Eric Homeyer - Kings Park's Boy Scout Troop 75 Giving Back To Community

By Dana Klosner

Eric Homeyer, 16, a junior at Kings Park High School and member of Boy Scout Troop 75 in Kings Park is on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout. His project has been welcomed by fly fisherman throughout the community.

Homeyer, with the help of his father and Caleb Smith State Park Manager Clarence Ware, as well as help from his fellow troop members, has built 8 benches in the water at Caleb Smith State Park on the south side in the Nissequogue River where fisherman fly fish.

“I got into fly fishing during Boy Scouts,” Homeyer said. “I like it because it’s nice, peaceful and calm. I like going to Caleb Smith State Park. For my Eagle Scout project I wanted to do something with fly fishing.”

Homeyer approached Ware and asked him what he would like done. That’s when the idea of benches in the water came up. It would be a great place for older fly fisherman to rest, sit down and take a break, Homeyer quoted Ware as saying.

The project took one year from approval to completion, including fundraising projects, receiving permits and building time. In all 260 hours. The actual time it took to build the benches was three days, done over two weekends.

“I got a lot of help from my troop,” Homeyer said. “They helped at the fundraising car wash and they helped with the construction.”

Homeyer held a car wash on May 25^th at Kings Park High School. He also received donations from fly fishing clubs throughout the community. In all he raised $2,600. He spent a little over $1,000 on the benches, the rest of the money will be used to stock the river with trout.

Homeyer had help from his dad and Clarence Ware in the design of the benches. Then he bought wood and built the benches in the water.

“We put in two locust posts,” he said of the construction.  “We notched them. Then we put two 2X6’s in the notches which became the support beams in the bench. Then we put two more 2X6’s in and that became the part you sit on. I also put a ruler on the benches so you could measure the size of your fish.”

Homeyer, who has been a Boy Scout for five years, said he has learned a lot about being a leader through this project. He also learned how to follow up with people and what it’s like to supervise a project.

He got involved with Scouting because he thought the activities sounded fun and a lot of his friends were in it.

“I got to experience hikes and see places I wouldn’t normally see,” Homeyer said. “I feel like I became a better leader.”

“This project was a great idea,” said Glen Homeyer, Eric’s dad. “He spent a lot of time working it out with the parks department and the DEC. He had to get permits through the DEC. He was very excited about it and he didn’t drop the ball at any point in time. His mother and I are very proud.” 

“He’s an exceptional young man,” said Ware. “I’ve dealt with a lot of young people. He stayed on the case and got the job done.”

McMahon Family's Spooky, Creepy Haunted House Ready For Halloween

By p.biancaniello

The McMahon family of Commack love Halloween.  The family, Richard, Christine, Nicole and Shaun, want to share their love of Halloween with like-minded souls. Soooo for the past 12 years on October 1 they begin to convert their lovely normal home at 4 Peppermint Rd. in Commack into the Spooky, Creepy Haunted House of Commack and the neighbors love it!

What started out as a family fun activity has grown over the years into a gathering of family, extended family and neighbors all interested in celebrating the gruesome, macabre and hideousness of Halloween. 

Over the past twelve years (the McMahons even hosted their Halloween Haunted House after hurricane Sandy) the number of exhibits have grown, the number of visitors has grown and after visiting with the McMahons it is plain to see that their enjoyment has grown too. Son Shaun is away at college but plans on being home in time to do his part to make sure visitors have a ghastly experience just as sister Nicole did when she was away at school.

The McMahons love Halloween and they love Commack.  Rich and Christine (Keller) graduated together from Commack HS North in 1981. They raised their children in the same home that Christine grew up in.  Nicole graduated from CHS in 2006 and Shaun 2013. The family is close. Nicole, with a huge grin  explained how much thought and work goes into the preparation. With a laugh she says it is really worth the effort. “Seeing kids smiling, some screaming and parents jump or scream in surprise makes it a lot of fun. Sometimes we get special requests to frighten a specific person and we do and it’s fun.”  

The McMahons understand that sometimes things can be overwhelming for young children, so they keep a careful eye on the kids reactions. But adults they’re fair game!  

“It’s for the kids and for the community. It’s for everyone to enjoy” said Rich McMahon. What makes all the work worthwhile for the McMahon family is seeing the surprised faces, hearing the shrieks and knowing that on this one night they have scared everyone happy.

Visitors are welcome to join the McMahons at 4 Peppermint Rd, Commack on Halloween after dusk.

Smithtown's Official 350th Anniversary Logo

The Town of Smithtown will be celebrating its 350th anniversary in 2015. A committee has formed to plan events for a 350th Anniversary Celebration. This logo was selected by the committee from designs submitted by high school students and is the official logo for the celebration. The logo was designed by Smithtown HSE Senior Sabrina Shankar, Class of 2014.

The 350th Anniversary Committee is selling magnetic decal Logos to raise funds for the scheduled activites.  The logos can be put on cars, refrigerator or anything metal.  The magnetic logo is being sold for $10 each. To purchase a logo contact Kiernan Lannon at (631)265-6768 or kmlannon@smithtownhistorical.org or Pat Biancaniello at pat@smithtownmatters.com

Smithtown Matters is proud to support Smithtown’s 350th Anniversary Celebration. 

OP-ED Legislator Trotta Urges Voters To Say NO To County Proposition # 5

Everyone loves open space and wants to protect our drinking water, but Proposition #5, which is on the ballot on Election Day, is much more about cash flow than it is about water quality.  While no one cares more than me about protecting our drinking water and preserving open space, in looking at the details of this Proposition, which, you pay me to do; I can tell you that the voters are being misled. You are not being given the whole story -

This Proposition would permit the county to potentially raid more than $100 million dollars from the Sewer Assessment Stabilization Reserve Fund over the next several years in order to pay the county’s bills. This while borrowing $30 million for other environmental programs, including sewer expansion. Why would we borrow for sewer expansion while spending the money that is already available in the fund on other things?   This is simply a way to balance the budget this year while pushing off paying our bills to our children and grandchildren!

Why are taxpayers “paying back” money to the open space program when no money was taken out of it?  The surplus sewer money should be used for installing sewers in our downtowns, which would stimulate economic development, create employment, and have a far greater impact on protecting our drinking water than buying open space (likely on the east end). Not to mention, open space is taken off the tax rolls!

Not surprisingly, there is no plan in place to repay the $100 plus million dollars that will be raided from the Reserve Fund, therefore, the county will likely have to borrow once again, creating even more debt to burden future generations.

Does this really give the voters a choice? A separate resolution, IR-1746, has been introduced in the Legislature, which creates an agreement between the county and the environmental community that would make the proposed amendments to the Drinking Water Protection Program whether the voters approve Proposition #5 or not.  So clearly they are not serious about giving voters a choice.    

If the County Executive says his number one concern is our drinking water, why is he taking money that could be used to expand sewers and protect our drinking water and using it to pay the county’s bills? The environment and the quality of our drinking water should not be used as bargaining chips and funds established to protect taxpayers and our environment should not be turned into ATM’s.  I recommend that you vote NO on Proposition #5.

Robert Trotta

Suffolk County Legislator, 13^th District

Local Resident Anne Carlin Set To Open The Crafter's Table In St. James

By Dana Klosner

It’s just about time to think about those holiday presents and a unique and hand-crafted gift with a personal touch might just be the answer.

Opening mid-November, The Crafter’s Table, located at 529 Lake Avenue in St. James, is a ceramic and glass fusion studio, where there will be hundreds of pieces of ceramics that have been cleaned and fired and all ready for customers to paint. The owner/manager Anne Carlin, will then glaze and fire it for you to make your own unique piece of pottery. She also offers glass where you can make your own jewelry, plates, cheeseboards or checkerboards among other pieces which she will then fire.

Carlin has been working in ceramics for years. She was the activities director in a nursing home where she did ceramics. She recently attended a seminar in Scottsdale, Arizona where she learned some easy techniques that had a nice outcome, she said. 

In her store you can make anything from a simple plate, coffee mugs and platters, Carlin said. Prices will range for $10-$65 depending how detailed you want to get.

For Carlin it was the right time in her life to open a studio. 

“My youngest is a junior in high school so it’s time to start focusing on my future,” said Carlin who also has a 22 year old son. “I needed something else to do besides be a PTA mom. I have always loved crafts. They are creative and relaxing. I went to a paint your own pottery place and I said, ‘This is for me, I can do this.’”

The name was the result of brainstorming between Carlin and her husband over dinner. 

“I didn’t want it to be just ceramics,” she said. “My husband, Bob, came up with the idea The Crafter’s Table.”

The shop will offer many programs including classes, an after school program, Ladies Night, Drop and Shop where you can drop your kids off and go shopping and Date Night, where again you drop the kids, they will be fed dinner, do a craft and a game, and you pick them up two hours later. Of course there will be open nights as well where you pick a piece of ceramic and paint it. 

Making glass is also something you can enjoy in her store.

“Glass is so new and so cool,” Carlin said. “Glass is like a puzzle. You cut it, fit it together, put it in the kiln and melt it together. It has to be a certain thickness. If it’s too thick or too thin it doesn’t melt right.”

“The beauty of creating pottery and glass is that you are not limited,” she said. “There are so many options. If you choose a mug you can simply paint it pink or you can put a detailed design on it. There’s no limit.”

Running her own store is truly a new endeavor for Carlin.

“I’ve never even run a cash register,” she joked. “Hopefully I will keep hearing ‘caching.’”

Carlin says St. James is the perfect place for her shop.

“It’s a small little hometown,” she said. “Everyone knows everyone, and everyone supports everyone. It’s a very nice quaint town. The Chamber [of Commerce] has been very supportive of my opening my business. Members of the Chamber popped into the studio and welcomed me.”

It takes a lot to run a business, Carlin said. “It takes creativity, determination, passion and persistence.”

Customers to The Crafter’s Table will get a nice relaxing experience, she said. “They will come out of it with a unique piece of art that they created.”

The Crafter’s Table is located at 529 Lake Avenue in St. James. It is set to open the second week in November.