SUFFOLK CLOSEUP - Plum Island "The Island Of Secrets"

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP

By Karl Grossman

Congressman Lee Zeldin and a grouping of environmentalists are pushing to block U.S. plans to sell Plum Island. Mr. Zeldin has introduced a bill to preserve most of the island while providing for “continued research” at it. This comes despite the warning of Michael Carroll, author of a best-selling book about U.S. government research on the island causing widespread contamination and a recent report by a private consulting firm about environmental issues on the 843-acre island.

“The island is an environmental disaster,” says Mr. Carroll, author of “Lab 257: The Disturbing Story of the Government’s Secret Plum Island Germ Laboratory.” ”You can’t let anybody on it…There is contamination all over the island” and thus it needs to be “forsaken.” As for Lab 257, an early laboratory on the island, “They can’t get that building clean.”

The report, done by Dermody Consulting of Center Moriches last year, notes that among other things “waste materials from PIADC [Plum Island Animal Disease Center] operations were buried in numerous locations throughout the island” and, as for Lab 257, it cites information “a former employee at the PIADC” gave to Save the Sound—the organization which commissioned the report—that it “was sealed with contamination remaining in place.”

Plum Island was originally developed in the early 1950s by the U.S. Army Chemical Corps to use animal diseases to wage biological warfare. Newsday investigative reporter John McDonald in 1993 reported: “A 1950s military plan to cripple the Soviet economy by killing horses, cattle and swine called for making biological warfare weapons out of exotic animal diseases at a Plum Island laboratory, now-declassified Army records reveal.” A facsimile of one of the Army records, dated 1951, documenting this mission covered the front page of Newsday.

The article went on: “Documents and interviews disclose for the first time what officials have denied for years: that the mysterious and closely guarded animal lab off the East End of Long Island was originally designed to conduct top-secret research into replicating viruses that could be used to destroy enemy livestock.”

In 1954 Plum Island was turned over to the Department of Agriculture because, according to research conducted in the National Archives in Washington by Mr. Carroll, an attorney, the U.S. military became concerned about having to feed millions of people in the Soviet Union if it destroyed food animals. The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff “found that a war with the U.S.S.R. would best be fought with conventional and nuclear means,” says his book.

Research into foreign animal diseases—to prevent their spread to the U.S.—became the mission on Plum Island, although Department of Agriculture officials also acknowledged that “defensive” biological warfare research was done there, too. 

After the 9/11 attack, Plum Island was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security. And, subsequently the federal government decided to close down its Plum Island operations and shift the research done there to a new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Kansas to function at the government’s highest safety level, Biosafety Level-4—with a special focus on terrorists seeking to poison U.S. animals. 

No matter what agency has been in charge at Plum Island, until recent decades all the waste generated at it stayed there—buried in numerous locations or incinerated. The government feared, until recent times, germs getting off the island in waste. 

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been concerned about what he has called “the island of secrets.” The Cuomo family is quite familiar with Plum Island with Mr. Carroll having been a colleague of Andrew’s father, former Governor Mario Cuomo, at a Manhattan law firm. The elder Cuomo provided an endorsement of “Lab 257” on its jacket describing it as “a carefully researched, chilling expose of a potential catastrophe.” Andrew Cuomo has called for a “comprehensive investigation” of the island by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Save the Sound, based in Connecticut, in a recent press release, quotes Peter Dermody, president of Dermody Consulting, as saying, “Homeland Security personnel have folded their arms and delayed performing investigations required by New York State regulations and guidelines.” Save the Sound says “everyone wants Plum Island cleaned up.” 

The big question: can it be?

Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Mr. Zeldin’s bill blocking the Plum Island sale, seeking preservation and providing for “continued research” at it—despite the shift of PIADC’s functions to Kansas. Government opens an office, starts a department and a vested interest is created that seeks to perpetuate itself. Will “continued research” generate new and more contamination? A spokesperson tells us Mr. Zeldin is “working hard to encourage his Senate colleagues to bring this legislation up for a vote in early 2018.” If it passes in the Senate, it would go to President Trump.

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. 

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP - Pay Attention NYS Law "Fees Must Not Exceed Cost Of Service"

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP

By Karl Grossman

A decision last month by a state Supreme Court justice that Nassau County was imposing an “illegal tax” on commercial property owners is seen “absolutely” by Suffolk Legislator Rob Trotta as a sign that a class action lawsuit brought against increased real property fees charged by Suffolk County will also win out. 

If that happens and these and other increased Suffolk fees are ordered refunded, “the county will end up on the brink of bankruptcy,” says Mr. Trotta, who has been highly critical of Suffolk Executive Steve Bellone making use of hiked fees.

The Nassau case involved $36 million in fines charged to property owners who didn’t file financial information with the county assessor. Justice Anthony Marano ruled there wasn’t a “scintilla of evidence” that the fines had anything to do with funding assessment operations in Nassau. Instead, “the bottom line is they are relied on to balance the county’s budget.” 

That’s the same charge in the lawsuit brought against Suffolk in October which focuses on new real property fees imposed by its county government. 

“If Suffolk County wants to raise revenue, it needs to do it legally, not by levying unauthorized taxes through excessive fees on a subset of residents,” says Cameron Mitchell, executive director of the Government Justice Center in Albany and attorney for five Suffolk residents who are plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

It charges: “Unwilling to rein in its spending or face the political consequences of raising taxes to pay for general fund expenditures, the county passed legislation in 2015 and 2016 imposing unauthorized taxes on county real property owners, labeling the taxes as fees. Each year the county chose to fund budget gaps by raising the fees on tax map verifications performed by the Real Property Tax Service Agency for documents filed with the county. The revenue raised by the agency far exceeds the county’s cost to operate the agency.”

Under state law, the lawsuit maintains, fees must not exceed the cost of service.

It relates how in 2015 Suffolk “in an effort to balance the county’s revenue to spending, the county executive recommended increasing the agency’s [tax map] verification fee to $150 a parcel” from $60. Then the Suffolk Legislature, it goes on, increased that to $200. “The county was not finished,” it says. In 2016 “an additional $300” was added to the “verification fee…for every mortgage filed.” 

“The county knew that it had its home buyers and sellers over a barrel and that it would be unlikely that home buyers would do anything but pay the verification fees,” it says.

Meanwhile, the county’s Real Property Tax Service Agency cost the county $1.2 million last year to operate, it continues, thus the increased fees collected—$66 million in 2017 alone—have overwhelmingly not been for the agency but for general county purposes.

The lawsuit says “it is against equity and good conscience to permit the county to retain the illegal taxes.” It demands Suffolk “refund and repay” the money raised. In the Nassau case, the county is holding off on refunding money pending its appeal.

The office of Mr. Bellone, a Democrat, takes the position that the Suffolk lawsuit is “politically motivated.”

Mr. Trotta, a Republican, has in recent years been blasting the county for increasing fees for a variety of functions. In a legislative debate in 2016, when the additional $300 fee for filing mortgages was passed, he said—and this is pointed to in the lawsuit—“This is nothing more than a tax disguised as a fee. It’s death by a thousand knives.”

Mr. Trotta says increased fees for general county purposes “is not even a grey area. The New York State comptroller has stated you can’t do this, and there is case law stating it can’t be done.”  A retired Suffolk Police detective, Mr. Trotta says: “It’s a recipe for disaster.”

He further cites a statement at a Suffolk Legislature meeting by its counsel, George Nolan, himself a Democrat, that “if a case is brought challenging any fee on this basis, and the court finds it far exceeds the county cost of providing service, there is a good possibility a court would say the fee is excessive.”

As a class action lawsuit, if it is victorious everybody who has paid the increased real property fees could get them refunded. Then Mr. Trotta anticipates more lawsuits “going after every one of the increased fees—and like dominoes, they’ll all go down.” This would mean more refunds and, he says, the specter of bankruptcy for Suffolk County government. 

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are Elizabeth Cella of Melville, Winifred Esoff of Kings Park, John McCarthy of Commack, Carol Rodgers of Calverton and Nicholas Accardi of Shirley. The first four paid Suffolk’s increased real property fees when they closed out home equity loans “established years before.”

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. 

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