Nesconset Man Arrested For Sexually Abusing Teenager And Child Pornography

Suffolk County Police arrested a Nesconset man for sexually abusing a teenager and possessing child pornography.

James SheahanFollowing an investigation into child pornography, Computer Crimes Unit detectives and members of the New York State Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force executed a search warrant at the home of James Sheahan. During the search of the home child pornography was recovered and detectives discovered, in an unrelated case, that Sheahan had sexually abused a teenage boy.

Sheahan was arrested at 7 a.m. and charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Sex Abuse 2^nd Degree and Possession of a Sexual Performance by a Child, a felony. He was arraigned in First District Court on January 11.

Sheahan, 19, is a part-time employee at a hockey equipment store located in Suffolk County. Due to the sensitive nature of this ongoing investigation, details surrounding the abuse will not be released. Parents who have information related to this case or have concern for their children are asked to call the Computer Crimes Unit at 631-852-6279.

A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP - 40 Years Teaching Rewarded By Student Success

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP

Karl Grossman

This year 2018 marks my 40^th year as a professor of journalism. I started teaching at the State University of New York/College at Old Westbury in 1978. Each year I’ve had a couple of hundred students which, times 40, comes to a total of thousands of students. 

We happily recall our teachers, and the opposite is true, too: I fondly recall students—and relish in their successes. As a teacher you get to know your students well. Your lives intertwine. 

Larry Lawson is now director of news and coordinating producer at the New England Sports Network. After I began to teach classes at SUNY/Old Westbury, I started an internship program placing students in media all over Long Island and the rest of the New York Metro Area. I feel internships are vitally important—it’s how I was inspired to go into journalism, an internship as an Antioch College student at the Cleveland Press.

I helped Larry, keenly intelligent and personable, get an internship at WCBS-TV in New York. He did well and then, as he told the story on a visit back to Old Westbury a while back, he was offered a job—but working in the mail room at the CBS network.

He spoke of not wanting this, of seeking to be a producer, and calling his old professor and asking me—I remember the conversation well—what to do. I advised him to take the job as a “foot in the door.” He said that even though but a mail clerk, he was noticed—and taken under the wings of 60 Minutes’ Ed Bradley and Andy Rooney. And in short order, this young man “from the projects in Brooklyn,” he noted, was a producer at CBS, then moving on to CNN, Black Entertainment Television and ESPN, and is now at the helm of an important sports network.

There was Sid McCain, daughter of U.S. Senator John McCain. She was my student at Southampton College where, in addition to teaching at SUNY/Old Westbury, I taught for 25 years part-time as an adjunct professor until, sadly, it was shut down.

Sid has courage and sharpness like her dad. She took my Investigative Reporting course and, being an animal-lover, decided to do a hard-hitting expose in the college newspaper on the treatment of test animals in the psychobiology program at the college. The professor who ran the program was furious and went after Sid and me, as advisor to the paper. I recall the times sitting with Sid waiting for a set of tense meetings to begin. In the end, Sid and a free press won. She’s now promotions director at WSME radio in Milwaukee. 

A few weeks ago I received an email from Old Westbury graduate Michael Schuch:

“Mr. Grossman, This is atypical of me to contact one of my professors—or dare I even say mentors. I want to thank you. A long time ago—about 30 years—you suggested that I intern at Cablevision. I don’t know why. It was a surprise to me. Your recommendation gave me the start to a productive career. I finished the internship and realized I had a love for the technical side of the industry. Since then I’ve started a company that is respected as one of the best in the world at what we do. I often reflect and appreciate that without your suggestion—whatever you saw in me—it may have not been possible. I thank you.”

It doesn’t get any better than that for a professor!

Turns out Michael has a company, CMS Audio/Visual, with offices in New York and London and numerous and major global clients.

My former student Michelle Imperato is an anchorwoman at WESH-TV in Orlando, Florida; Ed Easton, Jr. is at WINS radio in New York; last year’s Old Westbury graduate Moses Nunez, Jr. just got a job as a broadcast operations coordinator at NBC in New York; Selena Hill is digital editor of Black Enterprise magazine in New York; Kathryn Menu is editor of the Sag Harbor Express; Dean Harding is at NBC News; Beth Young started and edits the East End Beacon; Tim Gannon is a reporter for the Riverhead News-Review; Pat Rogers is publisher of Hamptons Art Hub; Megan Kapler is a filmmaker in New York; Annette Fuentes has been a reporter for the New York Daily News and an editor at Newsday and is an author; Niclas Gillis, a student at SUNY Old Westbury from Sweden, is a writer and director in New York; Asha Johnson is a videographer at News12 Long Island; Eric Wald is co-publisher of The Waldo Tribune; Annette Hinkle is community news editor at the Shelter Island Reporter. And the list goes on.

Some of my ex-students are in government work. Fran Evans is a spokesperson for the Suffolk County Legislature; Tim Laube was the clerk of the legislature and is now business manager of the Eastport-South Manor School District; Brian Frank is chief environmental analyst for the Town of East Hampton; Jeff Szabo became a deputy Suffolk County executive and since 2010 has been CEO of the Suffolk County Water Authority. I know my Environmental Journalism class Jeff and Brian took has been helpful in their positions. Brian told me it was “the inspiration” for him to get into environmental work. 

Some students, like me, after years in journalism went into teaching it. Claire Serant is at Brooklyn College and Bill O’Connell, a professor of communications at Suffolk Community. 

The years of doing and teaching journalism have been very fulfilling. 

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. 

Letter To Editor - It Is Both A Shame And Honor To Write This - St. James FD

The Saint James Fire Department has been vigilantly responding to alarms of its residents since 1922.  For nearly one hundred years, your friends and neighbors, son and daughters, father and mothers have stopped whatever they were doing to come to your aid.  During the middle of a summer day or in the midst of a night time winter storm, the members of the St. James Fire Department have always been there to protect life and property in their community.  In 2017, the Saint James Fire Department will have closed out the year answering 1400 alarms.  The members of the department would have dedicated an average additional 8 hours a week in training and meetings to further ensure any response will be swift, decisive and professional.  We, your Fire Fighters, Officers, EMT’s and Paramedics do this for you with no expectation of return whatsoever.  We do it selflessly for you, and will continue to do so without question.

There has been much talk around our community pertaining to Fire House construction and now sale of one house by the Fire District back to the membership of Fire Department who had originally owned it since 1922.  Unfortunately, in some rare cases this has fueled some animosity between the brothers and sisters of our proud department.  Perhaps the words in this letter can help assuage some of these recent occurrences; because in the end we all want what is best for those we serve.

It is not uncommon within a group of such dedicated and highly trained members that true leaders emerge.  I’d like to direct your attention to one such devoted leader that has been misrepresented by some in the media.  That is Chief Edward Springer Sr.  Ed is a lifelong resident of Saint James.  He was born and raised in our community, attended school and worshiped in Saint James.  

In 1971, at the age of 18, Mr. Springer joined the Saint James Fire Department and thus began his 40-year career in the Fire Service.  The only interruption of his time in the SJFD, was when he answered his Country’s call to duty by serving proudly in the United States Army’s elite 101 Airborne Division from 1972 to 1975.  Upon receiving his honorable discharge from the Army as a Sergeant, Mr. Springer returned home to his beloved Saint James.  This was 1975, over 40 years ago.  Many of the residents who lived in town then have moved on.  However, Mr. Springer did not and made a choice to stay and raise his family in Saint James.   

During his tenure in the fire service, Mr. Springer attained the ranks of Chief of the Department, President of the Saint James Fire Department in 2007 and 2008, and was elected to the Board of Fire Commissioners for two consecutive terms.  He held line officer positions at the lieutenant and captain’s level in the venerable Engine Co.1 of the SJFD along the way.  While devoting his time to Saint James, Mr. Springer was employed as the Chief Fire Marshal of the Northport Veterans Administration Hospital, and then served as a Suffolk County Fire Marshal and ultimately being promoted to Chief Fire Marshal of Suffolk County where he served until his recent retirement.  During his employment with Suffolk County, Mr. Springer served one year as the New York State Emergency Management Office Downstate Representative.  

Who is Ed Springer you ask?  Mr. Springer is one of the humblest men we have ever had the pleasure of knowing.  He is honest and sincere.  He helps new recruits (probies) with Fire Academy learning. He takes a phone call about a question related to the fire service at 9PM on a Sunday night when most others wouldn’t want to not answer the phone.  He volunteers his time to the American Legion where for the last four years he serves as a Post Commander. You can find him at the fire house the night before our St. Patrick’s Day Parade cooking and slicing 100 pounds of corned beef for the community to feast on the next day.  He is the guy who sits at the bedside of a member who is about to pass on and softly speaks comforting words to him.  He is the guy who takes his bunker coat off at a motor vehicle accident alarm and puts it over the patient trapped in the car so that they don’t get hit by shards of metal and glass as we cut the car apart.  He is the first guy to ask if you are okay and offer his hand when he hears that someone important in your life has passed away.  He is equally there for us to celebrate the successes in our lives as well.  Ed Springer Sr. is that guy. Frankly, these are not simply words on a page, these are all the things I/we have seen Mr. Springer do, time and time again.   

It is our hope that this allays any false impression that has been put forth about the character of Mr. Springer.  Mr. Springer has been, and remains committed to improving the working conditions of the Saint James Fire Department by putting forth great effort in designs for a new fire house that went through two iterations and two bond votes.  In all cases he has worked in earnest of the tax payer’s wishes and fire fighters/EMS personnel needs.  

It is a both a shame and honor to have to write this.  The shame comes from the maligning of an iconic and devoted member of our department.  The honor is in defending his character, one which we should all endeavor to be more like.  

Sincerely,

The Board of Director and Desk Officers of the Saint James Fire Department

January 3, 2018

St. James Fire District Answers Fire Call On Vanderbilt Ave

Working Together, Local Fire Departments Tackle Emergency

(click on photos to enlarge)

The St. James Fire District was successful in averting a garage fire that took place at a residence on Vanderbilt Avenue between Rodney Street and Livingston Street on Dec. 18. The fire started just before 10 a.m. and, through the collaborative efforts of several fire departments, was contained and stopped before it had a chance to spread to the attached home or any neighboring buildings. 

St. James Fire District Chief Edward Springer Jr. was first to arrive on scene at 10 a.m. and was quickly joined by First Assistant Chief Ryan Davis, Third Assistant Chief Frank Sapienza, Engine Co. 2, Engine Co. 3, Hook and Ladder Co. 7, the first responder vehicle and the ambulance. 

Numerous surrounding fire departments came to the district’s aid in this emergency. A Nesconset Fire Department engine, Stony Brook Fire Department’s Rapid Intervention Team and a Smithtown Fire Department ladder truck were on site. Nissequogue Fire Department and Centereach Fire Department had an engine and ambulance on standby, respectively. 

“We are grateful that our fast response and emergency services, combined with those of our neighboring fire departments, prevented a potentially disastrous situation,” said Commissioner Edward Springer Sr. “Nobody wants to suffer the devastation of a fire, especially during the holiday season. Thanks to our equipment and the vigilance of our volunteers, we were able to keep our community safe, which is always our goal.” 

SC Legislature Announces Organizational Meeting January 2, 2018

Suffolk Legislature Sets Organizational Meeting

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y.  –  Suffolk County Legislators will hold their Organizational Meeting on Tuesday, January 2, at 11 a.m. in the Rose Y. Caracappa Legislative Auditorium located at the  William H. Rogers Legislature Building at 725 Veterans Memorial Highway in Hauppauge.

The annual meeting will feature the Presentation of Colors, followed by a performance of the Star Spangled Banner by Patchogue-Medford High School students and an invocation by Rev. Steven J. Hannafin, Pastor of St. Francis De Sales Parish in Patchogue. 

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone will offer remarks. Election of a Presiding Officer and Deputy Presiding Officer will follow. Ceremonial Oaths will be before Honorable C. Randall Hinrichs, Suffolk County District Administrative Judge.

Legislators will appoint a Counsel to the Legislature, Clerk and Chief Deputy Clerk, adopt a schedule for general meetings, and designate depositories and official county newspapers. 

Legislators will also adopt the Rules of the Legislature, sign the official record, lay bills on the table and set the requisite public hearings.

For additional information, please visit www.scnylegislature.us.