Veterans Brought To Final Rest

By James B. Teese

St. James Photos by James B. Teese

National Cemetery Photos by Grace Colucci

In military parlance, the time was 0700 hours, a fitting reference to mark the beginning of ceremonies that would give special meaning to May 19, 2012: Armed Forces Day.

Patriot Riders escort hearse from St. James Funeral Home to LI National CemeteryThen, at the St. James Funeral Home on Middle Country Road, the engines of the motorcycles broke for a moment the early morning quiet as members of the Patriot Guard Riders arrived at the Saint James Funeral Home to be greeted by the Maher family, licensed funeral directors and proprietors of the funeral home.

As the riders parked by a parked hearse, a respectful quiet began again in anticipation of the mission to commence — a Veterans Honor Mission to bring to final rest at Long Island National Cemetery the remains of cremated Veterans, remains which had been in the secure custodial care of the Mahers.

St. James was one of fifteen such morning gatherings.  Fifteen Long Island funeral homes were preparing for trips to the National Cemetery to bring the ‘cremains’ of 63 Veterans, as well as five spouses and a son, to their final rest. Click Here For  Story

Brooklyn Woman Arrested For DWI After Crashing Into Home In Huntington

Suffolk County Police today arrested a Brooklyn woman for driving while intoxicated after she crashed her vehicle into a house in Huntington this morning.

Sophia Anderson was driving her Mercedes south on Browns Road when she failed to turn at the Southdown Road t-intersection. Anderson’s vehicle went through the intersection and crashed into a home located at 200 Southdown Road and stopped in the backyard at 4:05 a.m. A 90-year-old woman and her caretaker were inside the home but were not injured. Anderson, 21, was transported to Huntington Hospital where she was treated and released.

Anderson was arrested and charged with Driving While Intoxicated. She will be held overnight at the Fourth Precinct for arraignment tomorrow.

A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Memorial Day Parade Schedule

Commack - Memorial Day Parade - VFW Elwood-Commack Post 9263 -Monday, May 28, 2012 – 10am-1pm Starts at Home Depot Parking lot, east on Jericho Tpke. to the Veterans Memorial at Jericho Tpke. and Veterans Memorial Highway.

Kings Park – Memorial Day Parade – American Legion Post 944 – Monday May 28, 2012 – 9am. Parade begins at the RJO School, proceeds west on Old Dock Road, east on Main Street to the Veterans Plaza at the corner of Church Street and Route 25A for flag ceremonies.

Saint James – Memorial Day Parade = Sgt. John W. Cooke – VFW Post 395 – St. James –Monday May 28, 2012 10am-12noon.  Starts Woodland and Lake Ave., north to St. James Elementary School to hold Memorial Day Services.

Smithtown – Memorial Day Parade – Knights of Columbus – Monday, May 28, 2012 -12 noon.  West on Main Street from Singer Lane to Town Hall.

Covanta Huntington Makes Awards to Local Students in Annual Recycling Poster Contest

Town of Huntington, NY – May 24, 2012 –Covanta Huntington, L.P., the operator of the Energy-from-Waste facility in East Northport, recently held its annual Recycling Poster Contest for Grades 1-6.  All elementary and intermediate schools in the Towns of Huntington and Smithtown are invited to participate.  As part of Covanta’s Clean World Initiative and community outreach, the poster contest encourages students to think about recycling and the positive impact that it has on our local communities.  This event then allows the students to take these ideas and express them in the form of a poster which is integrated into their art, science, and social studies curriculums. 

Recycling reduces the amount of solid waste that must otherwise be disposed of.  U.S. communities with Energy-from-Waste (EfW) facilities (also known as waste-to-energy or WTE) facilities have a higher recycling rate than the national average.  In most instances, communities that have a Covanta Energy owned and/or operated EfW facility have taken the time to focus on developing a sustainable integrated waste management program that includes reducing, reusing, recycling followed by recovering energy from the waste leftover instead of landfilling.

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Senate Committee Approves Gillibrand's Amendment For "Yellow Ribbon Day"

ON THE EVE OF MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, GILLBRAND ANNOUNCES KEY SENATE COMMITTEE APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT TO ESTABLISH YELLOW RIBBON DAY TO HONOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES SERVING OVERSEAS

Yellow Ribbon Day Serves as Reminder to American People of Continued Sacrifice of Armed Forces, Recognizes History and Significance of Yellow Ribbon as Symbol of Support for American Citizens Serving in Combat and Crisis Situations Abroad

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced that a key Senate Committee included her amendment to establish “Yellow Ribbon Day” to honor U.S. Armed Forces currently in combat and crisis situations abroad, and to serve as a reminder to the American people of the sacrifice made by U.S. troops both present and past in the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act.

“Our men and women in uniform put their lives on the line every day in the service of this country,” said Senator Gillibrand. “While no symbol could ever adequately convey the debt of gratitude we owe our troops, this day serves as a reminder of their on-going sacrifice, and of the historical significance of the yellow ribbon as a symbol of support for American troops, their families, friends and communities.”

The yellow ribbon became a symbol to honor members of the Armed Services during World War II when families and loved ones of soldiers tied yellow ribbons around trees to signify their communities’ shared sacrifice and support of the troops abroad. Congressman Chris Gibson included companion language in the House version of the bill

Judy's Run Sets New Record While Racing For Stroke Awareness And Prevention

May 25, 2012: On May 20, 2012, Judy’s Run for Stroke Awareness held their 5^th Annual Run for Stroke Awareness and Prevention at Sunken Meadow State Park. Legislator John M. Kennedy, Jr. illuminated the H. Lee Dennison Executive Office Building in a purple glow every evening during the week leading up to the Run to commemorate National Stroke Awareness Month, further public awareness of strokes and its effect on stroke victims, their families and friends as well as bringing attention to the 5th annual Judy’s Run for Stroke Awareness and Prevention.

President Obama - Memorial Day Honors the Memory of the Fallen

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2012 – Memorial Day is a time for Americans to honor the memory of the service members who died in the nation’s wars and an opportunity to pray for the day when such wars no longer occur, President Barack Obama said in his Memorial Day proclamation issued today.

“Our nation endures and thrives because of the devotion of our men and women in uniform, who, from generation to generation, carry a burden heavier than any we may ever know,” Obama said in his proclamation. “On Memorial Day, we honor those who have borne conflict’s greatest cost, mourn where the wounds of war are fresh, and pray for a just, lasting peace.”

American history is filled with the stories “of sons and daughters who gave their lives in service to the country they loved,” Obama said. “They w

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NYSP Seek Info - Pedestrian Killed By MV On Sagtikos Parkway

The New York State Police in Brentwood, NY are investigating a one car versus pedestrian fatal motor vehicle accident which occurred on the Sagtikos State Parkway northbound approximately 5/8 mile south of Pine Aire Drive in the Town of Islip. On Friday May 25, 2012 at approximately 8:55PM, a male subject entered the right lane of the Sagtikos Parkway and was struck by a 2010 Hyundai. He was pronounced dead at the scene, his identity pending notification of next of kin. Any witnesses are asked to contact Investigator Charles Knapp at 631-231-6389. 

All Four Local High Schools Make Newsweek's 1,000 Best Public HS In America

Newsweek/Daily Beast has released its list of America’s best 1,000 public high schools. 

The information necessary to rank the schools was provided by school administrators.  The rankings are based on six components,graduation rate, college matriculation rate, AP/IB/AICE tests taken per student, average of SAT/ACT scores, average AP/IB/AICE scores, and AP courses offered  per student. 

America’s Best Public High Schools were ranked 1- 1000. Ranked number one is The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky.

Commack HS                 267

Smithtown HSW            329

Hauppauge HS               555

Kings Park HS                652

Smithtown HSE             704

According to the Daily Beast the schools were recognized because of their effectiveness in turning out college-ready grads.   Graduation rate accounts for 25%, College Matriculation rate (25 percent), AP/IB/AICE tests taken per student (25 percent.  Average SAT/ACT scores (10 percent), average AP/IB/AICE scores (10 percent) and AP courses offered per student (5 percent) of the ranking score.

Republican Candidate George Demos Withdraws From Congressional Race

Updated on Friday, May 25, 2012 at 7:02PM by [Smithtown Matters]

The following letter appears on the George Demos for Congress website.  Mr. Demos will not challenge Randy Altschuler in a republican primary.  Mr. Altschuler has been endorsed by the Suffolk County Republican Party, Suffolk County Conservative Party and Independence Party of New York.

Dear Friends,

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