Nissequogue River Foundation And Kings Park Soccer Club Score Big At Tiffany Field

The Nissequogue River State Park Foundation, established in 2008 to help fund restoration and beautification projects throughout the park, has worked closely with the Kings Park Soccer Club since its inception. This past month, the foundation partnered with the soccer club to repave, widen and improve the drainage of the 1,700 foot roadway adjacent to Tiffany Field. The $38,000 project will help ensure the safety of our residents and will improve the overall appearance of the facility. This endeavor would not have been possible without the close working relationship of these two organizations and the support of New York State Parks. The North Shore Paving Corporation, a locally based company, won the bidding process and did an exceptional job from start to finish reconstructing the roadway. Click Here

Smithtown Town Council Election - Four Candidates - Two Positions - You Decide

Howard Knispel - Teresa Haft - Edward Wehrheim - Robert Creighton 

By Stephanie Healion

Smithtown voters will go to the polls again on Tuesday, November 8^th 2011 for the Smithtown Town Council Election.  Out of the four positions on the town council, two positions will be filled this election, each for a four-year term.  Town Council members Edward Wehrheim and Robert Creighton are both running for re-election alongside newcomers Teresa Haft and Howard Knispel.

Main Street safety is one of the biggest issues in this year’s election, and it’s one that all the candidates have commented on passionately.  Democratic candidate Howard Knispel, a local attorney with an office in Commack, is a supporter of the Mark Mancini plan that has been submitted as a possible change for downtown Smithtown. Knispel says, “The Mark Mancini plan will accomplish a lot of things, including making Main Street safer and more pedestrian friendly.  This will create a more business friendly environment, filling up those closed storefronts.  There needs to be an advocate on the town board that’s going to push this as a priority, and that’s what I’d like to do.”

Creighton has been on the board since 2008 and is actively involved in The Cleary School for the Deaf and the Knights of Columbus, among numerous other organizations.  Councilman Creighton discussed the changes already made on Main Street as well as hopeful changes for the future.  “We no longer have right turns on red, we have changed the lighting sequence, and we have improved the buttons on the poles to make it easier for people to cross the street.  The DOT are the ones that need to finish it, and they are the ones who did all that, but at our pushing and encouragement.”  Creighton is also a supporter of the Mancini plan, and explains an altered version of the plan that the DOT may be put into action, “The DOT seems to indicate that the plan we have put out, a simplified version of the Mancini plan, is the way they are going to go.  The plan is one lane in either direction with a long turning lane in the center, and that will be done by paint markings, not by barriers (medians) in the middle of the road like the original Mancini plan.  I’m not opposed to that but to get the state to put the barriers up would take several years.  What we have is the same plan using viable yellow paint that indicates where traffic must go.  It also provides a little bit of flexibility in case it is found to be not workable.  It will accomplish slowing down traffic.”

Councilman Edward Wehrheim, a board member since 2003, wants people to know that there are changes in the works, “There is some new overhead traffic signaling that is in the works as we speak, it’s not initiated yet but it will be.  We have put some LED lighting in Smithtown, which gives much brighter light on the street. The state has put, at our recommendation, the wrought-iron fence on the south side of Jericho, which is prohibiting pedestrians from jaywalking and pushes them to the crosswalks.  We made a recommendation to the DOT for additional research as to narrowing down into two lanes in the business district instead of four.  The state DOT will be taking all those ideas into consideration so my guess is that at some point there will more improvements.”

Democratic candidate Teresa Haft, graphic designer and dedicated Red Cross volunteer, takes a different approach to the issue, citing general road safety education and enforcement as a main concern.  “Education is really important.  There are people jaywalking, walking when there’s traffic.  We need to make those hazards more known.  Another thing is enforcement.  There used to be a cop who walked the beat on Main Street, and after he left he was never replaced.  Maybe it takes bringing someone back to make people aware.  There needs to be enforcement.  I know that it’s a state-owned road, but it’s a state owned road coming through our town.  We have to be able to have a say about what happens in our town and we have to be able to keep our community safe.”

Another issue being discussed is the communication between the town and the residents.   Howard Knispel believes that there definitely needs to be more such communication saying “We need a newsletter with the events that are happening around town:  This is what’s happening at the library, this is what’s happening in Nesconset, in Kings Park, in St. James, in Hauppauge.  These are the things that are going on.”  Candidate Teresa Haft would also like to spearhead a change in the way information is shared, both within the town council and with residents of Smithtown, with an emphasis on the town’s website.  “Communication is everything, communication within the town council and our own departments but communication with the community and the surrounding communities, with our representatives has to be enhanced.   It takes all of us.  Our website needs to be the electronic gateway to the community.  Not only our community but to people looking at our community.  Our website needs to be a marketing tool for our community and what we have to offer.  The website is a great tool; it can be a portal for everything that’s happening in Smithtown.   It’s important for residents to feel like a part of a community and that the community is looking out for them.”

Councilman Robert Creighton on the other hand believes that communication is better now than it ever was.  “What I’m most proud of is bringing some civility back to the town board.  Things are running smoother than they had.  Before there was such animosity on the board, there was fighting and there was no communication.   Now we can sit down with people, work with them and get things done.”  Councilman Wehrheim is also confident in the ability of the town to communicate with residents, but says if it is felt that the website needs to be more informative, than they can certainly make it so.

An issue that has been coming up throughout this election is the amount of representation in Kings Park versus the southern parts of Smithtown, such as Commack, Hauppauge and Nesconset. Knispel expressed his concern at the lack of representation on the board from the southern part of Smithtown, citing the relocation of the Nesconset Library as an example.  “It took over a decade to move the Nesconset library out of the dilapidated building they had and into the armory. Maybe if we had someone from Nesconset on the board, they could have said “Hey we have this building here that we can use for the library, let’s get cracking on that!”  When half the council is from Kings Park, you have to wonder if they know what’s going on in the other part of town.  I’m not saying I would represent only the southern part of town, but I would be that voice for them that the town board is lacking now.”

Councilman Wehrheim believes that the Town Board, despite three out of the five members being from King’s Park, adequately represents all parts of Smithtown equally.  “I worked on the Charles P. Toner Park facility and the Nesconset library from the day I got on this board.  If you ask Nesconset and Commack residents I believe I would be comfortable if they had any issues here, certainly we would answer them.  We deal as diligently in those southern communities of Smithtown as we do in the north.   I believe those communities are well represented.  I am very active with the Nesconset Chamber of Commerce and the Commack Civic Group and nothing has ever been lacking.  Those communities, when they need something from us they get it.”

Voters have four viable candidates for this year’s Town council election.  There are two available positions on the council, perhaps to be filled with familiar faces, new faces or a mix of both, to help Smithtown function at its best.

Saint James Gets Scary And A Little Profound For Halloween

By Stephanie Healion 

It’s that time of year again, costumes are being bought and created, candy is being hoarded for the masses of trick or treaters.  Halloween infiltrates everywhere, turning even the most normal of places into a spooky display.

At the Mills Pond House Gallery in St. James, the Midnight Oils show has been on display since October 8^th. The show, which closed on Sunday, was a mix of philosophical, humorous, and romantic views on death and other frightening subject matter, perfect for this time of year.  Among the multitude of skulls and skeletons were deeply thoughtful pieces.  Brian Bartley’s piece, titled “Universal Life”, was inspired by the discovery of the bodies on Ocean Parkway this past summer.  The painting depicts a beautiful girl seemingly decaying in a body of water and surrounded by fish, the with vibrant blues and greens.“Universal Life” by Brian Bartley

Bartely’s statement on his painting states that “Universal Life depicts the transition between life forms.  Upon our departure from this life as we know it, our physical being breaks down to support and carry on through other living things.”

Mark Belton’s painting, titled “Host”, depicts a stark black and white skull and white robed figure in the bottom right “Host” by Mark Beltoncorner.  Belton says that this work of oil and charcoal Is an “expression of the vacancies we are all destined to leave in our wake.  However, the work also alludes to unknown future dimensions which we will inhabit.”  Like other works in this show,  Belton is commenting on the uncertainty of death and the idea of what happens after death. 

Among the other paintings on display was a series by artist Tim Davies, all depicting popular figures associated with Halloween such as Alice Cooper, Jack the Ripper and movie villain Jason from Friday the 13^th.   The mediums of the work ranged from oil paintings to sculpture, and while many of the “Treason” by Christopher Lauto

 artists are from Long Island, there were others from as far as Georgia and California.

Deepwells Farm in St. James was also participating in the Halloween spirit. Under the watchful eye of the Saint James Chamber of Commerce Deepwells was transformed into a haunted house.  This historic house has been the location of yearly holiday boutiques, craft fairs, and the annual fall festival.  The entire house was open to all families.  People waited on line in the front yard, being let into the house family by family. It was dark from the moment you walked in, but accented with flashing red lights and strobe lights in certain rooms.  Every room hosted a multitude of scenes, complete with real people lurking to spook the guests.  In a downstairs room, a seemingly headless statue waited for the perfect moment for a guest to get close enough before coming to life to scare them.  At the top of the stairs, the head of a little boy rested on a end table, opening his eyes to look at people as they got closer.  Costume-clad children hung around the doorways and in corners to spook everyone who attempted to peer into their respective rooms, provoking screams from more than one guest.  One particular room was set up as a nursery, with a woman in a nightgown hunched in a rocking chair in the corner, seriously eerie. 

It seems that not everyone was prepared for the level of scariness the haunted house would hold in store.  One mother had three children in tow, claiming she couldn’t even get them past the front hall before they dragged her back outside.  Some children made it to the exit, but not without some tears.  Other children declined to go inside, but waited at the exit for their friends to tell them how it was.  Back inside, a man walked the hallways with a severed head in hand and the dining room hosted an undead tea party.  It was a fun and spooky way to spend the weekend before Halloween. 

Democratic Leader - Incumbent Council Candidates Fail Leadership Test

Dear Editor,

I don’t believe that the incumbents up for re-election for the Smithtown Town Council should be taking any victory laps for the job they are doing.  The people who are responsible for making Smithtown the great place that it is are the residents. It is the people who live in Smithtown who go to work, who pay their taxes and keep up their homes. The folks in Smithtown are active in their community and are concerned with the education of their children. The fact that Smithtown is a great place to live and raise a family is because the people here are hard working and engaged.  The tax-payers in Smithtown are the ones who fund the good services we receive and it is the residents who are responsible for the success and for the good character of the town.

But in those areas where the town government can exert influence and leadership our elected officials in Smithtown have not done the job that their reputations say they did. In instance after instance where the Town Board could’ve been in a leadership role and an advocate for its constituents they have delayed, referred problems to other governing bodies or have just thought small. Whether it is the Kings Park Psych Center, the flooding problem, pedestrian safety on Main Street, the response to Hurricane Irene or the growing heroin problem the town board has been behind the curve and often times happy to push the problem off to the county or the state. It is a town board that is reactive rather than proactive and this attitude does not bode well for how they will deal with creeping blight that we are all beginning to notice in Smithtown.

Re-electing the incumbents will not produce a better result and it is time for Smithtown to consider the future. Howard Knispel and Teresa Haft are not life-long public employees pulled from the same political clique as every elected official in town. They understand the challenges and opportunities in Smithtown and they have the energy and ability to work out the solutions.

Howard operates his law firm in Commack and was a member of the Smithtown Board of Ethics. Howard has the experience of running a business in Smithtown and has a particular insight into the Town Council. Teresa Haft is a volunteer with the Smithtown Fire Department and has been with the Red Cross Huntington/Smithtown Disaster Action Team for ten years. Teresa knows how to handle a crisis and understands the value of preparedness.

Remember to vote for Howard Knispel and Teresa Haft for Smithtown Town Council Tuesday November 8^th.

Sincerely,

Ed Maher, Chair

Smithtown Democratic Committee

37 Avenue A

Kings Park, NY 11754

St. James Elementary School - "Say No To Drugs"

Congratulations to Saint James Elementary School students, teachers and Principal Mary Grace Lynch, for their creative approach to Halloween as a learning opportunity.  The student’s made Halloween scarecrows which line the front of the school building.  Each scarecrow is unique and contains a message from the students about saying no to drugs.  There are not too many things in life scarier than the damage drugs inflict on families and communities. This creative approach is a great way to instill a “say no to drugs” message and at the same time celebrate the ghost and ghouls of Halloween.