All Voices Must Be Heard

Last week, the Nissequogue River State Park Foundation’s Sunset & Fun Runs received great coverage by three of the community's respected local publications; the Smithtown Messenger, Times of Smithtown and Smithtownmatters.com.  After all, the foundation was able to overcome many obstacles, including the temporary closing of the park, to put together a successful and fun event that raised a significant amount of money for a variety of park projects.

 In the Smithtown News, however, Editor David Ambro chose to write an article that ridicules the foundation for backing a plan by State Parks to temporarily close the park's boulevard when demolition work on 15 dilapidated structures begins this fall. We realize that there will be differing opinions with regards to this matter, but would a respectable journalist criticize an organization for supporting efforts to protect the public from the onslaught of demolition vehicles and debris?

He also claims we are a vocal minority and that others should play a role in the decision to close the boulevard.  Apparently, Mr.Ambro is unaware that the foundation is comprised of almost every local community organization in Kings Park, representing more residents from the hamlet than those who voted in last year's election.  The foundation is always open to hear other opinions concerning the park as long as they are not politically or personally motivated, as Mr. Ambro’s article appears to be.

Mike  Rosato                                                                                                                                                                                                 NRSP Foundation

Sheltering Smithtown Animals

By Erica Jackson

It is estimated that there are 70 million feral cats living in United States.  They are a constant problem, says National Geographic News: they kill bird populations and carry diseases, such as rabies and ringworm that can be transmitted to humans and domestic cats.  But, in Smithtown, George Beatty, animal shelter supervisor, says his department is slowly getting a handle on the local situation.

According to Beatty, the town has been very successful with a new program that encourages residents to trap pesky feral cats and have them picked up by shelter personnel to be spayed or neutered at the resident’s cost.  The cats are then released back were they were caught.

“The community has really gotten involved,” said Beatty. To date, the program has trapped and released some 250 feral cats.

Yes, Beatty said, residents must foot the $50 bill for the spay or neutering, but in many cases, he said, neighbors chip in for the service.  The shelter, he said, will provide the trap and transportation.

While feral cats will remain at large, Beatty said the program aims to keep their population at bay.  “If there are seven feral cats in an area, that number will remain at seven. There won’t be a litter of kittens,” he said.

The feral cat problem, he said, will continue to escalate, if residents continue to feed the feral cats, but don’t work with the town to have them spayed or neutered.  “We understand the inclination to feed the cats, but it needs to be understood that it is more than feeding to take care of these cats.  The message is not to just feed, but to spay and neuter.”

While the shelter does not take in feral cats, it does accept unwanted domestic cats in its year-old sun-room that was built specifically to accommodate felines.

Presently at capacity, filled with 75 cats, the shelter’s cat adoption program has been very successful, said Beatty.  He explained that as one cat is adopted another is welcomed.

Right now, he said, there is a two month waiting list to surrender a cat and more often than not, Beatty has found that the cat’s owner will have a change of heart during the waiting period. 

“Pretty much all our animals get adopted,” said Beatty.  That includes canines that are surrendered to the shelter for a variety of reasons.  Most often, he said the owners would prefer to keep their pets, but they are moving to a new residence that won’t allow pets or they find their children are allergic to the animal’s fur.

But before any animal is accepted into the shelter, it must be neutered or spayed. “We request that the owner pay for that,” said Beatty.  While the fee for cats is $50, for dogs the fee depends on the weight of the dog.  “It can run anywhere between sixty and a hundred and fifty dollars,” said Beatty.

Currently, the shelter has 25 dogs available for adoption. The facility can hold up to 30 dogs.  And unless, a dog has a severe aggression problem, Beatty said the shelter has been able to find homes for all its animals.

Part of the shelter’s success, said Beatty is its volunteer program.  Beatty said the shelter has a constant flow of volunteers that sit with the cats and walk the dogs on a wooded, natural trail that runs behind the shelter.

“It is very peaceful for the volunteers,” said Beatty.

Many times while the volunteers are spending time with the animals, they fall in love and wind up adopted one or more, Beatty explained.

The shelter’s website, www.petfinder.com/shelters/ny53.html, has also been a great resource.  The website lists all of the shelter’s animals that are ready for adoption, including Maple, a short hair gray tabby; Zero a baby short-hair; Hercules, a black short-hair male; Dakota, a male Collie; Duke, a Jack Russell Terrier; and Diva, a female Shih Tzu.

“So many times we hear that rescue dogs make the best pets.  It’s like they know they have been given a second chance,” said Beatty, who has rescued cats and dogs himself.  “It makes you feel good to adopt an animal.”

While there numerous reputable shelters across Long Island, Beatty encourages those looking for that perfect pet, to “think global, but act local” by remembering that there are perfect pets available right in town.

Aside from providing shelter services, the Smithtown Animal Shelter is also responsible for enforcing the town’s animal nuisance laws.  “We try not to give out tickets,” said Beatty, for example barking dogs, but instead, he said, employes are trained to mediate the situation . “These people are often neighbors and will be for a long time so we try and solve the problem, rather than give out tickets.”

Most of the time he said, the owners of the barking dog, don’t even know their dog has been barking.

Shelter employees also handle injured animals, such as squirrels, birds, and ducklings.  Beatty says the shelter is often called out to rescue ducklings that have fallen down a storm drain. “They are following mama duck, and fall one by one into a storm drain.”

All rescued animals are brought to a proper rehabilitation center.

As always, the shelter welcomes volunteers as well as monetary donations and donations of blankets.

Library Expansion Project Moving Forward

By Erica Jackson

A major expansion project authored by the Smithtown Library is officially underway.  Since the start of spring, workers have been busy at two of Smithtown’s four buildings, demolishing, installing and fabricating walls, ceilings, and floors.

“We are definitely on schedule and on target to reopen buildings when originally anticipated,” said Robert Lusak, library director. 

The expansion projects kicked off this spring include a ground breaking ceremony at the Smithtown Library’s Commack branch and another at the site of the new Nesconset branch, the old Nesconset Armory.

“We felt we needed to do a ground breaking ceremony in each community,” said Lusak, “because each is just as important as the other.”

With that, Lusak said the community can expect two more groundbreaking ceremonies.  Ceremonies will take place this fall at both the Kings Park branch and at the main branch in Smithtown.

Because buildings must be closed for the various renovations, with the exception of the Nesconset branch, the library board opted to work on two building projects at a time to ensure that patrons would still have access to a library near their residence.  Lusak explained that, for example, while the Commack branch is closed, residents can still visit the Kings Park, Smithtown or Nesconset branches.  And when Kings Park and Smithtown are shut down, Commack and Nesconset will be open.

Lusak pointed out that the Nesconset library will only need to be shut down for a brief period of time to move its contents to its new location.  In other words, until the armory is refurbished, the Nesconset branch will remain open.  The library system, said Lusak will then be able to save about $150,000 a year in rental fees for the Nesconset branch and the nearby storage facilities it rents.

Since the groundbreaking ceremony in Commack, workers have gutted portions of the building to make room for a 3,000 square foot expansion. Once complete this fall, the location will feature new space for collections, a teen area, and a new children’s section, which will be able to house all sorts of children’s programing.

Over at the new Nesconset branch, which the library purchased for $1 from the Town of Smithtown several years ago, workers have installed a corrugated steel roof with skylights, established new concrete footings and brickwork, and added new windows and doors. 

“There is a lot of work involved,” said Lusak, of the armory site. “It was basically an empty shell with no electrical or plumbing. It was gutted.”

But despite the amount of work it will require to transform it into a brand-new library, complete with meeting rooms, study areas, children and teen space, and storage, Lusak contractors are getting it done.  And a grand opening is set for early 2011.

Lusak anticipates that some work will commence at the Smithtown main branch in August with the poring of foundation for a 6,000 square-foot expansion. “We want to take advantage of the warm summer months,” said Lusak.  However, the library will remain open until the spring of 2011 when the interior will be renovated to fit a new children’s room., teen space, and a large community room that will be able to accommodate additional programs.  “This is one of the larger projects,” said Lusak. “A lot is involved.”

The Kings Park project, however, said Lusak will be similar to the Commack expansion.  Like Commack, the Kings Park branch will see an addition of 3,000 square feet.  Once finished, in about 8 to10 months time, it will embody a new children’s room, a teen area and additional collection space.

“When all is said and done,” said Lusak, “all of the buildings will look seamless. You won’t be able to differentiate between the old part of the buildings and the new. All will have new light fixtures, carpeting and some furniture.”

The $21-million expansion of all four buildings was made possible, said Lusak via a March 2008 referendum, which voters approved overwhelmingly.  Property owners agreed, said Lusak to pay, on average, $50 extra a year in taxes for the expansion project.

Additionally, he said, the project is being funded by the NY State Dormitory Authority.

The construction portion of the project has been a long time in the making, said Lusak. After the referendum was approved, the library board worked to develop plans, obtain site plan approval from the Town of Smithtown and Village of the Branch, negotiate a project labor agreement, put plans out to bid, and hire T.G. Nickel and Associates of Ronkonkoma to see the projects to completion.

“They are more than qualified to get the job done,” said Lusak of T.G. Nickel and Associates.

To keep updated on the project, visit the Smithtown Library’s expansion update blog on its website, www.smithlib.org.

CCA & KPCA Unite To Tell Town Board "JUST SAY NO"

Click to enlargeBy Erica Jackson

The Kings Park Civic Association and the Commack Community Association have recently banded together to fight a proposal by the Town of Smithtown to rezone the Kings Park Industrial Park.

“We appreciate that the town is moving forward with an amendment to fix the problems that exist, but as the statute stands right now, we do not support it,” said Mike Rosato, member of the Kings Park Civic Association.

Bruce Ettenburg, president of the Commack Community Association agreed: “The proposal is too broad. It needs to be fine tuned. "

The zoning proposal, which will effect some 70 properties, has actually been in the works for several years.  It was subject to a public hearing in October 2009, but came to a standstill after the November town board elections. The town is now looking to revisit the issue and Smithtown Town Planner Frank DeRubies recently met with members of the Kings Park Civic Association and Commack Community Association to discuss the proposition.

According to Frank DeRubies, in an effort to bring numerous businesses in the industrial park into compliance, the town is proposing to create a zoning statue that would require companies using their property for heavy industry to obtain a special permit from the town. 

Under current zoning regulations, DeRubies says most businesses in the Kings Park Industrial Park are only zoned for light industry, however, many are managing heavy industrial businesses, which means, said DeRubies that they are conducting most of their business outdoors.  “Outdoors is the difference between light and heavy industry,” said DeRubies.

DeRubies said the town attempted to gain control over the Kings Park Industrial park in the past, but was unsuccessful. He said, “We took the businesses to court and lost. It’s like the wild, wild west over there.”

According to DeRubies, many of the businesses have been illegally operating heavy industrial businesses for so long without the town stepping in that the courts sided with the businesses.

DeRubies said, “The problem occurred when the town was not as developed as it is now.  Going back to the fifties and sixties, the businesses there were smaller, but they have grown and there wasn’t any enforcement.”

Now, however, there are residential homes abutting the industrial park and noise and truck traffic has become a constant complaint.

To remedy the situation, DeRubies says the town’s proposed statue would require the businesses to obtain a special exception permit, which would regulate heavy industries by requiring them to for example, create buffers and operate only during certain hours.

If they don’t comply, DeRubies said, the town will have more clout with the court system. 

“It will really help us clean up the area and improve the aesthetics of the location,” said Smithtown Councilman Ed Wehrheim.  “We don’t want to put the businesses out of business, burt rather legalize them.”

Bringing existing businesses into compliance is noble, said Rosato, but there is concern that newer businesses will also be able to obtain special permits for heavy industry. “Do what they are suggesting to allow the existing land owners to continue to use their properties consistent with current uses, but don’t encourage the proliferation of heavy industry,” said Rosato.

Rosato suggests instead limiting the heavy industrial uses that would be permitted under the town’s proposed special exception permit.  For example, he said, concrete manufacturing and asphalt manufacturing should be excluded from the document.  He reasoned, most landowners that are not in compliance are using their properties for outdoor storage.

“If we make the whole area heavy industrial, we are not going to improve the situation, said Ettenburg.  “We are going to feel and increase in traffic.”

Rosato and Ettenburg said they have formed a joint task force and plan on going to the town with ideas in an effort to work out a zoning proposal that everyone can be happy with including businesses. 

SmithtownMatters.com attempted to contact some of the effected businesses, but none returned phone calls as of press time.

     Protesters Rally in Front of Smithtown Town Hall - June 5, 2010

Saturday June 5, 2010 – Armed with signs and the knowledge that Congressman Bishop would be at Smithtown’s Town Hall a group of approximately twenty people showed up to express their unhappiness with the Congressman and the Democratic administration in Washington D.C.

Although not all were affiliated with the Tea Party or the Conservative Society for Action, those who were members outnumbered those who were unaffiliated.  When asked how they learned of the Congressman’s presence at town hall at least two mentioned that they had received robo calls from Congressman Bishop inviting them to meet with him. Others said they learned through online sites.  A common factor is that they are not happy with the direction the government is taking and they are unwilling to sit idle and watch all that they have worked for disappear.   The protesters wanted to send the message that their voices are not being heard and that they are tired of being of ignored. 

Several of the protesters, including Hauppauge resident Edward Kalick, a Viet Nam Veteran, expressed his frustration with health care reform, and claimed that the administration, of which Bishop is a part, ignores Americans. Diana Erbio, a Saint James resident, said "people cannot afford big government" and cited her opposition to bail outs, health care reform and cap and trade as reasons for attending the rally. 

Jan Williams of Nesconset stated his concern that Congressman Bishop will support amnesty for illegal immigrants, cap and trade and cited Bishop's support for health care legislation and Bishop's voting record. He believes that Bishop aligns himself too closely with  Speaker Pelosi and the Obama administration.  

The people who attended this rally are united in their frustration with the federal government and they hold the belief that it is their vision of the constitution, the size of government and the role of government that the founding father's had in mind.  They no longer trust the federal government and feel compelled to work against all incumbants with voting records similar to Congressman Bishop's.