Plants need stems to survive. They provide structural support and connect the roots to the leaves and flowers, making it possible to bring water, nutrients and sugars throughout the plant.
Similarly, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) serves a critical function for society.
As with the rest of a plant, STEM is not the only part that nourishes our culture, but it does offer critical support that makes it possible to adapt to future challenges and to push the frontier of human knowledge.
This week, we and scientists around the world celebrated the long-anticipated grand opening of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, a telescope and camera so advanced that it has already spotted 2,400 asteroids we hadn’t previously seen.
This state-of-the-art camera was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, making it possible to see deep into space and to ask questions about changes around us as well as dark matter and dark energy.
“NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory reflects what’s possible when the federal government backs world-class engineers and scientists with the tools to lead,” Harriet Kung, acting director of the DOE’s Office of Science said in a statement.
Indeed!
This project echoes some of the cutting edge science efforts that the federal government supported after World War II.
STEM funding supports translational research, which addresses questions like what molecule can scientists target to slow or stop the progression of cancer or what plant genes can enhance resistance to disease or environmental extremes. It can also support basic research that explores what causes a cell to divide, to die, or to differentiate.
Both of these areas of research have led to important discoveries that have contributed to society. Researchers credit their achievements with the opportunity and knowledge they received from previous generations of scientists who, like runners in a relay race, pass the baton to the next generation of great thinkers and explorers.
Science funding has among the highest returns on investment of any federal funding, Cutting funding to areas like the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and other federal programs can impede the ability of science and society to grow and respond to change.
The current budget proposal for 2026 suggests a 40 percent cut to the NIH, which would reduce the number of institutes from 27 to eight. Yikes!
Further up the chain, societal growth also depends on supporting the education of students who can go from a classroom where they learn about what’s known to a field where they can rewrite the textbooks they had studied.
Canceling grants to STEM education not only threatens the students who miss out on chances to learn, but also society, which won’t benefit from the spark of inspiration these students receive.
The federal government must continue to invest in STEM. The future growth of our society – with businesses, cures for diseases and an expanding knowledge base that enables us to live healthier and better lives – depends on it.
As Independence Day celebrations begin by breaking out the grills, lawn chairs and festive food, America’s VetDogs of Smithtown wants to remind pet owners that fireworks can be scary to your four legged friends and can send them into a panic. With a little planning and the below tips, you can ensure your pets can enjoy the holiday, just as much as you do.
Create a safe place for your pet indoors by finding a room or area they are tucked away from loud booms of fireworks, preferably without windows can be helpful. Playing soft music or putting on the TV can help muffle the sounds of fireworks. Draw any blinds or shades to reduce the amount of bright flashes into the room. Remove any items in the room that your pet could chew or ingest, as animals can become destructive when frightened or stressed.
Exercise your pet earlier in the day before any planned celebrations. By getting the energy out, they’ll have less to exert if they become anxious during fireworks.
Feed your pet their meal an hour or two prior to the firework celebration. This could help them feel relaxed before celebrations begin.
Provide appropriate and pet safe distractions by cuddling or playing with them during fireworks. Stuffing a Nylabone or KONG with peanut butter, kibble or pumpkin and freezing it can help divert their attention and focus on licking the toy over the celebrations in the background.
Make sure your pet has proper ID. To prevent your pet from going missing, make sure your pet always wears an ID tag with your up-to-date contact information.
As a reminder, fireworks can be stressful on veterans suffering from PTSD in your area. Please be considerate of your neighbors by not setting them off late at night or close to their homes.
America is the land of opportunities they say, we just have to work hard and we can succeed. As a high school student, I have watched the current administration strip students such as myself of the opportunities that will allow us to build a successful future. The current funding cuts do not impact just science research but also education. According to a report published by Education Week in May 2025, the National Science Foundation, under the Trump administration, canceled over 400 grants for STEM education.
The administration has even cut funding for PBS Kids, which was created to bring STEM education to children of lower class families. I can’t imagine any benefits to discouraging our future doctors, engineers, scientists and leaders from science. If high school students are not allowed to start pursuing science early, they will be set back in the future. And since one day we will all depend on this next generation of scientists, doctors and engineers, setting back high school students will set back our whole country, not just in science.
Everyone should be worried about cuts to science and education funding. These affect entire families, students and educators. Parents are worried that their children will lack future opportunities to become involved in STEM fields. High school students are primarily affected by the loss of programs and reduced chances to gain experiences to form their career ideas. Educators and teachers are not able to do their jobs and support students as they did in the past. Knowledge generated by scientists trickles down to the high school curriculum but if science is limited, there will be less knowledge passed down, meaning that future high schoolers will be at a lower standing. This domino effect will have a cascading impact on future generations.
A well rounded education is important for everyone, not just students who aspire to attend competitive colleges. As a society, we believe a high school education is crucial for making informed decisions and helping one understand the world better. This is especially relevant because for many people, a high school diploma is the highest level of education they will receive. Federally funded education programs offer different ways of learning both in and outside classrooms. Experiential learning such as hands-on curricula through internships, public education programs, museums and field trips expand upon the standard public school curricula. This is important because students learn in different ways and non-classroom learning experiences are especially beneficial for students with learning disabilities or different capacities to engage. These diverse types of opportunities are necessary to ensure every student is given a chance to succeed.
Over 50% of NSF funding cuts have been to education programs, according to the Hechinger Report. 1,400 grants have been cut, and 750 of those were to STEM education. That equates to about $775 million that could have helped students engage with STEM. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) began the cuts to reduce diversity, equity, and inclusion in scientific research. While it is understandable to want our federal government to run efficiently, cutting scientific research and education will have little effect on the efficiency of our government and the lasting impacts will put our entire nation at a disadvantage. It is imperative that we protect our equal access to education in order to create a better future.
Anisha Makovicky is a student at Earl L. Vandermeulen High School.
Gasoline prices are a little lower after a tumultuous week for oil and gas markets that ultimately ended with sharply lower crude oil prices and less pressure on prices at the pump. This is good news for drivers heading into the Fourth of July holiday travel period, as local pump prices remain considerably lower than this time last year.
With virtually all the crude oil price increases stemming from Middle East tensions evaporating from petroleum markets by the middle of last week, the focus for commodities traders shifted to domestic supply and demand readings that show demand for gasoline continues to increase — but supplies remain strong as well.
The Energy Information Administration last week reported a third straight weekly increase in gasoline demand, which rose nearly 400,000 barrels a day over the prior week to 9.1 million barrels per day, in line with expectations for strong demand typically seen in early summer.
That higher demand was a factor in national inventories of gasoline declining by 2.1 million barrels in total, according to the EIA, which might put additional upward pressure on pump prices. But in the Northeast, regional inventories actually increased by just over 2 million barrels, bucking the national trend. Regional supplies are now up 3.2 million barrels over last year and comfortably positioned ahead of the July 4 holiday and the next few peak weeks of the summer driving season.
“Recent geopolitical events showcased the volatile nature of oil and gas markets, but right now supply and demand are the primary factors impacting how much it costs to fill our tanks,” said Robert Sinclair of AAA Northeast. “While regional pump prices are up slightly from a month ago, they remain more than 40 cents lower per gallon than this time last year — great news for those heading out for Fourth of July road trips.”
AAA Northeast’s June 30 survey of fuel prices found the average for a gallon of regular in New York City $3.21, a penny lower than a week ago.The price is 42 cents less than a year ago. Long Island averages $3.13, Connecticut $3.17 and New Jersey also $3.17.
The current national average is down 4 cents from last week averaging $3.18 per gallon. Today’s price is 31 cents lower than last year ($3.49).
Today, Mississippi and Oklahoma have the lowest prices in the nation at $2.71 and $2.73, respectively.California and Hawaii hold the highest prices in the nation this week at $4.59 and $4.47, respectively.
AAA Northeast is a not-for-profit auto club with offices in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire and New York, providing nearly 6.8 million local AAA members with travel, insurance, financial and auto-related services.
With Pride Month bringing to Suffolk County both joyous parades and calls for greater support of LGBTQ+ community members, TBR News Media reached out to two local nonprofits, Gender Equality New York and Pride for Youth (a division of the Long Island Crisis Center), to ask what issues most impact LGBTQ+ people in Suffolk right now.
Juli Grey-Owens, executive director of GENY, founded the organization in 2016 in the aftermath of the group Empire State Pride Agenda disbanding. She said that after the passage of marriage equality in New York and nationwide, “all the LGBT people who were giving money to keep the organization up and running left.” “And so with them going out of business,” she continued, “there was no statewide advocacy organization to fight for transgender civil rights.”
So, she founded GENY to empower transgender, gender nonbinary and intersex New Yorkers, and GENY now provides educational training for Suffolk and Nassau police academies, local hospitals and houses of worship.
PFY, an LGBTQ+ health and human services organization, was founded in 1993 in response to its parent organization receiving many calls on its crisis support hotlines from people looking for LGBTQ+-based services. “Back in 1993, nothing like us existed in a suburban setting,” explained Tawni Engel, associate executive director of LICS, adding that PFY became the first LGBTQ+ organization in the U.S. to offer the services it did in a suburban area.
PFY now offers 32 programs and services throughout Suffolk, Nassau and Queens, including social spaces for queer youth, family counseling, housing support and HIV testing and education. “I feel like if you name the service, we offer it,” Engel said.
Both directors said one of the most prevalent issues facing LGBTQ+ Long Islanders now is hate and disinformation, especially toward the local trans community, leading to fear, bias and discrimination. “There are people walking around that believe that transgender kids are getting surgery at eight years old; that is a fallacy,” said Grey-Owens. “There are people walking around thinking that school nurses are handing out hormones. I mean, school nurses aren’t even allowed to hand out a cough drop.”
Engel also spoke on the rhetoric around trans community members, saying it is often dehumanizing and federal actions like the erasure of the “T” from the now “LGB+” pages on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website don’t help. “I think the message that that sends to people, especially young people, is just so demoralizing.”
Funding for services is also a major issue. With diversity, equality and inclusion programs dissolving, she explained, corporate sponsorships PFY used to rely on are falling through. “We have received many letters, come to find out they were sent to us illegally by the government, telling us that ‘x’ amount of dollars were gonna be pulled literally within twenty-four hours. It got reinstated, but it’s just been this roller coaster ride.”
The complexity these issues have on Pride Month, said Engel, was a consideration when organizing PFY’s annual pride gala and fundraiser. “It absolutely is a fun celebratory night of queer celebration and celebrating pride. But at the same time, especially this year … how do we strike that balance between educating and facing the realities of what’s going on, but also celebrating and taking care of ourselves?” she said. “We kind of started off with, okay, let’s talk about the realities of what’s going on, and then just dance our butts off the rest of the night and take care of ourselves and each other, you know.”
The gala featured Glen Cove city councilmember Marsha Silverman (D), who is the first-out lesbian councilmember on Long Island on the North Shore. Both Engel and Grey-Owens emphasized the importance of involvement and support from local officials, with Grey-Owens being a member of the Suffolk County Legislature’s LGBTQ advisory board and the LGBTQ task force for Huntington.
“Attend a school board meeting,” said Grey-Owens. “Make sure that the school board is representative or has representation or is aware of our community. Go to town council meetings. Visit your legislators… These are all people that have local offices here on Long Island, so it’s not like you have to travel to DC to see somebody. You can do it right here on Long Island.”
For more information visit the GENY website: www.genderequalityny.org.
Elizabeth Hashagen of News12 Long Island, who delivered the keynote address, at left. Tammy Severino, President and CEO of Girl Scouts of Suffolk County, to her left. Photo courtesy of Girl Scouts of Suffolk County
The Girl Scouts of Suffolk County recently honored 55 Girl Scouts at its annual Gold Award Dinner & Ceremony on at the Stonebridge Country Club in Smithtown, for identifying an issue they care about and leading a team to create lasting impact in their communities—and beyond. The Gold Award is the most prestigious award in Girl Scouting.
Gold Award Girl Scouts address issues they’re passionate about by planning and implementing a project that produces lasting change in their communities and beyond. To earn a Gold Award, each recipient must complete two Senior or Ambassador Journeys or their Girl Scout Silver Award before beginning their Gold Award project. To meet the Girl Scout Gold Award requirements, each candidate must complete at least 80 hours toward their project.
“Our Gold Award Girl Scouts are leaders in their community who are making measurable and sustainable change while still in high school said Tammy Severino, President and CEO of Girl Scouts of Suffolk County. “As they take action to transform their world, they gain tangible, real-world skills and a civic-minded awareness that sets them apart from their peers. 96% of Gold Award Girl Scouts say their experience inspired their ongoing commitment to service or volunteering. Our Gold Award Girl Scouts are discovering they have the power to create the future they want for themselves and others, and we are proud and honored by their achievements.”
Among the awardees:
Sophia Aurrecoechea – Islip Terrace
Giuliana Avella – Port Jefferson Station
Sara Bally – Miller Place
Elliot Baravarian – East Northport
Emma Barbo – Greenlawn
Eva Barbo – Greenlawn
Gianna Beck – North Babylon
Madison Calvanese – Setauket
Isabella Caracci – Stony Brook
Molly Caufield – Sound Beach
Marissa Cilibrasi – Ronkonkoma
Megan Condolff – Centerport
Nina Cottone – Setauket
Ellie Crowley – Huntington
Ava D’Angelo – Commack
Olivia Davis – Patchogue
Alessandra De Stefano – Commack
Emma Dean-Stahl – West Sayville
Mya DeClue – Smithtown
Anna DiBiase – Smithtown
Alexis Ebanks – Centerport
Sophie Epstein – Nesconset
Charlotte Farrugia – Selden
Jasmine Farrugia – Selden
Jailyn Fasano – Commack
Lillian Fleischer – Centerport
Julia Furer – Dix Hills
Grace Goetz – Greenlawn
Kristin Krause – Nesconset
Kayden Laucella – Stony Brook
Lauren Limongelli – West Babylon
Olivia LoBue – Huntington
Ruth Joy Mahnken – Ridge
Callie McLean – Mattituck
Jenna Mehlinger – Smithtown
Gabrielle Mitchell – Nesconset
Isabella Muccio – Port Jefferson Station
Brianna Naumann – St. James
Danika Riccio – Bayshore
Paige Rizzo – West Babylon
Elizabeth Ryan – Medford
Regan Sayers – Smithtown
Lily Scarth – East Setauket
Nicole Schrock – Cold Spring Harbor
Adelina Scott – Westhampton
Caroline Severino – Nesconset
Kinley Simmons – Miller Place
Samantha Simson – Commack
Victoria Starkey – Smithtown
Emma Travaglia – West Sayville
Kristin Tveter – Bayport
Adria Vargas – Sayville
Olivia Vigliotti – Ronkonkoma
Amanda Woods – Bayport
Cassidy Yates – West Babylon
Details about each Girl Scout’s project were shared with the audience in a print and digital yearbook, here. A video about their achievements, also shared at the event, is here.
The event was memorialized online with a photo booth of fun photos, here.
About Girl Scouts of Suffolk County
Since 1968, Girl Scouts of Suffolk County has been committed to building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. With over 15,000 members, they are one of the largest youth-serving agencies in Suffolk County. Girl Scouts helps girls develop their full individual potential; relate to others with increasing understanding, skill, and respect; develop values to guide their actions and provide the foundation for sound decision making; and contribute to the improvement of society through their abilities, leadership skills, and cooperation with others. For more information about the Girl Scouts of Suffolk County, please call (631) 543-6622 or visit www.gssc.us. Follow Girl Scouts of Suffolk County onFacebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Above, the vehicle being impounded after the owner, Matthew Serritella, 21, of Coram, was arrested for Reckless Driving and Unlawful Fleeing from Police last night.
Suffolk County Police arrested a man on June 27 and impounded his vehicle in Coram after he fled from police who were initiating a traffic stop for reckless driving last week in Ronkonkoma.
Members of the Street Takeover Task Force attempted to pull over a 2004 Infinity sedan that was speeding at 130 miles per hour, without headlights on, on the Eastbound Long Island Expressway, on June 22 at approximately 11 p.m. The driver fled, taking Exit 61 southbound on Patchogue Holbrook Road. The Street Takeover Task Force located the vehicle at the driver’s residence on Sandpiper Lane in Coram last night at approximately 7:50 p.m.
The driver, Matthew Serritella, 21, was arrested for Reckless Driving and Unlawful Fleeing from Police and was issued 13 summonses. The vehicle was impounded. Serritella is scheduled to appear at First District Court in Central Islip on July 17.
The Middle Country Central School District has announced the top students of the Class of 2025 at Newfield High School, Diya John and Jashandeep (Jash) Singh are the valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively.
Diya John
Newfield High School Valedictorian Diya John will complete her senior year with more than 50 college credits and the status of AP Scholar with Distinction. She was also selected as the winner of the Principal’s Leadership Scholarship awarded by the Suffolk County High School Principal’s Association.
In addition to her exceptional academic record, Diya is a member of the District’s Legislative Outreach Community Committee, Glamour Galz, Mock Trial Team, Dr. Gerold’s Leadership Club and the National Quill & Scroll Honor Society. In addition, she’s an active member of Newfield’s newspaper The Quadrangle, a member of the Foreign Language Honor Society, National Honor Society president, and General Organization president.
“As President of the Newfield National Honor Society, Diya is a natural leader and role model to her peers,” said Diana Cook, the district’s Library Media Specialist and National Honor Society advisor. “She is diligent, detail oriented, and truly cares about the success of her club.Diya is always willing to help others and goes the extra mile to make sure her fellow officers and club members will be successful in everything they do from event planning, to fundraising, to volunteer work for the community.She is the true example of a model student; always willing to help others, and always with a smile.”
Outside of school, Diya is a volunteer teen book reviewer for the Middle Country Public Library, an art and book buddy, a member of the library’s teen advisory council and a youth volunteer with the American Red Cross’s Disaster and Humanitarian Relief efforts. She also crochets in her spare time and donates her creations to causes throughout Long Island.
This fall, Diya will study psychology at Stony Brook University as a member of the WISE program, an honors program for students pursuing STEM majors and careers. Her plans also include attending medical school with a goal of following in her mother’s footsteps and becoming a psychiatrist.
Jashandeep (Jash) Singh
Newfield High School Salutatorian Jashandeep (Jash) Singh graduated with the rank of AP Scholar with Distinction. He is a member of the Newfield High School Pit Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra, has twice been an all-county viola player, and has earned the Varsity music award for outstanding musical achievement. He is also a member of the National Honor Society, Student Council, Mock Trial Team, Foreign Language Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society. and has earned the rank of AP Scholar with Distinction.
“Jash embodies all of the characteristics set forth by our chapter: Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character,” said Ms. Cook. “He especially fits the ‘character’ trait by being a model student, an example to his peers, and an all-around nice guy who is a pleasure to be around.Jash is always willing to help at community events and represents our school and our chapter with pride.”
Outside of Newfield High School, Jash is a volunteer at Mather Hospital and Middle Country Public Library as a Green Teen, where he creates crafts for children, plans events and takes care of the library garden. Jash also partakes in Sewa, of selfless service, at his Sikh temple by serving food every Sunday to his congregation.
In the fall, Jash will study biology at Stony Brook University. He plans on attending medical school with a goal of becoming a general surgeon or working in internal medicine.
TBR News Media sent a Q&A to local salutatorians and valedictorians, asking about the strategies that helped them become their school’s top performers. Here are the scholars leading Centereach High School’s Class of 2025 in the Middle Country Central School District.
Centereach High School Valedictorian Shawn Edbert
Shawn Edbert: Valedictorian
•GPA:102.39.
•Activities: Robotics Club, Captain of the Varsity Golf Team, National Honor Society & National Technical Honor Society, French Horn.
•Attending University of Pennsylvania
Ben Taciak: Salutatorian
•GPA: 102.0
•Activities: General Organization President (Student Body President), National Honor Society President, Environmental E-STEM Secretary, Math Team, Science Olympiad, Varsity Golf, Varsity Wrestling
•Attending SUNY Binghamton
What advice would you give an incoming freshman?
Edbert: My biggest advice would probably be to try new things. Get involved around you and figure out what you actually want to do. From there, you can weed out the activities you don’t like and really put all your effort and talents into the things you enjoy. Another tip is don’t do extracurricular activities just to have them. Do them because you actually enjoy what they offer whether it be a sport, club, etc.
Taciak: I would recommend that freshmen get as involved as they can in whatever activities the school offers. They should try things outside of their comfort zone to find their passions, then ceaselessly work to further pursue those passions throughout the rest of their high school career.
Centereach High School Salutatorian Ben Taciak
How did you stay motivated throughout your studies?
Edbert: I like to plan out the work I need to do each day so I don’t have an entire worksheet or assignment to do at the end of the week. I also prioritized having a good work-life balance. I always find it hard to just grind out school work without giving myself some fun in between. Hanging out with friends, watching a movie or show were both ways I enjoyed some time outside the classroom. Getting sleep at night was also important for me. I would never do work past 9:30 p.m. to ensure I get enough sleep and can continue my days with full energy.
Taciak: I set small goals for myself (ex: study for 15 minutes today) so I wouldn’t be daunted by the larger tasks ahead of me. This helped me stay diligently focused on my larger goals like getting into college while minimizing burnout. I also emphasized the importance of having a work/life balance, making sure I spent time with my friends instead of solely focusing on my studies.
Please share some study habits you employ that helped you maintain high grades.
Edbert: For the majority of my studying, I actually liked listening to noise in the background. I’ve actually put on shows in the background just to get me through all of the work I need to complete. I also like to work with other people. Teaching other peers the work I am learning helps me learn the material significantly more thoroughly.
Taciak: For me, studying has always been difficult. I was never able to focus for long periods of time using all of the famous strategies and thus, I would work inefficiently. I felt like this for years until my brother gave me a valuable piece of advice: “Not every car works best using the same oil; you can’t expect the strategies that work for others to always work for you.” This changed my perspective and taught me to seek out what made me work as best as I could. For me, this is to go to a place like a library, use noise-canceling headphones, and play white noise while taking 5-minute rest intervals every 30 minutes.
What are your goals or career aspirations?
Edbert: I am planning to try and get a dual degree in business and engineering. I want to try and startup my own company in the future focusing on the defense segment.
Taciak: I hope to get a dual degree in Finance and Data Science and then work in the buy side of Private Equity.
Citizens Commission on Erosion members and Port Jeff Mayor Lauren Sheprow (front left, leaning) examine a blueprint of the PJ Country Club on Feb. 20. Photo by Lynn Hallarman
By Lynn Hallarman
A newly-released interim report from the Port Jefferson Citizens Commission on Erosion offers a candid appraisal of mounting risks and financial pressures surrounding the East Beach Bluff Stabilization.
The report cites worsening erosion, persistent drainage challenges and the likelihood of rising construction costs as factors that could drive up the long-term expenses of Phase 2. In light of these concerns, the commission urges officials to conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis of alternative strategies before moving forward.
The planned wall of Phase 2 will be constructed seaward of the club building, which sits near the edge of East Beach Bluff on the municipally-owned Port Jefferson Country Club property. According to officials, Phase 2 construction is tentatively scheduled for the fall of this year.
Any strategy moving forward, the commission argues, should recognize that the club building — perched dangerously close to the bluff’s crest — will ultimately need to be moved in the wake of rising sea levels, increasing storms and accelerated global erosion of Long Island’s shoreline.
“The report outlines multiple pathways forward,” Village Trustee Kyle Hill said on his Facebook page. “But each underscores a shared reality — we must begin planning for a strategic retreat [of the club building].”
Overview of the project
In 2017, the village hired GEI Consultants, an engineering firm based in Huntington Station, to develop a plan designed at curbing the rapid erosion of the East Beach Bluff. In recent years, wind, surf and storms have scoured the bluff of vegetation and steadily eaten away at its edge, ultimately leading to the collapse of the club’s gazebo and a section of the tennis courts that once were set perilously close to the brink.
Phase 1, completed in June of 2023, included the construction of a reinforced steel and cement wall at the base of the East Beach Bluff, along with a series of terraces and native vegetation planted along its slope.
Destruction of costly Phase 1 work of the bluff face vegetation in the wake of a series of severe storms late in 2023 and early 2024 complicated the overall cost and timelines of the project. [For further information about Phase 1 see TBR News Media website, “Report finds no maintenance or repairs carried out on Port Jeff East Beach Project,” Feb. 6.]
Phase 2, includes the installation of a second wall landward of the bluff crest with the intention of preventing the building from collapsing onto the shoreline below.
The design of Phase 2 is currently being revised to address drainage issues complicating the wall build, according to GEI Consultants’ 2024 Annual Bluff Monitoring Report, submitted to the village this May.
As of yet, the village has not received the updated engineering plans, trustee Bob Juliano confirmed during a recent commission meeting.
Port Jefferson Country Club prior to collapse of gazebo and edge of tennis courts, undated photograph. Courtesy of PJ Village website
Financial questions linger
In 2021, village trustees projected the initial cost at around $10 million for the Phase 1 and 2 wall build and bluff restoration. This figure assumes at least three decades of structural stability to justify the investment. However, these cost estimates now appear to be outdated with recent inflation spikes and unaccounted expenditure, including a large drainage project, bluff repair and long-term maintenance costs.
The commission report calls for an updated cost analysis factoring these additional projects as well as costs related to potential supply chain uncertainty and tariffs on critical construction materials such as steel.
Phase 2 is supported in part by FEMA money. The commission expressed concern that this funding may be rescinded in the current political climate, leaving local taxpayers to make up the difference.
“The commission is concerned over the reliability of FEMA funding and whether those funds could be withdrawn,” the report states.
Despite calls for a cost analysis of all options, village officials have not yet initiated a publicly vetted fiscal plan for relocating the facility or other options — something that the commission deems a critical omission in its findings.
GEI report warns of new damage
The recently-released 2024 Bluff Monitoring Report in May, paints a mixed picture. Conducted by GEI, the monitoring period covers from February 2024 to this March.
While the lower bluff wall — reinforced with a steel bulkhead, stone armor and vegetative plantings — has held up, the upper slope is showing new signs of distress, according to the report.
Three storm events in 2024 exacerbated erosion along the western slope. Further displacement of coir logs and terracing, expansion of gully formation, vegetation destruction and signs of internal sediment movement were all documented in the report’s inspections. GEI notes that drainage remains a major vulnerability.
Recommendations include temporary seeding and erosion control matting over denuded areas of the bluff face, sand backfill in certain sections of the lower wall, repairing cracks in the lower wall, inspection and maintenance of the lower wall, replacement of the displaced coir logs and a soil boring analysis at the bluff crest to help define drainage issues.
The report emphasizes the need for permanent drainage landward of the club building and reconfiguration of the current building drainage system southward.
A drainage plan and long-term maintenance plan were not part of the initial design or cost analysis for the entire project — Phase 1 and 2 — according to the commission research on the history of the project.
CCE’s concerns
The commission reviewed the recent GEI report in detail at the June 19 meeting held at the club building. Members appreciated the comprehensive summary and visual timeline of project work but had many concerns about the recommendations.
“What is this [GEI] report trying to accomplish besides complying with the state?” one member asked. “The report should help the village identify problems but also guide the corrective action.”
Members point to vague directives without clear implementation plans, missing details in technical specifications for reconstituting bluff damage, and unexplained rationales for root causes of problems such as why the gullies formed in the first place and are now expanding. One member wants to see a priority ranking of potentially costly recommendations made in the report.
“Does it even make sense to do all these recommendations? Or are we just shoveling against the tide?” another member said.
Bluff base west of the concrete Phase 1 lower wall showing destroyed coir logs, as at March this year. Photograph from the commission’s report
The commission plans to submit questions to GEI and the village board of trustees about the report recommendations, requesting a priority list, cost estimates and a clear funding plan.
Long-term outlook
Trustee Juliano, at a recent Meet the Candidates night, said: “We don’t even know how much the next phase [Phase 2] will cost, and the loss of long-term revenue from the catering facility [that runs private events at the clubhouse] should be taken into account when weighing the monetary pros and cons.”
However, some longtime residents express frustration over the use of millions in taxpayer dollars to subsidize a building that is underutilized by the broader community, with little evidence that it generates sufficient revenue to justify the expense of the stabilization project.
Over the years, many residents say they have seen the club building evolve from a vibrant municipal community center hosting local activities to a catering hall primarily serving private events. There is currently no restaurant at the clubhouse.
“Sadly, this valuable piece of public parkland continues to be underused by our village residents,” resident Myrna Gordon said. She has repeatedly called for a reimagining of the site where the clubhouse sits, including rebuilding inland to protect the bluff and the long-term viability of a club facility as a community asset.
The village board, under newly reelected Mayor Lauren Sheprow, appears to be moving forward with plans for Phase 2 construction to install an upper wall.
“Protecting public assets and ensuring our approach is sustainable — not just structurally, but economically and environmentally,” Sheprow said at a recent public meeting.
Residents are encouraged to review the interim commission report and the GEI Bluff Monitoring Report, which are publicly available on the village website, and to share their input with the board of trustees. To view the CCE report, visit the village website and search for “Citizens Commission on Erosion.” To view the GEI 2024 Annual Monitoring Report search for “East Beach Bluff.”
“This is a moment for long-term thinking,” Hill said. “It’s a chance not just to respond to erosion — but to reimagine how this space can better serve the entire community.”
