The Times of Smithtown - April 23, 2015

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The TIMES of Smithtown

Volume 28, No. 8

SERVING SMITHTOWN • ST. JAMES • NESCONSET • COMMACK • HAUPPAUGE • KINGS PARK • FORT SALONGA April 23, 2015

Suffolk County bills look out for veterans BY ROHMA ABBAS

‘Strike a pose’ at the Heckscher

Also: ‘Violet’ opens at the SCPA, ‘The Littlest Pirate’ debuts at Theatre Three, singer/songwriter Johnny Cuomo

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North Shore says no

Residents rally against state’s education changes at senator’s office

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A roomful of veterans and lawmakers gathered in Northport on Monday morning to salute the signing of two new Suffolk County bills aimed at protecting veterans and the public against acts of stolen valor. County Executive Steve Bellone (D) signed the legislation, which was spearheaded by Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport), into law. One of the bills makes it illegal for individuals to fraudulently represent themselves as decorated veterans to members of the public in order to solicit donations or obtain money, property or other benefits. The law makes it a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and/or one year in prison. The second law imposes stiffer requirements on veteran nonprofit groups that solicit donations in Suffolk County. Such groups will be required to disseminate financial information to the public about how their fundraising dollars are being spent. The laws were born out of a joint effort of many veterans, Spencer said, namely John Cooney, the commander of the Northport American Legion Post 694 and Tom Kehoe, for-

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Protecting valor

Photo by Rohma Abbas

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone signs two bills to protect veterans’ valor into law on Monday in Northport.

mer Northport Village Board member. Both men held Spencer’s “feet to the fire” to get the legislation drafted, particularly after what Cooney described as instances in Huntington Town in which individuals fraudulently represented themselves as veterans for personal gain. “The needs of our veterans and the desire to give on part of our

residents can create vulnerability, as organizations and individuals have sought to take advantage, to profit from these circumstances,” Spencer told an audience of veterans at the Northport American Legion. “The two bills that we sign here today will work in conjunction to ensure our charitable dollars go where they should go — to support our veterans.”

A number of local leaders attended the conference, including Suffolk County Legislator Robert Trotta (R-Fort Salonga), Legislator Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills), Huntington Town Supervisor Frank Petrone (D), Councilman Gene Cook (I), Northport Village Mayor George Doll and Northport Village Police VALOR continued on page A11

Local man sentenced for huffing before fatal crash BY ROHMA ABBAS

A Huntington man who admitted to huffing an aerosol cleaner before getting behind the wheel on New Year’s Eve in 2013 and broadsiding a 63-year-old Commack woman’s car, ultimately killing her, was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison on Friday, according to the Suffolk County DA’s office. State Supreme Court Justice John Collins sentenced James Murphy, 20, in Riverhead on April 17 after what DA spokesman Bob Clifford described in an email last week as an emotional courtroom scene. Family members of victim Herta Palma attended the sentencing. Murphy pleaded guilty on Feb. 26 to second-degree manslaughter, second-degree reckless endangerment, reckless driving and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. He was

remanded to the county jail following his February plea. On the day of the fatal crash, Murphy was driving a Chevy Blazer north on Commack Road when he sideswiped one car and ran a red light at the intersection with Hauppauge Road, according to an April 16 statement from the DA’s office. Murphy’s SUV broadsided the Hyundai sedan Palma was driving. Palma died soon after at Huntington Hospital. District Attorney Thomas Spota said Murphy told cops at the scene of the crash in 2013, “I was driving the white Blazer. I’m not going to lie to you officer. I just inhaled a can of Dust Off and threw it in the back of my truck.” He also told officers he took Xanax and smoked hash a couple of days earlier. MURPHY continued on page A9

James Murphy

Photo from Suffolk County DA’s office


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