A Forest for Our Kids

When my husband and I moved to Kings Park, one of the first things we did was visit Fort Salonga Elementary School, where our kids would be going. I remember turning to him and saying, “Oh my god, our kids will be going to school in a forest! How great is this?!”

Now, if you’re like me and grew up in Queens or the city, you know what I mean: a grouping of four or more trees feels like a forest (seriously, it does). That’s why families like mine move out here: for the open space, the breathing room, the chance to exhale.

But little by little, that space is eroding. Some people might say, "So what? It's just a field of flowers, it's just some empty farmland. What we need is to keep our kids and families here on Long Island and stop the Yankee exodus to North Carolina and Florida! We need housing, and it needs to be affordable. We need to keep our tax base and our families intact.

And you know what? They're not wrong. We do need to keep families here and at the same time, protect the things that make people want to stay: our parks, trails, peace & quiet. 

But the question is: How? How do we balance both without sacrificing either? 

Here’s what we know doesn’t work:

- Giving developers massive tax breaks while the community and home owners pay more

- Building developments without sewers, proper traffic planning, or enough water to support them.

- Bulldozing a field and building, because once you do, you can’t turn it back into a park, playground, trail, or preserve.

So what DO we do?

It’s tricky because if there were an easy solution, it would be done already, right? RIGHT?

I mean, we could:

– renovate existing spaces like abandoned storefronts

– build up, not out – apartments above existing shops

– Make developers meet community standards for traffic, character, and infrastructure: with each hamlet having its own checklist

– fix infrastructure first, before approving more growth

– Make developers pay their fair share into schools, roads, and emergency services, instead of leaving the bill with homeowners.

It’s not a lack of ideas, it’s a lack of WILL.

– Because it's easier to rubber-stamp whatever developers propose than to ask hard questions.

– Because it's easier to say yes to developers with deep pockets than to neighbors with real concerns.

– Because it’s easier to kick problems down the road than it is to plan and fix them up front.

– Because it’s easier to let someone else deal with traffic, infrastructure, and community character.

That’s why Jesse, Mike, and I are running:  to bring the WILL that’s been missing.

None of this is crazy or radical; it’s just smart planning that protects our open space, clean water, and community character while keeping families here.

We're not career politicians, we're neighbors who care about Smithtown's future as much as you do. But, no way we can do this alone.

This isn’t about red or blue, Democrat or Republican. It’s about protecting the place we all call home: our parks, our water, our community character, and the ability for families to stay here.

That’s why the three of us: Jesse Phillips, Mike Catalanotto, and I are in this fight together. And we want you with us. So…

Over to you, neighbor!

Help spread the word on social media, come to Office Hours, stop by headquarters, or just reach out and tell us what’s on your mind! The more voices we bring to the table, the stronger our future will be.


Want to meet my running mates?
Learn more about Jesse Phillips & Mike Catalanotto HERE