Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (seated) and an aide, Caitlin Curry, examined the donated items. Photo from Leg. Bontempi's office
Recently, Suffolk County Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (Centerport) began an effort out of her district office in collaboration with the county executive to collect essential supplies for the people of Ukraine. Bontempi called for a variety of items (e.g., cold weather clothing, boots, baby and medical supplies, etc.) that are so desperately needed by individuals in Ukraine, whether they have been displaced by the attacks or are fighting for their freedom.
Despite the short duration – due to logistical factors – of the supply drive, Bontempi’s office experienced overwhelming support for the effort. In addition to other Suffolk County legislative offices participating in a similar fashion, various levels of government assisted with their own drives, as did numerous faith-based organizations and many others near and far. The participation of generous donors to the numerous drives that materialized was so great that many partners in the undertaking called off collections earlier than anticipated due to exceeding storage capacity.
“We were absolutely overwhelmed, but not surprised, by the willingness of the residents to help out the people of Ukraine. Despite what we learn from the media, there is still a tremendous amount of good in the world. If we continue to stand up for freedom for all, good will triumph over evil,” said Bontempi.
Although some drives for supplies have been suspended, there remains a possibility of future rounds, should the conflict in Ukraine be a protracted one. Bontempi’s office will certainly step up and inform the residents of future opportunities to assist if and when they are set in motion.
“From the bottom of my heart, I thank all those who have participated in this inspiring show of support,” added Bontempi.
Local gas pump showing the surging price of gasoline.
The skyrocketing price of gas has hit record highs here on Long Island and across the entire United States. TBR News Media took to the streets of Port Jefferson and Setauket to find out how local residents were feeling about it all.
Photo by Jim Hastings
Crista Davis, Mount Sinai
“We’re pretty local, thankfully. I don’t have a far commute, but if I did, that’s something that would surely affect other aspects of my life. I’m fortunate that I live close to everything, but I feel bad for people who have no choice.”
Photo by Jim Hastings
Kenny Dorsa, Selden
“We’re pretty local, thankfully. I don’t have a far commute, but if I did, that’s something that would surely affect other aspects of my life. I’m fortunate that I live close to everything, but I feel bad for people who have no choice.”
Photo by Jim Hastings
Mitch Steinberg, Huntington
“It’s definitely going to make us consider our finances. Conserve a little bit. But we still have to drive to work and do the things we have to do.”
Photo by Jim Hastings
Abby Buller, Port Jefferson Station
Owner of Village Boutique, Port Jefferson
“From my business point of view, all of my wholesalers are complaining about their cost rising and having to pay more to employees. So, the higher cost of employees, gas, oil, freight. If I hear anything more about the cost of freight. When my wholesaler increases my cost of $7 an item, I have no choice. I have to pass that $7 on. I used to live in Queens and drive to Port Jefferson every day. I thank God I don’t have to do that, because that would have been, at these prices, a decision to close this store.
Photo by Jim Hastings
Walter Martinez, Shirley
“I pay now double what I was paying last year, but I don’t blame it on the president and I don’t blame it on the government. Everything is just going up. And now with this war thing it’s just getting worse. It is what it is. You just gotta stand by and hope for the best. You know, we gotta pay the price. I do regret that I didn’t go for an electric car before.”
Town of Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth lit Huntington Town Hall in green lights on Friday, March 11, ahead of the Huntington Hibernians’ 88th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade; the green lights will remain in place today, St. Patrick’s Day, and through the weekend ending on March 20.
“Huntington is host to the greatest St. Patrick’s Day parade on Long Island and we have continued the celebration of Huntington’s Irish heritage by lighting Town Hall in green the entire week,” posted Supervisor Ed Smyth on social media. “Happy St. Patrick’s Day!”
Blue and gold lights at Huntington Town Hall Tuesday March 1 2022 in support of Ukraine's fight for freedom
Town electrician Tony Beigelbeck installs blue and gold lights at Huntington Town Hall
Blue and gold lights at Huntington Town Hall Tuesday March 1 2022 in support of Ukraine's fight for freedom
Blue and gold lights at Huntington Town Hall Tuesday March 1 2022 in support of Ukraine's fight for freedom
Town of Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth lit Huntington Town Hall in blue and gold lights on February 26 in support of Ukraine’s fight for freedom.
“I have directed Huntington Town Hall to be illuminated blue and gold as we stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people fighting for their freedom,” posted Supervisor Ed Smyth on social media. “Thank you to Director of General Services Bill Musto, Town electrician Tony Beigelbeck and staff for their service around the clock.”
Town of Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth is urging all who venture out on Huntington’s waterways to register for a free NYS BoatingSafety Certification Course offered under the Town’s Victoria Gaines Boating Safety Program this March and May.
“It is our individual responsibility to prevent avoidable tragedies on the water,” said Supervisor Ed Smyth. “Whether you’re captaining a boat, a passenger, or operate a non-motorized water craft, everyone should be prepared to enjoy Huntington waters safely.”
The Town of Huntington offers free Boating Safety Classes in March and May. Attendees who register, attend the full 8-hour course, and pass the test will receive a NYS Boating Safety credential issued by NYS Parks. Questions can be directed to the Harbormaster’s office at (631) 351-3255. Adults and children (ages 10 & up) are welcome to register for the course online: huntingtonny.gov/boater-safety
2022 COURSE DATES OFFERED:
Huntington Town Hall, 100 Main Street, Town Board Room, Huntington
Monday & Tuesday, March 7 & 8, 2022 (Must attend both dates)
5:00pm-9:00pm both nights. 8 hours of course instruction total.
Town Clerk Andrew Raia, Bride and Groom Christine and Gerard Tully. Photo from Town of Huntington
Wedding bells rang again this year in Town Hall on Valentine’s Day, as Town Clerk Andrew Raia, chief Marriage Officer for the Town, presided over eight marriage ceremonies. “It is a privilege to unite these couples and share in the excitement and happiness of their special day,” said Raia.
The intimate ceremonies included a Town Board room decorated as a Valentine’s Day-themed wedding chapel, mood lighting, and traditional processional music. Each wedding ceremony included a rose and a cake presented by Town Clerk Raia and La Piazza Cucina Italiana & Wine Bar in Melville donated gift certificates to all of the happy couples.
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!”
Congressman Tom Suozzi joined other elected officials on all levels during a press conference, Feb. 11. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A week after the Town of Brookhaven and local state representatives bashed Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) plan to potentially eliminate certain single-family zoning laws across New York state, other Long Island townships and Suffolk County officially voiced their concerns.
During a press conference at the county Legislature in Hauppauge Thursday, Feb. 10, more than two dozen elected officials at town, county, state and federal levels collectively agreed that Hochul’s plan would be bad for the Island.
Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) said that of all the officials gathered, it was a unanimous, bipartisan agreement that this should not happen.
“We are all concerned about the future of Long Island and the quality of life here and the need for local government to have control over their zoning with local elected officials,” he said.
“This is a radical plan by the governor to take away local zoning from where it belongs in the hands of the local officials who were elected to make sure that the zoning codes stay in place for the quality of life that each one of the municipalities that they choose to live in.”
He added that if Hochul’s plan in fact happens, it will eventually have an impact on parking, water quality, sewerage and more.
The governor’s comprehensive five-year housing plan would potentially invest $25 billion to create and preserve 100,000 affordable homes and tackle inequities in the housing market. Last month, she announced the plan to make housing more affordable as part of the 2022 State of the State.
“In the wake of the pandemic, it’s crucial that we tackle the housing crisis and make New York a more affordable place for all,” Hochul previously said. “These bold steps are a major step forward in transforming our housing market, protecting affordability and increasing the housing supply.”
Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY3) noticed the plan in the State of the State book and began bringing it to the public’s attention. Suozzi is campaigning to take Hochul’s seat. He cited her State of the State book on pages 130 and 131 regarding accessory dwelling units. According to those documents, he said the governor would want to oppose legislation to require municipalities to allow a minimum of one accessory dwelling unit on owner occupied residentially zoned blocks.
“That’s the end of local control,” he said. “That’s the end of local governments authority.”
Suozzi believes this could be “a dangerous idea” that could “result in commercial landlords buying properties and trying to pack people into neighborhoods.”
“This is just a failure to understand what it’s like out here,” he added.
Currently, many building permit applications that increase the number of bedrooms in a dwelling require the approval of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services.
According to county representatives, at no point in the proposed legislation does it address the fact that the health department determines the appropriate number of persons residing at a home that is utilizing cesspools. Over 75% of Suffolk County is unsewered — a mass expansion of accessory dwelling units will result in a deterioration in the water quality here on Long Island.
State Sen. Mario Mattera (R-St. James) said that state lawmakers are continuously “going against everything we live for and our investments.”
“I wake up in the morning and I feel like I’m in the twilight zone,” he said.
Mattera added that many municipalities have been focusing on downtown revitalization plans, which already create apartments.
“We’ve been doing these apartments for a reason to make sure our families have places to go so we keep our young or middle aged or seniors here,” he said. “We are doing that job governor, but governor, this is not the City of New York. We’re in the suburbs. This is so important for our future.”
Huntington
Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Representatives from the Town of Huntington were in attendance, with Supervisor Ed Smyth (R) voicing that the town already has permissive accessory apartments laws.
“We already allow for accessory apartments in homes in the town,” he said. “We don’t need Albany telling us how to do this.”
He added, “With home rule, we have ensured that our communities do not become overdeveloped, are kept environmentally sound, and are a place people want to live and raise a family. This proposal by the governor would end all of that overnight. Proof of how bad an idea this is … is the fact that both sides of the political aisle have come together to state their opposition.”
Smyth said they will not stop until the item is removed from the New York State budget and “laid to rest.”
Town of Huntington Councilman Sal Ferro recognized Elwood resident Charleen Francis before the February 1 Huntington Town Board meeting for her role in local Huntington history. Charleen and her siblings integrated the Elwood School District over 60 years ago. Charleen, a retired high school guidance counselor and principal, is currently a member of the Education Committee for the Huntington Chapter of the NAACP.
“Charleen is someone who spent most of her life helping others while being a role model to the kids in her school and community. I wanted to make sure she knew that we wanted to make a difference in her life, the way she made a difference in Long Island,” said Councilman Sal Ferro.
“I’m so very honored to have been recognized by Councilman Salvatore Ferro and the Town Council last night. It will be a fond memory and continued encouragement to keep moving forward in my efforts to shine a light on the contributions of my community in the past and in the future,” said Charleen on Wednesday.
Councilman Sal Ferro also announced that he would be reappointing Charleen to the Town’s African American Historic Designation Council.
Pictured in photo, from left, Charleen’s brother Lawrence King, Councilman Sal Ferro, Charleen Francis, Charleen’s sister in law Sandy Lane, Charleen’s brother retired Supreme Court Judge Howard Lane, and Charleen’s 97-year-old mother Hilda Lane.
Huntington Town Supervisor Edmund J. Smyth, the Huntington Town Board, in their role as the Community Development Agency (CDA), and CDA Director Leah M. Jefferson will launch the distribution of COVID-19 at-home test kits at Manor Field Park, East 5th Street, Huntington Station on Monday, February 7 at 11 a.m.
The Huntington Community Development Agency will be distributing over 10,000 over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 test kits to Town of Huntington residents funded by the 2020 CARES Act Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) program.
Pre-registration is required. Recipients must be Town of Huntington residents and each household is eligible to receive up to four (4) OTC Rapid Result COVID-19 test kits. Apply online at huntingtonny.gov/covid-test-kits.
Hours of operation will be Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 9am to 2pm, Wednesdays from 3pm to 7pm, and Fridays from 1pm to 4pm, while supplies last. The distribution site will not be open on Federal holidays.
The Huntington Community Development Agency is also partnering with Value Drugs of Greenlawn to provide approximately 2,000 Town of Huntington residents an opportunity to receive a free onsite Rapid Results Antigen COVID-19 test. Onsite testing is available now to pre-registered residents. Apply at huntingtonny.gov/valuedrugscovid19testing to receive a voucher for a free test.Once approved, residents can schedule their appointment with Value Drugs. Tests will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Huntington CDA Chairman Ed Smyth stated, “These at-home test kits will provide Huntington families peace of mind that it is safe to gather and visit with at-risk family members.”
“Due to the recent spike in coronavirus cases, and with the demand of test kits outpacing the supply, the Town of Huntington and the Community Development Agency felt it was imperative that we address the issue,” said Leah M. Jefferson, Director of the Community Development Agency. “The Town has faced enough difficulties during the pandemic, and we are grateful for the generosity of Value Drugs which has allowed us to meet the demand for rapid testing, and ultimately keep our community safer.”
In September 2020, the Town of Huntington was awarded funding in the amount of $1,869,925 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to prepare for, respond to, and prevent the spread of coronavirus. This funding was made available through the Community Development Block Grant- Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) program. To date, this funding has been made available to businesses and individuals in the community who have been directly impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic, and to those community agencies that provide direct assistance to the residents of Huntington.
At their February 1 Community Development Agency meeting, the CDA Board authorized the distribution of 10,080 COVID-19 over-the-counter rapid tests to residents of the Town of Huntington purchased with $151,200 in CDBG-CV funds awarded in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the same meeting, the CDA Board also approved the execution of a contract with Value Drugs for the purpose of administering rapid COVID-19 tests to the residents of the Town of Huntington onsite at the Value Drugs at 106 Broadway in Greenlawn.
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