Dave Calone Raises $100K In Camp Kickoff For Suffolk County Executive

The Patch
Dave Calone at his campaign fundraiser Thursday. (Dave Calone for Suffolk County Executive)

STONY BROOK, NY — Former prosecutor and business leader Dave Calone kicked off his campaign for Suffolk County Executive on Thursday night at the Hyatt Regency in Hauppauge, surrounded by a group of over 250 supporters, who raised $100,000, his camp said.

Calone, a Setauket resident, previously served as the chair of the county's Planning Commission.

He is running to succeed County Executive Steve Bellone, who is term-limited, in November.
 

The fundfraiser was sponsored by the Suffolk County Democratic party, which was joined by labor unions, business people, and Calone supporters from across the...

Democrat Calone Sees a Path to Suffolk County Exec

Mark Chiusano
Suffolk County Exec candidate Dave Calone

Back to the polls...

Dave Calone is getting his ducks in a row for his Suffolk County executive bid — including Democratic Party chairman Rich Schaffer.

The venture capitalist and former prosecutor is holding a kickoff event Thursday night in Hauppauge, sponsored by Schaffer as well as the county legislature’s Democratic caucus, and the Democratic chairs of Suffolk’s towns, according to a Calone news release.

Calone was unsuccessful in his Democratic primary bid for the 1st Congressional District in 2016, but he appears to be doing everything possible to become the party’s nominee in November this time. That includes a solid campaign war chest — his account had a closing balance of $938,941.09 for the July periodic filing, the most recent available. And now Schaffer is on board, too.

Suffolk Correction Officer Who Survived 6-Month Battle with COVID-19 to be Presented with Retirement Shield

LongIsland.com
Retired Correction Officer Timothy Heaton receives his Retired Shield

Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon, Jr. and immediate family will be in attendance as Retired Correction Officer Timothy Heaton receives his Retired Shield on Thursday, January 5 at 11:00 AM at the Yaphank Correctional Facility's Alan Croce Lineup Room.

Officer Heaton served the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office for 25 years until a nearly six-month battle with COVID-19 which he miraculously recovered from last Spring.

Suffolk sheriff's office to be hub for national intelligence center, Toulon tells 52 new corrections officer graduates

Newsday
Suffolk sheriff's office to be hub for national intelligence center

The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office will serve as the hub of a nationwide effort by law enforcement to gather and share intelligence from jails and prisons, Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. announced Thursday at a graduation ceremony for 52 new corrections officers.

Details about the hub, set to open in January as the Correction Intelligence Center, or CIC, will be released early next year, officials said. During an address to the officers and others gathered at Suffolk Community College, Toulon said the CIC will allow law enforcement across the country to "vigorously work to combat crimes in our communities.”

Separately, Toulon told the new correction officers, representing one of the most diverse classes in the history of the agency, that they were joining a team dedicated to not only solving or preventing crime, but also rehabilitating inmates.

52 Children Receive Holiday Gifts, Thanks To Suffolk Recruits

The Patch
Each recruit donated items for non-profit organization Long Island Head Start in Brentwood. ( Suffolk County Sheriff's Office )

BRENTWOOD, NY — An annual project for Suffolk County Sheriff’s correction officer recruit class has brought smiles to more than 50 children.

As part of their curriculum,52 recruits collected and delivered toys and winter coats to Long Island Head Start in Brentwood, a non-profit organization that supports children’s growth and development in a positive learning environment.

In addition, the recruits donated enough presents for 52 children who are served by the organization. These presents include educational and fun toys and warm winter coats for boys and girls aged 2 to 5.

Marker Honors Booker T. Washington for His Time in Huntington

Huntington Now
Maker honors Booker T. Washington

A marker honoring Booker T. Washngton went up in Huntington Monday, honoring the educator and civil rights leader who once lived in Huntington.

The marker was placed outside Finley’s of Green Street, which sits on a lot where Washington had owned a house in 1914-15 as an investment property. He also had a summer home in Northport. Washington. who was born into slavery in 1856, died in 1915.

The ceremony to unveil the marker drew law enforcement officials, including Suffolk police commissioner Rodney K. Harrison, Suffolk sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. and District Attorney Ray Tierney, as well as town councilmen Dr. David Bennardo and Gene Cook, and Town Supervisor Ed Smyth, representatives of the South Huntington school district, and town historian Robert Hughes.

Calone: Suffolk needs to take the lead in finding housing options

Long Island Business News
AP Photo

The cost of housing is among the most crucial issues facing Long Island’s future, and it is an issue I have personally worked to address. As chair of the Suffolk County Planning Commission, I eliminated red tape and helped to get shovels in the ground for housing developments. Now, I have serious concerns about an Albany-centric, one size fits all plan to increase housing options, but I am confident that we can address our housing needs if we employ a Suffolk-centric approach.

We need more housing options to allow working families to thrive, young people to stay, and seniors to comfortably retire in Suffolk County. However, the existing piecemeal approval processes have left us with too little housing which, due to simple supply and demand, costs too much. With a median home price of $545,000 and few rental units available in Suffolk County, our young people are compelled to move away. This exodus imperils our future and places Long Island businesses at a competitive disadvantage when needed workers cannot afford to live here.

The housing crisis has grown over decades and needs to be addressed with urgency. However, the proposed solutions from Albany don’t make sense for Long Island, and Suffolk County in particular.