The Gauntlet Has Been Thrown Down - Creighton To Challenge Vecchio

By Richard Macellaro

Councilman Robert CreightonWhat most people surmised or knew for the last few months, was confirmed today, when Smithtown Town Councilman Robert (Bob) Creighton announced that, he plans to challenge Smithtown’s longest serving Town Supervisor, Patrick Vecchio, for the Republican nomination for the Supervisor’s Office. 

In an exclusive interview, with this reporter, Mr. Creighton said, “The status quo is unacceptable.”  When asked, “Why are you running for this Office?” the two-term Council member responded, “It’s the right thing to do.”   Further, “this town is suffering due to stagnation.”  Also asked, “Who do you think will support you,” Councilman Creighton smiled saying, “I’ve sensed over the last few months, that many people will support me.”  He continued, “I recognize that this is a difficult challenge for the Supervisor.  The Supervisor has served in that capacity for well over 30 years.  That is a commendable record.”  Further, “in those 30 years, he has had many supporters and admirers.  It’s a difficult task (a primary election challenge-RSM) to say the least.” The Councilman, without missing a beat said, “but, now it’s time for a change, because the Town is suffering.  It is not a business friendly community.”  Inquiring what he meant by saying that the Town is “not business friendly?”   Mr. Creighton declared, “Developers and others interested in moving into Smithtown are not welcomed!  Rather, everything is made very, very difficult.”  “It is almost a hostile environment for people looking to do business with this Town.”  Mr. Creighton seemed frustrated by this, adding, “The Supervisor has done nothing to address or correct this issue.”

Changing subjects, Mr. Creighton discussed Smithtown’s infrastructure.  “The infrastructure needs attention. This was made clear after the storm last year and some of our antiquated equipment could not do the job.”   When quizzed further, the Councilman said, “The Supervisor was stretching the longevity of the equipment to a point where it is beyond its useful life.”  “The Supervisor has no interest in repaving the roads and taking care of the parks.”  Adding, “We must very carefully consider funding these departments in the future.”

In his concluding remarks, Councilman Creighton said, “The Supervisor would like to maintain the status quo.”  “I would like to improve upon the conditions by carefully planning the Town’s future growth and development.”  “We have been essentially a retro-active government and I would prefer to be pro-active.”   It is “very much like the debacle in Washington, D.C.  The Town of Smithtown has been kicking the can down the road, that will ultimately be to the detriment of the taxpayers in Smithtown.”

Reporter’s note.  When I contacted Mr. Creighton, requesting an appointment to interview him on his announcement, he cleared his schedule and we met within 15 minutes of my phone call.  Also, during this face to face interview, Mr. Creighton’s cell phone, was ringing off the hook, with callers congratulating and offering their support (as overheard by me) and him saying, “Yes, this an uphill battle, but I am ready for it.”

Dieting? Watch Your "G"

By Kia Edwards

People who know me know that the nicest reaction I can muster with most fad diets is an eye roll.  With New Year diets still going strong, it’s good to know a bit about the diets that some people recommend.  The Glycemic Index Diet is a popular diet that’s been going around for some time. Originally designed for individuals with diabetes, this diet has branched out to the general population in the form of Nutrisystem, the Zone diet and Sugar Busters.  However, it begs the question: is it a diet worth following?  Let’s check it out.

The Glycemic Index is a numerical scale used to show how quickly and how high a certain food will cause an increase in your blood sugar.  The value is based on glucose, which is given a value of 100.  The thought process is a low to moderate glycemic food item will keep your blood sugar at a more controlled level while a food item that is considered high glycemic will cause an undesirable spike in your blood sugar.  This is a useful concept for diabetics and non-diabetics alike.  Keeping your blood sugar controlled is good for diabetics for obvious reasons.  For non-diabetics, keeping your blood sugar on an even keel can fight the sugar high-sugar crash cycle. 

Now let’s get down to the nitty gritty. How useful is it?  The research is fairly mixed, but it doesn’t say that following the glycemic index is a bad thing.  Some studies show that people lost weight while other studies showed no lasting change in weight loss.   I don’t mind the glycemic index because it encourages you to eat foods such as vegetables, legumes, some fruits, yogurts and oats.  It also discourages eating food that is highly processed since these items tend to be high glycemic (potato chips, french fries, pancake syrup, white bread, you get the idea).  That’s great- something that does the work for me, but most people already know this unless they live under a rock or somewhere similar.

An issue that I do have with the glycemic index is that the values are assigned to individual foods.  This is a problem because we rarely eat one kind of food during a meal, which distorts the glycemic effect.  For instance, if you eat a potato (GI value ranges from 82-100 depending on how you cook it), but you eat spinach or another low glycemic food with it, the glycemic effect becomes difficult to predict.  The solution is to eat foods that are low on the glycemic index, but I won’t knock you if you add in a sweet treat on the odd occasion. 

Overall, the Glycemic Index is a useful little tool if you’re trying to avoid counting calories, go low-carb, or looking for a way to change your eating habits (I also hate the word “diet”- it’s a lifestyle change).  It’s not telling you anything you don’t already know, but it’s good to have reinforcement.  Here’s a list of foods and their glycemic index.  Happy eating!       

Food	Glycemic Index
Low Glycemic
Hummus	6
Peanuts	15
Grapefruit	25
Lentils	25
Fettuccini	27
Mixed Grain Bread	28
Skim Milk	32
Sweetened Yogurt	33
Apple	38
White Spaghetti	41
Sweet Potato	44
Carrots	49
Oatmeal	49
Banana	54
Mid-Glycemic
Short Grain White Rice	55
Whole Wheat Pita	57
Basmati Rice	58
Bran Muffin	60
Fresh Corn	60
Corn Chips	63
Shortbread Cookie	64
Beets	64
Couscous	65
Cantaloupe	65
Pancakes	67
High Glycemic
Graham Crackers	74
French Fries	76
Doughnuts	76
Pancake Syrup	81
Pretzels	81
Rice Cakes	82
Corn Flakes	83
Baked Potato	85
Wild Rice	87

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 

BZA Decisions - KPE II "No" - Insignia "Yes w/conditions" - Hess "Yes and No"

Decisions by Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) at meeting on Tuesday, February 12.  All Board members were in attendance.

The BZA in a unanimous decision voted to grant Insignia Restaurant, located on Nesconset Hwy. & Mount Pleasant Rd, a variance to increase the number of ground signs from 1 to 4. The variance increases the max. ground sign area from 32 sq. ft to 236ft. (176 sq. ft existing). The additional two sided signs are to be placed (1) on Mount Pleasant Rd. and (2) on Nesconset Highway.  The signs will have removable inserts advertising events and Outdoor dining Promotion. Each sign will stand 53” with a width of 32 ½”.  The BZA is requiring the signs have landscaping and directed lighting.

The BZA (unanimous) voted to approve with conditions Case #16767 Hess Corporation in Commack – The board voted to grant the petition for  an additional ground sign as well as to increase sign height. Hess will also be permitted to reduce one buffer to 10 foot. The BZA rejected reducing a portion of one buffer from 6ft. to zero but added the stipulation that the Board of Site Plan Review can permit the “0” buffer if the additional property is needed for access.

Case #1695 (unanimous)    KPE II, LLC – Denied – KPE was asking for a Certificate of (13) uses. The BZA denied all. The burden of proof for the petition fell on KPE who was unable to document that the activities on the property were lawfully existing pre zoning, that the property was used continuously and that a relationship between past activity and current use existed.

Case # 1861(unanimous) - Galleria IV - Approved a variance to reduce minimum parking setback to residential district from 100ft. to 44 ft. for a proposed 11,817 sq. ft office bldg.

Case # 16862 (unanimous)– Approved – Proposed 2,750 sq. ft. 1- story retail building and reduction of parking spaces from 24- 20.

Case # 16865 – Rockwell’s Bar was adjourned to March 12, 2013

Partial Roof Collapse At Smithtown Bowl - No Injuries

Suffolk County Police responded to a call of a partial roof collapse at a Smithtown building this afternoon.

Fourth Precinct Police Officers responded to Smithtown Bowl, located at 200 Landing Ave., at 4:30 p.m. after a 911 caller reported that the roof partially collapsed. There were no injuries and no one was in the building. It appears that the collapse was due to heavy snow conditions. There was also an apparent water leak due to the collapse.

The Town of Smithtown, Long Island Power Authority, the Smithtown Fire Department and the Suffolk County Water Authority responded to the incident. The MTA Police Department was notified.

Smithtown's Own Dr. Phil - Pointers For Avoiding Injury In The Snow

By Dr. Phil Facquet III

Father Winter is about to throw some potentially deep, heavy snow our way, if the meteorologists are correct this time.  So it is time to break out the snow blowers, shovels and ice melt.

I was asked by Smithtown Matters, what the best way to avoid injury while shoveling is – the single best way to avoid injury is to pay someone else to do it or exercise the option of forcing or using guilt to have your kids do it.  If you have a snow blower – use it; however, use a stick, not your hands, to clear debris from the blades or chute. For most of us, now regretting putting off that decision to buy a snow blower, it will be time to dig.

If your body is in good physical condition and you have kept up with regular exercise you will have less of a chance to injure yourself than the couch potato; however, snow shoveling has the potential for spasms, strains, sprains and other more serious health problems for all of us.  If you have known cardiac problem remember what your doctor has told you about exercising, avoiding exertion, in cold weather.

Here are some basic recommendations to avoid injury over the next couple of days:

·        Dress in layers and wear a hat and scarf – you want to keep warm and avoid frostbite.

·        Don’t drink alcoholic beverages before going outdoors or when outside

·        If you feel chest pain or short of breath or are excessively tired – STOP and seek immediate medical care.

·        Use your legs and arms to lift, not just your back.

·        Bend your knees when lifting and moving the snow.

·        Avoid bending and twisting when tossing a shovel of heavy snow. This can aggravate lower back discs. 

·        Stretch before shoveling as the physical exertion required is demanding.  

·        If the snow on the shovel is too heavy for you – don’t lift it. Lift less.

·        Light ergonomically designed shovels can help.

·        Periodically kick or tap your shovel blade to get rid of excessive snow build up.

·        Take breaks to avoid strain injuries.

·        Increase the frequency of the breaks as your muscles fatigue.

·        Use good biomechanics to lift bags of salt or ice melt. If the big bags are to heavy for you to safely lift buy smaller ones.  

·        Lastly watch the slips and falls.

So after you are finished outside and sitting in the comfort of your home and warming up - stretch again. If you are sore, apply an ice bag to the affected area for 20 minutes, then take it off for a couple of hours. Repeat a couple of times each day over the next day or two. If you continue to feel soreness, pain or strain after following these tips, it may be time to visit a doctor of chiropractic.  

Philip Facquet III is a Chiropractor with a practice in Smithtown, he can be reached at drfacquet@optonline.net