Three Times A Charm - Vecchio And Nowick To Take The Oath Of Office Tuesday, June 24

There will be a swearing in ceremony for Supervisor Patrick Vecchio and Councilwoman Lynne Nowick  on Tuesday, June 24 at 12:30 pm on the steps of Town Hall. Judge John Toomey will swear in both Vecchio and Nowick.

Last week Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation sponsored by NYS Senator John Flannagan and Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick allowing Nowick and Vecchio to fill out their four year term of office. Earlier this year Town Clerk, Vincent Puleo declared the positions vacant when Vecchio and Nowick’s required oath of office were not filed as required by law. 

Demos Or Zeldin - Republican Voters Get To Decide

By Chris Biancaniello

Tuesday morning at 6am Republican voters will head to the polls to vote on who will represent their party against 1st electoral district U.S. Congressman Tim Bishop. The two candidates vying for the position are State Senator Lee Zeldin and former federal prosecutor George Demos.

Lee ZeldinThis is not Zeldin’s first attempt to unseat Bishop who has held the office since 2003. He previously ran against him in 2008, losing by a 16 point margin of 58-42%. Zeldin, an Iraq war veteran is currently serving in New York State’s 3rd District State Senate seat as he has since defeating Democrat Brian X. Foley in 2011. He’s garnered strong support from several notable Republicans including former presidential candidate and Arizona Senator John McCain, as well as Rick Santorum, and former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

Zeldin’s opponent, George Demos, is familiar with the primary for this position asGeorge Demos he ran for the same position in a 2010 primary. Demos ultimately lost to Randy Altschuler, who was unable to unseat Bishop after attaining the Republican nod. Demos is backed by Mayor Rudy Guiliani and Governor George Pataki.  It is also worth noting that Demos has raised nearly twice the funds for his campaign as Zeldin, a large part of which comes from his own personal wealth and those close to him.

When the polls close tomorrow at 9PM the Republican nominee will be determined. As of now there is no clear leader. Both candidates are said to have different styles of conservatism, Zeldin is known for compromising on some issues in order to focus more on others, while Demos is considered to be more uncompromising in his conservative beliefs. Tomorrow will mark the end of an arduous campaign for one of the two candidates as the other will begin preparing for the general election in November.

Voting begins Tuesday, June 24 at 6am and ends at 9pm. Only Republican voters can vote in the primary. Find Your Polling Place

LI Regional Director of NYS Parks and Recreation Wayne Horsley Loves His Job

By Dana Klosner

(click on photos to enlarge)

Wayne Horsley speaks at Kings Park Yacht Club Safe Boating EventWayne Horsley took the reigns as Long Island Regional Director of Parks and Recreation on December 17, 2013. He says he loves his job.

“This job is the opportunity of a lifetime and a dream come true,” he said.

Prior to becoming regional director he was a Town of Babylon Town Councilman for six years. Then he won a county legislature seat where he was a presiding officer and ran the county legislature for a short period of time.

“I was there for the hard times of the recession,” he said. “I helped keep the county afloat. Now it’s on its way to financial solvency and reward.”

He heads the administration of 38 parks on Long Island and oversees the historic matters and recreation that involve the state parks. This includes parks from Valley Stream to Orient and Montauk Points, he said. This is the largest park region in the state as far as attendance and different types of parks are concerned. The remodeling of Jones Beach is underway with $65 million in government and state legislation. 

“Jones Beach will have the look of Robert Moses and Jones Beach state parks built in 1929, but it will have the amenities and infrastructure of a 21^st century park,” he said.

“People don’t know what’s on Long Island,” he said. “It’s got the largest recreation system, I believe, in the United States. People take it for granted. I like to show it off.”

For example, he said, Bethpage State Park has the Black Course golf course. The Barclays Golf Tournament will be held there in 2016. In 2019 the US Open will be held at Bethpage Black. The Ryder Cup will be held there in 2024. This is a huge international golf tournament to be held at Bethpage State Park. There have been US Opens with Tiger Woods playing there. 

“It’s the greatest public course in the country,” he said. 

Sunken Meadow Golf CourseAnd, at Sunken Meadow State Park the club house for the golf course was just redone. Currently they are in the process of rebuilding the central mall buildings which have not been touched since its inception.

Marina at NRSPThen there’s the Nissequogue River State Park (NRSP) carved out of the Kings Park Psychiatric Center. The most Northern Area includes a marina and soccer field which is used by the soccer club of Kings Park. The administration headquarters is there and there are several hundred acres of park ground. 

There is a large section outside the State Park that is under state park authority. The northern section of the old Psychiatric Center grounds is dedicated to Nissequogue River State Park. The rest of the area has lots of buildings and is under the jurisdiction of the State Parks. There are no long term plans on what’s going to happen to take down those buildings, he said.

 “We are creating a first class park, but right now there are many big buildings on the park grounds,” he said. “Senator Flanagan approved some dollars in the state budget* to take down the buildings. Lots of folks are saying can’t we hurry up. These are very large buildings and they are costly to take down. We will take down those in the worst shape.”

Healing Garden at the NRSP (Donated to the Park by the Commack-Kings Park Rotary Club and Nissequogue River State Park Foundation )The Nissequogue River State Park overlooks the sound. It will always be a State Park. The rest may be as well, we just don’t know yet, he said. 

Some of the most beautiful waterfront property is on the Nissequogue River State Park,  he said. 

“When you look at the Nissequogue River from the water you look at the park itself,” he said. “It’s one of the most beautiful places on Long Island, or maybe anywhere. When you look at the shore you can see Osprey and Cranes and people swimming. When you come out of the mouth of the river you see Sunken Meadow Park and you see how it all fits in. Nissequogue River State Park is a first class State Park. The people of Kings Park and the people of New York should be proud.”

*NYS Senator John Flanagan secured  $30 million for use at the Nissequogue River State Park.  

Kings Park's Mike Gerver Goes International With "Cree Churrs"

Mike Gerver

By Dana Klosner

(click on photos to enlarge)

Kings Park native, Mike Gerver, 20, loves puns, loves animals and loves drawing. He has combined those three passions into an internationally published cartoon called “Cree Churrs.” It’s a single panel, colorful cartoon featuring animals and wildlife with jokes that are a play on words. His work has been seen in Newsday, as an ad for an art show he was featured in, The Livingston County News and Australian Wildlife Magazine.

Gerver is currently a student at SUNY Geneseo where he is studying mathematics. His creativity stems from his parents, he said.

“My mom is very artistic and my dad loves to draw cartoons,” Gerver said.

He started at a young age. 

“I first started drawing cartoons when I was around eight,” he said. “It used to be my passion when I was little. But then I grew up and started doing other things. I play music and cartooning was put on a back burner. Then about two years ago I was up in the attic and saw my drawings. I started the comic in January 2013.” 

He originally had his comic published in the Geneseo student newspaper called Lamron. He soon had a paid gig at the local daily paper The Livingston County News. 

He was featured in an art show at The Old Town Arts and Crafts Guild in Cutchogue where his work was displayed alongside well-known artist Don Duga, who was the animator of “Frosty the Snowman.”  Duga has also done work for Sesame Street and MTV, Gerver said. 

 “Wildlife has always been a big part of my life,” said Gerver who enjoyed family trips to Yellowstone when he was a child. “I like the feeling you get when you’re in nature.”

The process of cartooning is like meditation, he said. He also enjoys the happiness it brings to his readers.

“When you read the newspaper it’s all about the turmoil in the world,” he said. “The comics bring a gleam of happiness. It brings people back to when they were young.”

As a mathematics major, Gerver said, cartooning doesn’t really fit in.

“It’s a hobby that unexpectedly took off. It was always a side project. I will always do it as long as it’s fun.”

Ultimately he says he would like to use his comic to raise awareness and money for various environmental projects. It has already been featured online on the “Save the Whales” Facebook page.

Gerver is devoted to his work.

“Each comic takes one to two hours from joke to completion,” he said. “I create two comics a week. So I spend about four hours a week on it. But I don’t count the time. It’s just fun for me.”

But in some ways it does fit in to his mathematics lifestyle.

“My dad writes math textbooks,” he said. “I illustrated the last textbook with animals and math jokes. I’m doing one now.”

And Gerver can only hope that maybe one day “Cree Churrs” will be a nationally syndicated cartoon. 

“I hope to have it turn into a career,” he said. “I sent it to some syndicates a few weeks ago. It’s a side project that I hope to develop into something bigger.”

His hometown of Kings Park conjures lots of warm feelings for Gerver. 

“It small, but there’s enough here to keep you entertained,” he said. “I love Sunken Meadow State Park and the Bluff. I love the small town feel. I love going into a restaurant and people know you and remember your order. It’s been said that it’s the North Shore’s greatest little secret and I agree with that.” 

Gerver’s work will be displayed at the Nesconset branch of the Smithtown Library from July 1-July 14. It will then go to the Smithtown Library Main Branch from August 3-August 17. 

You can view his work at www.facebook.com/creechurrs

The Future Is Theirs - Commack HS Award Winning Students Explain Research Projects To Rotarians

Photo by Arthur Olmstead: From left to right: Dr. Philip Facquet III, Rotary Club President; Dr. Barbara Kruger, CHS Science Mentor; Justin Cheung, Joshua Zweig, Anthony Bisulco, science research competition winners; Dr. Fred Kruger, CHS Science Mentor.

(click on photo to enlarge)

Three award winning students in the Commack High School Science Research Program were invited to the Commack-Kings Park Rotary Club meeting to present and discuss their science research projects to the assembled group. Each student presented his research details and explained how his investigation can/will contribute to the improvement of our everyday life. Each of these young men translated complex scientific details into language that all present could understand.

Justin, Anthony, and Joshua have received recognition locally, regionally, and at the national and international levels.

Justin Cheung’s project, Gold Nanoparticles: Efficient Synthesis of Catalytically Active Nanoparticles using a One-Pot Method, also took fourth place at Intel’s International Science and Engineering Fair(ISEF) in Los Angeles. His project involved synthesizing non-spherical gold nanoparticles for possible use in targeting drug delivery to specific areas in the body.

Anthony Bisulco’s research led to the development of an early warning notification system of incoming solar flares titled:  Development of a Practical Notification System to Identify Solar Disturbances. Anthony earned a trip to the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, National Level, in Washington, DC,  to present his research. Also, he received the American Radio Relay League $2000 Scholarship toward his college education.

Joshua Zweig spent last summer working on his project: Classification of Abnormalities in 3-Dimesional Mammograms via an Artificial Neural Network.  He developed an artificial intelligence diagnostic system that greatly improves the detection rate of breast cancer in 3D mammograms, created on his computers in his bedroom and the high school’s research lab. He took third place at ISEF (Computer Science) and also won two special awards; the Ashtavadhani Vidwan Ambati Subbaraya Chetty Foundation Award for a student who has a project that shows outstanding creativity, ingenuity, and has the potential to alleviate world problems, and the World Economic Forum Future Scientist Award for projects that are directed towards helping humanity. This award is an all-expense paid trip to attend the World Economic Forum in Tien Jin, China in the fall.