  the improvements over time.  

Should FEMA and/or alternate funding not be available (as unlikely as that may be),  the anticipated cost of the project to the average homeowner in the Smithtown Special  Library District is estimated to not exceed $36 per year for the maximum 15-year term of  the financing.

The referendum will be held on Tuesday, July 1 from 9:30am to 9:00pm at all four  Library buildings. Polling sites are determined by a resident’s home address and the Suffolk  County election districts. 

A Community Open House information session is scheduled for residents on  Tuesday, June 24, from 7:00-9:00pm at the Smithtown Building, located at One North  Country Road. All Smithtown Library District residents are encouraged to attend to learn  more about the proposal and ask any questions they may have prior to the vote.  

“Our libraries are at the heart of the Smithtown community and provide vital  resources and programs for residents of all ages,” Lusak said. “I encourage community  members to learn more about the proposal and how we are reimagining a new chapter for  our building, and to participate in the vote on July 1.” 

All information related to the proposal, as well as detailed voting information, can  be found on the Library’s website, www.smithlib.org. A special mailer will be sent to all  Smithtown Library District residents in June detailing the bond proposition. 

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