Smithtown's Foodie To Do List

What’s Cookin’? – Smithtown

By Nancy Vallarella

Smithtown’s Foodie To Do List

May’s calendar is turning out to be filled with food, fun and fundraising throughout Smithtown.

Jump starting May’s many events is Long Island RESTAURANT WEEK; Sunday, April 28 for eight days ending on Sunday, May 5. Participating restaurants will offer a three-course prix fixe for $27.95 every night they are open except Saturday when the menu may only be offered until 7 p.m.  This is a great opportunity to try that local restaurant you never seem to get to. Reference Smithtown Matters Food and Restaurant Guide for contact info and make your reservations today.

Stop into New York Stuffed Cone in Saint James on Thursday, May, 2  from 4pm -8pm.  A percentage of all sales will go to St. James Elementary School PTA.  The class that registers the most attendees will win a… Sundae Party! 

Our angels from the Smithtown Children’s Foundation have partnered with Yogurtini on Middle Country Road in Smithtown.  They will be honoring the memory of Accompsett Elementary teacher Mike Denaro on Friday, May 3 from 5pm – 10 pm.  20% of all sales will be returned to the Mike’s Hike Science Scholarship Fund and the Smithtown Children’s Foundation.

May 5, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage. In Smithtown, it means - FIESTA! 

Maria’s Mexican & Latin Cuisine in Nesconset is offering an authentic Mexican menu, margaritas for 5 pesos and Coronas for 4 pesos. Live music, games, prizes and give-a-ways are planned for the event. In Saint James, Del Fuego has mucho drink specials and live music planned to begin at 4pm on their outdoor patio. Here’s hoping for good weather!

The Kings Park Farmer’s Market will also be counting on good weather May 5 for its opening day.  The market will be open from 9am to 2pm and is located across from the King’s Park firehouse. Get there early for the best selection of Long Island grown vegetables, plants and flowers. You will be delighted to find other artisan goodies there as well. This past weekend, at the Commack Winter Farmer’s Market I picked up Kalypso Greek Yogurt and Laurie’s Granola.  Both are exceptional products and will be available at Kings Park on May 5th. Jen’s Hens Eggs from Turtle Back Farms in Smithtown and Thera Farms with their hydroponically grown greens will be there too. 

ATTENTION MOMS: Head over to the Smithhaven Mall on Thursday, May 9^th for National Mom’s Night Out from 5 – 8pm.  “The Ultimate Celebration of Motherhood” takes place at the center court with free food and drink samples, gift bags, give-a-ways, mini makeovers & fashion show.

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 12.  If you plan on taking mom out to eat, make those reservations pronto.  If you plan on a DYI celebration, reference the What’s Cookin’? – Smithtown facebook page www.facebook.com/chef.noko.wcs  for recipe ideas, local take out options and great gift ideas. 

Smithtown Man Pleads Guilty To Felony Charges - Schemed To Steal Retirement Savings

Long Island Man Pleads Guilty After Multi-State Scam To Steal Victims’ Retirement Savings

April 26, 2013

Defendant Falsely Claimed To Be An Experienced Investment Advisor And Used The Retirement Funds To Gamble On Sports

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY – Smithtown, New York, resident Alexander Swanson, 48, waived indictment and pleaded guilty this morning to felony charges that he engaged in a wire fraud scheme to steal retirement savings from individuals in New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere. Through his investment fraud scheme, the defendant stole approximately $3.1 million from his victims. When sentenced, the defendant faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment on each of the three counts to which he pled guilty. Pursuant to his guilty plea, the defendant must also forfeit the proceeds of his fraud.

The charges were announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and George C. Venizelos, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office.

According to the criminal charges filed today in the Eastern District of New York, Swanson misrepresented his job, background, and investment experience to his victims, and then provided the victims with false reports touting his investments’ performance. These misrepresentations fraudulently induced the victims to invest with Swanson, who stole and squandered their retirement savings for his own benefit, including gambling his victims’ savings on sporting events.

“Today, Swanson admitted that he constructed a false persona, lying about his job, background, and investment expertise, all for the purpose of bilking unsuspecting individuals out of their hard earned retirement savings. Promising them secure investments, he instead provided fraudulent reports that lured them deeper into his web of lies and deceit. Just as Swanson played fast and loose with the truth, he also played with his victims’ money, gambling much of it away on sporting events. Due to the combined efforts of law enforcement, the real Swanson will now receive the only payout his actions deserve: fraud charges, a guilty plea, and the prospect of a significant jail sentence,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. “I would like to thank our partners at the FBI for their hard work on this important investigation.”

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Venizelos stated, “Swanson preyed upon a particularly vulnerable class of victims. Investment fraud always victimizes the trusting investor, but Swanson targeted retirees who parted with portions of their savings. The FBI is determined to protect all investors from unscrupulous schemes.”

The defendant’s guilty plea took place this morning before United States Magistrate Judge Gary Brown, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip. United States District Judge Denis R. Hurley has not yet scheduled the sentencing hearing in this case.

The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher A. Ott.

This case was brought in coordination with President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. President Obama established the interagency task force to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.

The Defendant:

ALEXANDER SWANSON
Age: 48
Smithtown, New York

Slow And Steady Wins The Weight Loss Race

By Kia Edwards

Despite the tricks the weather is playing on us, summer is coming. This typically causes a whirlwind of preparations: vacation planning, dress buying and crash dieting to drop weight quickly. Two out of these three summer preparations are great. One of them is not. 

I always get a bit of a blank stare when telling new clients that weight loss should be slow and steady. The idea of dropping 15lbs in 2 weeks sounds far more efficient than 1-2lbs per week. However, dropping 1-2lbs per week is more effective in the long run. Here’s why:

3,500 calories

It’s the amount of calories in 1lb of fat. Put the tissues away, there’s no need to cry or panic.  Yes, it’s a fairly large number: it translates into a caloric deficit of 500 calories each day to lose 1lb of fat in a week. 1,000 calories per day if you want to lose 2.  However, there’s a way to do it- but we’ll get to that shortly.  When you hear about people losing a huge amount of weight in a short space of time, what exactly are they losing?  The three possibilities are water, muscle and fat. 

Water weight loss is a short term solution often used by athletes who need to “make weight” for competition. You’re not really losing any substantial weight and will regain it after you drink enough fluids. Muscle loss is the worst type of weight loss. This results in loss of toning and a decrease in metabolism.  Due to it’s chemical composition, muscle is far easier to convert to energy than fat. This is one of the main risks people undertake when losing weight very quickly. It also makes it more likely that your lost weight will be replaced by fat when you regain the weight that you lost. Yes, it’s highly likely that you will gain it back. Now, on to fat loss.  Losing body fat increases body tone, reduces your risk of ailments such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even some forms of cancer.  Based on the benefits, we have a clear winner. 

Now that we’ve gone through the “why”, let’s move on to the “how”.  A 500 calorie deficit can be tricky to maintain. Well, it’s tricky if your diet consists of highly processed foods and your exercise program consists of walking to the couch and sitting there.  Whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grain bread are good choices to start off with. Lean protein such as white meat, fish and plant sources (lentils, quinoa, beans, edamame) can also help you maintain a low calorie diet while getting most of your nutrients.

It’s also important to exercise! How else will you burn those calories?  Cardio is a great way of burning calories, but lifting weights will ensure that you’re losing fat while maintaining and even building muscle.  Do both- balance is key. A couple days of cardio mixed in with a couple days of weight training (along with some recovery time) will help you look great for summer all keep you fit all year.  In the end, you’re better off this way- it just takes dedication and patience. 

Here are examples of low calorie foods to help you out:

Apple: 60 calories per cup, sliced 

Nectarine: 63 calories per cup, sliced

Blueberries: 84 calories per cup

Mangos: 99 calories per cup

Red or green grapes: 104 calories per cup 

Broccoli- 31calories per cup

Spinach- eat as much as you want! 1 cup is 7 calories!

Arugula: 1 cup is 5 calories! Eat up!

Radishes: 19 calories per cup

Raw beets: 58 calories per cup 

Cooked egg white: approximately 20 calories for 1 large egg

Roasted chicken breast without skin: 145 calories for 3oz 

Broiled duck breast, no skin: 135 calories for 3oz

Quail: 264 calories for 4oz

Boiled lentils: 230 calories per cup 

Source:  HYPERLINK “http://calorieking.com”calorieking.com 

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 

Steve Snair Announces His Candidacy For Town Supervisor

Steve Snair wants to be Smithtown Supervisor. Who is he?

By Pat Biancaniello

What do the three announced contenders for Smithtown Supervisor have in common? They all have a connection to Kings Park.  Current Supervisor Vecchio lives in Fort Salonga, Councilman Creighton lives in Kings Park, and Steve Snair grew up in Kings Park and graduated from Kings Park HS in 1999. All three express a belief in sound economic policies rooted in practical and economic Steve Snair realities. And, all three men, believe that they can be effective in dealing with the complex issues of budgeting and zoning currently before the Town Board.

To say that there is an age difference between the Democratic candidate, Steve Snair, 31, and the Republican candidates Robert Creighton, 76, and Patrick Vecchio, 83, is almost understating things.  In fact, Vecchio has been town supervisor longer than Snair’s been alive. And Creighton left the police department in 1992 when Snair was a ten-years-old. 

Snair insists that his age should not be an issue in the campaign. Snair currently resides in Nesconset,  is an attorney with a practice located on Main Street, Smithtown . It is his exposure to different communities within the Town that has led him to believe that it is time for a change in Town Government. He is a calm, intelligent man with an understated manner, quick to smile and insightful when it comes to the Town. 

The question, “What made him decide to throw his hat into the ring?” provoked a smile which turned into a serious discussion about drug abuse in Smithtown, of which he is passionate. “My brother, sister and I have attended too many funerals of people our age. Heroin and other drugs are a very real problem in Smithtown.” 

Steve Snair with Kings Park resident and Creighton supporter Tom McCabe at Relish in Kings Park, April 20, 2013Taking on very tough issues requires a vision for the future of the town, not just maintaining the status quo. Steve wants to be Town Supervisor because he sees his hometown suffering from many of the same ills that have affected other Long Island’s communities, including dilapidated roads, downtown blight and young people struggling with drug addiction.

Snair believes it is time to put an end to the planning for a master plan for the town and time to enact a plan. “Creating and implementing a master plan for Smithtown should not take as long as it has. There is a lot that can be done to improve our downtowns. Town houses and apartments on Main Streets  will provide young people with a sense of ownership in the town.  “So many young people move away or live in their parents homes,  housing in the downtown areas would help to keep young people here. It would also help improve the downtown areas and increase our tax base.”

I asked Steve Snair if he felt a little like David taking on Goliath. He smiled and talked about how his vision for the town and how he will make Smithtown a better place than it is today.

BELLONE TO SMITHTOWN-“DROP DEAD” by Legislator John Kennedy

BELLONE TO SMITHTOWN-“DROP DEAD”

On April 15, County Executive Steve Bellone presented his second proposed Capital Budget to the County Legislature, with the pronouncement that, at approximately $130 million dollars, this budget is a full 27% less than current adopted Capital budget.  While savings are desperately needed at all levels of government, in all aspects, what was not mentioned, but for one page, were those projects, fully underway, that became casualties relegated to the cutting room floor.  Groundwater flooding remediation, restoration of the Blydenburgh Historic district, and traffic safety at a dangerous offset intersection all became casualties of Bellone’ s so- called fiscal constraint.

Each of the projects that the County Executive has decided to eliminate in the 12^th Legislative District have been multiyear efforts, all designed to further important public purposes.  Capitol Project 5574, created to support the reconstruction of the dangerous roadway condition at Smithtown Boulevard (C.R. 16), Shepard Lane and Gilbert Avenue followed my efforts to compel the County to address this sight of traffic fatalities, and serious physical injury to pedestrians and bicyclists.  Earlier this year, I hosted a meeting at the Nesconset Library allowing the general public to see various remediation models proposed by RBA (see attached).  In just the three year study period, 32 accidents occurred at this sight, with numerous traffic problems observed by the engineering firm.  Further, Suffolk County expended $74,000 to secure the study, a first step towards commencing design and construction to remedy the dangerous conditions.  Apparently, neither money expended, nor community involvement, nor lives lost or permanently impacted were of that great a concern to the Executive’s Budget office when deciding to terminate this Capitol Project.  I will prepare an amendment to restore the project, and the $200,000 in design funding for this year.   

Equally disturbing was the decision to eliminate Capital Project 8170, the multi -year flood remediation project associated with the Northeast Branch of the Nissequogue River.  Working in collaboration with the Town of Smithtown and the Village of the Branch, over $ 1 million dollars in planning and remediation funding has been expended to date, resulting in the successful clearing of over 4000 feet of the tributary to date, providing much needed relief to homeowners who have suffered from recurring groundwater flooding for decades.   The source of County funds has been the ¼ cent Groundwater remediation funds, derived from sales tax.   Presently, the prestigious engineering firm, H2M, who successfully managed the first phase of the project, is now wrapping up the study and remediation plans for an additional 7500 feet of stream area, in the Village, leading to Miller’s Pond.   This project has built off of the groundbreaking work undertaken 33 years ago with Capital Project 5013 and led to an unprecedented and highly successful methodology for silt removal, winning tremendous support from the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation Region 1 office.   Suffolk County’s Multi- Jurisdictional Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, prepared in 2007, found that approximately 3000 properties were impacted by the shallow groundwater table, primarily in the areas of Southern Smithtown, Hauppauge, and Nesconset.   Efforts are presently underway to secure grant funding to continue this project, and maintaining the Capital Project status is critical.  I will submit an amendment to restore the project, and authorize additional funding to continue providing relief to groundwater families.

As outrageous as the elimination of  the above two projects are, removal of Capital Project  7507 is a wholesale rejection of the residents of Smithtown, and the long history of generosity associated with our founding families.  C.P. 7507 in the Parks Department is titled Renovations at Historic Blydenburgh Park.    Among the many buildings in the Historic district area is the Mill, dating back to 1798, and the Miller’s House, from 1802.  These examples of colonial structures date back to the time of the founding of our nation.  While the Mill has undergone reconstruction of the foundation, and sheathing, as well as replacement of timbers, additional work is required to restore the functionality of the wheel.  Likewise, the Millers House, facing Stump Pond is in serious need of stabilization and repair.  While the County’s web page notes that these buildings are on the National Historic Register, and represent the only publicly held aggregation of indigenous farm and mill buildings on all of Long Island,  providing for the upkeep and maintenance appears to be of little consequence for County Executive Steve Bellone.

I will propose an amendment to the Capital Budget to restore the project, as well as the funding necessary to re-activate the Mill wheel, and to restore the Millers House.

These are just a few examples of the projects that have been removed, and elimination of abandoned items is a prudent budgeting practice.  However, none of these projects have been abandoned, nor have the residents of Smithtown.    As always, I stand ready to carry the initiatives and concerns of my constituents to the Suffolk County Legislature.  Thanks for the continued support.

Sincerely,

John M. Kennedy Jr.

Suffolk County Legislator 12^th LD