NYS Parks To Remain Open

"The Nissequogue River State Park(NRSP) is now open! The Governor and the state legislature have come to an agreement that will keep all of our state parks open."  That was the message Mike Rosato, Chair of the Nissequogue River State Park Foundation, sent to foundation members  upon hearing the news that funding for NRSP and other parks closed due to budget constraints would reopen and remain open.

Earlier in the day Governor David A. Paterson's office announced that an agreement had been reached with the Legislature to ensure there are sufficient revenues to maintain operations at all New York State parks and historic sites, including all Department of Environmental Conservation campgrounds in the Adirondacks and Catskills. The agreement results in a $74 million in State General Fund savings and contains Governor Paterson's E-waste Program Bill.

 

"I am pleased that an agreement has been reached to reopen the 55 State parks and historic sites that were closed earlier this month. In addition, we are providing critical funding for clean air and water programs and implementing a new program to better manage the disposal of E-waste that I proposed and have fought for," Governor Paterson said. "We still have much work ahead of us, however, as we continue our effort to reduce spending and address the deficit through a responsible enacted State budget." 

Assemblyman Steve Englebright said: "As Chair of the Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development, I feel very strongly that these parks are vital to the livelihood of our State. They provide countless summer activities for New Yorkers, and they help promote tourism within the State, which is especially important given the current fiscal uncertainty. I applaud my colleagues for recognizing the devastation that would ensue if State parks were closed for the summer."

MAPLE AVENUE SIDEWALK “POLARIZATION.”

The Maple Avenue Sidewalk Repair Project, for two years in its planning and development stages was implemented just a few short months ago.  While the intent was to fix sidewalks, provide adequate drainage systems and widen one of Smithtown’s main thoroughfares, it is a classic case of government munificence and that of applying quick, misguided fixes to alleviate one problem while causing a multitude of others.  To begin with, what mind-less, middling, mid-management level bureaucratic planner decided to preserve the old, outdated, rotting wood telephone poles and maintain them smack-dab in the middle of the brand spanking new, masterfully graded and expertly installed sidewalks?  Next, the driveways, in most of those I personally inspected, will have to be either re-graded or replaced at the homeowners’ own expense.  Finally, and this is certainly analogous to the mythical “the sword in the stone” fairy-tale, you now have to remove the telephone poles encased in cement in the middle of the sidewalks, so that pedestrians can safely navigate the pristine walkways. 

 These newly installed sidewalks are impassable and where necessary, must be ripped-up, re-done and replaced.  What a waste of scare government resources while causing further and unexpected delays to the project's overdue completion.  Now, I am not an engineer or an attorney.  However, if I were either one, I would have repositioned the telephone poles in a less obtrusive location and then would initiate a class action lawsuit against the inept governmental party(s) having jurisdiction.  One cannot saunter, jog, bike-ride, stroll a baby carriage or walk a dog down these pathways without bashing into a “deadwood” telephone pole.  Adding insult to a soon-to-be injury, these telephone poles are tethered to the sidewalks with steel cables, that are either frayed at the bottom (which could cause a mean gash on an inattentive walker) or without safety guards (can decapitate one’s head) if an unobservant jogger races into it.   Similarly, these obtrusive cables are anchored and cemented into the middle of the sidewalk, further constricting a pedestrian’s unobstructed right-of-wayThese conditions must be rectified immediately, before a serious and fatal accident occurs.

This government morass (a frustrating, confusing, or unmanageable situation that impedes or prevents progress) is indicative of the way things seem to get accomplished here in Smithtown, these days.  A common sense solution to “Fixing What’s Wrong in Smithtown,” is to sit everybody down in one room, together, and coordinate with utility representatives, public safety personnel, contractors and government officials to access overall project implementation and design the best and appropriate course of action to achieve maximum efficiency of the repair project.  Then, this team must determine what other problems may arise from fixing one problem while trying to prevent other problems from popping up, “in the middle of a sidewalk!”  Thank you.

Richard S. Macellaro

Batting A 1,000 Watts

 Flynn Park, Kings Park

By Erica Jackson

As the sun starts to set over Flynn Park in Kings Park on Tuesday evening, the children’s league players finish up their last innings and clear the softball fields. Next up at bat is the 40 and over Men's league.  They’re stretched and ready to play. The only problem  — they can’t see the ball.

“At first I thought I was getting older and my eyes were going,” said Thomas Morissey, of Commack, but then he said he realized that the younger guys couldn’t see the ball either.  “We would just be looking at each other, trying to see where the ball went,” he said.

Read the entire story

Batting 1,000 Watts  

By Erica Jackson

As the sun starts to set over Flynn Park in Kings Park on Tuesday evening, the children’s league players finish up their last innings and clear the softball fields. Next up at bat is the 40 and over Men's league.  They’re stretched and ready to play. The only problem  — they can’t see the ball.

“At first I thought I was getting older and my eyes were going,” said Thomas Morissey, of Commack, but then he said he realized that the younger guys couldn’t see the ball either.  “We would just be looking at each other, trying to see where the ball went,” he said.

Pat Ahearn, of Commack, also thought his eyes were starting to go until he realized the problem wasn’t his eyes, but the field lights, which he says are too dim and angled incorrectly.

“The lights should be higher,” said John Telep of Ronkonkoma.  “I worry that someone can get hurt, if we can’t see the ball.”

And the problem isn’t just at Flynn Park, said Morissey, who has been playing softball in Smithtown for the past 28 years.  “It’s always been an issue at all the parks, but it’s becoming more dangerous.  We can’t see the ball.”

The players all understand that with games sometimes going on until 11:30 p.m. the lights could be a nuisance to neighboring homes, but Telep offered:  “Perhaps the town could put up some gates with screening that could block the lights.”

Morissey, Ahearn, and Telep all play for the Bombers, a Tuesday evening team that is part of the Smithtown Softball 40 and over Master’s League.  The league is run by Al Chandler in conjunction with the Town of Smithtown Recreation Department.

Chandler,who has overseen the softball program for the past 15 years, says the 40 and over league is the largest growing segment of the program.  “They’ve been playing for so long, that now they are just getting older,” said Chandler.  “We have more forty and over teams than ever before.”

In fact, Chandler said, this season, he had to create two leagues and 17 teams to accommodate all the 40 and over players.  There are 9 leagues and 70 teams all together in the program, which kicks off every April.

Morissey said the players have all spoken Chandler about the light problem. He said, “The people that run the league have gone to the town, but nothing has been done.”

Chandler confirmed that he has been to the town and struck out.  “We have been going through this since we’ve been running the league. The lights at all the parks are not high enough. They need to be at least fifteen feet higher.”

Chuck Barrett, assistant parks director for the Town of Smithtown, says that he has not been made aware of the problem with the lights.  He said, “We have not received any complaints to my knowledge.”

But despite “not receiving any complaints,” he said the town put new lamps in at Flynn park three years ago, which he says are more energy efficient.  “I believe they use the same wattage as the lamps at the other parks, which have been there for thirty years.”  He added that the1,000 watt bulbs on all the lamps are replaced frequently. 

Barrett offered to help work out a solution, possibly by repositioning the lights at Flynn Park.  “They should call the parks department and we could come down there one evening and make some readjustments.”

How is Andrew Cuomo like a Monarch Butterfly - A GOP Response

New Yorkers and the media, on the edge of their seats and waiting with bated breath to discover just who will be the Democrats' nominee for Governor, have finally had their curiosity quenched.  Much to everyone's surprise, Andrew Cuomo has emerged as the Democrats' nominee, just days ahead of the Democrats' convention.  New Yorkers must be grateful Prince Andrew has finally decided to let his intentions be known.

Clearly, the Democrats "royal line of succession" long ago determined the coronation of Prince Andrew would take place in Westchester this week.  Cuomo, much like the Monarch butterfly, is being forced to emerge from his cocoon of the Attorney General's office.   Cuomo has told New Yorkers very little about how he intends to govern or the policies upon which he plans to base his campaign.  Similarly, the elusive and clandestine Cuomo has given New Yorkers little information about how he will deal with the most pressing fiscal issues confronting state government: the budget deficit, and Medicaid and pension costs, which affect millions, are breaking the backs of taxpayers.

While Cuomo had promised to play the part of "Sheriff of Albany," his strategy has been to do the bare minimum and to avoid upsetting the leaders of his party.  While Cuomo calls the culture of corruption that has consumed Albany a "bi-partisan" phenomenon, that claim couldn't be farther from the truth. 

During Cuomo's time as Attorney General, Eliot Spitzer, Alan Hevesi, David Paterson, Pedro Espada, Hiram Monserrate, Alan Hevesi, Malcom Smith and John Sampson - all high ranking Democratic officials and Cuomo's political associates, have been accused of corruption or obstruction of justice, several having been forced to resign in disgrace.  Cuomo's close association with these fellow democrats has precluded Cuomo, more often than not, from charging and rigorously investigating these corrupt officials, whose actions appear to warrant a far more aggressive approach.  If Andrew Cuomo wanted truly to lead and turn this state's government around, he could have started by rooting out corruption at the top of his own party. 

We look forward to more evasion tactics, more platitudes, and more thin rhetoric in the months ahead from the new head of New York's corrupt Democratic establishment