Superman dons cape for Smithtown board

Look! Up at the microphone — It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s . . . Hauppauge gadfly Arno Herwerth, dressed as Superman.

Wearing the Man of Steel’s blue bodysuit and red cape, the balding Herwerth appeared before the Smithtown Town Board on Thursday to call for arming town park rangers, most of whom do not carry weapons.

Herwerth, 46, a retired New York City cop, is a veteran activist who in the past appeared in a chicken suit to support the controversial Angel’s Gate animal shelter. He made news in 2007 when he successfully fought the state over his “GETOSAMA” license plates.

On Thursday, he carried a sign saying, “Lois Lane left me for an armed park ranger.”

Herwerth thanked the board for allowing him to express his views — “Some towns don’t let you come in costume,” he said — then departed, presumably in search of a phone booth.

Herwerth’s appearance threatened to upstage the next speaker, Kevin Ryan, director of external affairs at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown.

“That’s a tough act to follow,” Ryan said.

Above: Arno Herwerth, who made news fighting the state over his "GETOSAMA" license plate in 2007, was in the spotlight again Thursday night at the Smithtown Town Board meeting when he dressed up as Superman.