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Pentimento in Stony Brook Village Center File photo by Rita J. Egan

A 27-year-old staple in Stony Brook Village Center will not be around once the autumn weather arrives.

On July 29, the owners of Pentimento Restaurant posted to their Facebook page that they are unable to extend the term of their lease. The business, which added a small market to its restaurant during the pandemic, is set to close its doors Sept. 30.

“We thank our loyal patrons and our wonderful staff for all the support they have given us over the past 27 years,” the Facebook post stated.

Owner Dennis Young and restaurant manager Lisa Cusumano said in a phone interview they were saddened by the decision made by Eagle Realty Holdings and said despite suggestions to relocate and even considering it at first in their Facebook post, overall, it doesn’t make sense.

“A lot of people have called us and said you could move here, or we could have this spot or that spot but Pentimento belongs in the village,” Cusumano said, adding that Young invested a good amount of money into the business nine years ago when he renovated the place.

Young echoed the sentiment.

“We thought about relocating and looked at some places, but I think Pentimento belongs where it is,” the owner said. “It’s not going to be Pentimento otherwise.”

Young said he was supposed to request an extension of the lease, which expires at the end of September, last year. He said while trying to keep the restaurant afloat during the pandemic, renewing slipped his mind. Both Young and Cusumano said they didn’t receive any reminder from the landlord to notify them about their intent to extend the lease.

“We weren’t thinking about [the lease] because we were just trying to survive, to stay safe and  out of the hospital and to help the community,” Cusumano said. “We didn’t even know there would be a restaurant. Restaurants were closing left and right.”

According to Gloria Rocchio, president of Eagle Realty Holdings, tenants “must notify the landlord in writing of their intention to exercise the option to extend the lease term 365 days before the expiration of the existing lease.”

While Young is thinking about retiring in the near future, he said friends were interested in buying the business and keeping Pentimento as it is. They also planned to keep Young and Cusumano employed with them. However, their offer was denied by the landlord, according to Young.

Rocchio said that nothing is final yet due to a holding process and all other interested candidates needing to be interviewed to find the best tenant.

“The whole thing of other people buying it would be to keep the legacy and to keep Pentimento for the community, because we love the community and we know that the community depends on us,” Cusumano said.

Rocchio said in a statement on behalf of the realty company’s board of trustees that in addition to not receiving notice about Young’s intention to renew the lease, the tenant failed “to comply with the requirement to maintain the septic system” which is described in the lease.

Young said he couldn’t comment much on the septic system.

“There is a problem,” he said. “We have had extremely high costs to maintain the cesspool system, and it’s been a problem that’s not been resolved.”

Cusumano said they have maintained the property properly the whole time they have occupied the building.

“Over two years ago the tenant advised the landlord of their intention to sell the business and retire,” Rocchio said in the statement. “Recently the tenant informed the landlord they had a potential buyer and wanted an extension of the lease. The tenant asked for a much longer lease extension than is indicated in the present option to renew. The septic system issue must be resolved before a lease extension can even be discussed. The existing tenant to our knowledge has no intention to stay. So, we told the existing tenant we would interview their buyer and other candidates. That’s what was done. This is the present status.”

In response to Pentimento’s announcement that the restaurant is closing, restaurant patrons took to social media to express their dismay and showed support for the business.

Young and Cusumano said they have been overwhelmed by the response. While critics have posted on the restaurant’s Facebook accounts criticism of the landlord, the owners have only used their social media postings to inform the community of the closing and encourage customers to use gift cards previously purchased.

“Dennis and I are completely overwhelmed by the community support,” Cusumano said. “We had no idea that that many people would reach out and try to save this restaurant. It’s just unbelievable.”

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Photo from Northwell Health

Decision Women in Commerce and Professions — Long Island presented the Fortunato Breast Health Center with an $1,800 grant to purchase Breast Cancer Treatment Handbooks, which are given to every woman diagnosed with breast cancer at the Center.

“The founding and current members of Decision are pleased that for over 40 years we have been able to donate funds to Mather Hospital and the Fortunato Breast Care Center to provide essential and unique support for their patients, such as a stress testing machine, Fortunato Breast Center mammography screening and a blanket warmer cabinet,” said Grace G. LoGrande, MSW, chair of the group’s Decision Donations Committee. 

“Even during these most stressful times of COVID, in addition to funding the grant request, Decision members were pleased to send food and beverages for the hospital staff as they devotedly cared for their patients.”

In addition to dealing with emotions and physical, social and other challenges, it is imperative that a woman newly diagnosed with breast cancer be able to navigate our highly complex health system effectively to attain the best outcomes.

The Fortunato Breast Health Center’s nurse navigators provide women with emotional support, information and assistance in making appointments and otherwise navigating their breast cancer treatment. 

The Breast Cancer Treatment Handbook is a valuable tool used by the nurse navigators to assist women diagnosed with breast cancer.

The nurse navigators are part of the care provided by the center, which has earned full accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. 

 

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Kyle Marshall. Photo by Matt Smoak

Pack a picnic, bring a blanket or chair and settle in on the grounds of the Reboli Center for Art & History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook to welcome Kyle Marshall, a Long Island native, and author of the recently published book, Americana: Farmhouses and Manors of Long Island, on Sunday Aug. 8 from 4 to 6 p.m. Kyle Marshall is creative director at Bunny Williams Home, known for distinctive furniture, lighting and decorative accessories. Previously he was a furniture designer at Ralph Lauren Home. 

The cover of Kyle Marshall’s new book.

Marshall will talk about the homes featured in his book and explore some of these architectural treasures during his presentation. Mr. Marshall’s book features 15 historic private and public homes on Long Island, including Lloyd Manor in Lloyd Harbor; Thatch Meadow Farm in Head of the Harbor; Point Place in Miller Place; Sagtikos Manor in Islip; Sylvester Manor in Shelter Island and more.

One home of particular interest is The Homestead in Nissequogue. The house was originally owned by Ebenezer Smith, the grandson of Richard “Bull” Smith, the founder of Smithtown. It was built along Long Island Sound. The house has been in the family for centuries, and various family members have added rooms, extensions and a wraparound porch. In the early 1900s it was sold to someone outside of the family. Owned once again by the Smith family, the home is currently being sold.

In an interview with Architectural Digest, Mr. Marshall explained that his research process entailed visits by foot, bike and car or, in one case, subway, to the houses to photograph and meet with the owners or caretakers. Collections at libraries, historical societies and universities aided his research. According to Mr. Marshall, “I selected properties that illuminate the range of the subject, so it’s a banquet of examples, not an exhaustive survey. So everything was shot with daylight, so readers could have a sense of what it feels like to walk, or sit and drink and eat and gossip, in the rooms.”

“We are excited to have Kyle Marshall at The Reboli Center, and for him to share his experience visiting these homes with a designer’s perspective. The book and his photographs are just exquisite,” said Lois Reboli, the co-founder of The Reboli Center and wife of the late artist Joseph Reboli. Admission is free and guests may purchase the book at The Center for him to sign.

For more information,  call 631-751-7707 or visit www.rebolicenter.org.

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Proceeds from the event will go towards the revitalization of the 18th century factory houses located off Main Street in Setauket. Photo by Robert Reuter
Proceeds from the event will go towards the revitalization of the 18th century factory houses located off Main Street in Setauket. Photo by Robert Reuter
Proceeds from the event will go towards the revitalization of the 18th century factory houses located off Main Street in Setauket. Photo by Robert Reuter

By Kimberly Brown

Come celebrate local history with music, food, art and antiques at the Three Village Community Trust’s 7th annual Chicken Hill Country Picnic and Benefit Auction on the lawn of the Factory Worker Houses, 148 Main Street in Setauket on Aug. 7.

“This will be one of the greatest experiences that the Three Village community will ever have,” said Herb Mones, President of the Three Village Community Trust. “We really want to focus on thanking our members for giving the Trust their support over the years, bringing people together in a safe way, and celebrating the history of these factory houses.”

Saved from demolition by the Trust, the three homes were a part of a group of company houses in the “Chicken Hill” area of Setauket that provided boarding for the hundreds of Eastern European and Russian immigrants who worked at the Setauket Rubber Factory, which was once Long Islands’ leading producer of domestic rubber goods in the 18th century. Each small building was essentially two rooms — one room on the first floor and one on the second floor and also housed the workers’ families. Tours of the historic buildings will be given throughout the afternoon by volunteers.

According to a press release, “these small, rustic houses are a visual reminder of the hopes, dreams, and resiliency of so many of our nation’s immigrants.” The Three Village Community Trust’s vision is to use these structures to educate future generations about the American experience.

In addition to the tasty, slow-cooked “chicken dogs” that will be available for purchase, visitors can set up their lawn chairs and picnic baskets while enjoying a bluegrass concert by Buddy Merriam and Back Roads at 4 p.m. 

The event will also include an Art and Antiques auction featuring a number of paintings, photographs, illustrations, prints, and a collection of antiques, some of which will be from the factory houses. All of the items will be displayed throughout the grounds to give visitors a preview of what is available. 

“I’m really excited by the new idea of the auction and I expect it to be a great success,” said Cynthia Barnes, Corresponding Secretary of the Three Village Community Trust.

All proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward the revitalization of the factory houses. “We’re excited because some of the revenue that we’ve been able to raise so far is going to enable us in the next couple of weeks to bring electricity to the factory houses,” Mones said. 

If enough money is raised, the Trust also plans to install appropriate copper gutters and replace the siding on the factory houses. “We’ve had some issues with rainwater in the back of the houses that is coming up against the siding, and we can’t use standard aluminum white gutters; we need to get the decorative copper gutters that are more period-appropriate, but they are more expensive,” added Mones. 

The Chicken Hill Country Picnic and Benefit Auction will be held on Aug. 7 from 2 to 6 p.m. Admission is free. Bring your family, friends, lawn chairs, and a picnic basket to enjoy this fun event for an important cause. For more information, call 631-689-0225 or visit www.threevillagecommunitytrust.org. 

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Photo from Town of Brookhaven

At the July 15 town board meeting, Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) presented a proclamation to Maryellen Campbell, wife of the late Glenn Campbell, who recently passed away at age 50. Campbell was a lawyer, a disabilities advocate and the first chairman of the Town of Brookhaven’s Disability Task Force. 

At the age of 16, he was involved in a bicycle accident that left him a quadriplegic. The injuries didn’t stop him from attending college and law school, becoming an attorney focusing on disability law, discrimination, elder law, wills, trusts and estates. 

In addition to his law practice, Campbell was active on several advisory boards including the Suffolk County Disability Advisory Board and the Association of Mental Health and Awareness. 

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Greenley Modica

Over the summer, Huntington resident Rachel Master and Setauket based teen Greenley Modica joined forces with Hewlett based Hindi’s Libraries to run book drives in their communities.

Rachel Master

Master and her family dropped off more than 700 books at the Hindi’s Libraries Lemonade 4 Literacy event this Tuesday (which raised more than $200 to help subsidize the organization’s book shipments).

Modica, whose neighborhood collection took place from March through May collected more than 2,000 children’s and young adult reads.
Books will now be reviewed, sorted and labeled by Hindi’s Libraries volunteers and shipped to nonprofits across the globe serving families and children in need.
“The best emails and  calls to get are those from local teens and families looking to support us in unique and creative ways. It allows our team the chance to give members of our community the opportunity to form a meaningful connection to our nonprofit,” explained Leslie Gang, Hindi’s Libraries cofounders.
To run a book drive in your community or learn how you can support the nonprofit, visit www.hindislibraries.com

Hindi’s Libraries is an international non-profit organization founded in 2018 in memory of Dr. Hindi Krinsky, beloved educator and mother who passed away due to a complication of Crohn’s Disease. Our organization was formed by Dovid Kanarfogel, Hindi’s husband, and Leslie Gang, a former colleague, in order to honor Hindi’s legacy by donating children’s books to families in need or with special needs who can benefit greatly from free reading material. Since our founding, we have donated over 200,000 books to more than 500 organizations spanning across the United States and international communities in Puerto Rico, Africa, India, and Israel. By continuing our work, we hope to spread literacy to children around the world and provide those less fortunate with access to books, at no cost. 

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Pixabay photo

We thought that the end was near with the coronavirus, but unfortunately the new Delta variant has people across the country concerned. 

While many people — 68% of New Yorkers ages 18 and older — have been fully vaccinated, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said this week that 21 Long Island zip codes have low vaccination rates. The state will spend $15 million to target these communities in an effort to get more people vaccinated. 

During his press conference on Monday, Cuomo said that new daily cases have been jumping due to the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus. 

Cuomo added that about 75% of adults in the state have received at least one dose of the vaccine, but 25% have not — which is a total of 3.5 million people. Only 0.15% of people in the state who are vaccinated have become infected with the virus.

While things have opened up again, and life seems to be back to normal, the Delta variant can change that quickly. In areas that Cuomo named, which included parts of Rocky Point, Miller Place, Selden, Port Jefferson Station and Lake Grove, the $15 million funding from the state budget will be used to strengthen communication, expand public education and enhance ongoing outreach efforts throughout diverse communities.

But that isn’t enough. 

The fact that so many people are choosing not to get vaccinated, and who are not being careful in doing so, is concerning. We understand that there are people who have extreme health issues that prevent them from getting the jab, and we respect that. We understand that everyone has the right to choose to be vaccinated, but when there is a public health crisis that has taken the lives of so many innocent people, how could one not choose to get the shot? 

There is a lot of false information out there, and it’s sad to see that no one trusts science anymore. What happened to March 2020 when everyone was in this together? Why did something like a shot to prevent getting sick become so polarizing? Why are people fighting in supermarkets if they choose to wear a mask for protection, and someone who is anti-mask disagrees? 

Of all the new and recent COVID-19 cases statewide, 72% come from the Delta variant. Don’t we want to get back to normal? Weddings are finally allowed to include more than 50 people. Meetings are in-person again. We have a lot to look forward to, and it would be so disappointing to fall back to where we were last year because of fear or misinformation. 

Protect yourself. Protect your friends and family. This can be prevented.

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METRO photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

One day, you wake up and your kids who called noodles “noonies” are getting ready for college.

No, not exactly. It’s a long journey filled with skinned knees, ripped tee shirts — don’t ask — eye rolling and muttering between clenched teeth. Still, here we are, as our kids prepare to move on from the educational minor leagues. Along the way, we went through numerous milestones. Please find below a few of the phases in our journey.

— Deer in the headlights. I’ve seen deer in my headlights. The only difference between them and us when we first brought our children home is that the deer’s eyes are open much wider. We almost instantly became sleep-deprived. Other than that, we had that frozen not-sure-where-to-move feeling, knowing we had to do something, but not exactly sure what or in what order to take care of those needs.

— Hating everyone. People meant well back in the days when our children were young and cried. Numerous people, who didn’t live with or even know our needy infants, offered unsolicited advice about what this scream or that scream meant. Strangers would tell us how our daughter’s cry meant she had gas, was hungry, needed her diaper changed, or was hot or cold. Yes, thanks, those are the options. Thanks for the help!

— Cooking the plastics. Yup, back in the early days, I was so sleep deprived that I put plastic bottles in a pot of boiling water to sterilize them and fell asleep. It wasn’t until I smelled the burning plastic that I realized how long I’d been out.

— Carrying everything: We couldn’t go four blocks without a diaper bag filled with everything, including the special toy each of them needed, diapers, wipes, ointment, sunscreen, bug spray, rain jackets, boots, and extra clothing.

— Straining our backs: Picking the kids up and playing with them was fun when they were under 20 pounds. When they reached 50 and above, holding them the entire length of a ski slope became impossible.

— Crazy sports parents: This phase lasted much longer than it should have. It was only when the kids reached late middle school that I appreciated the fresh air, the sparkling sunlight and the excitement of the moment. Exercise and making friends are the goal. Everything else, including winning, is gravy.

— Giving them space (aka, it’s not about us). As they reached adolescence, our children needed to make their own decisions. Tempting as it was to jump in and redirect them or even to kiss them before they left the car for middle school, we bit our tongues as often as we could, leaving us feeling lonely and nostalgic in our cars as they joined their friends.

— Beautiful naps: Giving them space allowed us to do what we wanted. After years of living our lives while monitoring and helping theirs, we had a chance to do exactly what we wanted, which started with restorative naps.

— Sending them into space. We aren’t putting them in a Jeff Bezos rocket ship or sending them to the International Space Station, but we are preparing to give them an opportunity to explore the world outside our house.

— Looking at the calendar differently. With both of them on the way to their futures, we can choose places to visit that didn’t interest them. We can visit these places when school is in session, which should mean lower costs for us.

— Telling other people how to take care of their kids: With our free time, we see parents struggling with young children. We, of course, know better. Or maybe not.

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METRO photo

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

At this time of renewed attention to COVID-19, I recommend escapism. I have managed it, and this is how I did it. I immersed myself in two books, one after the other. They weren’t great classics, just hand-me-downs from a person whose reading tastes I respect. He gave me both books, and like a magic carpet ride, they took me to a different time and place with interesting characters for travel companions.

I enjoy historical fiction, and interestingly enough, both books use the siege of Leningrad by the Nazis during World War II as a critical context for their plots. Although we are being laid siege today by a malevolent virus, that act of war almost exactly 80 years ago was far different. Hitler wanted to bomb the city into oblivion, believing that Eastern Europeans were worthless, and survivors were to be starved to death. The German army was under orders not to accept any truce offer that might be extended to them by the city leadership. The siege began on Sept. 8, 1941, and ended, after 872 days of torment, on Jan. 27, 1944. The pre-war population of about two and a half million was reduced at the end to about 800,000 by extreme famine, disease and artillery strikes, one of the most destructive blockades in history. To make matters even worse, that first winter saw temperatures plummet as low as – 40 degrees. The dead piled up in the streets. There were even instances of cannibalism. The survivors were marked forever.

This is a major catalyst of the first book, “Winter Garden,” by best-selling author, Kristin Hannah. It is the story of the relationship between a mother and her two daughters, and between the daughters themselves, that bears the aftereffects of what has been termed by historians as attempted genocide in Leningrad. Anya is a cold and disapproving mother to her children, and they feel cast out to survive emotionally, each in their own way as they grow up. The glue that holds the family together is the father, and when he becomes terminally ill, the dysfunction of the women is clearly revealed. The writing is dramatic and manages to sustain a heart-rending pathos as the plot builds. I tried to keep a dry eye as I read, but in vain. Each continuing episode tugged at my heart and my tears flowed anew with just about every chapter. The surprise ending is a stunner.

Having barely recovered from Hannah’s epic story, I plowed into “City of Thieves,” by David Benioff. Unlike “Winter Garden,” in which the siege of Leningrad is considered for its profound and intergenerational consequences half a century later, Benioff’s main characters deal with the horror as it is unfolding. Seventeen-year-old Lev and 20-year-old Kolya somehow manage to make this into a coming-of-age story, with some laugh-out-loud dialogue even as they are fighting to survive. But don’t be misled. This account of the tragedy of Leningrad is, if anything, more brutal for its contemporaneous setting. 

The two young men, through a bit of incredible yet somehow acceptable events, are sent off by a Soviet colonel amidst a starving city in search of a dozen eggs. It might as well be the holy grail for Arthurian medieval knights. In the course of the quest, they see and sometimes experience some of the individual terrors of the siege in what Benioff claims is historically accurate fashion. Benioff has delineated the plot according to specifics in Harrison Salisbury’s book, “The 900 Days,” and Curzio Malaparte’s “Kaputt.” 

The latter, a novel published in 1946 by an Italian war correspondent, is about the descent of European civilization on the Eastern Front during World War II, and the former, written in 1969, is by the respected American journalist detailing the definitive story of the prolonged battle. Benioff cites them as sources for his novel.

They were hardly light reading, these two books my friend gave me, but they certainly kept my attention. They also taught me a bit, as good books do.

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Coach Ken Eriksen with members of Team USA softball team. Photo by Jade Hewitt from USA Softball

Coached by 1979 Ward Melville High School graduate Ken Eriksen, Team USA softball team ran out of walk-off magic in the gold medal game Tuesday.

After coming from behind to beat Australia, 2-1, and then Japan by the same score in the last two games before the final, Team USA couldn’t rally to beat Japan in the gold medal game, falling 2-0.

Coach Ken Eriksen during practice with Team USA. Photo by Jade Hewitt from USA Softball

Eriksen, who had a successful college baseball career, has extensive softball coaching and playing experience, including as the current head coach of the University of South Florida for over 24 years. He has had several roles with the national team over the years, including as an assistant on the 2004 Olympic team that won gold in Athens. He became head coach of Team USA in 2011.

Members of the local athletic community expressed their admiration for the coach and his involvement at the Olympic games.

“For one of our former student athletes to be coaching on the highest stage possible in the world is something we’re so proud of,” said Kevin Finnerty, athletic director of the Three Village Central School District. Eriksen’s role shows “that our students, through hard work, effort and time can” reach their goals.

Joseph Burger, who has been coaching softball at Ward Melville for seven years, appreciated the connection between Eriksen and the high school.

“When you have a Ward Melville graduate coaching the Olympic team, that sheds a great light on the sport and what we’re trying to do here,” Burger said. “This is very positive for the program.”

Burger appreciated how Team USA showed sportsmanship at the end of the loss, which, he said, reflects well on the coach.

Burger, who posted the Team USA softball schedule on the high school softball team’s Instagram page, said the games set a great example for his players.

The Olympians are “aggressive toward the ball,” he said.

Rising Ward Melville junior third baseman and team captain Alicea Pepitone watched the gold medal game.

“They played their hearts out this whole series in the Olympics,” said Pepitone, who would like to play in college. “They should be proud, even though it didn’t go down the way they wanted it to.”

Pepitone thought it was “awesome” that Coach Eriksen attended Ward Melville. She recalls watching softball in the Olympics in 2008.

“I want to be one of those girls on that field and wearing that jersey,” she said.

Reached by email before the final game, Eriksen responded to TBR’s questions from Tokyo.

TBR: Who were some of your softball mentors growing up in Setauket?

Eriksen: My coaching mentors from Long Island were Russ Cain at Gelinas Junior High School and Coach Everett Hart. They were both tremendous teachers. They both taught the game, and you would never know you were up by 10 or down by 10. They treated and respected the game as it should be … a teaching platform for life.

TBR: Have you emulated any of the coaching patterns you observed as a player?

Eriksen: Most definitely. It’s all about the players’ ability to be prepared for any situation and trust them to react to the situations.

TBR: What is the best advice you received as a player?

Eriksen: Trust your preparation. Less is more.

TBR: Do you use that advice with the players on USA softball? 

Eriksen: Every day.

TBR: Is the sport of softball any different than it was during the age of Jennie Finch?

Eriksen: It’s more competitive worldwide now than it was prior to 2008. You can see that by the competition in the last four World Championships and the 2021 games.

TBR: Does the sport require any different skill sets?

Eriksen: Absolutely as it does comparatively to baseball.

TBR: How is USA softball any different from softball in the rest of the world?

Eriksen: The expectations sometimes are unrealistic in respect of not thinking it’s a global game.

TBR: Does your team or does the program emphasize specific skills that differentiate it from softball in the rest of the world?

Eriksen: Not really. Everyone spends an inordinate amount of time trying to be flawless.

TBR: What is different about coaching and playing?

Eriksen: It was easier to play! Only had to worry about me!

TBR: Have you had to learn different skill sets as a coach than you had as a player?

Eriksen: Obviously when you are dealing as a manager in any organization there is a “human hierarchy of needs” that each player presents to you as a coach. When you have a unit that is together for years, you better understand the people first.

TBR: Was it challenging to coach and play softball without anyone in the stands?

Eriksen: Not really. When you are locked into the moment, all noise is irrelevant in the heads of elite athletes.

TBR: Was the team able to provide the energy and excitement that the crowd might normally offer in the context of a more typical softball game or season?

Eriksen: We bring it every day regardless. That happens when you wear U-S-A on the front of your jersey.

TBR: What’s next after the Olympics?

Eriksen: For me … getting away from the spotlight. Won’t be hard. I love the “game,” but it’s a game. It’s not my whole life. The old saying … “gone fishing.”

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