Candidates For Smithtown Town Council, Town Clerk, Receiver Of Taxes Debate In Kings Park

League of Women Voters Town of Smithtown Candidates debate:

Produced by Kings Park High School Technical Production Team.

Kings Park School District hosted a Smithtown candidates forum. Candidates for two Smithtown Town Board seats, Smithtown Town Clerk and Smithtown Receiver of Taxes took questions in the event moderated by the League of Women Voters.

Senior Crafters Wanted For Annual Tender Years Treasury Event

Smithtown Senior Citizens Department is Seeking Senior Residents to Craft Items for the Annual Tender Years Treasury Event

Smithtown, NY:  The Smithtown Senior Citizens and Recreation Departments are actively seeking crafters to book tables and showcase their offerings at the annual Tender Years Treasury event. The special shopping experience for children to purchase affordable, handcrafted holiday gifts for their families will be held on Saturday, December 2nd from 10AM to 1PM at the Eugene Cannataro Senior Citizens Center located at 420 Middle Country Road in Smithtown. Senior crafters can reserve a table at no cost to them through the Smithtown Senior Citizens Department or by calling (631) 360-7616. 

“This event is always so well received by the community. We have so many incredibly gifted senior residents, all of whom are remarkably talented at making hand-crafted gift items. I had the pleasure of speaking with a few of our center’s quilters last week. The quality in craftsmanship leaves you speechless. I can’t wait to see who participates this year… The Tender Years Treasury gives kids the chance to shop for family and friends using their own allowance money, without ruining the surprise. The lesson in independence, combined with multiple generations of Smithtown community members, all coming together to keep the magic of the holiday season an everlasting tradition, makes this event truly unique and beloved by all.” - Supervisor Ed Wehrheim 

The Tender Years Treasury is an award-winning program for children, hosted by the Smithtown Senior Citizens Department and the Recreation Department with support from the Youth Bureau. Senior residents within the Town of Smithtown create handmade items, which are available for purchase, and must be priced at $5 and under. The Youth Bureau’s volunteer students chaperone young gifters through the shopping experience, so they may choose holiday gifts for family and friends, without ruining the surprise. Popular handcrafted gift items may include jewelry, scarves, hats, wreaths, ornaments, pot holders, key chains, etc. There is no charge for crafters tables, and all monies collected belong to the crafter.

To Reserve a Craft Table:

For questions or more information about booking a craft table for the Tender Years Treasury, call Patty or Mae at the Senior Citizens Department at (631)360-7616. 

• Participating crafters must be Smithtown residents and a senior citizen (60 years of age and older.)

• All proceeds from the sale of goods belong to the seller. 

• All items on the selling floor must be priced at $5 or less. 

• There is no charge for tables. 

The Smithtown Senior Citizens Department located at 420 Middle Country Road, Smithtown

Low Cost Medical Alert Monitoring Services Available To Eligible Seniors

Smithtown Senior Citizens Department Provides Low Cost Medical Alert Monitoring Services

Smithtown, NY:  The Smithtown Senior Citizens Department offers in-home medical alert monitoring services to its senior residents aged 62 and older. Medical alert clients simply wear an easy-touch activator that can be worn as a pendant or on the wrist. When activated, professionally trained emergency response operators are available 24/7 to help. This medical alert system allows seniors to live independently, with the comfort and peace of mind knowing that help is just a touch away.

“Our objective with this personal emergency response system is to ensure the wellbeing of our seniors and enable them to remain independent and safe in their homes. Additionally, the device provides seniors with peace of mind, in knowing that if they ever need help, they will get it.”- Doreen Perrino, Smithtown Senior Citizens Department Program Director. 

Through a partnership with American Medical Alert Corporation (AMAC), a Connect America Company, the Town of Smithtown offers reasonably priced medical alert services to our senior citizen residents. Residents who wish to enroll, have a choice between two systems; a home-based telephone landline system and a GPS enabled system. 

With both systems, the individual wears an easy touch activator button, as a pendant around the neck or on the wrist (home-based system only). When activated, professionally trained emergency response operators are available 24/7 to respond and assist with any situation.

The home-based service is available for a monthly monitoring fee of $18. The GPS enabled system is available for a monthly monitoring fee of $30. Monthly monitoring fees are paid directly to Connect America. If requested, a lockbox can be provided at no cost. There are no installation fees, long-term contracts or cancellation penalties. All equipment must be returned to Connect America upon service termination.  

Eligibility Requirements:

To be eligible for Medical Alert Services, applicants must:

• Be a resident of the Town of Smithtown

• Be aged 62 or older

• Have a landline phone

  For further information regarding this and other senior programs, call the Senior Center at 631-360-7616. Eligible residents can schedule a brief in-home assessment through the Smithtown Senior Citizens Department.

LI Loud Majority Leader Withdraws Application Leaves Many Questioning How It Happened

By Pat Biancaniello

LI Loud Majority Co-Founder Kevin Smith will not be working for the Town of Smithtown. According to the town Mr. Smith withdrew his application for employment shortly after the January 31st Town Board meeting.

Smith was hired for a part-time position as an AV technician in the Department of Public Safety by the Town Board at its January 3, 2023 board meeting.

The Town Board to approve the following Personnel matters:

1. #21271 Part time appointment of Kevin W. Smith to the position of Audio Visual Production Specialist in the Department of Public Safety, at a rate of pay of $19.91 per hour, not to exceed 1/2 the normal work week, effective January 9, 2023.

The vote to hire was unanimous.

Supervisor Wehrheim at the Jan. 31 st board meeting stated that the position Smith was to fill would require him to film town events at town hall, parks, beaches, conduct interviews, possibly working behind the scenes at board meetings etc. He offered that Smith was not yet hired because a “comprehensive background check” by public safety had not yet been completed.

The January 3rd hiring of Kevin Smith triggered a reaction that no one saw coming. A very public and vocal January 28th protest on the front steps of Town Hall. Approximately 80 protestors carrying American flags and signs called on the Town Board to rescind Kevin Smith’s job offer.

Attendees were apalled that the board would hire a founding member of LI Loud Majority, a group that has been designated an anti-Government extremist group by Southern Poverty Law Center. Attendees spoke about interactions they experienced and witnessed including doxing incidents (releasing personal information over the web), mean spirited and hurtful comments made about Smithtown residents and intimidating and negative comments made about the LGBTQ communities on Smith’s podcast.

Smith addressed the concerns brought up by protesters on his podcast denying being involved in doxing. 

In a follow up to the rally, about 15 people attended the January 31st Town Board Meeting; five people spoke up and urged the board to rescind the job offer. The first speaker Lisa Sevimli is from Patchogue. Ms. Sevimli presented documents she had collected and offered videos she had taken as proof that Smith did not deserve a position working for the Town of Smithtown. Upon learning that the application was withdrawn Sevimli expressed relief she emphasized Kevin Smith’s application withdrawal happened due to the efforts of decent people working together. “We are in a time where democracy matters and must be fought for.”

The job description is worrisome for Barbara Cogniglio, a Smithtown resident,  who spoke out at the meeting about having her personal information posted on the web by members of, and fans of LI Loud Majority, as a response to a letter she wrote printed in Newsday. Ms. Coniglio made this comment about Smith withdrawing his application, “Although I am very glad and relieved that Mr. Smith withdrew his application to be the AV Specialist for the Town of Smithtown’s Public Safety Department, I am still disappointed in the unanimous approval vote by the Town Council in the first place. If Mr. Smith was properly vetted and interviewed, I am having difficulty believing that all Town Council members were unaware that he uses his Loud Majority podcast and social media to intimidate town residents who speak up against him, and to harass the LGBTQ community. “Kindness, empathy, and decency do matter and this is a victory for our community.” Barbara Coniglio, Smithtown resident.

Smithtown’s Democratic Chairperson Patricia Stoddard has been very vocal about the unanimous decision the board made hiring Kevin Smith, “Even though we had a victory in getting Kevin Smith off the payroll we still have a Smithtown Town Board who voted yes unanimously to give him a job in the first place! They should have had the backbone to do the right thing by changing their decision to NO instead of conveniently having Smith ‘decide not to take the position’.” 

Mr. Smith did not respond to a request for a comment.

Protesters Say "NO" To Town Employing LI Loud Majority Leader

How do you get elected officials to pay attention to what you have to say? You make noise, you bring together a group of like minded people, make yourself visable, carry signs and make your voices heard. This is what a group of people did Saturday, January 28th.

Protesters began gathering at Town Hall on Main Street in Smithtown around 1:30 and by 2p.m. a crowd of more than  80 people stood ready to call out Supervisor Ed Wehrheim, council members Lisa Inzarillo, Thomas Lohmann, Thomas McCarthy and Lynne Nowick on their decision to hire Kevin Smith, a leader of LI Loud Majority, to a part time position in Smithtown’s Department of Public Safety as an audio-visual tech. 

LI Loud Majority has been designated an extreme anti-government group by Southern Poverty Law Center an organization that tracks hate and anti-government groups. Protesters questioned why Smithtown would give a Smithtown residents calling on Town Supervisor to terminate Kevin Smith’s employment.person so closely aligned with this group, a position (part-time) funded by taxpayer dollars. They are angry that Smith, who they claim has made appearances at Smithtown School Board meetings and Library Board meetings, intimidating people is now an employee. Some expressed fear that Smith might be in a position to video or manipulate video to hurt them. Several people said they have been called out on LI Loud Majority podcasts and at least two people say they have been mentioned on the podcast in a derogatory manner and several expressed fear that they would be doxed by the organization. Smith, on his podcast earlier today, denied that he has ever doxed and stated emphatically that he is not homophobic.  Statements from a speaker at the protest that he was at the January 6th insurrection was also denied on his podcast. Smith claims to have documents showing he was in Maryland at the time.

Smith is unabasdedly vocal in support of certain issues icluding his beliefs in what is appropriate for kids to see in the library, and what is taught in school, vaccine mandates and election results. He is a Zeldin, Trump fan, he supported candidates in the Smithtown Library Board election.

Smithtown Democratic leader Patty Stoddard questioned Smith’s hiring. She recalled Supervisor Wehrheim’s concern for Smithtown’s economic future  ”… with Smithtown in financial disarray, this Town Board has the audacity to keep finding the money to hire their connected cronies like Kevin Smith, of the Long Island Loud Mouths. Here’s a guy who doesn’t even live in Smithtown, who lobs insults about our school children, who insinuates that our teachers are pedophiles, who spews ugly garbage throughout our town, getting a plum job that comes with a pension. Was he hired because he raised money for Supervisor Wehrheim? Or is it because he has an apparent relationship with a top town official? 

News 12 has attributed a statement to Supervisor Wherheim stating that Kevin Smith’s employment applcation is still under review.