Commack Resident Burned After Filling Up Generator

Suffolk County Police responded to a Commack home after a resident suffered burns when her clothing caught fire this morning.

A 40-year-old female resident of Elder Drive, whose home is without power, went outside to fill up her generator with gas and inadvertently spilled some on her clothing and the outside of the gas can. The woman went inside to clean up when gasoline vapors emanating from the can were ignited by a nearby candle. The woman’s clothes caught fire and she suffered burns to her arms and back. She was transported with non-life-threatening injuries to Stony Brook Hospital by the Commack Volunteer Ambulance Corp.

The Commack Fire Department extinguished the fire. Arson detectives have investigated the incident and determined the cause to be accidental.

Hurricane Sandy Goes Through The Roof At Park View School

The Kings Park School District is accustomed to overcoming challenges. Every school budget cycle is a reminder of how small a district it is and how precious every tax dollar is. Capitol expenditures are carefully planned and budgeted for with an eye on what is absolutely necessary. The district’s new challenge was delivered by Hurricane Sandy early Monday evening when its winds took the roof off Park View School. 

According to Kings Park School Superintendent Dr.Susan Agruso the wind didn’t blow the roof off, it peeled it off.  The difference between blown away and peeled is insignificant because the roof has to be replaced and the K-3 students at Park View are to be displaced immediately. 

The school district has two K-3, schools Robert J. Osgood ( RJO) and Park View. With  damage at Park View the district faced several challenges, where to house the displaced students and how to get the message out to families with children attending the school when a hurricane took out the power, phone and email capability? 

It turns out that in this particular district getting the message out was no problem. A meeting for Park View parents was to be held on Thursday afternoon at the High School, which due to Hurricane Sandy, had no power. The district set the meeting for 4pm when there would still be natural light and set up a generator to do the presentation. They counted on phone calls,  signs posted in local businesses and at the fire department and word of mouth to get the message to the Park View School families that there would be a meeting.  It worked and according to Dr. Agruso, almost seven hundred people showed up, most without power in their own homes, to hear what the School Board had to say.

According to Dr. Agruso , after being alerted to the Park View School roof situation, the engineering firm H2M was contacted and brought in a contractor who is already working with the district’s insurance provider.  The cost of the roof is estimated to be over $1 million. The district, which has a five thousand dollar deductible on its insurance, expects insurance to cover most costs and FEMA to pick up the remaining expenses. Dr. Agruso is hopeful that the new roof will not end up costing the district anything.

The challenge of where to put the students will be dealt with by placing the third graders in RJO and the K-2 in the District’s Administrative Building on Lawrence Ave. The students will have the same teachers, bus stops and activities except for those in the Administrative Bldg. where there is no kitchen or lunch facility.  In a “back to the future” moment, students will bring their own lunch or paper bag lunches will be provided.

Items that could be salvaged from Park View were being cleaned and brought over to the Admin. Building. Some items suffered water damage and need to be replaced.  On Friday members of the custodial staff were busy cleaning and moving items and were being assisted by some members of the community who have volunteered to help. 

The district is hoping to have the roof project completed sometime in December with students back in their school in December or January. According to Dr. Agruso, parents were satisfied with the proposed plan for the students. With the roof crisis under control, Dr. Agruso can now turn her attention to  power beng returned to the district’s buildings and getting the kids back to school.

Smithtown Town Budget Hearing - Taxes Are Going Up

Smithtown taxes are going up (click here for Town’s Tentative Budget).  The town board held its public hearing on the budget, Thursday at the Eugene Canataro Senior Center.   There was no discussion by the board members on the $103 million proposal but there were comments by town residents.

Mr. Krauss, a resident of Smithtown, expressed his displeasure with the increase.  He raised the point that the tax increase is not just $46.83 (the amount that a home with an assessed value of $5,500 will be paying)  it is an increase in addition to the library tax increase and the school tax increase and the Suffolk County Police tax increase.  Mr. Krauss stated that the increasing taxes could become unaffordable for people in the town.  He also raised the issue of the theft of the town’s recyclables.  He pointed out that the solution proposed by the Supervisor, hiring more public safety officers, did not seem to make economic sense. He claimed the costs to the taxpayer would exceed the amount lost due to the theft of the recyclables. In addition, Mr. Krauss asked why no one has been held responsible for the thefts and why no one has been fired. 

Democratic candidate for NY State Assembly in the 8th legislative district, Jesse Safer, pointed out that the proposed increase did not reflect the “realities of Smithtown’s real estate market.” Mr. Safer, an attorney and a former Nassau County property tax hearing officer  said “Our goal is to retain ownership of the homes in Smithtown, to attract the home buyers… Increasing property taxes, even with some reductions, discourages people from buying homes in the Smithtown area.” He also made the point that tax grievances, a problem in Nassau County, could become the reality in Smithtown.

The Supervisor’s budget message states,”It should be noted that a large portion of the increase includes $1.8 million which is attributable to pension and hospitalization costs.  Increased fuel costs also is a factor.” The budget message did not mention the modest (2 percent ) pay increases most town employees received nor the 10 percent increase for the appointed members of the Planning Board and Board of Zoning Appeals. The proposed budget seems to have the support of the Town Board members and is expected to be adopted in November.

LOOK WHO'S 90 YEARS OLD - HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDWARD JOHN BOROWSKI

Happy Birthday Ed!

Edward John Borowski was born on October 27, 1922 in Jamaica, New York.

As a teenager, he served in the Civilian Conservation Corps. (known as the C.C.C.s) in Idaho, prior to serving in World War II as a Storekeeper 2nd Class (“SK2”) in the United States Navy on the U.S.S. Battleship Texas from November 27, 1942 to October 4, 1945. Among many medals received, Edward was honored with the Good Conduct Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two bronze stars and the Philippine LIB Medal. Edward remains to be a proud WWII Veteran for the past sixty years.

He married his wife, Rose, on October 5, 1952 at St. Joseph’s R.C. Church in Jamaica, New York. She passed away in 1999. They originally resided in Jamaica, New York when they were married. They had 3 children: Janet (Orlando), Robert and Paul (and Kathryn). They moved to Hauppauge, New York in 1966 and have resided there ever since. He has four grandchildren, Stephanie, James and Michael Orlando and Amanda Rose Borowski. In addition, Edward has five godchildren and many nieces and nephews with cousins in the United States and in Poland. His family has always been his first priority and joy in his life.

Ed worked as a technician for Fairchild Republic and Hobart and retired from Mueller Martini in Hauppauge at age 70. His post-retirement life has been focused on his family and volunteerism. He has volunteered at the Long Island Veteran’s Home in Stony Brook, New York for over 15 years. He received the New York State Senate Veteran’s Hall of Fame Award by Senator John Flanagan in 2010. He, also, very much enjoys building model ships, painting, sketching and traveling.

Ed continues to enjoy going to the Dude ranches in Upstate New York with the Young at Heart St. Thomas More Church Seniors Group, also, reminding him of his younger single days riding a horse. Ed has been very active in both, Jamaica, Queens and Hauppauge.

In Jamaica, Ed was Commander of the Catholic War Veterans in 1945, President of the Holy Name Society and Member of The Appolite’s Polish Social Club, Polish Legion American Veterans #5, St. Vincent Society and Usher at St. Joseph’s R.C. Church.

In Hauppauge, Ed was Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post #5796 in 1980 located in Kings Park, Advisor of Explorer Post 1776, maintaining the Richard “Bull” Smith Historical Trail in Smithtown and Brookhaven started in 1975, Service Officer of the VFW presenting many citations to Eagle Scouts across Suffolk County, Boy Scout Fingerprinting Merit Badge Counselor, Usher at St. Thomas More R.C. Church and President of The Rose Borowski Memorial Scholarship Foundation, an annual scholarship given to a graduating Hauppauge High School Senior for exhibiting excellent qualities in community service, scholastic achievement and Scouting.

Commack - Kings Park Rotary Club Helping Those Who Need It Most!

For many years the Commack – Kings Park Rotary Club has worked with The Dolan Health Center in Huntington on “The Gift Of Sight” program.  The program provides eye testing and eye services to people in need.  The “Gift of Sight” program was originally created to provide services to children. Although the program currently sees more adults than children its mission remains the same, providing eye care to those who cannot get it elswhere.  The Commack – Kings Park Rotary Club is committed to working to make lives better for people wherever they may be. In this case they are right here in our own backyard. (L-R Club President Phil Facquet III - Dolan Health Center Director, Terence Smith,  Former Club President and Liason to “Gift of Sight”, Barbara Kruger)