Authors Posts by Rita J. Egan

Rita J. Egan

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Earlier this year, Hope Kinney, left, shown with Herb Mones, Three Village Community Trust president, was able to secure a $4,000 grant from her employer, Investors Bank, to help restore the immigrant factory houses in Setauket. Photo from Three Village Community Trust

Hope Kinney is a familiar face in the Three Village area.

Hope Kinney collecting donations for The Salvation Army. File photo

Whether at an event organized by the Rotary Club of Stony Brook, Three Village Community Trust, local chamber of commerce or working with students and businesses with the Three Village Industry Advisory Board, residents will see Kinney there with a smile on her face, scurrying around to help out.

For her dedication to her community, Kinney is one of TBR News Media’s People of the Year.

The admiration is mutual. Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) nominated Kinney for Suffolk County Woman of Distinction in the 5th Legislative District in 2020.

“Hope Kinney’s impact is ingrained within many of the layers that comprise our community,” the legislator wrote in an email. “From her highly visible leadership role with, and on behalf of, local business to her continual support of organizations committed to societal improvement, Hope is dedicated to serving neighbors and community with purpose. There is so much to honor Hope Kinney for, and I believe, this recognition translates our thankful community’s gratitude into celebration of her uplifting and selfless spirit.”

For years, Kinney has been involved with the now-defunct Three Village Kiwanis Club and Rotary Club of Stony Brook. She became the president of the latter in the summer of 2020 and took on the challenge of organizing club events while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. She scheduled Zoom meetings, and as more businesses were able to open up planned socially distanced lunches. She also put together a virtual online fundraiser for the Port Jefferson-based nonprofit Give Kids Hope, which provides food and clothing for local residents in need.

For the last three years, the rotary club has organized the Three Village Holiday Electric Parade. During the pandemic, due to COVID-19 restrictions, a drive-thru version of the event was held at Ward Melville High School. 

Judi Wallace, treasurer of the rotary club, credits Kinney for keeping the organization going during the pandemic. She described Kinney as “a wonderful person” and “super community oriented.”

“Three Village means everything to her,” Wallace said.

Kinney is always looking for ways the rotary can assist individuals or groups who have a need in the area, Wallace said.

She added, “Hope is always thinking and always coming up with great ideas in order to do things in the community.”

Wallace said it was Kinney who brought back the 5K race organized by rotary and The Bench in Stony Brook.

“She just comes up with an idea and follows through, and that’s the most important thing in the world,” Wallace said.

The same year Kinney became president of the rotary club, she joined the Three Village Community Trust board and is currently its treasurer.

Herb Mones, president of TVCT, said it’s refreshing and a big help to a volunteer-based organization such as TVCT to have someone such as Kinney who is always ready to chip in when asked.

“She is always the first to say, ‘I can do that,’ and helps and takes on different responsibilities when the need is there,” he said. “She does it in an upbeat, happy way of feeling that she is contributing and helping the community.”

Hope Kinney standing in front of the Rotary Club truck in Hicksville about to receive 4,000 masks in 2020. Photo from Hope Kinney

She was recently able to secure a $4,000 grant through her employer, Investors Bank, which will go toward the restoration of the immigrant factory houses in Setauket. Kinney has also spearheaded the trust’s gala in November, which Mones said is the most successful fundraiser for TVCT.

“She’s always got an ear to the community and understands things that are going on and that becomes very helpful in so many different ways,” Mones said.

Kinney juggles all her volunteer roles while working full-time as the branch manager at Investors Bank, formerly Gold Coast Bank, at its Setauket location on Route 25A.

Kinney started her banking career at Capital One in 2004. When the bank had layoffs in 2018, she was recruited by John Tsunis, Gold Coast’s founder, as branch manager.

In a 2020 interview with The Village Times Herald, Kinney talked about balancing her career and volunteerism with spending time with her husband, Joseph, and three children Justin, Michael and Rachel. To handle all her responsibilities, she said she tries to stay organized and not get overwhelmed.

“I take it day by day,” Kinney said. “I put it on the calendar, and I’m able to look at the calendar and then I go day by day … I guess that’s the secret — work with each day.”

Mari Irizarry

During the onset of the pandemic, the Three Village Historical Society had a difficult decision regarding laying off employees when they were unable to hold events which generate revenue.

Part of Three Village Historical Society Director Mari Irizarry’s (left) job is archiving records. Above, she is with Long Island Library Resources Council Project Archivist Robert Anen with an archival box containing the audio tapes from Glenda Dickerson’s Eel Catching in Setauket project that was originally believed to be lost. Photo by Beverly C. Tyler

They could keep only one person on staff, and they chose at the time creative services manager Mari Irizarry, who has worked with TVHS since 2016. Earlier this year, the TVHS board of trustees appointed Irizarry the society’s director, a position that hadn’t been filled for some time.

TVHS president, Jeff Schnee, said the society had reached a point where they needed someone as director once again as the board of trustees looked to work with various organizations, develop relationships with community members and enrich its educational programs. The society is also planning to open the Dominick-Crawford Barn Exhibit and Education Center in the near future. The preservation project will feature expanded archives, an exhibition and education center, and a gift shop.

Schnee said after working nearly a year with Irizarry he knew she would be the perfect director.

“Mari’s superpower is that she’s a bridge builder,” he said.

He added Irizarry has helped TVHS work with other art and cultural organizations in the area, which he said is ideal as whenever people attend an event, they ask what else there is to do locally. Schnee said it’s a win-win situation where the society recommends neighboring museums and galleries, and they do the same by suggesting the historical society to visitors.

Among Irizarry’s accomplishments is forming a youth advisory committee with high school students, which Schnee said is “huge” for the society’s future as they share their ideas and volunteer at events. Irizarry reaches out to the committee members’ parents to ask them to get involved, too.

“It’s broadening the experience, the skills and the potential of our board and membership,” Schnee said.

Irizarry brings some 20 years of experience in nonprofit and government sectors. Schnee said with her past experiences with nonprofits, she’s been able to attract more people to the society and many have joined because of her. This year there have been 125 first-time members.

Currently, TVHS is working on the museum that will be housed in the Dominick-Crawford Barn and will feature a 1,500-square-foot first floor of educational and exhibit space. Schnee said Irizarry is on the design team of the museum, and he is confident in her abilities.

“We’re so lucky to have her,” Schnee said.

Irizarry has also developed the gift shop currently in the historical society’s main building on North Country Road. When talking to the director about the gift shop, Schnee said he had hoped to create an experience for visitors.

“She developed what was a small little area into a marvelous array of books as well as other items locally produced that visitors can take back as a nice memento of visiting our establishment,” he said.

Margo Arceri, Tri-Spy Tours owner, credited Irizarry for bringing interesting Culper Spy Ring-oriented merchandise to the society’s gift store.

According to the society, there have been 1,600 transactions at the gift store this year.

Arceri also praised Irizarry for her work during the pandemic

“She really kept that train moving when the rest of the world stopped,” she said.

Mari Irizarry and Jeff Schnee address attendees at the groundbreaking of the Dominick-Crawford Barn Exhibit and Education Center in March. Photo by Raymond Janis

Arceri said planning virtual events during the pandemic has taken the historical society to the next level, and Irizarry’s forward thinking has helped TVHS immensely. According to a recent Year in Review email from the society, there were 58,000 attendees to TVHS events, either in-person or virtually, who live across the United States and five countries.

“I think she put on all her different hats, and she shines with each one quite well, and I think the key was that she kept us moving forward in terms of creative thinking,” Arceri said.

Over the last couple of years, Irizarry has spearheaded free events on Culper Spy Day and this year introduced the first Three Village Outdoor Winter Market.

“She has a passion for the society,” Arceri said. “She has a passion for the community, and I think that we’re very fortunate to have her.”

Beverly C. Tyler, TVHS historian and education committee member, described Irizarry as a positive multitasker and people person. He said she has been learning as she goes and is organized, a good manager and executive.

“She has a natural talent for working with people and getting things done,” he said.

Tyler added, “She has progressed from being a media person to having all around knowledge of what the society needs and what’s best for the society.”

The historian added she knows how to spot people’s strengths and how they can best contribute. He noted regarding the various planning committees, Irizarry coordinates well with the members. “We know when we’re working with her on a project what’s expected of us, and she knows exactly how to get the most out of what we’re doing to make the society move forward,” he said.

“She has a passion for the society,” Arceri said. “She has a passion for the community, and I think that we’re very fortunate to have her.”

For steering the historical society toward the future, Irizarry is among TBR News Media’s 2022 People of the Year.

Olivia and Harlan Fischer, above, are among TBR News Media’s People of the Year. Photo from Branch Financial Services

Harlan and Olivia Fischer have been married for nearly 50 years. Even more impressive than the longevity of their marriage is their track record of giving back to the community and surrounding areas.

This year the Fischers funded the restoration of the Hercules figurehead by Stony Brook Harbor. Photo from The Ward Melville Heritage Organization

These philanthropic efforts have earned the Head of the Harbor residents a spot among TBR News Media’s People of the Year for 2022. This year isn’t the first time one of the Fischers has been featured in the special edition. Harlan Fischer, president of Branch Financial Services, was a Man of the Year in 2000 for his accomplishments in business.

Tom Manuel, founder of The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook, knows firsthand about the Fischers’ generosity.

“The Fischers were literally the first people to come alongside and support The Jazz Loft when we were in our planning stages back in 2014,” he said. “Each year they have selflessly, generously, and without reservation supported us more and more, and we are honored to have an annual 12-performance concert series in their name.”

Recently, the couple offered a $25K match for the venue to establish an endowment.

“They are true philanthropists doing things for the right reasons,” Manuel said.

The Fischers’ involvement with The Jazz Loft began one day as Harlan was walking one of the couple’s dogs in the Stony Brook Village Center. He ran into Manuel, who was promoting the future venue. The two began talking about jazz, according to The Jazz Loft founder.

Manuel said it turned out Fischer had read about the plans to open the venue, and when he heard the musician was performing at the shopping center, he went to check him out.

Manuel said Fischer gave him an envelope with a check inside. He thought it was for $50, but it turned out to be for $1,000.

The Fischers became even more involved in the Three Village area when Harlan moved his office from Smithtown to Setauket in 2020. Driving past Stony Brook Village Center twice a day, he asked Manuel and The Ward Melville Heritage Organization president, Gloria Rocchio, if WMHO needed assistance with anything. These discussions led to the Fischers sponsoring the installation of a replica of the center’s historic weathervane that shattered last year, and the restoration of the Hercules figurehead that sits by Stony Brook Harbor as well as the pavilion that shelters it.

WMHO board members debuted the restored Hercules figurehead at a press conference on Oct. 14.

“When we make contributions to places, we like to see the results of it,” Harlan Fischer said at the press conference.

Rocchio said in a phone interview that the board members met the Fischers several years ago.

“We found that we have the same interest, which is the love of the community,” she said.

With the Hercules project, Rocchio said Harlan took time out of his busy schedule to get to know the contractors, workers and artists involved in the restoration.

“He’s a very interesting man, and the two of them are very talented,” Rocchio said.

She added, “They’re good people. They have really embraced the community completely.”

The couple are also known for rescuing dogs, and they regularly donate to Little Shelter Animal Rescue’s annual Pet-A-Palooza in Huntington. 

Olivia and Harlan Fischer, above, are among TBR News Media’s People of the Year. Photo from Branch Financial Services

Leigh Wixson, director of Smithtown Animal Shelter, said the Fischers donated $7,600 for a dog park behind the shelter in September 2017. She said the park helps with the dogs’ physical activities and interaction. The park was named the Olivia and Harlan Fischer Recreational and Development Park and is the size of half a football field.

Wixson said the dogs will pull handlers toward the park when they see it, and can play fetch, run and explore. The shelter sometimes sets up small pools and sprinklers for the animals.

“It’s enriching having that large of a park,” she said. “We had outdoor pens already, but they’re quite small and didn’t allow a lot of space for running.”

In addition to their philanthropy, many know the couple for their love of art, and their contemporary studio art glass collection. In an August 2020 interview with TBR, Harlan Fischer said, for him, that love began after a 1988 car accident when he was hit by a drunk driver. He realized he could have been killed, and up until that point his life was mostly about work.

“All of a sudden it got me in touch with my mortality,” he said.

A talk with his physical therapist led him to joining the Smithtown Rotary Club, and he went on to be president of the club in 1997-98. It was during this time he learned about the Smithtown Township Arts Council and became a board member. He eventually became president of the council for five years, and learned a good deal about art from the director of the council at the time, Norma Cohen.

Harlan and Olivia’s love of art has led to raising money for various organizations, including hosting fundraisers in their home. Among their philanthropic activities in the art community have been being members of The Long Island Museum’s Directors Advisory Circle and sponsoring the East End Arts Music Masters Mentorship Program for high schoolers. Harlan Fischer is also a former board president of the Art League of Long Island. Last year, the East End Arts Council selected the Fischers as their 2021 Community Impact Award recipients.

Recently, Olivia Fischer has also been knitting scarves and donating them to Gallery North’s gift store, where all profits from the scarves go back to the gallery, according to Kristen Domiano, a registered service associate with Branch Financial Services.

Over the years, the Fischers have become so much more to the people they interact with than philanthropists.

Domiano described the couple as “generous” and “thoughtful.”

“There aren’t even words to describe how they are,” she said. “They’re so special.”

Due to his profession, Harlan, who is also chair of the Head of the Harbor Planning Board, usually winds up being the main spokesperson for their efforts.

Olivia “never likes to be in the spotlight, but it’s the two of them together,” Domiano said.

She added it’s cute to see the couple together. “He starts talking about Olivia, and he just gets choked up.”

Harlan Fischer is also generous and appreciative regarding his staff, according to Domiano, describing him as honest and a mentor.

Manuel said he and his wife, Laura, “are blessed to have friends with such outstanding character.” 

“Harlan and Olivia have been such generous sources of encouragement, advice and genuine love,” he said. “Our community is lucky to have them here not just because of the amazing projects and things they do, but because they call our community their home. Our community at large is a better place because they are a part of it.”

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Approximately 200 people celebrated the first night of Hanukkah at Village Chabad in East Setauket.

When addressing the attendees, Rabbi Motti Grossbaum talked about the inspiring message of the holiday where even one flame of light can dispel an immense amount of darkness.

“Just like on the menorah itself, every day we must increase on the good we did yesterday and ultimately good will always prevail,” he said.

Setauket Fire Department volunteers were on hand to help with the lighting. Attendees enjoyed a Chocolate Coin “Gelt Drop,” when 2,000 coins were tossed from the top of an extended fire truck bucket up in the air. There were also traditional jelly donuts, hot latkes and hot cocoa for all. Jester Jim performed a juggling show under the Menorah’s glow to conclude the program.

The rabbi invited everyone in attendance to help break a record on the night of Saturday, Dec. 24, for 1,000 Jewish homes in Suffolk and Nassau counties to light menorahs simultaneously on Zoom from the comfort of their own homes. To register, visit Menorah1000.com.

Photos by Gail DeClue

Photos by Media Origin

Chabad of Huntington Village hosted a Grand Menorah Lighting at the Huntington Village Winter Wonderland at Main Street and Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 19.

Residents were able to witness the lighting and enjoy juggling and fire entertainment by Keith Leaf, doughnuts and more. 

 

A view of the Stier family’s 2021 holiday display that won them a $50,000 prize in “The Great Christmas Light Fight.” Photo from the Stier family

Local viewers of “The Great Christmas Light Fight” may have recognized one of the families in a recent episode.

The family received a trophy from the show. Photo from the Stier family

Many residents in St. James and the surrounding areas are familiar with the Stier house on Arlington Avenue. Each year Ashley and Chris Stier, along with their children Serenity and Storm, fill the lawn with children’s playhouses that they decorate with lights plus handcrafted and hand-painted accents. Each structure is dedicated to a specific theme, such as the movies “Miracle on 34th Street,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and more. Traditional Christmas decorations complement the playhouses and an arch of lights decorates the driveway.

In 2021, a friend sent a video of the Stiers’ annual display, and the show’s producers interviewed the family after seeing the submission. The Stiers were thrilled when they were told they were chosen and filmed an episode last year over four days that aired this Dec. 12. While the family was notified that they had won the contest, they weren’t able to tell anyone and couldn’t collect the $50,000 prize until after the show aired.

Ashley Stier said while it was difficult, they were able to keep the secret. They also had yet to learn who they were up against while filming.

“The moment it airs, that’s the time we see it, too,” she said. “So we had to wait a whole year to see the outcome and who we competed against.”

The Stiers were up against stiff competition, including one family spreading their holiday display throughout more than 3 acres of land in Bainbridge, Georgia, and an Orlando, Florida, couple decorating their home with lights to honor those around the world who succumbed to COVID-19.

On the episode, when judge Taniya Nayak awarded the Stiers their Light Fight trophy, she said, “You can feel the love and all of the creativity in every piece of the display that you guys put together.”

To get ready for the competition show, the family began in September 2021 as they had 58 days to complete the setup before filming started.

“Everyone was, like, what’s going on,” Ashley Stier said.

The Stiers decided to go with “The Nightmare Before Christmas” theme, which would be fitting for Halloween, too. The passersby could see Santa Claus battling the character Jack as well as skeletons fighting each other.

“We had to figure out how to correlate the two holidays,” the mother said.

The Stiers’ display not only features Christmas favorites of the family but also plays into their interests and careers. Ashley Stier is a real estate agent and enjoys craft, and Chris is a sheet metal worker who co-owns Trio Sheet Metal Works Co. with his brother. The 16-year-old Serenity also enjoys the do-it-yourself projects, while 8-year-old Storm loves sitting in one of the houses handing out candy canes to visitors, in addition to helping put everything together like his sister.

The annual setting was inspired by a Dickens village that Ashley Stier’s grandparents once displayed in their home and her late grandmother passed on to her. Ashley’s grandfather Thomas Taravella also appeared on the show.

A close-up of one of the playhouses. Photo from the Stier family

In addition to fully decorating their lawn, the Stiers also host their extended family for Christmas yearly.

“As everyone started passing away, it was like now we are the ones who have to carry on the torch,” the mother said.

Ashley met Chris when she was a student at Ward Melville High School in East Setauket. They married and had their daughter young. As Ashley attended college, Chris and his brother began running their father’s business.

“We sort of grew up together,” Ashley said, adding through the years both have developed a deeper love for Christmas.

When Ashley was younger, she and her family would go every year to see the houses decorated in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, and once they started dating, Chris would join them.

“When I was little, that was a big deal for me,” she said.

The day would include a visit to the attractions as well as watching the movies “Miracle on 34th Street” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” and drinking hot chocolate. The tradition inspired the two playhouses in their outdoor display dedicated to the holiday movies.

Before the couple moved to St. James, they would set up an outside display at their East Meadow home. Chris Stier and daughter Serenity used one of her playhouses one year.

“My husband was always obsessed with the Christmas stuff with her,” Ashley Stier said.

Through the years, helping their parents with the holiday tradition and their father with projects, the children have learned various skills, including Serenity knowing how to weld and being knowledgeable about plumbing.

Although the family has lived in St. James for several years, they started going big with the display in the past few years. Ashley Stier said the presentation gets bigger every year with people, especially local moms, dropping off playhouses and other items.

Usually, it takes the Stiers a month to decorate, but this year it took approximately six weeks, because last year when it was time to pack up, Ashley Stier said they were tired, and they rushed to get everything put away.

However, the lawn is decorated once again, and people get out of their cars to check out the holiday display, and her son gives out candy canes when he can. Every once in a while, they push the button on their snow machine, depending on how many people are around.

They have a pathway up to each house so visitors can look closer, and a mailbox to send letters to Santa. There’s also a spot to drop off toys for Miss Minnie’s Kids which sends the items to children in Jamaica. Ashley Stier said in addition to putting money aside for Serenity’s and Storm’s college funds, the family will also donate some of the $50,000 prize to the nonprofit.

Recently, a Girl Scout Troop that had dropped off a playhouse a few years ago stopped by to see their contribution, which is now the gumdrop house.

“It’s kind of nice because it went from doing something for our family and now it’s turning into a community thing, everyone is a part of it in a way,” Ashley Stier said.

The episode, Season 10 Episode 5, can be viewed on ABC on demand or Hulu. 

Steve Chassman, of LICADD, shows attendees strips to test drugs for fentanyl at a Dec. 13 press conference in Port Jefferson. Photo by Rita J. Egan

Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) joined forces with the Westbury-based Long Island Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence to inform residents about the increased danger of opioid-related deaths during the holiday season and the threat of street drugs.

County Legislator Kara Hahn addresses attendees at the Dec. 13 press conference. Photo by Rita J. Egan

The legislator, treatment providers and family members of those who have died from opioid-related deaths, some holding posters featuring photos of their deceased loved ones, gathered at a press conference held outside Hahn’s Port Jefferson office on Tuesday, Dec. 13.

Steve Chassman, executive director of LICADD, said the area is “rich in resources, and we are going to need them.” He listed some of the organizations that provide services 24 hours a day for those dealing with drug use and their families, such as Seafield Center of Westhampton Beach and Hope House Ministries of Port Jefferson as well as LICADD. 

“We are here because it is absolutely necessary to let Long Islanders know the drug supply, not just heroin — cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy, pressed pills — are tainted with fentanyl,” Chassman said.

He added that the death rate due to drug overdoses continues to rise, and for many families the holiday season is not a season of peace and joy.

“For families that are in the throes of substance use or opiate-use disorder, this is a time of isolation. This is a time of stigma. This is a time of financial insecurity, and we know that the rate itself, that of self-medication, increases exponentially,” Chassman said. “We’re having this press conference to let families know they’re not alone.”

Hahn said according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, winter is when drug-related deaths spike, most likely due to holiday gatherings or experiencing depression during the winter season. 

“The months of March, January and February, respectively, are traditionally the deadliest of the year for overdoses,” she said.

Hahn encouraged families to take advantage of the resources available to them.

“Too many families already face empty chairs at their tables, but there is always hope,” the county legislator said. “Recovery is possible.”

Carole Trottere, of Old Field, lost her son Alex Sutton to a heroin-fentanyl overdose in April 2018.

She said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration now refers to overdose deaths as poisoning. The DEA has stated that six out of 10 illegal pills tested had fentanyl.

“Using street drugs is the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with your life,” Trottere said. “It’s not if it will kill you, it’s when.”

Trottere advised parents not to “hide their heads in the sand.” She said to talk to their children about the dangers of drug use and to reach out to an organization for help when needed.

Anthony Rizzuto, Seafield Center director of provider relations, said, “When I first got involved in this advocacy fight, we were at about 74,000 [deaths],” he said. “We’re looking at each other, how can we let this happen? We are now at 107,000.”

This number from the CDC, for the year ending January 2022, reflects the opioid-related deaths in the U.S.

Rizzuto said one of the challenges of providing help is the stigma attached to drug use, and people being hesitant to talk about it.

“There is no shame in getting help for the disease of addiction,” he said.

He reiterated how marijuana, cocaine and fake prescription pills often are laced with fentanyl.

“If you’re not getting your medication from a pharmacy with your name on the label, please be [suspicious],” he said. “Fentanyl kills.”

For information on how to get help, visit www.licadd.org, or call the hotline, 631-979-1700.

Doctors recommend mask-wearing during indoor gatherings. Stock photo from Pixabay

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised Suffolk County residents to wear masks while at indoor public spaces regardless of their vaccination status

The recommendation is due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in the county. According to the Suffolk County Department of Health, for the week ending Dec. 3, there were 264-290 people hospitalized with COVID-19, and 14 died from the virus in the county. There were 4,168 new cases reported. The reinfection rate for Long Island increased from 10.3 to 18 per 100,000.

Flu cases have also increased. According to the SCDOH, during the week ending Dec. 3, flu cases increased in the county by 85%, from 1,577 confirmed cases to 2,916. 

In a video posted to the SCDOH’s social media pages, Dr. Gregson Pigott, county health commissioner, said the COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (or RSV) infection rates are surging in Suffolk. The cases are in addition to the rise of other common seasonal infectious diseases. 

“They are causing too many people to miss work or school and straining our health care systems,” Pigott said.

He urged residents to take precautions such as getting the vaccines for the flu and COVID, noting it is safe to take them together. He added the COVID bivalent booster “has shown to be effective against the older and newer strains of SARS-CoV-2.”

Pigott said the flu shot is a good match for this year’s circulating strains. Currently, there is no vaccine for RSV.

In the video, he reminded residents to wash their hands often and stay home when sick. He added that masks should be clean and well fitted, and used in enclosed public spaces.

“As we head into our third pandemic winter, let us be safe and do our best to protect one another,” Pigott said.

Red-light camera tickets will be less expensive in the future after the Suffolk County Legislature voted to repeal the $30 administration fee. File photo by Phil Corso

Suffolk County red-light camera offenders will find their bill will be a little less in
the future.

County legislators passed a veto-proof resolution, 12-6, to repeal the $30 administration fee that was an addition to the $50 ticket at their general meeting Dec. 6. The resolution was sponsored by Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga). Trotta has been an opponent of the red-light camera ticket program since its inception more than a decade ago. The $30 administration fee was added a few years after the program began.

The bill now awaits County Executive Steve Bellone’s (D) signature.

All 11 Republican legislators were in favor of the legislation and Tom Donnelly (D-Deer Park) also voted for its repeal. The remaining Democrats voted against it.

Trotta has called the program a “money grab to generate revenue by the county executive.”

In a phone interview, Trotta said it’s the equivalent of people going a few miles over the speed limit.

“It’s not a safety issue, it’s a scam,” he said.

Suffolk County Legislature Minority Leader Jason Richberg (D-West Babylon) said in a statement that those who voted “no” did so because of the county’s budget.

“Repealing the administrative fee for red-light camera tickets is a fine idea and is not what our caucus has an issue with,” Richberg said. “This problem is we have a law on the books that says the Legislature cannot remove any funds out of the budget unless there is an offset, which there is not currently. Without a budget offset we are knowingly putting a $7 million hole in the county’s 2023 budget, which was voted on and passed less than a month ago. We’re not able to amend the budget until February, so until then there will be gaps that could lead to shortages in other areas.”

Trotta also acknowledged the problems with the budget. While he is against the red-light cameras entirely, he said removing them completely presently does not make sense.

“We’re in a bind where we have to be very careful,” Trotta said. “We have to start cutting before we can start cutting the cameras.”

Trotta said the current administration fee was deemed illegal by a state Supreme Court judge. The ruling was handed down in 2020, and the county has appealed it. With the red-light program being a state initiative, the county cannot charge more than other municipalities in the state, according to the court.

Marykate Guilfoyle, a spokeswoman for Bellone, said the county executive would sign the bill. Once Bellone signs the legislation and it is filed with the Office of the Secretary of State of New York, the law will take effect.

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This year one of the new Rockettes is Head of the Harbor’s Courtney File. Photo from MSG Entertainment

A Head of the Harbor native is proving that dreams really do come true.

Courtney File, 24, is among the newest members of the Rockettes who are kicking their way through the holiday season, performing multiple shows in Radio City Music Hall’s “Christmas Spectacular.”

Seeing the Rockettes staple at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan has been an annual tradition for File since she was 6 years old.

“I just fell in love with it immediately,” she said.

Her parents were nervous about taking her and her brother Connor when they were younger, but she said her parents told her she was mesmerized by the show.

When the curtain came down, she turned to her mother and said, “That’s what I want to do, and it never changed my whole life.”

The 2016 Smithtown High School East graduate attended Chorus Line Dance Studio in St. James until she was 11. She then started training at the Broadway Dance Center in Manhattan, where she was part of its Children & Teens Program for four years.

File said her parents, Richard and Wendy, have always been supportive of her dreams and would drive her into the city when she was in middle and high school.

“My parents have been unbelievable since I was younger and really decided that I wanted to commit myself to dance,” she said.

This year one of the new Rockettes is Head of the Harbor’s Courtney File. Photo from MSG Entertainment

The dancer was also taking acting classes in addition to the CTP program. Sometimes she would audition or take a master class.

While she juggled a busy schedule, after being on Smithtown’s kickline team in middle school, she could not be on the Whisperettes, the high school kickline team at Smithtown East. While she wanted to, she said it would have been difficult with her schedule, and she would have missed some practices and games.

“That was probably one of the hardest things that I had to give up,” File said.

She added once in a while she was able to catch a game to see the kickline team perform

“I always supported them, and I thought they were great,” File said. “It was so fun to sometimes be able to watch.”

Standing 5 feet, 8 inches tall, her height fits in perfectly with the Rockettes’ range of 5 feet, 5 inches to 5 feet, 10 1/2 inches. The minimum requirements were recently changed from the previous 5 feet, 6 inches tall.

File, who was part of the Rockettes Conservatory program this summer, said among her fellow rookie Rockettes are a few dancers who were able to audition due to the new height requirements.

“They have made a lot of amazing strides to open up the opportunities to a bunch of different women this year,” she said, adding 17 of the 18 new dancers were from the conservatory program.

File said she was honored to be invited to participate in the program, which enables dancers at no cost to work with the Rockettes as well as performers with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater and Syncopated Ladies, a female tap dance band.

“It was a really awesome opportunity that the Rockettes gave, to give us a real life experience of what their day-to-day kind of looks like.”

This year wasn’t her first audition, though. She first aimed to be a Rockette when she was 18, and she was cut. In total, she has auditioned six times for the coveted spot.

“It was my dream, and I couldn’t give up on it,” she said.

She was home with her mother and brother when she received the call telling her she had made it. File said she kept asking her mother and brother if it really just happened.

“It was an unbelievable moment that I will never forget for the rest of my life,” she said.

A typical day for File now involves waking up every morning in her apartment and stretching. She said eating enough is also important as the dancers burn a lot of calories.

As a part of the gold cast, she performs in the evenings. The number of shows in one day can vary, and she recently had her first four-show day.

This year one of the new Rockettes is Head of the Harbor’s Courtney File. Photo from MSG Entertainment

The “Christmas Spectacular” began Nov. 18 and runs through Jan. 2, meaning dancers worked Thanksgiving and will be performing Christmas and New Year’s Day, too. Fine said she doesn’t mind as the cast and crew have become like family to her since they have been working regularly together from the beginning of October.

She added she’s lucky that her own family lives close to the city, and it’s easy for them to come to Manhattan to see the show. They have attended the show three times so far
this season.

Among her favorite dances is a lyrical number called “Dance of the Frost Fairies,” where each of the 36 Rockettes has a different costume that includes fairy wings that easily work during the complex, athletic number.

Another highlight, Fine said, was performing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and she also attended the premiere of the Hallmark Channel movie “A Holiday Spectacular,” which features two current Rockettes with speaking parts.

While living a dream come true, File had advice for young people regarding their goals.

“Never give up,” the Rockette said. “Every day in the audience, I see little girls that are looking up at the stage like how I did when I was 6 years old. Just work hard and never give up. Dreams do come true. I’m very lucky to be able to say that. Just keep going because all the hard work will be worth it.”