Stop Red Light Running - Or Be Prepared to Pay

It’s here! The first of 50 red light cameras has been installed and it is located at the intersection of CR93 and the Long Island Expressway South Service Road.  Starting June 15 if you get caught red light running at this site you will hear from Suffolk County. Currently there is a thirty day grace period that ends on July 15. During this thirty day grace period if you violate the law you will receive a warning but will not receive a violation or a fine.  After July 15 it will cost you $50.

The system works when photo enforcement cameras connected to the traffic signal and sensors on the intersection stop lines are triggered by a vehicle entering the intersection above a minimum speed while the light is red. Thus vehicles entering the intersection on yellow, or those that were in the intersection waiting to make a left-hand turn when the light changed, will not be captured.

 An 8-second video of the violation is recorded along with two photo captures that identify date, time, vehicle speed and time the light has been red. The cameras photograph the car only from the rear to capture the license plate.

 After the violations are reviewed by trained county technicians, a citation is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. Included in the citation will be a specialized web address and PIN number where the violator can view the infraction and make an on-line payment. Fines will be deposited into the county’s road fund as revenue to offset taxes.

It is anticipated that all 50 cameras will be installed and operational by the end of summer.

New to Dealer’s Row: Subaru

By Erica Jackson

The family-owned Competition Automotive Group has just added Subaru to its fleet of dealerships,  Located at 463 Middle Country Road in St. James, the new Subaru dealership is expected to drive up the 47-year-old company’s sales, despite the state of the economy.

 

The new dealership, which has been open for three months, will officially open tomorrow with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.  Its opening will be celebrated throughout the weekend, offering “great deals,” said Vincent Moscardino, general manager of the new Subaru dealership.  “WALK FM will be here and so will the SPCA mobile so you can shop for a car and a pet,” said Moscardino.

 

So far, the brand has already exceeded expectations and while the economy remains stagnant, Moscardino said, people are still shopping with Competition Automotive Group.  Subaru is a great product,” said Moscardino.  “It is becoming the car of choice among outdoor enthusiasts and educated consumers.”

 

Part of the allure, said Moscardino, is the brand’s competitive pricing and aggressive leasing opportunities.  The brand is also, said Moscardino, known for its 5-star crash-test rating and its symmetrical all-wheel drive, which is great for North East winter weather.

 

Among the Subaru featured models are the Forester, Tribeca, Legacy and Outback. They range in price from $17,995 to $35,000. “This is the only brand that grew last year,” said Nancy Buzzetta, vice president of Competition Automotive Group. “Subaru has done a fantastic job, releasing the right product at the right time.” In fact, Buzzetta said Subaru sales increased 35 percent last year alone.  “It is a top rated car,” said Buzzetta.  “and it is the only top rated car for safety by the Insurance Institute for Safety.”

 

The brand, said Buzzetta is a “great complement” to the company’s other brands in Smithtown.  Competition will now not only offer high-end brands, such as Mercedes and BMW, but now “a practical vehicle for an economically sound buyer,” said Buzzetta.

Buzzetta does not anticipate competition among the companies dealerships, but instead expects cross-shopping.  For example, Mercedes customers will look to purchase Subarus as second family cars.  Just recently Buzzetta said she had a customer who purchased a Mercedes for himself, but a Subaru for his daughter, who is heading off to college in the fall.

 

Aside from the Subaru product virtually selling itself, customers are extremely loyal to Competition Automotive Group, said John Cornwell, special programs manager for Competition Automotive Group. This, he said, will also help rev up sales.  He said, “Competition is reputable and known for its integrity. It is not a real hit and run dealership.  It has a great following.”

 

Cornwell went on to say that the company’s staff has extreme longevity.  “That is a good sign of any company. It shows stability. It is a real tribute to the company’s owners. Everything comes down from the top.”

 

“We always say our first sale is the start of a relationship,” said Buzzetta.  “We want our customers to be our customers forever.  This has helped us build deep roots that keep us anchored in a story economy.”

 

The company also, said Cornwell, participates in numerous community charities. In fact, this summer alone, Cornwell said Competition will be donating some 23 cars.

According to Cornwell, Competition acquired the Subaru dealership from the former Subaru dealership of Port Jefferson and moved it back to Jericho Turnpike where Moscardino says it will “have better exposure.”

 

“There is a real advantage to having the dealership on car row where people are out shopping for cars,” said Cornwell. Presently, according to Frank DeRubies, planning director for the Town of Smithtown, there are between 26 and 34 dealerships operating in the area with only three lots vacant.

 

The small area, known to locals as dealer’s row, holds, said DeRubies, “the largest concentration of dealerships on Long Island.”

 

Talking history of the area, DeRubies, said the area became attractive to dealerships in 1980s because of the price of the lots and their shape.  “They are bowling ally lots, one hundred to two hundred feet wide, and depths from a thousand feet to five thousand feet, perfect for storing cars,” said DeRubies.

 

DeRubies says the lots were originally carved out between the 1890s and 1940s when when lots could be subdivided simply by filing a map with the county.  “There were no laws regarding subdivisions at the time,” said DeRubies.

For more information, visit Competition Automotive Group at http://www.competition-auto.com/

All Voices Must Be Heard

Last week, the Nissequogue River State Park Foundation’s Sunset & Fun Runs received great coverage by three of the community's respected local publications; the Smithtown Messenger, Times of Smithtown and Smithtownmatters.com.  After all, the foundation was able to overcome many obstacles, including the temporary closing of the park, to put together a successful and fun event that raised a significant amount of money for a variety of park projects.

 In the Smithtown News, however, Editor David Ambro chose to write an article that ridicules the foundation for backing a plan by State Parks to temporarily close the park's boulevard when demolition work on 15 dilapidated structures begins this fall. We realize that there will be differing opinions with regards to this matter, but would a respectable journalist criticize an organization for supporting efforts to protect the public from the onslaught of demolition vehicles and debris?

He also claims we are a vocal minority and that others should play a role in the decision to close the boulevard.  Apparently, Mr.Ambro is unaware that the foundation is comprised of almost every local community organization in Kings Park, representing more residents from the hamlet than those who voted in last year's election.  The foundation is always open to hear other opinions concerning the park as long as they are not politically or personally motivated, as Mr. Ambro’s article appears to be.

Mike  Rosato                                                                                                                                                                                                 NRSP Foundation

Sheltering Smithtown Animals

By Erica Jackson

It is estimated that there are 70 million feral cats living in United States.  They are a constant problem, says National Geographic News: they kill bird populations and carry diseases, such as rabies and ringworm that can be transmitted to humans and domestic cats.  But, in Smithtown, George Beatty, animal shelter supervisor, says his department is slowly getting a handle on the local situation.

According to Beatty, the town has been very successful with a new program that encourages residents to trap pesky feral cats and have them picked up by shelter personnel to be spayed or neutered at the resident’s cost.  The cats are then released back were they were caught.

“The community has really gotten involved,” said Beatty. To date, the program has trapped and released some 250 feral cats.

Yes, Beatty said, residents must foot the $50 bill for the spay or neutering, but in many cases, he said, neighbors chip in for the service.  The shelter, he said, will provide the trap and transportation.

While feral cats will remain at large, Beatty said the program aims to keep their population at bay.  “If there are seven feral cats in an area, that number will remain at seven. There won’t be a litter of kittens,” he said.

The feral cat problem, he said, will continue to escalate, if residents continue to feed the feral cats, but don’t work with the town to have them spayed or neutered.  “We understand the inclination to feed the cats, but it needs to be understood that it is more than feeding to take care of these cats.  The message is not to just feed, but to spay and neuter.”

While the shelter does not take in feral cats, it does accept unwanted domestic cats in its year-old sun-room that was built specifically to accommodate felines.

Presently at capacity, filled with 75 cats, the shelter’s cat adoption program has been very successful, said Beatty.  He explained that as one cat is adopted another is welcomed.

Right now, he said, there is a two month waiting list to surrender a cat and more often than not, Beatty has found that the cat’s owner will have a change of heart during the waiting period. 

“Pretty much all our animals get adopted,” said Beatty.  That includes canines that are surrendered to the shelter for a variety of reasons.  Most often, he said the owners would prefer to keep their pets, but they are moving to a new residence that won’t allow pets or they find their children are allergic to the animal’s fur.

But before any animal is accepted into the shelter, it must be neutered or spayed. “We request that the owner pay for that,” said Beatty.  While the fee for cats is $50, for dogs the fee depends on the weight of the dog.  “It can run anywhere between sixty and a hundred and fifty dollars,” said Beatty.

Currently, the shelter has 25 dogs available for adoption. The facility can hold up to 30 dogs.  And unless, a dog has a severe aggression problem, Beatty said the shelter has been able to find homes for all its animals.

Part of the shelter’s success, said Beatty is its volunteer program.  Beatty said the shelter has a constant flow of volunteers that sit with the cats and walk the dogs on a wooded, natural trail that runs behind the shelter.

“It is very peaceful for the volunteers,” said Beatty.

Many times while the volunteers are spending time with the animals, they fall in love and wind up adopted one or more, Beatty explained.

The shelter’s website, www.petfinder.com/shelters/ny53.html, has also been a great resource.  The website lists all of the shelter’s animals that are ready for adoption, including Maple, a short hair gray tabby; Zero a baby short-hair; Hercules, a black short-hair male; Dakota, a male Collie; Duke, a Jack Russell Terrier; and Diva, a female Shih Tzu.

“So many times we hear that rescue dogs make the best pets.  It’s like they know they have been given a second chance,” said Beatty, who has rescued cats and dogs himself.  “It makes you feel good to adopt an animal.”

While there numerous reputable shelters across Long Island, Beatty encourages those looking for that perfect pet, to “think global, but act local” by remembering that there are perfect pets available right in town.

Aside from providing shelter services, the Smithtown Animal Shelter is also responsible for enforcing the town’s animal nuisance laws.  “We try not to give out tickets,” said Beatty, for example barking dogs, but instead, he said, employes are trained to mediate the situation . “These people are often neighbors and will be for a long time so we try and solve the problem, rather than give out tickets.”

Most of the time he said, the owners of the barking dog, don’t even know their dog has been barking.

Shelter employees also handle injured animals, such as squirrels, birds, and ducklings.  Beatty says the shelter is often called out to rescue ducklings that have fallen down a storm drain. “They are following mama duck, and fall one by one into a storm drain.”

All rescued animals are brought to a proper rehabilitation center.

As always, the shelter welcomes volunteers as well as monetary donations and donations of blankets.

Library Expansion Project Moving Forward

By Erica Jackson

A major expansion project authored by the Smithtown Library is officially underway.  Since the start of spring, workers have been busy at two of Smithtown’s four buildings, demolishing, installing and fabricating walls, ceilings, and floors.

“We are definitely on schedule and on target to reopen buildings when originally anticipated,” said Robert Lusak, library director. 

The expansion projects kicked off this spring include a ground breaking ceremony at the Smithtown Library’s Commack branch and another at the site of the new Nesconset branch, the old Nesconset Armory.

“We felt we needed to do a ground breaking ceremony in each community,” said Lusak, “because each is just as important as the other.”

With that, Lusak said the community can expect two more groundbreaking ceremonies.  Ceremonies will take place this fall at both the Kings Park branch and at the main branch in Smithtown.

Because buildings must be closed for the various renovations, with the exception of the Nesconset branch, the library board opted to work on two building projects at a time to ensure that patrons would still have access to a library near their residence.  Lusak explained that, for example, while the Commack branch is closed, residents can still visit the Kings Park, Smithtown or Nesconset branches.  And when Kings Park and Smithtown are shut down, Commack and Nesconset will be open.

Lusak pointed out that the Nesconset library will only need to be shut down for a brief period of time to move its contents to its new location.  In other words, until the armory is refurbished, the Nesconset branch will remain open.  The library system, said Lusak will then be able to save about $150,000 a year in rental fees for the Nesconset branch and the nearby storage facilities it rents.

Since the groundbreaking ceremony in Commack, workers have gutted portions of the building to make room for a 3,000 square foot expansion. Once complete this fall, the location will feature new space for collections, a teen area, and a new children’s section, which will be able to house all sorts of children’s programing.

Over at the new Nesconset branch, which the library purchased for $1 from the Town of Smithtown several years ago, workers have installed a corrugated steel roof with skylights, established new concrete footings and brickwork, and added new windows and doors. 

“There is a lot of work involved,” said Lusak, of the armory site. “It was basically an empty shell with no electrical or plumbing. It was gutted.”

But despite the amount of work it will require to transform it into a brand-new library, complete with meeting rooms, study areas, children and teen space, and storage, Lusak contractors are getting it done.  And a grand opening is set for early 2011.

Lusak anticipates that some work will commence at the Smithtown main branch in August with the poring of foundation for a 6,000 square-foot expansion. “We want to take advantage of the warm summer months,” said Lusak.  However, the library will remain open until the spring of 2011 when the interior will be renovated to fit a new children’s room., teen space, and a large community room that will be able to accommodate additional programs.  “This is one of the larger projects,” said Lusak. “A lot is involved.”

The Kings Park project, however, said Lusak will be similar to the Commack expansion.  Like Commack, the Kings Park branch will see an addition of 3,000 square feet.  Once finished, in about 8 to10 months time, it will embody a new children’s room, a teen area and additional collection space.

“When all is said and done,” said Lusak, “all of the buildings will look seamless. You won’t be able to differentiate between the old part of the buildings and the new. All will have new light fixtures, carpeting and some furniture.”

The $21-million expansion of all four buildings was made possible, said Lusak via a March 2008 referendum, which voters approved overwhelmingly.  Property owners agreed, said Lusak to pay, on average, $50 extra a year in taxes for the expansion project.

Additionally, he said, the project is being funded by the NY State Dormitory Authority.

The construction portion of the project has been a long time in the making, said Lusak. After the referendum was approved, the library board worked to develop plans, obtain site plan approval from the Town of Smithtown and Village of the Branch, negotiate a project labor agreement, put plans out to bid, and hire T.G. Nickel and Associates of Ronkonkoma to see the projects to completion.

“They are more than qualified to get the job done,” said Lusak of T.G. Nickel and Associates.

To keep updated on the project, visit the Smithtown Library’s expansion update blog on its website, www.smithlib.org.