Smithtown Novelist Jeb Ladouceur At Book Revue On October 20th

 AUTHOR’S FIFTH NOVEL IS SET IN UPSTATE SPARROWBUSH

 Smithtown writer, Jeb Ladouceur, pens new Hudson Valley thriller

 Publish America of Baltimore has announced that they will release Smithtown novelist Jeb Ladouceur’s latest thriller Sparrowbush in early October. The book follows upon the heels of the Long Island writer’s acclaimed trilogy composed of the crime novels The Palindrome Plot, Calamity Hook, and Frisco. The three wordplay-driven stories feature the same key characters who come into conflict in a trio of vastly different locales. Ladouceur also penned The Banana Belt last winter. That book deals with the entwined lives of total strangers in modern-day Idaho.

Mr. Ladouceur’s publicist Debbie Lange Fifer of Kings Park says, “Jeb’s new tale of suspense is probably his most action-packed and compelling to date…but then again, I feel that way about each of his stories as they’re published.” However, Ms. Fifer adds that sales tend to support her evaluation, and she points out that each of the local writer’s works outsells the one before.

Julianne Wernersbach, publicist of Huntington’s renowned Book Revue (one of the ten largest independent bookstores in the country) seems to agree. “Jeb Ladouceur is our home grown success story,” she says. “We’re proud that all of his books have had their debut here, and we hope he’ll accept our invitation to introduce Sparrowbush at Book Revue on October 20^th.”

“You can bet on it,” said Ladouceur, noting that authors such as J. K. Rowling, Nelson DeMille, Barbara Walters, and James Patterson are among the hundreds of literary luminaries who have appeared at Book Revue. “I remember back in ‘07 telling Jodi Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper) that I’d been invited to speak at the prestigious venue. She was highly complimentary and in her typical supportive manner told me, ‘Good for you! I practically had to beg to get in there!’

“With some 17 million books in circulation,” Mr. Ladouceur observes, “it’s unlikely Ms. Picoult has to beg her way into any bookstore on the planet these days. We ought to be proud that Jodi’s a native of Nesconset,” he says.

Jeb Ladouceur is recognized throughout Long Island for his career in advertising, public relations, and publishing. A former New York Senate candidate and charter member of Gov. Mario Cuomo’s State Arson Task Force, he is the founder and Publisher Emeritus of The Fire News, circulated continuously among firefighters in the Northeast since 1973.

An honors graduate of St. John’s University in New York, where he majored in English Literature, the Smithtown novelist has made a number of reading and book signing appearances at commercial area book outlets. Ladouceur has been featured on multiple occasions at the Huntington Book Revue, Borders Book Stores in Stony Brook and Commack, and Baby Grand Books in upstate Warwick He will inaugurate a statewide book tour at the vast Borders store in Middletown, NY in October.

Ladouceur has recently discussed his books with Talk Radio personality Joe Bartlett on WOR, 710 in New York, appeared on the Larry Davidson Radio Show (WGBB in Freeport), visited Vic Latino’s Neighborhood (Party 105 Ronkonkoma), and discussed his career with the hosts of WRIV in Riverhead.

Mr. Ladouceur has lectured on writing at Hofstra University, was featured during Meet the Author appearances at the Smithtown Public Library, addressed The Suffolk County Ethical Culture Society, and has been a guest speaker at meetings of The Smithtown Book Club (founded in 1937), the Smithtown Township Arts Council, and several other diverse Long Island organizations.

The popular writer is a member of the Long Island Authors Group and the exclusive Smithtown Writers Workshop. He was chosen to deliver the Keynote Address at the annual Smithtown Library Foundation awards banquet in December of last year.

Mr. Ladouceur and his wife Elizabeth are 50-year residents of the historic ‘Landing’ area of Smithtown. As for his innermost personal objectives, Mr. Ladouceur has already discussed with administrators the spearheading of a weekly program wherein local authors would read their works for blind veterans at the Veterans’ Administration Hospital in Northport. Says Ladouceur, himself a veteran of the United States Air force having served both in this country and in North Africa, “It would be wonderful if such a volunteer effort caught on nationally, wouldn’t it?”

The author can be reached at 631-724-3717, or online at JebLadouceur@aol.com. His books are available through Amazon, local bookstores, PublishAmerica, and are stocked in the Smithtown Public Library’s four branches.

                                                                        Photos by Debbie Lange Fifer

Congratulations - Sir Knight John J. Gallagher

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

Father Seyfreid Council #821

4th Degree - Assembly #729, Suffolk County East

Sir Knight John J. Gallagher

SCPD Investigating Two Vehicle Accident

Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives are investigating a two-vehicle crash that seriously injured a motorcyclist this morning.  

Dennis Butler, 57, was operating his 1997 CMC motorcycle eastbound on Route 25 when the motorcycle struck a 2008 Jeep that was traveling in the opposite direction and attempting to make a left turn into a shopping center near Larkfield Road in East Northport at approximately 10 a.m.  

Butler, of 24 Eaton Place, Deer Park, sustained a serious leg injury and was airlifted via Suffolk County Police helicopter to Stony Brook University Medical Center. The driver of the Jeep, Demetra Koutoulas, 67, of 329 Old Indian Head Road, Kings Park, was not injured.  

Both vehicles were impounded for a safety check and the investigation is continuing.  

Detectives are asking anyone with information about this incident to contact the Second Squad at 631-854-8252or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.           

Bavarian Inn - Still There, Still Hazardous

By Erica Jackson

Bavarian Inn Sept. 1, 2010

At one time the Bavarian Inn in Lake Ronkonkoma was a must stop for soon-to-be brides and fiancés’ in their search for a perfect wedding reception location. It offered German cuisine at its finest. Smithtown High School’s German Club held its annual banquet there and it housed a restaurant that many local residents frequented. That is until four years ago when it was shut down by the Smithtown Fire Marshall.

The property, which had been a pinnacle of the community for many years, succumbed to the rising water table. The basement flooded with water that was dangerously making its way to electrical wiring.  A fire, reported the fire marshall, would be imminent. 

Waterlogged and boarded up, the property has sat delinquent since. Police have been  called to the site with reports of break-ins and drug use.  

However, if 12th district Suffolk County Legislator John M. Kennedy, Jr., who wed his wife, Leslie at the catering hall many years ago, has anything to do with it, the property will soon be transformed into a county park. 

For months now, Kennedy has been working to obtain funding and work out details to provide for a county purchase of the land that was once on the market for $1.2 million.  Last month, however, there was a breakthrough and Kennedy says he is much closer to bringing the deal to a close. 

“The message is that this a work in progress,” said Kennedy.

 

 

Late in September, Kennedy met with the owner of the property, Vincent Tramantano, and his attorney, John Zollo, of Smithtown, in an effort to put some information together for a grant application that would help garner the funds necessary to purchase the property. 

The grant, said Kennedy, would come in the form of $1.1 million from the New York State Emergency Management Office (SEMO).  SEMO has preliminarily approved a letter of intent for funding for the purchase 

said Kennedy.

Details and information are still needed to complete the deal. The information is mostly related to nearly $2 million in debt that that property owners have accrued, including some $180,000 in back taxes.  

Many creditors, said Kennedy will be looking for some kind of payment.  That is where, according to Kennedy the sale gets messy.  But, he says everything can be worked out.  He said, “Once we have money from SEMO, we can sit down with the creditors and work on a settlement.”

Kennedy says an option to take the property for nonpayment of taxes was ruled out. He fears that if the county was to take the property on back-taxes, the creditors would cure on the taxes and ask for more money for the property.  Suffolk County has already started a foreclosure process, said Kennedy.

The final grant application was submitted to SEMO by a September 21 deadline.  “We are going to keep plugging away on this,” said Kennedy. 

Once the property is acquired,  the county will look to adjoin the Bavarian Inn property to the county’s Lake Ronkonkoma County Park.  The catering hall will be demolished, the asphalt parking lot removed, and old septic rings that are an environmental hazard will be dug up and removed.

Once finished, the site will feature boating ramps, benches, and a handicapped fishing pier.  “Anything passive can be placed there,” said Kennedy. 

The new park, will add to the beautification of the Lake Ronkonkoma area and it will coincide with other improvements being made to the area. Most recently 5th district Assemblywoman Ginny Fields obtained legislation that makes the 2-mile Lake Ronkonkoma waterway, which sits within three townships, Smithtown, lslip and Brookhaven, eligible for waterfront revitalization funding.

With funding, local civic groups hope to be able to create a unified park-setting, where park-goers could walk to and from each of the lake’s parks via a walking trail.  

Also working on improvements for the area is the Lake Ronkonkoma Advisory Board, which was created by a resolution of the Suffolk County Legislature.  Made up of of lawmakers and civic leaders, the board has been meeting on a regular basis to do its part to improve the blight of Lake Ronkonkoma.

SmithtownMatters.com attempted to contact Zollo, however, calls went unreturned.  In addition, calls were made to Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy’s office regarding the back taxes owed on the Bavarian Inn, however, no calls were returned as of press time.  

Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro Lodge Honors Vigliante Family

         On September 19, 2010, the  Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro Lodge, Order of the Sons of Italy in America honored the Vigliante family of Smithtown who own and operate the Branch Funeral Home. The festive event was well attended by many members, friends, and officials from the Grand Lodge and other local lodges.  A fine dinner brunch was served in a beautiful sun-filled room and everyone enjoyed dancing the afternoon away.

 Many awards and proclamations were presented,  Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy was on hand to give a special proclamation to the Vigliante family.

Henry and Loretta Vigliante were both born in Brooklyn and were married in 1969. In 1974, they came to Smithtown. Since that time, they have dedicated themselves to their business and their community.  They are active members of St. Patrick’s R.C. Church and Sts. Phillip and James R.C.Church. Henry is a Paul Harris Fellow with the Smithtown Rotary, a member of the Smithtown Historical Society and a Fourth Degree in the Knights of Columbus.  Sharing the honors were their children, Craig, Mark, John, Thomas, Paul and Lauren, each individually having highly impressive business, medical, service and volunteer backgrounds. Mark owns M&V Limousine Service. Among the family’s charitable, service and business commitments are; Smithtown Elks, Smithtown Rotary, Smithtown Sunrise Rotary, Knights of Columbus, Order Sons of Italy, Smithtown Senior Resource Alliance, Smithtown Fire Department, and local Chambers of Commerce.

 ”The Vigliante Family is proud to be the 2010 honorees of the Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro Lodge  Sons of Italy and are thankful to all who made this event so meaningful.”