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New trustee uses policy committee role to suggest better student accommodations

Smithtown Trustee Jeremy Thode is one of the newest members of the school board. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

The Smithtown board of education has decided to look into adopting policy for transgender students.

School board Trustee Jeremy Thode introduced the issue at the board meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Thode is a chairperson for the policy committee and said he thinks the board needs to start looking into this issue. He said that at some point in the near future the policy committee would try to obtain language for a policy on transgender students.

“It’s important to ensure that all students are accounted for,” Thode said. “So that they understand what their rights are.”

Thode said that this is purely the beginning and that there are not many other details currently about how the board will approach adopting local policy for transgender students.

New York State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia has had transgender issues in her sights since she first took office in May.

Elia released the Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Guidance Document in July to public school districts throughout New York State.

According to a press release from the New York State Education office, the document is intended to help districts foster an educational environment safe and free from discrimination for transgender and nonconforming students.

It includes information to help districts comply with federal, state and local laws concerning bullying, harassment, discrimination and student privacy.

“All students need a safe and supportive school setting to progress academically and developmentally,” Elia said. “We have a moral responsibility to foster civility in our schools, and to ensure that every student has equal access to educational programs and activities.”

This document also provides guidance on using pronouns and handling issues like restroom and changing room use. It will complement existing resources like the Dignity for All Students Act that was signed into law in 2010. DASA seeks to provide New York State’s public elementary and secondary students with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment and bullying on school property, a school bus and at school functions.

Smithtown school district Superintendent James Grossane recently renewed coordinators for this act throughout the school district. 

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We’re on the case
Police said an unidentified person stole an iPhone case from the Walmart at the Centereach Mall on Oct. 18 around 1:15 p.m.

Narcissistic steal
An unidentified person entered a residence on Narcissus Road in Rocky Point and stole jewelry from the bedroom on Oct. 18, between 2 and 9 a.m.

Hear me roar
An 18-year-old man from Stony Brook was charged with disorderly conduct and damaging property on Oct. 16 after police said he yelled and threatened people nearby and punched a glass window. The incident and arrest took place at a residence on Main Street.

Capt. Underpants
Police charged a 34-year-old woman from Southold with burglary and illegal entry with intent on Oct. 18, after the woman entered the Kohl’s on Route 25A in Rocky Point and stole men’s underwear. Police arrested the woman at the scene 15 minutes after the incident.

A burglary not Selden seen
On Oct. 15 at 3:56 a.m., an unidentified person entered someone else’s residence on Middle Country Road in Selden and stole cash. Police did not say if the person broke into the home or found another means of entering the property.

On the fence
Around Oct. 15, someone broke the fence and an adjacent gutter of the Tierney & Tierney law office in Port Jefferson Station.

Bottling it up
The Suffolk County Police Department said an unidentified person was hit in the head with a bottle at Schafer’s restaurant in Port Jefferson. The incident happened around 2:50 a.m. on Oct. 17.

It’s in the bag
On Oct. 17 around 5 p.m. a woman left her purse unattended at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson and it was stolen.

Thank you very Munch
Police said an unidentified person broke the front glass window of the Munch Repair Service on North Country Road in Stony Brook on Oct. 15 and stole change and cigars.

Put it on my cart
Suffolk County police arrested a 54-year-old woman and a 48-year-old woman for petit larceny on Oct. 15, after police said these two women from Middle Island walked into the Walmart in Setauket and attempted to steal a shopping cart of various items. The 48-year-old was walking with the cart while the 54-year-old was placing items into it as they attempted to leave the store.

Out of control
Suffolk County police said that on Oct. 16 a 17-year-old male from Port Jefferson Station was found in possession of narcotics. The teen was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Don’t sweat it
Police arrested a 29-year-old man from East Setauket for petit larceny on Oct. 18, about a month after the man took a knife and sweatpants from a business on Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook.

It wasn’t me
A 45-year-old man from Ronkonkoma was arrested on Oct. 16 for unlicensed operation of a vehicle. The man was driving a 1998 Chevrolet down Nesconset Highway when he was pulled over for an unknown reason. According to police, he was also in criminal possession of a controlled substance and gave the officer a fake identity.

Needle in hand
A 34-year-old man from Hauppauge was arrested at 12:50 a.m. on Oct. 17 after police said he had a hypodermic needle in his hand while sitting in a 2001 Nissan at Miller Pond State Park in Smithtown. He was charged with possession of a hypodermic instrument.

Broken windows
It was reported that a window of a building was broken at Blydenburgh County Park in Smithtown on the property at 11 a.m. on Oct. 16

Stealing from a friend
A 52-year-old woman from East Northport was arrested at the 4th Precinct on Oct. 16 at 7:30 a.m. for a crime committed at an earlier time. According to police she stole clothing valuing more than $3,000 between June 1 and Sept. 11 from someone. She was charged with third-degree grand larceny.

Skates and stealth
Someone reported that while they were roller-skating in Robert A. Brady Park in Smithtown they left their wallet on a bench and it was taken between 4 and 5 p.m. on Oct. 16.

Trying to Dodge the incident
On Oct. 15 a 33-year-old man from Central Islip was arrested at Townline Road in Kings Park at 6 p.m. for a crime committed at an earlier date. Police said on Sept. 22 he was driving a 2002 Dodge pickup truck at the corner of Old Commack Road and Old Northport Road in Kings Park when he hit another car and fled the scene at 4:15 p.m. He was charged with leaving the scene of incident and property damage. 

Fire department heats up
A man was punched in the face at the Smithtown Fire Department at 7:40 p.m. on Oct. 15.

Fight on Pine
A 49-year-old man from Kings Park was arrested at his house on Oct. 13 at 5:22 p.m. for punching a man in the face on Pine Street in St. James on Oct. 3 at 1 p.m. according to police. He was charged with third-degree assault with intent to cause physical injury.

Ladies don’t get in this Mercedes
It was reported that all four tires and rims of a 2015 Mercedes on Smithtown Boulevard in Nesconset were stolen between 10 p.m. on Oct. 15 and 8 a.m. on Oct. 16.

Outside the lines
Police said a 55-year-old man from Westbrook was failing to maintain his lane on Mayfair Terrace in Commack at 9:40 p.m. on Oct. 16 and was pulled over. He was charged with driving while intoxicated.

Five-finger shopping spree
A 43-year-old woman from Ronkonkoma was arrested after police said she stole clothing from multiple stores on Oct. 14 including clothes from Sears on Jericho Turnpike in Commack at 1 p.m. and clothes from TJ Maxx on Jericho Turnpike in Commack at 4:50 p.m. She was charged with petit larceny.

Drunken speeding
On Oct. 17 a 43-year-old woman from Ronkonkoma was arrested after police said she was speeding on the Long Island Expressway by Exit 51 in a 2013 Toyota RAV4. She was arrested at 10:17 p.m. and was charged with driving while intoxicated.

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Highway Superintendent Glenn Jorgensen patches a pothole in the Town of Smithtown as another highway department staffer looks on. File photo by Rachel Shapiro

Smithtown Highway Superintendent Glenn Jorgensen (R) has resigned and pleaded guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges in a scheme to alter road-repaving records from last year.

Jorgensen, 63, pleaded guilty in New York State Supreme Court in Riverhead on Thursday, Oct. 15, to a felony charge of offering a false instrument for filing and a misdemeanor charge of official misconduct as part of a plea deal with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.

He will be sentenced on Dec. 11 to four months of jail but will serve an alternative sentence in lieu of jail of 570 hours of community service, and will receive three years probation, according to Robert Clifford, spokesman for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.

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

Vecchio’s office confirmed that Jorgensen resigned from his position as of Friday, Oct. 16.

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

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

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

“State Department of Transportation construction standards dictate asphalt must not be applied to a road surface in freezing temperatures, and in fact, the town’s own engineer has said repaving in freezing weather would result in the asphalt falling apart,” Spota said in an April statement. “The repaving of a residential street doesn’t happen that often and when it does, residents are paying for a job done correctly, not a faulty repaving that will soon need pothole repair work.”

Supervisor Pat Vecchio (R) has said he felt Jorgensen should resign from his post amid the slew of accusations.

“It is a sad occurrence and I will have no comment other than I have sympathy for Mr. Jorgensen and his family,” Vecchio said in an email on Tuesday morning.

Jorgensen had also been accused of sexual harassment involving his former secretary. The town was issued a notice of claim alleging he sexually harassed her in December. The claim also alleged he had taken her out to job sites, out to eat and eventually fired her after finding out she was dating an employee of the highway department. Earlier this year, Vecchio publicly called Jorgensen out for taking his new secretary out to job sites, going against the Suffolk County Civil Service’s job description for the position.

“It seems to me that you are either not comprehending why the position exists, you have a disregard for civil service law or you are mocking the town board and the public,” Vecchio said of Jorgensen bringing his new secretary to the job site in April.

Smithtown Democratic Committee Chairman Ed Maher also called for Jorgensen’s resignation in April, and said it was an outrage that the taxpayers were funding his salary.

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

Jorgensen’s attorney could not be reached for comment this week.

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Caught trespassing
An 18-year-old man from Smithtown was arrested on Oct. 11 after police said he entered a resident’s home without their consent at 4:45 a.m. on Judges Lane in Village of the Branch. He was charged with second-degree criminal trespassing.

The man with the lead pipe
Police said an 18-year-old man from Copiague made threats with a lead pipe to a person on Apple Lane in Commack on Oct. 8. He was arrested at 6:47 p.m. and charged with second-degree menacing with a weapon.

Ay yai yai in the Hyundai
On Oct. 8 police said a 45-year-old man from Yaphank operated a 2012 Hyundai on Ronkonkoma Avenue in Smithtown, hitting a 2015 Ford and then fleeing the scene. He was arrested at 12:20 a.m. and charged with third-degree fleeing from an officer in a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of a crime with property damage.

Sticky fingers at Walmart
A 32-year-old female from Bayshore was arrested after police said she took health items and clothing from Walmart on Crooked Hill Road in Commack on Oct. 9. She was arrested at 12:12 p.m. and charged with petit larceny.

St. James DWI arrest
On Oct. 8 a 43-year-old man from St. James was arrested after police said he was driving drunk. He was driving a 2006 Dodge Charger on Route 111 in Smithtown at 8:30 p.m. and hit a pedestrian. He was charged with driving while intoxicated.

Can’t maintain a lane
Police said a 28-year-old woman from Smithtown was driving drunk at 1:26 a.m. on Oct. 11. She was arrested on Jericho Turnpike in Commack after failing to maintain her lane while driving a 2011 Nissan and swerving into other lanes, according to police. She was charged with driving while intoxicated.

Shattered glass
At Oriental Kitchen on Smithtown Boulevard in Nesconset it was reported that someone smashed the glass front door and stole money at 10:15 p.m. on Oct. 8.

Documents gone
A resident of Tracklot Road in Nissequogue said that someone entered his or her locked 2006 Volvo and stole documents from a bag at 11:45 p.m. on Oct. 9.

Afternoon cocktails
Suffolk County police arrested a 46-year-old woman from Coram for driving while ability impaired. Police said the woman was driving west on Nesconset Highway in Port Jefferson Station on the afternoon of Oct. 9 when she crashed her 2001 Hyundai into another vehicle. Police discovered she was intoxicated and arrested her at the scene.

Rock it out
A 22-year-old woman from Miller Place was arrested for criminal mischief after she caused more than $250 worth of damage to a 2014 Honda. Police said she struck the left side of the car with a rock on Sept. 28 on Long Beach Drive in Sound Beach and was arrested on Oct. 11 on the same street.

Stolen Chevy
On Oct. 10, police arrested a 20-year-old Sound Beach man on Miller Place Road in Miller Place for possession of a stolen car. According to police, the 2014 Chevrolet, which was parked, had been reported stolen.

Busted
A 50-year-old woman from Rocky Point was arrested on Oct. 11 for petit larceny after she entered the Kohl’s on Route 25A in Rocky Point and took a bra without paying. Police arrested the woman at the scene shortly afterward.

Nailed it
A 22-year-old man from Holtsville was charged with petit larceny on Oct. 9, after the man took a nail gun from a business on Pond Path in Centereach. Police arrested the man at the 6th Precinct.

Boosted tech
Police arrested a 23-year-old man from Shirley for petit larceny and criminal mischief after he entered the Walmart at the Centereach Mall on Oct. 8 and stole a Boost Mobile phone and assorted electronics. He also cut the packaging of various store merchandise.

Drinking and swerving
A 23-year-old woman from Rocky Point was arrested on Oct. 9 for driving while ability impaired. She had been driving a 2002 Mitsubishi south on Nicolls Road in Stony Brook when she failed to maintain her lane and was pulled over. Police discovered the woman was intoxicated and arrested her at the scene.

Don’t sweat it
Police said an unidentified person broke the rear passenger window of a 2011 Infinity parked by LA Fitness on Route 112 in Port Jefferson Station on Oct. 9 and stole a pocket book containing cash and credit cards.

Vive la résistance
On Oct. 9, police arrested a 36-year-old man from Rocky Point for criminal possession of heroin and resisting arrest. Police didn’t specify why officers were called to the man’s residence on Daffodil Road in Rocky Point, but when officers arrived, the man slammed a window on one of the officers before running into the bathroom to dispose of the heroin. When police attempted to arrest the man, he refused to put his hands behind his back or allow police to cuff him.

Shattered glass
An unidentified person shattered the rear window of a 2015 Honda Accord that was parked on East Main Street in Port Jefferson on Oct. 11. Police said nothing was stolen.

On Oct. 11 police said an unknown person damaged the passenger window of a 2012 Honda CR-V. The car had been parked near a residence on Hewlett Drive in Sound Beach.

Egging ’em on
An unidentified person egged a person’s house and 2012 Nissan Rogue that was parked near the residence on Vineyard Way in Mount Sinai on Oct. 9.

It’s MyPhone now
Police said an unknown person stole an iPhone 4 from a 2004 Mercury on Oct. 11 while the car was unlocked and parked at a residence on Tyler Avenue in Miller Place.

Two times the theft
Early in the morning on Oct. 11 an unidentified person took cash and assorted items from a 2014 Jeep and a Chevrolet. Police said the cars were parked on Long Bow Road in East Shoreham at the time of the theft. Police did not say if the cars were locked.

On the hunt for coins
An unknown person entered a 2012 Honda and took coins from the car on Oct. 11. Police said the car was unlocked and parked in the driveway of a residence on Hunters Trail in East Shoreham.

Put it on my tab
On Oct. 9, an unauthorized person used a Centereach resident’s credit card information to purchase items for a substantial amount of money. Police did not say where the suspect acquired the information or how much money was lost.

Boom right in the kisser
Police said a 26-year-old man from Northport punched someone in the face, causing injury at 3 a.m. on Oct. 7. The man was on Green Street in Huntington when the incident occurred, and cops charged him with third-degree assault with intent to cause physical injury.

Wallet woes
Someone reported that an unknown person took a wallet from a 2002 Ford parked on Lantern Street in Greenlawn at 1 a.m. on Oct. 7

On a roll
Police said a 29-year-old man from Corona was driving drunk at 4:10 p.m. in Huntington on Oct. 10. He was driving a 2003 Ford on East Jericho Turnpike when he failed to yield right of way to an approaching vehicle while trying to turn into a parking lot of Anthony’s Discount Tires. He then struck the other vehicle, struck three parked cars in the parking lot he was trying to turn into and the building itself. He was charged with driving while intoxicated.

No sunshine in Malibu
On Oct. 11, an unknown person scratched a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu’s front and side doors at 1:50 p.m. on Park Avenue in Elwood.

Trespassing to pass the time
A 24-year-old man from Huntington Station was arrested on Oct. 10 at 10:50 p.m. after police said he remained in a side yard on Leyden Street in Huntington Station where there was a no trespassing sign. He was charged with trespassing.

Jewelry jam
An unknown person entered a home on Kimber Court in East Northport at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 10 and stole jewelry.

Burglary spree busted
A 17-year-old man from Huntington Station was arrested in Huntington on Oct. 10 at the 2nd Precinct and charged with multiple crimes, according to police. On May 6, cops said he unlawfully entered a home on 1st Avenue in Huntington Station and stole property. On Oct. 5, cops said he entered a home in Sioux Place in Huntington Station and stole jewelry, a gaming system and other items. On Oct. 9 he allegedly entered a house on E. 25 Street in Huntington Station and attempted to take property. He was charged with three accounts of second-degree burglary in a dwelling.

Not what the doctor ordered
An unknown person keyed the car door of a 2015 Nissan Altima on Oct. 11 at 2:00 p.m. at the Huntington Hospital parking lot on Park Avenue.

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The Smithtown Library. File photo by Rachel Shapiro

Smithtown Library patrons will hit the polls this week as they mull over the 2016 budget as well as two trustee positions.

The library unveiled the $14,143,257 2016 proposed budget earlier this year, calling for an estimated $4.93, or 1.22 percent, increase in the tax levy. Two incumbent trustees are seeking re-election in this year’s vote, including the library board’s president. The budget and trustee votes are scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 13, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The largest portion of the budget is going toward salaries and employment benefits, totaling approximately $10 million dollars. Library materials and programs come in second, with a total of $733,800. The most expensive materials cost is for books, and the second is for online materials.

Incumbents John Martins and Suzanne Mohr will be on the ballot for re-election to the library’s board of trustees.

Martins, president of the board, has been a resident of Nesconset for more than 30 years, and has been a volunteer at the Nesconset Fire Department for the last 13 year. Currently, he is 1st assistant chief. He works as a project manager for Alpine Software Inc.

In Martin’s statement on the Smithtown Library website, he said he is excited about the new changes happening to the library, and he would like to play an active role in those changes. He also wants to make sure the library offers the best available materials and resources to its residents.

“I would also like to see the Library stay on the cutting edge of technology and programming,” Martins said online. “If elected, I will make sure we hold a tight line on the budget during these hard economic times, while still providing outstanding service to the community.”

Mohr is a Smithtown resident, and president of Advanced Marketing Development. In her statement on Smithtown’s Library website, she said her first priority is to advocate for funding so that the library can continue to provide top-notch programs and services to the community.

“I would like to continue working with fellow trustees to improve and seek out the best library programs and to expand on our cultural and recreational offerings, making The Smithtown Library district a premier community resource center,” Mohr said online.

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Smithtown Animal Shelter Director Sue Hansen, left, outlines candidates she helped seek out with hopes of hiring somebody to work with her team as an animal behaviorist. Councilwoman Lynne Nowick, center, and Supervisor Pat Vecchio say they are on board to hire someone. Photo by Phil Corso

After losing her volunteer advisory panel tasked with moving the Smithtown Animal Shelter into a new era, town Councilwoman Lynne Nowick (R) moved forward this week by inviting the shelter director to speak before the board.

Early this year, Nowick assembled a panel of animal welfare experts with hopes of soliciting their advice and bringing calm to a contentious conversation that has surrounded the shelter for the past year. That panel, however, called it quits at a town board meeting last week, accusing Nowick of being unable to respond to one of their top concerns of hiring a full-time animal behaviorist at the shelter with an annual salary of $45,000. In an attempt to set the record straight, Nowick invited new shelter Director Sue Hansen to speak at a work session on Tuesday morning about finding someone to fit the behaviorist role.

“The last meeting was a little bit contentious,” Nowick said. “I want the board to be aware of what we were doing as far as hiring our behaviorist and why we haven’t done certain things.”

Nowick’s former advisory panel consisted of animal welfare attorney Elizabeth Stein and animal welfare experts Lucille DeFina and Diane Madden. The three penned a letter to the board on Sept. 15 accusing Nowick of failing to serve as a bridge between the animal experts and elected town officials, raising the issue of the town neglecting to consider hiring a full-time animal behaviorist to train dogs at the shelter.

The letter was news to Councilman Ed Wehrheim (R), who told the animal experts that he was never made aware of any discussions regarding a behaviorist position.

“You guys got tricked,” Nowick said at the work session Tuesday. “They only wanted one full-time behaviorist. They didn’t want to consider anything else.”

Stein, DeFina and Madden did not return requests seeking comment.

On Nowick’s invitation, Hansen introduced two potential candidates she had vetted who could fill the role of an animal behaviorist at the shelter with hopes of finding homes for the eight dogs housed there: Michael Gould, owner of Hounds Town USA, and Aimee Sadler, owner of Dogs Playing for Life.

“These candidates would be available to work with the staff and make our dogs more adoptable,” Hansen said.

Both candidates, who did not return requests seeking comment, have extensive backgrounds in training dogs and also pet lovers on how to interact with them.

Gould, a Long Island native, has worked with the shelter in the past, helping some dogs train their way to becoming police dogs, Hansen said. If the board chooses to work with him, he would work as a volunteer to help train and assess Smithtown dogs and teach shelter staffers how to handle them. The proposal was met with satisfaction from board members, with Supervisor Pat Vecchio (R) calling it a “great idea.”

Sadler, the other candidate for the job, would call on her experience working with other Island shelters including the Southhampton Animal Shelter to assemble socializing playgroups for dogs in Smithtown. Hansen said she’s had Smithtown shelter workers visiting Sadler’s programs over recent weeks to explore how her services could benefit the town. But the town would need to seek ways to fund it, she said.

The board asked Hansen to speak with the candidates and report back  how they might fill the Smithtown shelter’s needs before a deal is inked.

Residents have flocked to board meetings over the past year to air their grievances surrounding the shelter, accusing former Director George Beatty of mismanaging animals and staffers and honing in on various aspects of operations there. Beatty retired as director in August, prompting the hiring of Hansen.

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Smithtown Republicans endorse Lisa Inzerillo, right, in her bid for the board. From left to right, Councilman Tom McCarthy, Councilwoman Lynne Nowick, Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick, Supervisor Pat Vecchio and Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta. Photo by Phil Corso

Three of the five members of the Republican-dominated Smithtown Town Board endorsed a political newcomer this week, as she heads into the November election with hopes of unseating an incumbent.

Town Supervisor Pat Vecchio (R) stood beside councilmembers Tom McCarthy (R) and Lynne Nowick (R) on the steps of Town Hall on Monday to publicly endorse Lisa Inzerillo in her bid for the board, flanked also by other Smithtown-based elected officials. Inzerillo was one of two to land the GOP line in next month’s town board election, with 1,388 votes in a primary, alongside incumbent Councilman Ed Wehrheim (R), who received 1,830 votes. But fellow incumbent Councilman Bob Creighton (R) was left on the outskirts with 1,306 votes, forcing him to run on the Conservative, Independent and Reform party lines.

Vecchio emceed the press conference as a means of bringing Republicans together to support members of their own party, but two fellow party members were noticeably absent from the dais.

“On Sept. 10, there was a Republican primary, and Lisa Inzerillo was the winner. She is a Republican and she deserves the support of all Republican elected officials,” Vecchio said. “We as Republicans believe that the party has to support the winner of the Republican primary. To do otherwise is contrary to every tenet of any party, and the bylaws of any party.”

Both McCarthy and Nowick recalled times when they came out of Republican primaries victorious before earning their spots on the board and threw support behind Inzerillo with hopes of seeing her follow a similar path.

“In 1997, I was in a primary also,” McCarthy said. “I was on the outside, basically as a businessman, and it’d be nice to have another person from the outside — a civic-minded person on the board.”

Also throwing their support behind Inzerillo were state Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick (R-St. James) and Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga).

Wehrheim, who also won the three-way primary with the most votes of the three, was not included in the endorsement and said in a phone interview he was standing behind his fellow councilman in Creighton, despite the candidate not garnering enough votes to get his name on the Republican line next month.

“[Councilman Creighton] is a colleague and consummate professional. We have an excellent working relationship and I believe he deserves to be elected a third time, based on his record alone,” Wehrheim said. “If they were good Republicans, they would have supported Councilman Creighton [in the primary] as the incumbent Republican official running for re-election. He was chosen by the Republican party.”

Wehrheim and Creighton voted together on some of the town board’s more divisive decisions over the past several years, often being outnumbered 3-2. For that reason, Creighton said he did not expect the supervisor’s support as he sought another term.

“I’m not in any way surprised,” Creighton said. “The supervisor wants and desperately needs one more vote on the town board to make it absolutely Mr. Vecchio’s board.”

Both Creighton’s and Wehrheim’s seats on the board will be up for a vote come November, with the incumbents facing off against Inzerillo and Democrat Larry Vetter, who announced his candidacy earlier this year.

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Emergency responders in Smithtown help retrieve a mud-covered vehicle from the pond off Route 25A near Summerset Drive. Photo from Jeff Bressler

Members of the Kings Park and Smithtown fire departments had to pull a woman in her 20s from a pond in Smithtown this week after her car became submerged off Route 25A, emergency officials said.

Emergency responders in Smithtown help retrieve a vehicle from the pond off Route 25A near Summerset Drive. Photo from Jeff Bressler
Emergency responders in Smithtown help retrieve a vehicle from the pond off Route 25A near Summerset Drive. Photo from Jeff Bressler

The woman was driving on near the intersection of Route 25A and Summerset Drive in Smithtown around 8:52 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5, when the Smithtown Fire Department was dispatched to address a motor vehicle crash, a spokesman for the department said. Upon arrival, Smithtown Department Chief Timothy Murphy said he saw the vehicle in the nearby pond with the woman trapped inside. He immediately upgraded the call to a water rescue.

The action prompted assistance from Smithtown’s rescue unit as well as the Kings Park Fire Department’s dive team, a spokesman for Smithtown’s Fire Department said.

The Smithtown Fire Department deployed their water rescue inflatable boat into the pond with Kings Park Fire Department divers attending to the driver. Divers extricated the driver to the boat and did not find any additional passengers in her car.

The driver was taken to to St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center by Kings Park Ambulance. There were no updates on her condition.

And to make matters more complicated, during the rescue efforts, with Route 25A closed to conduct the operation, an emergency patient in a private car was attempting to access the road to go to the emergency room at St. Catherine of Siena. Smithtown Fire Police sent the driver of the car, escorted by Suffolk County Police, to the scene of the accident. A Smithtown Fire Department ambulance at the scene then brought the patient to the hospital.

The cause of the incident was under investigation, the Suffolk County Police Department said, and the woman behind the wheel was not charged.

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A public hearing will be held May 21 to discuss the possibility of apartments in Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge. File photo

By Larry Vetter

What does a vibrant industrial park bring to a town? The answer is simple: jobs and an increased tax base, to ease the burdens on everyone.

There are essentially two types of economic centers within the town of Smithtown. One type is visible. This is the downtown areas. The second is the industrial parks, equally important, but more hidden. When we think of industrial parks, Hauppauge immediately comes to mind; however, Nesconset, St. James and Kings Park also contain industrial zones.

Larry Vetter
Larry Vetter

Recently, I had the opportunity to drive through the various zones. The Hauppauge, Nesconset and St. James zones consist primarily of warehouse-type structures, while Kings Park consists mostly of yard-type commercial businesses. Many of the buildings in the Nesconset and St. James zones are empty or significantly underutilized. The Hauppauge Industrial Park was once vibrant with a mix of light industry, manufacturing and warehousing. Today, there is also a malaise in this industrial park.

Suffolk County and several of the townships within the county have developed industrial development associations. They recognize the “Long Island Brain Drain,” where many of our well-educated young people cannot find the type of employment commensurate with their education. The primary purpose of these associations is to entice business into the county and more specifically to our towns. Today, Smithtown contains no such association. It seems to be a rather significant oversight to have, within our borders, one of the largest industrial parks, and yet not have any plans for developing it.

So what do we do? What seems to happen is that we sit back and hope. Our only initiative was to allow building owners to extend the roof heights in hopes of attracting business. So far, neither idea appears effective.

We need to once again think outside of the box. My solutions to this crucial problem are as follows:

1. Develop an industrial development association. This can be done with resources we already have within the town. It is not necessary to spend additional tax revenue on this process. We can piggyback with the existing Suffolk County program.

2. Actively entice businesses to Long Island. Who is to say that Hauppauge cannot become the next “silicone valley”? Technology companies often need minimal raw materials and shipping is often parcel post; something we are situated very well for.

3. Open discussions with Suffolk in an attempt to develop sewer system plans in Smithtown. As important as this topic is to homeowners, it is equally as important to businesses.

4. Suffolk County has a number of transportation initiatives. Why not work with the county to develop alternative transportation from our nearby rail hubs to enable easier movement into and out of the industrial park?

Smithtown is a great place. We have many hardworking families that take the education of their children seriously. As a result, there are well qualified individuals to staff modern technology enterprises. We have great public schools and nearby higher education facilities, as well as world-renowned research facilities. We have wonderful beaches and golf courses, and several nearby townships are undergoing a revival in eateries and entertainment. Finally, we are located very near one of the most vibrant cities in the world. It seems to me that it would not at all be a difficult sell, but like everything else, it must be worked for.

This November, take the opportunity to vote for individuals that will work toward solutions and not accept excuses for why things cannot happen. Let’s reverse the “Brain Drain” and give us all a chance to keep families together on Long Island.

The author is a Smithtown resident running for the Town Board on the Democratic line in November’s election.

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Kings Park cash theft
A 25-year old woman from Wyandanch was arrested after police said she stole money from a resident’s home on Hileen Drive in Kings Park sometime between Aug. 28 and Aug. 29. She was arrested on Sept. 25, at the 4th Precinct, at 8:27 p.m. and charged with petit larceny.

Taking the greens from Walgreens
At Walgreens on East Main Street in Smithtown, on Sept. 27, an unknown man stole four boxes of blood sugar level test strips at 7:04 p.m.

Heroin is Hero-out
On Sept. 25, an 18-year old man from Ronkonkoma was arrested on Dorchester Road in Smithtown after police said he had possession of heroin on him and a hypodermic syringe at 12:30 p.m. He was charged with seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and possession of a hypodermic instrument.

Theft at Sevs
At 7-Eleven, on North Country Road, in Village of the Branch, on Sept. 25, an unknown person stole a bicycle that was left unlocked in the parking lot at 1:40 p.m.

From cell phone to cell holding
Police said a 27-year old man from Plainview was arrested for stealing security cameras from Street Walk Cell Phone Accessories kiosk at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove on Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m. He was arrested at the 4th Precinct on Sept. 25 and charged with petit larceny.

No more sushi for sush-you
On Sept. 23, a 45-year old man from Plainview was arrested at the 4th Precinct, at 9:23 p.m., for stealing on two different occasions according to police. On Feb. 28, he stole sushi from a ShopRite in Hauppauge and on Apr. 30, at 3:58 p.m., he stole grocery items from a business on Portion Road. He was charged with petit larceny.

Under the sheets
A 30-year old woman from St. James was arrested on Sept. 23 at the 4th Precinct for a previous theft on Aug. 17. Police said she stole bed sheets from a residents home on Ronkonkoma Avenue at 11:28 a.m. She was charged with petit larceny.

A sweet bluetooth
On Sept. 8, police said a 40-year old woman from St. James stole a Wii remote, Bluetooth headset and an HDMI adaptor at 8:17 p.m., from Centereach Mall in Commack. She was arrested at the 4th Precinct at 12:26 a.m. and was charged with petit larceny.

Knuckle to see here
A 24-year old man from Wyandanch was arrested on Sept. 24, on the corner of Jericho Turnpike and Townline Road in Commack, at 11:08 p.m., when police said he had possession of a metal knuckle knife and marijuana He was charged with fifth degree criminal possession of marijuana and fourth degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Red cards all around
Four teens were arrested on Sept. 30 for damage police said they caused earlier that month. Cops said four 17-year-olds —Nicolas Collins and Eric Lamay, both of Greenlawn, and Michael Plackis and Julius Dimino, both of East Northport — drove a vehicle on soccer fields at the Northport Soccer Park in Northport sometime between Sept. 11 at 9 p.m. and Sept. 12 at 7 a.m. and caused an estimated $10,000 worth of damage. In photos capturing the damage, some of the fields were observed covered in tire marks, rendering them unusable. All four were charged with second-degree criminal mischief. Attorney information for the individuals wasn’t immediately available.

Crybaby
A man stole three baby monitors, valued at approximately $300, from a Target in East Northport on Deposit Road on Sept. 10 at 10:30 a.m. 

Hit and run
A 19-year-old man from Huntington was arrested on Sept. 27 after police said he struck a woman to the ground and ran off with her purse at 4:30 p.m. on West 22nd Street in Huntington. Police said he then resisted arrest and gave false identification when he was finally apprehended. He was charged with petit larceny, second-degree robbery, causing physical injury, resisting arrest and false impersonation.

Hunger pains
A woman was reported to have stolen grocery items and makeup from Waldbaum’s on Pulaski Road in Greenlawn on Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m.

It’s art
On Sept. 25, a man from Commack was arrested at the 2nd Precinct for a crime police said he committed on Sept. 8. Police said he spray-painted security cameras at The Red Barn and Motel in Elwood at 12:05 p.m. He was charged with third-degree burglary and illegal entry with intent.

Hide ya kids, hide ya bike
A resident of Derby Avenue in Greenlawn reported that two unknown subjects entered the person’s garage at 7:15 p.m. on Sept. 24 and fled with a mountain bike.

Just wanted to rock out
A 33-year-old man from Huntington was arrested for throwing a rock through a glass window of a Payless ShoeSource on Jericho Turnpike in Huntington at 5:50 p.m. on Sept. 25. He was arrested at the scene and charged with third-degree criminal mischief with intent to damage property.

Wrong kind of a mixer
Police said a 23-year-old woman from Nesconset possessed a controlled substance and marijuana at 7:40 p.m. on Sept. 25 on the corner of Broadway and Grafton Street in Greenlawn. She was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana.

Not cool for school
A 40-year-old man from Huntington Station was arrested at Huntington High School at 7:40 p.m. on Sept. 25 for driving while intoxicated, according to police. He was taken to the 2nd Precinct and charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated.

One way to make an impact
On Sept. 27, police said a 33-year-old man from Huntington Station stole an impact driver tool from Home Depot in Huntington Station at 4:30 p.m. He was charged with petit larceny.

Uncoachable
On Sept. 24, someone told police that two male employees of Huntington Coach Corporation got into a verbal disagreement on Deposit Road in East Northport at 6 p.m.

Wake and bake mistake
Police said a 38-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station was arrested for operating a vehicle while ability impaired by drugs. The man was allegedly driving a 2001 GMC Yukon down Jeanne Avenue and Nancy Drive on Sept. 26 at 9:30 a.m., swerving and running through stop signs. Police discovered him in possession of marijuana and arrested him at the scene.

Booze and blunders
A 31-year-old man from Sound Beach was charged with operating a vehicle while ability impaired on Sept. 25. Police said the man was driving a 2001 Volkswagen north on Old Town Road in Port Jefferson Station that night when he got into a car crash. Police discovered the man was intoxicated and arrested him at the scene.

Police are irresistible
On Sept. 26 at 2:45 a.m., a 45-year-old man from Miller Place was charged with resisting arrest. Police were interviewing the man about an undisclosed case on Wedgewood Lane in Miller Place when the man began harassing an officer. The man then resisted as police arrested him.

Three times the fun
Police said a 50-year-old man from Ronkonkoma was arrested on Sept. 26 for unlicensed operation of a vehicle after driving a 1984 Suzuki north on Holbrook Road in Lake Ronkonkoma. Police have revoked his license three times in the past.

What’s in a name?
A 29-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station was arrested for false impersonation on Sept. 26 on Campo Avenue in Selden after he gave an officer a name other than his own. Police didn’t say why officers were speaking to the man.

Signaled out
On Sept. 25, a 19-year-old man from Hauppauge was arrested for operating a vehicle while impaired by drugs. Police pulled him over after he turned left onto Nicolls Road without using his turning signal and discovered that the man was impaired.

Minor mishap
Police said a 51-year-old man from Ronkonkoma was arrested for selling tobacco to minors in Stony Brook on Sept. 24, after police said he sold tobacco to two 17-year-olds.

A bite at the beach
A 19-year-old man from Sound Beach was arrested on Beach Street for obstructing governmental administration, harassment and resisting arrest on Sept. 26, around 1:25 a.m., after stepping in front of police as they conducted an investigation. The man then refused to put his hands behind his back when police arrested him. Once the man was in the police cruiser, he bit an officer who was buckling the man’s seat belt.

Fender-bender buzz
On Sept. 27, around 1:46 a.m., police arrested a 29-year-old woman from Miller Place for driving while ability impaired. Police said she was driving a 2008 Jeep west on Route 25A in Rocky Point when she got into a car crash and police discovered she was intoxicated.

What a steal
Police said a man stole a 2007 Honda CRS on Sept. 26 around 2:30 p.m., from a residence on Dayton Avenue in Port Jefferson Station. Police said the victim put an ad on Craigslist to sell the car and received a response from an unidentified person who was interested in the Honda. When they met to discuss the car, the man got into it and drove off.

Shady thief
An unidentified person stole two sunglasses from a 2013 Jeep parked on Mount Sinai Avenue in Mount Sinai on Sept. 26.

Cell phone swiped
On Sept. 26, an unidentified person went into the Kohl’s on Route 25A in Rocky Point and stole a woman’s cell phone.

A tasty target
Police arrested a 48-year-old woman from Lake Grove on Sept. 25 for petit larceny. The woman stole assorted food and other items from the Target on Pond Path in South Setauket.

Mad for makeup
A 37-year-old woman from Port Jefferson Station was charged with petit larceny on Sept. 26 after she stole makeup from the Walmart on Nesconset Highway in East Setauket. Police arrested her at the scene.

Sod off
On Sept. 25 an unidentified person drove an all-terrain vehicle and damaged seeded crops at the DeLalio Sod Farm in Shoreham.

Clean getaway
Police said an unidentified person stole soaps, body wash, men’s clothing and two laundry baskets from the Centereach Mall on Sept. 27.

Barn break-in
An unidentified person cut a lock at a Dairy Barn on Middle Country Road in Selden on Sept. 27 around 2:31 a.m., attempting to enter the property, but police said nothing was stolen and the suspect fled the scene.

Cash and cards
Someone stole cash and credit cards from a 2015 Honda Pilot on Sept. 25, while the car was parked in a parking lot on Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook.

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