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Judge holds advertisers in contempt of court over Shinnecock billboards
A Suffolk County judge has cleared the Shinnecock Nation Board of Trustees of contempt of court over the operation of two electronic billboards on Sunrise Highway in Hampton Bays, in defiance of a 2019 restraining order — but instead held two commercial advertising companies that built and operate the billboards in contempt. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the judge also ordered that the billboards be shut down, in accordance with a 2024 ruling from a higher court.
The “defendants shall immediately cease operation of the billboards and advertising displays located within the State of New York’s right-of-way on New York State Route 27,” Supreme Court Justice Maureen Licccione wrote in a ruling handed down on Monday afternoon.
Shinnecock Nation Tribal Trustee Chairwoman Lisa Goree said the tribe has no intention of ordering the billboards turned off. “We’re definitely not turning those signs off,” she said yesterday after reading the ruling.
Justice Liccione ruled that the two commercial defendants, IDON Media and Iconic Digital Display, had violated a restraining order that was in place starting May 2019 barring the construction and operation of the billboards. She ordered the two companies, which are owned by the same person, to pay fines of just $250 each, plus unspecified attorneys’ fees to the State Department of Transportation for the costs of arguing the contempt charge. Chairwoman Goree said that she did not expect the “slap on the wrist” of the $250 fines imposed against Iconic and IDON Media and their principal, Larry Clark, to spur the company to break its contract with the tribe and shut down the billboards.
She reiterated the tribe’s belief that the state claims of authority over the Route 27 right-of-way in Hampton Bays are flawed because the easement was not created through a legal process in dealing with Indigenous nations.
***
It’s official. Challenger Jerry Halpin has ousted Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard. Halpin narrowly defeated Hubbard by a margin of 37 votes, according to official results released by the Suffolk County Board of Elections Tuesday afternoon. The final tally came after the completion of a manual recount of all votes cast, which began Monday morning and concluded yesterday. The final tally was 3,958 votes for Halpin to 3,921 votes for Hubbard. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Hubbard, a Republican who served on the Riverhead Town Board for eight years before being elected supervisor in 2023, was seeking re-election to a second term as supervisor. Halpin, a newcomer to electoral politics, is pastor at the North Shore Christian Church in Riverhead. “I look forward to getting to work and putting the taxpayers first,” the supervisor-elect told Riverheadlocal.com. “I’m excited. I want to get to work. I plan on leading well and leading by example— servant leadership with humility,” Halpin said. “We will lead our town together,” he said, referring to the rest of the Town Board. Halpin, who is not registered to any political party, will take his seat as the only member of the Riverhead Town Board who is not a Republican.
***
The 49th annual Turkey Trots start at 10 a.m. tomorrow...that's Thanksgiving morning at The Circle in downtown Montauk. Jack Graves reports on 27east.com that there were 1,012 who finished these 3- and 6-mile races around Fort Pond two years ago. And last year, while the weather was said to be the snottiest in the races’ history, 600 or so celebrants of all ages flocked together. Proceeds from this event which began in 1976, go to food pantries in the Town of East Hampton.
Medals are awarded to racers male and female of all ages.
For more information and to sign up, go to events.elitefeats.com/25mtktt.
***
Electoral tactics used to play a spoiler role in the Huntington Town supervisor's race were also employed in Southampton contests this year, local Democratic officials say.
In an October letter, leaders of the Southampton Town Democratic Committee and Suffolk's Working Families Party warned of a possible subterfuge. In urging voters to pick Democrat Tom Neely for town council, the officials said two individuals running on the Working Families Party line were "paper candidates," there to pull votes away from the Democrat and spoil Neely's chances.
Alek Lewis reports in NEWSDAY that one of the council candidates, according to state business records, has a connection to an elected official. Ieshia Galicia is CEO of a cannabis farm in upstate Medusa on property owned by Charles McArdle, Southampton Town's highway superintendent and a registered Conservative.
The gambit fell short: Neely won.
But the hijinks are part of a larger playbook, Democrats say, one that played a more consequential role in the Town of Huntington and has ruined Southampton Democrats' chances in the past.
The accusations have prompted a closer look into the strategy behind the Working Families Party primaries that continue to crop up, and why the line has become so vulnerable in recent years.
In Southampton, Republican-endorsed officials played a key role in the challenge. The Working Families Party candidates' petitions were notarized by Cyndi McNamara, a Republican councilwoman, and McArdle, according to records from the Suffolk County Board of Elections. Both were reelected on Nov. 4.
The practice is legal; party officials aren't the only ones allowed to carry nominating petitions. State law also allows notaries public — licensed officials who can serve as impartial witnesses to signatures — for certification. Their notarization means they witnessed the signatures.
In the general election, Neely was elected to the town board along with McNamara. Republican Rick Martel, an incumbent, was defeated. Galicia and Smith each ended up winning a little more than 4% of the total votes.
Sundy Schermeyer, the Republican and Conservative candidate, handily beat Bernardo and Collins.
***
If the thought of tomorrow’s feast has you worried about wasted food, take heart. Food waste could soon be a thing of the past on the North Fork, thanks to efforts afoot to bring excess food to people in need. While there are many established non-profits that help North Forkers in need of food, one of the newest groups on the scene is an active North Fork chapter of Food Rescue US, a nationwide non-profit that uses an app to connect businesses that have extra food with agencies that provide food to people in need, including food pantries, churches, soup kitchens and little free pantries. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that Food Rescue US/North Fork began a project called “Snap Into Action” at the start of this month’s government shutdown, to beef up its efforts to get food to people in need. Food Rescue co-director Anne Howard said the group has about 25 active volunteers, and 100 people who have signed up to help. For more information on how to get involved, email [email protected] or visit their Facebook or Instagram page.
***
The Shinnecock Canal Maritime Park on the west side of Shinnecock Inlet held a ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday for seven exercise stations along the 1/6 mile path, all of which are designed to be Americans with Disabilities Act ADA compliant and open to the public, free of charge. The stations range from hand and recumbent bicycles to leg and chest presses, pull-up stations, balance steps and lower body exercises. The path can be accessed from Southampton Town’s Parks & Recreation offices at 6 Newtown Road in Hampton Bays. The Parks Department also plans to provide instructional exercise and training programs to residents for a small fee. Those programs will be featured on the town’s website soon. Details are at southamptontownny.gov/parks.
As a courtesy, the Town of Southampton Parks Department will also hold a free 45-minute introduction on December 2 at noon. Participants must register online prior to the event, or by calling the Parks & Recreation office at 631-728-8585. Be sure to wear appropriate sneakers and attire, as it is outdoors. Bring water if needed.
***
The cannabis dispensary Charlie Fox reopened for business on Monday, this time with the official blessing of Southampton Town.
Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the Southampton Town Planning Board approved the special permit application by Charlie Fox for the dispensary last Thursday and an attorney for the dispensary said that the town issued the business a certificate of occupancy — indicating it had fulfilled all of the building safety requirements necessary to open — the following day, even though the business has not yet met all of the conditions of the site plan approval. The temporary restraining order issued by a Suffolk County judge in early October, ordering the dispensary to close about two weeks after it had opened in defiance of town zoning code requirements, was lifted on Monday afternoon by mutual agreement of the town and the dispensary’s attorney, David Gilmartin Jr. Whereas other dispensaries in the town waited for more than a year to earn their site plan approval and months longer for building permits and C/O, it took Charlie Fox just over six weeks. Gilmartin said that the application had been a simple one since the property — most recently a classic car club — had been more or less in turn-key condition once interior modifications had been made to comply with state cannabis security requirements. The Planning Board heard no objections from the public to the application — despite neighboring the Tuckahoe School playground— and approved the site plan application unanimously. The speed with which Charlie Fox went from scofflaw to site plan approval stunned the owners of other cannabis dispensaries, most of whom are still in the throes of complying with Southampton Town requirements to getting their own doors open.
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By WLIW-FMA Suffolk County judge has cleared the Shinnecock Nation Board of Trustees of contempt of court over the operation of two electronic billboards on Sunrise Highway in Hampton Bays, in defiance of a 2019 restraining order — but instead held two commercial advertising companies that built and operate the billboards in contempt. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the judge also ordered that the billboards be shut down, in accordance with a 2024 ruling from a higher court.
The “defendants shall immediately cease operation of the billboards and advertising displays located within the State of New York’s right-of-way on New York State Route 27,” Supreme Court Justice Maureen Licccione wrote in a ruling handed down on Monday afternoon.
Shinnecock Nation Tribal Trustee Chairwoman Lisa Goree said the tribe has no intention of ordering the billboards turned off. “We’re definitely not turning those signs off,” she said yesterday after reading the ruling.
Justice Liccione ruled that the two commercial defendants, IDON Media and Iconic Digital Display, had violated a restraining order that was in place starting May 2019 barring the construction and operation of the billboards. She ordered the two companies, which are owned by the same person, to pay fines of just $250 each, plus unspecified attorneys’ fees to the State Department of Transportation for the costs of arguing the contempt charge. Chairwoman Goree said that she did not expect the “slap on the wrist” of the $250 fines imposed against Iconic and IDON Media and their principal, Larry Clark, to spur the company to break its contract with the tribe and shut down the billboards.
She reiterated the tribe’s belief that the state claims of authority over the Route 27 right-of-way in Hampton Bays are flawed because the easement was not created through a legal process in dealing with Indigenous nations.
***
It’s official. Challenger Jerry Halpin has ousted Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard. Halpin narrowly defeated Hubbard by a margin of 37 votes, according to official results released by the Suffolk County Board of Elections Tuesday afternoon. The final tally came after the completion of a manual recount of all votes cast, which began Monday morning and concluded yesterday. The final tally was 3,958 votes for Halpin to 3,921 votes for Hubbard. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Hubbard, a Republican who served on the Riverhead Town Board for eight years before being elected supervisor in 2023, was seeking re-election to a second term as supervisor. Halpin, a newcomer to electoral politics, is pastor at the North Shore Christian Church in Riverhead. “I look forward to getting to work and putting the taxpayers first,” the supervisor-elect told Riverheadlocal.com. “I’m excited. I want to get to work. I plan on leading well and leading by example— servant leadership with humility,” Halpin said. “We will lead our town together,” he said, referring to the rest of the Town Board. Halpin, who is not registered to any political party, will take his seat as the only member of the Riverhead Town Board who is not a Republican.
***
The 49th annual Turkey Trots start at 10 a.m. tomorrow...that's Thanksgiving morning at The Circle in downtown Montauk. Jack Graves reports on 27east.com that there were 1,012 who finished these 3- and 6-mile races around Fort Pond two years ago. And last year, while the weather was said to be the snottiest in the races’ history, 600 or so celebrants of all ages flocked together. Proceeds from this event which began in 1976, go to food pantries in the Town of East Hampton.
Medals are awarded to racers male and female of all ages.
For more information and to sign up, go to events.elitefeats.com/25mtktt.
***
Electoral tactics used to play a spoiler role in the Huntington Town supervisor's race were also employed in Southampton contests this year, local Democratic officials say.
In an October letter, leaders of the Southampton Town Democratic Committee and Suffolk's Working Families Party warned of a possible subterfuge. In urging voters to pick Democrat Tom Neely for town council, the officials said two individuals running on the Working Families Party line were "paper candidates," there to pull votes away from the Democrat and spoil Neely's chances.
Alek Lewis reports in NEWSDAY that one of the council candidates, according to state business records, has a connection to an elected official. Ieshia Galicia is CEO of a cannabis farm in upstate Medusa on property owned by Charles McArdle, Southampton Town's highway superintendent and a registered Conservative.
The gambit fell short: Neely won.
But the hijinks are part of a larger playbook, Democrats say, one that played a more consequential role in the Town of Huntington and has ruined Southampton Democrats' chances in the past.
The accusations have prompted a closer look into the strategy behind the Working Families Party primaries that continue to crop up, and why the line has become so vulnerable in recent years.
In Southampton, Republican-endorsed officials played a key role in the challenge. The Working Families Party candidates' petitions were notarized by Cyndi McNamara, a Republican councilwoman, and McArdle, according to records from the Suffolk County Board of Elections. Both were reelected on Nov. 4.
The practice is legal; party officials aren't the only ones allowed to carry nominating petitions. State law also allows notaries public — licensed officials who can serve as impartial witnesses to signatures — for certification. Their notarization means they witnessed the signatures.
In the general election, Neely was elected to the town board along with McNamara. Republican Rick Martel, an incumbent, was defeated. Galicia and Smith each ended up winning a little more than 4% of the total votes.
Sundy Schermeyer, the Republican and Conservative candidate, handily beat Bernardo and Collins.
***
If the thought of tomorrow’s feast has you worried about wasted food, take heart. Food waste could soon be a thing of the past on the North Fork, thanks to efforts afoot to bring excess food to people in need. While there are many established non-profits that help North Forkers in need of food, one of the newest groups on the scene is an active North Fork chapter of Food Rescue US, a nationwide non-profit that uses an app to connect businesses that have extra food with agencies that provide food to people in need, including food pantries, churches, soup kitchens and little free pantries. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that Food Rescue US/North Fork began a project called “Snap Into Action” at the start of this month’s government shutdown, to beef up its efforts to get food to people in need. Food Rescue co-director Anne Howard said the group has about 25 active volunteers, and 100 people who have signed up to help. For more information on how to get involved, email [email protected] or visit their Facebook or Instagram page.
***
The Shinnecock Canal Maritime Park on the west side of Shinnecock Inlet held a ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday for seven exercise stations along the 1/6 mile path, all of which are designed to be Americans with Disabilities Act ADA compliant and open to the public, free of charge. The stations range from hand and recumbent bicycles to leg and chest presses, pull-up stations, balance steps and lower body exercises. The path can be accessed from Southampton Town’s Parks & Recreation offices at 6 Newtown Road in Hampton Bays. The Parks Department also plans to provide instructional exercise and training programs to residents for a small fee. Those programs will be featured on the town’s website soon. Details are at southamptontownny.gov/parks.
As a courtesy, the Town of Southampton Parks Department will also hold a free 45-minute introduction on December 2 at noon. Participants must register online prior to the event, or by calling the Parks & Recreation office at 631-728-8585. Be sure to wear appropriate sneakers and attire, as it is outdoors. Bring water if needed.
***
The cannabis dispensary Charlie Fox reopened for business on Monday, this time with the official blessing of Southampton Town.
Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the Southampton Town Planning Board approved the special permit application by Charlie Fox for the dispensary last Thursday and an attorney for the dispensary said that the town issued the business a certificate of occupancy — indicating it had fulfilled all of the building safety requirements necessary to open — the following day, even though the business has not yet met all of the conditions of the site plan approval. The temporary restraining order issued by a Suffolk County judge in early October, ordering the dispensary to close about two weeks after it had opened in defiance of town zoning code requirements, was lifted on Monday afternoon by mutual agreement of the town and the dispensary’s attorney, David Gilmartin Jr. Whereas other dispensaries in the town waited for more than a year to earn their site plan approval and months longer for building permits and C/O, it took Charlie Fox just over six weeks. Gilmartin said that the application had been a simple one since the property — most recently a classic car club — had been more or less in turn-key condition once interior modifications had been made to comply with state cannabis security requirements. The Planning Board heard no objections from the public to the application — despite neighboring the Tuckahoe School playground— and approved the site plan application unanimously. The speed with which Charlie Fox went from scofflaw to site plan approval stunned the owners of other cannabis dispensaries, most of whom are still in the throes of complying with Southampton Town requirements to getting their own doors open.