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Brookhaven Town Hall

Save the date! The Brookhaven Town Youth Bureau is teaming up with All Suffolk Car Clubs to present their Annual Charity Car Show, Food and Toy Drive on Sunday, November 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (rain or shine) at Brookhaven Town Hall, located at One Independence Hill in Farmingville. Club members will be displaying their cars in the south parking lot to raise donations for families in need through the Youth Bureau’s INTERFACE Program. There will also be a Silent Auction, raffles and live music.

Attendees are asked to bring non-perishable food items to contribute to the Thanksgiving Food Drive and new, unwrapped toys for children to open during the holiday season. Admission is free and cash donations are accepted. There will be no judging of the vehicles and trophies will not be awarded. Free hot dogs and beverages will be served and there will be live music and entertainment throughout the day. The event is rain or shine. For further information, please call Maxine at 516-658-1977 and Charlie at 631-831-3547.

INTERFACE is a partnership between individuals, good corporate neighbors and the Town of Brookhaven in a common effort to provide help to Brookhaven’s less fortunate residents. It provides goods and services to those in need and addresses local social issues. There are approximately 150 corporations, not-for-profit agencies and community and fraternal organizations that make up INTERFACE. To learn more about the Town’s INTERFACE Program, visit our Community Programs page or call 631-451-8026.

Above, participants during the conference. Photo courtesy the town’s public information office

On April 28, the Long Island Geographic Information Systems (LIGIS) Conference was held in the auditorium at Brookhaven Town Hall. A Geographic Information System is a computer-based tool to help visualize, analyze and understand patterns and relationships within data that has a geographic or spatial component.

In simpler terms, it’s like a high-tech, interactive map that can display different types of information, such as roads, buildings, weather patterns or even population distribution, all in one place.

GIS combines various types of data, including maps, charts, and spreadsheets, and layers them on top of each other to show a more comprehensive picture of a particular area or topic. This makes it easier for people to understand complex information and make informed decisions based on geography.

It can be used for a wide range of applications, from urban planning and environmental conservation to disaster management and public health.

Photo from Town of Brookhaven

On November 14, the North Shore Art Guild opened their Winter Showcase exhibit on the second-floor mezzanine at Brookhaven Town Hall. The exhibit can be seen Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., now until December 28. Brookhaven Town Hall is located at 1 Independence Hill in Farmingville. All the art on exhibit is for sale. Pictured left to right are Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine; Town Historian, Barbara Russell and Brookhaven Town Councilman Dan Panico.

North Shore Art Guild is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation designed to assist artists at all levels and within all disciplines. It is their goal to develop a strong visual arts presence while using our talent as a force to better our community. Their mission is to promote arts and advancement in all areas of artistic endeavors. The Guild encourages exposure and growth through exhibitions, workshops, demonstrations and helpful “critiquing” given by seasoned artists. They invite all artists whatever level or medium, to join, learn and grow with the North Shore Art Guild. For more information about the North Shore Art Guild or to join, please visit the website at www.NorthShoreArtGuild.org.

Residents traveled to Brookhaven Town Hall, above, to resist two draft proposals on the Brookhaven Redistricting Committee's website. Photo from the town website

For the second consecutive week, the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville community gave a strong display of community solidarity, this time during a public meeting at Brookhaven Town Hall on Thursday, Aug. 11.

Joined by neighbors from around the township, residents spoke out against two proposed maps for the redistricting of Brookhaven Town Council. If approved, the proposed maps would make significant changes to the existing boundaries of Council Districts 1 and 2, severing large chunks of Port Jefferson Station from Terryville and cutting Mount Sinai in half.

Public comments

Logan Mazer, a Coram resident, has proposed an alternative to the maps on the redistricting committee’s website. He told the Town Board that the only two districts requiring change are Districts 2 and 6 — the former being underpopulated and the latter being overpopulated. Because the two districts share a border, Mazer proposed the simple transfer of territory from District 6 into District 2 to correct the population imbalance.

The map of least change “doesn’t really change the political alignment … it doesn’t produce any gerrymandered districts and it protects communities of interest that are being carved up in these new maps for no discernable reason,” Mazer said.

Throughout the evening, Mazer’s map received favorable reactions from those in attendance. Among the supporters of the Mazer map is Lou Antoniello, a member of the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association, who considered the draft proposal a way to transfer the burden of costs and maintenance into District 1.

“They showed that there was a portion of Mount Sinai — a beautiful section down by Cedar Beach and the surrounding community — which is a high-maintenance area for Mount Sinai that would be swapped out for the relatively self-sufficient area of Terryville,” he said. “I am here tonight to tell you that I don’t think that map is a map that should be voted on.”

Joan Nickeson, a Terryville resident and community liaison for the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce, discussed the phenomenon of cracking, a practice in political redistricting that dilutes the voting power of an area by distributing its population across districts.

“It is unconscionable that you would crack our high school from the rest of its district, and crack neighbor from neighbor, and actually cleave members of the chamber of commerce from the chamber of commerce office,” she said. Addressing the board, she added, “I want you to remember to keep [the] 11776 [zip code] together when you go to vote.”

Paul Sagliocca, also a member of PJSTCA, shared the historic neglect of PJS/Terryville. He said that recently, the community has begun to counteract that narrative, introducing a Shakespeare in the Park event at the Chamber Train Car Park and building momentum for positive changes to the area.

Sagliocca asked that the board not impede the development of the area by dividing community members across political boundaries. “It is on the up — we do not need to be divided,” he said. “I would really wish that when it comes time to vote, that Port Jeff Station/Terryville stays in one solid community within District 1.”

Francis Gibbons, a Port Jefferson Station resident and member of the PJSTCA, said the redistricting process has diminished the public’s faith in its institutions. “Why are we continuing with this farce?” he asked. “I believe disenfranchisement brings with it a lack of political faith in our system. When you have a lack of faith, after time it brings civil war.”

Community members were joined by allies from the village of Port Jefferson. Bruce Miller, a former trustee of Port Jefferson Village, criticized the process. He considered the multiple cancellations of public hearings in CD1 as a way to silence the public.

Miller also suggested that the proposed maps fail to advance the interests of the town. “Just leaving Mount Sinai and Port Jefferson Station and Terryville the way they are seems to be a more appropriate strategy,” he said. “All this straining, all these machinations, result in small gains but are a bad look that angers the public needlessly.”

Also attending was Port Jeff Village trustee Rebecca Kassay. Speaking on her own behalf, Kassay told the Town Board that plans to divide Port Jefferson Station/Terryville would impair the village’s own efforts to revitalize its uptown areas.

Citing her history of coordinating with the PJS/T chamber of commerce and the civic association, the village trustee said, “To see the work slowed at all by political lines, by having these two communities needing to go to two different councilmembers, that would surely slow down the work and the progress of the area at large.”

Kassay also described how a breakdown in procedure can alienate ordinary citizens from the political process, leading to cynicism and distrust of their elected officials.

“There are people who truly believe that all politicians get into office and then they serve themselves or they serve their parties, and I don’t want that to continue,” she said. “I want all elected officials to stand up and make decisions and show their allegiance to their constituents and not their party.”

Supervisor’s reply

Following the public comments, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) responded to those in attendance. He thanked the residents for coming out and for expressing their opinions. The supervisor affirmed his trust in the Town Board to listen carefully to constituent concerns.

Romaine also discussed the criteria that he will use to evaluate the proposed maps, saying that he favors a map that offers fewer “splits” of communities of interest.

“As supervisor, I’m going to tell you, I’m going to be looking for a map with less splits,” he said. “Your comments were very helpful. We’re looking for less splits.” Referring to his colleagues on the Town Board, the supervisor added, “I think they’ll sit down and they’ll take all the comments that you said … and they will consider all of them.”

The next meeting of the Brookhaven Redistricting Committee is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 16, at 6 p.m. at Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776.

Councilmember Kornreich with Troop 229. Photo from Town of Brookhaven

On July 25, Boy Scouts from Troop 229 in Selden visited Town Hall to meet with Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich and satisfy requirements of the “Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge.” For this badge, each Boy Scout is required to choose an issue that is important to their community, then interview a member of the local government responsible for the issue.

The Boy Scouts chose to interview Councilmember Kornreich and brought up some very important community issues and concerns regarding littering, recycling, redevelopment vs. new construction, dilapidated parks and inflation. They were also given a tour of Town Hall by Councilmember Kornreich. Pictured left to right with the Councilmember (back row) are Aidan Soviero; Kieran deCarolis; Dylan deCarolis; Dean Ricciardi; Collin Tirado; Ryan Wagner; Joseph Reeves; Landon Holbrook; Carl June and Logan Schaefer.

“I always enjoy meeting with scouts and was particularly impressed by the thoughtfulness and sophistication of the questions and observations they shared. I was encouraged by their community spirit and have every confidence that these scouts will be ready to be the civic leaders of tomorrow.”

Stock photo

Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville hosts a blood drive on Wednesday, Dec. 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the 2nd floor auditorium. Appointments preferred by calling 1-800-933-2566 or by visiting www.nybc.org. All donors will be entered into a Home for the Holidays sweepstakes and receive a McDonald’s voucher. For more information, call 631-451-9100.

Above, a sample of some of the raffle prizes. Photo from Facebook

Time to shop! Dress for Success Brookhaven will hold a semi-annual fundraiser sale at Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville on Friday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Join them tomorrow for some amazing deals on clothing, shoes, handbags, jewelry, and coats. Make sure to visit their Designer Section. Take a chance on wonderful raffles and enjoy some free giveaways and door prizes. Proceeds will support programs that help women get back into the workforce. For more information, call 631-451-9127.

Photo from Town of Brookhaven

On April 30, the Town of Brookhaven celebrated Arbor Day by planting a Red Maple tree in front of Town Hall, following a longstanding tradition. Since 2016, the Town has been designated as a “Tree City USA” by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

The annual planting at Town Hall is part of Supervisor Romaine’s Green Energy & Sustainability initiative for Town facilities announced in his 2015 State of the Town Address. The plan focuses on Town-owned Buildings and Facilities, Traffic Controls, Street Lights and Town Vehicles. Pictured left to right are the Town’s Environmental Analyst Alan Duckworth; Councilman Kevin LaValle; Supervisor Ed Romaine; Councilman Dan Panico; Councilwoman Jane Bonner; Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich and Councilman Neill Foley.

Arbor Day has been celebrated around the world since originating in Spain in 1805. The first American Arbor Day was on April 10, 1872 in Nebraska. In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt brought the event to national attention when he issued an “Arbor Day Proclamation to the School Children of the United States.”

Patrick Boyce, of Middle Island, shuffled forward on a line he stood in for the past three hours Oct. 24. As time dragged on, and his feet grew sore, he said he wished he had brought a chair.

He wasn’t the only person complaining about sore feet, as Boyce was just one of 55,000 people, including 20,319 in Suffolk, who came out to vote on Long Island over the weekend of Oct. 24 and 26, according to Newsday. At Brookhaven Town Hall, just one of two locations in Brookhaven where one could vote early, the line started near the end of the hill along Independence Drive. It curved up and over to the left, then wrapped like a snake through the parking lot south of the main building before finally ending at the front door of the main building. Poll workers walked through with a unique kind of energy, getting people to move forward in line and make room for more.

The time to vote was from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but as the line closed to any newcomers in the evening, hundreds still had to make their way into the polling place. Some, like the Biondo family of Port Jefferson, spent five hours on line, having originally arrived around 12:30 p.m. The line at Nesconset Elementary School, which they tried first before coming to Brookhaven, was just as long, if not longer.

By most accounts the lines were long but calm, and the majority of people were wearing masks. At Brookhaven Town Hall, people paid for snacks and drinks from a small concession stand like food hawkers at a major league game.

Boyce, who got on the line at 11:54 a.m., though he was getting there early, though very few expected the lines to be that long. 

“It’s worth it though,” he said. “I think election day, it’s going to be even worse.”

Early voting continues this week until Sunday. Click on the image to see a chart of when and wear you can cast your early ballot.

 

Local Union 154 workers held a protest in front of Brookhaven Town Hall Nov.19. Photo by David Luces

Hauppauge-based Local Union 154 workers protested outside of Brookhaven Town Hall Nov. 19, disputing the Town of Brookhaven’s decision to hire another contractor to work on roofing of the government building. 

The protesters who stood at the entrance to Independence Hill did not want to speak on the record, but said they were protesting because town officials hired nonunionized workers for the ongoing roof work being done at Town Hall. Brookhaven has ongoing projects to put solar panels on the Town Hall roof.

Local 154 did not respond to multiple requests for comment by press time. 

The contractor, Ronkonkoma-based Statewide Roofing, has been performing commercial and industrial roofing on the Island since 1983, according to its website. Notable projects include replacing the roof and deck waterproofing at Stony Brook University South Stadium. The company is a member of the National Roofing Contractors Association and North East Roofing Contractors Association. 

Gerry Curtin, president and part owner of the company, believes his workers are more than qualified to do the work and said the problem is with Local 154, who “wants everyone to go through them.” 

Curtin said they have long resisted unionization. 

“We’ve been around 36 years — we pay our workers prevailing wage and we’ve had apprenticeship program for over 25 years, we have done a lot of public work [over the years],” he said. 

The president of the company said they do have labor union agreements and take on other laborers if needed.

A Brookhaven spokesperson said they make sure the union/contractor they hire offers a prevailing wage and has an appropriate apprenticeship program in place. 

The spokesperson said work being done on the roof is part of the town’s solar energy program. The town put out a request for bids for the roof work and got a response from five different companies. They ultimately went with Statewide Roofing, which came in $1 million less than the next lowest bid.