The TIMES of Smithtown
Volume 28, No. 16
Serving Smithtown • St. JameS • neSconSet • commack • hauppauge • kingS park • Fort Salonga June 18, 2015
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Dreaming big Father’s Day Contest Winners
Also: Woodstock Revival in Centerport, green Fest highlights and a Father’s Day Reflection
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Photo by Phil Corso
members of various long island congregations march into the office of state Sen. John Flanagan to call for the passage of the new York State Dream act. BY phil corSo
Soldiers hit St. James
Annual fishing tournament sets off for vets at Smithtown Bay Yacht Club
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The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stony Brook was among the many North Shore groups to flood the office of state Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport) last week as advocates called on him and his fellow lawmakers to pass the New York State Dream Act before legislative session ended. Various faith leaders from congregations across Long Island gathered in prayer outside Flanagan’s office on Thursday with hopes of nudging the recently ap-
pointed Senate majority leader to help pass the Dream Act before session ended June 17. The advocates held up signs in protest of the state’s sluggish pace in making the legislation a reality for the nearly 146,000 undocumented immigrants across New York who graduated from public high schools but are unable to access federally funded financial aid for college. The bill, which has passed in the Assembly in February by a vote of 87-45, would open up state aid for the students. Peggy Fort, a retired teacher and social justice chair of the
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Stony Brook, stood in the crowd outside Flanagan’s office Thursday and said the state had to act before thousands of up-and-coming immigrant children are locked out of the higher education process. “Allowing our New York State ‘dreamers’ who are full of courage, creativity and intellect to access funding for higher education is a way of ensuring the future of New York State,” she said. “It makes absolutely no sense to continue this policy of no action. But I think we will be
able to turn that around.” A June 2015 report from the Fiscal Policy Institute found there were 526,000 immigrants living on Long Island, making up 18 percent of the population and 20 percent of the economic output. Of those immigrants, almost 100,000 are undocumented — about half living in Suffolk County and half in Nassau. Victoria Daza, of the workers advocacy group Long Island Jobs with Justice, said Flanagan was an ideal Long Island lawmaker to head up the Dream DReAM continued on page A12
Commack fire shuts down strip center The Commack Fire Department responded to reports of fire at the Dollar Tree store on Larkfield Road and Jericho Turnpike on Sunday afternoon around 2 p.m., a spokesman said. Firefighters arrived on the scene to a heavy smoke condition from the roof and smoke coming out of the store’s ductwork. The Dollar Store and adjoining businesses were evacuated, including Trader Joe’s, Cabo Fresh Grill and Nisen Sushi. PSEG crews were on the scene and the stores lost power for several hours.
Commack firefighters sent crews to the roof and found the source of the fire to be an air conditioning unit that malfunctioned. Firefighters checked for extension to help battle the blaze, and the fire was soon contained and under control. About 25 firefighters responded, with three engines, two ladder trucks and a heavy rescue truck under the command of Chief Andy Babajko. The Huntington Fire Marshal is investigating. — phil corSo
Photo from Steve Silverman
members of the commack Fire Department respond to a blaze on Sunday that ended up closing a strip center on larkfield road and Jericho turnpike.