Huntington Local

By Joy Vestal

Dix Hills

There are four Suffolk County Legislature districts with territory in the town of Huntington. Here are stories about the candidates for those seats. (If you're not sure which district you are in, there is a map with each story.)

Here are the candidates for the 13th district of the Suffolk County Legislature:

LYNNE C. NOWICK, REPUBLICAN

BACKGROUND: Nowick, 60, of St. James, is also running on the Conservative and Independence lines. She was first elected to the legislature in 2001 and is seeking a fourth term. Before becoming a legislator, Nowick served as Smithtown’s tax receiver for six years. She has an associate’s degree in business from Suffolk County Community College and has an insurance broker’s license from the state.

ISSUES: Nowick said she considers the most important issues to be preserving the environment, keeping children safe, providing workforce housing and revitalizing downtowns. In June, she said she secured 20 acres of waterfront property along Stony Brook Harbor in Nissequogue for preservation. She also touted adding 5 acres to Arthur Kunz County Park in Smithtown. She authored legislation to prevent the sale of cough suppressants that contain dextromethorphan, which when taken in large doses is a hallucinogen. She also plans to work toward improving sewer capacities for downtowns in Smithtown and Kings Park.

WILLIAM J. TURLEY, DEMOCRAT

BACKGROUND: Turley, 49, of Fort Salonga, is the founding partner of a law firm that specializes in worker’s compensation law, Social Security law and long-term disability law. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brooklyn College and a law degree from John Marshall Law School in Chicago.

ISSUES: If elected, Turley plans to look at providing identification to undocumented workers. “These people are like a shadow workforce and they’re a very vital part of our economy,” he said. He also favors hiring halls away from main thoroughfares as a safe and orderly way for undocumented workers to find jobs. “I don’t see them as interlopers or invaders,” he said. Another issue he plans to address is encouraging energy conservation by launching an educational campaign to promote carpooling and solar energy use. To deal with the affordable housing crisis on Long Island, he wants to study balancing open space preservation with building more homes.

The incumbent is running unopposed in the 18th district of the Suffolk County Legislature:

JON COOPER, DEMOCRAT

BACKGROUND: Cooper, 52, of Lloyd Harbor is also running on the Independence and Working Families lines, seeking his sixth term in the legislature, where he currently serves as majority leader. He is president of Spectronics Inc., a Westbury firm that makes ultraviolet equipment, and is a 1977 graduate of Duke University.

ISSUES: Cooper has successfully pressed for a referendum on the November ballot to extend the current quarter-cent sales tax from 2013 to 2030 to allow the county over the next four years to borrow $322 million to buy open space and farmland and fund another $122 million in environmental projects, including the prevention of storm-water runoff. He also said he has used his business experience to rein in taxes and favors efforts to increase affordable housing for the young and seniors.

Here are the candidates for the 16th district of the Suffolk County Legislature:

WILLIAM M. GROH, REPUBLICAN

BACKGROUND: Groh, 41, of North Babylon also is running on the Conservative Party line. A lawyer who specializes in labor and employment law, Groh is making his first run for elected office. A community activist, Groh is vice president of the Parkdale Civic Association, which represents 700 homeowners in North Babylon. He is a graduate of St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue and Hofstra Law School.

ISSUES: Groh said he favors a $2 cap on the gasoline tax, a rollback of the sales tax on home energy fuels and wants to extend the sales tax exemption on clothing costing less than $110, to make it year-round. He also said he wants to bar sex offenders from living within a quarter-mile of public libraries, and to block sewer hookups for the truck-train transfer station on the Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center property. He also opposes expansion of Huntington’s ice skating complex in Dix Hills.

STEVE STERN, DEMOCRAT

BACKGROUND: Stern, 38, of Dix Hills is also running on the Independence and Working Families lines. A lawyer who specializes in elder law and estate planning, Stern is running for a second term on the legislature, where he is chairman of the veterans and seniors committee. Stern served on County Executive Steve Levy’s senior citizen advisory committee. He is a graduate Tulane University and Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Michigan.

ISSUES: Stern said he has helped Levy hold the line on property taxes and pushed to protect open space like the 20-acre Emerald Estates in Greenlawn. He said he also backed a measure keep sex offenders away from schools and day care centers and pushed to get legislation to ban vaccines for children and pregnant women that contain mercury, and to require towns to give zoning notices to nearby residents beyond town borders. He said he also pressed to create dog runs at county parks.

Here are the candidates in Tuesday's race for the 17th district of the Suffolk County Legislature:

ROBERT S. COOK, REPUBLICAN

BACKGROUND: Cook, 45, of Melville is making his first run for elected office. A real estate development investor, Cook is chairman of the board of directors of the Plainview Fire Department, where he has been a volunteer firefighter for 23 years. He is also a critical-care emergency medical technician and was an on-the-scene responder to the Sept. 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks and the 1991 Avianca air crash. He is a 1984 political science graduate of Binghamton University and has a bachelor’s degree in fire service administration from Empire State College.

ISSUES: Cook wants to use the county’s $150-million surplus to provide tax relief and wants to eliminate “hidden taxes” such as the mortgage tax. He also said the county should fill job vacancies that taxpayers have funded, such as 911 operators. He opposes Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s plan to give driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants and advocates planning to ease traffic at the new Tanger outlet in Deer Park.

LOUIS D’AMARO, DEMOCRAT

BACKGROUND: D’Amaro, 46, of North Babylon is also running on the Conservative, Independence and Working Families lines. An attorney specializing in commercial real estate, D’Amaro is seeking his second term in the legislature, where he chairs the Ways and Means Committee. Before his election he also spent a decade as a member of the Babylon Zoning Board of Appeals, seven of them as chairman. He was an aide to County Executive Steve Levy when Levy served as a county lawmaker. He is a graduate of Stony Brook University and St. John’s University Law School.

ISSUES: D’Amaro touts property tax cuts in the county’s general fund and keeping the police district taxes below the rate of inflation. He said he also backed an initiative to hire more police recruits than Levy wanted and backed a measure to keep sex offenders away from schools, playgrounds and day care centers. He also backed a bipartisan reapportionment commission.

By Tim Healy
tim.healy@newsday.com

Case closed. Or not.

The state attorney general’s office has notified Asharoken’s attorney that it will not issue an opinion on the question of whether the closed caucuses of some of the village board members violate the state’s Open Meeting Law.

Board member Pat Irving raised the question months ago and contacted the state’s Committee on Open Government for an opinion, indicating that village business was discussed at these private caucuses. Irving used to attend these caucuses but stopped after she left the Taxpayer’s Party of Mayor Bill Kelly and the other board members.

In July, the state committee’s executive director, Robert Freeman, replied wrote that political parties are allowed to caucus in closed meetings, but that the Taxpayer’s Party did not qualify as a party under state election law, which defines a party as “any political organization which at the last preceding election for governor polled at least fifty thousand votes for its candidate for governor.”

Kelly ask the state attorney general for an opinion and received a letter from Kathryn Sheingold stating that Freeman’s committee was responsible for issuing opinions on the Open Meeting Law.

“They haven’t done what they’re supposed to do to help local governments when we ask them for opinions that will help us avoid going to court,” Kelly said Wednesday. “So then we have to do independent research, which we did.”

In a letter this week to village board members, Kelly declared "case closed," and wrote that two court opinions, including one from the state court of appeals, support his position that the caucuses are legal. Freeman disagrees.

“My hope always is that when we render an advisory opinion that it encourages compliance with the law,” Freeman said. “But apparently with this mayor that doesn’t seem to be so… Based upon the language of the election law, I don’t believe that the four can conduct a legal closed political caucus.”

“Even if he disagrees with the opinion,” Freeman continued, “Even if he disagrees with the law – why should there be closed political caucuses, especially in a body which is overbalanced one way in terms of what you might characterize as political party membership.

But Kelly was not swayed. “When it’s not defined – a party is not defined under the Open Meetings Law – then there’s a whole slew of ways to construe … the meaning of the word. But the issue is moot. The court of appeals has spoken.”

So what’s next? “I suppose somebody can bring a lawsuit if they want to do that,” Freeman said.

Pat Irving was not sure if she would pursue the matter. “I don’t know,” she said. “Personally I’d like to ask the other trustees, do they feel that continuing caucuses to discuss village business is appropriate.”

READ THE DOCUMENTS

A Northport man was seriously injured when he was struck by a car at about 7:20 last night while crossing Route 25 in Huntington Station, police said.

Jessica Peppe, 18, of 46 Reynolds St., Huntington Station, was driving a 1997 Honda east in front of 522 Route 25 when her vehicle struck Donald Steck, 37, of 171 Lewis Rd., Northport, according to police. Steck was trying to cross from the north side of Route 25.

He was airlifted by police to Stony Brook University Medical Center, where he was admitted for serious head injuries. The woman’s vehicle was impounded for a safety check.

Police are asking to speak with anyone who may have information about the crash. Call 631-854-8252 or 1-800-220-TIPS.

By Joy Vestal

Greenlawn

By Deborah S. Morris
deborah.morris@newsday.com

Asharoken Mayor William Kelly has lost his appeal to be reinstated into the Northport Yacht Club.

The New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division upheld a lower court ruling that the club had the right to expel Kelly after he was accused of sexual harassment.

Kelly, 67, was permanently stripped of his membership in the Northport Yacht Club in May 2005 by the club’s board of governors after allegations he sexually harassed a club employee and fondled two female members. A fourth woman said she was forced to hit Kelly, knocking off his glasses, after he touched her in an inappropriate manner.

Paul Levinson, Kelly’s attorney, said his client has not yet decided what to do next. He added, “We are obviously disappointed with the court’s ruling.”

In February 2006, Kelly sued to be reinstated, but a Suffolk County State Supreme Court judge sided with the club, citing Kelly’s “record of improper boorish behavior.”

Kelly, a married father of two children, vehemently denied the allegations through his attorney when the yacht club’s board terminated his 24-year membership and banned him permanently in 2005.

In it’s decision earlier this month, the appellate court’s four-judge panel unanimously agreed with the lower court ruling.

In a written decision, the court said, “The petitioner’s conduct provided a sufficient basis for the Board of Governors of the Northport Yacht Club to expel him.” The appellate court said the board’s decision that Kelly’s conduct was “prejudicial to the interest and welfare of the club under its bylaws was not arbitrary and capricious.”

Christopher Modelewski, the attorney for the yacht club, said they are satisfied with the court’s decision.

“This case is more about the courage of the ladies who came forward who complained about this type of behavior and less about the law,” Modelewski said.

By Lynn Petry
lynn.petry@newsday.com

The Northport Historical Society’s 26th annual “Autumn on Long Island” antiques show will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Laurel Avenue School, 158 Laurel Avenue in Northport.

The fall show features more than 60 selected exhibitors displaying 18th and 19th-century furniture, first edition books, Depression glass and more. Pictured are a clock, above, shell-encrusted stand, left, and dresser, below.

One dealer who visits the show every year will be bringing some unusual kitchen tools, including a cabbage cutter from the Alsace-Lorraine area dated pre-1900s and a bottle washer that came out of a French establishment dated from the 1800s.

Jewelry collectors should also be on the lookout for Georgian necklaces and other Victorian items.

According to Sheila Pekale, show promoter, “There are very few shows on Long Island that offer this high quality … this show happens to offer high end items with reasonable prices.”

The society’s museum shop will also offer items on consignments with the show’s proceeds going towards supporting exhibits, programs and events sponsored by the Northport Historical Society and Museum.

Antique show promoter, Elias Pekale, who passed away in 2006, started this show with the Northport Society more than 25 years ago, and now his widow, Sheila, and daughter Jennifer carry on his legacy.

Admission is $6 and lunch and refreshments will be available for an extra cost. For details call, 516-868-2751 or logon to www.pekaleshows.com.

By Joie Tyrrell
joie.tyrrell@newsday.com

A handful of additional Long Island schools reported Tuesday that students have been recently diagnosed with the drug-resistant staph infection known as MRSA, joining a growing list of districts across both counties that have said the infection has been found in their schools.

Among the latest districts are Cold Spring Harbor and Riverhead, where officials sent alerts to parents this week. School officials in Cold Spring Harbor said a student had been infected, but was "not seriously ill, is doing well and is being treated at home with antibiotics."

[To read the full text of the Cold Spring Harbor letter, click here.]

Riverhead officials said two students there were diagnosed with the infection and the students are being treated with proper antibiotics.

A 12-year-old Brooklyn boy and a 17-year-old Virginia high school student died this month after contracting MRSA infections. Several other nonlethal cases have been reported recently on Long Island. Health officials have urged residents not to panic, saying there is no MRSA outbreak and that the infections are treatable.

There will be a meeting with the Suffolk County Executive, the Commissioner of Health and the school superintendents Wednesday to discuss preventative measures in ways to keep school children healthy.

MRSA is a common bacteria that is not a threat to the average person. Contrary to some published reports, the MRSA infection is treatable if the proper antibiotics are prescribed.

MRSA is resistant to the antibiotic Methicillin, however, there are stronger antibiotics that can combat this infection. MRSA has been in the United States for the past five decades primarily in institutional settings such as hospital and nursing facilities. It has become more common in recent years to see these cases in the community setting, according to Suffolk health officials.

Medical experts say the best way to prevent MRSA from spreading is frequent and diligent hand-washing.

A Berlin guardhouse where American and Soviet troops faced off during the Cold War.

By Michael R. Ebert
michael.ebert@newsday.com

The Town of Huntington is considering granting tax exemptions to military veterans who served during the Cold War.

The exemption would be in conjunction with a recently enacted change in the New York State Real Property Tax Law.

“With the adoption of the state law comes an opportunity to close a loop in the system that created an inequity for some of our veterans,” said Supervisor Frank Petrone, noting that a public hearing to amend the Town Code is slated for Nov. 7. “Cold War Veterans will now be entitled to the same property tax exemptions as their counterparts who served during wartime, provided they qualify.”

According to town officials, a “Cold War veteran” is defined as a male or female who served on active duty for a period of more than 365 days in the U.S. Armed Forces from Sept. 2, 1945 to Dec. 26, 1991. In addition, the person must have been discharged under honorable conditions and received the Cold War recognition certificate. The exemption is also extended to qualifying spouses or un-remarried surviving spouses.

The amount of the tax relief is based on 15 percent of the property’s assessed value, provided the exemption doesn’t exceed $12,000 multiplied by the latest State equalization rate. Veterans suffering from disabling injuries while in service may claim an exemption of up to $40,000, the town said. The exemption can be granted for a period of 10 years.

If enacted, this reduction will first appear on the December 2008 tax bill. Eligible residents would need to apply with the Town Assessor’s office and provide a Cold War certificate, DD-214, a driver’s license or other ID, and the deed to the property if recently purchased.

The Towns of Brookhaven and Southampton approved similar measures last week.

By Michael R. Ebert
michael.ebert@newsday.com

The South Huntington School District is launching a Hall of Fame to honor alumni that have made a significant impact in their fields. Last month, it began accepting nominations for its inaugural ten members, with plans to announce the honorees at Homecoming 2008.

“We’re looking at this as a way to honor alumni and inspire our current students,” said Jacqueline Harris, assistant superintendent for student services, noting that nomination forms are available on the district’s Web site and will be accepted until March 1, 2008.

Harris said the general criteria for selection is that nominees must have graduated at least 10 years ago from South Huntington or Walt Whitman High School. In addition, they must have attended the high school for a minimum of two years and be worthy of “permanent recognition.” She declined to speculate on possible candidates at this time.

“To be honest, I’m really not sure what individuals will be inducted,” said Harris. “This will probably be an enlightening experience for administrators and students alike.”

Mather Hospital recently announced the appointment of Dix Hills resident Shahin Shaikh, MD, to its medical staff.

At Mather, Shaikh will be joining Dr. Mohamed Sameen, director of Mather’s Sleep Disorder’s Center, in practice and treatment of pulmonary/critical care and sleep disorders. In addition, Shaikh is medical director, MICU/CCU at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital, and clinical instructor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonolgy, SUNY Stony Brook.

Specializing in pulmonary medicine, Shaikh received her medical degree from Seth GS Medical College, India in 1981. She completed her internship in internal medicine at King Edward Memorial Hospital, India, her residency at Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center, Bronx, and fellowship in pulmonary medicine at Metropolitan Hospital Medical Center. Shaikh also trained in sleep medicine at Northport VA Medical Center.

Her private practice is located at 90 Medford Ave., Patchogue, 631-758-5864. For information about Mather Hospital’s Sleep Disorders Center, call 631-476-2888, or visit www.matherhospital.org.

By Joy Vestal

Dix Hills

Police today identified the 25-year-old man killed early Sunday when his car struck a guardrail and then a tree as Christopher D. Ferrier of 68 Maple Place, Huntington.

Police said Ferrier’s 2007 Infinity headed south on McKay Road in Huntington when it struck a guardrail for unknown reasons and then crashed into a tree at the intersection of McKay Road and North Street at 5:30 a.m. Police said that they found Ferrier partially ejected from the vehicle and that he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call Second Squad detectives at 631-854-8235.

By Tim Healy
tim.healy@newsday.com

The Village of Asharoken is waiting for a ruling from the state’s Attorney General’s office on whether members of the village board can meet in closed political caucuses without violating the state’s Open Meeting Law.

The question was raised earlier this year by board member Pat Irving, who contacted the state’s Committee on Open Government and indicated that village business was discussed at these caucuses. Irving used to attend these caucuses but stopped after she left the Taxpayer’s Party of Mayor Bill Kelly and the other board members.

In July, Irving received a reply from the state committee’s executive director, Robert Freeman, who wrote that political parties are allowed to caucus in closed meetings, but that the Taxpayer’s Party did not qualify as a party under state election law, which defines a party as “any political organization which at the last preceding election for governor polled at least fifty thousand votes for its candidate for governor.”

The reply led to heated discussions during at least two recent village board meetings.

Laure C. Nolan, the village attorney, wrote to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo on Oct. 3 asking for an opinion. She wrote that the mayor and several members of his party had held caucuses in 2005, 2006 and this year to discuss “certain impending issues that had implications for the Village.”

She said the mayor and other board members thought the Freeman ruling was flawed because it applied the definition for statewide political parties. If Freedman’s opinion stood, she wrote, most villages in the state could not hold caucuses “since almost all village boards run using local party labels.”

The attorney general’s office, contacted Thursday about the status of the village’s request for an opinion, has not yet replied.

For a copy of the opinion from Freeman, click here, and for a copy of the letter from Nolan, click here.

A 25-year-old man was killed this morning when his car struck a guardrail and then a tree at the intersection of McKay Road and North Street in Huntington, Suffolk police said.

At 5:30 this morning, the 2007 Infinity was moving south on McKay Road when the accident occurred. Police said the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was found partially ejected from the vehicle.

Police did not identify the man pending notification of relatives.

Colleen Talt and Uchenna Acholonu Jr. were married May 27 at St. Patrick’s Church in Glen Cove. The reception was at the Mansion at the Woodlands in Woodbury.

She is a physical therapist for the VA Medical Center in Northport and is the daughter of Denise and John Talt of Levittown. The groom is an obstetrician and gynecologist at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in Manhattan and is the son of Uchenna and Victoria Acholonu of Riverdale.

The bride earned a bachelor of science from Manhattan College and a doctorate in physical therapy from SUNY Upstate Medical University. The groom earned a BS from Columbia University and a medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University. They live in Forest Hills.

Stephani Solinger and Thomas Stuckey were married July 7 at the Watermill in Smithtown, with a reception following.

She is a fourth-grade teacher for Hernando County Schools in Brooksville, Fla., and is the daughter of Rick and Julie Solinger of Jamestown and Pam and Carl Carmen of Jamestown. The groom is a fifth-grade teacher for Hernando County Schools and is the son of Russ and Debbie Stuckey of Spring Hill, Fla., and Kim and Greg Broccard of Huntington.

The bride earned a bachelor’s in elementary education from SUNY Fredonia. The groom earned a master’s in elementary education from St. John’s University. They live in Spring Hill.

For more Long Island wedding stories, check out the gallery in LI Life.

By Alfonso A. Castillo
alfonso.castillo@newsday.com

When the tiny, irritated bump first arrived on her left leg on Aug. 10, Melissa Shannon wrote it off as an ingrown hair.

But just 24 hours later, the Melville teen knew that this was something else.

"I've had ingrown hairs before, but this was just too painful," said Shannon, 18, a freshman at Nassau Community College. "I couldn't walk."
Five weeks and four agonizingly painful leg boils later, Shannon said she was diagnosed with MRSA -- the so called "super bug" that has been contracted by students in at least nine school districts. A 12-year-old middle school student in Brooklyn and a 17-year-old Virginia high school senior died this month after contracting a MRSA infection.

Health officials have urged residents not to panic, saying there is no MRSA outbreak and that the infections are treatable.

Medical officials who treated Shannon either declined to comment, citing privacy laws, or did not return calls.

Although Shannon completely recovered from the infection before it began making national headlines earlier this month, she and her mother, Linda (at left with Melissa in photo), say they now realize how close they may have come to tragedy.

"We had no clue," said Linda Shannon, 47. "If I knew then what it was, I would have brought her in [to the hospital] right away. And that's what I'm hoping other people do."

Instead, Linda Shannon said she initially treated the first boil on her daughter's leg like parents might do most stubborn pimples -- she popped it about a week after it first appeared. Linda estimated draining about a quarter-cup of pus. A week after the first boil appeared, a second one followed, and then a third -- all on her daughter's left leg. Linda Shannon kept popping and draining.

When the fourth boil appeared, the Shannon women decided to leave it alone. Within a week it had swollen to the circumference of a "baseball," Melissa said. The redness surrounding the infected area nearly wrapped around her entire thigh. "It got really hard and really hot," said Melissa Shannon, adding that even the slightest contact made her cringe in pain.

Linda Shannon took her daughter to see her doctor at the Queens Long Island Medical Group in Hicksville who said it was likely an infected ingrown hair, the Shannons said. Melissa was prescribed some ointment and allergy medication as well as the antibiotic amoxicillin.

"It got worse," said the younger Shannon, who recalled having trouble sleeping because of the shooting pain in her leg, walking with a limp, and having to keep her leg elevated while seated.

"I was concerned that the infection would spread to her heart," her mom said. "So I thought, 'I've got to take her to the emergency room -- now."

Medical staffers at the urgent care department at Queens Long Island Medical Group immediately lanced the boil, causing Melissa the most excruciating pain she could recall. She was admitted the next day to the North Shore University Hospital. After treating her with two different antibiotics to no avail, doctors began intravenously administering the antibiotic clindamycin. The infection began healing, Melissa Shannon said.

Three days after she was admitted into the hospital, Melissa Shannon was positively diagnosed with MRSA. Melissa left the hospital a day later with a bottle cap-sized crater in her leg that she said some mistook for a gunshot wound. But the boils never returned.

Although Melissa Shannon said she's come down with infections before, both mom and daughter said they can't figure out how Melissa contracted MRSA. They advise young people and their parents to seek medical attention for any apparent "pimple" that is more irritated and swelling more rapidly than usual. And, by all means, avoid draining the boils and releasing the toxins without medical supervision.

"I read now about how it's so bad and people are panicking over it," Linda Shannon said. "I was swimming in the stuff for weeks."

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Bellport 17, Harborfields 0
Bellport's offensive line of Chris Petillo, Vinny Beere, Kenny Williams, Will Williams, Sean Rooney, Joe Dweck and Dan Webster paved the way for a team that produced 270 yards of total offense. Louis Gazzola had 10 tackles, five for a loss and forced a fumble as Bellport (4-3) limited Harborfields (2-5) to 25 rushing yards and 34 total. Dennis Scruggs had a 29-yard rushing touchdown for Bellport.

Whitman 27, Northport 7
Whitman is one of only nine Suffolk football teams that haven't reached the postseason since the power ratings began in 1992. The last time Whitman (5-2) earned a post-season berth was in 1990 when the Wildcats finished fourth in League III.

Clarmel Betts had an outstanding game rushing for 3 touchdowns and 176 yards on 22 carries to lead Whitman (5-2). Ken Jermmont made an exciting a 4th and 9 catch to set up Whitman's final score. Defensively, Cameron Moses lead the team having 2 sacks and three fumbles recoveries. Lahmel Beard also had 13 tackles and two fumbles recoveries. Northport is now 3-4.

The Wildcats inched closer to a playoff berth Saturday. They need a win next week over Longwood (6-1) or a Brentwood (5-2) win over Patchogue-Medford (4-3) to earn a postseason spot.

Ward Melville 35, Commack 6:
John DiVita completed 9 of 13 passes for 94 yards and three touchdowns for Ward Melville (4-3). Peter Soukup added an interception. Commack is 2-4.

Rocky Point 14, Huntington 12
Defensive end Mike Caruso and free safety Tom Palasek stopped Huntington's Eddie Santos on a two-point conversion attempt as Rocky Point (5-2) prevailed in overtime. Justin Annunziato scored on a 10-yard run and Billy McGee provided the two-point conversion as Rocky Point took a 14-6 lead in overtime. Peter Vivonetto had 11 tackles, Palacek finished with eight stops and Matt Toohey had two sacks to pace Rocky Point's defense. Huntington is 4-3.

St. Anthony's 17, Chaminade 0
James Brady completed 6 of 12 passes for 91 yards and rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries to lead St. Anthony's (5-1 CHSFL AAA) to its second straight shutout Friday night. Atiq Lucas carried nine times for 51 yards and Nick Mercurio added 52 yards on eight carries as St. Anthony's rushed for 166 yards. Chaminade is 3-3.

Smithtown West 48, Half Hollow Hills East 14
Senior Steve Curran had a career high three rushing touchdown, and finished with 215 yards on 10 carries, to lead Smithtown West (3-4) in Division II. Craig Matturro carried seven times for 105 yards, a touchdown and a two point conversion in the win. On the defensive side, linebacker Nico Tulley had 10 tackles and defensive end Nick Naja blocked a punt in the first quarter, setting up Smithtown West with a first-and-goal from the 1. Linebacker Dominque Giaimis had an interception in the second quarter. Half Hollow Hills East is 1-6.

Rosie O'Donnell, with her back to the camera, greets some of the hundreds of fans who lined up last night at Book Revue in downtown Huntington to have her sign her new book. You can read a story about it by Newsday's Stephen Williams.
Newsday Photo by Ken Sawchuk

By Joy Vestal

Fort Salonga

Poets from the ages of 14 through 18 who live, or attend school, in the Town of Huntington have a chance, if they are well versed, to have their work become well traveled.

The town’s Public Art Advisory Committee is running a “Poetry for the HART” contest, with the winning poems appearing inside HART buses for a year in advertising spaces. Known also as “a Public Art Initiative Teen Poetry Project,” the contest also offers winners recognition at a public reception, an opportunity to participate in poetry reading with adult poet mentors, having the winning poems published in The Long Islander, and a gift certificate from Book Revue.

The contest will be judged by a group of area poets, community youth group leaders and representatives of the Public Art Advisory Committee. According to the committee, judging will be based on “quality and creativity of the writing, age of the poet, and appropriateness of the poem’s content for public display.”

Poems must be in English, between 10 and 30 lines longs, and be accompanied by an entry form. The deadline is February 1. For more information and a copy of the form, click here.

Forms are also available in many public locations, including town hall and the town’s Web site.

“We have mailed out applications to all of the English Language Arts departments in area high schools as well as private schools that would have students of the appropriate age,” said John Coraor, the town’s director of cultural affairs. “Also to a number of different community agencies like Walt Whitman Birthplace . . .the Youth Bureau and its community youth agencies . . .Huntington Arts Council . . .”

By Michael R. Ebert
michael.ebert@newsday.com

Karen Haber of the Huntington Sanctuary Project has met hundreds of troubled teens who have run away – or are at risk of running away – from home.

“I’ve seen all types of cases,” said Haber, the agency’s youth project director. “Some kids have slept in their car following a family fight, while others need a permanent place to live. In the worse cases, kids might be suffering from abuse or drug addiction.”

Since the 1970s, Sanctuary has dealt with all of the above. As part of the Huntington Youth Bureau, the agency assists youth between the ages of 12 and 21 by providing individual and family counseling, crisis intervention and short-term emergency housing.

Last month, the Town Board approved a $100,000 contract extension for Sanctuary, meaning troubled teens will still have a place to escape besides the streets for another year.

“The most common thing we work on is improving communication in families,” said Haber, noting that local schools often refer teens to Sanctuary’s Runaway Program. “The youth and parents just need to improve their ability to listen, and we can help them. Very often, all it takes is an objective individual to step in and help mediate the situation.”

In addition, Sanctuary’s Runaway Program also offers temporary housing for youth through its network of host families, which provide room and board while the town agency works with the adolescent and his or her parents to facilitate a safe and speedy return home. The average stay lasts one or two nights with a maximum stay of two weeks in special cases.

But Sanctuary’s work goes beyond runaway counseling, Haber says. There’s also a Parenting Education program for those that need help with topics such as limit setting and discipline techniques. And there’s an Independent Living program for older teens that find themselves looking for a new place to sleep every night and need some guidance.

Still, the most unique service is the Street Outreach program, which sends a team to speak to teens wherever they congregate – local parks, street corners, beaches, etc.

“The goal is to establish trusting relationships between outreach staff and youth,” said Haber. “But we’re just one cog in a big wheel for these kids to build a better life.”

Funding for Sanctuary is provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Suffolk County Youth Bureau and the Town of Huntington. Services are confidential and free-of-charge.

For more information on the Huntington Sanctuary Project, visit www.hybydri.org.

Looking east along the approach road to the bridge. Newsday photos

By Tim Healy
tim.healy@newsday.com

Huntington officials hope to see repair of the Mill Dam Causeway begin by the middle of November.

Highway Superintendent William Naughton said engineers from his department met last week with representatives of R.B. Conway and Sons, a Bay Shore marine construction company that was given a $1.6-million contract last month to repair the town approaches to the bridge.

The approach roads and bridge, which cross Mill Pond between the Little Neck peninsula and Huntington Beach, were closed to vehicles almost two months ago when the approach road was deemed unsafe. Naughton explained that the bridge itself, which is owned by the county and is about 3 years old, is in good shape but the town-owned approaches were failing.

He said he hoped the work would be completed by the spring of 2008, but he added that there were no guarantees because of the weather.

Richard Conway, from the construction company, agreed. “We’re racing the weather actually, that’s the key thing right now,” he said. “We’re going to try to get the steel bulkhead in as soon as possible, so that we can possibly pour the concrete before it gets too cold.”

Concrete will be used to fill the space between the new bulkheads, which will be set farther apart than the existing ones. A new road will be put down over the concrete.

Naughton said it would be necessary to close the road to pedestrians at some point during the construction.