Snow Removal Requires A Plan And A Committed Highway Dept.

Landing Ave and Rose StreetWinter Storm 2016 is in the record book as one of the most significant storms in Long Island’s history.  By the time the storm ended between 23 and 26 inches of snow blanketed Smithtown. The consensus seems to be that the Smithtown Highway Department did a wonderful job.  

Supervisor Patrick Vecchio, in a phone coversation said, “highway workers did an excellent job. Superb work.” The Supervisor said he received three emails which were “extremly positive”. There were no complaints made to his office. According to the Supervisor,  eighty town trucks and seventy private vehicles worked on snow removal. 2,300 lbs. of salt was used and 130 town employees worked through the weekend clearing the roadways.  He also gave credit to employees at the Parks Department who are responsible for Smithtown’s buildings and grounds. Employees of the Parks Department worked clearing all town buildings and parking lots of snow. Unlike the highway department,  which has a snow budget, the work done by Parks Department employees is not part of the snow budget.

Effective snow removal doesn’t just happen it requires a plan. Smithtown Highway Superintendent Robert Murphy said the department began their efforts before the storm began by sending out flyers to residents reminding them to remove cars, garbage cans and hoops from the roadways. Major roadways  like Old Willets Path, Landing Ave., Lake Ave and Southern Blvd. were brined in advance of the snow. Workers began sanding and salting at 2 a.m. Saturday and did not finish until 6 p.m. Sunday. Murphy said, “Staff did a phenomenal job despite the 35-40 mph winds and white out conditions.”  

Robert Murphy, dealing with his first snow storm since becoming the superintendent, said he was pleased and wanted to thank highway workers who he said worked hard for the residents. “It was a matter of pride in their work and in the department.” 

Any complaints? Murphy said there were many positive comments and only a single complaint from a resident unhappy with a road not being cleared earlier.

Robert Murphy said the Highway Department is ready if there is another storm. To those who don’t want anymore snow this winter Murphy laughed and said, “from your mouth to God’s ears.”

Theater Review - "God of Carnage"

THEATER REVIEW - “God of Carnage” Produced by: The Engeman Theater, Northport - Reviewed by: Jeb Ladouceur 

The extended one-acter that opens officially at Northport’s flashy Engeman Theater on January 24^th (or whenever Mother Nature permits) comes into town with some snazzy credentials, and a trio of pretty good performances. Accordingly, ‘God of Carnage’ is worth a looksee, but how this so-called comedy ever grabbed a Tony for best play in 2009 is totally beyond me.

Admittedly, I never saw the show at Broadway’s Jacobs Theater, so let’s assume it was a worthy recipient of the top accolade. After all, ‘Carnage’ did star the esteemed James Gandolfini,  whom you know as Tony Soprano of the HBO ‘Soprano’s’ series … which frankly never lured me either … and the play ran (off and on) for some 450 performances until closing in June, 2010.

That said, as The Bard himself noted, “…what is past is prologue.” It is not ours in this brief passage to wonder why the Theater Wing was mesmerized by such a thin farcical show, our assignment is to comment on the production witnessed last Thursday evening in Northport. Therefore…

If Gandolfini did as well on Broadway playing ‘Alan’, as Chris Kipiniak did at The Engeman, we can easily see him winning a Tony.* Kipiniak stole the show in Northport with his incredible timing and stage presence. But it was Marcia Gay Harden (she of Oscar, Tony, and Emmy-winning fame) who took home the 2009 hardware for her Broadway interpretation of ‘Veronica’ … the part beautifully delivered in Northport by Nancy Lemenger.

Lemenger and Kipiniak were not alone in their excellence at The Engeman’s Thursday preview, though … not by a longshot … Alet Taylor played ‘Annette’ to near-perfection in this confrontation of two married couples, one of whose 11-year-old boy has slightly hurt the other’s son in a nearby park.

The apparent premise of the play is that adults … to be specific, thirty-something parents … can be every bit as childish and contentious as quibbling pre-teens, especially after Moms and Dads have had a few belts of fine imported rum. In that regard, some of the resulting lines are fairly humorous. But enough to win a Tony Award for ‘Best Play of the Year’ on the Great White Way? I hardly think so. Matter of fact, ‘God of Carnage’ isn’t even the funniest show I’ve seen in the first month of this year right here on Long Island.

Alas, inevitably we must get to the fourth member of the ‘Carnage’ cast, Mickey Solis, who plays ‘Michael,’ and here, I would take the Engeman’s casting directors Scott Wojcik and Gayle Seay to task. Solis has no business in this play. It’s not that he is lacking in theatrical talent … his stagecraft, in particular his gestures, are superb. Indeed he can doff a jacket and fling it on a couch with the best of them. But this graduate of Western Michigan and Harvard Universities simply does not possess the voice required to stand one’s ground with three other artists who project with authority.

I liked Stephen Dobay’s set with its interesting main wall mosaic, and Driscoll Otto’s lighting that highlighted it. Also, Tristan Raines’s Costumes were okay … and Richard T. Dolce’s directing is always good … though mopping up after Ms. Taylor* (we needn’t go into further detail) might have been more gingerly done if realism was, in fact, the objective.

In short … don’t give all the stars in this three-out-of-five show to Chris Kipiniak … but he deserves most of them.

*Corrections were mad by Jeb Ladouceur.

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Award-winning writer, Jeb Ladouceur is the author of eleven novels, and his theater and book reviews appear in several major L.I. publications. His newest book, THE GHOSTWRITERS, explores the bizarre relationship between Harper Lee and Truman Capote. Ladouceur’s website is www.JebsBooks.com

SHSE Graduate Nicholas Pesce - Earns Perfect Score On AP Exam

East Graduate Earns Perfect Score on AP Exam

Nicholas PesceSmithtown High School East 2015 graduate Nicholas Pesce earned a perfect score on the Advanced Placement Computer Science A exam in May 2015. 

Not only did Nicholas receive a top score of 5, he was one of only 67 students in the world to earn every possible point on the AP Computer Science exam. Across approximately 4.5 million AP exams taken by 2.5 million U.S. public high school students in 2015, only 322 students earned every point possible on an AP exam. 

AP exams are based on a 5-point scale, where 5 is the equivalent of an A in the corresponding college course. “AP courses and exams are college-level and require hard work and focus on the part of students and their teachers,” said Trevor Parker, senior vice president of AP and instruction at the College Board. “On behalf of the College Board, we congratulate the students and community members who make challenging coursework and focused practice a priority, and who motivate and encourage all students to capture their academic potential.”

Nicholas is currently a freshman at the University of Maryland.  

Photo courtesy of the Smithtown Central School District

Nessaquake Middle School Student Launches Online Fundraising For VetDogs

Nesaquake Fundraiser Sponsors Service Pups 

Nesaquake Middle School seventh-grader Matthew Redlein, pictured with America’s VetDog representative Hugh Reilly and service dog Hula, launched an online fundraiser and raised $6,500 to sponsor a puppy from America’s VetDogs. Smithtown-based America’s VetDogs, a sister organization of the Guide Dog Foundation, visited Nesaquake Middle School in the Smithtown Central School District on Jan. 19. 

The school is currently holding several fundraising initiatives to sponsor a VetDog puppy. Thanks to the efforts of seventh-grader Matthew Redlein, who launched an online fundraiser, they have already raised $6,500 to sponsor one puppy. 

Nesaquake is hoping online fundraising efforts and a lollipop and bracelet sale, headed up by the seventh-grade activities club and Nesaquake school counselor Kimberly Richardson, will garner enough money to sponsor a second VetDog puppy. As a puppy sponsor, Nesaquake will be given the right to name a puppy in the America’s VetDog program, as well as be updated on the puppy’s progress as it is raised and trained to become a service dog. 

America’s VetDogs is a not-for-profit organization that provides disabled veterans and first responders with service dogs that help provide independence, enhanced mobility and companionship. VetDogs assist veterans or first responders with physical and emotional disabilities and those with hearing or vision loss. 

To make a donation, visit mattsfundraiser.vetdogs.org to help Nesaquake reach its goal.

 Photo courtesy of the Smithtown Central School District

Kings Park SD Inducts Five Alumni Into Science Hall Of Fame

Kings Park Central School District Inducts Five Alumni into Science Hall of Fame

Superintendent of Kings Park School District Tim Eagan with honoreesOn January 14, 2016, the Kings Park Central School District inducted five Kings Park Alumni into the Science Hall of Fame.  The event was sponsored by The Kings Park Heritage Museum.  The evening centered around celebrating Kings Park Pride, childhood “roots”, and education/achievement in science-related fields.  The inductees were:  Peter Brodsky, Robert Gould, Lt. Colonel Jeffrey Starke, Dr. Christopher Cahill, and Richard Taylan.

Richard Taylan (Kings Park Class of 1960) is a certified Earth Science and General Science Teacher.  He retired from the Hyde Park CSD after 34 years in public education.  He earned an M.S. from SUNY New Paltz in 1969 and a Computer Technology Certification in 1996.  Over the years, Mr. Taylan was awarded three NSF grants to attend graduate programs in Earth Science.  He is currently employed by Marist College as an adjunct professor of geology.  He resides with his wife Linda in Hyde Park.

Dr. Christopher Cahill (Kings Park Class of 1989) earned a B.S. in Geochemistry from SUNY Fredonia in 1993 and Ph.D. in Chemistry from SUNY Stony Brook in 1999.  He is an expert in solid-state and materials chemistry, and nuclear forensics.  Dr. Cahill is a published researcher and author, recipient of the prestigious NSF CAREER Award (2004) and a Fulbright Scholarship recipient (2008).  He is also the Past-President of the American Crystallographic Association.  He resides in Arlington, Virginia with his wife Cathy and their son Wesley.

Robert Gould (Kings Park Class of 1981) earned a B.S. in Physics from SUNY Stony Brook and M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from Penn State University.  While working on his Ph.D., Robert worked at the Breazeale Nuclear Reactor Research Facility at Penn State.  In 1997, he began working at the Betty’s Atomic Power Lab - nuclear powered propulsion plant for the U.S. Navy.

Bob and his wife Carolyn live outside Pittsburgh today with their two daughters.

Peter Brodsky (Kings Park Class of 1978) is a Principal Engineer in the Environmental and Information Systems Department at Washington University.  He is a former Merchant Marine Officer with over 20 years of experience developing scientific and real-time control software.

Peter develops command and control software for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).  He is an expert in underwater navigation, digital signaling, and image processing.  He currently resides in Washington with his wife Karen.

Lt. Colonel Jeffrey Starke (Kings Park Class of 1987) is an Academy Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Dr. Starke has a B.S. from Villanova and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University Of Wisconsin. He is a published researcher and author with extensive researching and teaching interests.  He has vast experience in the field, in the classroom, and in the laboratory.  He currently resides at West Point with his wife.

The Kings Park CSD has a rich history in STEM education and STEM-related fields.  This year, two of our Independent Science Research (ISR) students were selected as Siemen’s Regional Finalists, and three were selected as Intel Semifinalists.  Mary Ellen Fay, KPCSD ISR Teacher, was a featured guest at this event.  Science research is alive and well in Kings Park!