Kings Park Yacht Club's First Annual Boater Safety Event and Boat Parade

By Chris Biancaniello

            Members of the Kings Park Yacht Club (KPYC) gathered Saturday morning at the Nissequogue State Dan Aiello addresses life vest safety (click on photo to enlarge)KPYC - Boat Safety EventRiver Park North Marina for their first annual Safe Boating Day and Life-Jacket giveaway. Club members raised money for the vests by hosting a boater safety course.  Dan and Alan Aiello (Son and Father), both members of the Kings Park Yacht Club, taught the course, and used the money charged for the course to purchase over 100 life jackets and to distribute them free of charge.

            The goal of the Boat Safety Event was to raise awareness for boater safety, as well as to encourage the use of life vests. As Captain Dan Aiello noted, “…accidental drowning accounts for two-thirds of all boating related-fatalities.” Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick was in attendance and praised the Yacht Club as a “…great organization that promotes the safe enjoyment of water.” Assemblyman Fitzpatrick also noted that, “this is what Long Island is all about- it’s all about the water.” Also in attendance was NY State Senator John Flanagan who noted the importance of the event stating that, “Safety is paramount and this will save lives.”

KPYC Clubhouse (click on photo to enlarge)KPYC Boat Parade (click on photo to enlarge)After a few short speeches, the real fun began when members of the Yacht Club (who incidentally are not required to own a boat) took attendees out for a trip on the water exposing them to the true beauty of Long Island’s North Shore as well as promoting membership in the Yacht club. The club itself is open to just about everyone and sponsors various events including fishing contests. Members often meet at their clubhouse (a converted houseboat that sits in the Nissequogue), as well as take trips to the shores of Connecticut.

Regional Director Wayne R. Horsley (click on photo to enlarge)The Boat Safety Event also highlighted the beauty of the Nissequogue State River Park, as well as the promise it is showing. Much to the appreciation of the Yacht Club members and attendees, Regional Director of Parks Wayne Horsley mentioned his plans to help “make the Nissequogue River a premiere state park.”

The KPYC members hope Boat Safety Day will become an annual event, they will continue to preach fun, but more importantly safe fun out on the water. As park director Bill Purtill said, “It’s a feel good day on the river. The Kings Park Yacht Club’s doing this event is a great thing, and I believe it is indicative of how the Kings Park community operates as a whole.”

KPYC members were pleased to have NYS Senator John Flanagan, Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick,  Long Island Director of State Parks Wayne Horsley, Director of Sunken Meadow State Park Jeff Mason and Nissequogue State Park Director Bill Purtill show their support for the Safe Boating Event and Boat Parade.

If you would like information about the KPYC Boat Safety Course contact Captain Aiello at aldente311@aol.com. For information about the Nissequogue River State Park 

Smithtown Democrats Support Upholding The Will of The Voters

Smithtown Democrats Chairman: NYS Assembly Made the Right Choice on Smithtown Bill

Earlier this week, The New York State Assembly approved an Act extending the time within which certain elected officers may file their oaths of offices, thereby negating the need for a Special Town Board election this November. Assemblymen Edward Hennessey (D- 3rd AD) and Michael Fitzpatrick (R- 8th AD.) sponsored the bill. Specifically, the new law enables “any duly elected town officer or officers within the town of Smithtown as of the last town- wide election that failed to take or file their respective oaths of office within the statutorily prescribed period shall continue to serve in such capacity and for the term from January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2017.” The bill now moves to Governor Cuomo’s desk for final approval.

The Chairman of the Smithtown Democratic Committee commended the members of NYS Assembly that voted to pass this measure, one that reflects the will of Smithtown’s voters to re-elect Supervisor Pat Vecchio and to elect Lynn Nowick to the Town Council this past November. Smithtown Democratic Committee Chairman Ed Maher said, “I applaud the members of the Democratic majority in the NYS Assembly for embodying a spirit of cooperation and civic responsibility that obviously does not exist in Smithtown Town Hall.” Mr. Maher added, “A special election would be a gross misuse of taxpayer funds, so we’re fortunate that the Democrats in Albany are helping to clean up Smithtown’s mess.”

Suffolk County's Women's Bar - 30 Years In The Making

By Dana Klosner

In March the Suffolk County Women’s Bar Association(SCWBA) celebrated its 30^th year. 

The world was a much different place for female lawyers thirty years ago than it is today, said Valerie Manzo, Esq. the organization’s founding president and Smithtown resident.  “There were no women judges in Suffolk County at that time.”

SCWBA’s Past PresidentsThe group was formed by twenty female attorneys who started out just having lunches together.

“Some of us were inside the DA’s office, some were private practice attorneys,” said Manzo. “We would have lunch, share information and mentor each other. We started to notice we were not being recognized on the pipeline for higher positions and judicial positions.”

Manzo said they asked the Big Bar – the co-ed Bar- for representation on a committee that evaluates potential candidates. It was denied at that time without a reason being given. 

“Generally speaking we were told that we didn’t have enough experience and that we weren’t practicing long enough,” Manzo said. “We came up with a list of how long each person had been practicing.”

The group met for lunches in 1982 and 1983 then officially began the Suffolk County Women’s Bar Association in 1984.

“We were sworn in by Justice Marie Santagkta,” Manzo said. “She had to come in from Nassau County to swear us in because there wasn’t a single woman on the bench in Suffolk County. She installed all the officers.”

There was already a group called the Nassau/Suffolk Women’s Bar Association but the meetings for Suffolk County lawyers were a logistical nightmare, Manzo said. 

Legislator John Kennedy, Valerie S. Manzo, ESQ. First President, SCWBA, Justice Sandra L. Sroi, Appellate Division Of The NYS Supreme Court , Bernadette Castro, Supervisor Patrick R. Vecchio, Legislator Robert Trotta, Tara A. Scully, Esq. President SCWBA - 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SCWBAThe organization is still affiliated with the Nassau/Suffolk Women’s Bar Association and is one of 18 chapters of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York - WBASNY

“Our organization meets the needs of women lawyers,” Manzo continued. 

Now there are plenty of women on the bench, Manzo said. 

“In 1982 the Hon. Mary Werner – who was a wonderful judge and a Senior Assistant District Attorney would say she could count all the women who had been in the DA’s office on two hands,” Manzo said. “Quite a difference from today.” 

“We got to know each other’s practices,” Manzo continued. “When a member of our organization – male or female – [because there are male members] would run for a judiciary position many of us would be on a committee. We would work on campaigns and cross party lines. We would help each other out. Now it’s not uncommon for a woman to be in a judicial position. People don’t think twice whether it’s a man or woman running. “

But the work is not over. 

“There are still a lot of glass ceilings left,” Manzo said. “We need to make inroads. We’re not represented on corporate boards as much as our numbers would indicate. [About] 83%  of Congress is male. Some say our numbers are dropping and we need to wake up. We’ve become complacent.  We should be leaders.  Fifty percent of the population is female and we are not in leadership roles. This is a national treasure we are not utilizing. We are competing on a global scale for everything. Why not use all of your population when it comes to leadership roles.”

“The goal of the organization as a whole is to promote the advancement of women in the legal profession and improve the status of women in society,” said the organization’s current president Tara Scully. “The SCWBA has impact on the local level, but, what many don’t realize is that the organization has significance statewide, nationally, and internationally as well. Locally we do things like provide free mammograms to the community by bringing in mammogram vans twice a year, we take collections for service members on active duty, we collect clothing for domestic violence victims reentering the workforce, assist the Cohalan Child Care Center in fundraising, food and book donation collections. As a statewide voice, the organization is regularly asked to comment on legislation impacting the profession and/or women. Internationally, the WBASNY has a special consultative status to the United Nations.”

On a personal level, Scully said the group has provided her with a professional home. A group of women, of broad and diverse backgrounds that are accessible to her at any given time for any reason. 

Later this month the group will install its new officers with Lisa S. Fine taking over as president. 

Theater Review " Plaza Suite"

THEATER REVIEW

“Plaza Suite”

Produced by: The John W. Engeman Theater - Northport

Reviewed by: Jeb Ladouceur

You needn’t be Macaulay Culkin to find yourself luxuriating in a sumptuous Plaza Suite in New York—but his was a somewhat better fate than the one befalling playwright Neil Simon’s fictionally troubled characters in this Tony-winning comedy of the same name. Unlike the film Home Alone—Part Two, memorable for only brief scenes featuring inventive Kevin in the storied Plaza, this stage play takes place there exclusively. And after all was said and done in 1968, Mike Nichols had taken home a Best Director Tony, while Neil Simon and Maureen Stapleton had been nominated for Best Play and Best Actress respectively.

We all know what a hit the oft-reproduced series about the lost kid was … but probably only septuagenarians will recall that Plaza Suite on stage featured George C. Scott … later Dan Dailey … and later still, Peggy Cass. The comedy ran for 1100 performances! New Yorkers loved it, and judging from Saturday’s receptive audience at Northport’s John W. Engeman Theater, suburbanites love it still.

Movies about the famed Plaza aside, it’s necessary that the set for this trio of essentially one-act plays appear just as impressive as everyone knows the actual landmark venue to be. It’s a big order, but last year’s Encore Award winning set designer, Jon Collins (selected for Twelve Angry Men – also produced at Engeman) is more than equal to the task. The set’s gorgeous!

As for the story line: Three sets of characters wind up sequentially in Plaza’s Suite 719. The first pair might come to wish they hadn’t planned the re-enactment of their honeymoon there … the second duo, friendly but unmarried (to each other) is similarly steered off-track by events … and things really seem destined for ‘hell in a hand basket’ when the third couple’s daughter turns ‘runaway bride’ in their bathroom.

If Noel Coward fans have read his ‘Suite in Three Keys,” they’ll find something familiar about this show, and will probably agree with the famed literary wit who said, “…different plays…all in a hotel suite…good idea…wonder where Simon got it…”

But the source of Neil Simon’s inspiration notwithstanding, it was up to Plaza Suite’s veteran Director Patricia Zaback to interpret the script for her versatile cast and get the best out of them. Zaback does so, and subsequently this traditionally slow-starting play builds steadily and logically—as expected. By Act III hilarity has set in and it’s off to the races on a riotous romp down the home stretch.

Joan Barber is outstanding as a Joan Rivers-like Karen and Norma, and she’s capably complemented by Michael Scott who doubles as Sam and Roy. But the biggest surprises of the evening are the wonderful Gina Milo and Todd Lawson in Act II. Timing’s everything in a comic show like this where actors must play off one another’s cues with relentless precision, so if I had only one star to give, it would probably have to go to Director Zaback. With that sure Helmsman, nimble Cast, and impressive Set, all in place—don’t be surprised if California Chrome isn’t the only Triple Crown winner this season.

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Award-winning Smithtown writer Jeb Ladouceur is the author of eight novels, and his theater reviews appear in several major L.I. publications. In Ladouceur’s next thriller, “Harvest” due in late summer, an American doctor is forced to perform illegal surgeries for a gang of vital organ traffickers in The Balkans.

Dead In Committee - Legislator Lindsay's Proposal To End Automatic Pay Increases For Electeds

Some say it’s an overdue reality check, others say it’s just a political ploy to look good to voters. Whatever side you fall on, Legislator William J. Lindsay III has gotten attention by proposing to end automatic pay increases for Suffolk County Legislators. A county law* enacted in 2001 guarantees legislators an annual salary increase based on the Cost of Living Index or a maximum of 4 percent whichever is less. According to Robert Lipp, Director of Suffolk County Budget Review the increase in legislator’s pay has averaged 2.73 percent.

Having a Suffolk County Legislature costs Suffolk County residents nearly $10 million a year. There are 123 active emplyees working for the Legislature, remuneration for those employees totaled $8,798,662 in 2013. There are eighteen legislative districts thoughout the county. Each legislative district has an elected legislator who has three staff members, most maintain an office in their district (rents vary) and an office at the William T. Rogers bldg. in Hauppauge. In addition to the annual salary of $98,260.00 (up from $86,196 in 2008** - 13.98% increase).** legislators are entitled to the same benefits as other county employees including pension, paid healthcare and access to low cost eye care and dental benefits. Legislators may use County cars and phones for offical business. 

Nassau County legislators earn $39,500 a year and have not received a salary increase since the county legislature was created in 1996. Nassau and Suffolk County legislators have the same responsiblities.

Recently a bill sponsored by Legislator William J. Lindsay III (D-Bohemia) a proposed law to end automatic pay increases for Suffolk County legislators. The bill went into the Government Operations, Personnel, Housing & Consumer Protection Committee and never came out. Not a single legislator of the five remaining committee members seconded the legislation to move it to the legislature. In attendance at the meeting were Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory (D) as well as committee members Robert Calarco (D) , Tom Cilmi (R), Kara Hahn(D), Kevin J. McCaffrey (R), and Jay Schneiderman (I). 

(Legislator Lindsay did not return phone call by publication time. photos SC Legislature Website)

* County charter provides elected officials with automatic pay increases of 4percent a year/or the increase in the regional consumer price index whichever is lower. Section 205-2 Salary schedule - amended 11-15-1999 by L.L no 42-1999: 9-27-2005 LL 32-2005

A.  The salary of all elected officers specified in Subsection B holding position under the Suffolk County Charter shall be increased annually commencing January 1, 2001, by an amount equal to the lesser of 4% or the amount of increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the New York - Northern New Jersey - Long Island Region published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States.

**”Pay and Perks Vary Widely for County Legislators,”By David McKay Wilson- The New York Times, February 24, 2008**.