Where To Find Us Page 3
Thursday, March 19, 2026 ~ Volume 138 ~ Issue Number 18 ~ $1.00
‘Molotov Madness’: Cocktail Arrests Spark Bail Reform, Sanctuary Debate By Matt Meduri On March 1, 2026, Suffolk County Police arrested three El Salvadoran nationals in the United States illegally, who were found in possession of two Molotov Cocktails and a canister of gasoline at a car stop on Lexington Avenue in Brentwood. Elvis Osvaldo Romero Martinez, 20, Albert Yanes Moran, 20, and Lorenzo Nohely Alvarado Navarrete, 18, were released following their March 11 arraignment due to the People’s inability to request bail and the court’s inability to set bail under the current New York State bail laws. Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree is not a bail eligible offense. Only Navarrete as Lawful Permanent Resident Status. Neither Moran nor Martinez have any legal status in the U.S. Continued on page 5
Calderone Theatre Re-Opens with
‘Fiddler on the Roof’ By Matt Meduri
The hamlet of St. James is essentially a miniature Manhattan, courtesy of Broadway’s finest vaudevilles nearly a century ago. Their influence not only led to the grid-like, numeric structure of downtown’s roads, but also a vibrant theatre scene, which birthed the Calderone Theatre. Decades of culture shifts, visionary differences, and the partial loss of smalltown ambience across Suffolk sent the Calderone into relative obscurity. But a future was on the horizon after all, as the theatre, which now belongs to the Town of Smithtown, has reached its core milestone after years of renovations: putting on a fully produced show. Continued on pages 12 & 13 Scott Hofer as Tevye performing If I Were a Rich Man (Credit - Matt Meduri)
FULL STORIES ON:
Law Firm Opens in Smithtown Hamlet Page 10
Town Unveils Avenue of Heroes Page 15
St. James Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day Page 24