Welcoming the new year with new goals

The Long Island Advance is welcoming 2025 with admirable New Year’s resolutions from many of our local faces

Posted

Daniel Panico, Brookhaven Town Supervisor

“In this coming year, I will continue the preservation of open space, and push the redevelopments in downtown North Bellport and downtown Mastic Beach toward fruition. Moreover, I will redouble our efforts to help the people and communities who are in need where town government can make a difference, while pushing other levels of government to do the same. I strongly believe that there should be no place in elected office for those who cannot rise to the challenges of our day, and those challenges are plenty. I will continue to meet those challenges head-on, whatever they be, while explaining facts to our residents, devoid of fanciful fiction and rhetoric that has too often become the discourse of our day.  The people yearn for the truth, and that is what I will continue to give them.”

Neil Foley, Brookhaven Town Councilman

  • Investigate and address illegal smoke shops: Focusing on investigating and, if warranted, shutting down illegal smoke shops selling vapes and cannabis in our community.
  • Complete First Stage of the East Patchogue Overlay District: Work toward completing the first stage of the East Patchogue Overlay District this year, which will help revitalize the area and increase property values for residents.
  • Finish Fire Island Dredging Project: Ensure the completion of the Fire Island dredging, which serves as a critical line of defense for the South Shore against superstorms and hurricanes.
  • Demolition of Union Avenue Sachem School in Holbrook: Move forward with the demolition of the Union Avenue Sachem School in Holbrook to make way for a new park.
  • Transform Ronkonkoma Hub Station Yards: Continue the transformation of the Ronkonkoma Hub Station yards, bringing new housing, restaurants, and shops to the area, enhancing local development and the economy.

Michael Loguercio, Town Councilman

Loguercio’s resolution is to continue working on projects, including revitalizing the Montauk Highway corridor in North Bellport, while also keeping the community safe and maintaining services. 

He also wants to work on preserving open space, demolishing zombie houses, and cleaning up the Great South Bay. 

On a personal note, he plans to continue speaking to groups about prostate cancer awareness.

“That’s something I want to spend more time doing,” Loguercio said.

Dean Murray, NYS Senator

 As far as 2024 goes, he said, he was most proud that the voters of the 3rd Senate District overwhelmingly voted to once again give him the honor and privilege of representing them in the New York State Senate.

“As last year was a Presidential election year, the partisan bickering and fighting was greater than normal, so I was especially proud to be able to work across the aisle with my Democrat colleagues to pass lifesaving legislation that would allow police and first responders to carry and administer epi-pen auto injectors in the case of an emergency,” he said.

He said he also worked very hard to advance legislation to tackle the drug/opioid epidemic, as well as drunk and drugged driving, including the growing number of deadly hit-and-run accidents.

“While we did make some progress, I was disappointed that we came up short on passing several pieces of important legislation,” he said.

Moving into this year, he said he is making Nick’s Law a top legislative priority. Nick’s Law is legislation named after 25-year-old Nick Puzio, who was struck and killed while crossing Route 112 in Patchogue in March 2023. Puzio was struck by two separate vehicles and both drivers fled the scene without stopping.

“This legislation would raise the penalty for leaving the scene of an accident involving a fatality from a class D felony, which could result in no jail time, to a class B felony, which would carry a minimum sentence of 10 to 15 years in jail,” he said. “I will also be pushing to have the deadly street drug, xylazine (street name: tranq), declared a schedule 1 controlled substance, making it illegal for any use other than its intended purpose of sedating large farm animals.”

Additionally, he said, he is also working with the governor to help close a loophole in the current I-STOP prescription drug monitoring program to more easily catch doctors who are overprescribing pain medications.

“I also work with local elected officials on the county and town levels, which benefit our local communities, and hold numerous Mobile office hours and other community events throughout the year,” he added.

Visit his website or follow Murray on Facebook, Instagram or X.

Dominick Thorne, Suffolk County Legislator

“It is essential that everyone’s voice is heard, and no one feels left behind. We must work together to keep our community strong and united and we will do so with the following resolutions for 2025:

  • Improve water quality by focusing on initiatives to enhance water quality across the community.
  • Procure and preserve open space by acquiring and maintaining open space for public use and environmental conservation.
  • Increase recruitment and retention for fire and EMS countywide by strengthening recruitment efforts and improving retention strategies for fire and EMS personnel.
  • Enhance public safety and police presence by increasing law enforcement presence and improving public safety throughout neighborhoods.
  • Engage neighborhoods to address individual needs by continuing efforts to engage with each neighborhood and providing tailored support for their unique needs.
  • Build up business districts by focusing on the growth and development of business districts to stimulate the local economy.
  • Streamline access to government services by improving accessibility and communication to help constituents easily access and understand government services.
  • Protect vulnerable populations by focusing on safeguarding individuals with developmental disabilities, special needs, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups.
  • Ensure representation for all constituents by prioritizing advocacy for all people.”

James Mazzarella, Suffolk County Legislator 

This year, Mazzarella, wants to ensure everything goes according to plan to get the bids out for the construction of the new Smith Point Bridge by the end of this year to begin construction in 2026.

He is also looking at the construction of Suffolk County’s first disc golf course at Southaven Park to be open for this coming summer 2025.

“[And], continuing [to] focus on improving the quality of life for the residents of the 3rd Legislative District with a focus on public safety by continuing to provide law enforcement with the tools they need to perform their jobs,” he said.

Suffolk County will be hiring 250 new police officers this year.

He also said he will be working towards bringing more programs and amenities to Smith Point Park such as a new recreation area, and the beautification of Montauk Highway in the Mastic/Shirley Corridor.

“I recently worked with Chamber of Commerce of Mastics and Shirley to help them acquire a grant for decorative street lighting,” he said. “I have also allocated $2 million in funding in the capital budget. We are now beginning the planning phase of this beautification project.”

Lastly, he is working towards the completion of the Forge River Sewer Plant and getting residents hooked up this coming year. 

Joe DeStefano, NYS Assemblyman

“In a state dominated by Democrats, l have worked across the aisle to get things done for my district and Long Island as a region. I joined with a Democrat sponsor to win passage of my bill to designate 9/11 operators as emergency personnel and to allow the Sunrise Wind cable to come ashore at Smith Point. We worked together to make sure school funding was not cut and kept Albany from usurping local zoning authority to build multi-family housing.”

DeStefano said he has also been part of the following bills which have been signed into law, including:

  • Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act prohibiting the provision of addictive Internet feeds to minors 
  • New York Child Data Protection Act
  • Establishing a state Parkinson’s disease registry

This year, he is also looking forward to directing the commissioner of health and commissioner of the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities to conduct a study of the delivery of services to individuals with traumatic brain injuries as well as establishing a maximum temperature in school buildings and indoor facilities.

“For the New Year, I resolve to make sure the Hold Harmless policy remains in place so school districts don’t get less state aid than the year before. I also resolve to eliminate cashless bail and give district attorneys more power to prosecute drug cases, especially those involving fentanyl and tranq. I will redouble my office’s constituent services and attend as many community meetings and events as my schedule allows.”

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here