OpEd - Appealing For Your Vote Issue By Issue

During the next few weeks leading up to Election Day, I will be outlining issues within the Town of Smithtown, my take on those issues and the ways I intend to help with those issues.

When people talk about the installation of sewer systems, the conversation most often goes to cost, then the inconvenience of the construction and ultimately to the horrors of the mismanaged Southwest Sewer District during the 1970’s. Thus ends the conversation because no one wants to hear anything further. Add to this the fact that cesspools and drinking water and aquifers and groundwater are below the surface where we can’t readily see them and the book is closed on the subject.

Now for a very brief hydro-geological lesson: Our drinking water is pumped from aquifers deep within the ground. The waters that ultimately trickle to these aquifers travel through many layers of sand that act as a filter. The sand also adds minerals to the drinking water making Long Island water soft for bathing but also filled with nutrients for good health. This should be an ideal system for all of us.

Our sanitary wastewater and assorted “stuff” is processed for the most part within Smithtown and much of Suffolk County through cesspools. Cesspools are essentially big holes in the ground where everything is dumped. Ideally these systems should allow the solids to dissolve and allow water to trickle though that same sand filtration system that cleans our drinking water. In an area with a sparse population, this system is fine. However, in a densely populated region such as Suffolk County, the amount of wastewater released cannot possibly be purified by the time it reaches the drinking water. Hence bacteria and ultimately the chlorine that is added to the drinking water in an effort to mitigate the bacteria.

We have one added feature to our sub surface that not all of Suffolk County has. Smithtown contains a very thick clay layer deposited by glacial action from the Ice Age that begins in the Lake Ronkonkoma region and travels northwest through Nesconset, parts of Hauppauge, Smithtown and the Village of the Branch. This clay layer is responsible for the water table that floods many homes and gives those same homes fits with the cesspool systems. If you think it is all negative, it is not. This clay layer is also responsible for keeping the soil very arable and is in part responsible for the reason Smithtown is so green. This area is known as the headwaters of the Nissequogue River because the clay layer forces much of the groundwater to travel horizontally. In this manner groundwater is making its way toward our wetlands, shoreline and beaches.

The final issue surrounding the clay layer is that not only does the groundwater travel horizontally, but much of our sanitary wastewater does as well. This wastewater travels to those same wetlands, beaches and shoreline. When beaches are closed for excess bacteria, this is the reason why. When there are fish die offs from lack of oxygen in the water because of excess nitrogen, this is the reason why. When wetlands die off and no longer protect us from storm surges and are no longer the natural incubators for sea life, this is the reason why.

Now we arrive at a dilemma. A public sewage system that is installed properly and operated properly will go a very long way to resolving our drinking water issues, our groundwater issues and our shoreline issues. Can Smithtown go it alone and fund and construct such a system? The answer is no. It can be done regionally, though, with the cooperation of state, federal, county and multiple town moneys.

Such an opportunity may have presented itself. Suffolk County has received a nearly 400 million dollar grant for drinking water improvements and has named a “sewer czar” to determine what is to be done with this grant. Smithtown has had a history of ignoring partnering with Suffolk County and has turned away in the past from opportunities that could have vastly improved our town. We cannot let this slip through our fingers because of petty political feuding. Maybe it is time to realize that this is not a political issue but rather one of health and safety. If the right people are elected, we can avoid the problems that occurred in the 1970’s. If we sincerely want to see our town prosper and future generations live within and enjoy this area, it is past the time that we begin in earnest to ensure that happens.

This November Election Day presents our renewed opportunity to put Smithtown on the right track to meet the future. Don’t let this chance slip through your fingers by letting others vote and choose for you. Make an educated choice and get to the polls. 

Larry Vetter

Democratic candidate for Smithtown Town Council

Inzerillo Retains Lead To Become Republican Candidate For Smithtown Town Council

The Republican primary winner for Smithtown Town Council is Lisa Inzirillo. With all ballots  counted Ms. Inzerillo  has retained the lead over incumbent Robert Creighton. The 143 votes that separated the two candidates was reduced to an 81 vote lead for Ms. Inzerillo.

Mr. Creighton will remain on the Conservative, Independence and Reform lines in the November election.

The two Republicans, Inzerillo and Wehrheim, will compete against Democrat Larry Vetter as well as Robert Creighton for the two Town Council positions on Election Day, November 3.

Republican Town Council Primary Winner To Be Determined Today

Lisa InzerilloRobert CreightonSmithtown Republicans will learn who will be the designated Republican candidate for Town Council today. When the votes were tallied on primary day September 4, challenger Lisa Inzarillo beat out incumbent Robert Creighton by 143 votes. What remained to be added into the final vote tally was the absentee ballots and affidavit ballots filed by registered votes unable to get to the polls.  The ballots, 236, will be counted today at the Suffolk County Board of Elections in Yaphank.

The winner of the primary will join Edward Wehrheim on the Republican line in the November election.  It would be very difficult but not impossible for Mr. Creighton to upset Ms. Inzerillo. According to Smithtown Republican Chairman, William Ellis, Creighton would need approximately 80 percent of the absentee ballot votes to retain his position on the Republican line.

Should he lose the primary, Mr. Creighton will be on the November ballot on three lines the Conservative, Independence and Reform. Should Ms. Inzerillo lose, her name will not appear on the ballot in November. 

Reeling In a Real Sense of Community – Relish and the Reel Kitchen

What’s Cookin’? – Smithtown

By Nancy Vallarella 

Photos by Courtney Oates

Reeling In a Real Sense of Community – Relish and the Reel Kitchen

The proprietors of Relish in Kings Park, Chef Steve Cardello and Donny Brown, have once again invested in yet another business within the town in which they live.  Early in 2015, the two business partners took ownership of Café Siena in Saint Catherine’s of Siena Hospital and have followed that up with Reel Kitchen. Located at 112 Main Street, Kings Park it is coincidently one-hundred-twelve steps from their original venture, Relish.

A rising tide lifts all boats….  It has been five years since Relish opened its doors. Today, there is no doubt that Cardello and Brown have knocked it out of the park with their food, family, and life concept serving surprisingly upscale comfort food using the finest local ingredients available. 

It is common to hear customers talk about Relish as if it is theirs. The staff is caring, and you walk away feeling something happened for you and not to you. Having been present for a Staff “Pre-meal”, it is easy to understand where the nurturing and nourishing are coming from.

Chef/Proprietor Steve Cardello guides the Relish serving staff prior to service by presenting the specials menu. This narrative includes where the ingredients were sourced. On this day, the specials menu consisted of one soup, two appetizers, five entrees and three desserts. Local ingredients included vegetables from Organics Today in West Islip and Atlantic cod caught less than 24 hours before service. 

Everyone was given a fork and dove in each item comparing notes and asking questions. Steve remained to address all of the staff’s questions and wrapped up the meal by thanking the staff for their part in making Relish one of Newsday’s 2015 - 10 Best Cheap Eats restaurants on L.I. 

At Reel Kitchen you can experience the same ethic in transparency; passion, talent, hard work and community. The store has been totally transformed from the former fish market (Jesse James Fish Market). The fish is chemical and preservative free. For those who are challenged when it comes to cooking fish…There is a wall full of take-out menu options and expert fish cooking tips from accomplished chefs. Reel Kitchen is proving to be an atypical fish market.

With great pride and joy, co-owner Donny Brown recounts the Reel Kitchen’s renovation. Reclaiming brick from an early 1900’s Brooklyn Brownstone that veneer the walls to having to take out the storefront’s large glass window to accommodate the custom stainless steel cases.  All the labors of love in between were well worth it.  Exposed ceilings, Sycamore counter top and the huge blackboard menu with art by Joanna Reiss give the space a hip downtown vibe. 

Service in Reel Kitchen is more of a down-home vibe. The friendly staff is informed and able to provide information on the products sold. Locally acclaimed and CIA trained chefs work the exposed kitchen and are there to advise customers on take-out items, give raw product cooking advise, or just say hello.

The fish products are irresistible. Both raw and prepared scream fresh.  Raw fish products and prices vary seasonally. There are real deals at Reel Kitchen. - Lunch specials for $10 plus $1 for fresh lemonade. Check out Reel Kitchen’s daily Blackboard, Crabby Monday, and Taco Tuesday Specials.  

There is limited indoor and outdoor seating at Reel Kitchen but plenty of fresh fish options and friendly conversation.  

Op Ed - Town Council Job Has No Impact On National Or Foreign Policy

To the residents of Smithtown; I am applying for the job of Town Councilman, which is selected through the vote on November 3, 2015.

From the Smithtownny.gov website:“Together with the Supervisor, the Town Council enacts ordinances, adopts a budget, manages personnel matters, oversees town-wide planning and zoning, establishes recreation areas, and participates in town meetings. Elected to four-year terms by voters from the entire town, each of the four council members serves as a liaison to various departments under the townʼs jurisdiction.”

The position of Town Council is considered a part time position. It has no impact on national policy or foreign matters. It cannot overrule the Supreme Court or the President of the United States. The decisions made by the Town Council impact the way your town looks, operates, interacts with other local communities and it paves the way for future generations.

My qualifications are as follows: For the past 25 years I have been in the environmental remediation field. I’ve cleaned chemical and petroleum impacted sites, from single-family homes to projects as large as ocean going oil tanker spills. I’ve reclaimed wetlands, tested air quality, performed soils and water evaluations and I have prepared documents on site assessments. I am knowledgeable about our unique sub surface conditions, our groundwater and drinking water situations. For the past 7 years I have owned my own environmental consulting business. Prior to the environmental industry I spent a number of years in the logistics and transportation fields. Through that, I became familiar with the way freight moves onto and off Long Island. I am very aware of the changing demographics of Long Island industry.

Part of being a business owner is creating and implementing budgets, and managing personnel. As a business owner I cannot simply raise prices when I need additional revenue. I need to be creative and think “outside of the box”.

As a Smithtown resident I am disappointed every time I see one of my favorite local retail stores close. As a resident of Long Island I am concerned about the quality of our drinking water and our surrounding wetlands and beaches. As a father I am disappointed that my four adult children cannot find affordable housing, the type of jobs for which they were educated and the type of community they desire.

I encourage you to simply go on line to follow all the prospective candidates careers. A very simple “Like” on everyone’s Facebook account will likely give you more information than any palm cards or mailers. I encourage you to learn about the candidates to make an informed choice.

Finally, none of this does any good if everyone stays home on Election Day. Of the roughly 82,000 registered voters in Smithtown (which doesn’t include the nearly 18,000 that are not even registered), roughlt 18,000 vote every year. That leaves approximately 64,000 people each year that stay at home. Of the 18,000 people that vote each year, 12,000 vote religiously for one party and the remaining 6,000 for the other. As a result we get the same thing year after year. The reality is that with so few people voting, your vote does mean much more than you could possibly think. Please do the research this year. Then, after you have made your intelligent choice, please go to the voting booths on November 3. Don’t let chilly temperatures, or a rainy day or working overtime factor into allowing the town to move on without you having participated.

The residents of Smithtown are vibrant, hard-working individuals. They deserve a Smithtown that reflects this. This year can be the start of bringing Smithtown into the 21st century. 

Larry Vetter

Democratic candidate for Smithtown Town Council