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By William Stieglitz

On Thursday, May 29, close to 100 people lined the streets outside Congressman Nick LaLota’s (R, NY1) Hauppauge office to protest planned cuts to Medicaid and other health programs under the One Big Beautiful reconciliation bill, passed by the House of Representatives the week before.

The rally’s speakers included grassroots organizers and health care workers, who argued that the bill LaLota voted for would cut health care funding for Long Islanders while giving tax breaks to billionaires. “The budget is a gift to the rich and a slap in the face to workers,” said Diane Cantave from Long Island Jobs with Justice. “We reject the idea that working families must carry the burden while the wealthy hoard more.”w

The bill would place restrictions on Medicaid, including new work requirements to qualify, as well as on the SNAP and CHIP programs for food stamps and children’s health insurance. It would also reduce Medicaid funding by 10% to states like New York that provide health coverage to undocumented immigrants.

Dr. Eve Krief, speaking on behalf of Engage Long Island and the American Academy of Pediatrics, warned the bill would result in “tens of thousands of people right here on Long Island” losing their health care. “It’s going to raise our premiums regardless of what insurance you have, because hospitals are gonna be forced to provide uncompensated care to the uninsured… It’s gonna strain our hospital systems to the breaking point. They’re gonna be forced to cut staffing, and eventually, they’re gonna have to close their doors.”

Responding later, LaLota said, “You’re not gonna find anywhere that there’s a Medicaid cut” in the bill, describing the legislation as a commitment to Bill Clinton-era work requirements. “The main part of what this bill did was requiring able-bodied adults, so not pregnant women, not disabled people, not seniors… able-bodied adults to work or seek work for eighty hours a month. That burden is not too large to ask your neighbors to pay for your health care.” The other major aspect of the bill, he said, is that it will “check everybody’s qualifications” for Medicaid, and in doing so, “root out the waste, fraud and abuse in the system.”

However, Planned Parenthood Coordinator Kaitlyn Pawlukojc argued that the bill would also bar Medicaid funding toward Planned Parenthood so long as it provides its current abortions services.. “Last year, Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic completed over 19,500 visits for Suffolk County residents,” she said, “providing vital health care like birth control, STI testing and treatment, and cancer screenings.” She added defunding Planned Parenthood would cost taxpayers “nearly 300 million dollars,” referencing the Congressional Budget Office estimates.

A further concern, touched on by Gender Equality New York Executive Director Juli Grey-Owens, is how the bill could threaten gender-affirming care for transgender youth. “For many, transitioning is crucial to continuing to live,” she said, adding that the surgery is a medical need for trans people suffering from gender dysphoria, and reduces suicide and depression. “We do not ask for special treatment. We ask to live safely, truthfully, and equally.” LaLota, when asked about the bill’s blocking of funds for gender-affirming care, stated, “I do not support using federal taxpayer dollars for transgender surgery.” Jennifer Capotorto, a local mother of two, said she worried about her children losing access to health care, as well as the impact for the rest of her family. “My sister will no longer be able to afford her rheumatoid arthritis medication and will live in chronic pain. In February, we lost our Navy vet father, and he suffered for months before his passing in a for-profit rehab that was neglecting him simply because they were understaffed.”

The bill also brings back SALT deductions, quadrupling the current $10,000 cap to $40,000, something many Long Islanders have argued for. 

 However, Suffolk Progressives founder Shoshana Hershkowitz said she does not support “gutting Medicaid” in exchange. “We can actually get our SALT deductions back, all they have to do is let the first Trump tax cuts expire.” Following the speeches, she and others marched to drop off letters to the congressman, also leaving salt packets while saying “Keep your SALT.” While the last group of people were dropping off letters, LaLota was walking to his office and spoke briefly with the group in defense of the bill before going inside.

These are arguments Krief touched on when she spoke, but claimed they were misleading. “The overwhelming majority of people on Medicaid do work,” she said. “So we’ll have these funding cuts without the actual [removal of] waste, fraud and abuse to make up for those cuts, which will then impact us all.”

The reconciliation bill now goes to the Senate, where it awaits its next vote.

By  Steven Zaitz

The Smithtown West girls lacrosse team won its first Suffolk County Class B championship in program history on May 31, beating Harborfields 12-9.

In  the entire slate of final games hosted  at home by Smithtown West High School, senior Kate Theofield scored five goals to lead the top-seeded Bulls, who burst out to 4-0 lead within the first seven minutes of the game.  Theofield had the first three of these and sophomore attacker Kaitlyn Mennella added another. 

Despite the early hole, the third-seeded Tornados did not let this one spin out of control.

Freshman midfielder Nora Ruddy took advantage of a free position opportunity and got Harborfields on the board with four minutes left in the opening quarter. 

Two Harborfields goals apiece by freshman Jamie Medico and senior Bella Monteleone made the score 6-5 in favor of West with a little more than four minutes remaining in the half.  At the break, Harborfields had made this title game a competitive one.

With Smithtown West leading 7-6 midway through the third quarter, Harborfields Goalkeeper Olivia Eusanio robbed Vanessa Pollina from directly in front of the goal mouth and  again on a free position shot, keeping the Tornado deficit at a skinny goal and giving the team in green from Greenlawn possession of the ball. 

But after some sloppy play, West goalkeeper Maribella Marciano picked up a ground ball behind her net and started a breakout. Kaitlyn Mennella’s sister, junior Ashley Mennella, finished it with her second goal of the game. Kaitlyn would score less than a minute later to make it 9-6 with 4:05 remaining in the third period. But Smithtown West, especially  Theofield, was not done.

She scored two goals to close out the quarter, one via free position and the other off a nifty diagonal pass from Ashely Mennella. The pair of third period tallies were Theofield’s fourth and fifth of the game, made the score 11-6, and effectively sealed the game – and the Suffolk crown – for the Bulls. After her fifth goal, she leaped high in the air behind the net and let out a joyful, primal scream, stoked that she put her team up by five.

Smithtown West (16-2), after losing in this Suffolk title game the previous in 2023 and 2024, finally knocked down the county’s championship door. They played Garden City (17-2), Nassau’s Class B champion on Tuesday, June 3 for the Long Island Championship at Adelphi University, which just so happens to be in Garden City.

Ruddy and Medico scored three goals apiece for Harborfields, who failed to make the playoffs in 2024, before reaching the finals. They finish the year at 11-7.

–Photos By Steven Zaitz

By Ernestine Franco

Sunday, June 1, New York Avenue in Sound Beach was alive with children laughing during the first Sound Beach Civic Out of This World Kids Day. Held in partnership with the North Shore Youth Council and the Sound Beach Fire Department, the space-themed event centered on the uniqueness of every child and teen in the community.

Over 40 vendors participated and each vendor was asked to provide an activity for children, and they did just that in spades. Have Some Fun of East Meadow had a ring toss game; at Legislator Chad Lennon’s (R, Mount Sinai) table kids could decorate paper circles to create planets; the designs children colored with Orangetheory Rocky Point will be displayed in their studio; and at the Handy Pantry Sound Beach spot children could mine for gems. Deirdre Morgan Dubato, co- secretary of the Rotary of Rocky Point said, “We handed out 94 coloring books and 71 boxes of crayons.”

Jackie Schoeneman of Wisdom Tree Preschool, said, “It was a great event” and hopes to be a part of it next year. A big hit was the mini-Olympics where civic members Amelia and Kevin Creedon ran the games with almost 35 kids “competing” and over 30 kids participated in a scavenger hunt. At the Children’s Park, parents could take a space-themed photo with their kids, and a robotics demonstration at the Veterans Park enthralled everyone. At a fire department truck kids could try to use a fire hose as well as tour the truck.  

A very special activity by the rotary was of the International Cities of Peace movement. Children painted cloth squares depicting what they thought peace is. Civic trustee Patrice Perreca will sew all of the pieces together into a quilt. The quilt and a video by civic member Leon Adler will then be sent to The World Cities Development Organization and all the painted pieces will be gathered to create a World Flag for Peace and Global Friendship to be presented to the United Nations in September 2025.

The day’s activities were crowned with the Best Costume Prize at the Vets Memorial Park awarded by Lennon, who thanked “everyone who helped make this event happen and to everyone who attended!”

 Sound Beach Civic president and the organizer of the event Bea Ruberto said the day was a huge success. “It was a team effort that involved an army of volunteers and the support of the community at large.” What made the day special for her was hearing a young boy shout out with glee, “I’m having so much fun.”

Bobby Woods, the director of the North Shore Youth Council said the day “was an incredible afternoon of community, local pride and connection in Sound Beach. Our team at North Shore Youth Council and I were honored to serve alongside the Sound Beach Civic Association. We’re especially grateful to Bea, whose leadership, dedication and heart made the day a true celebration of everything that makes this community special.”

 To follow other activities of the Sound Beach Civic Association check out its Facebook page.

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Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate a man who allegedly stole from an Islandia store in May.

The man pictured above allegedly stole Nike sneakers from Famous Footwear, located at 1770 Veterans Memorial Highway, at approximately 2:30 p.m. on May 28.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.

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Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly tampered with property in Ronkonkoma earlier this month.

The man pictured above allegedly affixed more than a dozen “Planet Nugg Dispensary” adhesives on property around Station Yards on June 2 between 4 and 4:30 p.m.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.

On Saturday, May 31, Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner hosted a Special Recycling Event at the Rose Caracappa Senior Center in Mount Sinai, drawing a record-breaking turnout of residents committed to environmentally responsible disposal practices.

The event ran from 9. a.m. to 1 p.m. and offered residents a convenient, one-stop drop-off for paper, cardboard, electronics, and unwanted or expired medications. With 615 vehicles participating, this marked the highest attendance Councilwoman Bonner has ever had at one of her recycling events.
By the close of the event, residents had shredded 16,300 pounds of paper. They also recycled 11,280 pounds of electronic waste and turned in 15 boxes of unused or expired medications for safe disposal.
Councilwoman Bonner extends her heartfelt thanks to all the participants, volunteers, and partner agencies who made the event possible. “I’m so proud of how our residents came together to make this event such a success,” said Bonner. “These efforts not only help protect our environment, but also show how strong our community is when we work together toward a common goal.”
Suffolk County Sheriff’s deputies were on site to assist with medication disposal and to help manage the steady flow of traffic entering from Route 25A. Their support helped ensure the event ran safely and efficiently.
Below are the remaining 2025 recycling events in the Town of Brookhaven: 
Council District 6 Councilwoman Karen Dunne-Kesnig
Saturday, June 7 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Center Moriches Free Public Library, 235 Montauk Highway, Center Moriches
Council District 4 Councilman Michael Loguercio
Saturday, June 14 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Middle Island Fire Department, 31 Arnold Drive, Middle Island
Supervisor Daniel J. Panico
Friday, July 25 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Brookhaven Town Hall South Parking Lot, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville
Council District 5 Councilman Neil Foley
Saturday, September 13 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Bayport-Blue Point Public Library, 186 Middle Road, Blue Point
Council District 3 Councilman Neil Manzella
Saturday, September 27 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Middle Country Public Library, 101 Eastwood Blvd, Centereach
Council District 2 Councilwoman Jane Bonner
Saturday, October 4 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Rose Caracappa Senior Center, 739 Route 25A, Mt Sinai
Council District 1 Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich
Saturday, October 18 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Setauket Fire Department, 394 Nicolls Road, Setauket
Council District 6 Councilwoman Karen Dunne-Kesnig
Saturday, October 25 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
William Floyd High School South Parking Lot, 240 Mastic Beach Rd, Mastic Beach
Council District 4 Councilman Michael Loguercio
Saturday, November 1 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
South Country Library, 22 Station Rd, Bellport
For more information,visit BrookhavenNY.gov/recycle.

The Suffolk County Police Department Impound Section has announced that it will hold an auction on Saturday, June 7 at the department’s impound facility, located at 100 Old Country Road in Westhampton. The auction will begin at 9 a.m. and will be held rain or shine. 

Vehicles will be available for preview for one hour prior to the start of the auction. Approximately 85 lots will be auctioned off including sedans and SUVs. All vehicles will start with a minimum bid of $500 and are sold as-is. 

For a full list of vehicles, registration information and terms and conditions for the auction click here or visit www.suffolkpd.org and choose Impound Section and Vehicle Auctions.

By  Steven Zaitz

The hunt for a title is over. Huntington Union Free School District senior Jenna Italiano capped off a thrilling 8-7 sudden-death overtime win for the girls lacrosse team, defeating the defending champion Ward Melville High School Patriots. The win on May 31 gave the Lady Blue Devils their first Suffolk County crown in 30 years.

In a back-and-forth game under extremely windy conditions, Ward Melville raced out to a 3-1 lead when they scored a trio of goals in a 92-second span in the middle of the first quarter. But Huntington senior midfielder, and Italiano’s teammate on the Blue Devils basketball team, Sabrina Boyle beat the shot clock for a goal to close out the quarter and tighten the score at 3-2. Boyle cut from the far-right sideline across the field, ducked and spun away from multiple Patriots defenders and put the ball past Ward Melville freshman goalkeeper Sydney Millett as Boyle was being knocked to the ground.

The next three quarters would be a similar trade of haymakers.

Attacker Grace Gordon and Boyle would score early in the second quarter to flip the lead back to Huntington 4-3. This pair of markers for the Blue Devils represented the third lead change of the game. 

There would be more lead changes to come. 

Patriots defender Nori Korzenko created a turnover and flung a pass to midfielder Mia Modica racing through the center. On the dead run, Modica threw it to senior field hockey and lacrosse star Olivia Zummo at the right goal post. Zummo centered a pass across the circle to Nicole Manolakes. Manolakes, only in the eighth grade, whipped it past Huntington goalkeeper Juliet Johnson to tie the score at 5 with 5:18 left in the third quarter.

Patriots attacker Keira Pirozzi was checked in the head with 3:41 left in the period and scored the second free-position goal of the game to give Ward Melville a 6-5 lead. It would stay that way until 6:20 remained in the game when junior Gordon tied it at 6 for Huntington after she was fouled.

Aliya Leonard did the same for Ward Melville with 1:43 remaining, tying the game at 7 with a free-position goal. It was Leonard’s third goal of the game and it would be the last goal of regulation for either side.

Boyle, who injured her leg and briefly left the game in the first half, was quiet for a long stretch of the game thereafter. Ward Melville employed the defensive tactic known as the face guard on her, which puts a defender never more than a few inches away, stick waving in her face. 

This did not prevent Boyle from creating defense of her own — defense that would lead to the final scoring attack of the game.

After a timeout in the overtime session, Boyle intercepted a long, diagonal and ill-advised pass by Ward Melville defender Quinlan Heilbron and was then fouled by Pirozzi along the left sideline.

Pirozzi was sent off because she whacked Boyle around the head area, and when play resumed, Boyle lofted a cross-field pass to senior Devon St. John, who raced to her right about 20 yards away from the net. St. John spotted Italiano curling in front and snapped a perfect pass to her. Italiano caught the ball and, after a few quick dodges to her right, whistled it past Millett for the golden, game-winning, championship-clinching goal and an 8-7 win for Huntington. It was Italiano’s first shot attempt of the afternoon.

The Lady Blue Devils, who last won a county title in 1995, played Massapequa High School on Tuesday, June 3, at Adelphi University in Garden City. Huntington beat Northport High School in overtime on May 29 in the semifinal game, and in beating Ward Melville in the finals, the Blue Devils defeated the last two Suffolk County champions from 2023 and 2024. Massapequa has won the past two Long Island Class A championships.

— Photos by Steven Zaitz

By Dan Palumbo

Residents of Smithtown and alongside neighboring towns gathered on Sunday, June 1 along Main Street to celebrate the 36th annual Smithtown Festival Day, sponsored by The Smithtown Chamber of Commerce. 

Main St. was closed off for the duration of the afternoon, so dozens of vendors, including local businesses and restaurants, sold a wide array of goods, as well as  offering entertainment and raffles for the entire family to enjoy as they made their way along the busy street. 

Among the attendees were Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace, Maui Chopped Ice, Island Chimney Service, Liberty Tattoo Company and several local politicians. 

— Photos by Dan Palumbo

By Beverly C. Tyler

Along Old Post Road in East Setauket are a number of old farmhouses. One of the most interesting and best preserved is the circa 1730 Sherwood-Jayne House which is owned by Preservation Long Island. The home, first built by Matthias Jayne, and owned by a succession of his descendants, was enlarged over the years, but it retains much of its original appearance both inside and out. The house sits on a large area that retains a farm-like atmosphere with a colonial barn, ice house and a number of other structures. A carefully pruned apple orchard stands just to the west of the house along Old Post Road. To the left of the barn and behind the orchard is the entrance to the walking trail. The three-mile circular trail meanders through the wooded area where red-tailed hawks are known to nest. However, the trail is a bit difficult to follow as trail markers were not evident to me on opening day. 

A guided tour of the historic house is not to be missed. On May 31st, I was met at the front door by guides Kitty and Jill who described the house and grounds as a “central Long Island farmscape.” Matthias’ son William doubled the size of the house following the end of the Revolutionary War. Known locally as “Big Bill the Tory,” William, who lost his wife Tabitha in 1785, was responsible for the architectural details which provide a unifying appearance to the colonial structure. 

The Sherwood-Jayne farm is a part of the Town of Brookhaven’s East Setauket Historic District, one of five historic districts in the Three Village area. The farm represents the  character of the historic district with its many private historic farmhouses, dating from the end of the 17th century through the early years of the 20th century. 

The interior of the house features both original wall paintings and spectacular paneling. The paneling is believed to be from a nearby colonial house that was the birthplace of Benjamin Tallmadge, leader of the Culper spy ring. Howard Sherwood,  who purchased the house in 1908 from the third great-granddaughter of Matthias Jayne, collected the paneling and the interior furnishings.

As detailed by Preservation Long Island, “Howard Sherwood, an American decorative arts collector and Preservation Long Island founder…is responsible for the building’s current appearance as a restored colonial-era farmhouse with early twentieth-century Colonial Revival alterations…” One of the interesting records kept by Sherwood is a “Sheep Register” which details his project to use sheep on the farm. He wrote, “Along in the summer of 1932, Charlie and I bethought ourselves of sheep as a means of keeping the East field down and in shape. Accordingly, the following fall and winter, Charlie cut and set the posts to fence it and in April ‘33 I secured the necessary wire fencing, together with a stretcher to stretch it and staples to fasten it…” 

A small spiral-bound copy of his register is available for visitors to see during the house tour. Neither sheep nor any other farm animals are currently housed on the Sherwood-Jayne farm, however the tour of the two floors of the house has many surprises including wide pine floorboards salvaged from Bridgehampton’s “Old Wick’s Tavern; A beautiful pine corner cupboard from a center-hall house north of Syracuse, NY; historic coverlets; period floor covering reproductions and much more.      

Preservation Long Island offers Saturday tours of the Sherwood-Jayne Farm House (c. 1730), 55 Old Post Road, Setauket at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. through Oct. 11.  Tickets are $10 adults, $5 ages 10 to 18, free for children ages 9 and under. To reserve your spot, visit www.preservationlongisland.org/tours/.

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