Mattituck American Legion Post 861 closing permanently after a over century

Long Island Morning Edition

The number of LIRR delays caused by problems with train doors was up 79% in the first half of 2024 compared with the same period last year, according to railroad officials. Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that the door issues arising in the Long Island Rail Road’s decades-old trains are adding urgency to calls for the MTA to modernize its aging fleet. The railroad had planned to have retired the relics years ago but has been forced to keep them around because of delays in the procurement of new train cars to replace them.

The railroad also been hamstrung by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recent decision to nix congestion pricing, and the billions of dollars that would have been generated to pay for new trains, according to transit advocates.

The increase in train delays attributed to “door defects” was revealed in the LIRR’s recent midyear operations report, which tracks trains’ capacity, on-time performance, and breakdowns — through June 2024. According to the report, the LIRR saw 102 delays caused by mechanical issues related to doors, up from 57 during the first half of 2023.

Asked about the delays, David Steckel, spokesperson for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the LIRR’s parent organization, noted that, overall, nearly 96% of trains have operated on-time so far this year, up more than 1% from last year.

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Homeowners in the Willow Ponds condo complex on Sound Avenue are considering allowing the prospective developer of a resort hotel on adjacent Soundfront property to hook up to their sewage treatment plant in exchange for a cash payment and shared costs going forward. Denise Civiletti and Alek Lewis report in Riverheadlocal.com that representatives of Alfred Weissman Real Estate, based in Harrison, New York, met with Willow Ponds homeowners Friday evening to pitch the idea of connecting their proposed development to the condominium complex’s sewage treatment plant.

The developers had a prior meeting with the HOA’s board of directors, who set up Friday’s membership meeting so the Westchester-based real estate development company could present the idea directly to homeowners.

Alan Weissman, principal and CEO of the development company, told the homeowners he did not know how much capacity their sewage treatment plant has available, or how much wastewater would be generated by the resort and spa his company is proposing to build on the site immediately east of the condo complex.

Weissman did say that if sharing the sewage treatment facility meant it would have to be expanded the developer would pay for the expansion, share operating costs going forward and split any future major capital expenses with the HOA.

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This evening at 7pm the Hampton Bays Alliance, a new Civic for Hampton Bays, will meet in the Helen Gould room at the Hampton Bays Public Library, 52 Ponquogue Ave, Hampton Bays for a meet & greet with Alfred Caiola.

Alfred Caiola, Hampton Bays resident and owner of the land at the epicenter of the Hampton Bays downtown revitalization effort, will join us in a casual setting to engage in a respectful and civil conversation about his proposed plans for the future of his properties. This is an opportunity for Hampton Bays residents to get to know a key revitalization participant in an informal setting, discuss with him the community’s expectations and concerns about Hampton Bays revitalization and find common ground in a joint effort to make revitalization a reality.

DUE TO THE INFORMAL NATURE OF THIS MEETING,

IT WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE BY ZOOM

For additional information, visit www.hamptonbaysalliance.com

That’s the Hampton Bays Alliance meeting at 7 this evening in the Hampton Bays Library

52 Ponquogue Ave.

Hampton Bays, NY 11946

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Second Quarter Campaign Finance Disclosure figures are in for New York State races this fall. Former Democratic Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker’s campaign for the First State Senate District seat held by Anthony Palumbo has qualified for matching funds. Anker’s campaign raised more than $49,000 between April and June, and qualified for nearly $224,500 in matching funds under a new Public Campaign Finance Program enacted in 2022, according to its New York State quarterly Campaign Finance Disclosure Report released in July. Beth Young in EAST END BEACON reports that to qualify for matching funds, State Senate candidates must have received 150 campaign donations between $5 and $250 from residents of their district, totaling at least $12,000 in a particular quarter. State Assembly candidates can qualify with 75 of these donations totaling at least $6,000.

The program, designed to level the playing field…as many feel large donors have had an inordinate influence in American elections since the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision…matches donations up to $50 in a 12 to 1 ratio, then in a 9 to 1 ration for donations from $50 to $150 and an 8 to 1 ratio for donations from $150 to $250.

Senator Palumbo raised nearly $7,500 in the second quarter, ending the quarter with just shy of $34,000 on hand, according to his Campaign Finance Disclosure form on file with New York State. Ms. Anker finished the quarter with just over $258,800 on hand.

Palumbo, an attorney from New Suffolk on the North Fork, has held the State Senate office since 2020, after winning election following the retirement of longtime State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle.

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More than 20,000 Long Islanders are among 100,000 New Yorkers who have so far applied for optional digital driver's licenses for their cellphones, even as concern over privacy and civil rights rises in the NYS Legislature. Michael Gormley reports in NEWSDAY that the new Mobile ID doesn’t replace the traditional driver's licenses, learner permits or nondriver ID cards, and not all police agencies accept Mobile ID for identification at this point. The Department of Motor Vehicles said not all taverns and other business accept Mobile ID for identification, either, but the state is working on that.

The state’s Mobile ID is accepted at nearly 30 airports nationwide by the federal Transportation Security Administration including at LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports.

There are, however, privacy and civil rights concerns.

Proposed legislation would prohibit law enforcement officials presented with a Mobile ID identification from searching a cellphone for data that could be related to immigration status or other sensitive information. Police would also be prohibited from asking for consent to search the phone.

"We don’t want a surveillance state," Assembly Deputy Majority Leader Michaelle Solages (D-Elmont) said yesterday. "People want technology to improve lives, but they also don’t want to be tracked."

The DMV said Mobile ID can’t be used to track the user’s locations or movements.

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The Montauk Historical Society, the Eastville Community Historical Society, and the Southampton African-American Museum will present a week of celebration and commemoration of the 1839 Amistad uprising, featuring the Amistad Freedom Schooner, a full-size replica of the 19th century slave ship. Open house hours and activities are planned from August 23 through 28, including the opportunity to board the ship and engage with members of the Discovering Amistad team to learn all about the Amistad, including its connection to Montauk and the East End.

The notorious schooner Amistad was seized off the coast of Montauk in August 1839. The full size replica helps tell the story of the history-making uprising that resulted in a landmark Supreme Court decision and boosted the cause of freedom.

After a brief stay at Culloden Point, the Amistad will sail into Montauk Harbor, where it will be moored at the East Hampton Town Dock on Star Island for a week. There it will be open daily for free tours and activities presented by Discovering Amistad, the nonprofit group that runs its educational programs. Highlights of the week include a family day, with activities targeting children and young people, a professional development day, a VIP tour, and a panel discussion featuring New York State Historian Devin Lander, who will also give a presentation about preparations for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

For more information, got to montaukhistoricalsociety.org/events.

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After more than a century, the Mattituck American Legion Post 861 will permanently shut its doors.

The 35-member group voted to close its post in a meeting last week, due to a growing lack of participation in recent years, commander Robert DeVito said.

Maureen Mullarkey and Nicholas Grasso report in NEWSDAY that the American Legion national bylaws states that a minimum quorum of three members are required to conduct official business. The decision to close came after numerous discussions with members and after DeVito, 73, of Southold, noticed that the post was not meeting the minimum head count.

While other legions have one member hold one position, DeVito said he has taken on multiple hats due to lack of participation. In addition to being commander, he is also post historian and membership chairman. He is also vice commander for the 4th Division of Suffolk County.

"The only job I don’t do is treasurer," he said.

The American Legion, chartered by Congress in 1919 — the year the Mattituck chapter was founded — has nearly 2 million members and more than 12,000 posts throughout the United States.

But Mattituck joins a growing number of American Legion posts, as well as VFW halls, that have been facing difficulties, from financial woes due to declining memberships. The number of veterans on Long Island has nearly halved in the last decade.

DeVito said he encouraged members to join Legion posts close to their homes. The Mattituck chapter will have one more meeting next month before it permanently closes, he said.

On the North Fork there are American Legion Posts in Greenport and Southold where the dispersed Mattituck legionnaires are welcome to join.