Don’t Forget To Look For
School Highlights In The Centerfold Every Week!
Thursday, April 24, 2025 ~ Volume 137 ~ Issue Number 23 ~ $1.00
Tierney, Officials Call for Stronger State Drug Laws By Matt Meduri As Albany’s Executive Budget negotiations drag on, several officials and families find themselves in an eerily similar position year after year. Indeed, District Attorney Ray Tierney (R), officials from varying levels of government, and, most importantly, the families and friends of those who have been killed at the hands of impaired drivers, make their case yet again to the State Legislature to include road safety and criminal justice provisions into this year’s budget. “On average, in Suffolk County, there’s 150 fatalities a year due to road accidents. A lot of that comes from distracted or drugged driving,” said County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches). “Recent statistics say that a third of the accidents that occur as a result of a drunk or distracted driver.” “When did the State lose its way?” asked Romaine of the lack of examination of the laws the Legislature passes.
Tierney calls for stricter drug and driving laws from Albany (Credit - Matt Meduri)
Continued on page 4
Smithtown CSD Board Candidates Write to The Messenger
By Matt Meduri
Three seats are open on the Smithtown Central School District’s (CSD) Board of Education (BoE) for the Tuesday, May 20, election. The seats currently held by Michael Catalanotto and Michael Saidens are termlimited. John Savoretti, who was elected in 2021, resigned earlier this year. An effective special election will coincide to fill the one year remaining on his term. Two teams of three are running in the nonpartisan race to fill the open seats. The board is currently composed of Catalanotto, who serves as Board President, Saidens, Matthew Gribbin (term expiring in 2026), Kevin Craine (2026), Emily Cianci (2027), and Dana Fritch (2027). Fritch and Cianci ran in last year’s election that ousted 2021-elected Stacy Ann Murphy and Karen Wontrobski-Ricciardi, who served as Board President and Vice President, respectively. They, along with the retention of Savoretti and election of
Craine in 2023, flipped control of the board to representatives not endorsed by the teacher’s unions. Wontrobski-Ricciardi is staging a political comeback in the district, while retired police officer Mike Simonelli is taking another run at public office after running on the Conservative line against Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) in 2021. The slate also brings newcomer Al Carfora. The opposing slate of three includes Bernadette Ackerman, Theresa Donohue, and Brandon Solomon. All six candidates submitted letters to the editor for this week’s edition of The Messenger. We’ll be watching these races and look forward to sitting down with the candidates in the coming weeks before the election.
FULL STORIES ON: FULL STORIES ON:
Smithtown Pet of the Week Page 3
Kings Park’s Top of Class Page 14
L.I. Ducks Open Park For Fan Day Page 27
Continued on page 12