HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms in Smithtown and a special Mother's Day greeting to my mom!  Joan Kempsey Navas who now resides in Chandler, Arizona. Mom was a thirty year resident of Scholar Lane in Commack. She is Mom to seven children, Grandma to twenty one and Great Grandmother to sixteen. 

Her motto "all you can do is to try your best".  Her message was clear - "be charitable! It is rewarding in many ways and don't get into trouble or......."

Happy Mother's Day Mom and to all the Moms.

(Smithtown Matters invites present and former town residents to share their Mother's Day photos. Send your digital photo to pat@SmithtownMatters.com)

It's History

Photo by Shannon Troccoli

Dear Community Members, Public Officials, Historians, Newspapers and Media:
 
After many months of diligent work on the part of local Hauppauge community members, historians, local, county and state public officials, school district administration and Board of Education, there are no options left to save the Hauppauge Village Hall, dating back to 1887, for the June 1, 2010 demolition deadline.
 
At a meeting with the New York State Department of Transportation on November 5, 2009, it was determined and to be enforced that the Hauppauge Village Hall was to be removed from its current location at the intersection of Rt. 347 and Rt. 454 on or before June 1, 2010, or it would be demolished in preparation for the approved NYS DOT Rt. 347 Project slated to start by an approved RFP contractor with a firm June 1, 2010 implementation date or potential penalties would be imposed to NYS.
 
Over the past months, we have made diligent efforts to have a relocation of the Hauppauge Village Hall to possible properties located at the Hauppauge School District, Town of Islip, Town of Smithtown, Suffolk County and New York State. Due to the NYS State Education Department restrictions, NYS Division of Corporations restrictions, the cost of the move, renovations to bring up to the required fire code and the ongoing maintenance, it has made the reality very grim to have this one of the last few Hauppauge buildings from the late 1800s being kept for our Hauppauge community for future generations.

With less than one month away from the demolition date, the only hope is that of a potential white knight could save it. Anyone or company interested, please contact us at our email address at: savhaupvillhall@optonline.net. With deep regret, our expectations are that this will not occur.
 
Our sincere appreciation for their diligent efforts is given to local historian, Noel Gish, Hauppauge Community Leader, Paul Borowski, Legislator John M. Kennedy, Jr. and Legislative Aide, Leslie Kennedy, Scott Martella, Policy Analyst for State Senator Brian Foley and Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick.

 The New York State Department of Transportation and affiliated departments have been very accommodating and helpful in our quest to relocate the Hauppauge Village Hall. Thank you.
 
We thank for their assistance: Patricia Sullivan-Kriss, Superintendent of the Hauppauge Public Schools, James Stucchio, Assistant Superintendent for Business, the Hauppauge School District administration, Ann Macaluso, President of the Hauppauge Schools Board of Education and Board of Education Trustees. The school architect and attorney have been helpful in their consideration.
 
In addition, we would like to thank Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, Suffolk County Parks Commissioner John Pavacic, Smithtown Supervisor Patrick Vecchio, Smithtown Historian, Bradley Harris, Town of Islip Historian Robert Finnegan, Town of Islip Planning Commissioner Gene Murphy, Katie Horst of the Office of Governor David Patersen, Kathleen Albrecht of Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick's Office and State Senator John Flanagan's Office.

We, also, appreciate the assistance for possible fundraising offerings with Long Island Photographer and Hauppauge High School Class of 1978 Alumni, Stephen Mastrorocco and with Terri Alessi-Miceli, also a Hauppauge High School Alumni.
 
The members of the Hauppauge Village Hall Preservation Committee, including Joseph A. Beltrani and Lillian Munro have given strong support and spirit with preserving the Hauppauge history of this building and appreciate their guidance. 

We would like to thank the respondents of the savhaupvillhall@optonline.net email address for their interest and offering their assistance after a relocation property was finalized.

 Lastly, we appreciate the support and assistance provided to us to get the word out to the public through the newspapers and media. Please, if possible, send this final press release in this week's edition.

 Thank you.
 Sincerely, 
  Hauppauge Village Hall Preservation Committee

Let us make a pact, today!

 

 This letter is in responance to a news article, appearing in today‘s Newsday, entitled; “Paper under fire for image of Obamas,” by Rick Brand, Stacey Altherr and Patrick Whittle.

 

Aiming to trivialize an inept attempt at “political satire,” at the expense of our President and First Lady, Republican leader, John Jay LaValle is trying to dismiss the sophomoric, inciting and downright offensive and humorless pictorial editorial by Smithtown’s local newspaper, The Messenger.  LaValle suggests that, “What’s going on here is Democratic race baiting. “  Not really.  It is more about the shameless publication of a bigoted, disrespectful and a disingenuous attempt at a crude “joke.”  It was not funny.  It was a “political attack,” by a Republican mouthpiece! 

 

It seems that whenever a Democrat raises a question about a particular issue of the day, a Republican leader harkens back to a time when the Democrats were guilty of a similar lark or parody.  Then, when the Republicans are reminded of one of the worst times in American history. When the nation’s top lawmaker, who promised to uphold our Constitution, instead tried to circumvent it’s covenants for his own personal gain. And, who visited a great wall, but metaphorically attempted to build a wall around his greatest failure, WATERGATE, the Democrats are chided for bringing up the past.  Watergate was the greatest threat to our Democracy.

 

Here is a simple solution.  Let us make a pact, today.  Here and now.  That each political party, can only bring up topical issues and concerns as they relate to a candidates’ elective office and can only address these types of character assassinations and embarrassments, in a current election cycle.  Period. 

 

Thank you. 

 

Richard S. Macellaro
 Kings Park

School Budget Vote

School Budget Vote

By Erica Jackson

 

On May 18, voters from Commack, Hauppauge, Kings Park, and Smithtown will converge on their polling places to vote on their respective school budgets. With increased costs for teacher retirement funds and insurance; a new MTA tax; and nearly $1.4 billion cut in state aid this year, all local school districts are proposing to raise the tax levy to make ends meet.Photo By Shannon Troccoli

In Commack, Laura Newman, assistant superintendent for finance, said the school district is proposing a 2.56 budget to budget increase. That raise carries with it a 3.96 percent tax levy or in dollars, the average homeowner would be asked to pay an additional $330 to $360.

“We have tried to put together a budget the whole community can support,” said Newman.  “The board is aware of the economic times we are in and is trying to respond to all segments of the community by meeting all needs.”

The increase in taxes, said Newman accounts for a $1.8 million loss in state aid and an increase in pension costs.

To reduce the tax levy, Newman said the district tapped $3.2 in reserve funds and made cuts. Reductions were made in staffing, to the athletic department, to after school programs and to secondary elective programs.

Transportation will also be effected in the elementary schools. According to Newman, nearly $800,000 was saved by changing bus routes to add ten students per bus.  

“We want parents to know that this will increase buss route time by about ten minutes,” said Newman.

For more information on the Commack School District budget, please visit http://www.commack.k12.ny.us/  Photo By Shannon Troccoli

In Hauppauge, James Stucchio, assistant superintendent for finance, said the school district is putting out a budget that includes a 1.27 percent budget to budget increase.  This equates to a 3.24 percent tax levy and the average homeowner will be asked to pay an additional $148 in taxes.

The increase, says Stucchio, accounts for a $1.2 million loss in state aid and dramatic increases in payments to the MTA tax, the teachers retirement fund and insurance.

“Unfortunately, we had to make some cuts,” said Stucchio.

Among those cuts are 23.7 staff members of which 12.7 are teaching positions. Cuts were also made, said Stucchio to the district’s overtime, substitute and summer school programs. “We also reduced as much equipment as possible and capital construction costs,” said Stucchio.

In addition, Stucchio said the district utilized $700,000 in reserve funds to help lower the tax levy.

“We are fortunate to be able to put together a lean budget and keep our programs and initiatives in the district intact.” said Stucchio.

For more information on the Hauppauge School District budget, please visit http://www.hauppauge.k12.ny.us/metadot/index.pl

In Kings Park, Dr. Susan Argruso, superintendent of schools, said the district is proposing a budget increase of Photo By Shannon Troccoli 2.11 percent.  The tax levy for that increase would be 2.11 percent or $133 for the average homeowner.

“I know these are hard economic times, but the board did a good job balancing priorities and maintaining programs to provide a good education for our students,” said Dr. Argruso.  

With that, Dr. Argruso, said cuts were required to account for a $1 million loss in state aid and increased costs for salaries and benefits.

“We didn’t cut programs, but we had to eliminate double teams at the middle schools and late busses,” said Dr. Argruso.

In addition, classes sizes will increase and some teachers will be laid off, said Dr. Argruso.

For more information on the Kings Park School District budget, visit http://www.kpcsd.k12.ny.us/. Photo By Shannon Troccoli

In Smithtown, Superintendent of Schools Edward Ehmann says the school district is looking to increase its budget by .11 percent.  For taxpayers that translates into a 1.66 percent increase in taxes or $130.30 for the average assessed home.

The increase, said Ehmann, mostly accounts for a $3.6 million loss in state aid and a $400,000 payment to the new MTA tax.  

In order to keep the tax levy at bay, Ehmann said the district did need to make some cuts, but not as many as other districts. He said, “I am pleased that we didn’t have to make as many cuts as other districts, but I am still concerned about the pattern of state aid cuts each year.”

Smithtown was fortunate enough, said Ehmann that there were a number of teachers retiring. The district is also looking at a declining enrollment, which would require fewer teachers for the upcoming school year. The district, also said Ehmann is utilizing a portion of its reserve funds to hold the line on taxes.

For more information on Smithtown School District budget, please visit http://ww5.smithtown.k12.ny.us/

Smithtown Democratic Committee Denounces "Before and After"

Smithtown Democratic Committee

PO Box 608, Smithtown, NY 11787

Phone (631) 265-6520   

Edward Maher, Chairman

May 5, 2010

Press Release:

Smithtown Democratic Committee (SDC) denounces recent Smithtown Messenger “Before and After” joke as devoid of humor and tasteless. Further, the SDC proposes that the elected officials who represent Smithtown stop the subsidy of the Smithtown Messenger, with taxpayer money, by immediately discontinuing the practice of using the newspaper for public notices.

The Smithtown Democratic Committee today criticized the local newspaper The Messenger for its reprehensible photo joke entitled "Before and After”.  The joke shows photos of the last six Presidents and First Ladies of the United States of America including our current President, Barack Obama and First Lady, Michelle Obama.  The photos show the presidents with their wives at the beginning of their terms, and then at the end of their terms.  In place of an “After” photo of our current President and First Lady, is a photo of the characters Fred Sanford and Aunt Esther from the 1970’s sitcom Sanford & Son.

Readers of the local papers in Smithtown know that The Messenger is generally considered as the conservative voice. But isn’t a conservative tenant respect for the United States and its institutions? In 2008 over sixty-six million Americans elected Barack Obama to the office of President, the same office held by George Washington and Ronald Reagan. Political differences and the ability to speak out for or against policy and politicians is one of the great aspects of our system of government. However, the publishing of this despicable photo was beyond bad taste and should have no place in Smithtown.

Ed Maher, Chairman of the Smithtown Democratic Committee, stated “We know that this was not a joke. It’s a slur, it’s inciting and it is an embarrassment to the town of Smithtown to have had it published in one of our local newspapers”.

As residents and as taxpayers in Smithown the Smithtown Democratic Committee proposes that the elected officials who represent Smithtown stop the subsidy of the Smithtown Messenger, with taxpayer money, by immediately discontinuing the practice of using the newspaper for public notices.

The SDC also states that an apology from Phillip Sciarillo, Editor-in-Chief of the Messenger would be worthless and politicians seeking election or reelection in Smithtown should know that accepting an endorsement from this publication would make them complicit with the attitudes The Messenger espouses.