Most Long Island Towns, Villages Opt Out of Allowing Legal Weed Sales

By

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December 30, 2021

More than 80% of Long Island’s town, village, and city governments have voted to opt out of allowing newly legalized recreational marijuana to be sold at pot shops or cannabis cafes in their communities.

Of the 110 localities total across Nassau and Suffolk counties, the Press tallied 90 that had passed opt-out legislation in the days before the Dec. 31, 2021 deadline that New York State gave local lawmakers to decide if they want in or out. Boards that opted out include those in nine of the 13 towns, both of the two cities — Long Beach and Glen Cove — and at least 81 of the 95 villages on LI. Officials in at least nine villages that declined to opt out said they didn’t bother because they are strictly residential and have no commercial establishments where a dispensary could open anyway, such as the tiny Village of Asharoken on a North Shore isthmus.

“The only thing we would be opting out of would be the [sales tax] revenue,” said Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, who leads one of the four towns that opted in and estimates pot will generate $1 million annually to fund town programs. The other three are the towns of Riverhead, Brookhaven, and Babylon, although some villages that fall within those town borders opted out, such as the villages of Lindenhurst, Port Jefferson, and Quogue.

State lawmakers legalized in March the growing, consuming, and possession of recreational marijuana possession, but gave towns, villages, and cities until New Year’s Eve to opt out of allowing sales. Growing, consuming, and possessing marijuana remains legal in the communities that opted out of allowing sales.

Three of the towns that opted in — Southampton, Brookhaven, and Riverhead — border one another, making eastern Suffolk the region where legal weed will be most widely available. In the towns of Southampton and Brookhaven, which are home to the Island’s two Indian reservations — the Shinnecock in Southampton and the Unkechaug tribe’s Poospatuck reservation in Mastic — were partly swayed by the fact that Native Americans plan to sell legal marijuana on their sovereign land, where town laws are irrelevant.

The four towns that opted in are evenly split between political party leadership. Southampton and Babylon have Democratic majorities — Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer is also the Suffolk Democratic chairman whose town board declined to pass an opt out measure after he called for all towns on LI to opt out in the spring. Republican majorities run the towns of Brookhaven and Riverhead, where the town board tried to pass an opt-out measure, but the proposal narrowly failed by a 3-2 vote. Brookhaven passed a measure limiting sales to industrial areas.

“If we don’t regulate this, the black market in the Town of Riverhead is going to thrive,” Riverhead Councilman Kenneth Rothwell said upon voting against the opt-out measure in July. Riverhead Supervisor Yvette Aguiar, like many others who voted for opting out, said the lack of clarity on the regulations from the state’s fledgling Cannabis Control Board remains a concern.

The last town on the Island to opt out was Southold on the North Fork, the region’s most agricultural community, which voted on Dec. 28.

“We’re not just going to walk away from this,” said Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell, who said the town will study if opting back in is ideal once the state regulations are released.

Towns and villages that opt out can opt back in later, but the deadline to opt out is at the end of 2021. Opting out also triggered an opportunity for advocates to petition for a referendum to allow voters to decide whether to opt back in. The only municipality on LI that appears to have voluntarily put the issue on ballots on Election Day was the Village of Amityville, where voters reaffirmed the village board’s decision to opt out.

Critics questioned the recreational marijuana sales opt-out movement.

“Local moratoriums banning the establishment of licensed cannabis retailers do nothing to limit local residents’ access to cannabis; they only limit their access to legal cannabis,” said Paul Armentano, deputy director of National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), an organization that has long lobbied for legalization. “Marijuana production and sales already take place in every neighborhood in New York now. However, in those localities that have chosen to regulate this marketplace, these transactions take place in a safe environment.”

TOWNS THAT OPTED OUT
East Hampton
Hempstead
Huntington
Islip
North Hempstead
Oyster Bay
Shelter Island
Smithtown
Southold

TOWNS THAT OPTED IN
Babylon
Brookhaven
Southampton
Riverhead

VILLAGES THAT OPTED OUT
Amityville
Atlantic Beach
Baxter Estates
Bayville
Bellerose
Bellport
Brightwaters
Brookville
Cedarhurst
Centre Island
Cove Neck
Dering Harbor
East Hampton
East Hills
East Rockaway
East Williston
Farmingdale
Floral Park
Flower Hill
Freeport
Garden City
Great Neck
Great Neck Estates
Great Neck Plaza
Greenport
Hempstead
Hewlett Bay Park
Hewlett Neck
Islandia
Island Park
Kensington
Lattingtown
Lake Grove
Laurel Hollow
Lawrence
Lindenhurst
Lloyd Harbor
Lynbrook
Malverne
Manorhaven
Massapequa Park
Matinecock
Mineola
Munsey Park
Muttontown
Nissequogue
New Hyde Park
North Hills
Northport
Ocean Beach
Old Brookville
Old Westbury
Patchogue
Plandome Height
Plandome Manor
Port Jefferson
Port Washington North
Poquott
Quogue
Rockville Centre
Roslyn
Roslyn Estates
Russell Gardens
Saltaire
Sands Point
Sag Harbor
Sagaponack
Sea Cliff
South Floral Park
Westbury
Shoreham
Southampton
Stewart Manor
The Branch
Thomaston
Westhampton Beach
Williston Park
Upper Brookville
Valley Stream
Woodsbugh

VILLAGES THAT OPTED IN BUT HAVE NO OR LIMITED COMMERICAL PROPERTIES
Asharoken
Belle Terre
North Haven
West Hampton Dunes
Saddle Rock
Head of The Harbor
Kings Point
Old Field
Oyster Bay Cove

VILLAGES WITH STATUS UNCLEAR AS OF DEC. 30
Hewlett Harbor
Huntington Bay
Lake Success
Mill Neck
Plandome
Roslyn Harbor

CITIES THAT OPTED OUT
Glen Cove
Long Beach

Correction: An earlier version of this story reported that Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer supported opting in. He voted to hold a public hearing on opting out.

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Nassau Giving Away 20,000 Free Home Covid-19 Tests Thursday

By

Timothy Bolger

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December 29, 2021

covid-19 cases — The Philadelphia Department of Public Health distributes free rapid at-home coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing kits at a vaccination clinic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., December, 21 2021. REUTERS/Hannah Beier

Nassau County will distribute 20,000 free Covid-19 at-home test kits during a drive-thru event at Mitchell Field in Uniondale on Thursday.

The county has also partnered with Northwell Health to offer Covid-19 PCR testing at Christopher Morley Park in Roslyn as the Omicron variant continues to fuel a surge in cases.

“The distribution of at-home test kits provides a convenient resource to keep our communities safe, while alleviating long lines at clinics and doctors’ offices,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Lawrence Eisenstein.

The Mitchel Field drive-thru at-home test kit distribution event will take place Dec. 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The kits were provided by New York State. Nassau residents will receive up to three kits per car on a first come first serve basis, free of charge.

The county is also partnering with Northwell Health to expand PCR Covid-19 testing to County residents as the cold weather and holidays have brought a spike in Covid-19 positivity and testing demand.

The drive-thru Covid-19 test site will be available to all residents at no cost Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. To make an appointment please visit northwell.edu/coronavirus-covid-19/pcr-testing

For more coronavirus coverage, visit longislandpress.com/coronavirus.

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Covid-19 Cases Spike on Long Island Amid Holiday Surge

By

Timothy Bolger

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December 27, 2021

unvaccinated — A woman gets a Covid-19 test during the coronavirus disease pandemic in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., December 17, 2021. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

Long Island shattered its record for the number of patients diagnosed with Covid-19 in a single day when the region saw a 50% spike in cases just before Christmas, officials said.

The number of cases on LI jumped from 4,606 – 2,468 in Nassau County and
2,138 in Suffolk County – on Wednesday to 6,950 on Thursday, when there were 3,682 and 3,268 cases, respectively, New York State Department health data shows. Cases then jumped another 18% on Friday, when LI saw 8,216 new infections, with 4,457 in Nassau and 3,759 in Suffolk, data shows.

“As we come home from holiday gatherings, it is as important as ever to take precautions to limit the spread of Covid-19 this season,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “Wear your mask, wash your hands, and if you haven’t yet, get vaccinated and boosted.”

U.S. President Joe Biden and his White House Covid-19 response team planned to meet on Monday with the group representing the country’s governors as the Omicron variant spread across the nation this holiday week. U.S. Covid-19 infections are increasing, with 205,509 new infections reported on average each day, a Reuters tally showed.

New York State broke its record for the most cases reported in one day on Thursday when it saw a 34% jump with 38,835 patients diagnosed. It broke that record the next day when 44,431 cases were reported on Christmas Eve. New cases slowed to 36,454 on Christmas Day, including 6,791 on the Island.

LI also has the state’s highest 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days with 14.79% as of Saturday, according to state data. The number of hospitalizations, however, remains lower than earlier in the pandemic. But officials urged the public to take caution.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease official, warned of rising U.S. cases in coming days and potentially “overrun…hospitals, particularly in those regions in which you have a larger proportion of unvaccinated individuals.”

-With Reuters

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$1.7B Flood Mitigation Project Finally Starts on Long Island

By

Timothy Bolger

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December 27, 2021

fimi — A dredge crew pumps sand onto a Fire Island Beach in 2013.

Workers finally started this month a long-stalled $1.7 billion federal project to mitigate storm damage from the South Fork to Fire Island, more than a half century after the idea was proposed.

Officials recently applauded the start of the Fire Island Inlet to Montauk Point Project, known as FIMP for short, as crews prepared for the arrival of a dredge ship that will pump sand from the bottom of the ocean onto nearby beaches in the first of 11 contracts in the plan, which will also raise up to 4,400 structures.

“We don’t wan to talk about how long it has taken to get to this point,” Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said during a Dec. 17 news conference at the Fire Island Lighthouse celebrating FIMP’s kickoff, before doing just that. “It has actually taken 62 years to get to this stage of this announcement. … Why? In large part because there wasn’t the political will. There also wasn’t the money.”

The project finally received the federal funding it needed to move forward thanks to the $50 billion Superstorm Sandy aid package that was enacted nearly a decade ago.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone personified how it’s taken a generation for the plan to finally come together.

“I can guarantee you this is the first time and will be the last time I ever make this statement: I am thrilled to be attending today’s groundbreaking of a project initiated before I was born,” he said. “That will never happen again.”

He joked that the project is so complicated that its kickoff may have required divine intervention.

“I think you described it as a heavy lift,” Bellone said to Col. Matthew Luzzatto, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ New York District, who is overseeing the work. “I was thinking, miracle.

“Multiple local, state and federal agencies coordinating, that is a miracle,” he added. “That doesn’t happen. Ever.”

While the initial construction is 100% federally funded, that intergovernmental cooperation may later prove tricky when an additional $1.5 billion worth of future beach renourishment work intended to maintain the project will instead be split 50/50 between the federal government and New York State and local governments.

This story first appeared on dansapers.com

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5 Uniquely Long Island Christmas Traditions

By

Timothy Bolger

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December 24, 2021

Lighting The Lighthouse
What could be more quintessentially Long Island than stringing lights on the Montauk Lighthouse?

Montauk Lighthouse —photo by Digital World of Paul via Dan’s Papers

Windmill Wonderland
It’s not just lighthouses that get lit up. So do our windmills.

The Stony Brook Southampton windmill lighted for the holidays. Courtesy Stony Brook Southampton via Dan’s Papers

The Leg Lamp
A Christmas Story may have been set in Indiana, but the Northport Hardware store was so inspired by the classic movie that the store has held an annual lighting of the famous leg lamp from that flick for years.

The leg lamp made famous by A Christmas Story. Photo by inkknife_2000

Flying Santa
Each years, locals reenact the days when a pilot dressed as Santa would drop gifts off for the Fire Island Lighthouse keepers and their families by flying by in small, low-flying airplane.

An airplane dropping gifts at the Fire Island Lighthouse (NPS photo)

Deck The Duck
LI’s most iconic roadside attraction, The Big Duck, gets all done up for the holidays with a traditional lighting ceremony each year.

The Flanders Big Duck, decorated and lighted for the holidays. Photo credit: Jennifer Meihofer via Dan’s Papers

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Nassau DA Declines to Charge Cuomo With Alleged Sexual Harassment of Trooper

By

Timothy Bolger

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December 23, 2021

cuomo investigation — Gov. Andrew Cuomo arrives to depart in his helicopter after announcing his resignation in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., August 10, 2021. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo will not face criminal charges stemming from a female New York State trooper’s allegations that he made her feel uncomfortable when he put his hands on her in Elmont two years ago.

Acting Nassau County District Attorney Joyce Smith issued a statement Thursday explaining her decision regarding the alleged incident of sexual harassment by Cuomo that State Attorney General Letitia James’ office detailed in her bombshell Aug. 3 report, which led to the ex-governor’s resignation in September.

“Our exhaustive investigation found the allegations credible, deeply troubling, but not criminal under New York law,” Smith said. “It is important to note that our investigation was limited to alleged conduct at Belmont Racetrack, and prosecutors in other jurisdictions continue to review other allegations of misconduct by Mr. Cuomo. We thank the brave individuals who came forward and cooperated with our office during this investigation.”

The alleged incident was one of many allegations from 11 women detailed in the James report.

The report stated that in 2019 in Belmont, an unidentified state police trooper dubbed “Trooper #1” claimed the governor “ran the palm of his left hand across her stomach in the direction opposite the direction that he was walking. The center of the governor’s hand was on Trooper #1’s belly button, and he pushed his hand back to her right hip where she kept her gun.”

Trooper #1 told investigators that she felt “completely violated because to me, like, that’s between my chest and my privates,” according to the report. She added that she and a senior investigator who witnessed the incident were “both still in shock about what happened,” according to the report, and “thought it was disgusting. We were creeped out.”

Investigators also interviewed the governor himself as a part of the probe. The report rejected Cuomo’s suggestions that his conduct was an innocent reflection of an affectionate Italian-American culture in which he was raised. Investigators found little credibility in his “blanket denials and lack of recollection as to specific incidents.”

“What these witnesses—and many others—described is not just old-fashioned, affectionate behavior,” the report concluded. “It was sexual harassment.”

Attorneys for Cuomo have denied the allegations and accused the attorney general, who briefly ran for governor before dropping out of the Democratic primary, of being politically motivated.

Smith was named acting DA after her Democratic predecessor, Medline Singas, was appointed to the New York State Court of Appeals earlier this year. Republican Anne Donnelly takes over the office on Jan. 1.

Cuomo is still facing criminal charges in Albany stemming from an alleged incident in the executive mansion.

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Rodney Harrison Confirmed as Next Suffolk Police Commissioner

By

Timothy Bolger

-

December 21, 2021

Suffolk County lawmakers confirmed Tuesday that retiring NYPD Chief of Department Rodney Harrison will be the first Black commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department.

The Suffolk County Legislature voted unanimously to approve Harrison’s confirmation as the department’s top cop. During his confirmation hearing last week, lawmakers peppered Harrison with questions about how he’ll tackle police reforms, reverse an uptick in shootings, and restore public trust in the wake of recent corruption scandals, among other issues.

“I’d like to change some of the negative narrative that this police department has,” Harrison told the panel. “That starts with working with everybody in this room and everybody in range of hearing my voice.”

Harrison replaces Risco Menton-Lewis, who was named acting commissioner on Friday following the retirement of the previous acting commissioner Stuart Cameron, who had been running the department since Geraldine Hart, a former FBI agent, stepped down in April. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone nominated Harrison, a married father of three from Baldwin who grew up in Queens, following a nationwide search.

Asked how he’ll reverse the trend of shootings reportedly being up 23% this year over 2020 as of September, Harrison said he will send additional police resources to the precincts in which most shootings occur, deploy anti-crime units, determine if there’s a motive that’s a common denominator such as gangs or drugs, and partner with federal agencies to keep illegal guns out of the county.

As for his role in enacting the county’s police reform plan that lawmakers passed earlier this year in the wake of nationwide protests against police brutality, Harrison said he’s reviewed the reforms and especially supports officers wearing body cameras, which all public-facing officers in the department will be required to wear starting next year.

How he’ll combat corruption in Suffolk was a question asked repeatedly during the hearing, which came days after former Suffolk County District Attorney Tom Spota and Christopher McPartland, Spota’s ex-chief deputy and public corruption bureau chief, began serving five years in federal prison for being convicted of covering up civil rights violations. They had sought to thwart the investigation into James Burke, the former Suffolk police chief, who also served federal prison time after being convicted of beating a handcuffed suspect arrested for stealing the then-chief’s bag of porn and sex toys, authorities have said.

Harrison, noting that the internal affairs unit will report directly to him to avoid interference, said: “I’m going to do what needs to be done to make this a clean department.”

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Long Island Airports Get $6M in Federal Infrastructure Funding

By

Timothy Bolger

-

December 20, 2021

2021-11-16T162352Z_109509630_RC2NVQ95M299_RTRMADP_3_HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS-TRAVEL-NEW-YORK (1) — Air travellers wearing protective face masks, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, walk at JetBlue Terminal 5 at JFK International airport in New York, U.S., November 16, 2021. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Seven airports on Long Island are getting more than $6 million combined in federal funding from the recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, officials said.

The money will be used for improvements related to runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, as well as terminal, airport-transit connections and roadway projects to help meet increased demand.

“I am proud to land this significant funding for New York’s airports and will continue to fight for the resources needed to fully recover and reach new heights,” said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) said.

The funding was part of $136 million earmarked for 59 airports across New York State. The $1 trillion infrastructure law is separate from a $1.75-trillion Build Back Better spending measure currently being debated in the U.S. Senate.

Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma got $4,287,127, Republic Airport in Farmingdale received $763,000, Brookhaven Calebro Airport in Shirley got $295,000 and the Bayport Aerodrome received $110,000.

And on the East End, East Hampton Airport in Wainscott and Francis S. Gabreski in Westhampton Beach each received $295,000 and Elizabeth Field on Fishers Island got $110,000.

In neighboring Queens, John F. Kennedy International Airport got $55,615,724 and in LaGuardia International Airport $28,405,348.

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Long Island Has Worst Covid-19 Infection Rate in NY

By

Timothy Bolger

-

December 20, 2021

covid-19 boosters — A woman receives a Covid-19 vaccine at a clinic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., May 18, 2021. REUTERS/Hannah Beier

Long Island reported the highest seven-day average Covid-19 positivity rate in New York State as the state broke its record for single-day case diagnoses three days in a row over the weekend.

LI’s positivity rate was 9.23%, the state reported on Sunday, when Nassau County had more than 2,000 cases and Suffolk County had more than 1,900, for another one of the highest days locally since the pandemic began.

“We must stay vigilant against the winter Covid-19 surge by taking the proper precautions against the spread of this virus,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “This is not March of 2020, we are not defenseless. We have the tools to protect ourselves and the vulnerable loves ones in our families: Get vaccinated, get the booster and wear a mask when indoors or in large gatherings. Don’t take a chance during the winter surge.”

After the state broke its record for the most cases of the coronavirus diagnosed in a single day on Friday, it then broke that record two more days in a row, with 22,478 being the latest tally from the state health department on Sunday.

Fueling the surge are small indoor holiday gatherings that allow the coronavirus to spread, cold weather in which the virus thrives, and the new Omicron variant that spreads more quickly than prior strains.

The Omicron virus is making Covid-19 vaccinations and booster shots more crucial than ever for traveling Americans, chief White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Sunday.

Omicron has been found through testing in 43 out of 50 U.S. states and around 90 countries so far after first being identified in southern Africa and Hong Kong in late November.

The number of cases is doubling in 1.5 to 3 days in areas with community transmission and is spreading rapidly in countries with high levels of population immunity, the World Health Organization said on Saturday.

-With Reuters

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Long Island Cops on Alert Over TikTok School Shooting Hoax

By

Timothy Bolger

-

December 17, 2021

2021-11-02T000000Z_1147962549_RC22MQ9IKKTD_RTRMADP_3_CHINA-BYTEDANCE (1) — The TikTok logo is pictured outside the company's U.S. head office in Culver City, California, U.S., September 15, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

Police and educators on Long Island are taking added precautions Friday following a string of social media posts on the app TikTok claiming there will be a nationwide school shooting, although authorities say it’s a hoax.

Nassau and Suffolk county police are stepping up patrols at schools across the region just in case. School officials say they’re working with authorities to keep kids safe out of an abundance of caution.

“Please stop reposting,” Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told reporters during a news conference about the trend. “Call 911.”

The trending topic is not limited to LI, with schools across New York State and the nation also taking caution.

“The Suffolk County Police Department is monitoring social media threats that have been shared on TikTok,” the department said in a statement. “The threat is not specific to Suffolk County and at this time, the threat does not appear to be credible. Suffolk County Police Officers will be on heightened awareness due to these posts and we are urging everyone to report suspicious activity by calling 911.”

The viral threat comes after similar hoaxes recently sparked scares at other local schools.

“We are taking this matter with the utmost seriousness,” said Richard Leschner, superintendent of the Brentwood School District. “We, along with several other school districts throughout Long Island, have contacted local law enforcement and are cooperating as the conduct investigations. These threats are also being investigated nationally by the Department of Homeland Security and are believed to be a hoax.”

Police and school officials said parents should use the hoax as an opportunity to talk to their children about the dangers of posting reckless messages on social media.

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Timothy Bolger

Most Long Island Towns, Villages Opt Out of Allowing Legal Weed Sales

Nassau Giving Away 20,000 Free Home Covid-19 Tests Thursday

Covid-19 Cases Spike on Long Island Amid Holiday Surge

$1.7B Flood Mitigation Project Finally Starts on Long Island

5 Uniquely Long Island Christmas Traditions

Nassau DA Declines to Charge Cuomo With Alleged Sexual Harassment of Trooper

Rodney Harrison Confirmed as Next Suffolk Police Commissioner

Long Island Airports Get $6M in Federal Infrastructure Funding

Long Island Has Worst Covid-19 Infection Rate in NY

Long Island Cops on Alert Over TikTok School Shooting Hoax

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