Many of us may think that black-and-white photographs are not interesting. Mimi Hodges, an enthusiastic photographer and Sound Beach resident, doesn’t agree. She likes to take black-and-white photographs of local places. As she puts it, “color can sometimes be a distraction.”
By Irene Ruddock
Award-winning artist Mary Jane van Zeijts recently opened her own studio/gallery, Studio 268, at 268 Main Street in Setauket to display her work and teach art. I recently sat down with Mary Jane to share her thoughts on her art and her new adventures.
Irene: I know you recently moved back to Stony Brook from New Jersey. What made you move back?
Mary Jane: I missed the people, the art community, the silvery Long Island light that’s so special, but mostly I missed my friends! My children spent their first 11 years here so it is home to them, too. It confirms my belief that the Three Village area is a great place to bring up children. My son is in the Stony Brook School, which he loves. So many good things have happened to me since I’ve been back that I feel my life is going in a new and exciting direction. I never tire of things to paint here such as Avalon Park, [Frank] Melville [Memorial] Park and West Meadow Beach. The landscape is so varied that I am forever inspired to create.
I: You just renovated a house in Stony Brook that was on the Three Village Historical Society’s house tour. The decor of a house tells a lot about the owner. Tell us about it.
MJ: It’s really just things I’ve collected that are meaningful to me: a table from my parent’s blacksmith shop in Holland, Dutch wooden shoes, an antique clock, and paintings and sculptures from fellow artists. I like an uncluttered, clean design that lets me breathe, yet I yearn to be surrounded by things that touch my heart and are a part of my heritage.
I: When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
MJ: Growing up, I was always involved with drawing and painting. I started teaching at age 16 at the Gifted Child Society where I realized that I loved working with young people. I received my bachelor’s degree in fine art from the Maryland Institute College of Art and earned my masters in art education from NYU.
I: Can you describe what you are trying to say when you paint?
MJ: It’s more about feelings than what I actually see and the desire to have those feelings come through the painting. Pastels allow me to do that because they are so immediate. You feel it and you can just put it down before it is lost. You don’t have to mix the paint, or wait for anything to dry. Creating is all about problem solving. It’s a great way to be aware of what’s around you, to interact with and observe nature, to create something that acknowledges the beauty everywhere. When someone buys my work, my wish is to make them happy and to have that painting “speak” to them.
I: Art is different to every artist. What is art to you?
MJ: Art allows you to be quiet with yourself, it centers you, and gives you an awareness of yourself. I believe art is one of the highest form of communication — a universal language that evokes emotions. One experiences art on a deeper level.
I: You have spoken about your family. What are they like?
MJ: My parents are Dutch. They are straight-forward, practical, no nonsense people who love family and traditions. They, like most Dutch people, love the water, the great outdoors and adventure. They have a very strong work ethic.
My great-grandparents were active in the Dutch underground in World War ll. They hid and moved Jewish families through Holland. I treasure a tea box given to me by a man who was saved by my family. I look back and hope this generation will be as strong, principled and loyal as they were. I hope this strength and bravery will go forward and will not be lost.
I: What is the best advice you have ever received?
MJ: My dad always gave the best advice. He said that “If someone says that you are not capable of doing something, you need to ignore them and try to do it anyway.” He said, “Just do the right thing and every else will fall in place.”
I: Tell me about your three children. What are they like?
MJ: Everyone says that they were brought up well, but their goodness and specialness doesn’t come from anything I did. They are better than I am. I have learned from them to try to handle life with grace and faith.
I: What would be your advice to them?
MJ: I would tell them to trust in themselves and let their faith guide them.
I: You have just opened your studio and gallery. What is your vision for that?
MJ: I am thrilled to fulfill my lifelong dream of having my own studio to share my art with the community. I want it to be a comfortable space where children and adults learn, guest artists show their work, and people feel free to just stop by and say hello. My vision is to make the studio a joyful place of creativity and excitement where all are welcome!
Studio 268 will hold a grand opening on Sunday, Dec. 20, from 1 to 5 p.m. Join Mary Jane before or after your holiday shopping to view the art, mingle with fellow artists and enjoy some light refreshments. The gallery is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For information about classes or private appointments, contact Mary Jane at [email protected] or call/text her at 631-220-4529. You may view her art at www.maryjanevanzeijts.com.
Three’s company
A 40-year-old woman, a 38-year-old man and a 58-year-old man all from Huntington were arrested for multiple charges inside a 1986 Chevrolet Monte Carlo on High Street in Huntington at 10:15 a.m. on Nov. 28. Police said the woman had cocaine and 19 hypodermic needles with heroin residue on them. She was charged with two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Police said the 38-year-old man was driving with a suspended license, was in possession of prescription pills without a prescription and had five glass pipes in his possession with cocaine residue on them. He was charged with loitering, unlawful use of a controlled substance and third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. The 58-year-old man also has prescription pills in his possession without a prescription as well as needles and glass pipes with heroin residue, according to police. He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, unlawful use of a controlled substance and loitering.
Boxed out
An unknown person took cash from a cardboard box inside a resident’s home on Bayberry Drive in Huntington on Nov. 24 at 9 a.m.
Infinite crimes in an Infiniti
On Nov. 28, police said a 49-year-old from Huntington Station was speeding in a 2000 Infiniti and engaging in reckless driving on New York Avenue and West 22nd Street in Huntington. They also said he drove into oncoming traffic, through red lights and a railroad gate. He was arrested at 12:23 a.m. and charged with second-degree criminal mischief.
Knock out
Police said a 22-year-old man from Huntington Station punched another man several times, causing swelling and pain on the corner of Main Street and Wall Street in Huntington at 2:45 a.m. on Nov. 26. He was arrested and charged with third-degree assault with intent to cause physical injury.
Doing time for the time
On Nov. 26, police said a 62-year-old man from Huntington stole a black Lifestyle watch from Rite Aid on Main Street in Huntington at 12:15 p.m. He was arrested and charged with petit larceny.
No brain on Brian Court
An unknown person stole a laptop, baseball bat and assorted baby items from an unlocked 2015 Nissan Altima parked on Brian Court in Northport on Nov. 23 at 9 a.m.
She knows the drill
A 30-year-old woman from East Northport was arrested at the 2nd Precinct on Nov. 24 after police said she stole on multiple occasions. According to police, she stole multiple drills and DeWalt combo kits from Home Depot on New York Avenue in Huntington on Oct. 4 and Oct. 18. She was charged with petit larceny.
You’ve got mail
Police said an unknown person damaged a letter in a resident’s mailbox on Sunken Meadow Road in Northport by tearing it in half on Nov. 25 at 8:30 a.m.
Crisis on the corner
On Nov. 24, police said a 29-year-old woman from East Northport was in possession of prescription pills without a prescription and heroin on the corner of Town Line Road and Pulaski Road in East Northport at 2:25 p.m. She was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
NoPro
An unknown person stole a GoPro Silver from a 2003 Saturn VUE parked on Larkfield Road in East Northport after they broke in through the passenger side window on Nov. 26 at 11 a.m.
Jewelry in jeopardy
Police said an unknown person stole jewelry that was left on a table at the Smithtown Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing Care at 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 29.
No license on the LIE
A 23-year-old woman from Calverton was arrested on the Long Island Expressway in Commack at 3 a.m. on Nov. 30 after police said she was driving without a license and had a hypodermic instrument and marijuana on her. She was charged with fifth degree criminal possession of marijuana and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
Woes at Walmart
On Nov. 24, a 34-year-old woman from Brentwood was arrested after police said she took children’s clothing, health and beauty items and food from a Walmart on Crooked Hill Road in Commack at 3 p.m. She was charged with petit larceny.
Mazda madness
An unknown person stole change from a 2007 Mazda parked on Tanglewood Drive in Smithtown and a 2015 Mazda parked on Crescent Place in Smithtown on Nov. 23 at 11 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.
Motor Parkway mistakes
A 30-year-old woman from Bay Shore was arrested after police said she was driving without a license on Motor Parkway in Smithtown in a 2015 Hyundai on Nov. 25 at 11:30 a.m. She was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
U-wrong on U-turn
On Nov. 24, a 37-year-old woman from Deer Park was arrested after police said she made an unsafe U-turn in a 2015 Ford and then drove straight in a right-turn-only lane at midnight on Jericho Turnpike in Commack and then discovered she was driving drunk. She was charged with driving while intoxicated.
Blurred Lines
A 27-year-old man from Port Jefferson was arrested on Nov. 26 at 12:50 a.m. after police said he failed to maintain his lane of traffic on Main Street in Smithtown while driving a 2006 Ford and then discovered he was driving drunk. He was charged with driving while intoxicated.
A man of substance
A 27-year-old man from Port Jefferson was arrested for criminal possession of a controlled substance on Nov. 28. Police said the man had two bags of heroin, as well as cocaine and a hypodermic needle. He was arrested on the corner of Gaymore Road and Ardmer Drive in Port Jefferson Station.
Passport to jail
Police arrested a Port Jefferson Station driver for criminal impersonation on Nov. 24, after the 39-year-old woman allegedly used another person’s passport when officials pulled her over and issued her a ticket. She used the identification to sign her permission for authorities to search the vehicle, according to police. She was arrested at the scene, on Route 25A in Rocky Point.
Swimming in a cell
Police arrested a 23-year-old man from Port Jefferson for petit larceny on Nov. 27, four months after he stole pool-cleaning supplies from Leslie’s Swimming Pool Supplies on Veterans Memorial Highway in Commack. The crime happened on July 13, and officers arrested the suspect at his residence.
Jewelry heist
A 35-year-old woman from Miller Place was arrested for criminal possession of stolen property at her home on Nov. 25, about a month after she allegedly tried to sell more than $1,000-worth of stolen jewelry on Middle Country Road in Coram.
What a tool
On Nov. 23, a 38-year-old man from Ronkonkoma was arrested for petit larceny after he stole assorted tools from a mechanic at the Double “N” Automotive shop on Mark Tree Road in Centereach.
Drunk munchies lead to crash
A 20-year-old man from St. James in a 1998 Subaru hit another car in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant along Route 347 in Stony Brook on Nov. 25, and police said while he was being interviewed about the crash, they discovered he was intoxicated. The man was arrested for driving while ability impaired.
Lax security
A 31-year-old woman from Northport was arrested for grand larceny on Nov. 27 after she disabled the security devices on several pieces of merchandise at the Kohl’s on Route 25A in Rocky Point and then left the store without paying. Officials arrested the woman at the scene.
Taking a bonus
Police arrested a 51-year-old man from Blue Point on Nov. 28 when he attempted to steal money from a cash register at the Walmart on Nesconset Highway in Setauket. A Walmart employee detained the man, who also worked at the store. He was charged with petit larceny.
Clothing kidnapper
A 27-year-old woman from Bay Shore was arrested on Nov. 28 for petit larceny after she entered a store on Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook and walked out with an armful of clothes. Police arrested the woman at the scene.
Forgot a stamp
Police said someone broke a mailbox and its post on Jefferson Boulevard in Port Jefferson Station on Nov. 25. According to officials, the homeowners heard a crash outside their home when their mailbox was damaged.
Breaking bottles
An unidentified man hit another man with a bottle on Nov. 26, lacerating his cheek. The suspect fled the scene, on Route 25A in Port Jefferson.
Fishy excuse
On Nov. 29, an unknown man ordered $258 worth of sushi from a restaurant on Route 25A in Miller Place, but when the man went to pick up the food, he told restaurant employees that he left his wallet in his car. The man took the food and fled the scene without paying.
Dirty crime
Between 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 25 and 10 a.m. on Nov. 26, an unidentified person stole three dirt bikes from a residence on Lower Rocky Point Road in Sound Beach.
Hungry robber
According to police, someone kicked and broke the front glass door of the Centereach Deli on Middle Country Road, then pried the door open to enter the store and stole cash. The incident happened on Nov. 29.
Grinch
Someone stole a Santa Claus lawn decoration from a residence on Liberty Avenue in Selden, sometime between Nov. 28 and 29.
There used to be more to North Country Road than meets the eye.
State Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) discussed the history and importance of Long Island’s Main streets like North Country Road during the Three Village Community Trust’s 11th annual celebration Nov. 18. Around 80 residents attended the event, which helps raise awareness of various conservation or preservation topics.
Cynthia Barnes, president of the group, said the event also helps residents understand the community better. This year, highway and street preservation was the topic of the evening.
According to guest speaker Englebright, in the early 1600s the king of England ordered the construction of North Country Road otherwise known as Route 25A or Main Street. Christian Avenue was once part of Main Street before North Country Road was developed further. Englebright said North Country Road is the oldest road in the community and it is one of many structures that help define the area.
Speaking about the streets in the neighborhood, Englebright said, “They are also fragile and can be lost and in doing so we can lose part of who we are.”
While change is inevitable as time progresses, the goal is to remember and preserve the history of the locale. Englebright added that many roads residents use are some of the oldest roads in the area. He didn’t specify which roads in particular but said that those living in the community don’t always realize the small changes made to the area over time.
With development pressures and gentrification it’s easy for a community to lose its history. With the trust’s annual celebration, Englebright hoped to bring awareness to the history of local roadways, and help continue preservation efforts.
“We have a tradition in this community of preserving our heritage and trying to maintain that quality of our overall community through preservation and adaptive rescue of repurposed historic buildings,” Englebright said. “[Preservation efforts have] happened here more than almost anywhere else I could think of.”
For his past 32 years as an elected official, Englebright fought and continues to fight to preserve historic neighborhoodsincluding the roadways. In light of his preservation efforts over the years the trust not only invited Englebright to make a presentation at the event, but also honored him for his service and his support of the trust and its work.
The assemblyman has helped preserve many historic sites including the Davis Town Meeting House in Coram. The exterior of the house was renovated but the interior was left in shambles. Unused buildings are typically targeted. In order to preserve the 1750s-built house, Englebright supported a grant to help the Davis Town Meeting House Society cater to the building’s interior. The grant is one of many the assemblyman has advocated during his time in public office.
“We’re very lucky to have an assemblyman or an elected official with not just a vision for this community, but he’s actually able to implement [these visions] in various ways and inspire other people to help him,” Barnes said in a phone interview.
By Beverly C. Tyler
Anthony Matusky received his wings at Pensacola, Fla., in 1941. His sister, Mary Matwell, remembered that Anthony had said that he trained off Greenland in the unit with Joseph Kennedy. At the time of his death, Anthony was stationed on the Trinidad Naval Base as a pilot in a naval patrol squadron engaged in patrolling for enemy submarines, which were taking a heavy toll of shipping in the Caribbean.
“The Navy Department has notified Mrs. John Matusky, of Setauket, that her son, Lieut. Anthony R. Matusky, U.S.N.R., reported missing in action last August [1943], has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, highest aviation honor, in recognition of the following service: ‘For heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a pilot attached to a Patrol Squadron during a coordinated attack on an enemy submarine in the Caribbean Sea . . . His cool courage and superb airmanship in the face of danger contributed decisively to the eventual destruction of the enemy submarine and the capture of her crew.”
— New York Journal American, 1944
As reported in the November 1945 issue of The Reader’s Digest by Pulitzer Prize winning writer Ira Wolfert, in an article titled “The Silent, Invisible War Under the Sea,” the German submarines were an effective tool in destroying the supply arm of the Allied efforts, sinking 1,161 merchant vessels in 1942. Their subs basically owned the Atlantic until an effective strategy was developed using aircraft and radar to find submarines recharging their batteries on the surface and the ideal attack procedures to cripple and sink them.
On the night of Aug. 5, 1943, a patrol plane out of Trinidad Naval Base spotted a sub and made an attack as the sub crash-dived. The Mariner aircraft then kept the sub in radar contact all night but it did not surface again. As detailed by Wolfert, “At dawn [the patrol plane] running low on gas was replaced by Lieut. A.R. Matuski. For seven and a half tedious hours, Matuski plied back and forth and around a square of ocean, figuring how he would maneuver if he were a sub skipper who had been down so and so many hours in such and such currents and this and that kind of sea, and making his gambit accordingly.
“Matuski was a boy who knew his business. At 1321 hours (1:21 p.m.) Trinidad Naval Base got a sub contact report from him, giving longitude and latitude, adding ‘I am going in to attack.’
‘1330’ he radioed, ‘sub damaged, bow out of water, making only about two knots.
‘1335: sub bow sank.
‘1337: no casualties to plane or personnel.
‘1348: Damaged. Damaged. I am on fire.’”
There were no other transmissions from Lt. Matusky’s aircraft and no trace of the pilot or crew of 10 was ever found. Trinidad sent another aircraft to keep up the pressure on the sub and as detailed by Wolfert, “[The next naval patrol bomber] reached the position given by Matuski and 20 minutes later picked up the enemy pip on his radar. When he got in visual range, he could see that Matuski had done his last work well. The sub’s stern was down, its bow up, and it was lumbering across the sea.”
Together with an additional naval aircraft, a blimp and finally an army bomber the sub was sunk. Navy destroyers picked up 40 sub survivors the next morning.
Anthony was killed during the war but his four brothers returned home, all five honored. Anthony’s name is engraved on the monuments on the Setauket Village Green and the East Setauket Memorial Park along with the other seven men from Setauket who died in WWII.
Two men from the local area gave their lives in WWI, Raymond Wishart and Harry Golden. A massive boulder and south-facing bronze tablet were erected on the Setauket Village Green in their memory. The boulder was brought from Strong’s Neck and the plaque was designed by the well-known artist William DeLeftwich Dodge who painted the murals on New York history that are in the state capital in Albany.
On the opposite side of the rock is a plaque that was placed there after WWII. It reads, “1941-1945 In memory of Clifford J. Darling, Henry P. Eichacker, Francis S. Hawkins, David Douglas Hunter, Orlando B. Lyons, Anthony R. Matusky, Edward A. Pfeiffer, (and) William E. Weston of the United States Armed Forces who gave their lives in World War II.” On the memorial in East Setauket is also listed the local serviceman Chris F. Brunn who died in Vietnam.
We have a lot to be thankful for during this time of Thanksgiving. We have a very special community here in the hamlets of Setauket and Stony Brook and the villages of Old Field and Poquott. Let us never forget the sacrifice made by these men, by those service men and women from our community who were injured physically and/or mentally, and by all the men and women who served in war and in peacetime to keep us safe and free.
Beverly Tyler is the Three Village Historical Society historian.
December is approaching, but things are heating up on the streets of Setauket.
Brookhaven became the first municipality across Long Island to use a product known as warm mix asphalt during repaving projects, and with three paving seasons already under his belt, Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro (R) said its implementation could not be smoother — literally.
“As the third largest Highway Department in all of New York state I felt it was important for Brookhaven to be both an innovator and a leader in introducing new technologies,” he said in a statement. “As we enter the latter part of the paving season, warm mix asphalt allows us to achieve proper compaction, especially during night work in cooler temperatures. I want to show other departments that not only is this product viable, it’s actually preferable in many instances.”
Warm mix asphalt production uses temperatures 30 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the traditional hot mix asphalt used in paving projects. The Highway Department said that greater temperature differences between asphalt mixes and the outside temperature makes for faster cooling for the mixes, which affects durability. With warm mix asphalt’s slower cooling time, it is most effective when used in lower temperatures, typically at night, Losquadro said.
The Highway Department entered into a new contract last year, which included new bid specifications calling for the technology, which Losquadro said provided more accountability and streamlined the paving process.
The technology has been used for more than a decade across the country, but did not hit the pavements of Suffolk County until last week in Setauket.
“Since it was first demonstrated in the US in 1996, warm mix asphalt has sparked the interest of transportation agencies and the private sector,” said Tom Harman, director of the Federal Highway Administration Center for Accelerating Innovation. “Warm mix asphalt technologies allow a reduction in asphalt production, flexibility when it comes to the temperatures needed for applying it and reduced production fuel consumption and emissions.”
It also extends the paving season and enables the use of higher recycled products, Harman said. In 2014, a third of all asphalt produced in the U.S. was warm mix asphalt, and “we expect use of the material to continue to grow in use.”
Over a two-night span last week, the department traveled the streets of Hulse Road to Comsewogue Road, and Comsewogue Road from the train tracks to Sheep Pasture Road to Old Town Road, Losquadro said.
By the end of the week, Losquadro said the streets of Setauket saw new life. The highway superintendent said it delivered a handful of benefits to the town right off the bat, including better working conditions for air quality and also reducing fuel emissions, fumes and odors.
“We achieved a very uniform surface with almost no roller marks or imperfections,” he said. “I wanted to pick the right time to test this out and have that proof of concept to use it in cooler temperatures. Now having done that, I see no reason why this can’t become our new standard for Brookhaven. I see a lot of benefits to us, both environmentally and from a work perspective.”
The cost, Losquadro said, is fairly minimal in difference from typical hot mix asphalt usage. The Setauket job saw a roughly 88-cent difference per ton of asphalt used, which amounted to about $4,400 more than what hot mix asphalt would have achieved.
“That’s pretty minimal in the grand scheme of the size of the jobs we’re talking about here,” Losquadro said. “The cost should be at least offset by the reduction in fuel that the manufacturer is going to save by not having to heat the material up as much.”
And with his proof of concept, Losquadro said he would be bringing his warm mix story to future meetings of various county highway departments with hopes of spreading the success.
By Melissa Arnold
For many people in Haiti, financial stability has always been out of reach. The country ranks among the poorest in the world, and the economy there only suffered further following a major earthquake in 2010, which killed hundreds and left even more without homes.
Despite all the setbacks, Haitians are still known for their joy and perseverance. They’ll do whatever they can to make a living.
This weekend, St. James Catholic Church in Setauket will host a sale of handmade artwork and craft jewelry created by talented Haitians. A portion of the proceeds from the sale will be poured into bettering a Haitian community.
The church is partnering with The Vassar Haiti Project, a not-for-profit, nonsectarian grass-roots organization based at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie. The program’s founders, Andrew and Lila Meade, both have personal connections to the country — Lila’s mother grew up there, and Andrew graduated from high school in the country while his father was involved with the international diplomatic service.
The couple met in 1985 and quickly bonded over their shared background. They married not long after. The Meades were frequent participants in Haitian fundraisers, but it wasn’t until 9/11 that they felt prompted to take a more active role. “I think it was a time when we really wanted to think about what our purpose was,” Lila Meade recalls. “Haiti was always on our radar, so it seemed a natural choice to help them. We started to buy pieces of Haitian art here and there and then began to wonder what it would be like if we held an art show to benefit villages there.”
Andrew Meade is the director of the Office of International Studies at Vassar and thought the college would make a great host site for the sale. Using their own savings to purchase artwork and family and friends as volunteers, the Meades held their first art sale at Vassar in February of 2012. They raised $14,000 that year.
The Meades felt strongly about putting the money toward education and developing personal relationships with the people they assisted. With the help of existing Haitian relief programs, they connected with the mountain village of Chermaitre to provide hot meals for students and salaries for teachers.
“In the developing world, it’s typical for children to help the family make additional money by staying home and working. Families usually won’t send their children to school without incentives,” Andrew explains. “Offering a hot meal at school was a huge draw. For many of these kids, it’s the only hot meal they’ll have for the day.”
The Vassar Haiti Project continued to grow each year following their first sale. In the past 15 years they’ve completed a seven-room school for kindergarten through sixth grade; built a medical clinic with a doctor and nurse on staff; and developed a system for easier water access and purification, among other projects. So far, they’ve raised more than $500,000 for the artists and villagers of Chermaitre.
The project is currently working on a reforestation effort, which includes planting 100,000 trees, and building a women’s cooperative. “A lot of the women in the village do not have husbands and are raising five to 12 children in a very rural area,” Lila says. At the women’s cooperative, “they learn to make things like jewelry or napkins, or use other skills they’ve learned previously to work. Right now they are growing incredible coffee. We’re then able to sell those goods and pour the profits back into the community.”
The project is also supported by a passionate group of Vassar student volunteers who facilitate art sales and brainstorm new ideas. They also travel to Haiti each year to meet face to face with village leaders to discuss their needs and next steps.
“The program is about more than helping the Haitian communities. It’s also about mentoring the students — encouraging them to develop and implement their own ideas,” Lila says. “We encourage global citizenship — not just considering the world from an American perspective but from other cultures as well.”
The art sales have expanded beyond Vassar, too, with individuals and groups hosting their own sales in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Connecticut, among other places.
Setauket’s Jeanine Morelli, coordinator of the upcoming sale, fell in love with the project while attending her 30th class reunion at Vassar two years ago. Morelli says she admired the artwork and purchased a few pieces that weekend, but meeting Andrew and Lila encouraged her to bring a sale to Long Island.
“With this project, you’re supporting the livelihood of the Haitians rather than just supplying handouts, and the leadership education for the students is wonderful,” she says.
The first Setauket art sale was held last February at St. James Catholic Church, where Morelli is a member. It was a huge success, raising more than $25,000. While Morelli admits she had to get out of her comfort zone to plan the sale, supporting Haiti was worth it.
The upcoming sale will feature more than 250 paintings and crafts at a variety of price points, with crafts beginning at $5 and most paintings starting around $50. Sixty percent of the proceeds will go toward paying the Haitian artists and purchasing supplies for the sales, while the other 40 percent directly benefits the initiatives in Haiti. All purchases are 50 percent tax-deductible.
The Long Island Vassar Haiti Project art sale will be held from Nov. 20 to 22 at St. James Catholic Church, 429 Route 25A, E. Setauket. The sale will begin with a reception from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, and will continue Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information about the sale, contact Andrew Meade at 845-797-2123. To learn more about the Vassar Haiti Project, visit www.thehaitiproject.org.
By Giselle Barkley
Residents and members of the Civic Association of the Setaukets and Stony Brook want more walking and less driving, at least when it comes to the new Stony Brook Shopping Center proposal.
On Monday, Nov. 2, the association met with residents to discuss developer Parviz Farahzad’s proposal of the Stony Brook Square shopping center. His proposal aims to improve the Route 25A corridor across from Stony Brook’s Long Island Rail Road station, which was once known as the old Gustafson property. Farahzad’s Stony Brook Square will include restaurants, a bank and a coffee shop, among other small businesses.
Shawn Nuzzo, president of The Civic Association of the Setaukets and Stony Brook, voiced concerns of residents and civic members, saying the civic had met and discussed the proposal and were contemplating long-term impacts with help from the Three Village Chamber of Commerce and Stony Brook Fire Department.
“For years, the Three Village community has been advocating for a Route 25A corridor study, with hopes of improving the area near the train station,” he said. “Without a comprehensive plan, which examines how an area functions as a whole, we end up with ad hoc planning and dysfunctional neighborhoods.”
Nuzzo said that after meeting with various neighborhood stakeholders over next few weeks, he and the civic plan on submitting comments to the town and developer.
According to Farahzad, creating the plan was a yearlong process. As a Three Village resident he said the center is something that’s “needed for [Stony Brook University … and the community]. He added that he wanted to do something that was attractive for the area.
The proposal falls under the J Business district zone, which means that the developer is allowed to build his desired plan as per a zoning change that took place in the 1990s.
Although he did not attend the meeting and is not fully aware of residents’ concerns regarding the proposal, Farahzad said he might alter the proposal to accommodate various suggestions if necessary. He also admitted that the proposal doesn’t meet the required number of 197 parking stalls. Currently the proposal caters for 139 parking spaces.
According to Nuzzo, no one did anything with the property for years until Farahzad purchased the land. The association was pushing for a plan for several years to get a sense of what that area could look like in the future.
Tullio Bertoli, commissioner of Planning, Environment and Land Management for the Town of Brookhaven didn’t respond to messages when asked to comment on Farahzad’s shopping center plan.
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) said it’s time to wake up when it comes to Long Island’s water.
Up until 10 years ago, Brookhaven residents could gather clams and oysters from bodies of water like the Setauket Harbor. But that’s not the case now, according to the Supervisor, who remarked on the closing of Mount Sinai Harbor for shell fishing.
“If that isn’t a wake up call, I don’t know what is,” Romaine said.
In light of Brookhaven’s declining water quality, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, the supervisor announced that the Town of Brookhaven would take on a study that will help officials pinpoint the sources of water contamination, starting with the Setauket Harbor. Romaine said the harbor was small enough for the town to examine and clean once they receive the results next year.
Romaine said the town planned on looking at the pipes leading to the harbor, road runoff, and all drains that run to the harbor. In response to this, the town hired Cornell Cooperative Extension to conduct this study and to use DNA testing to help identify the sources of water pollution.
While high levels of nitrogen were identified in the water, Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro (R) said nitrogen could come from various sources, including leaching from underground septic systems, wild and domesticated animal feces and fertilizers, among other sources.
Last year, Losquadro said his department finished reconstructing the sea wall along Shore Road in Setauket by removing the concrete slabs that were used in the past to construct the wall. He added that the concrete released chemicals into the water, which further affected the water quality.
Town officials said they intended to continue the study across multiple seasons, especially in the winter months, when people use fewer fertilizers and when less wild and domestic animals are out and about.
Setauket Harbor and Mount Sinai Harbor, which includes Cedar Beach, are two of several impacted waterways on the Island. According to Romaine, Moriches Bay and the Great South Bay are also impacted.
“I’m greatly concerned because each year the waterways surrounding Brookhaven Town and Long Island have been declining,” Romaine said. “Many of our harbors and parts of out tributaries are considered impaired.”
Neither the town nor the highway department will know how much cleaning Setauket Harbor’s waters will cost until after Cornell Cooperative Extension conducts its study, Romaine said. The hope is that they will identify the sources of contamination before the town’s 2017 budget is approved.
The town isn’t only working with Losquadro, but also with members of the Setauket Harbor Task force led by George Hoffman, Moriches Bay Project and Friends of Bellport Bay.
Romaine also added that those who settled on the Island would not be impressed with Long Island’s declining water quality.
“The town was founded in 1655 [and] it was Setauket Harbor that the settlers … came to start the first European settlement in Brookhaven Town,” Romaine said. “I’m sure if they were here today, they would weep at the fact that the waters are so impaired — you can’t eat any of the shellfish from the water.”
General Theory of Walkability forum at Setauket Neighborhood House
To have sidewalks or to not have sidewalks — that was the topic of debate for residents and town and county officials during a forum, The General Theory of Walkability, on Oct. 22 at the Setauket Neighborhood House.
Brookhaven Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station), Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket), members of the Three Village Community Trust and residents gathered to listen to residents’ thoughts about establishing sidewalks along various roads and areas like the Three Village and suggestions about how to make the roads safer for pedestrians.
Former county Legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher was among the members in the audience. Fisher, an avid walker, was shocked with how many people weren’t in favor of sidewalks after speaking to residents at the event. Fisher said many people didn’t want to take on the responsibility of having a sidewalk in front of their home, or they didn’t want to disturb the rural appeal of the area by introducing sidewalks.
A New York Metropolitan Transportation Council study from 1994 to 2004, referred to during the debate, indicated a 25 percent decrease in pedestrian fatalities in New York state with the exception of Suffolk County. The county experienced a 104 percent increase in these fatalities in that 10-year-or-so period.
Sidewalks were introduced as an idea to combat the issue of pedestrian safety especially for children and those who enjoy walking or biking. According to Jenanne Hominick, who serves as a crossing guard under Suffolk County Police Department’s 6th Precinct, sidewalks are fine as long as they are established in an appropriate area.
“[Route] 25A [needs sidewalks] without a doubt. You got college students coming. They have no transportation. These guys are from Japan and all over the world,” Hominick said in an interview after the event.
She added that sidewalks in residential areas might not be necessary.
While sidewalks and were the main issue, panelist Ann Fangmann, director of programs at Sustainable Long Island, said sidewalks or complete streets, which includes sidewalks and a designated turning lane among other features, weren’t the only way to promote pedestrian safety.
“There’s so many different communities on Long Island and they each have their own character,” Fangmann said during the event. “They each have their own setup. It’s really about planning in a way that is inclusive of that community character and not take away from it.”
She suggested that designating a portion of the road for pedestrians is an option.
Others also suggested establishing sidewalks starting with schools to help keep children safe when its time to go home. Using speed bumps to help people slow down and adhere to the speed limit as well as stop signs was another suggestion. Elena Sadov of Setauket was one of the few members who pointed out that more advanced cars are part of the issue when it comes to pedestrian safety.
“When you look at historic pictures of our town, we were able to coexist with horse traffic,” Sadov said. “Because horses were slower we did not need sidewalks. Now the seed of travel has improved tremendously.”
Friends of the Greenway member, among others, Herb Mones added to the conversation saying that the current “car culture” is oriented toward “performance, acceleration and stunts.” He added that the people in the audience were also part of the issue.
“I can almost guarantee 70 percent of the people in this audience … will not come to a stop, you will not observe the speed limit, you will not be the good driver that you pretend to be,” Mones said. “But you will be when you turn onto your street.”
Although some residents disagreed with others Hahn said these debates help members in the community tackle problems like the issue of pedestrian safety.
“I think that when a community plans what the solutions are, you get solutions that are more acceptable to everyone — and it sounds like there are a lot of different options to make the roads safer,” Hahn said.
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