News

Democrats widen voter registration edge in Suffolk

Sep
4
2016

Suffolk County’s August voter registration figures show that Democrats have a 9,755 edge in voter enrollment over Republicans countywide, up from 5,923 voters in January.

Both parties have experienced growth since the start of the year. Democrats are up from 298,268 voters to 307,409 party members. Republicans have climbed from 292,345 to 297,654.

However, Republican Election Commissioner Nick LaLota sees a silver lining in recent registration figures, saying that 3,014 Democratic voters have abandoned their party since January to join the GOP ranks, while only 1,535 Republicans have switched to become Democrats.

Meanwhile, the number of voters who are not registered in any party also has risen from 240,412 to 246,851 since the beginning of the year. Of those unaligned...| read more ››

County’s first ‘living shorelines’ project planned for marine education center, in partnership with Southold Town

Aug
29
2016

Protecting our fragile coastline without building structures that “harden” it — like bulkheads, revetments and sea walls — is the goal of “living shorelines” projects like the demonstration project proposed for a canal off Cedar Beach in Southold.

Plans crafted by Suffolk County and Cornell Cooperative Extension for the county’s first “living shoreline” project, to be located at the marine education center in Southold, got a green light today from the County Legislature’s Environment, Planning and Agriculture Committee.

The demonstration project will consist of a layer of natural materials planted with spartina alterniflora and black ribbed mussels on about 197 feet of shoreline at the education center. Together, these materials, plants and molluscs will stabilize the shoreline and, at the...| read more ››

Hillary Clinton accepts historic nomination

Jul
29
2016

The final night of the Democratic National Convention features the acceptance speech of Hillary Clinton as the first woman nominee of a major party for president of the United States.

She will be introduced by her daughter, Chelsea Clinton. She will try to bolster the night’s theme, “Stronger Together,” by trying to entice younger, more liberal Democrats who flocked to Clinton’s opponent in the primaries, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

11:30 p.m. — Hillary Clinton is joined on stage by running mate Tim Kaine, her husband former President Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea as balloons shower down and music plays.

10:30 p.m. — Hillary Clinton takes the stage as “This is my fight song” plays and there are sustained cheers....| read more ››

Hillary Clinton Becomes First Female Nominee of Major U.S. Political Party

Jul
27
2016

PHILADELPHIA — Hillary Clinton is now officially the Democratic presidential nominee, making history as the first woman ever to secure the backing of a major American political party.

Clinton was formally nominated on the second evening of the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, more than nine years after launching her first presidential bid. It was largely an evening of unity after an opening night marked by resistance from die-hard supporters of Democratic runner-up, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

In a culmination of days' worth of efforts to unify the party, Sanders himself moved at the conclusion of the lengthy state-by-state roll call vote — after Clinton had won a majority of delegates but before her formal nomination was announced to the...| read more ››

Democrats Make Hillary Clinton a Historic Nominee

Jul
26
2016

PHILADELPHIA — The Democratic convention formally nominated Hillary Clinton for president on Tuesday, making history by choosing a woman to be the first standard-bearer of a major political party, a breakthrough underscored by a deeply personal speech by Bill Clinton calling her “the best darn change-maker I have ever known.”

At 6:39 p.m., the hall erupted in cheers and joyful tears as South Dakota cast the decisive 15 votes to put Mrs. Clinton over the threshold of 2,382 delegates required to clinch the nomination.

A sea of delegates waved multicolored signs with Mrs. Clinton’s “H” campaign logo, while others fell into hugs and several women jumped up and down with elation.

Vince Insalaco, the chairman of the Democratic Party of...| read more ››

Democratic primaries Tuesday in 3 LI House districts

Jun
27
2016

Voters go to the polls Tuesday to choose Democrats who will vie this fall for three congressional seats representing Long Island — including in two of the most competitive districts in the region.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the 1st District, 3rd District and 5th District Democratic primaries.

The 3rd District primary — prompted by the surprise retirement of Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) — includes five candidates. Stretching along the North Shore from Eastern Queens through Nassau County and into western Suffolk County, the district has 194,508 registered Democrats.

Four of the candidates are based in Nassau, which has the largest share of registered voters, with 50 percent: Former Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, 53,...| read more ››

David Calone, Anna Throne-Holst battle in Democratic primary

Jun
23
2016

Democrats Dave Calone and Anna Throne-Holst are locked in a competitive — and expensive — primary Tuesday for the chance to face freshman GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin in what is expected to be one of the nation’s most competitive general election congressional races in November.

Calone, 42 of Setauket, is the former chairman of the Suffolk County Planning Commission and president and CEO of the venture capital firm Jovian Holdings.

Calone points to his work on environmental issues while on the planning board, such as streamlining the permitting process for rooftop solar projects and his work in the private sector helping technology startups on Long Island.

Throne-Holst, 56 of Sag Harbor, served for six years as Southampton town supervisor before...| read more ››

Clinton: Tonight’s history ‘belongs to generations’

Jun
8
2016

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks to supporters at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on Tuesday, June 7, 2016. (Credit: Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara)
Democrat Hillary Clinton cruised to victory in the New Jersey primary Tuesday night, then claimed her historic status as the first woman to become a major party’s presumptive nominee for president.

“Thanks to you, we have reached a milestone — the first time in our nation’s history a woman will be a major party candidate,” she told supporters at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

“Tonight’s history is not about one person, it belongs to generations,” she added.

Clinton reached out to Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders, her dogged opponent, thanking him for a hard-fought campaign and saying...| read more ››

Plum Island sea mammals targeted for legislative protection

Jun
7
2016

Legislation introduced in Albany would protect marine mammals and sea turtles like this one shown at the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation on Aug. 19, 2015. (Credit: Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation)
Three Long Island lawmakers have introduced a bill that would create a marine mammal and sea turtle protection zone around Plum Island and two other environmentally sensitive eastern Islands, but a fishing group wants assurances it won’t limit fishing.

Assembs. Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), Fred Thiele (I-Sag Harbor) and Sen. Kenneth LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) introduced the legislation June 1. It would create a protection area from the high-water mark on the shore outward to 1,500 feet around Plum Island, Great Gull Island and Little...| read more ››

Suffolk candidates for state legislative positions

Jun
6
2016

Committee members for major political parties will be out in force starting Tuesday to gather nominating petitions for their state and local candidates in fall elections.

For the State Senate, the major parties have nominated the following candidates:
1 S.D. —State Sen. Kennth LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) against Gregory-John Fischer of Calverton;
2nd S.D.—State Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport) vs. Democrat Peter N. Magistrale of St. James;
3rd S.D.—State Sen. Thomas Croci (R-Sayville) against the winner of a Democratic primary between Joseph Fritz of Brentwood and John DeVito Jr. of Mastic Beach;
4th S.D.—State Sen. Philip Boyle (R-Bay Shore) vs. Democrat John Alberts of North Babylon,
and in the 5th S.D.—State Sen. Carl Marcellino (R-Syosset) vs....| read more ››