Women's History Month - Senator Olympia J. Snowe

Senator Olympia J. Snowe - Elected to Congress in 1978. She was the youngest Republican woman to serve in Congress and the first Greek-American Woman woman in Congress.  In 1994 she was elected to the U.S. Senate becoming the first woman in American history to serve in both houses of a state legislature and both houses of Congress. In 2001 Senator Snowe became the first Republican woman ever to secure a full-term seat on the most powerful of committee’s the Senate Finance Committee.

Senator Snowe also made history as the fourth female to ever serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee. She became the first woman Senator to chair the Subcommittee on Sea-power overseeing the Navy and Marine Corps.  She is a voice for women on issues related to women in military and shipbuilding.

Senator Snowe co-chaired the Congressional Caucus on women’s issues for ten years and helped establish the Office of women’s Health at the National Institutes of Health.  She also served as a member of the House Budget Committee: of House Foreign Affairs Committee (ranking Republican on the subcommittee on International Operations)

Senator Snowe has announced her intentions to leave the Senate at the end of her term.  The Senator’s reputation is that of an intelligent woman who is not controlled by political ideology.  Listening, learning and looking for real solutions is the way she approached issues. 

Senator Snow is leaving because of the dysfunction in our Federal Government. Click here for Washington Post Article 

Sandra Fluke - Making History

Sandra Fluke was not permitted to speak at the congressional hearing discussion on women’s reproductive health and access to contraception.  The third year law student at Georgetown University was invited by Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi to speak before a smaller committee hearing.  Sandra Fluke was professional in her presentation and has endured public ridicule from conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh who called Sandra a “slut” and a “prostitute”. Sandra Fluke stepped up to the plate to defend her beliefs and principles -  this is what Americans are supposed to do.Sandra Fluke making history in 2012 when women are once again being called on to defend access to contraception.

Update on Monday, March 5, 2012 at 9:21AM by .

According to the NY Times in an Associated Press Report Seven Advertisers have pulled their support for the Rush Limbaugh Radio Show. Click Here for NY Times Article

Temple Beth Sholom Looking to Share Its Facility and Expand Its Congregation

By Chad Kushins

Photo by Jennifer M. KleiIn the hopes of remaining in its Edgewood Avenue location, Smithtown’s Temple Beth Shalom is currently in negotiations to sell its structure and merge with an outside church. The reason for the proposal is complex but partly due to the loss of a catering business that had formerly co-existed within the standing building – and amid rumors of closing or re-locating – temple officials remain adamant that current negotiations are rather, efforts to expand the temple’s congregation.

“Yes, we are in the process of being sold and are in negotiations,” Director of Building and Grounds for the temple, Richard Rafle, told Smithtown Matters.  “It’s way too soon to say we have sold already, but we hope to merge with a church and are planning to stay [at the location].”

While Rafle was unable to provide details of what type of church is currently being sought for such a merger, the director did emphasize “inaccuracies” and rumors that quickly circulated upon the February 15^th announcement of the temple’s property sale.  According to Rafle, while it is correct that the caterer –located within the temple (and assisted in the paying the property’s rent) has left– their recent departure did not cause a search for a new temple location, nor an outright closure of the temple, as local residents believed. 

“The temple is not going to be moving,” Rafle continued.  “We hope to re-build our congregation even larger and even stronger.  We had originally co-habitated in the building with a caterer, but all we’re planning now is a similar arrangement with a church.”

Located on 4.4 acres at 433 Edgewood Ave in Smithtown, Temple Beth Sholom was initially founded in 1956. The temple community has a reputation as a “progressive conservative congregation” that welcomes people from outside the congregation regardless of religious affiliation. This means that a merger with another, separate religious organization could prove feasible once negotiations are met.  Currently, the temple’s weekly services are led by Rabbi Jonathan Waxman, a rabbi with over 33 years experience as a community leader, and Cantor Judy Merrick, who has co-led the services since 2006. 

Although enthusiastic about the prospect of expanding the congregation, Waxman opted not to comment publically until a prospective sale is finalized.

According to Rafle, under no circumstances is the temple considering closing.

“Our overall plan is to sell the current facility to another religious organization and then make our arrangements to also stay,” said Temple Beth Sholom Board of Trustees Director Dr. Shafer Zysman.  “The main thing is that we are a congregation with diverse ages and backgrounds, so really, we’re re-organizing to suit our needs.  Of course, after the sale, the intention is to stay where we are – but this congregation and community would be strong anywhere.”

According to both Rafle and Zysman, a major meeting regarding the property sale is slated to take place this week, although details are still being kept under wraps until negotiations are complete.

Zysman added, “The main focus is that there is never a dissolution of this community, and that Judaism has a presence in Smithtown.”

March is Women's History Month - Regina Calcaterra

Smithtown Matters celebrates the women who made history and those who are making history. Regina Calcaterra is a Long Island girl who overcame many obstacles in her life. She has never given up on herself or on those who depend on her.

Regina Calcaterra – Suffolk County’s first female Chief Deputy Executive – Founding Partner of the New York office of Barrack, Rodos & Bacine, Adjunct Professor of Public Administration at CUNY. Candidate for NYS Senate in 2010

Regina is a board member of You Gotta Believe, the older foster children adoption agency. Every year at least 40,000 foster children age out of care at ages 18 or 21 to no one but themselves, thus exposing them to the perils of homelessness, incarceration or worse. Her advocacy for YGB rises from Regina’s own experience in the Suffolk County, New York foster care system, where she also aged out parentless. While growing up in Suffolk County with her four siblings, she was evicted from every home her family ever lived in and also lived in numerous foster homes, homeless shelters and on the streets. Despite the odds she began college at SUNY Stony Brook at 17 and later transferred to SUNY New Paltz and graduated college at age 21. Then at age 25 she began attending Seton Hall University School of Law and graduated by the age of 29.  Less than 2% of the US foster care population actually get a college degree and no statistics are kept for those who obtain advanced degrees, so Regina knows how fortunate she is to have beat the odds and credits the hardworking and committed public servants who ensured not only her survival, but her ability to thrive.

Regina is also a pioneer in family law, as the plaintiff In Re Parentage Regina M. Calcaterra, she brought the first case of its kind in the United States that allowed an adult child to determine their true parentage via DNA.  While Regina’s case was pending and thereafter, eight states adopted a child’s right to seek their biological parentage regardless of age, the other forty-two still have not. Thus, Regina’s case of first impression serves as guidance to jurisdictions that do not expressly permit an adult child to obtain DNA from their putative parents.

Regina, an aunt of fifteen nieces and nephews, lives in New Suffolk, NY, on the North Fork of Long Island

Kings Park's Kevin Denis - Force Behind St. Patrick's Parade

Kings Park Diner Leads Community Celebration

Owner aids in St. Pat’s Parade and other events 

By Chad Kushins

Photo by John Gallagher, courtesy of the Kings Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee.In Kings Park, the month of March now brings a special and unique celebration to mark the beginning of spring – the town’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  An event that finds residents and visitors alike lining the streets to march and become “honorary Irish,” the parade is a true community effort.  For the past two years, however, very few would argue the fact that the efforts and leadership of one local business-owner has made a world of difference. 

Named The Times of Smithtown’s Business Man of the Year for his community work in 2010, Kevin Denis is the well-known owner of Kings Park’s Professor’s Diner.  Since taking over the popular Main Street eatery in 1991, Denis has been a vocal advocate for all-things Kings Park and its calendar of special events and celebrations.  Come March, however, Denis assumes his unofficial role as a leading force in making the town’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade one of the largest and best-known community gatherings of its kind.

“This is a wonderful community in Kings Park,” Denis told Smithtown Matters.  “Everyone is very supportive with what we’re doing and they love [the parade].”

Originally from West Islip, Denis married wife Linda in 1976, settling down in Kings Park to raise a family. Together with Linda and their four children, Denis became acquainted with the restaurant that he would one day own only a few years later, taking a job as a cook at the diner in 1979.  Twelve years later, he bought it.

When a fire destroyed Professor’s Diner in 1993, Denis not only rebuilt the structure, but added a showcase for memorabilia and photographs of Kings Park history, creating a small museum of the town’s heritage for residents and visiting patrons to share.  That gesture, coupled with the Denis family’s numerous efforts in helping local children and seniors, soon made the restaurateur a pillar in the community. 

In 2010, Denis was the driving force in creating Kings Park’s first-ever St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which has rapidly become a point of pride among residents who lobbied for such an event for years.  When hopeful Kings Park organizers searched for a common place in which hold their parade meetings, Denis allowed the regular meetings to take place in his restaurant  in the months before the parade.  Although the Town of Smithtown and the St. James hamlet had always held their own St. Patrick’s festivities for decades, Kings Park’s proud Irish had never organized such as event in their town – and the numbers pouring into the festival displayed the enthusiasm. 

“We had something like 7,000 people come down to the parade last year,” said Denis.  “I’ve been in this business for 24 years and I always thought that Kings Park was a very Irish town …  During March, we offer specials on corn beef and cabbage and celebrated St. Patrick’s right here.  Based on the feedback, I could never understand why the town didn’t have a parade of its own.  [Kings Park residents] love this holiday and I asked myself, ‘Why has this never happened?’”

This year marks the organizers’ second parade celebration.  In an effort to replicate the overwhelming number of people involved in years past and the parades’ recognized success, Denis is again leading the way to St. Patrick’s Day this month.  A fundraiser, featuring the musical, “A Wonderful Life,” was recently held to raise money at the John Engelman Theater in Northport.  Thanks to that event, $15,000 was raised using the performance’s ticket sales, raffles, and other donations. 

“It’s been a lot easier to organize this year than last year,” said Denis.  “Everybody wants this parade to keep happening and in having such a great committee to make such it does, we keep going forward.”  According to Denis, this year’s parade will not only welcome back local schools and civic associations to march and participate, but the parade committee will be granting awards for the best float and decorated storefront.

Denis also supports local charity events such as Long Island Harvest, Angels Without Faces, the Airmid Theatre Company, the St. Joseph’s Church golf outing and countless other fundraisers providing charitable donations throughout the year, including the popular weekly car shows held each Thursday during the summer months.  For his various efforts and achievements, Denis has been the recipient of the Dr. Robert Cody Award, the Kings Park Civic Association Humanitarian Award, and his 2010 title as “Businessman of the Year.” 

Denis added, “Really what I’ve learned from the experiences it just to never say, ‘no.’  When people need help, or want to contribute and participate in any of our events – especially the parade – I’ve learned to always say ‘yes’ and bring in as many community members as possible.”

This year’s annual Kings Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place Saturday, March 3^rd, beginning at 12 noon on the corner of Lou Avenue and Pulaski Road; the parade is set to march down Main Street, to Church Street, to Old Dock Road and will end at William T. Rogers Middle School.  Additional information can be found at www.kpstpat.com.