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Times of Middle CountryTRANSCRIPT
Volume 4, No. 48 March 19, 2009 75¢
of Middle CountryThe TIMES
Where the North Shore clicks: www.northshoreoflongisland.com
Serving Centereach • Selden • Northern Lake Grove
A2A2
Lesko vs. MazzeiLesko vs. Mazzei
Selden park Selden park proposedproposed
Courtesy Leg. B. Beedendender
Pols blast MTA taxLocal lawmakers decry guv’s plan as unfair; protest set for Sat.Story, Page A6; event brief, A8
News is no jokeFamed journalists attend SBU summit on parsing good news from badStory, Page A6
Who will be Who will be supervisor when supervisor when the music stops?the music stops?
Candidates interviewed, A3Candidates interviewed, A3
Cardiowise Café at Mather Protect your family and learn to live better, longerPage B9
Meet LI business and professional women Our annual feature focusing on their success, how they do itPage B28
‘Through the looking glass’At Huntington Library, Smithtown restaurant weekPage B1
Stony Brook SportsweekAthlete of the Week Page B45
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County Legislator Brian Beeden-bender (D-Centereach) thinks 50 undeveloped acres abutting Suffolk Community College in Selden would make a perfect spot for a ballfield or three. And a walking trail, playground and picnic area.
Indeed, in a move a Beedenbender release describes as “the last chance the Middle Country community has to get the park it so desperately deserves,” the rookie Suffolk lawmaker has intro-duced a bill to preserve the forested, county-owned parcel — located east of the college at the corner of College and Mooney Pond roads — as recreational parkland.
Area athletic or-ganizations have ap-proached Beeden-bender seeking access to the potential fields, which would be both “all purpose” — ac-commodating foot-ball, lacrosse and soccer, sports whose schedules tend not to conf lict, Beeden-bender said — as well diamonds for softball and baseball. Interested groups, including Central Suffolk Football, Middle Country Lacrosse and the Middle Country Sports Asso-ciation, have offered to foot the bill for maintaining the fields, according to the legislator.
Open space advocates would benefit as well, Beedenbender argued, as pres-ervation would “prohibit future retail or residential development pressure at the site.” And neighbors, who would be spared sights and sounds from park users by a wooded buffer, welcome use of the land as a ward against the illegal ATV riders who currently plague it, he added.
“Our community has expressed agreat need [for] parkland and recre-ation space,” Beedenbender stated inthe release, referring to the Middle Country Coalition for Smart Growth’s call for increased recreational land.The park would offer the community a“centerpiece,” he said. “This would bea lasting community asset for every-one to be proud of.”
Selden Civic Association President Debbie Felber said the park would be a “windfall” for Middle Country resi-dents, who currently “have nothing like it.”
“Obviously it would be a tremen-dous resource for our youth,” Felber said.
The land is part ofa 70-acre two-parcelcounty holding next tothe college, owned bySuffolk and unused fordecades, according to the lawmaker. The col-lege has requested 20 acres be set aside forfuture campus expan-sion; Beedenbender is
eyeing the remaining 50. He said thepreservation proposal already has thebacking of a majority of legislatorsand County Executive Steve Levy, who Beedenbender once served as an aide.
Construction funding isn’t likely to materialize quickly. Beedenbender’s initial plan was to fund constructionof the ballfields and recreational ar-eas, at a cost he estimates between $2and $3 million, from the 2010 countycapital projects budget to be adoptedthis summer. But economic realitieshave stretched his timetable. “Whenwe first came up with this” — after thesports organizations approached himlast year — “things were better thanthey are now,” Beedenbender said.
But with the county strapped for
Unused land next to community college could hold ballfi elds, trails, playground, says Leg. Beedenbender
Lawmaker proposes county park for Selden
The park bill’s sponsor says it is ‘the last chance the Middle Country community has to get the park it so desperately deserves.’
Courtesy Beedenbender’s offi ce
Legislator Brian Beedenbender’s bill would transform 50 unused acres (shaded) next to Suff olk Community College in Selden into recreational parkland. He says he has the votes to pass it.
Continued on page A8
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“Focus on the sounds you want to hear, reduce the sounds you don’t.”
Mazzei and Lesko diff er on issues, style, directionLesko: Town needs strong supervisor; Mazzei: Town Board is where power belongs, wouldn’t reverse movesBY LEE [email protected]
Th e chill in the room was palpable last week as Brookhaven Town supervisor can-didates Tim Mazzei and Mark Lesko sat down for an almost two-hour face-to-face debate. Neither off ered to shake the other’s hand, either when they arrived at the TBR newspaper offi ce nor at the conclusion of their verbal jousting.
Lesko, a federal prosecutor in the East-ern District of New York until he resigned to make his fi rst run for public offi ce, stressed his experience in leading the Long Island offi ce for many years, overseeing “hun-dreds of attorneys” and staff , and prosecut-ing many cases. He specifi cally mentioned a few high-profi le prosecutions, including the Lawrence Aviation pollution and fraud case in Port Jeff erson, and the asphalt cartel corruption case that reached directly into Brookhaven Town.
Mazzei, the current Brookhaven Town councilman from the 5th District, spoke of his roots in Blue Point, where he attended school, where he served on the school board prior to his appointment and subsequent election to his council seat, and his experi-ence as a prosecutor in the Suff olk County district attorney’s offi ce. Mazzei ultimately served as head of the district attorney’s ho-micide bureau and helped prosecute the high-profi le Pius and Solomon murder cases. He maintains a law practice in Blue Point and owns a restaurant.
First addressing Brookhaven’s fi scal health in the current recession, Mazzei
pointed to cuts in spending already imple-mented by the town council and suggested “another 5 percent cut” could be in the off -ing. He said he was working closely with the town’s Division of Waste Management, looking to maximize planned revenues and seeking new ones.
His opponent, Mark Lesko, said, “We need a strong chief fi nancial offi cer, a su-pervisor determining what cuts to make.” Lesko criticized the “$10 million increase in spending” in 2008 that he blames on the Town Board’s Republican majority, led by Mazzei. Lesko also criticized Mazzei for the plan enacted only last month to reopen the Brookhaven amphitheater on Bald Hill in Farmingville, stating it could cost taxpayers
half a million dollars.“Th e amphitheater has never been
closed,” Mazzei responded to the claim that it is being reopened, explaining that chang-es in plans for using the venue this year eliminated town-funded shows. “At worst,” he said, “we expect to break even.” Mazzei also said he “voted against [former Supervi-sor Brian] Foley’s spending increases twice” in 2006 and 2007.
Mazzei said he had met with waste man-agement March 12, and “projections look okay” for revenues in 2009.
“‘We should be okay’ is not good enough,” Lesko retorted. He said acting supervisor Lori Baldassare complained she was unable to get fi gures at the landfi ll from
the commissioner hired by Mazzei.For his part, Mazzei said Commissioner
Ed Hubbard “updates the supervisor’s of-fi ce every month.”
Asked if the 10 year contract withBrookhaven’s labor unions, signed in 2001prior to Mazzei’s tenure on the board, was a mistake, locking the township into raisesand benefi ts untenable in the failing econo-my, the councilman said, “I would consider renegotiations at this point.” Mazzei said hehas had “extremely preliminary talks” with union leaders that have been “positive.”
Calling the 10-year agreement the lon-gest on Long Island, Lesko said he too has had preliminary discussions with theunions. “Th ey understand reality,” Leskosaid. “It’s a good sign that the union is being realistic.” He called the unions representing Brookhaven’s white collar and blue collar employees and Highway Department staff the town’s “most important partner.”
Both candidates refuted allegations ofnegative campaigning, and both accusedthe other of doing so. Lesko said his hasbeen a “fact-based campaign.”
Mazzei said negative campaigning has “not been on my side, all my mailings arepositive.” Actions on “the other side speakfor themselves.” Th e councilman singled outa mailing in which his opponent claimedMazzei used excessive amounts of gasolinein his town-owned vehicle and purchased the gas using a town credit card instead offi lling up for less at town pumps.
Mazzei said his gas consumption
Photo by Joe DarrowBrookhaven Town Supervisor candidates Mark Lesko, left, and Tim Mazzei barely looked at one another during the two hours they sparred at The Times of Middle Country offi ces.
Continued on page A4
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NOTICE OF SPECIAL DISTRICT MEETING
OF THE MIDDLE COUNTRY PUBLIC LIBRARY,
TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK,
NEW YORK NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a Special District Meeting of the qualifi ed voters of the Middle Country Central School District at Centereach, Town of Brookhaven, Suff olk County, New York, will be held in the Centereach Building of the Middle Country Public Library, 101 Eastwood Boulevard, Cen-tereach, New York, on Tuesday, April 14, 2009, at 9:30 A.M. pre-vailing time, for the purpose of voting upon the following items:
(1) To adopt the Annual Library Budget for the fi scal year 2009-2010 and to authorize that the requisite portion thereof be raised by taxation on the tax-able property of the Middle Country Central School District; and
(2) To elect one (1) Trustee to the Middle Country Public Li-brary to fi ll a fi ve (5) year term commencing July 1, 2009, and ending on June 30, 2014, as a result of the expiration of the term of offi ce presently held by Lisa Mitnick.
FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that for the purpose of voting at such meeting on April 14, 2009 the polls will open be-tween the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., prevailing time, and voting will be held in the Middle Country Public Library (Centereach Building), 101 East-wood Blvd., Centereach, New York; and
FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a copy of a state-ment of the amount of money which will be required for the ensuing year for the Middle Country Library’s purposes, ex-clusive of public monies, may be obtained by any resident of the District during the fourteen (14) days immediately preced-ing said meeting except Sat-urdays, Sundays and holidays from the Library, located at 101 Eastwood Blvd., Centereach, New York during the hours of 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. prevailing time and;
FURTHER NOTICE IS HERE-BY GIVEN, that petitions nomi-nating candidates for the Offi ce of Trustee of the Middle Coun-try Public Library are available from the Offi ce of the Clerk of the Board (designated Election Offi cer) located in the Middle Country Public Library, 101 East-wood Boulevard, Centereach, New York. Petitions may be fi led on any weekday between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., prevailing time not later than Monday, March 16, 2009. Each petition must be directed to the Election Offi cer and must desig-nate the offi ce sought, the name
and residence of the candidate and must be signed by at least twenty-fi ve (25) qualifi ed voters of the District setting forth their addresses; and
FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that personal registra-tion of voters is required either pursuant to § 2014 of the Educa-tion Law or pursuant to Article 5 of the Election Law. If a voter has heretofore registered pur-suant to § 2014 of the Education Law and has voted at any An-nual or Special District Meeting within the past four (4) years, such voter is eligible to vote at this vote/ election; if a voter is registered and eligible to vote pursuant to Article V of the Election Law, such voter is also eligible to vote at this election. All other persons who wish to vote must register. The Board of Registration will meet for the purpose of registering all quali-fi ed voters of the District pursu-ant to § 2014 of the Education Law on Tuesday , April 7, 2009 between the hours of 2:00 pm and 9:00 pm, prevailing time at the Library Building, 101 East-wood Blvd., Centereach, New York and at the election/vote, at which time any person will be entitled to have his/her name placed on such register, provid-ing that at the meeting of the Board of Registration he or she is known, or proven to the sat-isfaction of the Board of Regis-tration, to be then or thereafter entitled to vote at such Special District Meeting for which the register is prepared, and that the register so prepared pursu-ant to § 2014 of the Education Law of the State of New York and the registration list prepared by the Board of Elections of Suff olk County will be fi led in the offi ce of the Clerk of the Board, and will be open for inspection by any qualifi ed voter of the Dis-trict on each of the fi ve (5) days prior to April 14, 2009 excluding Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm prevail-ing time; and
FURTHER NOTICE IS HERE-BY GIVEN, that applications for absentee ballots for the elec-tion of Trustee of the Library, and for the adoption of the an-nual budget may be applied for at the offi ce of the Clerk of the Board 101 Eastwood Blvd., Centereach, New York during regular business hours. Such application must be received by the Clerk of the Board no later than 5 pm seven (7) days prior to the vote/election if the bal-lot is to be mailed to the voter or by 5pm on April 13, 2009 if the ballot is to be delivered person-ally to the voter. No absentee voter’s ballot will be canvassed unless it shall have been re-ceived in the offi ce of the Clerk of the Board not later than 5 pm on the day of the vote/election. A list of all persons to whom ab-sentee ballots shall have been issued will be available in the Clerk of the Board’s offi ce dur-ing regular business hours on each of the fi ve days prior to
April 14, 2009 except Saturdays,Sundays and holidays.
Dated: Centereach, New York December 17, 2008
BY ORDER OF THE TRUSTEES OFTHE MIDDLE COUNTRY PUBLICLIBRARYDenise Haggerty, President
98 2/26 4x tmc
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
Sealed bids subject to all in-structions, terms and condi-tions herein and pursuant to thespecifi cations, will be receivedby the Board of Fire Commis-sioners, Selden Fire District atthe Fire District Offi ce, 44 Wood-mere Place, Selden, New York11784, until 7:00 P.M. on March30, 2009, where they will beopened publicly and read aloudafter 7:00 P.M. prevailing time,on the said date for the serviceas specifi ed and the contractawarded as soon thereafter aspractical for the purchase of a:
TRT RESCUE TRUCK
Specifi cations, proposals andproposed contracts may be ob-tained at Fire Headquarters, 44Woodmere Place, Selden, NewYork 11784, from the Fire DistrictSecretary of Fire District Manag-er, betweeen the hours of 8:00A.M. and 4:00 P.M.
Each bidder must submit withhis bid a bid bond or certifi edcheck payable to the SeldenFire District in the amount offi ve (5%) per cent of their bid.
The Selden Fire District reservesthe right to reject any and allbids and to accept the best bidsuited for its specifi c needs.
Dated: March 13, 2009
BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERSSELDEN FIRE DISTRICTTOWN OF BROOKHAVEN
ATTEST: Carol Davidson Secretary
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amounted to 13 gallons per week, hardly excessive in a town the size of Brookhaven. He said town-issued vehicles are appropri-ate for elected offi cials who spend so many nights and weekends attending offi ce-re-lated functions.
Lesko said Foley’s “reform agenda” in-cluded taking gas cards away from employ-ees driving town cars and only a handful still used them, including Mazzei. Lesko pledged not to use a town vehicle to com-mute to Town Hall.
Regarding the charge of negative cam-paigning, Lesko said an unfl attering photo of his opponent in a mailing was not “doc-tored” but in fact was taken from a Repub-lican website. He then accused Mazzei of bringing back the “old guard” that worked at Town Hall under prior Republican super-visors Felix Grucci and John LaValle. Lesko also said asphalt companies are contribut-ing to Mazzei’s campaign, some of the same companies Lesko prosecuted for price fi xing in Brookhaven.
Lesko claimed it took a Democratic ad-ministration to end decades of no-bid insur-ance contracts that cost taxpayers millions of dollars. Mazzei countered that the reform of the town’s insurance policies actually began under the LaValle administration, headed by former Republican 2nd District Councilman Kevin McCarrick.
“In two years they didn’t get it done,” Lesko said. “In two months Foley got it done.” Th e Democrat also criticized a mail-ing in which Mazzei is pictured standing with Suff olk District Attorney Tom Spota. Lesko said the mailing is “misleading” since Spota will not endorse any candidate due to his position.
Mazzei countered that Spota is a former law partner from the 1990s and the two re-main friends. “It was done because I want citizens to know I can be trusted,” Mazzei said.
Both candidates indicated their sup-port for preserving open space. Lesko said it must not be funded with taxes and indi-cated one element of his BIG plan for the town — Brookhaven Initiative for Growth — includes additional monies that would be paid to the town in return for speeding the approval process for development projects. Th at revenue would be targeted to parks and open space, Lesko said.
Mazzei said he would endorse a new bond act to provide funding — he pointed out his support for the $100 million bond approved in 2004 for open space preservation that has now been exhausted — and noted $10 mil-lion remains in the town’s adopted capital budget for open space, intended to be spent over fi ve years.
“We need a planner to run the plan-ning department,” Lesko said, addressing
the vacancy that has existed since early lastyear when Mazzei’s Town Board majorityfi red Commissioner David Woods. Leskosaid attracting a “national caliber” candi-date to the position was a “critical issue” forBrookhaven.
“I voted for David Woods,” repliedMazzei, referring to the vote to approve Fol-ey’s appointment in 2006, describing him asa “very good cerebral planner.”
“But,” Mazzei added, “he doesn’t get thetrain into the station on time,” eff ectivelyblaming Woods for delays in processingapplications under his leadership. “Wehave 20 certifi ed planners” on the plan-ning staff . “We need someone to managethe department.”
Asked how he would hope to govern ef-fectively should he be elected, Lesko, whowould be in the minority on the TownBoard, said he “believes in the power of goodideas.” Lesko also said “powers inherent inthe offi ce of supervisor can be exercised, forexample, selecting the lowest responsiblebidder for town contracts.”
For his part, Mazzei was asked if he couldlead without the extreme partisanship thathas marked Brookhaven government sinceFoley’s election in 2005.
“I already do that,” he replied. Notingvotes he has cast with Foley and the Demo-cratic council members, including the TallGrass development in Shoreham and theCaithness power plant in Yaphank, “I getalong very well.” He said “97 percent ofvotes” on the Town Board were 7-0 duringthe Foley administration.
Lesko decried the “partisan” moves to re-move authority from the supervisor’s offi ce,such as the economic development division,the public information offi ce and two citizenadvocate positions defunded from Foley’sstaff . He called Mazzei’s moves “an obses-sion that paralyzed town government.”
“Economic development was moved tothe Town Board,” Mazzei responded angri-ly. “Public information to the Town Board.Th e whole Town Board. No powers havebeen taken from the supervisor.” Mazzeisaid if elected to the post he would not re-verse the actions and would not replace thesupervisor’s staff positions defunded by hisTown Board majority.
“For three years under [former Republi-can supervisor] LaValle he didn’t move thosedepartments,” Lesko argued, describing thechanges as “pure partisanship.”
Th e two disagreed vehemently on thecurrent role of the supervisor’s offi ce in per-sonnel moves. “Oversight is critical,” saidLesko. “Th e chief fi nancial offi cer is now re-moved from that equation. … Personnel isnot under the supervisor.”
“Personnel and purchasing are underthe supervisor,” Mazzei said. But, he add-ed, “Commissioners hire and fi re, not thesupervisor.”
Th e special election is March 31.
Lesko v. MazzeiContinued from page A3
Photos by Joe Darrow
Mark Lesko and Tim Mazzei are looking in diff erent directions for the future of Brookhaven.
The TIMES (USPS 003-952) is published Thursdays by TIMES BEACON RECORD NEWSPAPERS, 185 Route 25A, Setauket, NY 11733. Periodicals postage paid at Setauket, NY and additional mailing offices. Subscription price $35 annually. Leah S. Dunaief, Publisher. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to PO Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733.
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Pols reject proposed MTA tax on area employers
Th e recent LIRR em-ployees’ disability scandal also troubles him. “Why isn’t the governor, why isn’t Ma-jority Leader Smith or Speaker Silver demanding that theunion and the railroad solve this problem and show a goodfaith to reduce costs before you ask taxpayers to help youout in this circumstance?”
Sen. Kenneth LaValle (R-Port Jeff erson) said he will notvote for the tax or toll hikes. “I think people just don’t un-derstand that we have to make cuts, we have to reorganize things [in the MTA] and we just cannot continue to ask people who are hanging on by their fi ngernails to carry ad-ditional burdens,” he said.
Despite the criticism from local lawmakers, Gov. David Paterson supports the commission’s requests, spokeswom-an Erin Duggan said.
“Tax increases are always a last resort,” Duggan stated in an email. “Th is is necessary to avert major fare increasesand service cuts to a system used by millions of New York-ers every day, including commuters from Long Island.”
BY ARLENE [email protected]
Elected offi cials representing Suff olk are expressing op-position to MTA Commission Chairman Richard Ravitch’s call for a “mobility tax” of 0.33 percent on all payrolls with-in the transit authority’s 12-county service region. His pro-posal would also add tolls to free bridge crossings.
In “sense resolutions” passed last week, both Brookhaven and Huntington town boards urged state lawmakers to re-ject Ravitch’s proposal. Huntington offi cials said it would increase that township’s tax levies by $200,000.
“Given the current state of the economy,” Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone stated, “it is imperative that all of us in town government focus on helping residents stretch their precious dollars,” and cited “going on record to fore-stall imposition of ill-conceived state taxes” as one way of doing so.
Th e proposed mobility tax would raise $1.5 billion a
year to cover debt service on a new MTA capital program. Th e new bridge tolls are expected to bring in another $600 million a year for mass transit.
But Assemblyman Andy Raia (R-East Northport) opined that the MTA has mismanaged its operation for many years and should be broken up and brought under control by the state’s Department of Transportation.
“It’s just one of the problems with authorities,” he said. “Th ey go on to become these monoliths that escape direct government oversight. … I don’t think businesses whose employees don’t use mass transit should have to pay to sub-sidize the system.”
Raia also said he worries that Long Island Rail Road commuters, who pay some of the highest rates in the country, will end up subsidizing New York City riders. “Not to mention, we live on an Island. Th ere should be at least one free way off of Long Island.”
Calling the MTA “the poster boy of poor perfor-
mance,” Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick (R-St. James) said he fears the proposed tax will kill jobs.
“How do you ask tax-payers to dig deeper into their pocket to subsidize this kind of cost struc-ture?” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s outrageous. You’re doing further damage to the business climate in this state and we’re al-ready in a weak position — and we have the highest combined tax burden in any state in the country.”
File photo
Gov. David Paterson’s proposal to impose a ‘mobility tax’ has met with stiff resistance.
BY LEE [email protected]
“We must train the next generation of news consumers,” said Howard Schneider, dean of the Stony Brook University School of Journalism. “Th ey have to judge the credibilityand reliability of information,” he added, and such judge-ment is “crucial” to the future of our democracy.
Schneider has been an advocate for news literacy foreveryone — not just journalism students — since beingnamed SBU’s fi rst J school dean in May of 2006.
Toward that end, and demonstrating an infl uenceunusual for a school so young, SBU’s School of Journal-ism hosted a news literacy conference at the Wang Cen-ter last week, underwritten by the Ford Foundation and attracting heavy hitters in print and electronic journal-ism. Speakers included Arthur Sulzberger Jr., publisher of Th e New York Times, and panelists included formerNightline host Ted Koppel, now a senior news analyst for National Public Radio; Vivian Schiller, president and CEO of NPR; the presidents of Syracuse and Louisiana State universities and the chancellor of the Universityof Missouri. Andrew Heyward, the former president of CBS News, moderated one of the panel discussions dur-ing the three-day conference.
Schneider said a “tsunami of information” from tradi-tional outlets such as newspapers and network news pro-grams and newer sources like the Internet and 24-hourcable news networks is “blurring the line” between news,press releases, public relations, blogs and Tweets. Without the ability to diff erentiate between reliable and question-able sources and stories, the public will be hamstrung in itsability to make informed choices, he argues.
Schneider said this week that Syracuse and LSU will be-gin news literacy programs of their own. Also — in what he described as a “proposal only” at this point, and still in need of a funding source — SBU would train 50 to 100 out-of-work journalists to teach news literacy at 25 or more uni-versities across the country. In addition, Schneider said, theFord Foundation has underwritten a two-week course innews literacy for high school teachers this summer at SBU.
SBU news summit draws big names
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Financial Empowerment for Women at MCPL
Michele Martin, Allstate Insurance exclusive agent, and Pamela Barbieri, Allstate Financial Ser-vices fi nancial representative, hosted a 90-minute workshop entitled Financial Empowerment for Women at the Middle Country Public Library in Centereach. Th ose in attendance learned how to take control over their fi nances and stay out of debt. In the workshop, Ms. Martin and Ms. Barbieri cov-ered topics such as how to create a budget, what to do if you are in debt or foreclosure, how to improve your credit score, the diff erences between long-term and short-term savings accounts and the benefi ts of having life insurance. Th is workshop is part of the Allstate Readiness Series.
Pictured (left to right): Elizabeth Malafi , coordina-tor, Miller Resource Center at Middle Country Public Library; Martin; and Barbieri. For more informa-tion about the Allstate Readiness Series at the Middle Country Public Library, call 585-9393 ext. 224 or check out the website at www.readinessbeginswithme.org.
UAlbany announces dean’s listTh e following students were named to the
University at Albany’s fall 2008 dean’s list for outstanding academic achievement:
Sarah Alvarado of CentereachRaymond D’Esposito of Centereach
Susana Duarte of SeldenNicholas Ermilio of Centereach
Cody McCabe of Lake GroveJonathan Millian of South Setauket
Cory Sanders of South Setauket.
Garvin to succeed Klatsky at CDCLIChief Executive Offi cer Wilbur Klatsky will be departing CDC of Long
Island eff ective March 31, and will be succeeded by Marianne Garvin, formerly CDC’s president and chief operating offi cer. Since Klatsky moved from the board to staff of the organization in 1992, he has grown the small business divi-sion from making $5,000 microloans, to a current cap of $950,000. He was also instrumental in CDC’s residential development eff ort that has produced more than 700 units of aff ordable housing.
Garvin has been with the organization since 1992, and became president and chief operating offi cer in June 2006, with responsibility over all of CDC’s areas of service. She is a recognized leader in the housing and community development fi eld, both locally and nationally, and currently serves on the board of Habitat for Humanity of Suff olk and with Neighborhood Housing Services of America’s Community Development Financial Institution, as well as on the National Homeownership Steering Committee and with the Neigh-borWorks Center for Homeownership Education and Counseling. Garvin has won numerous awards, which include being named one of the Top 50 Most Infl uential Women in Business by Long Island Business News.
Dominick MancusoDominick P. Mancuso, 74, of
Mount Sinai, formerly of Lake Grove, on March 5.
He was the beloved husband of Pauline; devoted father of Peter, Frank, Richard and Paul; cherished grandfather of Troy, Angelica, Dom-inick, Richard, Douglas, Diana and Daniel; and dear brother of Fannie Paladino and the late Danny.
A funeral Mass was held at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church. Interment followed at St. Charles
Cemetery.Arrangements entrusted to the
professional care of The Branch Funeral Home of Smithtown.
John SpryJohn “Jack” Spry, of Centereach,
died on Feb. 27 in his 52nd year.He was the loving father of Nicole
Rae; beloved son of Gracemarie and the late John; dear brother of Teryl Ann Meagher, Kieran Spry-Healy, Stacie Jacobus, Justin Spry, Grace-
marie Di Carli, Kristine Blume, Jennifer Spry and David Spry; and adored uncle of 15.
Funeral services were arranged by Moloney’s Lake Funeral Home of Lake Ronkonkoma. Cremation was at the Nassau Suffolk Crematory, Lake Ronkonkoma.
Anna BrunoforteAnna T. Brunoforte, of Lake
Grove, died on Feb. 28 in her 77th year.
She was the devoted mother of Donna Pierce (John), Louis Brunoforte and Michael Brunoforte (Margaret); loving sister of George Calderone, Angelo Calderone, Dominic Calderone, Rose Darienzo and Louise Biordi; and cherished grandmother of Deanna, Samantha, Cassandra, Michael, Kristen and John.
Funeral services were arranged by Moloney’s Lake Funeral Home of Lake Ronkonkoma. Interment was held at Washington Memorial Park, Mount Sinai.
Obituaries
PEOPLE
Announcement submissionTo send an obituary or People item
for publication:
Email items to [email protected]. Send pictures as jpeg attachments.
Or write to People Section, PO Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733 and include your phone number. To
have photos returned, include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
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cash and eyeing layoffs, the legislator said park construction would proceed slowly over the next few years. Still, he hopes to include funding for at least one field among 2010’s capital expenses.
Far more urgent is the preservation vote. Others are eyeing the property as a potential housing devel-opment, a move that would be detrimental to Middle Country School District finances, the lawmaker said. “If we designate this as parkland, it’s locked in and can’t become anything else,” he said.
He introduced the bill March 3, and it has been assigned to the Parks Com-mittee. However, Beedenbender said he would call for it to be tabled this week
while the county works out another is-sue with the property.
The Selden Fire Department has a training ground abutting the parcel’s north side. It has requested an ease-ment over the county land to College
Road, allowing firefight-ers an easier outlet to re-spond to calls than wind-ing through the adjoining residential neighborhood, Beedenbender said. The easement agreement must be completed before the land can be preserved, he added. “Hopefully we’ll be able to move forward with this in April.”
“This is the most excit-ing thing I’ve done while in office,” Beedenbender
added. He wants to share the excite-ment, suggesting a contest among local students to select a name for the park after it’s been built.
Selden parkContinued from page A2
File photo
Leg. Brian Beedenbender
MC to protest MTA payroll taxRally with state Senators John Flanagan (R-East Northport) and Brian Foley
(D-Blue Point), representatives of Nassau and Suff olk county school boards, su-perintendents and parent teacher associations, civil service unions, the Long Is-land Association and residents against Gov. David Paterson’s proposed .33 per-cent payroll tax on all employers, public and private, within the Metropolitan Transportation Authority region on Saturday, March 21 at 11 am at Newfi eld High School, 145 Marshall Drive in Selden.
If approved, the MTA tax would cost Long Island school districts over $24 million — $12.8 million from Suff olk schools, and $11.6 from Nassau. Th e pro-testors will send the governor the message: “Don’t balance the MTA’s budget on the backs of our children.”
For more information, contact Roberta Gerold, Middle Country School Dis-trict superintendent, at 285-8005.
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SPORTSPhoto by Dennis Whittam
Middle Country senior Ed Bellacera, above, will help lead the off ense this year, along with teammates Joe Canevari and Dom Cerasi.
BY ROBERT [email protected]
What to do for an encore? Th at’s the predicament Middle Country boys head lacrosse coach Ken Budd has before him in 2009. Aft er mak-ing the playoff s for the fi rst time since 2004 and win-ning their opening round game last year, Budd lost seven starters from his team, including four key play-ers from his defense. But this will be anything but a rebuilding year for Middle Country.
Middle Country fi nished the 2008 season with an exhilarating 11-3 Division I record and were 12-5 overall. Th is year they remain a formidable eighth
seed among Division I teams but their success means they will have a tougher program this year.
“Last year we had a weaker schedule but the kids really got aft er it,” said Budd. “Th is year we’re ranked eighth but that’s right where I think we ought to be. Our goal again is to make the playoff s and to have a home playoff game.”
According to Budd, Middle Country will try to push the ball on off ense and work their transition game. Otherwise, he says, they will try to be patient and rely on their passing game to spur the off ense.
Key players on offense are senior Joe Canevari, junior Dom Cerasi and senior Ed Bellacera. “They move the ball well,” said Budd. “They all have good legs, can shoot with either hand, and can play both offense and defense.”
Joining the off ensive eff ort will be four-year var-sity attack senior Brian Friedman. “He’s shift y,” Budd said. “He’ll carry the ball up on off ense and he’s an annoying player to defend. He’s also a good feeder. He had 25 assists last year.”
Junior Frank Iaconetti will lead a revamped de-fense this year. A midfi elder last year, Iaconetti is solid with ground balls and can move the ball out of the defensive zone well. But the real anchor for the Middle Country defense is the return of All-County goalkeeper Nick DiGiacomo.
DiGiacomo may be the best goalie in the county. Last year he sported a scintillating 5.4 goals-against average and is headed to Stony Brook University on
a full scholarship next fall. “Nick can f lat out stop the ball,” said Budd. “He’sa leader who understands the game well.
He’s the real deal.”Still questions remain as to how well Middle Coun-
try will fi ll the holes created by their seven players they graduated last year. Budd, however, remains confi denthis team will live up to expectations. “Our best off enseis our defense,” he said. “We’re young, but strong and Nick knows how to keep the defense in check. I thinkthat if we’re not in the postseason then it will be a dis-appointing season, and if things go our way we shouldbe back there again this year.”
After a series of scrimmages, Middle Countrywill be put to the test with a nonleague game against New York State champion Rocky Point Eagles on March 31. Their first home game comes on April 2 when they host Hauppauge in another nonleaguegame. League action begins April 7 when MiddleCountry travels to Smithtown East.
Incidentally, all Middle Country home games will be played this year at Newfield High School.
Middle Country looks to repeat last year’s successMad Dogs may have the best goalie in Suffolk County in Nick DiGiacomo
BOYS’ LAX
‘This year we’re ranked eighth but that’s right where I think we ought to be. Our goal again is to make the playoff s and to have a home playoff game.’
— MIDDLE COUNTRY COACH KEN BUDD
Come support the Mad Dogs boys’ lacrosse team
3/18 Westhampton @ MC (s) ................ 3:30 pm3/19 Connetquot @ MC (s) ...............3:30 pm3/21 MC @ Mt Sinai (multi-team s) ..12:00 pm3/24 Northport @ MC (s) ...................... 4:30 pm3/26 Riverhead @ MC (s) ....................... 3:30 pm3/28 MC @ Copiague (multi-team s) .. 9:00 am3/31 MC @ Rocky Point (NL) ............... 4:30 pm4/2 Hauppauge @ MC (NL) ................4:00 pm4/7 MC @ Smithtown East..................2:00 pm4/15 MC @ East Islip ..............................4:00 pm
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Time for hastePain. Th ere is, unfortunately, much of the
economic variety to pass around these days. Th at is particularly true of our schools, where offi cials try to make the best of less revenue despite rising costs.
Th e federal stimulus bill was supposed to bail them out, right? Two weeks ago we reported that Gov. David Paterson said New York’s share would negate the education aid cuts he had pro-posed to help counter a record state defi cit.
Except that Paterson’s assurances have made it no further than the newspapers, it seems. School districts embroiled in the budget forma-tion process, which must be wrapped up next month, have yet to see an amended state aid proposal from the governor.
Districts don’t know if Paterson’s promise to “restore” state aid means eliminating the defi cit reduction assessment imposed on districts, or zeroing out overall aid decreases in comparison with 2008-09. For large districts the diff erence amounts to millions. Until they know the num-bers, they can’t reliably calculate the tax impact of the spending the districts are proposing.
Now is when schools need those fi gures most, as many consider layoff s to keep tax increases low so their budgets pass muster with a belt-tightening electorate.
Perhaps with the federal stop-gap money, job cuts are no longer necessary, but until they know for sure school offi cials are obligated to plan for the worst. Which means that until the “all clear” is sounded, some teachers may be an-ticipating unemployment. Such consternation will clearly not promote the economic confi -dence the stimulus and other bailout eff orts were intended to inspire.
Th e Paterson administration claimed this week it cannot release fi nal fi gures until ongo-ing budget negotiations with the Legislature are complete. But the governor has not even answered the most basic questions posed above by school offi cials, making their task far more arduous than in years past when districts had relatively accurate numbers to work with. Paterson should provide up-to-date data to the districts immediately.
News literacy criticalTh e prominence of the attendees at the News
Literacy Conference at SBU last week indicates the importance many place on the ability we must all master to understand and evaluate the “tsunami” of so-called news pummeling all of us every day (see page A6). We think the SBU School of Journalism, and in particular its dean, Howard Schneider, are on to something.
Separating the wheat from the chaff is essen-tial if we are going to position ourselves to make informed decisions on critical issues. Th e im-portance of analytically considering what news-papers and television and radio and the web toss at us, the ability to see through the fog and spin, and the need to understand an ever-increas-ing universe of information — far too much of which is generated by, shall we say, “journal-ists” not entirely loyal to the creed of who, what, where, when and how but instead determined to tell you why (in their own oft en skewed opin-ions) — has never been more important.
Whether you read it on these pages, or in a daily, or learn it the radio, TV or the web, apply an appropriate level of skepticism, seek the facts, and always remember to consider the source.
Veterans offer their thanksTO THE PUBLISHER, EDITORS AND STAFF OF TBR NEWSPAPERS:
On behalf of the Officers, Executive Board and members of the American Legion Wilson Ritch Post #432 of Port Jefferson Station, we would like to thank you for your support and con-tinuing coverage of our events and of veterans issues. In almost every issue I notice that one of your editorial staff is covering a veterans event and reporting on it. We at the Wilson Ritch Post are very grateful for this effort.
We would like to also take this opportunity to thank whole-heartedly the efforts of Congress-man Tim Bishop, state Sen. Ken LaValle and Assemblyman Steve Englebright for their unwavering support of veterans issues and of veterans causes.
For those who braved the cold, crisp weather during our Pearl Harbor Remembrance Service this past December, you would have heard a gentleman eloquent-ly playing “Taps.” To this gentle-man, who to us is anonymous, we offer our sincere thanks as well. Please keep up the good work. Our veterans are certainly well worth it.
Richard Knutson, Public Relations Officer
American Legion Wilson Ritch Post #432
Federal help for mortgage payersTO THE EDITOR:
The escalating number of foreclosures doesn’t only threaten people who may lose their homes; it also brings down property values and equity throughout entire neighborhoods. That’s why we must focus on reducing home foreclosures and rebuilding ho-meowner wealth as a key strategy in strengthening our economy. My top priority is standing up for hardworking families on Long Island.
President Obama released the details of his comprehensive Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan. Effective imme-diately, the plan will allow four to five million families who owe more on their homes than the current appraised value to lower their interest rates. The new plan will also help another three to four million at-risk homeown-ers avoid foreclosure by reducing monthly mortgage payments. The Treasury Department has set up a website, www.financialsta-bility.gov, that has information detailing how the programs work and whether you are eligible. I encourage you to contact your mortgage lender or servicer to
take advantage of these new pro-grams and reduce your monthly payments to stay in your home.
In Congress, we are working to do our part to help troubled borrowers, too. This week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1106: Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, which I was proud to support. This legislation complements President Obama’s plan by simplifying existing programs and providing incen-tives to lenders to modify mort-gages. It also provides important safeguards for responsible hom-eowners who are not covered by President Obama’s plan, but are still at risk of foreclosure.
Besides these programs there are a few additional resources, both nationally and locally based, that you may find helpful:
• Hope Now: www.hopenow.com, 888-995-4673. Hope Now is a government and industry alli-ance that provides free foreclosure prevention assistance from HUD-approved counseling agents.
• Federal Housing Administra-tion: www.fh a.gov, 800-225-5342.
• Long Island Housing Part-nership: www.lihp.org, 435-4710. At no cost to you, HUD-certi-fied housing counselors can help you understand your options, organize your finances and represent you in negotiations with your lender, if you need this assistance.
• Community Development Corporation of Long Island: www.cdcli.org, 471-1215. CDC specializes in affordable housing on Long Island and has a foreclo-sure prevention expert on staff to answer your questions.
Rep. Steve Israel2nd Congressional District
MTA tax is unfairTO THE EDITOR:
As someone who represents the overburdened taxpayers of Long Island, I am relieved that Gov. David Paterson has listened to the residents he serves and decided to withdraw the harm-ful “fun taxes” that he origi-nally proposed. But I find it a bit disingenuous for the governor to publicly take credit for fixing a problem that he created.
Along with my colleagues in the Republican conference of the New York State Senate, I have consistently rejected Gov. Paterson’s job-killing tax in-creases because they hurt our families, our businesses and our economy. While Gov. Paterson and his Democratic colleagues in the Assembly and the Senate have repeatedly looked to fix the state’s economic issues by taxing those in the suburbs, our confer-ence has repeatedly called for a plan that taxes less, spends less and helps create jobs.
While the rejection of these tax increases is good news, Gov.
Paterson’s change of heart was announced after weeks of public pressure and outrage. Now, he has more work to do and he needs to deliver for our state without relying solely on federal bailout money.
The budget he proposed still includes the elimination of $1.7 billion in property tax rebates to the hardworking middle class families of this state. Addition-ally, his budget still contains almost $5 billion more in taxes on businesses and individuals which will make it even more dif-ficult to recover from these tough economic times.
At the same time, the Demo-crats from New York City are ac-tively pursuing a payroll tax at our expense to bankroll the Metro-politan Transportation Authority. Th is plan would have an excessive and unfair impact on suburban workers and commuters.
Last week, I joined with my colleagues in the Senate to unveil a budget plan that lays out a blueprint that can help our economy recover without resorting to the harmful taxes and fees that drive people out of our state. This plan will allow the state to make critical invest-ments in education, health care and jobs while providing the tax relief residents need.
The three Democrats from New York City need to come out from behind closed doors and tell the people of this state what they plan to do about the rest of the budget. Gov. Paterson, Speaker Sheldon Silver and Majority Leader Malcolm Smith need to put their budget proposals on the table so we can begin a truly pub-lic debate on how best to address our budget needs and the needs of the state going forward.
Sen. John J. Flanagan(R-East Northport)
Where is the police report?TO THE EDITOR:
Recent issues of TBR Newspa-pers no longer feature the Police Report column. I urge you to reinstate it. The information it contains is important. We, your readers, need to be aware of the challenges our police officers face in the line of duty and of recurring trends in criminal activities (e.g., thefts from parked cars, vandalism, and the like). I suspect that many of your readers also miss the occasional f lashes of wit the editor of these reports injected into the column.
John SheaEast Setauket
Editor’s note: We continue to keep readers informed of police activities and crime within our stories and briefs. Reporting on police activities remains one of our primary beats.
The opinions of columnists and letter writers are their own. They do not speak for the newspaper.
EDITORIAL OPINION
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TIMES BEACON RECORDNEWSPAPERSWe welcome letters, photographs, comments and story ideas. Send your items to PO Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733 or email to [email protected]. Or drop by our news offi ce at 185 Route 25A, Setauket. Th e opinions of our columnists are not necessarily those of the paper. Times Beacon Record Newspapers are published every Th ursday. Address: PO Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733. Telephone: 631-751-7744Web • www.northshoreofl ongisland.com Contents copyright 2009.
EDITOR AND PUBLISHERLeah S. DunaiefGENERAL MANAGERJohness KuiselEXECUTIVE EDITORLee LutzEDITORJoe DarrowLEISURE EDITOREllen BarcelSPORTS EDITORKatherine ConsorteONLINE EDITORPatricia Proven
ASSOCIATE EDITORAlyssa CutlerEDITORIALJohn BrovenJennifer ChoiMichael DownerArlene GrossRobert LeunerPatricia ProvenLisa SteuerJohn WestermannDave Willinger
PHOTOGRAPHYJohn GriffinRobert O'RourkART AND PRODUCTIONDIRECTORDavid R. LeamanART AND PRODUCTIONJanet FortunaBeth Heller MasonWendy Mercier
ADVERTISING DIRECTORKathryn MandracchiaADVERTISINGMary ChirichellaRobin LemkinBarbara NewmanElizabeth ReuterLaura SatchwillNancy SolomonTed TaylorLynn TunneyMinnie Yancey
CLASSIFIEDS DIRECTOREllen SegalBUSINESS MANAGERSheila MurrayCREDIT MANAGERDiane WattecampsCIRCULATION MANAGERAlyssa CutlerBUSINESS OFFICESandi GrossMeg MalangoneSUBSCRIPTION MANAGERTerri Caruso
In our new recession-induced age of propriety, owning a personal jet is under a storm of disfavor. Th ough they represent the ultimate in conspicuous consumption, at least one good thing can be said about these super-expensive planes — compared to their big brothers the commercial airliners, they are relatively quiet. I know, because the seaside apartment I am renting in Florida lies in the approach path to the small airstrip at Boca Raton favored by jet-setting multi-millionaires. Th eir personal jets fl y in and out all day long, announcing themselves with a thrilling whine of power and rumble of engines. Th e brethren of these planes, the big eardrum-pounding heavies, must use either West Palm Beach to the north or Fort Lauderdale to the south.
Th e little jets are sleek and beautiful to watch. Th e sight of them approaching to land or climbing for altitude aft er departing suggests an intriguing air of mystery. Th eir silver fuselages carry no markings, no recognizable airline logos or colors. Th ey arrive as early as dawn, and fl y out way aft er dark. So to whom do they belong?
One can only guess, but one thing is sure — the ranks of the wealthy have been thinned by Bernie Madoff . One assumes that prior to his depredations, the airways in and out of Boca Raton were even more crowded.
Still, this remains a rich country, and though he ap-peared to have tried very hard Bernie did not manage to steal everybody’s money. Th e East Coast of South Florida is still a haven of extravagant wealth. Th e town
where I am staying, Highland Beach, is lined with an odd juxtaposition of high-rise condominiums and co-ops with modest apartments, and gargantuan ornate mansions in the $20 million price range.
(For perspective, though it is right on the ocean, my own apartment is in a 50-year-old co-op whose windows and sliding glass doors don’t work very well. Yesterday one of the two elevators failed, trapping for a while a fellow snowbird from Stony Brook.)
Madoff is much in the public awareness here. Fift een miles to the north, in his winter retreat of Palm Beach, he ruined large numbers of friends and acquaintances. In Delray Beach, a mile from here, there’s an old-fashioned newsstand much like the late, lamented Darling’s in Port Jeff erson. I go there oft en for my Racing Form and Wall Street Journal, and fall into conversations with old-time locals who congre-gate to complain about snowbirds like me. One morn-ing the proprietor had on display a 168-page reprint of the list of Madoff ’s victims, which was eagerly perused for local names.
Th e Palm Beach Post reported this morning on what wealthy society matrons are doing to show empathy with the less fortunate during the recession. Among other things, they’re digging into the back of their closets and wearing last year’s gowns to charity balls. In December, a group of women pledged they would insist their rich husbands not buy them expen-sive jewelry for Christmas. (Th ough this may have made them feel good, it might have cost the jobs of a couple of gold miners in South Africa and diamond
cutters on 47th Street. Oh, the law of unintended consequences).
As this grim recession drags on, I think more and more of the lost wisdom of small town America. It was Wall Street, not Main Street, that plunged us into the abyss. Had the sharks on Wall Street not been de-monically clever at concealing what they were doing, the little fi sh on Main Street would have refused to take the bait. I think of the brief single term of Mike Lee as mayor of Port Jeff erson, when he doubled taxes to diminish the debt hanging over the Village Center. Said Mr. Lee, “I was raised not to buy things until I could aff ord to pay for them.”
Mike, you should have been chairman of the Secu-rities and Exchange Commission.
In post-Madoff world, tarnished trappings of wealth
What fun we had this past Sunday evening at the Th ree Village Inn. It was the Men and Women of the Year reception, at which the winners of 2008 in Th e Village Times Herald were presented with framed certifi -cates before an audience of 137 (count ’em) community leaders. Th is was our 33rd such party, and they are always a high for us at the newspaper.
We started the Men and Women of the Year issue, our only “all good news” issue, the week between Christmas and New Year’s in 1976, the year we started Th e Village Times. I copped the idea, sort of, from Time magazine, where I had worked. But Time selects one person who, each year, is the most newsworthy, regardless of the value of their eff orts, wheth-er Hitler or Mother Teresa.
We, on the other hand, divide our community into categories, from the Arts to Business to Civics, all the way through to Sports and Volunteers. We then select
the residents who are making outstanding contributions to our villages, going that extra mile above and beyond what might be expected from them, and give them the spotlight — to further help them in their work and to express our collec-tive appreciation. We ask your help in the nominating process, which begins in early summer with a form that we run in the paper. With those nominations that come in through the mail, Internet and telephone and the suggestions of our staff , we sit down and decide the winners each year.
Once, early on, I thought we might run out of winners. It will never happen. Th e more people we get to know by cover-ing the news, and the more we understand about how much is contributed to the greater good, the more people we want to honor. Sometimes we honor a past winner again because he or she has done something new or something more.
We never tell the winners
why exactly we are interviewing them in the late fall for a story, and usually they don’t think to ask because what they are doing is newsworthy enough on its own. So when they discover that they have won, it’s a fun surprise.
Th at fi rst year, members of the Th ree Village community stepped forward and suggested a reception for the winners. Th ey also off ered to underwrite the party in a hands-across-the-community gesture. So we are the hosts each year, we speak about what each winner has done, we then give him or her a chance to tell where they are planning to go with their work in the coming year, and when they sit back down we give them a resounding round of applause in a public show of appreciation.
Why did we start this and why do we enthusiastically continue it to this day?
A sense of community is so important, such an enrichment in our lives. Learning about our common history, knowing
we are surrounded by kindly and caring neighbors, working together to maintain and pre-serve our natural resources and educate our children, these all contribute to a sense of security and well being for children and adults alike.
At times of stress, like some of the economic uncertainties we are living through today, people tend to turn toward each other for support. Here’s an extreme example of what I’m talking about. If you remember, New York City — long con-sidered a cold and impersonal place — became a lot more fi lled with kindness and mutual helpfulness aft er 9/11. Human values come more into focus in times of crisis. We are in what Frank Rich, columnist for Th e New York Times, calls a time of “social consciousness.”
How lovely that we, who live out here, don’t have to fi rst develop such a consciousness. It’s already here, as these awards ably demonstrate. We are so fortunate to live in a place with
community leaders and activ-ists, and whatever the issues are locally, we sooner or later see most of them through to a suc-cessful resolution.
So a sense of community is a wonderful thing. And since we are the community newspaper, we have always felt it part of our job to strengthen that sense wherever we can. Let me tell you, by the time everyone leaves the Men and Women of the Year reception each year, and we have recognized the eff orts of all those special people who enhance our lives, there is a glowing pride of place.
Celebrating strength in community
BY JOHN [email protected]
As this grim recession drags on, I think more and more of the lost wisdom of small town America.
Signals
BY LEAH S. [email protected]
Between you and me
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RIVERHEAD FORD/LINCOLN/MERCURY RIVERHEAD FORD/LINCOLN/MERCURY
Up to 5 quarts of oil, With Coupon only, cannot be combined. Not valid on Diesel Engines. Expires 03/31/2009
FORD • LINCOLN • MERCURY • SALEENRIVERHEAD
With the closing of your local Lincoln/Mercury dealers, you might have concerns about theservice and maintenance of your Lincoln and Mercury vehicles. Fear no more! We all grewup here and went to school here, and we all still live here. As good neighbors, we promisethat we will pick-up your vehicle from your home or business, have it serviced and return itto you, because as good neighbors, that is the least we can do.
Leo SternlichtRiverhead F/L/M, Owner
Class of ‘71E.L. Vandermeulen
High SchoolPort Jefferson, NY
Class of ‘77Ward MelvilleHigh School
East Setauket, NY
Class of ‘80Ward MelvilleHigh School
East Setauket, NY
Class of ‘77Ward MelvilleHigh School
East Setauket, NY
riverheadfordlm.com
FREE Tire RotationCheck Tire Inflation & 29 Point Inspection
Check Hoses/Belts/Fluids, Check For Leaks, Inspect Brakes, Drivetrain and more.
With Coupon only, cannot be combined. Expires 03/31/2009
Route 58Riverhead631-727-2200One mile East from Tanger Outlet
In-stock Now!
Steve RothsteinRiverhead F/L/M, Sales Mgr.
Malcolm GermaineRiverhead F/L/M, Pre-Owned Sales Mgr.
Class of ‘86Ward MelvilleHigh School
East Setauket, NY
Marc DoninRiverhead F/L/M, Finance Manager
Gabriel TangrediRiverhead F/L/M, Sales Associate
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The New2009 Mercury Milan
FREE Oil, Filter and Lubeand 29 Point Inspection
for all North Shore and Smithtown Lincoln/Mercury Customers
With Your First Service atRiverhead Ford/Lincoln/Mercury
For 60 Months0%
APR
29 MPG
AVAILABLE UNTILMARCH 31. 2009
8501
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