Smithtown Resident Michael Kinane Elected To ACIT Board Of Directors

ACIT Announces New Member of Board of Directors 

Michael KinaneFarmingdale, New York…  February 7, 2012…  Michael Kinane, a resident of Smithtown, New York, has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors of Advancement for Commerce, Industry and Technology, the networking organization that since 1963 has sought to develop business relationships among companies across Long Island.

Kinane currently serves professionally as the assistant to the president for advancement at SUNY College at Old Westbury.  Working under the leadership of College President Calvin O. Butts, III, Kinane manages external relations activities including media/public relations, fund raising, marketing publications development, and campus printing and duplication operations. 

“Providing opportunities for business leaders to engage with each other on matters great and small has never been more important than during our current economic climate,” said Kinane.  “I thank ACIT President Fred Johs and all members of the ACIT board for allowing me to serve with them and look forward to making a greater contribution to what has become among the leading networking organizations in our area.”

As a director of ACIT, Kinane will work with the leaders of ACIT to develop events and programs to aid owners and managers of small- and medium-sized companies as they seek opportunities for growth in their businesses.

ACIT has been serving and supporting the needs of Long Island businesses for nearly fifty years. Begun as a local group of professionals seeking to create a forum of information exchange, ACIT today serves a membership of hundreds of businesses across all spectrums of industry, asset size, and business lifecycle.

Michael Guadagno - Eagle Scout

January 24, 2012: Smithtown is home to many active Scouting Troops.  Recently, both Troop 7 of St. James and Troop 349 of Nesconset hosted Eagle Courts of Honor, which are a solemn and significant event not only for the Eagle Scout, but for the whole troop.On Thursday, January 19, 2012, several family members, scout leaders and community representatives gathered to acknowledge the proud work of Michael Guadagno, son of John and Anne Guadagno of St. James.  Michael worked with the Scouting Committee to draw plans, raise funding, and ultimately construct a handicapped accessible ramp for the rectory at Saints Phillip and James Church.  Michael’s work will have a lasting positive impact on all of the parish members.

Meet Suffolk County's Representative To Office of Gov. Cuomo - Scott Martella

Leading by example… that is what Smithtown resident Scott Martella is doing.  Quietly, behind the scenes he works tirelessly for people.  Scott recently accepted a position with the Cuomo administration, becoming Suffolk County Representative to the Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo. To avoid any conflict, Scott relinquished his position as Vice President of the Smithtown Board of Education.

Scott Martella has lived in Smithtown his entire life. He graduated from Smithtown High School in 2004, and went on to Boston University where he received his BA in 2008 in International Business.  During his time at BU he did a semester in Washington DC where he interned for Boston Scientific.  It was during this semester that he recognized his passion for government, policy and politics. 

In 2008 Scott joined Brian Foley’s campaign for New York State Senator.  During the campaign he traveled throughout the district speaking with people and listening to their concerns.  This experience solidified his belief in government as a positive force.  “Meeting people with different needs and expectations was great.  I spoke with seniors and veterans, college students, people struggling to stay on Long Island, people with jobs and those without.  I came away with a sense that government had to retool as an institution. That is one of the things that is so great about working with this governor.  He gets it.”

Scott has a strong belief in the quality of the public education system on Long Island.  At the age of 22 he became the youngest person to be elected to the Smithtown Board of Education.   He is also a realest; “The tax cap was the right thing to do. People are struggling to stay in their homes and to stay on Long Island.  There needs to be mandate relief in addition to the tax cap.”  He is most proud of his work on the BOE to maintain programs in the district. He is also very impressed with the students who showed up to express themselves before the BOE.  “They were great… their voices need to be heard, not only in front of the BOE, but in discussions about housing policy and zoning issues.”  He went on to say, “I grew up on Long Island surrounded by family and it was wonderful.  We have many families with generations on LI who have built communities into what they are.  I would like to see that today’s young people have the same opportunities. I would hate for Long Island to become a place where people must leave to pursue a better quality of life.”

In his position as Suffolk County Representative to the Governor’s office, his job is to relay the concerns and issues that local governments and organizations are experiencing. “The Governor has a work ethic that is unbelievable and I enjoy that and respect that.”   To make sure that he is effective in his position, Scott maintains contact with all the municipalities on a regular basis.  He attends meetings, and acts as the liaison for the governor’s office. “I love what I am doing. I am happy to facilitate for the people of Suffolk County.”

What’s next for Scott Martella? He is looking forward to Governor Cuomo’s continued success as the Cuomo administration takes on challenges like mandate relief and holding the line on property taxes.

On a personal note, Scott is dating Shelbi Thurau who is also a Smithtown HS graduate from the class of 2005. He is very proud of his family and is quick to acknowledge the significance of family in his life.   He gets his work ethic from both parents his dad is a union carpenter and his mom is a clerk typist. 

Scott Martella is doing what he loves, representing Smithtown and Suffolk County. He is working for a boss he is proud of and he is optimistic about the future.  Now if he could just find an affordable place to live.  But that’s a story for another day!

Jeb Ladouceur At Sunrise Rotary Club

By Judy Marlow-Ratway

Thursday, January 5th, the Smithtown-Sunrise Rotary welcomed guest speaker, Jeb Ladouceur, Author, and Retired Newspaper Publisher, who gave a  presentation entitled: The State Of Publishing In America Today.

Jeb, took us on a journey from the very early development of language, visual images, various alphabet development, financial  and genealogical records, to the human written communications of imprinting and inscribing clay tablets which created hieroglyphics. Thousands of years later, he stated,  around the first century AD, the Chinese invented paper, and with the availability of the facile medium, scribes and their inked inscriptions flourished and opened-up the universe of literature creating the world’s first literati. Hundreds of years after that discoveries like the Dead Sea Scrolls, clearly testified to publishing taking the world stage. Even in the Middle Ages, books were laboriously copied by hand on paper rolled into scrolls, taking small books months to complete. After more advancement came the invention of the printing press, typewriter, Morse code, telegraph, Linotype letter press, offset printing, photomechanical transfers, Portable Document Format files and a whole range of digital imagery. We now have access to small modest unit devices that hold 500 books. Kindle has already added color, and we look forward to sound, 3-D, and animation.

Jeb Ladouceur is recognized throughout Long Island for his career in advertising, public relations, and publishing. A former New York Senate candidate and charter member of Governor Mario Cuomo’s State Arson Task Force, he is the Founder and Publisher Emeritus of The Fire News, circulated continuously among firefighters in the Northeast since 1973. Jeb is known as a Smithtown novelist, an honors graduate of St. John’s University in New York and has made book signing appearances at commercial book outlets in the United States. Jeb is a retired member of the Long Island Authors Group and the exclusive Smithtown Writers Workshop. His most recent book, “The Oba Project” was named Edison & Kellogg’s Book of the Year for 2011. Ladouceur has been nominated for a 2012 Long Island Press BOLI award in the “Best Of Long Island Author” category. 

Smithtown-Sunrise Rotary meets every Thursday at 7:45 AM at the Smithtown Millennium Diner located on the corner of Main Street and Route 111.  Guests are welcome with the exception of the last Thursday of each month. 

SMITHTOWN SENIOR CITIZEN DEPARTMENT THANKS VOLUNTEERS

photo by Chris DelaneyDonations made to Stony Brook University Medical Center, St. Johnland Nursing Center and the Northport Homeless Veterans stand down event.

A very special luncheon was held recently to honor over forty senior citizen volunteers at the Smithtown Senior Citizen Department.  

According to Laura Greif, Program Director, “the department wanted to thank our volunteers who create beautiful handmade items for many deserving groups in our community.”  The donations included baby hats and baby blankets for the neonatal unit at Stony Brook University Medical Center; lap robes, walker bags and pillows for residents of St. Johnland Nursing Center and handmade quilts for homeless, or at risk of homelessness, veterans who visit the Department of Veterans Affairs in Northport.

Ms. Greif also commended the senior citizen volunteers who provide ongoing wellness (dance and exercise classes) and entertainment programs (bingo) for the senior citizens of Smithtown.

Come visit us at 420 Middle Country Road in Smithtown, or call us at 631-360-7616 for more information about the Smithtown Senior Citizen Department.