9/11 Responders Remembered Park Time Capsule And Memorial Ceremony

9/11 RESPONDERS REMEMBERED PARK TIME CAPSULE AND MEMORIAL CEREMONY HONORS 35 MORE FIRST RESPONDERS WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE

On Saturday May 18, 2013, 35 new names were added to the Responders Remembered Memorial Park Wall in Nesconset, New York.  These 35 men and women were honored by the 9/11 Responders Remembered Memorial Group for their heroism and for making the ultimate sacrifice as a direct result of their work at the World Trade Center following 9/11.  

The 9/11 Responders Remembered Memorial Park, located at the northeast corner of Smithtown Boulevard and Gibbs Pond Road in Nesconset, New York opened two years ago after much planning by the 9/11 Responders Remembered Committee, including Legislator John M. Kennedy, Jr., Minority Leader of the Suffolk County Legislature (13^th LD-Nesconset), who was also in attendance this past Saturday morning.

In addition to the newly engraved names, a time capsule filled with various mementos, documents and other historical evidence regarding 9/11, its victims, heroes, and information surrounding the erection of the Memorial Park was buried and not to be opened until September 10, 2038.  One such document was the Suffolk County Resolution, sponsored by Legislator John M. Kennedy, that allowed the building of the 9/11 Responders Remembered Memorial Park.  “It has been and continues to be an honor and privilege to be a part of such an important site in the community.  Not only does it pay tribute to those we lost but it will be a reminder to our children and future generations to never forget,” said Legislator Kennedy.

An Appeal For Effective Pet Dealer Legislation

By Sandy Trehy

According to the American Humane Association each year in the United States approximately 8 million stray photo - canineworld.comand unwanted animals are turned into animal shelters.  Nearly half of the animals turned into the shelters, approximately 3.7 million will be euthanized due to the lack of good homes.

We have a terrible pet overpopulation and animal cruelty problem, and finally New York State is poised to make way for a change.  New York is one of the last states to maintain regulation of pet dealers solely at the state level. New York State’s pet dealer regulations do not adequately protect dogs in the state’s many commercial breeding facilities. These dogs typically spend their entire lives in tiny, cramped wire-floored cages that are stacked on top of each other—often outdoors, with no protection from the elements. Their puppies, which are purchased in pet stores, online and even on a breeder’s property, often go to their new homes with diseases, parasites or congenital and hereditary conditions. New owners are given the choice of returning sick puppies to pet stores where they will most likely be euthanized, or incurring the often lifetime costs associated with treating these illnesses.

In most cases, local governments are much better-suited to crack down on these pet dealers. If towns and cities across the state want to do better for their residents, their animals and their bottom lines, they should be allowed to do so. State controlled pet dealer regulation is the major road block to communities enacting local laws beyond the state’s ineffective pet dealer law.

What else is broken? Our local governments and animal shelters absorb the costs associated with unregulated breeders and unwanted pet store dogs through cruelty seizures, sheltering costs for relinquished pets, and legal proceedings. These expenses are paid for directly by your taxpayer dollars.

AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law and the general business law, in relation to the preemption of local laws, is in the NYS Assembly and Senate right now.  Many legislators are hearing from pet industry lobbyists and their retail partners, so it is critical that they hear from animal advocates and taxpayers like you as well!  Use this link to the  ASPCA Advocacy Center to quickly email your state assembly member and senator in Albany and urge them to pass A.740/S.3753 before New York’s legislative session wraps up in June.  Please also call your assembly member and senator! Find their names and phone numbers here.  A polite, courteous phone call is the best way to interact directly with legislative offices. You may use the content of the email for talking points, but your message can be as simple as “As your constituent, I ask you to please pass A.740/S.3753, related to local pet dealer regulation, this year.”  This is a critical first step to protecting innocent animals and reducing the cost to taxpayers of uncontrolled breeding of dogs for profit. 

ASPCA Advocacy Center

http://www.capwiz.com/aspca/issues/alert/?alertid=62660136&type=ST

From One-Term Councilman To I Want It All - Creighton Gets Conservative Nod Going Into Republican Primary

Robert CreightonWin or lose the Republican primary in September, Councilman Robert Creighton, 75, will be on the ballot in November as a candidate for town supervisor. Last night Robert Creighton received the endorsement of the Smithtown Conservative Committee assuring him a position on the ballot.

Last year Creighton switched his party affiliation from Conservative to Republican. Many saw Creighton’s switch as his first step in his pursuit of the town’s top job.  During his time in office Creighton has been an advocate for business.

Creighton first ran for office in 2007 as a one-term councilman wanting to bring “peace” to the Town Board. He ran for a second term and was re-elected in 2011 to a four year term which ends Dec. 31, 2015. In addition to advocating the expediting of Smithtown’s permitting process, he has proposed allowing the storage of thousands of “Sandy” damaged vehicles on private property in Kings Park and building a town park on 55 acres of state parkland in Kings Park.

In addition to Robert Creighton, Smithtown Conservatives endorsed incumbents Kevin Malloy and Thomas McCarthy for town council, Vincent Puleo for town clerk and Glenn Jorgensen for highway superintendent.

Seen A Skunk, Weasel Or Mink Lately? DEC Wants To Know

DEC LAUNCHING CITIZEN SCIENCE EFFORT TO TRACK FURBEARERS IN LONG ISLAND AND NEW YORK CITY

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens today encouraged New Yorkers  on Long Island and New York City to participate in surveys for furbearing mammals in the region. 

Weasel photo Wikipedia“Citizen science efforts provide our wildlife managers with valuable data and give people the opportunity to partner with DEC to help monitor New York’s wildlife resources,” Commissioner Martens said. “I encourage you to take the time to record your observations of these mammals while exploring the outdoors or driving through the state’s beautiful landscapes this summer.”

DEC began the new citizen science project to document the current distribution of select furbearers in Long Island and New York City to help guide wildlife management decisions and determine future survey and research needs.  DEC requests observations from New York City and Long Island for any of the following species:

•         Gray Fox 

•         River Otter

•         Weasel 

•         Mink

•         Skunk 

•         Coyote

•         Beaver

Any information provided to DEC helps staff understand the distribution and abundance of these elusive or inconspicuous mammals. Even reports of road-killed animals may provide useful biological data.

What to do when you observe one of these furbearers:

•         Get a physical description of the animal (size, color, distinctive markings, behavior);

•         Note the location (town, distance to nearest intersection, etc.);

•         Note the type of habitat (woodland, field, pond, lake, etc.);

•         Get a picture!  Trail cameras are often very useful for identification purposes;

•         Fill out the sighting report at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/30770.html .

Common species such as red fox, raccoons, muskrat and opossum, need not be reported.

For more information on identification of these species, please visit http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/6969.html, or if you have questions, please contact DEC’s Region 1 wildlife office at 631-444-0311.

Same Old, Same Old - Incumbents Get the Go Ahead From Town Republicans

It was all about the incumbents at Smithtown’s Republican Nominating Convention.  Getting the nod to be the party’s designee:

Supervisor: Incumbent Patrick Vecchio

*Town Board: Incumbents Thomas McCarthy and Kevin Malloy

Town Clerk: Incumbent Vincent Puleo (Conservative)

Highway Superintendent - Incumbent Glenn Jorgensen

County Legislator 12th Legislative District: Incumbent John Kennedy 

In the 13th Legislative district Legislator Lynn Nowick is term limited out of office. Paul Hennings received the committee’s endorsement. Paul Hennings is currently the attorney for Smithtown’s Board of Zoning Appeals.

** Receiver of Taxes was incorrectly identified as part of this election cycle.**