***Silver Alert Rosemary Malner***

Silver Alert-Rosemary Malner

 

Rosemary MalnerThe Suffolk County Police Department has issued a silver alert for a missing Farmingville woman who suffers from dementia. 

 

Rosemary Malner, 79, of 308 South Bicycle Path, was last seen leaving her home today in her gray 2010 Toyota Camry, NY plate ENL 2071, at approximately 5 p.m. Malner is white, 5 feet tall, approximately 115 pounds with brown eyes and short gray hair. In addition to suffering from dementia, Malner is also diabetic. 

 

Malner was wearing a black wool coat with gray pants, a blue and gray striped shirt and black shoes when she left her home. 

 

Anyone with information on Malner’s whereabouts is asked to call 911. 

 

As a reminder, Silver Alert is a program implemented in Suffolk County that allows local law enforcement to share information with media outlets about individuals with special needs who have been reported missing.

***Silver Alert Ariel Guzman - Lake Ronkonkoma***

Ariel GuzmanThe Suffolk County Police Department has issued a Silver Alert for a missing Lake Ronkonkoma teenager who is bipolar and maybe off her medication and has mentioned suicide in the past.

Ariel Guzman, 15, of Lake Ronkonkoma, was last seen at her residence on Thursday October 15. She was recently released from South Oaks Hospital in Amityville. Guzman is 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 115 pounds. She has brown eyes and long brown hair.

Anyone with information on Ariel is asked to contact the Sixth Squad Detectives at 631-854-8652 or call 911.

As a reminder, Silver Alert is a program implemented in Suffolk County that allows local law enforcement to share information with media outlets about individuals with special needs who have been reported missing.

OpEd- Experience Without Results Helps No One

By Larry Vetter

There are two aspects to the quality of a candidate for office. They are ability and strength of character. Often people mistake time in office for ability. Time does not necessarily equate to success. Strength of character begins with the obvious; integrity and honesty and extends to the not so obvious: work ethic and persistence.

All candidates, including myself, believe they have the ability to “get the job done”. What does that actually mean? I believe that all candidates and elected officials begin with a desire to make their jurisdiction a better place to live. All are filled with good intentions. Good intentions are a necessity in the beginning, but become useless if they are not carried out.

During my years in Smithtown, there have been a number of proposals and issues discussed in the political arena, some good and some bad. More often than not, ideas wither on the vine and instead of moving forward, they stagnate. Too often we all hear these common excuses: “One person blocked my proposal. I was prevented from fulfilling my promise. It wasnʼt my fault. It was the stateʼs or the countyʼs responsibility. There was too much infighting and we could not work together”. Whether or not that may be true, we do not elect officials for good intentions, but rather results. Regardless the circumstances, if an official is not fulfilling his/her promise or not performing his/her duty, it behooves us all to find the alternative. That is why we have Election Day.

In my business, I am ultimately responsible for everything. By the end of the day I need to show results or I might be out of business very soon. It is not enough to blame someone else or some unforeseeable snag. I need to discover a way around it, resolve the situation and move forward. If our elected officials had that degree of commitment, Smithtown would be a much better place to live.

Work ethic, integrity and strength of character are all intangibles. It is an easy process to tell everyone you possess these qualities, but quite another one to exhibit them. As a young man, I spent a number of years in the trucking industry in the time before computers, cell phones or GPS. Even CB radios were rare because of cost. Work was performed essentially on a promise made over the phone, or a handshake or simply via word of honor. There were no contracts drafted by the legal department, signed and notarized and accompanied by a “hold harmless” signature and insurance forms with additionally insured. There was nothing to hold your feet to the fire other than your personal integrity.

That way of life and of doing business was ingrained in my psyche and to this day is the way I run my business and my life. If only our public officials had the same principals and commitment. The time has come to stop making excuses. Experience without results does not help this town and the families living here.

We live in an era of readily available information. A click of the mouse and you can discover much about a person. I urge all readers to take advantage of that free information and really learn about all prospective candidates. Make on informed choice this November, not one based on emotion or perception or habit. Choose the right people to guide this town into the future and make sure that our kids, grand children and even great grand children have an opportunity to enjoy life and nature in our community.

Larry Vetter is the Democratic Candidate for Town Council

Glenn Jorgensen - Resignation And A Guilty Plea Ends 43 Years of Town Employment

Glenn Jorgensen - Town of Smithtown After months of speculation Glenn Jorgensen, Smithtown’s Superintendent of Highway, has resigned from his position and entered a guilty plea to a felony and misdemeanor in State Supreme Court in Riverhead, Friday morning.  

Mr. Jorgensen, 63, was employed in the Smithtown Highway Department for many years before being elected as the Superintendent of Highway in 2009. He easily won a second term in 2013. He has been employed by Smithtown for forty-three years.  His second term began Jan. 1, 2014 and has been marred by a sexual harassment claim currently before the Town, and by accusations that he falsified and removed documents from the Smithtown Highway Department office.

Mr. Jorgensen was arrested by the Suffolk County Police in April 1, 2015 for an incident occurring Nov. 18, 2014. The most serious charge was a D Felony - 1 count of tampering with public records. Mr. Jorgensen pleaded not guilty.

Today, Jorgensen went before State Supreme Court Justice Mark Cohen and pleaded guilty to one felony charge and one misdemeanor. The plea agreement reached by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office and Mr. Jorgensen. 

Mr. Jorgensen was not sentenced, but according to Newsday by pleading guilty to felony, the agreement calls for four months in jail or 560-hour community service.

A guilty plea to the felony charge means that Mr. Jorgensen is barred from elected office.  Deputy Superintendent of Highway Robert Murphy will now serve as the acting superintendent of highway.

Supervisor Vecchio had called for Jorgensen’s resignation earlier this year and expressed confidence in Deputy Highway Superintendent Robert Murphy’s ability to take on the role of Acting Superintendent. In a phone conversation he indicated that Mr. Murphy would serve in the position until an election in 2016  unless the Town Board appointed someone to fill the position of Superintendent of Highway until the 2016 election. In both cases voters will have the opportunity to vote in for a Superintendent of Highway in November 2016. The winner of the election will finish Mr. Jorgensen’s term of office which ends December 31, 2017. 

Smithtown Democratic Chairman Ed Maher called for Mr. Jorgensen’s resignation earlier this year. When questioned by Smithtown Matters he emailed the following statement, “The last two Smithtown Republican Highway superintendents have been indicted and forced to resigned in disgrace. A far contrast from the days when the Smithtown Highway Dept. was the envy of every town in New York under James Dowling. The Smithtown Democrats are determined to return the Smithtown Highway Dept to a honorable and qualified superintendent. Someone that can be trusted and respected by both the highway department workforce and the residents.”

The Highway Department has 142 full time employees and a budget of almost $25 million. In addition to maintaining the town’s 470 miles of roads, the department is responsible for drainage systems, recharge basins, driveway aprons and curbs, snow removal, ice control and street sweeping.

County Executive Steve Bellone Endorses Larry Vetter For Town Council

County Executive Steve Bellone Endorses Larry Vetter for Town Council

“Larry Vetter will be my ‘Partner in Smithtown’ on Budget and Environmental Issues”

County Executive Steve Beeline with Town Council Candidate Larry VetterSMITHTOWN, NY - Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone today endorsed Larry Vetter, the Democratic candidate for Town Council in Smithtown.

“I look forward to having Larry Vetter as my partner in Smithtown on budget and environmental issues,” said County Executive Bellone. “As an entrepreneur whose business provides environmental solutions, he will bring his real world experience of financial responsibility and environmental expertise to the Town Board.”

“I know Larry understands the importance of ensuring Smithtown attracts young professionals,” continued Mr. Bellone. “Together we will create an innovation economy, inspiring young people to stay, raise families and prosper in Smithtown.”

“I want to thank Steve Bellone for his endorsement – I’m proud to have his enthusiastic support,” said Larry Vetter. “I agree with our County Executive - we have to reverse the brain drain from our area. We cannot achieve our full economic potential and we cannot create a more prosperous future, if Smithtown is unable to retain our young, highly educated, highly skilled workers necessary to build an innovative economy.”

“As a Town Councilman, I will work with Mr. Bellone to bring County assets and programs to Smithtown, something the current dysfunctional all-Republican Board has refused to even consider,” continued Mr. Vetter. “I plan to bring new ideas and a fresh perspective, as well as a new civility to local Smithtown government.”

Smithtown Democratic Party Chairman, Ed Maher also thanked County Executive Bellone saying, “His support will be the reason for Larry Vetter’s victory in November.” Mr. Maher also predicted another Election Day victory for Steve Bellone adding, “I believe Larry Vetter will be the Steve Bellone of Smithtown by teaming with Steve and replicating his proven record of cutting taxes, balancing budgets, and bringing people together for better government.”