Tags Posts tagged with "TBR News Media"

TBR News Media

The Whaling Museum & Education Center of Cold Spring Harbor, in partnership with TBR News Media of Setauket, has announced the launch of a Sea Glass Fiction Contest. This exciting competition invites students in grades 3 to 12 from Nassau and Suffolk counties to unleash their creativity by crafting stories inspired by a piece of sea glass.

Students are asked to craft a story inspired by the above sea glass fragment.

The contest, which kicked off this month, challenges participants to imagine a unique journey for the selected sea glass fragment chosen by The Whaling Museum and to weave a captivating tale around it. The winning stories will have the chance to be read at the museum’s annual Sea Glass Festival, a prestigious event celebrating sea glass and its significance in maritime history. 

“Sea glass has a way of capturing the imagination, and we can’t wait to read the imaginative stories that come out of this unique contest,” said Nomi Dayan, Executive Director at The Whaling Museum.

Entries must be submitted electronically through the submission form on The Whaling Museum website by April 30, 2024. The contest is free to enter, and all works must be original and written solely by the author. Only residents of Nassau and Suffolk counties are eligible to participate.

“We look forward to the opportunity to celebrate and highlight the creative tales of students in the area,” said Daniel Dunaief, a journalist with TBR News Media. “Entrants can envision ways a piece of glass, shaped by water and time, provides a clue in a compelling narrative.”

Winners will be notified on or about June 1-7, 2024, and select winning entries will be eligible for publication in TBR News Media and on The Whaling Museum’s website. TBR will also highlight the winners in a weekly podcast. In addition, contest winners will receive complimentary tickets to The Whaling Museum’s Sea Glass Festival, held on July 21, 2024, where they will be recognized with a certificate.

“We are grateful to TBR News Media for partnering with us on this contest and helping to bring these young writers’ stories to a wider audience,” added Dayan.

For more information on the Sea Glass Fiction Contest, including guidelines and submission details, please visit cshwhalingmuseum.org/seaglasscontest.

Photo by Raymond Janis

In celebration of Long Island

Thank you for your wonderful editorial celebrating Long Island and highlighting the benefits of Long Island’s history, culture, institutions and natural beauty [“Uniqueness of where we live,” TBR News Media, March 7]. 

We should all be very proud of being Long Islanders — one of the most beautiful places in the world. 

My wife reminds me that since we met 16 years ago, we have traveled to more than 39 countries, but I still love Long Island, NY, USA, the best!

Yes, it’s expensive, traffic is bad, mass transit is substandard, taxes are excessive, regulations burdensome, many rules are prudish and Victorian. But Long Island has some of the best beaches, fishing, parks, wildlife and water sports in the world.

Our spring and fall seasons are beautiful and most of our people are diverse, friendly and caring. But most of all we have the NY Islanders, the NY Yankees, the NY Mets, NY Knicks, NY Nets, NY Giants and NY Jets and some of the best sports fans in the universe. 

I have been a Smithtown Rotarian for over 40 years and we are dedicated to local and international charities. Long Islanders are extremely generous to Rotary helping our veterans, children, seniors, handicapped and those less fortunate. Celebrate Long Island and let’s work to make it the paradise it can be.

Alan H. Cohn

Nesconset

Women are not cattle

Supreme  Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor wrote, “The ability of women to participate equally in the economic and social life of the nation has been facilitated by their ability to control their reproductive lives.”

Ironically, anti-choice Assemblyman Ed Flood [R-Port Jefferson] sponsors program CWA332 at our local Comsewogue Public Library titled, “Financial Literacy for Women,” which includes the descriptor, “Learn the basics to make informed financial decisions, regarding goals.”

We know how to make informed decisions because we are not cattle. Unfortunately we must constantly organize against anti-choice legislators who consider us as such. How big to grow our families is key to our informed financial decisions, goals, investments and budgets. Is lesson No. 1, “Try not to be born with a uterus”?

Joan Nickeson

Terryville  parent

Electric buses save money in the long run

Your article on the necessary and state-mandated transition to electric school buses makes a number of valid points, but then pivots to a recitation by state Assemblyman Ed Flood [R-Port Jefferson] of the supposed disadvantages of electric buses [TBR News Media, Feb. 29]. 

 Before echoing the disinformation of the fossil fuel industry perhaps Flood should visit Chile, which has the world’s second largest fleet of electric buses after China. Santiago alone has several thousand electric buses used for public transit in a city known for its hills. This is a far tougher job than carrying perhaps 60 students on a limited route on the flat island we live on.

 Cost is another phony issue Flood raises. At the moment, the upfront cost to purchase an electric bus is higher than that of a diesel bus — that will come down in a few years as production ramps up. But even now, the electric “fuel” and maintenance required by an electric bus cost far less than those of their diesel counterparts. 

And we are all paying the hidden health and medical cost of the asthma and other respiratory ailments caused or worsened by the toxic diesel bus fumes breathed by our children who ride those buses every school day.  

Those few school districts that own their buses should start by buying some electric buses as soon as possible to gain experience with them. Gov. Hochul’s [D] administration needs to give them the tools they need to navigate the acquisition and installation of charging stations. 

The districts that bid out their transportation contracts should modify their bid packages to reduce risk to the companies bidding by offering longer contracts for bus companies that provide an increasing portion of electric buses in their fleet during the contract.

 Mass charging of school bus fleets will require upgrades to our electric grid, but these upgrades can be implemented gradually as the number of buses increases over the years. The buses can be charged at night, when off-peak rates are lower. And during the summer, when bus usage is low, their batteries can be used for grid backup and to support electric demand at peak times in the late afternoon, just as PSEGLI uses our home batteries whose cost has been subsidized by government rebates.

 Finally, eliminating diesel from New York state’s school bus fleet is one of many steps to fulfilling the state’s climate law. Investments we make now are going toward a livable future for our kids — on and off the school bus. 

Peter Gollon

Huntington

On the road again

March  12 was the 102nd anniversary of Northport resident Jack Kerouac. It made me reread one of his best writings, “On The Road.” His works reminded me of the more adventurous spirit of youth. Sadly, as we get older, with more responsibilities and less free time, there are fewer journeys to take, but Kerouac’s ideals continue to live in all of us.

Larry Penner

Great Neck

A view of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. File photo

Upon the recent receipt of a letter from a Virginia-native third-grade student (see Letters to the Editor), TBR has begun to think retrospectively about what it is that makes our coverage area so unique.

As residents and representatives of Long Island’s North Shore, we often forget to share the natural beauty and cultural heritage that defines where we live. The allure of the picturesque beaches, lush woodlands and historic villages capture our hearts, making it an ideal place to call home.

In terms of making a living, our areas offer a diverse range of opportunities. From bustling commercial centers like those off Nesconset Highway to locally owned shops, residents here engage in various professions spanning industries such as health care, education, finance, hospitality and more. Here at TBR News Media, we work to keep the community informed and up to date on all local news and events.

Our area is also home to excellent academic influence provided enormous contributions made by our research institutions, like Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Brookhaven National Lab, and Stony Brook University and Medical Center, the flagship campus of the State University System. 

To paint a picture, our coverage area displays picture-perfect beaches stretching along the coastline, framed by towering bluffs and pebble-riddled sands. You can find quaint village scenery all throughout our coverage area from Shoreham/Wading River to Huntington/Cold Spring Harbor, exhibiting charming Colonial architecture and a pleasant way to tour the towns. 

For fun, residents and visitors alike indulge in a plethora of activities. From relaxing beach days and scenic walks through Avalon or Frank Melville parks to cultural events and culinary delights, there’s something for everyone. Whether it’s exploring historic landmarks on Washington’s Spy Trail, visiting the Long Island Museum, attending art festivals or catching a show at a local theater like Northport’s John W. Engeman Theater, the Smithtown Performing Arts Center or Port Jefferson’s Theatre Three, our coverage area offers endless opportunities for leisure and recreation.

As for wildlife, our coverage area is home to a diverse array of creatures. Along the coast, you may spot ospreys soaring overhead or even the endangered piping plover. Our rocky shoreline creates a unique habitat for horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs and fish galore. While inland, deer, fox and various bird species inhabit the woodlands and marshes, adding to our area’s natural charm.

When it comes to food, there is no shortage of options for whatever culinary palette you crave. Famous for our bacon-egg-and-cheese bagel sandwiches, gourmet delis, New-York-style pizza or fresh seafood caught off the shores to hearty Italian and Irish fare, there’s no shortage of delicious dishes to savor. 

For your ears, you’ll find a vibrant music scene with a diverse range of genres. From iconic rock bands like Billy Joel and Blue Öyster Cult to emerging indie artists and classical ensembles, the music of our area reflects the eclectic tastes and talents of its residents. Local tributes to music and entertainment are at the ready with the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame and The Jazz Loft, both located in Stony Brook, hosting various events catered to music enthusiasts.

For the athletes and sports fans, our local high schools represent some of the most competitive athletes across the state in all disciplines. Rocky Point High School Cheerleading earned another national title this year, while the Lady Patriots of Ward Melville High School were crowned soccer state champions. If that isn’t enough, our very own Stony Brook University is yet another destination for local sports viewing, representing some of the finest student-athletes in the NCAA.

Tourism is a driver of our local economy as well as we are fortunate to have the greatest city in the world, New York City, within reach. Our area is a treasure trove of natural beauty, cultural heritage and community spirit. A place where small-town charm meets cosmopolitan sophistication, where history whispers secrets from its streets and where a vibrant community thrives, hand in hand with the beauty of the natural world. This unique confluence is what continues to make our area a coveted haven in the heart of New York state.

Photo by Raymond Janis

Environmental matters

I was delighted to see John Turner’s new column (“Living Lightly”) in the Arts & Lifestyles section, Feb. 15. Mr. Turner is a well-regarded figure in the environmental movement on Long Island, and his contribution to your paper in the form of a column of practical advice for a more Earth-friendly lifestyle is greatly appreciated.

All too often, we fall into a funk of inaction regarding the overwhelming challenges of the environmental crisis. It can seem quite impossible for any one person to effect change when the problems we are facing are so huge. Mr. Turner’s column will hopefully look at, and remind us all, of the simple choices we can make as individuals to move toward a cleaner and healthier planet.

On the theme of a cleaner and healthier planet, I was also very pleased to see your Feb. 15 editorial on the future of the Town of Brookhaven landfill [“Where does Brookhaven’s garbage go from here?”]. I’m astounded that the town makes no significant effort to inform its populace of future plans regarding the landfill. Similarly, the town’s general lack of communication about waste collection is baffling. We could all use a little guidance about how best to sort recyclable plastics and metals, for instance. Helpful hints about reusable plastics and disposal of organic and inorganic waste, provided on a regular basis by mail, email and/or press releases would go a long way toward generating trust and pride among Brookhaven’s residents.

Douglas Baldwin

Sound Beach

Port Jeff school board needs three candidates to assess the future 

Good day Port Jefferson School District parents, it is decision time! 

Since I left the Board of Education in 2006 the educational quality of our district has been in a freefall (see The Washington Post surveys). 

Parents need to put forward three candidates for the board who will look closely at the state of the district and make decisions based on the educational needs of your kids.

 You can do this! America is about intelligent people — and Port Jefferson School District has an abundance — stepping forward and bringing their skills to a collective entity, the Board of Education, for the best outcomes for our kids.  

 The current board seems obsessed with the needs of the lacrosse team. Millions have been proposed to this end — and rejected by residents. Educational opportunities for your kids have been decimated over the years.

 Do we want to: 

Keep the Port Jefferson schools the way they are?

Merge with the Three Village school district — assuming Three Village is of like mind? (Merge in total or merge at the high school level only.)

Or tuition our kids to the Three Village district – sending only our high school kids to Three Village.

You must gather together for your kids. There are people who will support you for election and as a board member. The future is in your hands if you do not let it slip through your fingers. Talk among yourselves. You have the people who can lead!

Bruce Miller

Port Jefferson

 

Photo by Raymond Janis

Governor’s educational proposal dead on arrival

Here on Long Island, we love our schools, teachers and students. Our education system is the reason many come to the Island to raise their families because it contributes to strong, healthy communities and a balanced quality of life.

We should all be concerned that Gov. Kathy Hochul’s [D] proposed executive budget threatens our schools by ending the so-called “hold harmless” provision, which is a backdoor approach to cut millions of dollars in school aid. If the governor’s proposal is adopted, 56 school districts on Long Island will experience an instant decline in state funding. In Suffolk County, school districts will be out nearly $33 million in aid under the governor’s proposal.

These cuts would have a dramatic impact on our schools, students and communities. Additionally, cuts of this magnitude could result in larger class sizes, reduced staff, the elimination of athletic programs, extracurricular activities and clubs for students. These draconian cuts would also place additional burdens on Long Island homeowners, who already pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation. The governor’s educational proposal is a lose-lose for Long Island and countless communities throughout the state.

Making this situation even worse, much of this critical education aid is being siphoned off to pay for the state’s astronomical and growing commitment to the migrant crisis, to which over the past two years the governor has allocated $4.3 billion. Clearly, the governor and the leadership in the Legislature are incapable of managing this crisis in an attempt to balance the budget on the backs of hardworking families and students. This cannot be tolerated. Funding must be dedicated to school services for the benefit of families who play by the rules, pay the property taxes and have the right to a quality education.

As lawmakers, parents and concerned citizens, we must make our voices heard in opposition to the governor’s elimination of the “hold harmless” provision, fight to restore education funding to our schools and put our children’s needs and education first.

Anthony Palumbo [R]

New York State Senator, 1st District

Skin cancer prevention for winter season

The winter season brings cold winds and snowy weather, but it also can bring damage to your skin. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun damages your skin year-round, not just during the summer months.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S., yet most cases can be prevented. UV radiation from the sun and indoor tanning lamps are the primary cause of skin cancer, and reducing your exposure can significantly reduce your cancer risk. Even on cold, winter days, UV radiation from the sun can cause damage to your skin, especially at high altitudes and on reflective surfaces such as snow or ice. Snow reflects up to 80 percent of the sun’s UV radiation, increasing the damage caused to your skin.

Sun protection is necessary every day, regardless of the weather or time of year. Sun safe practices such as applying sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, UV protective sunglasses and long-sleeved clothing, and seeking shade whenever possible, can help prevent skin cancer.

The Cancer Prevention in Action at Stony Brook Cancer Center works to build awareness about the dangers of UV radiation and promote the benefits of sun safety through education, awareness and policy support to reduce skin cancer rates on Long Island.

To learn more about Cancer Prevention in Action, visit takeactionagainstcancer.com or contact us at 631-444-4263 and [email protected].

CPiA is supported with funds from Health Research Inc. and New York State..

Cancer Prevention in Action

Stony Brook Cancer Center

Pro-life, pro-choice issue from a gender fairness perspective

Not surprisingly, in contemplating the pro-life/pro-choice debate, women as a group are pro-choice and men pro-life. This is demonstrated in multiple polls and although not absolute gender adherence, there is a statistical difference. No doubt this is because women bear the physical reality of pregnancy and childbirth and almost always of raising and paying for the child that two people created. A man’s role of planting the seed does not match their female partner — whether consensual or not. No wonder there is a clear distinction between how women feel on the issue versus men.

What if there was a way to make men share in this responsibility. Not to duplicate pregnancy, that’s biologically impossible. But to share in raising that child and paying for it. Would that change how men feel and vote? Fact of the matter there is a way: DNA identification. What if everyone had to submit a swab for DNA identification. Then every father who shared in creating a child could be held responsible to raise and pay for him/her. My point is not whether this is right. It is simply: Would this change the way men vote on the issue?

David Roy Hensen

Miller Place

Peace is possible

As Quakers, we believe that peace in the world is possible, as Mary Lord, Quaker, of the American Friends Service Committee, reminds us: “We are called to live into the peaceable kingdom, and in that living discover the joy of a better way of life — in harmony with the Earth and one another. Peacemaking is not only possible but practical every day” (Friends Journal, June 1, 2007). Peacemaking requires that we acknowledge the background of all participants, actively listen to what has been learned, then consider the elements of agreement.

Our peaceful sentiments have been called naive and even unpatriotic. However, which is the greater naivety: To believe that the difficult but productive path of using diplomacy and strengthening international law is the path of safety, or to believe that wars and their weapons of mass destruction resolve conflicts and make us safe and secure?

The path of “winning the war,” as though it were a game, is, as history shows, the more naive perspective. War brings a horrific cost in human life, in property, in cultural treasures, in the fouling of the Earth and killing of its creatures. The aftermath invalidates the notion that wars bring about resolution, as evidenced by continuing warfare in the Middle East, Ukraine, Myanmar, Somalia and elsewhere.

Because Quakers believe there is good in everyone — people always have the capacity to be their best selves — we believe it is worth the effort of taking the steps of peacemaking to avoid the horrific costs of war and to provide the hope of establishing a just reality that sows the seeds of peace for future generations.

Carolyn Emerson

Clerk of Conscience Bay Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, St. James

Photo by Raymond Janis

Rallying against unjust state aid cuts

As many community members have already heard, Gov. Kathy Hochul [D] has proposed drastic cuts in state aid to many school districts across Long Island. Based on the governor’s proposed state aid allocations, Port Jefferson School District stands to face a total 28% cut to our state aid package, which amounts to almost $1.2 million. This is one of the largest percentage cuts for any school district on Long Island.

The governor’s proposed reductions in state aid are very concerning to us. The reduction would put a significant strain on our district. The excellence of our faculty, combined with the careful management of the district budget, has allowed us to continually deliver a high-quality education to our students. However, this proposed cut in state aid would place a significant burden on our staff and community to maintain that level of educational excellence. The governor’s proposal is patently unfair and places our district in an untenable position. It is a gross injustice to the students and taxpayers in our district and we are determined to fight back. We are calling on our state legislators to advocate and work with the governor’s office to restore our Foundation Aid to its full level.

We are asking that the community join us in this advocacy. Our website provides template letters for residents to sign and forward to the governor and our state representatives. Together, we can send a powerful message to Gov. Hochul and our local elected officials to ensure adequate and equitable funding. The Port Jefferson School District relies on these funds to support our students and maintain the integrity of our educational system.

Jessica Schmettan

Superintendent of Schools

Port Jefferson School District

Upholding the promise of public education

Every child,  regardless of their ZIP code, deserves a high quality public education. Our public schools are an investment that benefits our communities and families. It is crucial that our elected leaders do not play politics with the well-being and future of our children.

It is unfortunate to see elected officials of both parties playing politics with public education funding. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s [D] “hold harmless” budget proposal is problematic for many school districts, as it falls short of the expected aid for the coming fiscal year. The state Legislature must correct this in their one house budgets and negotiations with the executive branch in determining the upcoming fiscal year budget.

However, it must be pointed out that in 2023, every Suffolk County Republican in the New York State Legislature voted against education funding. This was a year where there was record funding for public education, after a decades long fight for full Foundation Aid. To watch these same elected officials weaponize the current moment for political gain reeks of hypocrisy. The same is true at the federal level, where U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota [R-NY1] just voted against expanding the child tax credit that would lift half a million of America’s children out of poverty, a bill that passed the House with broad bipartisan support.

We need leaders who will prioritize caring for our youngest New Yorkers, not elected officials who use them as political pawns. New York is a wealthy state, and we do not need to cut funding for education or any human service or public good. We have the resources to provide these services, but, unfortunately, we don’t have enough elected officials who place the well-being of our children over their own political grandstanding. 

The New York State Legislature must restore these cuts in their one house budgets. And Suffolk County’s Republican elected officials should put the money where their mouths are, and vote for fully funding public education this year. Their votes are a reflection of our region’s values, and political grandstanding is inadequate at this moment for our communities. We, the voters, will be watching.

                                                  Shoshana Hershkowitz, South Setauket; Ian Farber, Setauket; Christine Latham, Stony Brook; Anne Chimelis, Setauket; Jeanne Brunson, South Setauket

A critical analysis of immigration rhetoric

Two letter writers use your Cold Spring Harbor Lab article [Jan. 11] as the slim local hook to propagate the fearmongering on would-be Latin American immigrants that former President Donald Trump [R] thinks he can ride into the White House: Paul Mannix (“The illegal immigrant issue,” Jan. 25) and George Altemose (Jan. 18, who also lavishes praise on a Nazi war criminal). 

Mannix claims you are “hurting your credibility” by decrying toxic talk on immigrants when the issue is “illegal immigration,” disregarding Altemose’s inflammatory talk of “invasion” of our southern border by hordes of “illegal aliens”, not to mention their hero Trump’s “they’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists” and “poisoning the blood” of America.

Immigrants have always come here because U.S. employers were looking for workers. Pew Research Center tells us that since 2005 about 10 million unauthorized immigrants — their term — live in the U.S. and about 8 million work for willing employers. 

What makes these mostly brown immigrants “illegal,” whereas the ancestors of the white residents of Long Island were “legal”? Until 1808, southern landowners found their agricultural labor force in “legally” imported, kidnapped and enslaved Black Africans. Until 1882 immigration into the U.S. was totally unrestricted. Chinese came in great numbers to help build the transcontinental railroads and when they were no longer needed, the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) made them illegal. Until 1924, white Europeans entered simply by showing up with no signs of infectious disease. They needed no documents of any kind, neither a passport nor visas, and in their millions headed for the mills, mines, railroads or sweatshops whose owners were hungry for workers. In 1924 a xenophobic immigration law was passed that limited all but immigration from northern Europe to a trickle, since modified for some political categories such as anti-Castro Cubans and Nazis with useful talents. Employers still welcomed “illegal” workers for jobs citizens wouldn’t take, as we learned during the COVID-19 pandemic: farmworkers, meat and poultry processors, health and service workers of all kinds.

The U.S. has made life difficult for Latin Americans for 200 years. Today, refugees are fleeing gangs and chaos, even death squads. Many are legal asylum seekers, whom Trump refused to recognize. 

Mannix, lastly, slanders diversity, equity and inclusion — practices that rather minimally try to mitigate centuries of legal and de facto discrimination — as “racist and sexist,” a classic Trumpist projection of placing their own failings onto their opponents.

Arnold Wishnia

Setauket

Unmasking the myth

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

George Altemose insists Wernher von Braun was a “great American” even considering his participation in Nazi crimes [Letters, Feb. 1]. In his eagerness to whitewash von Braun’s career as a Nazi, he distorts a number of facts, and omits others. Von Braun was not “forced” to join the Nazi Party in 1937, nor was he forced to join the SS in 1940. During his career in the SS he was promoted three times by Heinrich Himmler, the organizer of the systematic mass murder of Jews and others deemed by the Nazis unworthy of life.

 Like so many Nazis after the war, von Braun retrospectively downplayed his own participation in the holocaust. But by his own admission he was quite aware that his V-2 rockets were being built by concentration camp slave laborers living in appalling conditions and being routinely worked to death. 

As for his 1944 arrest for having a defeatist attitude, that’s not quite the whole story. He was arrested after having drunkenly — and correctly — remarked that Germany was losing the war. Also because he regularly piloted a government-provided plane he potentially could use to escape to Britain. During his brief detention he was pressured to speed up the development of the V-2 — so much the worse for the slave laborers — and to pledge not to defect. He was released on the direct order of Hitler, who called him “indispensable” for the Nazi war effort. He was a willing participant in, not a victim of, the crimes of the Nazis.

Although von Braun could not have single handedly stopped the V-2 program and its use of slave labor, he could have refused to participate. That’s the key. To state, as Altemose does, that for this he would have been killed is a well-worn fallacy. There were cases of Germans who refused to participate in Nazi atrocities. No one in the Third Reich was executed for mere refusal. This has been thoroughly documented by numerous works such as “Ordinary Men” by Christopher Browning. At worst, if von Braun refused to participate in Nazi crimes, he would have stalled his career. Many were faced with the same choice in Nazi Germany. Not everyone made the same choice as he did.

It really doesn’t matter what rockets von Braun developed for America. He was a man without morals, a willing participant in the Nazi enterprise. To tout him as a “great American” is a travesty and an insult to our country.

David Friedman

St James

Farewell to a sweet tradition

I was very disappointed to learn about the closing of Stony Brook Chocolate. I loved taking my grandchildren there to choose from the large assortment of candies filling an entire wall. The wonderful chocolates and truffles were my go-to holiday gifts, and they were always well received. I will also miss the friendly and helpful salespeople. Stony Brook Chocolate was a terrific asset to our quaint village. So sad to see it go.

Susan Mcbride

Setauket

 

File photo by Raymond Janis

Hooray for Theatre Three

As a longtime season ticket holder of Port Jefferson’s Theatre Three, I certainly appreciate the fine job Bradlee and Marci Bing did with their performance of “The Gin Game.” They still have it! To all who read this, we are blessed with live theater in our village. It is difficult these days to compete with modern technology, but on the other hand up close and personal performances are something special. This is more than a plug for Theatre Three. It is a message of do not miss these opportunities for live entertainment in your local area

Harry Faulknor

Port Jefferson

Glad for Lawrence Aviation action and looking for more 

The The tentative Metropolitan Transportation Authority deal at the former Lawrence Aviation site in Port Jefferson Station is moving forward with positive reactions from the officials on this plan. It is a partnership with federal, state, county and town officials that is making this happen: 

Proposed MTA electric line trainyard with a county bridge constructed if New York State requires it. 

A passive solar farm that is proposed in the old buildings site, which is being cleared and the metals being recycled.

The much-needed open-forested space in our hamlet as a buffer. All this is still in the planning process with the Suffolk County Landbank Corporation working on the details of which some are time critical such as the federal Environmental Protection Agency lifting the Superfund designation by the end of this year and the New York State Department of Transportation working on any Greenway rerouting. 

We in the community are glad for the positive results we see with the removal of these eyesores and are now asking our officials to move on with the paperwork. Our Port Jefferson Station has been looking for years for this progress. Let’s make it happen.

 Charlie McAteer

Port Jefferson Station

Legal immigrants justifiably fearful

If true, it is commendable that George Altemose [“Legal talented scientists are welcomed,” Jan.18, TBR News Media] and Paul Mannix [“The illegal immigration issue,” Jan. 25, TBR News Media] harbor no animosity toward legal immigrants, and only object to illegal immigration. Perhaps 40 years ago one could have reasonably argued that most conservatives felt that way. But unfortunately, they are wildly out of touch with the attitudes that now prevail in the Republican Party.

A 2019 Pew poll found 57% of Republican voters fear “losing our identity as a nation” due to immigration, a 13% increase in just two years. That phrasing gives away the game, as equating our “identity” as Americans to ethnicity or race is inherently bigoted. The leading Republican presidential candidate recently said that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.” If they are really a threat to our “blood” it is clearly irrelevant whether they are documented or not. He gleefully separated children from their families and is now promising internment camps and mass deportation for 11 million people peacefully living, working and paying taxes in the U.S. His followers are loving it.

Prospective foreign Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory students and employees rightly recognize that such rhetoric wouldn’t exist if the MAGA faction of the Republican Party was making nuanced distinctions between legal and undocumented immigrants. They understand that this rhetoric, and the normalization of the hatred behind it, pose a real threat to their physical safety.

Let’s be frank: U.S. business loves illegal immigration because it gives a huge pool of vulnerable workers. The farming, meatpacking, construction, landscaping, hospitality, health care and food service industries all heavily exploit cheap, undocumented labor. Republican politicians refuse to effectively punish employers — the only way to actually reduce illegal immigration — because the issue lets them exploi their voters’ racial and ethnic fears in every election. Witness their blocking the recent bipartisan Senate border security bill. MAGA voters, currently driving the Republican Party, are virulently anti-immigrant because they believe the U.S. should be a white, traditional, Christian country.

By all means let’s implement a humane, legal immigration system that actually addresses the obvious workforce needs of the country, punishes illegal hiring, while addressing impacts on infrastructure and services. Let’s pursue a more enlightened foreign policy that helps stabilize and develop Mexico and Central America — by far the largest sources of illegal migration. But let’s not pretend that most Republicans are happy to welcome nonwhite legal immigrants.

John Hover

East Setauket

Wernher von Braun is considered a great American

I would like to respond to a recent commentary letter from Professor Lester G. Paldy regarding my characterization of Wernher von Braun as a great American, as a consequence of his enormous contributions to our space program [“Hardly an example of a great American,” Jan. 25, TBR News Media]. 

It is true that von Braun was instrumental in the development and use of the German V-2 rocket during World War II. He was forced to join the Nazi party in 1937, when he was 25 years of age, and the SS in 1940, when he was 28. He showed no enthusiasm for activities other than rocket development, and advocated for work on space travel. In 1944, von Braun was suspected of having a defeatist attitude, for which he was arrested by the Gestapo and held for two weeks, before being released because his contributions were deemed essential for the German war effort. 

Following the defeat of Germany, von Braun and more than 100 of his associates were brought to the United States, where they were attached to the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps for the purpose of developing advanced military rockets. This effort was enormously successful under von Braun’s leadership. They produced the Redstone and Jupiter-C missiles, leading to our entry into the space program with our first satellite in 1958, closely following the Soviet Union’s Sputnik a year earlier. This was followed by the Saturn V rocket, which took us to the moon in 1969, and is still the most powerful machine ever built by man. None of this would have been possible without von Braun, both for his technical leadership and for his popular promotion of the importance of sending people into space.

Today, von Braun remains a controversial figure, primarily as a result of the brutal use of Holocaust slave labor for the manufacture of the V-2 rockets. Research appears to show that he was aware of this situation, but was powerless to prevent it. Had he tried, he would have been immediately removed from the program, and almost certainly killed. As it turned out, he spent the first 33 years of his life in Germany, and his next — and last — 32 years as a model citizen of the United States. Was he a great American? I believe that he was.

George Altemose

Setauket

Need to reassess Hochul’s plan to decrease our school aid

As a lifelong member of the Three Village community, alumnus of Ward Melville High School and parent of a school-aged child, I am incensed by Gov. Hochul’s [D] plan to decrease our state aid by nearly $9 million. 

The recent proposal for the 2024-25 school year to cut nearly 18% of state aid to our district is quite plainly unjustifiable and contradictory to the current “hold harmless” policy. On Jan. 16, during the governor’s budget presentation, she touted “the highest level of education funding in state history,” yet she has chosen to penalize a district that was previously recognized by the State Comptroller’s Office as “susceptible to fiscal stress.” 

The decision to drastically cut aid to a high performing Long Island school district has the capacity to catastrophically fracture our incredible academic, arts, music, technology and extracurricular programs. We would also be vulnerable in areas concerning mental health and wellness, and physical safety and security at a time when these services are more essential than ever before.

Politicization of this situation would be a very easy sword to throw ourselves upon, but this is not the time to make this a “red-blue” issue. We need to stand together as it is truly incomprehensible to think that more consideration should not be given to all that would be lost by our district if these cuts were to happen. I, along with many other parents and community members, have reached out to the governor and other state officials in an attempt to urge a reassessment of the proposal. 

Our district simply cannot sustain the potential long-lasting damage that this proposed budget could cause, and our kids are worth the strength we can exude in our words and actions. 

Time is of the essence. Take a stand for our kids.

Stefanie Werner

East Setauket

Setauket Neighborhood House: a community gem

I recently attended a meeting of the Three Village Chamber of Commerce at the Setauket Neighborhood House and was intrigued on how our community came to own this wonderful place situated across from the lake leading into Frank Melville Park on Main Street.

The plaque in the house says the Neighborhood House was purchased by the 19th-century industrialist Eversley Childs and his wife Minnie and given to the Setauket community as a place for meetings and community gathering since 1918.

What a wonderful philanthropic gesture by the Childs couple to bequeath our community with a publicly-owned meeting house that in many ways is the center of community activity in the Three Villages. I know of few other places on Long Island that have such a community run and supported meeting house. 

Kudos to the members of the Setauket Neighborhood House’s board of directors and its manager for providing a special gathering place for civic, community and family events and for keeping it in such historic splendor. And a belated thank you to Eversley and Minnie Childs for their considerable community philanthropy and wisdom in providing a place for the Setauket community to meet and come together for more than 100 years.

George Hoffman

Setauket

Best person to serve as an MTA board member

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine [R] now has an opportunity to appoint a representative to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority 15-member board. Allow me to offer my services. I’ve been a regular Long Island Rail Road commuter for decades and previously worked for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office. This included the development, review, approval and oversight for billions of dollars in annual grants that supported capital projects and programs for the MTA including the LIRR, NYC Transit subway, bus and Staten Island Railway, Metro-North Rail Road and MTA Bus along with 30 other transit agencies in New York and New Jersey. I also assisted the MTA in winning a number of national competitive discretionary grants. 

I possess a detailed knowledge of all MTA operating agencies including the LIRR physical assets such as equipment, stations, yards, shops and maintenance as well as management of capital projects and programs. I gave emphasis to completing federally funded projects on time, within budget with a minimum number and dollar value for contract change orders. They had to be justified as fair and reasonable. This was my motto for the MTA and LIRR. 

There is no MTA board member today who has had firsthand experience in applying for and managing federal assistance from Washington. Federal dollars play a key role in the success of MTA’s capital program. My addition to the board could be a real asset. Having no driver’s license, I have always been transit dependent. Being retired, I could represent the interests of Long Island commuters, taxpayers and transit advocates as a full-time member on the MTA board at no expense.

Larry Penner

Great Neck

Tell Hochul to keep the ‘hold harmless’ state school aid provision

I join fellow residents and school districts in shock and dismay after reviewing Gov. Hochul’s [D] proposed cuts to some local districts’ state education aid. There is no way to justify pulling the rug out from under our already strained school districts. This would only lead to hasty discussions about cuts to our children’s programming and staff, and likely increases to our already excessive property taxes. 

The proposed education aid reductions to 44% of New York state’s school districts — and increases in aid to the other 56% — result from the governor’s proposal to end the “hold harmless” provision. This provision has historically provided all districts with at least as much state education aid as they received in the previous fiscal year. 

Unfortunately, state Assemblyman Ed Flood’s [R-Port Jefferson] claim that “Hochul is dumping taxpayer dollars into New York City’s disastrous migrant crisis and leaving the priorities of New Yorkers behind” is either a misunderstanding of how the NYS budget works or a political attempt to pin our community’s upset on an unrelated issue. In the proposed budget, statewide education aid would actually increase by over 2% to a total of $35.3 billion, and our districts would lose funding only because this aid is being redistributed without the “hold harmless” provision.

Any attempt to tie this nonpartisan education policy issue to any partisan issues will weaken this urgent call to action. For the sake of our children’s quality of education and to avoid another burdensome tax hike, we must join in bipartisan opposition to this sudden abandoning of the “hold harmless” provision in the state’s foundation aid formula. We need all community leaders and residents to wholly engage in a clear message to Hochul: Reinstate the “hold harmless” provision for the 2024-25 state budget.

Rebecca Kassay

Port Jefferson

                                                               The writer has declared her candidacy for New York’s District 4 Assembly seat under the Democratic ticket.

File photo by Raymond Janis

Café a special addition to Emma Clark Library

If you haven’t already, set aside some time to visit the new café at our beautiful Emma S. Clark Memorial Library [Level Up Kitchen Library Café]. I took some time out this morning to have a delicious breakfast with a dear friend. There are tables and chairs set up in the sunny hallway leading to the magazine room to enjoy the delicious food. This is a wonderful addition to an already spectacular library, especially now at holiday time. A perfect spot to take a break from our hectic schedules. I can’t wait to be able to sit outside on the terrace when spring rolls around.

Madeline Morris

Setauket

Clarifying lawsuits against PJSD

An article in the Dec. 7 Port Times Record (“Suffolk school districts pay millions to settle child abuse lawsuits”) misstated that the Port Jefferson School District has settled seven lawsuits from former students. These cases, filed in Suffolk County Supreme Court in 2020 and 2021, are presently pending and have not been settled.

While the accusations made by these former students are certainly very disturbing, the behavior of the present Board of Education and the superintendent of schools needs to be closely examined by the taxpayers of this district since both were fully aware, since 2020, of these lawsuits and their possible financial implications.

Nonetheless, residents were asked on two occasions (in 2022 and 2023) to support multimillion dollar bonds as well as other questionable expenses (costly new bleachers and a ”security booth” at the high school, etc.), thereby depleting capital reserves, while a large legal cloud loomed overhead and was unknown to taxpayers.

The board and superintendent, understandably, could not disclose the specific details of the seven lawsuits. However, in the interest of both transparency as well as the responsibility to be diligent guardians of district funds, some indication of the possible financial implication of this situation should have been made known to taxpayers prior to costly undertakings since, ultimately, these taxpayers would have to pick up the tab. Instead, the superintendent and the board majority continued their ”heads in the sand” approach, with excessive spending despite declining student enrollment, dwindling LIPA revenue and seven pending lawsuits.

In their expose of child abuse lawsuits and settlements on Long Island, Newsday interviewed Ron Masera, of the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association, who stated (in a video interview posted on Newsday’s website), “This is the age of transparency. We’re in a place where this is not something you can or should hide from your community.”

By this standard of transparency, the Port Jefferson superintendent and the Board of Education deserve an “F.”

Charles G. Backfish

Port Jefferson

Thank you, voters

To the residents of the 12th Legislative District, both former and new.

Thank you for returning me to my fifth full term as your Suffolk County legislator. I am truly humbled and honored by the overwhelming measure of support you have provided. Having been reelected, the challenge now becomes how to govern wisely, fairly and equitably with our newly elected county executive [Ed Romaine (R)].

I look forward to continuing my efforts to preserve our suburban way of life, to keep an eye on affordability and to deliver services to our veterans and seniors and families as their needs continue to increase.

As many of you became aware, the lines of the 12th Legislative District shifted east from the Commack area, my hometown, all the way to the Centereach/Selden/Holbrook borders. I will miss my past constituents but look forward to the new opportunities and community issues to address in the upcoming legislative term. 

Please feel free to contact me at my office at 631-854-3735, or at [email protected] with any questions or concerns.

I wish a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, a joyous Kwanzaa and Happy Holidays to all. Remember those in need, and check on a neighbor.

With thanks and great regard,

Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset)

Suffolk County Legislator

12th District

Community vision for Jefferson Plaza

I was extremely proud of how the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville community turned out to voice their opinions at the Brookhaven Town Board meeting on Thursday, Nov. 30. It was an honor to represent the hamlet in a worthwhile discussion regarding the amount of multifamily rental units, building heights, architectural design and traffic issues along Route 112 and Terryville Road.

We are fortunate to have Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich [D] and Supervisor-elect Dan Panico [R] guiding us through the Staller redevelopment process of the Jefferson Shopping Plaza. Political leaders often do not get credit for the time and devotion they give to the constituents they represent. The Port Jefferson Station/Terryville community should be encouraged by the steady hand displayed on that long Thursday night by our elected officials who will make sure the project will be something exciting and something of which the residents will be proud.

By working with Staller Associates, our local civic association and the chamber of commerce, I have the utmost confidence the supervisor-elect and our councilmember will put in the hard work to bring quality revitalization all along the Route 112 corridor.

Carolyn Sagliocca, Vice President

Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association

Concerning incident at Village Hall

At a recent Village board meeting, I found myself at the center of a concerning situation that raises questions about the responsible use of village resources, particularly regarding the village attorney, whose fees are paid by taxpayers.

As an engaged resident deeply invested in our community’s well-being, I’ve long upheld the principles of transparency, open communication and fairness. However, a recent incident at Village Hall has given rise to deep concerns about the potential misuse of village assets for personal and retaliatory purposes.

During a routine public board meeting, legal papers were hastily served to me as I exited, raising unsettling questions. I am concerned and disheartened, as it seems there’s an attempt to force me into surrendering control of a Facebook page, a demand that holds no merit, as I am not the page’s owner. The vindictive nature of this attempt to seize control of a Facebook page, raises significant doubts about the real motivations behind such actions and whether they align with the values we, as a community, hold dear.

The involvement of the village attorney in this matter is particularly distressing. The village attorney’s role is to serve the community’s best interests, not to be manipulated for personal vendettas. Using taxpayer-funded legal resources for what appears to be a personal matter is both ethically questionable and an inappropriate use of public funds. When I directly questioned the attorney if he was acting in his capacity as the village attorney, he stated that he was “acting at the direction of the mayor.”

How can we believe the mayor’s recent proposals for a new ethics code and professing transparency while this incident clearly lacks both. It’s disheartening when actions contradict the very principles being advocated.

Moreover, it’s crucial to note that this action was taken at the mayor’s direction without the knowledge of the trustees, further clouding the transparency and accountability of village affairs.

As a concerned resident, I question the motives behind this action and the appropriateness of utilizing village resources for such questionable purposes. I hope this incident sparks a much-needed dialogue within our community about the responsible use of public funds and the imperative of fostering an environment where disputes can be resolved through open communication rather than by weaponizing the village attorney.

Let’s collaborate to ensure our village resources are used judiciously and that our community stands as a shining example of fairness, true transparency and cooperation for all residents.

Kathianne Snaden

Port Jefferson

Editor’s note: The writer served as Port Jeff Village trustee from 2019-23.

The perils of bail reform

I would like to respond to Timothy Glynn’s letter of Nov. 23 regarding bail reform [“Why cashless bail is right”]. I take exception to his statement that “New York’s vision of bail reform was limited to misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies’” and we should “take the dangerous criminal argument off the table.” He probably did not hear about the Quogue woman accused of trying to burn multiple houses in Hampton Bays as reported by News 12 on Nov. 14. 

She was arrested and released without bail and less than two hours later tried to rob a Dollar store armed with a knife. I would hope Mr. Glynn would reconsider his position about what he considers a dangerous criminal. This incident was not a person arrested for shoplifting a loaf of bread. This was a person accused of three felony arson charges. I hope reasonable people can agree that is most certainly a dangerous criminal act. The “bail reform” law has been “tweaked” by lawmakers a couple of times already and still there are serious problems with it. It could be because the law was passed by one party with no stakeholder input from law enforcement or district attorneys. Passing a law with such serious implications to the safety and security of the entire state based on ideology alone is not proving to be a wise or successful endeavor. I have never seen data suggesting that a liberal state like New York had large numbers of petty criminals languishing in our jails. The one anecdote used by the more extreme proponents of bail reform cites a case about a person they say went to jail for merely stealing a backpack. Researching that case reveals misinformation. The person involved was charged with robbery, not larceny, and was held due to being on probation at the time of his arrest.

I think the solution is having a “dangerousness standard” like the other 49 states have, so a judge can ensure that dangerous criminals are held. I think reasonable people can agree to release petty criminals, but can we also agree that a shoplifter with 50 or 80 arrests is showing they don’t care about following the law. If not, we could end up like Washington, D.C., where you have to ring a bell in the store to buy a roll of toilet paper since it’s locked up to prevent theft.

Common sense should prevail.

Charles Tramontana

Setauket

Photo by David Ackerman

Local news is making news lately.

Last week, tech giant Google reached an agreement with the Canadian government that will allow the search engine to continue publishing links to local news outlets under select conditions. As part of the bargain, Google will pay out roughly U.S. $73.5 million annually to Canadian news companies.

We regard this development as a significant victory for local journalism, setting a powerful precedent we can follow here in the United States.

The local press is a vital institution for sustaining democracy. We know that in news deserts — or places not served by a local newspaper — communities generally have less civic engagement and more governmental mismanagement.

Without local news, we become alienated from the democratic process. Distant bureaucracies in Washington and Albany — over which we have little influence as private citizens — dominate our mental space and shape our worldviews.

Without local news, we can consume only the most polarizing, partisan content from mainstream media outlets that prosper and profit from a national culture of division.

At TBR, we are committed to a ground-up style of democracy. A stable federalist system requires a solid foundation. Like the food chain, community journalism is the primary producer, giving life to all other levels of democracy. Without the local press, our entire democratic ecosystem could collapse.

Local journalists reporting on civic matters and informed citizens engaging in the political process are the pillars of a thriving democracy. But how our industry is changing.

Today, local outlets fight just to survive — much less thrive and expand. Local newspapers have simply struggled to adapt in this digital age. Meanwhile, tech conglomerates are cannibalizing the local media landscape, circulating and monetizing our content without equitable compensation while siphoning away precious advertising dollars from small businesses — the lifeblood of the local press.

We find this dynamic deeply problematic. Fortunately, we have recourse.

Right now, the state Legislature is considering the Local Journalism Sustainability Act. This measure would create tax credits for local journalists and monetarily reward local news subscribers.

We regard this legislation as a positive first step toward attracting and retaining talent in our industry while counteracting the declines faced by many of our shuttering peers. We ask each of our state legislators to support this measure and invite readers to lobby them on our behalf.

But the work doesn’t end in Albany. Local news outlets in the U.S. deserve compensation from Big Tech, similar to our Canadian counterparts. If Canada can defend its local press, our federal government can, too.

The Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, introduced in the U.S. Senate earlier this year by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) with broad bipartisan support, would allow local outlets to jointly negotiate fair compensation for access to our content by Google, Facebook and other large corporations.

We urge our U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota (R-NY1) to pick up the measure, guiding the slim House majority toward enactment.

As local press members, we are staring down an extinction-level event. The monopolistic, plagiaristic, predatory tactics of Big Tech must end. We ask for a level playing field.

To our readers and public officials alike, we urge you to do what you can to stand up for local news.