The New Ugly!

Cleaning up blighted sites was supposed to be a priority for Councilmen Creighton and Malloy. Blight is obviously in the eyes of the beholder. This political campaign sign is located on Indian Head Road. Makes one wonder if this is the “better” in campaign slogan “We can do better”

Get Serious About Staying Healthy-Fitness Plan Week 1

By Kia Edwards

Get Serious about Staying Healthy

As a trainer who mainly focuses on in-home exercise, I can tell you that a gym is not necessary to keep fit. A few pieces of basic equipment and a small space can help you achieve or maintain a healthy fitness level. This month, I’ll give you weekly exercise plans to help you reach your goals without having to go to the gym. They are simple, yet effective and can be done by nearly everybody.  Each workout should start with a short warm-up to get your muscles ready and end with a quick stretch.  

If you have any health concerns, contact your doctor to be sure that it is safe for you to exercise.  If you have any specific questions, please feel free to reach out to me at  HYPERLINK “mailto:kia@LaFortesse.com” kia@LaFortesse.com and I will respond as quickly as possible. 

What you’ll need: 

Dumb bells: 10-15 lbs or Resistance Bands 

An exercise mat, preferably one with good padding to protect your back

Good sneakers 

Optional pieces: 

Exercise ball

Medicine Ball

Jump rope 

Monday: Cardio and Core

25 Sit-ups

WOMENSHEALTHMAG.COM25 Leg lifts

30 second plank holds (four sets) FiTWATCH.COM

Repeat 1x

30 minutes of cardio: Your choice

Here are a few options

Jogging

Biking

Jump Roping

Hiking

Stair Climbing

Tuesday: Upper Body

ExerciseRepsSets Bicep Curls15x Tricep Kickbacks15x  Overhead Shoulder Presses15x Push-ups (do beginner push-ups if necessary)15x 

Wednesday: Lower Body

ExerciseRepsSets Stationary Lunges15x Squat Hold against Wall 30sec 2x Calf Raises 30sec 2x Push-ups (do beginner push-ups if necessary)15x

Thursday: Cardio and Core

25 Sit-ups

25 Leg lifts

30 second plank holds (four sets)

Repeat 1x

30 minutes of cardio: Your choice

Friday: Cardio

30 minutes of cardio: Your choice

Saturday and Sunday: Rest with light stretching

Kia Edwards is a certified personal trainer and nutrition specialist who lives in New York City. She studied French and Economics at Colgate University, spent 15 years as a high-level competitive gymnast and 6 years as a gymnastics coach.  Her business, La Fortesse At Home Fitness Training, helps clients get healthy with simple at home exercises and nutrition counseling. www.LaFortesse.com  

Young And Looking For Something To Do? Week Of July 14

July 14-20

By Cristen Feeney

While it may seem as if summer just started, we are well into July. The heat may be making you so crazy, you just feel like staying inside, but with these cool events in Smithtown, you can get out and forget the heat for a little while.

On July 14th beginning at 9AM until 12PM, the Workout for Breast Cancer is hosting the Fitness-A-Thon to raise breast cancer awareness and raise money for a good cause while helping people get in shape. For more information you can contact Roy Franks at  HYPERLINK “mailto:fitness4youinc@gmail.com” fitness4youinc@gmail.com or call 631-252-6132.

 On July 15, The Smithtown Youth Bureau’s “Safe Summer Nights” program continues, with their pool night from 6-8PM. Anyone in grades 6-12 can have a fun night with their friends free of charge, without worrying about their safety. For more information, see  HYPERLINK “http://smithtownny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/507” http://smithtownny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/507

On July 16, the Smithtown Youth Bureau has their “Second Step: Students Success Through Prevention” program. It is a program focusing on “bullying, substance abuse and violence, as well as empathy, communication, and emotion management and coping for students in grades 3-5.” To get more information or to sign your child up for the event, you can contact Concetta Valenti at 631-360-7595.

Elegant Eating offers cooking classes for people of all ages. Consider registering for the August 23 -Tweens & Teens Go Italian (ages 11-16 and adults). Costs is $75 Adult and $50 for tween/teen. Great opportunity for fathers, mothers, grandparents to spend fun time with their teen/tween. http://www.eleganteating.com/cooking_classes_long_island/cooking_classes_calendar.htm

Smithtown’s camera enthusiasts are invited to submit digital photos of their pet(s) to Smithtown Matters for online publication.  Submit photos in jpg format to pat@smithtownmatters.com with subject line “photo”. Please limit the submission to one photo per email. Include your name, age and hamlet (St. James, Commack, Kings Park etc.) in which you live.

Editorial - Political Signs Are Not the Real Issue

Political signs are cropping-up all over and not everyone is happy about it. Lawn signs supporting candidates are commonplace during election cycles cropping up sporadically throughout the town.  The signs typically fall into the standard 18”x 24” and are found on front lawns and in areas of high traffic. Signs are removed by the “sign police” when they obstruct a driver’s vision or they are on public land.  Often times signs are removed by supporters of the opposition.

This year there seems to be a proliferation of huge bill boards placed by the Creighton campaign in support of the three men, Creighton, Malloy and Puleo, who are campaigning together.  Using billboards for political campaigning is controversial. While the message on the sign is usually benign, the size often triggers a negative “visual pollution” reaction.

The Creighton campaign signs were no sooner pounded into the ground when almost immediately people began to react. The phrase “We can do better” is not only subjective, but is proving to be offensive to many in the town who are in an uproar over what they see as the planned paving over of the town for commercial development by Councilmen Creighton (now running for supervisor) and Malloy. To some, the word  “better” on the billboard is synonymous with disregarding the environment, zoning, and taxpayers. 

Creighton and Malloy have become the poster children for almost every controversial land use proposal in the town. They have  infuriated residents by what many call a mindset of “business right -homeowner wrong”.  While this may be an unfair depiction of Creighton and Malloy, there is a genuine stomach-turning fear amongst many that if this team takes out Vecchio, their home values will decrease, and there will be a degradation of both the environment and quality of life.

Recently, billboards and signs placed on 25A and Indian Head Road have been defaced with the word “crooks” spray painted on the signs. There is a lot of finger pointing as to who is responsible for the damage. Although people are reluctant to speak on the record a lot of blame is being attributed to Vecchio, his campaign and his supporters. Who knows whether the blame is justified?

What is incontrovertible is that Councilmen Creighton and Malloy have alienated a lot of people and have a lot of work to do explaining how “We can do better”. Who defaced the signs is not as important as why there are so many people saying they were thinking of doing it themselves.

Pat

Residents To BZA - Protect Our Community

Residents of Amsterdam Rd. and Jennifer Rd. went before the Board of Zoning Appeals Tuesday evening to ask the board to “not” grant the special exception and eight variances being requested by Prisco Realty, LLC for property located at 927 West Jericho Turnpike in Smithtown.  According to residents, Reliable Tree Service has been operating illegally at the site for almost a decade creating a situation detrimental to their quality of life. The problem, according to residents, is the result of the removal of a buffer and trees which sheltered the residential area from the operation of the commercial business.  In addition to the visual blight seen by homeowners on the two streets, neighbors complained of odors emanating from the illegal storage of mulch on the site. They expressed concerns over future environmental degadation of the site due to car storage on an unpaved surface. Linda Jablonsky, a resident living on Amsterdam, presented a petition from 129 neighbors in the area of Jennifer and Amsterdam Roads objecting to Prisco’s proposal.

Attorney Vincent Trimarco represented Prisco Realty. He made the case that the owners were trying to bring the property into compliance with town code and the special exception and variances were necessary to allow Mr. Prisco to conduct business at the site. Trimarco denied accusations made by residents that Prisco had intruded upon the buffer, that the property’s grading had been altered, and that there was dumping into the small triangular town recharge basin located at the back of the property. Mr. Trimarco rejected almost all the planning department’s suggestions including a restriction on the number of vehicles stored outdoors on the property. 

Questions raised included: “Is there a certificate of occupancy (CO)  for the property? Was there a stop work order issued and was it ever satisfied?  It turns out that a CO was issued for the property on October 28, 1947 for use as a garage and service station. 

If awarded, two businesses will be operating at the site: a trucking station for Reliable Tree Service and an auto dealership which will sell used cars.  Neighbors were concerned by the intense use of the property which is approximately 1.08 acres.  Residents asked for the definition of a “trucking station”,  which proved to be difficult as the Town’s code is vague on the topic.

Residents from Amsterdam and Jennifer line up to address BZAApproximately 12 residents stood at the podium detailing how the commercial property has impacted the on their property value, family and overall quality of life. Those who spoke felt that granting the variances would be seen as a reward to a business that they claim has completely disregarded Smithtown’s code for years.

 The Town Board sent a letter to the BZA advising that they support a 25’ buffer. According to town planners, there may not be an adequate amount of foliage in the sump to consider it as a buffer.

Tony Tanzi, acting as BZA chairperson - after Chairwoman Adrienne Giannadeo recused herself, commented on the items presented by Town Planner David Flynn.  He said,  “a lot of these recomendations are just that - recommendations.”  A question of parking on the property was met with Tanzi’s comment that “restrictions on parking become unenforceable.”

Yolanda Andrews, a resident living on Amsterdam, pleaded with the members of the board, “We are begging you, don’t take down the buffer. Protect our community.”