Boy Scout Troop 343 Holds Court of Honor and 50 Year Anniversary Reunion

Boy Scout Troop 343 Holds Court of Honor and 50 Year Anniversary Reunion

By Phyllis  Stein

A special Court of Honor which recognized 50 continuous years of service to the youth of the Hauppauge area was held by Boy Scout Troop 343 on June 3 in St. Thomas More R.C. Church (Hauppauge)’s Community Room. The gathering recognized not only the current Boy Scouts but was also an opportunity to showcase their skills to those who had preceded in this Boy Scout Troop’s history as the scouts had created a projected slide show of historical troop photos and listing/photos of the 104 Eagle Scout Community service projects.

Said current Scoutmaster Guy DiSilvio, “Over 100 scouting families past and present joined us to celebrate the history and people of our Troop. We recognized several 

Current and past volunteer scouting leaders (with Committee Chairs, Scoutmasters, Assistant Scoutmasters, and Committee Members) at the Boy Scout Troop 343 (Hauppauge)’s 50th Anniversary Reunion (Troop 343 – group 3.jpg) – Pam Linden photoIndividuals who throughout the years have been there for the Troop and more importantly our Scouts. Appreciation Awards were given to Troop 343’s Assistant Scoutmaster Phyllis Stein, Troop 343 Advancement Chair Stan Lamberg, Troop 343 Committee Member and Anniversary Gathering Committee Chair Donna Sparacino, Matinecock District Unit Commissioner/ Assistant Scoutmaster Paul Merget, and Joe Beltrani, our Organizational Representative for more than 40 years.  The event had an Eagle Scout Rededication, food, skits performed by the current patrols of scouts, and tables on tables of Troop memorabilia, a special Troop 343 (BSA) 50^th Anniversary commemorative patch for the scouts and alumni, and most of all a good time was had by all”

A series of “down memory lane” tables had been set up, with photos, photo albums, a patch blanket, the original hand-embroidered Troop 343 neckerchief, along with copies of letters and e-mails from all of that had responded, filling in the gaps of what the past scouts and adult scouting volunteers up to and their fondest memories of being in the troop. The scouts who had been in Troop 343 as youths are now teachers, doctors, accountants and businessmen, police and fire fighters, members of the military (including those on active duty and in the NASA space program).  Also on display were also books with the letters of congratulations from dignitaries, and these will be presented to the troop historian to bring back to the 55^th reunion for all to view once again. In recognition of Troop 343’s anniversary year and the dedication of the youth members, Suffolk County Legislators John Kennedy and Tom Cilmi presented proclamations to the Troop.  

One of the highlights of the evening during the Boy Scout Troop 343 (Hauppauge)’s 50th Anniversary Reunion included presentation by George Smith, District Commissioner of the Matinecock District (BSA) with the Matinecock District’s Spark Plug Awards to Assistant Scoutmaster Sal Sr. Sparacino and Committee Member Donna Sparacino for their dedication and devoted volunteer work on behalf of the scouts in Troop 343 over a decade of service. Highlights of the evening included presentation by George Smith, District Commissioner of the Matinecock District (BSA) with the Matinecock District’s Spark Plug Awards to Assistant Scoutmaster Sal Sr. Sparacino and Committee Member Donna Sparacino for their dedication and devoted volunteer work on behalf of the scouts in Troop 343 over a decade of service.  There was also a slideshow of 50 years of photos of Troop 343 events and Boy Scouts on camping trips, working on community service and Eagle Scout projects, and at troop meetings as well as funds that were raised for a Boy Scout College Scholarship for a graduating member of Troop 343. 

At the 45^th reunion (held in 2013), there were 17 of the then-86 Eagle Scouts in the troop At the 2018’s 50^th anniversary reunion of Troop 343’s continuous service the Hauppauge community, 38 of the 104 Eagle Scouts who were able to join us (including Eagle Scout #1), took the time to speak to the audience of scouts and their family members about their memories and experiences in scouting with this Hauppauge Boy Scout Troop during the afternoon and dinner time.  Eagle Scout Robert Borowski, the troop’s first to reach the rank of Eagle Scout in 1972, spoke for all the Eagles to the current troop members, charging them to enjoy and learn in the scouting program, to make the most of their time in the troop and in all their scouting experiences, “where you will find that this is where the best friendships and memories of your youth are made.” Flanked by the Troop 343 Eagle Scout Plaques, with all their names engraved on brass plates with the date they had earned their Eagle Scout Rank, Troop 343’s Eagle Scouts lined up and participated in the special Eagle Scout Rededication Ceremony — which is a part of every Eagle Court of Honor. Eagle Scout #104 will have his Eagle Court of Honor in October, 2018 and the 37 previous Eagles hope to attend this celebration.

A Gathering of Eagles — 38 of the troop’s 104 Eagle Scouts were able to join Troop 343 at the 50th reunion celebration. Flanked by the Troop 343 Eagle Scout Plaques (with all their names engraved on brass plates with the date they had earned their Eagle Scout Rank), and coming from as close as Hauppauge to as far away as California, Troop 343’s Eagle Scouts lined up and participated in the special Eagle Scout Rededication Ceremony — which is a part of every Eagle Court of Honor. (jpg 0955)During the evening’s celebrations and reunions, one of the previous troop members observed how “some things never change” as the current crop of scouts cleaned up the church’s community room, following the dinner.  Said previous Scoutmaster Norman Andina, “The best part of this reunion weekend’s gathering has been the interactions and discussions and sharing of ideas between the all of the  scouts — the current youths and the “older members” who had been active in the 1970’s and 1980’s and 1990’s — and all of the comments on how scouting with Boy Scout Troop 343 of Hauppauge has made (and is still making) a difference in their lives today, that they are still  being involved in Troop 343’s history and in continuing this fine heritage as we head into the future with the “current crop” of Boy Scouts.”

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP - The Last Straw

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP

Karl Grossman

On Independence Day week last month, Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn joined  with environmentalists and the county’s Single Use Plastic Reduction Task Force in calling for Suffolk to “declare independence” from plastic straws.

Given the name “Strawless Suffolk,” the initiative aims to “convince” restaurants in waterfront Suffolk communities “to take a pledge this summer to stop using plastic straws.”

A statement by Ms. Hahn, the environmentalists and the task force—established by the Suffolk Legislature in March by a resolution authored by Ms. Hahn—said: “Restaurants that agree to take this pledge will be provided with a decal to identify the establishments as a ‘Strawless Suffolk’ participating restaurant.”

“To be eligible for recognition, restaurants can elect to pursue one or all of three scenarios: stop using straws completely; provide biodegradable straws made from paper or bamboo upon request; and/or provide reusable straws made of stainless steel or glass.”

It went on: “In Suffolk County, which boasts some of America’s most beautiful beaches, a thousand miles of shoreline, and waterways teaming with marine life, the innocuous plastic straw has become a tangible threat to the county’s tourist-driven economy, littering our beaches with debris and threatening turtles, birds and other marine life.”

“Every day, Americans discard a half a billion plastic straws, many of which find their way into oceans and inland waterways, which to put in perspective could wrap around the Earth 2.5 times per day. What’s more, nearly 90% of all marine debris is made of plastic, including plastic straws,” it stated.

The situation calls for, indeed, the last straw.

As Ms. Hahn and the environmentalists were announcing the initiative here, Seattle became the first major U.S. city to ban plastic straws. Also prohibited in Seattle now are plastic food utensils.

There needs to be a broad attack on single-use plastic. Other than profiting the plastics industry, single-use plastics are unnecessary. 

When used in connection with food, a human health issue is involved. Beth Fiteni, a member of the county’s Single Use Plastic Reduction Task Force and executive director of the organization Green Inside and Out, points out that “plastic is made from petroleum and may potentially leach hormone-disrupting chemicals…Since there are paper alternatives and even reusable glass or metal alternatives, there really is no need for these useless bits of plastic.”

As to what is preferable—an effort to “convince” restaurants on straws or, as Seattle has done, outlaw plastic straws, I would go with the latter—considering the huge problem plastic straws have become in Suffolk along with the rest of the nation and world. 

“A video that went viral in 2015 of a sea turtle getting a bloody straw removed from its nostril helped spur some of the growing momentum to ban or limit plastic straws in many cities, states, countries, or businesses,” reported the Christian Science Monitor in an article in June. It was headlined: “Ditching straws to save sea life.”

It quoted Dianna Cohen, chief executive officer of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, as saying: “Plastic straws [can be] the gateway, the beginning to raise awareness or open your eyes about single-use plastic…We’re really hoping that we create a system shift.” 

The piece went on relating the argument that “the rate at which straws are currently ending up on beaches and in the ocean demands action.”

“During the International Coastal Cleanup, a day in September when communities around the world head out to clean up beaches, 3 million straws have been collected over the past five years,” according to Nicholas Mallos, director of the Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas program, said the piece.

Legislator Hahn, a Setauket Democrat, says: “The beauty of our beaches and natural landscape is what drives Suffolk County’s estimated $5.6 billion tourist economy. And yet, all over the county, our beaches and parks are littered with plastic straws and other plastic debris. 

What’s even more distressing is the suffering these useless bits of plastic inflict on vulnerable wildlife. Suffolk is joining the worldwide movement to save our oceans and beaches, starting right here at home.”

Working with Ms. Hahn is the Surfrider Foundation’s Eastern Long Island Chapter  which in May launched a “Strawless Summer” campaign. Colleen Henn, its clean water coordinator and also a member of the Single Use Plastic Reduction Task Force, comments that “we have been overwhelmed by the acceptance and success of our initiative. We are heartened to be working alongside Suffolk Legislator Hahn and a coalition of organizations to implement a county-wide ‘Strawless Suffolk.’ Surfrider hopes that this movement will encourage a deeper dialogue about reducing the prevalence of single-use plastics in our daily lives.”

Karl Grossman is a veteran investigative reporter and columnist, the winner of numerous awards for his work and a member of the L.I. Journalism Hall of Fame. He is a professor of journalism at SUNY/College at Old Westbury and the author of six books.  

Op Ed - Look At RAVE Carefully Details Matter

By Robert Trotta, Suffolk County Legislator 13th LD

As a former Suffolk County Detective, member of the FBI Gang Task Force and the husband of a kindergarten teacher, school safety is of the utmost importance to me. We all want to do everything possible to protect our children in school and elsewhere, but the steps we take in pursuit of that critical goal must provide a real, significant, effective means of protection, not simply be feel-good measures or public relations stunts that detract from our true mission.

County Executive Bellone recently signed legislation to borrow $2 million to cover the licensing of the Rave Panic Button for public and private schools across the county. The smartphone-based application alerts authorities in the event of an active shooter or emergency situation.  I guess that sounds okay and makes for a good press release and photo op, but is it really the best way to spend significant taxpayer dollars and protect our children? After all, given the rate at which technology is evolving, such an application could be obsolete within a year or two yet our residents will be paying for it for a decade or more.

Let’s take a look at what the $2 million bought…here is a disclaimer from the Rave website: “The services do not replace dialing 9-1-1 in the event you require immediate assistance. The services must not be relied upon to provide emergency response services. Such emergency response services can only be accessed by placing a direct call to 9-1-1.” Please tell me the county didn’t just spend $2 million for 9-1-1 speed dial. Also troubling is the fact that RAVE considers the personal data of its users to be a “business asset” that may be transferred or shared with other parties in the event of any acquisition, merger, reorganization, etc. Given the volatile nature of the IT industry, who knows who will ultimately have access to the personal information of teachers, school administrators and employees?

The tragic shootings that have taken place in schools across the country have understandably prompted the call for government action. We do need to act. However, that action must make sense and serve the best interest of our children and all our residents. It cannot be action simply for the sake of saying we did something and we cannot allow on our fears to be used  for a company’s  financial gain. The “another tool in the toolbox” approach can do more harm than good if that tool is ineffective or confusing or causes unnecessary delays or other unintended consequences.  The steps that elected officials take must be responsible ones, driven by public safety not public relations. Let’s not forget that Bellone was the same guy who gave us and stood by  Chief Burke who together dismantled the FBI Gang Task Force and allowed MS-13 to wreak havoc in Suffolk County. Of course, as you may know, Burke  is now an inmate in federal prison.   As a side note  Intralogic the company that represents Wave on Long Island donated over $10,000.00 dollars to Bellone and Suffolk Democrats . Starting to get the picture?

Robert Trotta, Suffolk County Legislator 13th LD

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP - Press Club Responds To Ejection Of Journalists

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP

By Karl Grossman

It was an unprecedented incident in Suffolk County history—two journalists were kicked out of a political rally. It happened last month at a “kickoff” rally for Congressman Lee Zeldin whose district includes most of Smithtown.

As Pat Biancaniello, editor of Smithtown Matters, one of the journalists kicked out of the rally, wrote in an editorial: “Last night I was ejected from the Lee Zeldin kick-off rally which I was invited to, without cause. Yes, I was invited to attend the rally by the Zeldin campaign and was credentialed by the Zeldin campaign. Upon arrival I was told to go anywhere I wanted to take photos, again by the Zeldin campaign. I stood in the same spot, with my credentials plainly in sight, for roughly an hour and a half before, out of the blue, I was told to leave without an explanation.”

Ms. Biancaniello continued: “I was forced to climb over a rope to get to the path leading to a door—(one woman sneered and said ‘bye bye’ as I walked past).  Once out the door and in a backyard area, I was mocked by a group of people. A man upset that I was taking photos smacked my camera and I was told by security to leave the Elks Club premises. All the while I was wearing the press badge supplied by the Zeldin campaign and telling everyone I was an invited press person.”

As David Ambro, managing editor of The Smithtown News, wrote in an article: “Without provocation, without just cause, and without a word of explanation, the campaign staff of Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) threw me and a fellow journalist out of his campaign kickoff at the Elks Club on Edgewood Avenue in Smithtown Thursday, June 28. It was the first time in my 40-year career as a journalist that I have ever been thrown out of anything. I didn’t like it.”

“I saw a tweet that said we had been thrown out of a ‘white supremacist fest,’” Mr. Ambro went on, “a reference, I suppose, to one of the Zeldin-rally speakers, Sebastian Gorka, who Democrats charge is a ‘Nazi sympathizer.’ I’ve covered a white supremacist rally before—a cross-burning during a brief Suffolk uprising of the KKK in 1998—and that’s not what this was. I will say, though, that being thrown out was arbitrary and capricious, overbearing and intimidating.”

Mr. Ambro declared: “It put us in a precarious situation, singled out in a crowd that was revved up to a fevered pitch by the rhetoric of the speakers and at a time when the president they idolize has declared the media to be ‘an enemy of the people.’ And, in the aftermath, the response by Rep. Zeldin and his campaign was in bad taste.”

The Press Club of Long Island issued a statement last week on what happened in which its board of directors stated: “When reached by the Press Club, Zeldin said in an email: ‘As Americans, we cherish our Constitution, freedoms and liberties, and that includes our sacred First Amendment protecting freedom of the press.’”

          “The press,” said PCLI, a chapter (one of the biggest) of the national Society of Professional Journalists, “serves an important role to keep Americans informed of facts that allow us to form our own independent judgement on matters before our community, nation and world. The congressman, who was reportedly not present when the journalists were removed, said Biancaniello and Ambro were confused as protesters, and he invited them back to his events.” 

PCLI continued: “While we appreciate Zeldin’s apology and strong statement on the press, we do not believe Biancaniello and Ambro should have been removed from the event in the first place. We see this most recent incident as part of a larger pattern of mistreatment of the press. The Trump administration set the stage in February 2017 when then White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer excluded The New York Times, CNN, Politico, The Los Angeles Times and BuzzFeed from a press briefing. Around the same time, President Trump began calling the press the ‘enemy of the people.’ It was a phrase often used in the past by communist dictators to refer to dissidents, or political opponents. Mr. Trump has repeatedly employed the term to speak of hard-working journalists simply doing their jobs…As a nation, we must afford journalists the protections that we have from the time of our founding, thus allowing them to reveal important truths.”

I am proud that the Press Club of Long Island reacted quickly and strongly to what happened—and proud of the two Suffolk journalists put upon.  

I founded PCLI in 1974. I was sitting at my desk at the daily Long Island Press reading a story about a reporter jailed for not divulging a source. My recollection was that this occurred in Maryland. I arranged for a gathering of Long Island journalists to form an organization to challenge this kind of thing. At the meeting I was elected president of the club. Through the years PCLI has taken on various government officials on Long Island for not complying with the Freedom of Information Law and similar behavior—but journalists getting kicked out of a political rally here, this is new—and intolerable.  The assault on the media that is underway today in the U.S., led by Donald Trump, is an attack on the U.S. democratic process. It is not acceptable in the U.S.—and on Long Island.

Karl Grossman is a veteran investigative reporter and columnist, the winner of numerous awards for his work and a member of the L.I. Journalism Hall of Fame. He is a professor of journalism at SUNY/College at Old Westbury and the author of six books.  

Theater Review - 'NEWSIES'

Theater Review – ‘Newsies”

Produced by The John W. Engeman Theater - Northport

Reviewed by Jeb Ladouceur

Every good musical is firmly rooted in the significant historical facts that form its plot. Indeed, while a show’s success may depend greatly on clever lyrics, flashy costumes, and intricate choreography to command our attention, the fact is that minus a meaningful story line to go with the glitz, our toes are unlikely to start tapping when they should.

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A good example of this theatrical phenomenon is ‘Oklahoma.’

It’s all very well for a group of gals in gingham and boys in boots to serenade us with a rendition of ”…oh, what a beautiful mornin’…” but until we’re aware that this is essentially a story about farmers feuding with ranchers, the production’s not much more than a sing-along.

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The same can be said for ‘Les Miserables,’ ‘Evita,’ or for that matter, the overrated ‘Hamilton.’

But history’s great upheavals and revolutionaries notwithstanding, I doubt there’s ever been a show on Broadway with a more interesting backstory than the one which opened on The Engeman stage a few nights ago. It’s titled, ‘Newsies,’ and the good news is that we’re unlikely ever to see a more appropriate treatment of an obscure, but poignant, slice of Americana.

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The musical is centered on the actual 1899 Newsboys’ Strike in New York City, where a conflict develops between the town’s ragamuffin ‘newsies’ (paperboys) and none other than powerful New York World publisher, the renowned Joseph Pulitzer. Pulitzer has raised the price of The World  to his hawkers a fraction of a cent, but it’s enough to affect the boys’ sales … and consequently their already meager income.

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If ever there was a ‘David and Goliath’ story staged on the ‘Great White Way,’ this surely is it.

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The show (with music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman) was faithfully written by Harvey Fierstein, and all were nominated for Tony Awards when the musical debuted on Broadway in 2012. Thereafter, ‘Newsies’ went on to stage more than a thousand performances before producers launched its boffo national tour. Not surprisingly, Menken and Feldman won the Tony for Best Musical Score … while Christopher Gattelli took top honors for Best Choreographer.

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The endearing show was Toni-nominated in no fewer than six other categories … and an equal number of Drama Desk slots … for singing and dancing. Impressive!

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One of the most intriguing aspects of this fascinating re-telling of journalistic history is that it boldly labels an iconic American businessman as the opportunist he actually was. Leave it to Hollywood (where the film ‘Newsies’ premiered in 1992) … and ultimately to Broadway … to blow the whistle on even the mighty Joseph Pulitzer. We have the entertainment industry to credit for tagging Pulitzer the opportunistic ‘yellow journalist’ he turned out to be.

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Tom Lucca, who was an Engeman standout in both ‘Jekyll & Hyde,’ and ‘1776,’ doesn’t miss a trick in his interpretation of the hard-hearted Pulitzer, as he balances Dan Tracy’s protagonist, Jack Kelly. Also Whitney Winfield brings charm and grace aplenty to her local debut as the delightful Katherine Plumber. We have not seen the last of this multi-talented young woman. The same can be said for child actor Zachary Podair as Les. Near-perfect stage presence in one so young is an amazing thing to behold … and the mark of a born performer.

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Lighting, Costume, and Scenic Design (Zach Blane, Kurt Alger, DT Willis) supply everything we have come to expect from the Engeman’s Creative Team … nor do Director Igor Goldin, or Choreographer Sandalio Alvaraz disappoint. They are among Long Island’s finest practitioners of theater arts.

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There’s a strong element of Dickens (primarily ‘Oliver Twist’ and even ‘A Christmas Carol’) in this fine production, though Harvey Fierstein’s pathos will never be mistaken for the simpatico that England’s greatest novelist was able to produce. That said, it’s difficult to imagine Bob Tzudiker and Noni White (who collaborated on the original screenplay) … or for that matter, Fierstein himself … not being heavily influenced by the bleakness which was Charles Dickens trademark.

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This dynamic production runs through September 2nd.

Award-winning writer, Jeb Ladouceur is the author of a dozen novels, and his theater and book reviews appear in several major L.I. publications. His recent hit, THE GHOSTWRITERS, explores the bizarre relationship between the late Harper Lee and Truman Capote. Ladouceur’s newly completed thriller, THE SOUTHWICK INCIDENT, was introduced recently at the Smithtown Library. The book involves a radicalized Yale student and his CIA pursuers. Mr. Ladouceur’s revealing website is www.JebsBooks.com