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Village Beacon Record

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File photo by Raymond Janis

First Amendment rights cannot be stopped

Legislator Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) believes that constituents can be controlled and silenced by offering candy as if they were 5 year olds. It’s insulting and degrading that grown adults who speak out against injustices and understand how to use their First Amendment rights to free speech are being silenced. 

No, Steve, a Life Saver isn’t going to make me stop speaking out against the draconian rules that [Suffolk] County passes that harm the public’s general welfare by turning the county police department against the Latino population. The presiding officer infringed and trampled on my First Amendment rights because he didn’t like what I said. 

Let’s face it, the appearance of senior women speaking at public meetings exercising a constitutional protection of free speech surrounded by fully armed sheriff’s officers is bad public relations for the legislative body in a democracy. 

Lisa Sevimli, Patchogue 

We do not need another freight station

I wholeheartedly agree with Frank Konop [Smithtown freight yard is a threat to our community,  [TBR News Media, Jan. 23] that the proposed Townline Rail Terminal will do more harm than good to residents of Smithtown township.  However, his attempt to link it to the wildfires in southern California is way off base.

This has nothing to do with “social justice policies.”  Regarding the California fires, it’s false that they were related in any way to redirecting reservoir water to save fish.  State reservoirs storing water for southern California are at or near record highs.

The elephant in the room is global warming.  Although it’s impossible to narrowly tie it directly to a particular disaster, it’s foolish to deny its role in the increasing prevalence of wildfires, droughts, floods and freak weather.  In March 2024 the Smokehouse Creek fire burned over one million acres in the Texas Panhandle, compared with more than 40,000 acres burned in California thru January 2025.  In October 2024 in Valencia, Spain, 232 people were killed by a year’s worth of rain falling in a few hours.  Right here in Smithtown we were hit by a “rain bomb” last August that destroyed Stony Brook Pond and Stump Pond and flooded town hall.  The Main Branch of Smithtown Library is still closed.

Getting back to the TRT, there are lots of questions.  This facility will be used not only to ship incinerator ash as well as construction and demolition debris off Long Island, but also to transport construction materials, vehicles and other undefined goods and commodities onto Long Island.  What limitations are there?  Will propane, heating oil or hazardous materials be among these commodities?  We don’t know.  What need is there for two transfer buildings, track to accommodate 161 freight cars and a fleet of 50 trucks if this facility will run only one 27-car train in and out per day as its sponsor claims?  Will the tracks become a magnet for illegal dumping, attracting rats and mosquitos?  TRT will undoubtedly have impacts beyond wrecking the Kings Park residential community it’s adjacent to, including the pollution emitted by the 1970s era diesel locomotives pulling all those freight cars. 

The culprit behind this misbegotten proposal is not “social justice policies” or the “Green New Deal,” but our own Smithtown Town Board, which unanimously railroaded it through (pun intended) every step of the way.  It’s now proposing to change town zoning code to add a new use called “rail freight terminal” to districts zoned Light Industrial, of which there are many, including Flowerfield, around town.  Flowerfield was once a Long Island Rail Road station with its own siding track. Could this rezoning affect the disposition of Flowerfield?  The Smithtown Town Board is supposed to protect the interests of Smithtown residents.  But apparently, they’re so sure of being reelected due to their party affiliation that they presume it’s safe to ignore overwhelming opposition to TRT from the community.  And who’s to say they’re wrong?

David Friedman, St. James

Presidency of Dr. Shirley Strum Kenny and Dr. Jack Marburger

As the former president of the Three Village/Stony Brook Soccer Club from 1990 to 2002 and 2010 to 2017, I read with great interest your article on the presidency of Dr. Shirley Strum Kenny and her impact upon the Three Village community. While Dr. Kenny’s support for the local community and especially our local soccer club was second to none, I do not want the article to give the impression, as I think it does, that her predecessor, Dr. Jack Marburger, was not interested in the local community and was only interested in the science aspect of the university. Nothing could be further from the truth, especially as it related to the development of the soccer complex next to the P lot at [Stony Brook] University.

Prior to our request to be able to develop the unused land for a variety of soccer fields, our local soccer club played all of their games at our local schools, forcing our children and families to go from one site to another, or be forced to miss their games. Upon our request to Dr. Marburger to be able to develop the fields, he played a major role in giving us permission to develop the property and ensuring our success even in the face of considerable opposition from the local neighbors and others. Knowing that such a complex would be of great benefit to the larger community, Dr. Marburger made sure that we received a permit from his office and in fact only charged the soccer club $1 a year for the use of the property. I think it is fair to say that without his support and understanding of what such a use would mean to the thousands of children and families in our community there would have been no soccer fields for our community to use on the university campus.

Upon her acceptance of her position, Dr. Kenny continued her support for the decision of Dr. Marburger with regard to the soccer fields, allowing the permit to continue for $1 a year and allowing the soccer club to build a multi-use building which contained both “real bathrooms” for our families as well as a concession stand. In addition she allowed for the soccer club to hold various outdoor and indoor tournaments on the campus, at no charge, including the major tournament on Long Island at that time, the Long Island Junior Soccer League championships. She was a frequent visitor to the fields on Sundays when over two thousand of our children played during the day. She made sure her staff was always supportive of our efforts to improve the complex and supported our efforts to gain a state grant which we did with the support of former State Senator Jim Lack and former State Assemblyman Steve Englebright.

Both Dr. Marburger and Dr. Kenny understood that Stony Brook University is more than just buildings and research. It is a community asset of the Three Villages and as such must be engaged with the local community in more ways that just selling tickets to various events. Unfortunately, neither of their two successors understood how a state university and a larger community must be engaged with each other, to the point where the soccer complex was taken over by the recreation department and charged the local soccer club over $100,000 each year for the ability of our local children to play soccer on land which had been developed by the local soccer club. Unfortunately they looked at the soccer fields solely as a money maker and not as a community benefit, to the point where they now charge for almost everything, significantly reduced the amount of time allotted for games and practices and have closed the building which was built for the benefit of our families.

While one may think that this is all history, it is not, especially as Stony Brook University engages once again in the selection of a new president. The selection committee and the SUNY Board of Trustees must understand that Stony Brook University must be part of the community, as promoted by both Dr. Kenny and Dr. Marburger, and not merely located in our community as made clear by their successors who gratefully have gone on to other places far from here. One would hope that the new president will understand and promote a concept of togetherness and mutual commitment to each other and not just what is good for the university. We hope that the history of what Dr. Kenny and Dr. Marburger accomplished will be the type of history which the new president will provide and not the type of history which their successors failed to provide. Our community is a better place to live when the university understands that it is part of the community and not just located here.

Mitchell H. Pally, Former President

Three Village Soccer Club

1992-2002; 2010-2017

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METRO photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

A few years ago, a friend of mine called the night before a major operation.

I could tell he was nervous. His usual, unflappable voice was weaker and unsteady, as if he weren’t sure how things would go and was reaching out for encouragement.

“There’s pretty much nothing you can do at this point,” I said. “You really don’t need to be sharp or focused or even attentive tomorrow. You better hope the doctor is getting plenty of rest and is at his best.”

“That’s true,” he laughed. “Maybe I should send over a good dinner or encourage him to go to bed early tonight.”

Doctors, like so many other people in other professions, deal with activities and routines that are unimaginable for the rest of us.

As a child, I watched my father slowly and carefully remove glass from the eyes of a construction worker who had been in an accident. I also sat in horror as he ate a steak just hours after being in surgery for most of the day to reconstruct the eye of a local patient who had suffered extensive trauma.

The medical world’s ability to get past the “ick” factor is pretty incredible. These professionals, on whom we rely for our overall health and for the health of our specific organs and systems, improve and extend our lives, offering the best of modern medicine to counteract the effect of bad habits, hidden genetic problems that can complicate and threaten our lives, and pathogens that cause damage and destruction.

Recently, I visited a urologist. If you’ve been reading this column long enough, you might recall that I’ve had kidney stones. These are exceptionally unpleasant, causing pain and vomiting, among other discomforts.

Long ago, I shuffled into an emergency room, bent over double from the pain. After I told the admitting nurse what was wrong, she didn’t even bother with paperwork or with taking my blood pressure. She immediately took me to a room, where another nurse almost instantly provided a painkiller. I am still grateful to them years later.

So, you see, I feel the need to monitor the health of this system to reduce the risk of future such episodes.

This year, I was meeting with a new urologist. I tried not to think about the parts that are unpleasant but that are much less problematic than a kidney stone.

He knocked politely on the door, as if he might have been delivering a dish of salmon with steamed vegetables and couscous.

Who is it? I was tempted to ask in a falsetto voice. What difference did it make? Anyone who knocked was coming in regardless of what I said.

He washed his hands – thankfully – sat down and asked me to tell him about myself.

“My health history?” I wondered.

“No, I mean, are you married, do you have kids, what do you do for a living?”

Well, I write about weird meetings like this. But enough about me, how do you do what you do? I wondered. No, I didn’t say that. I smiled and offered the 20 second tour of my life. 

We even chatted about the Yankees losing Juan Soto to the Mets. Would they be better or worse this year?

After he asked me about my health history, he told me to lower my pants and underwear and put my elbows on the examining table.

“You’re going to feel some pressure as I examine your prostate,” he said.

I thought of my dog, whose head is often in my lap or near my face when they probe parts of his body he’d just as soon no human ever touched. He makes a face I imagine was similar to mine at that moment. Shocked expressions transcend species.

Afterwards, the urologist smiled at me, gave me a quick assessment and told me he wished me and the Yankees well this year.

Later, I tried to imagine sitting at a meal with him, chatting in an airport waiting room, or standing outside the backstop of a softball field as we waited for the chance to hit.

I couldn’t do it. Routine as his work might be for him and necessary as it might be for me, I struggle to disconnect from an exam that is a routine part of his work.

But, hey, I’m not anticipating that either of us will call the other on our birthdays this year. I’m glad he’s there, doing his thing and hope not to need additional services.

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METRO photo

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief,
Publisher

The articles I’ve read recently call it “financial infidelity” and blame it on some percentage of all couples, but especially on Generation Z. “It” refers to hiding money from each other, or if not exactly hiding, then not sharing either the money itself or its existence. And since money seems to be the primary issue couples argue about over the long term, the question of how much to share is highly relevant to any relationship.

A survey by consumer financial services firm Bankrate indicated that 67 percent of 18 to 28- year-olds hide money information from each other in committed relationships. That drops to 54 percent of millennials, 33 percent of Gen Xers and 30 percent of baby boomers, according to Newsweek. For some reason, older than baby boomers aren’t in the survey. I can try to offer that perspective since I am in the older group.

“Hidden debts, undisclosed spending, or secret accounts can, as well as undermining a partner’s trust, disrupt shared financial plans, such as saving for a home, retirement or children’s education, causing long-term financial strain,” according to the article.

Some 40 percent of couples in the United States have kept secrets from each other about money, according to the study involving 2217 adults. These secrets may include spending more than a partner would approve of (33 percent), keeping hidden debt (23 percent), having a secret credit card (12 percent), a secret savings account (15 percent), or a secret checking account (13 percent).

Yet these figures exist despite 45 percent of those surveyed disapproving of what is termed financial infidelity and even equating it with actual unfaithfulness. If a secret financial situation is discovered, it tends to disrupt the trust that relationships are built upon and perhaps cause speculation over what else might be hidden 

One senior industry analyst, Ted Rossman, maintains, “Money secrets can undermine a relationship. It’s hard enough to meet your financial goals when you are pulling in the same direction. It’s almost impossible when you’re pulling in opposite directions.” 

Rossman goes on to say that being open about your finances doesn’t mean you need to combine all your money. A yours-mine-ours is a possible arrangement for those who feel more comfortable that way.

Despite the importance of money in a marriage or committed relationship, half a century ago, when I was married, money was the last thing on our minds. We were entirely caught up in the romance and didn’t consider the business aspect of lifetime coupling. So when the time came to buy a house, my husband and I counted our pennies and came up a little short for the down payment on the mortgage.

“I’ll take a loan from the bank, using my stocks as collateral,” I said.

“Stocks?” he responded with surprise.

“Yes, I think I have just enough to bridge the difference between our savings and what we need,” I said. “I have been buying a couple of shares of stocks each year with my allowance since I was a child,” I explained. 

It had never occurred to me to tell my husband. Needless to say, he was delighted to discover this mysterious side of me. Marriage arrangements were traditional at that time. The husband was the breadwinner, the wife the homemaker. The husband’s paychecks went into a joint bank account and  both drew from that account for expenses. 

Husbands may have laughed at the saying, “What’s mine is hers and what’s hers is hers,” but they subscribed to it. What we brought to the marriage financially was of little concern since we were young and generally without any serious assets, and we didn’t think of pooling those. We wives were advised then, in women’s magazines for example, to keep a little stash on the side for personal expenditures that needn’t be discussed.

Many couples are older now when they marry, and both work, thus the landscape is different. So I don’t know what to advise. Maybe that’s why we elders weren’t polled.

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The compound built by Roberts Premier on protected Pine Barrens land.

New York Attorney General Letitia James and the Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission (Pine Barrens Commission) on Jan. 27  filed a lawsuit against Long Island developer David Roberts and his company, Roberts Premier Development, LLC (Roberts Premier), for removing trees and vegetation to construct a commercial cabinetry and woodworking business on protected Pine Barrens land in Manorville without proper approval.

The Pine Barrens are located on top of Long Island’s largest source of drinking water, and their preservation is necessary to ensure residents’ access to clean water. Roberts damaged 13,000 square feet of this land by clearing natural vegetation and grading soil to build a 5,500 square foot commercial barn without authorization from the Pine Barrens Commission, harming the Pine Barrens’ delicate ecosystem. With this lawsuit, Attorney General James and the Pine Barrens Commission seek to require Roberts to remove the barn and associated infrastructure, restore the property to its previous state, and pay civil penalties for the destruction he caused.

“Long Island’s Pine Barrens are one of New York’s most precious environmental treasures, and we are committed to protecting it,” said Attorney General James. “Preserving this land is critical to the health of Long Island’s drinking water. Any bad actor that takes action to harm our protected lands must be held accountable. I am grateful to the Commission for their partnership and look forward to continuing our work together to ensure the Pine Barrens are preserved for generations to come.”

“We’re happy to partner with Attorney General James in this action against Roberts Premier Development. There’s a reason the Long Island Pine Barrens Protection Act included a Comprehensive Land Use Plan that has for three decades guided land use in this spectacular region,” said Central Pine Barrens Commission Executive Director Judith Jakobsen. “It’s because there’s a place for development in the Central Pine Barrens and a place for ecological preservation. When someone breaks the rules, they should suffer the consequences.”

The Long Island Central Pine Barrens is a 106,000-acre natural area in Suffolk County that is home to some of New York’s greatest ecological diversity, including many endangered or threatened animal and plant species. In 1993, New York adopted the Long Island Pine Barrens Protection Act, which established the Pine Barrens Commission to safeguard the Pine Barrens and develop and oversee a comprehensive land use plan for the area. The Act designated 55,000 acres of the Pine Barrens as a core preservation area and specified that any entity seeking to engage in development activities such as clearing, excavation, or construction in the area must apply for and receive a waiver from the Pine Barrens Commission.

Roberts Premier acquired a four-acre Pine Barrens property in Manorville, Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County in July 2022. The property falls within a residential zoning district that strictly prohibits any non-residential use of land. In August 2022, Roberts applied for a permit from the town to build a new 5,500 square foot barn but did not apply for any waiver from the Pine Barrens Commission for its planned clearing, excavation, and construction on protected Pine Barrens land. Before hearing back from the town on his building permit application, Roberts moved forward with the project, clearing vegetation, grading the land, and fully constructing a new barn. Roberts was issued a building permit on November 28, 2022.

In March 2023, the town alerted the Pine Barrens Commission that approximately 13,000 square feet of natural vegetation had been removed from Roberts’ property and that a new barn had been constructed in its place. By this time, Roberts Premier had added storage containers, which are not permitted in residential districts, and set up parking areas and paved roadways on the protected land. The Commission discovered in June 2023 that a custom cabinetry and millwork business, Green Leaf Cabinet Corp., had set up a website citing the Pine Barrens property as its business address and included a map directing potential customers to the newly constructed barn.In April 2023, the Pine Barrens Commission issued a Notice of Violation to Roberts and Roberts Premier, stating that the company had engaged in prohibited conduct by building the new barn for non-residential use and clearing Pine Barrens land without authorization. In June 2023, the Commission inspected the property and found extensive evidence that Roberts was conducting a commercial carpentry business on the property, including industrial-grade manufacturing woodworking equipment and machinery, commercial-grade power supply, construction equipment, and industrial-grade HVAC equipment.

The lawsuit seeks to mandate the removal of the unauthorized structure and associated infrastructure and require the development and implementation of a restoration plan for the affected land under the Commission’s supervision. Attorney General James is also seeking civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation and $1,000 for each day the violations persist. The lawsuit follows unsuccessful attempts to negotiate a resolution with Roberts Premier and Roberts.

This matter was handled for the Pine Barrens Commission by Executive Director Judith Jakobsen, Pine Barrens Manager Julie Hargrave, Enforcement Officer Frank Carbone, and Counsel John C. Milazzo.

This matter was handled for OAG by Assistant Attorney General Abigail Katowitz-Liu and Section Chief Elizabeth Morgan of the Environmental Protection Bureau under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Monica Wagner. The Environmental Protection Bureau is led by Bureau Chief Lemuel M. Srolovic and is part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

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Charlie Pace banks two for the Kingsmen. Photo by Bill Landon
Jay Paul Verme scores for Kings Park. Photo by Bill Landon
JJ Joyce drives the baseline for the Kingsmen. Photo by Bill Landon
Charlie Pace drains a 3 pointer for the Kingsmen. Photo by Bill Landon
Justin Sandstedt plows his way to the basket in a road game against Shoreham-Wading River. Photo by Bill Landon
Rebound. Photo by Bill Landon
Battle in the paint. Photo by Bill Landon
Battle in the paint. Photo by Bill Landon
Jay Paul Verme scores for Kings Park. Photo by Bill Landon
Jay Paul Verme scores for Kings Park. Photo by Bill Landon
Justin Sandstedt plows his way to the basket in a road game against Shoreham-Wading River. Photo by Bill Landon
Joe Goetz lets a 3-pointer fly for Kings Park. Photo by Bill Landon
Aiden Reilly shoots from the corner for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Zach Makarewicz lays up for two Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Tyler Lievre takes flight for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Zach Makarewicz drives the lane for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

The Kings Park boys basketball squad mashed the gas pedal from the opening tip-off and never lifted it in a road game against the Wildcats of Shoreham-Wading Friday afternoon. Jan. 17. 

The Kingsmen, protecting a 12-point lead coming out of the halftime break, never looked back scoring the Wildcats in the third quarter before Kings Park head coach Chris Rube rested most of his starters and flushed the bench, cruising to a 50-33 victory in the League VI contest.

Justin Sandstedt led the way for the Kingsmen scoring 12 points along with teammate Jay Paul Verme who netted 10. 

The win lifts the Kingsmen to 6-2 holding on to  second place in the league standings while the loss drops the Wildcats to 3-6

— Photos by Bill Landon

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From left, Tracy Rannazzisi (Josie’s granddaughter), Celeste Santini (Josie’s daughter), Councilwoman Bonner, Josie Romano, Supervisor Panico, and Andrea Giampaolo (Josie’s daughter). Photo courtesy of Dan Panico's Facebook
Councilwoman Bonner and Supervisor Panico stand next to Josie Romano. Photo courtesy Town of Brookhaven

On Jan. 15, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico (R) and Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point) helped to celebrate the 100th birthday of Rocky Point resident, Josie Romano at the Rose Caracappa Senior Center in Mount Sina

Josie was born on January 15, 1925, in Harlem, and was raised in the Bronx. She married Louis Romano in 1946 and together they raised three kids – Celeste, Andrea, and Stephen – and now enjoy 7 grandkids and 10 great grandkids.
Josie spent her younger years delighting audiences across the country with her marionette puppets, did celebrity impersonations, tap danced, and taught line dancing at senior centers up until she was 95 years of age, including at the Rose Caracappa Senior Center.
A longtime volunteer at St. Anthony’s thrift store since 1987, she also cooked meals for seniors at the Sons of Italy and is a beloved part of the community, known for her grace, kindness, and dedication.

Asked what her secret was to such a long life, Josie said, “I love to eat, and once in a while a little drink, when I feel good. That’s about it, and I love to dance.”

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Pixabay photo

On Jan. 19, the popular social media platform, TikTok, displayed an error screen, halting many of the app’s 150 million American users’ mid-scroll. “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now,” the screen read. “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.” 

TikTok is owned by the Chinese internet company ByteDance and gained prominence on an international scale in 2017. Its Chinese ownership caused former President Joe Biden to sign a law dictating that if TIkTok weren’t sold to an American company, then it would be banned from American devices, leading to the error message. 

This isn’t the first time TikTok was under threat of a ban, but it is the first time it has gotten this far. TikTok users across the country closed their apps for what they thought was the last time, reflecting on how the app fits into their lives, and how it will change their future habits. 

TikTok was out of commission for 12 hours, giving many Americans a chance to contemplate its absence. Were we glad that the icon was no longer on our phone screens, tempting us to click on it? Or, did we regret that we didn’t have the breadth of advice, entertainment and information it avails? 

The app offers endless opportunities, giving platforms to anyone who creates an account. Many small-business owners, artists, song-writers, comedians, food-bloggers, musicians and book-reviewers gained a foothold in their industry by joining the expanding ranks of “Tiktok influencers.” Numerous current professionals, especially creatives, used the short-form videos to their advantage. Lil Nas X, the recipient of two Grammy Awards, is one of the most notable artists who gained popularity by advertising his song on the app. 

However, the very draw of the app–representation of a wide range of communities, allowing anyone to have a platform–can be contorted to manipulate the user’s perspective on reality. Besides the constant risk of spreading inaccurate information, the sheer amount of content can be anxiety-inducing. Literally swiping away anything distressing can condense a person’s world, the specialized “For You Page,” an echo-chamber. The casual, friendly videos can become a crutch, with scrolling from video to video becoming less of a conscious action and more of a comforting, self-soothing habit. 

During those hours without TikTok as an active factor shaping our view, we were given the distance needed to evaluate its place retrospectively in our lives. Did we use it when we were bored? Stressed? Angry? Why and when will we miss it? Taking healthy breaks provides the unaffected clarity to make these determinations. 

TikTok is back for now–President Trump issued a 90-day extension for ByteDance to sell–but let’s use the temporary ban as an opportunity to examine our social media usage.

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File photo by Raymond Janis

Smithtown freight yard is a threat to our community

As a 75-year resident of our beautiful community, it saddens me to see Smithtown is moving ahead on the freight yard proposal by Toby Carlson.  Like California, you are adopting the law of unintended consequences. In the effort to pursue the “Green New Deal” they ignored the well-being and safety of their citizens. Reservoir water was redirected to save fish, fire budgets were cut and brush in county parks was left to grow contrary to state laws. All of this was to improve social justice policies. If a freight yard is the answer to our garbage needs, this is not the place for it, adjacent to a residential and historic area.

While the tragedy California is dealing with was never anticipated by the politicians, the dangers were all too apparent. So too, the terrible record of freight train derailments and toxic spills have put adjacent communities at risk and caused many tragedies throughout the country. While this is a real possibility, what is a certainty is that our home values, quality of life and water aquifer will all be negatively impacted. Just as California turned a blind eye to brush removal laws for many years, Smithtown has ignored the many code violations on Old Northport Road. Clearly, California has subordinated their community safety in pursuit of an alternative agenda. This should not happen here.Elected officials should protect and preserve our communities.

For 30 years I served with the Fort Salonga Association as director and president. We worked  to protect our zoning, establish  Bread and Cheese as an historic Road and identify many homes dating back to the American Revolution. To undermine our efforts, damage our quality of life and impact our property values is a betrayal of our trust. There are better places for a freight yard than 150 feet away from residential homes. Please protect our community!

Frank Konop

Smithtown

Sergeant-at-arms can protect without weapons

At the Suffolk County Legislature’s Organizational Meeting on Jan. 2, I suggested appointing a sergeant-at-arms for future meetings. As an employee of the Legislature that individual would be responsible for ensuring that all in attendance follow protocols. Helping to escort guest dignitaries such as the Suffolk County executive into the auditorium to address the legislators when they are in session would also be a job requirement. Despite the words “sergeant” and “arms” in the title, that person would not be a law enforcement officer and would not carry any weapons.

My request was prompted by events at two General Meetings last year when a member of the public who was speaking was asked by the presiding officer to not provocatively say “your base is racist.” These uncomfortable moments quickly overheated when the presiding officer determined it appropriate to request deputy sheriff officers who are present at the General Meetings to escort the speaker out of the hearing room. Witnessing law enforcement officers with loaded guns on their person being instructed to remove constituents is concerning as such circumstances have the potential to quickly and unpredictably escalate.

During my tenure as a New York State assemblyman, I observed that Legislature’s sergeant-at-arms routinely offering potential disruptors a piece of candy from a bowl he kept at his desk. This literally sweet gesture would provide an opportunity for de-escalation and, in turn, maintain the required decorum to continue with a safe and effective legislative meeting. It also demonstrates that the individual who is the sergeant-at-arms can function as an antidote to disharmony and an instrument of civility. The Suffolk County Legislature should make use of this tool to add both a buffer against immoderate moments and add to the procedural dignity of the chamber.

Steve Englebright

Suffolk County Legislator

Fifth District

Keep the town code, keep out freight terminals

We are writing to express the opposition of our members to the proposed changes to the

[Smithtown] Town Code – as written – that would permit rail freight terminals, rail transfer stations and wood chipping and mulch processing in Smithtown. The proposals as written make no sense and should not be enacted.

Although increased capacity for the transportation of ash from waste-to-energy plants and construction and demolition debris (“C&D”) off Long Island likely will become a necessity, we believe that as drafted, the proposed code changes are misguided, overbroad and frankly, unrealistic.

The most surprising aspect of the proposal is that a special exception could be granted for any ofthese uses on parcels as little as two acres. Likewise, we are surprised that the proposal includes the possibility that a rail freight terminal could be permitted in a light industry zone anywhere in Town. Since the proposed amendments would affect the entire Town, they could have negative impacts in any community where in ustrially zoned properties exist, including the Mills Pond National Historic District and the Flowerfield property.

For the past four years, the community has been working with the State Department of Environmental Conservation and Suffolk County to preserve the undeveloped 48-acre portion of the Gyrodyne/Flowerfield property, which is the last remaining open space in St. James. The State and County are closer than ever to a purchase that would compensate Gyrodyne fairly for its land. Supervisor Wehrheim, you have expressed to the DEC that the Town has no objection to the State’s proposal to acquire the property using Environmental Protection Funds. However, the proposed code changes, as written, could jeopardize the goal of preserving Flowerfield Fairgrounds as open space.

While the current Town Board might not allow a rail terminal on the Gyrodyne/Flowerfield property, future Town Boards could do so if the code changes before you are approved. The proposed code amendments would be antithetical to the broad explicit goal established in the Town’s new Comprehensive Plan to protect the character of residential communities like St. James. Even if the minimum required parcel size was increased to 100 acres, the proposals should not be enacted, for the following reasons.

Permission to create a rail freight terminal “used for the temporary staging and/or storage of commodities, consumer products or equipment” transported via rail at the Gyrodyne/Flowerfield site would require the addition not only of railroad tracks and storage facilities, but would also of necessity generate daily heavy truck traffic on Mills Pond Road, North Country Road and Stony Brook Road, all of which are narrow, two-lane country roads.

In sworn testimony at the 2010 eminent domain trial Gyrodyne’s own planning and zoning expert testified that getting traffic in and out of the Gyrodyne site is problematic because it is remote from major roadways, and that the property therefore could not accommodate the additional traffic that would accompany more industrial development. The level of traffic on nearby roadways under current conditions is rated as failing, which was a major impetus for the legal challenge against approval of the Gyrodyne subdivision, still pending. The proposed code amendments would allow this property to potentially be developed for uses that would be even more objectionable than those proposed by Gyrodyne in its subdivision proposal.

Another significant issue to be considered is the limited capacity of rail infrastructure in the Town of Smithtown. The Port Jefferson Branch of the Long Island Rail Road is served by a busy single commuter track and is ill-suited to the addition of rail freight.

There are numerous other locations in Suffolk County which are more suitable for use as rail freight terminals to facilitate the expansion of transportation of ash and construction and demolition materials (C&D) off Long Island.

Head of the Harbor Neighborhood Preservation Coalition

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Pixabay photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

The back to back days of pardons given by former president Joe Biden and current president Donald Trump put me in a pardoning frame of mind.

In that vein, I think we should have a national day of pardoning in the United States, unrelated to who is president and what those pardons might reflect about the taint politics has on the entire notion of a justice system whose rules can and should apply to all.

Perhaps the day after the inauguration should become a day of amnesty or for some sort of pardoning day, when we can ask for and receive pardons from regular folks for regular offenses.

Here are a few pardonable categories:

Inaction: We sometimes have those moments when we could or should say something and don’t. We see someone bullying someone else and we have the chance to stand up for that person. Instead, maybe we’re relieved that the bullying didn’t come directly at us.

Many years ago in college, one of my professors (and some of you may have read this anecdote before, so pardon me) was berating someone for trying to remove some equipment quietly from the room. He shouted at him and dressed him down, complaining that this other person was making it impossible for him to do his job.

At the time, I thought about getting out of my seat and leaving the room, but I didn’t. I could have helped the person doing the work, or, perhaps, have said something.

Funny is in the eye of the beholder: We sometimes think, hope or believe we’re funnier than we are. Maybe we make a friend or classmate uncomfortable, joke with a partner or invalidate someone else with words we think are more clever than they are. A pardon day could give us a chance to rephrase what we said or, instead of explaining it or editing it, just deleting it from the record. Wouldn’t that be nice? Pardon me for trying too hard to be amusing and missing the mark so badly. Can’t you just see that on a card or in a text?

We thought we knew better: How often have our parents suggested something, like wearing boots in the snow, putting on mittens in the cold, or doing our homework instead of praying for a snow day, and been right? Perhaps an amnesty day would give us a chance to admit that they were right and, in return, they could ask for our pardon for telling the same stories about our stubborn and self-assured nature.

Last teammates: Gym class is filled with opportunities for embarrassment, discomfort and failure. We might let a ball scoot by us, run the wrong way or pass to the wrong teammate. But those pale in comparison to the moment when someone is picked last, yet again. These character-building experiences can and should include moments when the people chosen last defy the odds and receive a welcoming and eager reaction from a captain or teammates.

Understanding instead of anger: It’s easy to react to someone’s angry, abrupt or inexplicable actions with frustration and hostility. Why didn’t this person answer a text or email? Why did he or she cut me off? We can ask for a pardon and perhaps get a better understanding of why someone wouldn’t let us finish a sentence.

Ears not mouth: Sometimes, we need a pardon for speaking instead of listening. Speaking is so much easier, as we can share whatever thoughts are percolating in our brains. Listening is often harder, but can be more rewarding and meaningful for people who have something to share. Pardon me for speaking. What did you want to say? I promise I’m listening.

Bad math moment: Maybe we were splitting a check, leaving a tip or returning the favor for a gift someone gave our children and yet, somehow we didn’t send/ spend enough. We’ve all been distracted at inopportune times, even with money. A pardon for under-tipping a hard working waiter or waitress might go a long way. 

Sharing poorly: On a recent vacation, I went up to a buffet, filled a plate with chocolate chip cookies and carried them through the restaurant. A child in the restaurant pointed and said, “Look it’s the real cookie monster.” Yes, that’s me. So, for all those times I didn’t exactly share well, pardon me.

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By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief,
Publisher

There is a place called Ramsey, where they have banned cellphones during class. Perhaps you have heard of it? It’s in New Jersey. Ramsey High School has banned students from using cellphones and electronic devices during school hours, except at lunch. The idea was to reduce distractions and improve mental health.

No doubt you have been reading or hearing about how cellphone overuse is ruining our kids’ moods and minds, not to mention how hard it is for teachers to reach the students if the latter are plastered on their cellphone screens. 

Well, a San Francisco company called Yondr has stepped into the breech with a lockable pouch for each student that keeps phones out of reach until the pouch is tapped on an unlocking base.

There are 741 students in the high school, and upon entering the building they put their  cellphone into the small holders that they carry with them but cannot open until lunchtime. They can then check their messages, text with friends, play videos, and otherwise use their phones until they return to class, where the procedure repeats itself. At the end of the school day, they reclaim their phones and can jump back on them as they go home or wherever they go next.

How did they do it? 

The district was able to put the policy together, after board approval, by sending three letters: one to parents, one to students and one to teachers and administrators, explaining the program. Communication was good, and the policy was helped by New Jersey’s Governor Phil Murphy endorsing the idea for all 600 school districts in his State of the State address.

How is it working for them?

Many of the students have responded positively to the change. They point out that they are actually happy to see their friends in the hallways and talk with them, whereas before, they were all in their cellphones while changing classrooms. So better socializing has been a plus.

Grades have improved, according to some of the students and teachers, as student attention is now directed to the lessons. Teachers undoubtedly find it more satisfying to teach less distracted kids. And cyberbullying seems reduced.

Concerns about safety have subdued. Should emergency messages need to be sent, having clear bandwidth to the police or whomever would be an advantage. The investment for the district was $30,000.

UNESCO is advocating cellphone bans in schools, arguing that the devices are distractions from learning, are bad for teens’ mental health and may be an obstacle for students’ privacy, as some digital education tools can survey the children using them. The recommendations come from the 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report, which analyzes global policies on technology use in classrooms.

“Only technology that has a clear role in supporting learning should be allowed in school,” the United Nations agency for education and science stated, according to the publication, Global News. 

In fact, one in four countries has already implemented full or partial cellphone bans in schools, according to the report. “Incoming notifications or the mere proximity of a mobile device can be a distraction, resulting in students’ losing their attention from the task at hand,” the report states. One study showed  it can take students up to 20 minutes to refocus on learning once their attention was drawn away.

Data from a 2018 study showed that young people 11-14 on average spent 9 hours in front of a screen, down a bit to 7.5 hours for 15-18 year-olds. The report further pointed to an American study that showed higher screen time was associated with “poorer well-being; less curiosity, self-control and emotional stability; higher anxiety; and depression diagnoses.”

If this has a familiar ring to it, for those of a certain age, the same concerns were expressed in the early years of television. How did we deal with the problem? 

Less television.

P.S. Just woke up yesterday to learn that Gov. Hochul is advocating the same idea. She must have heard of Ramsey.

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