Teacher Joe Stapleton - Reminding Students How Far They've Come

By Philly Bubaris                                                                              

Joe Stapleton is a sixth-grade English and social studies teacher of 11 years at Accompsett Middle School in Smithtown. In 2005 he asked his sixth grade English class students to write letters to themselves to be received in the future. He promised to send the letters to  them in their senior year of high school.

Many of them forgot about it, like Chris Biancaniello and Kevin Harty, both 2011 graduating seniors at Smithtown High School West. They recently received their letters in the mail and were surprised at how much they have changed in six years.

“I was a weird kid,” Harty said, explaining the laughter that came with opening his letter. He wrote that he hoped by his senior year of high school he would have a cool nickname like “Moosehead.”

“It made me feel good to see I reached the goals I set for myself,” Harty said.

Biancaniello says he remembered writing the letter, but was only reminded of it when he received it. He said that he asked a lot of questions to himself in the future. “It put in perspective how much I improved in pretty much everything,” Biancaniello said.

Stapleton wanted quick gratification with this project, but he had to wait years to mail the letters. So two years after he started this project, he decided to replace it with a letter writing activity at the beginning of the year that would show students at the end of the year how much they improved since the start of sixth grade.

“After sending them out and receiving responses, it is gratifying to see the students remember,” Stapleton said. He said because of the positive reaction he received from seniors this year, he has reinitiated the project.

He still has another batch to send out for next year’s seniors, but after that, he will have another six years to wait.

 “I hope when they receive them it allows them to see the bigger picture and that there are things that are constant,” Stapleton said.

In these letters, students write down their goals and where they see themselves six years from now. They are allowed to add pictures and basically anything that can fit into a standard envelope. Stapleton said the students are excited about it and although technology has changed since six years ago, students still must hand write their letters.

Currently, he is the only teacher in the school doing this activity, but he has told two other teachers who say they will start this next year.

“I think it is fun for kids to see how they change,” said Amy Olander, also a sixth-grade teacher at Accompsett. She says she cares about her students and hope’s that through these letters she will hear back from them when they are graduating high school.

According to Biancaniello and Harty, Stapleton was always a special teacher with a sense of humor and love for teaching that is unforgettable. “I always remember he would do special things and explore the creative aspects of writing,” said Biancaniello.

“He was a unique teacher,” Harty agreed. “I remember learning a lot from him.”

At the end of his letter Harty wrote, “no matter how far you’ve gone, never forget the little man.” Thanks to Stapleton, these students will be able to reflect on their improvement in education through the years.

Napper Tandy's - Improving Property With Hopes Of Improving Main Street

By Phil Forte

SMITHTOWN – Started in March, renovations to the oft-visited hot spot Napper Tandy’s on Main Street in Smithtown are sure to draw a bigger crowd to the downtown area, hopes Brendan Bulfin, a manager of the popular bar and restaurant.

“We hope to draw a bigger crowd to Main Street,” Buflin said. “There’s a lot of stores going out of business so we need to get Smithtown back to where it should be, where it was seven or eight years ago when people were actually coming into town to enjoy themselves.”

The renovations, which Bulfin hopes boosts business for not only Napper Tandy’s but Main Street in general, are possible due to the empty space
available next door. The previous occupant, Ultimate Taekwondo Family Center, closed its doors earlier in the year to open a facility elsewhere.

The popular downtown night life destination will soon double in size,
catering to those customers who enjoy live bands, DJ’s and bigger dance floors. There will also be a full patio outside in the front of the building along Main Street, and a special catering area in the back of the restaurant, available for parties accommodating  60 to 70 people.

“We’ve stayed the same for about 10 years,” Bulfin said. “We’re trying to
move forward rather than staying still by reinventing ourselves but still keeping our own taste.”

Napper Tandy’s, most popular for its Wednesday night $13 all-you-can-eat wings and all-you-can-drink beer special, has it sites set on catering to more than just one crowd. One side of the bar will be dedicated to a more relaxed atmosphere with a lower volume of music, whereas the other side will have DJ’s spinning the hottest music hits of today to go along with the new dance floor.

The bar is sure to be a popular destination for those who enjoy live music. Napper Tandy’s has already booked a few local bands to headline their Saturday night crowd.

“We have a lot of big bands booked for Saturday nights, so we’re excited to see how things turn out. It’s going to be our big night.”

The restaurant side of the establishment will also see a minute change, but nothing too drastic, Bulfin insists.“Our food is the same. It’s the same delicious Napper Tandy’s food and night life, with a more modern twist on it,” Bulfin said.

The finishing touches on the renovations should be completed by the end of July.

Senator Chuck Schumer Calls On Feds and NYSDOT To Improve Main Street

SCHUMER: DEADLY SMITHTOWN MAIN STREET IN NEED OF LONG OVERDUE REDESIGN; CALLS ON FEDERAL HIGHWAYS ADMINISTRATION AND NYSDOT TO WORK TOGETHER TO BETTER PROTECT PEDESTRIANS AND MAKE SHOPPING IN BUSINESS DISTRICT SAFER

Route 25/25A in the Heart of Smithtown Has Been Site of at Least Three Deaths When Pedestrians Were Crossing Road Over 18 Months; Street Design Threatens Safety of Pedestrians and Puts Strain on Local Businesses

Road’s Narrow Lanes Encourage Dangerous Driving, Obstructing Poles Make Cars Difficult to See, and Wide Lanes Make Crossing Dangerous

Schumer Calls on Federal Highway Administration to Work With New York State DOT to Create New Pedestrian Safety Strategy to Protect Pedestrians and Improve Downtown for Smithtown Businesses

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on the New York State Department of Transportation to work with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and coordinate federal and state resources to help create a new pedestrian safety strategy on Route 25/25A (Main Street, Smithtown). Schumer’s call comes in the wake of a slew of pedestrian accidents at the intersection, including the latest in which a 9 year old girl suffered a severe head injury while crossing the street just last month. Schumer noted that there have been three fatalities on the roadway over the last 18 months, making clear that a significant overhaul of the intersection is imperative. In a letter to the New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan MacDonald and Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez, Schumer urged the agencies to work together to launch a new pedestrian safety strategy for the roadway to achieve greater safety for pedestrians and create a downtown that is more walkable and less treacherous.
 
“Walking across Main Street in Smithtown is a dangerous and deadly proposition and it is past time to address this problem plagued road,” said Schumer. “The tragic loss of life we have seen on this dangerous road not only has devastated families, but also has a significant impact on local businesses, by sending the impression it is not safe to shop on Main Street.”
 
Smithtown’s Main Street, like many towns across Long Island, also serves as a major traffic artery known as State Routes 25 and 25A. Although the downtown business community grew along this road, a strategy to accommodate local merchants and patrons did not. In 2009, eleven year-old Courtney Sipes was struck and killed by a hit and run driver while crossing the street. In February, Seamus Byrne, an Afghanistan veteran celebrating his 33rd birthday, was struck by a car as he crossed Main Street. Charles Doonan of Flushing died in August of last year after suffering injuries from being struck on Main Street in January of 2010.
 
This past Sunday, the Courtney Sipes Memorial Foundation sponsored the Smithtown Residents for a Safer Main Street, at the Smithtown Festival Day.  The goal of the organization is to promote safe driver and pedestrian behavior on Main Street and the group collected over 1,000 signatures this past weekend in support of such changes.  Last year, Schumer met with the Sipes family and supporters at the 2010 Smithtown Festival Day.  The Sipes family has been working with the Senator’s office to identify federal support for the desperately needed traffic changes on Main Street.
 
Schumer said that these accidents were due to a number of dangerous structural problems in the roadway that make it dangerous for pedestrians. These problems include: narrow lanes that cause drivers to smash mirrors when passing each other and swerve from lane to lane, encouraging aggressive and deadly driving; utility poles at many crosswalks across Route 25/25A, located within only a foot of the road’s curb, that block the view of pedestrians; and the forty foot width of Route 25 that makes it highly treacherous for pedestrians to cross the road.
 
Today, Schumer called on NYSDOT to tap federal dollars and expertise provided through FHWA to create a new pedestrian strategy for the roadway based on two key objectives – safety for pedestrians and downtown walkability for small businesses and Smithtown merchants. Schumer said that FHWA helps the New York State Department of Transportation administer federally-funded programs and could provide the appropriate technical staff in the coming weeks to help direct the group to resources that enhance pedestrian safety.
 
 
A copy of Schumer’s letter is below. 

Dear Commissioner MacDonald and Administrator Mendez,
 
I write today to urge the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to work with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and coordinate efforts and resources to develop a new pedestrian safety strategy on Route 25/25A (Main Street, Smithtown). This major roadway has been the source of six fatalities in the past seven years. It is imperative that NYSDOT and FHWA deploy the appropriate financial resources and expertise to resolve this outstanding problem.
 
Routes 25/25A in downtown Smithtown consists of four narrow lanes in a high volume pedestrian area. According to local merchants and experts, the lanes are approximately nine feet wide and often results in accidents and near collisions.  Though there does not seem to be one root cause of the aggressive and deadly driving behaviors on this road, it is clear that the current roadway’s structure lends itself to a dangerous pedestrian environment and fosters an unfriendly business climate for downtown merchants.
 
It is my understanding, from local community advocates, that the cross walks that pedestrians use when walking across Route 25/25A are in need of revision. Utility poles located at the many cross walks along Route 25/25A block the view of pedestrians crossing the street. Nearly all of these utility poles are within a foot of the road’s curb and therefore, create a safety hazard for pedestrians looking out for oncoming vehicles. Furthermore, the forty foot width of Route 25 makes it highly treacherous for pedestrians to cross the street. These characteristics, in addition to others, seem to have caused Route 25/25A to be one of the most dangerous roadways for pedestrians in Smithtown.
 
In the past year and a half, three fatalities have occurred on Route 25. In 2009, an eleven year old girl named Courtney Sipes was struck and killed by a hit and run driver. In January 2010, Charles Doonan of Flushing was struck on Main Street and died in August of the injuries sustained in that accident. And this past February, Seamus Byrne, an Afghanistan veteran celebrating his 33rd birthday was struck by a car as he crossed Main Street. It is my hope that these tragic events could be prevented in the future once a new pedestrian safety strategy is implemented on Route 25/25A in Smithtown.
 
A local working group of community, town, county, and state officials has been formed to help address this hazard and consider implementation of a new road design. I would urge the FHWA to coordinate their efforts with NYSDOT and deploy the necessary resources to fix this dangerous roadway. NYSDOT receives substantial support from the FHWA and is the administering agency for federally-funded programs which have the potential to bring significant resources to the local effort to provide a safer roadway in Smithtown and I urge you to explore their use. Additionally, I am requesting that FHWA provide the appropriate technical staff in the coming weeks to help provide guidance to the local group to identify and utilize existing resources to make safety improvements in Smithtown.

Kings Park's Lady Kingsmen Are Long Island Champions

By Anthony Vertucci

In a moment the 2011 Kings Park Lady Kingsmen softball team will treasure for their entire lives they defeated the Seaford Vikings and captured the first Long Island Regional Championship in school history.

Lindsay Taylor carried a perfect game into the sixth inning, picking up the all important 4-2 complete game victory to help send her team to the state championship. Taylor was quick to give credit to her teammates, as she uncharacteristically had no strike outs with all of Seaford’s outs coming from the defense.

“The defense made every play. They got a few hits here and there but we still stayed on top of it and got through it,” said Taylor, whose stellar play has been rewarded with a scholarship to Syracuse University.

Kings Park now heads to Glens Falls to compete for the New York State Championship on Saturday. They will have to win two consecutive games on the same day against different opponents to earn that distinction, but the girls have proven they are up to the challenge. The Lady Kingsmen won their first Suffolk County title by virtue of last week’s 8-2 win over Sayville.

Pulling ahead early proved to be the difference on Tuesday at Martha Avenue Field in Bellport, with three of Kings Park’s four runs coming in the first inning. Walks to Jessica LoBianco and Taylor, coupled with a double by Nicole Brieva, loaded up the bases. First basemen Reina Torlincasi sent a double up the left field line to clear the bases and give her team a 3-0 lead. Taylor retired the side in order to quickly end the bottom half of the first. 

“She’s been with us since eighth grade and she’s taken three league championships,” said head coach Kim McGinley of Taylor. “The girls had her back and they did it. She’s an outstanding ball player, both in the circle and at the plate, and she’s a fantastic leader.”

Kings Park tacked on their fourth run in the fifth inning with Paige Julich batting. Julich grounded out to give Taylor the opportunity to take home on the play.

Seaford’s first hit of the game came in the top of the sixth, as first basemen Caitlin Hewitt doubled to lead off the inning. Hewitt would advance on a groundout and third basemen Hannah Spinola would deliver an RBI single to cut the deficit to 4-1. Seaford won the Nassau title on June 2 with their victory over Plainedge and was not about to go down without a fight.

After shutting down Kings Park in their half of the sixth, Seafood pitcher Lindsey Montemarano would help her own cause with a sharply hit ball to left. The ball rolled past the outfielders, and Montemarano’s hustle out of the gate allowed her to turn the hit into an inside-the-park home run.

This made it a 4-2 game with no outs in the seventh and final inning. Taylor however ignored the pressure and continued to throw heat. A fly out and two groundouts later Kings Park were Long Island Champions and the celebration was underway.

“The kids are pretty psyched,” said McGinley. “They’re probably going to play A League of Their Own to get some laughs and just let them relax, and then hopefully we’ll go the distance. I don’t have a doubt.”

Friday morning the team will head up to Glens Falls for practice, opening ceremonies and a champions dinner. Their 9 a.m. opponent is yet to be determined, but if they are victorious in their first game they will go on to play for the championship at 2 p.m.

Main Street Smithtown "It has become an area, however, where pedestrians are fearful for their lives."

Smithtown petition calls for public safety on Main Street following Accidents and fatalities

By Phil Forte

SMITHTOWN – A petition started by Lisa DeMarco-Stevenson* of Smithtown asks that both short-term and long-term measures be implemented on Main Street (downtown Smithtown) to prevent future pedestrian injuries and fatalities.

Since 2009 Main Street has been the location of  multiple pedestrian deaths. Recently two children crossing at a crosswalk on Lawrence Ave were injured and one of the children was hospitalized with serious injuries after being stuck by an SUV. In addition to the pedestrian fatalities, injuries and automobile accidents,  last week two men were arrested for racing and aggressive driving on Main Street.  Main Street has a 30 mph speed limit.  

Prior to the May 5^th incident where two Central Islip sisters Melody age 9 and Mabel Burgos age 13 were injured, in February of 2011 Seamus Byrne, a Kings Park resident and an Afghanistan War Veteran, was killed while walking to his car after celebrating his 33^rd birthday.  And in November of 2009 11-year-old Courtney Sipes was killed while walking across Main Street in the designated crosswalk.

The petition being distributed by email urges state, county and town officials, to work collectively to develop a well-coordinated plan that will radically increase safety for pedestrians walking along Main Street.

“This is a popular downtown area lending itself to pedestrian use with shops, restaurants, bars, a theatre, library, parks and a train station nearby. It has become an area, however, where pedestrians are fearfulMemorial on Main Street where Courtney Sipes was killed and Melody and Mabel Burgos were injured. for their lives,” the petition states.

Main Street,  a state road under the jurisdiction of the  New York State Department of Transportation, is dangerous for a number of reasons, according to the petition.

“Four narrow lanes of traffic are only 9 feet wide; the two inside lanes are used for turning lanes, which causes traffic to back up and encourages sudden and aggressive lane changes; and the crossing distance for pedestrians to cross Main Street is over 40 feet, without an area of refuge.”

* Lisa DeMarco-Stevenson was unavailable for comments.

   Click here to read petition.