Councilwoman Nowick In The Dog House With Task Force Members

Transparency in Smithtown’s Animal Shelter - 

In what should be a surprise but isn’t, three members of the Animal Advisory Task Force created by Councilwoman Lynne Nowick resigned. The task force was created to look into practices at the animal shelter with the goal of increasing  adoption and improving quality of life for the animals.

Councilwoman Nowick, liaison to the Animal Shelter, appointed Diane Madden, Elizabeth Stein and Lucille DeFina, hand picking them from the many animal advocates who appeared before the Town Board. The women served for nine months working with the Councilwoman and George Beatty, former director of the Smithtown Animal Shelter. 

During the nine months they served, the task force members worked to establish polices and procedures to clean-up and improve the operation of the shelter.  There have been successes at the shelter. According to all those involved many of the polices brought forward by the task force were implemented resulting in  the shelter being cleaner, record keeping has greatly improved as has medical care for the shelter animals. A change in the Shelter’s name was seen as reinforcement of the Town’s commitment to adoption.

Director George Beatty retired and eight weeks ago a new director Sue Hansen was appointed. With Mr. Beatty’s retirement came a sense that the animal shelter was moving in a new direction.

According to Diane Madden, a major component their work was the hiring of a full time animal behavorist. It is this demand that has lead to the resignations of the three women. All of whom have expressed their anger and frustration and directed it to Councilwoman Nowick whom they say has lied to them. 

According to Ms. Madden an animal behaviorist would be responsible for developing programs to ensure that the shelter dogs would get the care and training necessary to become adoptable finding a forever home.  The behaviorist would provide shelter, staff and volunteers tools they needed to work with the animals so that the dog would succeed when reintroduced into family life. 

All parties agree that a dog, living in a shelter spends too much time in a cage and not enough time being socialized and trained to fit into a family. Proper training teaches a pet how to interact with children, other animals, deal with food issues, leashes and housebreaking. The behaviorist envisioned by the three task force members would develop procedures and programs to encourage and increase adoption for the cats, dogs and birds at the shelter.

Currently the shelter houses eight dogs and sixty cats. Some animals have lived in the shelter for years. The longer an animal remains in a shelter the more challenging it is to find homes for them. A behaviorist, according to Ms. Madden, is the key to improving the adoption rate.  

According to Councilwoman Nowick she tried hard but was unsuccessful in finding a way to hire a behaviorist. First and foremost because there is no existing civil service title for a behaviorist and a working out-of-title is not an option. Ms. Nowick says she worked with the Town Attorney and looked for funding for the position with the Town’s Comptroller. Unsuccessful in her attempt to come up with any feasible way to hire a behaviorist, Ms. Nowick went back to the women and told them it wasn’t happening at this time.

The problem for the three women was they could not imagine that the town could be so shortsighted.  “We said from the outset that a full time behaviorist was necessary,” said Ms. Madden.  “All the work we put in was predicated on our belief that the Town wanted better for the animals and that Ms. Nowick was advocating for this position. When we heard that the Board was not going to agree to it we were angry and frustrated.” said Madden.  

The women went to the Town Board meeting to express that frustration and to tell the Town Board members how shortsighted they were being. It was at the Town Board meeting that they learned that Ms. Nowick not only did not discuss their most important request, but hadn’t relayed any of their concerns to the other members of the Board.

To say that Elizabeth Stein, Lucille DeFina and Diane Madden were horrified when Councilman Wehrheim said he had no idea that there was a discussion about an animal behaviorist would be an understatement. They arrived at the Town Board meeting placing blame squarely on the backs of the town board members. After they addressed the board they were left with an intense feeling of betrayal by Councilwoman Nowick. “To find out at an open public Town Board meeting by the other Town Officials that they would have approved this and have been supportive of us and anything we felt was necessary within reason, but they were never informed about this request pretty much tells us that Lynn is more interested in climbing the political ladder than she cares about animals and this was all an act.” Said Lucille DeFina in an email to Smithtown Matters.

The supervisor released his 2016 budget on Monday and it were additional funds that could, if Director Susan Hansen chooses, be used to hire a behaviorist. Ms. Hansen is trying to acclimate herself in her new position. She has been in contact with Michael Gould, a highly respected trainer. Mr. Gould has volunteered to help the developing strategies for success for the shelter. She asks that the focus be on the animals and not on a disagreement.

Councilwoman Nowick is pleased with Ms. Hansen who she said was recommended by the task force members. She will remain liason to the animal shelter but “I will not micro manage. Ms. Hansen, by every indication is quite capable of making decisions at the shelter.”Said Nowick. At the work session Tuesday, Oct. 6th Ms. Nowick criticised the task force members for misleading Town Board members. She implied that they were focused on one particular trainer/behaviorist being hired by the town. In an earlier conversation Ms. Nowick defended herself against the accusations made by Ms. Madden saying ” I would not bring a proposal before the board without knowing that it could happen. Why would I ask to hire a behaviorist if there is no such title?”

Councilmen Creighton and Wehrheim stand by their position that IF they were given the proper information and IF it was presented at a work session and IF there was money in the budget they would have supported it. 

OpEd - Revitalizing Smithtown's Downtowns Is Complex But Well Worth The Effort

By Larry Vetter

Talk of the “Long Island Brain Drain” has clearly identified the lack of challenging jobs commensurate with our young peopleʼs education and lack of affordable housing as two legs of the stool that is driving away our youth. The third leg is less spoken of. That leg is the lack of community. Community is basically defined as a social unit of any size with common values.

When I was younger and believed in the power of youth to make changes, I wanted to be surrounded by people with a commonality of goals and values. It is only natural to think that or children and young people feel the same way. As I married and developed a family, again I wanted to be surrounded by individuals in a similar stage of life. What better place for them to gather than a vibrant downtown?

We often view a downtown area as simply a retail area. I have often felt it is much more than that. A vibrant downtown is a gathering place. It is a place to meet old friends and make new ones. It is a place to chat and share thoughts and ideas. It is a place to browse and purchase, have a meal and be entertained, a pace to bring your family. Towns that have embraced this idea are currently undergoing revitalization. Towns that have embraced this idea are magnets for the younger generation.

We have four downtowns within the Township of Smithtown: Kings Park, Nesconset, Smithtown and St. James. Each is suffering a similar malaise. There are a number of things that can be accomplished to insert energy into our towns, some simple and some complex.

The complex aspect is not something that our town can accomplish on itʼs own. A vibrant downtown often centers around a viable transportation system making areas readily accessible. Upgrading our railroads and bus routes as well as retooling our road systems and improving parking areas will be a start. Installing sewer systems go a long way to making restaurants, cafes, music venues and taverns much more viable. Improved sidewalks and pedestrian areas will entice foot traffic that retail centers must have to survive. Although these steps are well beyond the capabilities of any town to go it alone, there are steps we can take to begin the process.

The simpler aspects of improvement are areas we can begin. Suffolk County has a downtown initiative that several towns on Long Island are taking advantage of. This includes architectural and design help and funding. Smithtown can be a part of that. We can utilize our highway department to begin the process of making the towns more pedestrian friendly by repairing damaged sidewalks and making crossings safer. Our building department can develop new rules to ease permitting processes to encourage building owners to make repairs and

improvements to attract businesses. As a town we can ease the permitting process that would allow more festival type occasions to provide entertainment for Smithtown families.

All improvements begin with dialogue. This dialogue has either been missing or it has been well hidden. Smithtown is a good place to live but could easily be a great place to live. Election Day, November 3 is everyoneʼs chance to have their voice heard and to begin the process of making our town a place that welcomes the future, not cowers from it. 

Larry Vetter is the Democratic Candidate For Smithtown Town Board

"Marathon Maniacs" Commack Teacher Completing 50-States Marathon Goal

Running for Kids: Middle School Teacher Competes in All 50 States

Catalina, Ca. MarathonNYC MarathonCommack Middle School Social Studies teacher, Chris Boundy, will complete his goal of running a marathon in all 50 states in October. State #50, his 70th marathon, is the Hartford Marathon in Connecticut on Saturday, October 10.

Disney Marathon“When I started the 50-states goal in 2011, I wanted to make it more than just a personal accomplishment. So I decided it was also an opportunity to raise funds for a worthwhile cause.  So far, I have raised $1,425 for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  My goal is to reach at least $2,500 ($50 per state)* by the time I finish Connecticut this weekend.  Running marathons may not be easy, but it is nothing compared to what people go through every day when they are fighting cancer. “

Pikes Peak MarathonPikes Peak MarathonChris is a member of the Marathon Maniacs, a club for “folks that do crazy numbers of marathons.” He started running sporadically to control his weight. “As a kid I was very out of shape and overweight. I dreaded doing the mile for gym class, and running it under the required 12 minutes was a challenge!” In 2005, Chris ran his first half marathon, and then completed the New York City Marathon later that same year.  “After finishing the states I still plan to run marathons consistently.  I will focus on doing more international races as well as some closer to home that I haven’t had the chance to hit yet.”

The eighth grade social studies classes are planning a fundraiser to help Chris achieve his fundraising goal. Colleagues in the Commack School District have also helped by sponsoring him via a direct donation to St. Jude at http://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR?px=3392410&fr_id=31900&pg=personal.

* Mr. Boundy has now raised $2,800 exceeding his goal by $300. He continues to fundraise for St. Jude hoping to raise $3,500 or $50 for each marathon he has participated in.  

Caleb Smith's 2nd Annual Park Festival A Huge Success!

Article and photos by Carole Paquette

(click on photos)

Park Festival a Huge Success

Olivia Murphy, 5, of Commack enjoys a rest with her dad Brian after getting her face-painted with stars.Teagan Milroy, 6, and Charlotte Maffetone, 5, show off their dreamcatchers made with the help of Carol Tokosh, center.Payton Collins,2, of Kings Park studies a colonial game while twin sister, Parker, 2, [left] looks for something else.Kevin See, 10, of East Fishkill, NY, was a pro with the colonial game of keeping a hoop going with a stick. Kevin came to the festival with his grandmother Anne Wieland of Selden.

More than 500 visitors of all ages spent the day at the Friends of Caleb Smith State Park Preserve’s Second Annual Fall Festival on Sunday, September 27.  

Sydney Wong, 11, of Kings Park finds a more modern use for the colonial hoops.Becca Shapiro, 9, of Nesconset tries to get the stick into the hoop.Anna Shapiro, 8, is determined to get the ball in a cup.Peyton Gribbin, 9, and Corinne Cusati,8, play Shut-the-Box game. Children fished on the peninsula at Willow Pond under the guidance of Friends members; played Colonial and Native American games; had their faces painted; and made dreamcatchers and potpourri sachets at the craft table, where they also decorated free pumpkins. Adults joined in and occasionally could be seen playing Nine Pins at the Colonial games table, then sauntering off to see the antique cars, a fly-fishing demonstration by Fred Thorner of Trout Unlimited, and the Three Bees Aviary exhibit to see the bees and learn about making honey. Long Island Falconers drew a big crowd with their birds, as did naturalists Eric Powers and Jan Polinchak, and groups leading nature walks. At the rear of the Caleb Smith House, tables were set up under a tent for festival attendees to relax and enjoy lunch as musicians played traditional songs on the banjo, mandolin and accordian. 

Shake-Up At Suffolk County Board Of Elections

Without notice. In a move that surprised almost everyone, Smithtown Republican Committee Chairman William Ellis, deputy commissioner of elections at the Suffolk County Board of Elections and Suffolk Conservative Party Secretary Michael A. Torres, a senior assistant commissioner at the Suffolk County Board of Elections, were fired from their positions Friday morning.  No one seems to know why they were fired but almost everyone has an opinion. 

There seems to be a consensus among political people that Michael A. Torres was fired as an answer to the Conservative Party’s endorsement of Democrats for judgeships in November.  People seem less certain as to why Bill Ellis was fired. The speculation is that Suffolk County Republican Chairman John J. LaValle was not happy with recent primary results. It is well known that Supervisor Vecchio and Mr. LaValle do not get along. Mr. LaValle supported Robert Creighton over Supervisor Vecchio in the 2013 Republican primary for Town Supervisor. A primary that Vecchio won. The recent September Town Council primary pitted Creighton and Vecchio supported candidate Lisa Inzerillo against each other.  Robert Creighton, supported by Bill Ellis and John LaValle, was ousted from the Republican line by Inzerillo.

Suffolk County Republican Chairman John J. LaValle, in a phone conversation with Smithtown Matters was not forthcoming with an answer to the question why Torres and Ellis were fired. LaValle said that it was his policy not to discuss personnel issues. When asked if the firings were a response to the Conservative Party’s endorsement of Democratic Judge candidates, LaValle was unequivocal with his answer “NO”.  LaValle did not give a direct answer to the question why Ellis was fired but he implied that the party was moving in a different direction. LaValle said he was not prepared at this time to name replacements for the two men.

In a phone conversation Smithtown Town Supervisor Vecchio said he believed “there was an inherent conflict” in Bill Ellis being an appointee at the BOE and Republican Town Leader. Holding both positions said Vecchio, “is wrong because it divides his loyalty between the committee and his position.” Supervisor Vecchio pointed to the 2013 primary, a very contentious primary,  Councilman Creighton changed his party enrollment from Conservative to Republican so he could primary Vecchio. SC Chairman LaValle was very active in his support for Creighton and Ellis was caught between supporting LaValle’s candidate Robert Creighton or Patrick Vecchio, the committee’s chosen candidate. According to Supervisor Vecchio holding the two positions has caused the Smithtown Republicans “irreparable harm.”