Gov. Hochul says she's committed to help prevent LIRR strike

Every day on average, half a million vehicles cross the Queens-Nassau border on the region's major highways — the Long Island Expressway, the Northern State and Southern State parkways.Peter Gill and Alfonso A. Castillo report in NEWSDAY that shutting down the Long Island Rail Road, if a possible strike becomes a reality this coming Saturday, and sending at least a portion of the 270,000 daily weekday riders to their cars is expected to put a serious strain on roadways connecting Long Island and the city.Robert Sinclair, of AAA Northeast, said the strike has the potential to make roadways between the city and Long Island "extremely crowded.""All the roads going west are [already] jammed during a normal rush hour — and this is going to be extremely abnormal," he said.Commuters and transportation experts see a potential gridlock situation. However, they say, the impact can be difficult to predict and could be less severe if people adjust commute times, to avoid peak rush hour, or work from home.The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s strategy to survive a potential LIRR strike next week relies on most commuters working from home, and those who can’t making do with limited options to get between New York City and Long Island, including buses and their own cars.The MTA will have shuttle buses going from six LIRR stations — including Bay Shore, Huntington, and Ronkonkoma in Suffolk to and from Queens locations.MTA chief financial officer Jai Patel said between 165 and 275 buses could be secured for the contingency plan, costing the MTA $325,000 to $550,000 per day.Still, MTA officials have acknowledged the shuttles won’t be able to accommodate all riders of the busiest commuter railroad in North America, so they have been encouraging employers to allow workers to telecommute.***Gov. Kathy Hochul said yesterday she’s committed to getting LIRR workers a "deal that is going to prevent a strike" just five days away.Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that Governor Hochul, in Manhattan Monday, said she and her team are "immersed in the details" of the ongoing labor negotiations between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and five unions representing nearly 3,500 LIRR workers. If unresolved, the unions have said they will go on strike beginning Saturday, shutting down the nation’s largest commuter railroad and displacing about 270,000 daily riders."I am involved," said Hochul, who oversees the MTA and appoints many of its board members. "We just want to make sure that New York is affordable for everyone and make sure, as they negotiate, that they get the deal that is going to prevent a strike. I’m committed to that."After failing to reach a deal at a pair of negotiating sessions last week, both sides returned to the bargaining table in Bethpage yesterday for negotiations overseen by the National Mediation Board.A union coalition spokesman said Monday's bargaining session ended with no settlement and little progress made. He said both sides are set to meet again Wednesday.In a statement, the MTA said it made "a revised proposal" during yesterday's talks, but offered no details of the latest offer.Yesterday, Michael Sullivan, general chairman of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, said the MTA strategy is to "deflect, distort, dither and denigrate" even as the strike date grows nearer."It’s time for management to get serious about negotiating wages," Sullivan said in a statement.Hochul said among the issues her office is tracking is "what can be afforded" and "what sets the pattern for other unions."***New York Governor Kathy Hochul has endorsed incumbent East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez in her ongoing Democratic primary race with challenger Jerry Larsen, the mayor of East Hampton Village, according to a release sent out by East Hampton Democrats. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that Burke-Gonzalez and Larsen have been locked in a heated contest for the Democratic Party ballot line, the winner of which will be decided in the primary election on June 23. Since the local Republican Party has not put forth a candidate for East Hampton Town supervisor ahead of the filing deadlines for the November election, the winner of this year’s primary will have a straight shot at the town’s top office.Intrigue has surrounded the race from the outset, as Larsen has challenged the established local Democratic Party by backing a separate slate of candidates for seats on the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee and drawn the ire of Suffolk County Democratic Committee officials.Governor Hochul’s announcement yesterday endorsing Kathee Burke-Gonzalez stated in part, “Kathee knows how to work with partners at every level of government and bring resources home for the people she serves…I’m excited to keep working with Kathee to build on that progress and deliver even more for East Hampton and for New York.”***The man who was shot and killed by Southampton Town Police officers on Sunday had slashed and stabbed his mother more than 40 times inside her Northampton home before he was shot, Town Police Chief James Kiernan said at a press conference yesterday. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the 28-year-old, identified as Steven Eastwood, had already stabbed his mother multiple times when three officers arrived at the well-kept Topping Drive home on Mother’s Day.When officers entered the home, they found Eastwood standing over his mother with a knife. He ignored their orders to drop the knife and began walking toward the officers, who Chief Kiernan said backed away from him in an effort to draw him away from his mother and deescalate the situation.But, instead, the son suddenly turned back toward his mother and began stabbing her again.“Faced with an ongoing, deadly assault, officers discharged their service weapons, striking Mr. Eastwood, and immediately stopping the attack,” Kiernan said. “Emergency medical services personnel from Flanders Northampton Ambulance responded to the scene and pronounced Mr. Eastwood deceased.”Kiernan said that more than one of the officers fired their guns, but did not say how many shots were fired. He has not identified the officers by name, but said all three are receiving trauma counseling.The victim, whom police have not named, was taken by Suffolk County Police medevac helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she underwent surgery. She remains in serious condition and has not regained consciousness, Kiernan said, as of the last update shared with police.The victim had called police at 2:43 p.m. Sunday and said that her son was at the home, highly intoxicated and acting violently. Police officers were already en route to the address when the woman called 911 again and said that her son was threatening her with a knife.Chief Kiernan said that the officers involved in the shooting were wearing body cameras and that the footage from the incident will be released at a future date. The shooting is being investigated by the New York State attorney general’s office, as is protocol for all officer-involved shootings.This appears to be the first time a Southampton or East Hampton Town police officer has shot and killed anyone.***A code change that would link employment and housing underwent public debate last week as a string of speakers came out in force to question an East Hampton Town Board move that would, if passed, establish and enumerate the standards for employer-owned housing developments. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that all such developments, if the code were approved as currently written, would have to be built in both an affordable housing overlay district and a limited business overlay district, which would ensure proximity to workplaces. Units would go to moderate-income families or individuals — that is, those who earn within 130 percent of the area median income, which is around $142,000 for a single person. Rent also would be capped at 130 percent of fair market rent.Such developments would require a special permit. Tenants also would have all rights and protections provided by New York State’s tenant laws.These proposed changes came on the heels of a pitched 79-unit decentralized, condominium-style workforce development on Three Mile Harbor Road that popped up late last year — and quickly fizzled out in the face of firm opposition from the public and an East Hampton Town Board that questioned the oversight structure.This shadow loomed last Thursday as the Town Board unveiled the set of workforce housing code changes. The crux of the legislation, on top of what is listed above, would mandate that a third-party management company come in to oversee the units.What this code change would do, practically, is pave the way for private developer Kirby Marcantonio’s 47-unit, condominium-style plan for workforce housing on Pantigo Road. Units will cost $700,000 to build, so the cost for businesses to buy would end up being north of that number. Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, for one, has been outwardly supportive of this development.Next steps will have the East Hampton Town Board return the code changes to a work session for further discussion. There, town officials will likely discuss whether to make any changes to the draft code and whether the board’s support weathered the public hearing.***The League of Women Voters of the Hamptons, Shelter Island and North Fork will welcome Andrea Goldsmith, president of Stony Brook University, as guest speaker at its 49th annual meeting this coming Sunday, May 17, at 2 p.m. at Rogers Memorial Library in...