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Monthly Archives: July 2016

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Former Brookhaven Town councilwoman and environmental activist Regina “Reggie” Seltzer “died overlooking the gardens she ardently tended and the Great South Bay, two of her favorite places,” read a death notice in the New York Times July 1.

She died at her Bellport home June 29 at the age of 86.

Seltzer is survived by her son Eric, his wife Nealle and three granddaughters: Veronica, Jean and Bryn.

Reggie Seltzer left behind a legacy of good works.

In 1979, Seltzer was named Woman of the Year in Environment by this newspaper.

At that time, she was recognized by Cathy McKeen, who wrote: “Since she won a seat on Brookhaven’s Town Board four years ago Regina Seltzer has been an advocate of protecting the environment.”

Village Times honoree Regina Seltzer. Photo from Sherry Binnington
Village Times honoree Regina Seltzer. Photo from Sherry Binnington

McKeen went on to list her many accomplishments, among them the creation of the town’s Department of Environmental Protection, advocating zoning reform to address haphazard planning and growth and a new sanitary code.

Seltzer was born to Jewish parents in Poland in 1929. Three years later, seeing the injustice and brutality inflicted upon Jews in their town — and fearing what would follow — her parents left Poland, bound for Palestine. In 1937, they followed family and immigrated to New York.

As an adult, Seltzer first worked as a school teacher and librarian, according to Brookhaven Town Supervisor Edward Romaine (R), who eulogized her at the start of the June 30 town board meeting.

She was a councilwoman and member of the town’s planning board. She had returned to school to earn a law degree in her 50s and worked on many environmental issues, often pro bono. She was a true civic leader, Romaine said.

“[Reggie] made a huge difference in the Town of Brookhaven,” said Romaine. “She was brighter than light, easy to work with, principled, honest, straightforward — someone that we’ll all miss in this town government. … I’ve ordered flags at Town Hall to fly at half mast in her honor.”

Friends and colleagues also expressed their grief at the board meeting. Sherry Binnington, of Bellport, met Seltzer in the 1960s, when they became neighbors.

“Reggie Seltzer was a genuine person who had a conscience and was concerned about other people,” Binnington said during the public participation part of the meeting. “She believed that you should try to do everything you can when you see things that are not right.”

Another activist and friend, MaryAnn Johnston, had this to say, “When I first started working as an activist, Reggie was a source of constant encouragement and inspiration.

“She taught me how to do this work … with an uplifted heart. And to celebrate the victories — that they’d be few and far between, but that when you did the job well, they would matter and they would last. It would be what you left behind.”

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R.J. Torbert, back row, third from right, in front of Z-Pita with Grace Verruto from the Village of Port Jefferson, far left, family, friends and Z-Pita owner Joey Zee, front row Photo by Heidi Sutton

Z-Pita in Port Jefferson hosted a book signing for author R.J. Torbert on June 28 to promote the recent release of Torbert’s thriller novel, “No Mercy,” the action-packed sequel to “The Face of Fear.” Both plots take place in Port Jefferson Village. The Pie in Port Jefferson hosted a second book signing on June 30.

A resident of Miller Place, Torbert is also known as the creator of the famous ghost mask from the “SCREAM” movies.

The author is scheduled to appear at Barnes and Nobles on July 9 in Lake Grove at 4 p.m. and at the Port Jefferson Free Library on July 16 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. for a rare Q-and-A with guest speaker John Valeri of The Hartford Book Examiner. Registration is required for the library event by calling 631-473-0022.

For more information on the book, visit wwwpowersandjohnson.com.

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Limoncello is the perfect summer cocktail.

By Bob Lipinski

“Drink because you are happy, but never because you are miserable.”  — G.K. Chesterton, Heretics

If you’re like me, you probably enjoy cocktails year-round and perhaps you may even have a favorite one or even two. When I entertain specialty, cocktails abound replete with fancy names, a multitude of ingredients and compliments. I thought I’d share with you some of my homemade cocktails that will satisfy even the pickiest palate. However, in order for the cocktails to smell and taste authentic, the brands and measurements listed below must be followed.

Key Lime Pie Cocktail 

This cocktail smells and tastes just like Key Lime Pie!

2 parts Cruzan Vanilla Rum

1 part pineapple juice

1/2 part Rose’s Lime Juice Splash Sprite (not diet)

Mix or shake the first three ingredients with ice, add Sprite, quickly stir and enjoy.

Bourbon Margarita

Use the same ingredients as you would for a margarita, except substitute bourbon for tequila and rim the glass with sugar instead of salt.

Tom Collins

1 (6-ounce) can frozen lemonade

1 (6-ounce) can of gin

2 (12-ounce) cans of lemon soda

Several sprigs of mint

Blend the first two ingredients, then stir in the soda and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Piña Colada Martini

Equal parts of…

Cruzan Pineapple Rum

Cruzan Coconut Rum

Shake with ice and pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a wedge of fresh pineapple.

Sours

1 (6-ounce) can frozen lemonade

1 (6-ounce) can water

1 (6-ounce) can whiskey (any type)

Blend with plenty of ice and serve in a chilled glass. Top with a cherry. Bob’s Blender Margarita Use the same ingredients for your traditional margarita, except substitute fresh lemon juice for the lime juice and before cutting the lemon, zest the outer skin and add to the blender. The cocktail will be slightly tart with an incredible aroma and flavor of fresh lemon.

Limoncello

1 dozen large lemons

1-liter bottle 80-proof vodka

2 cups white sugar

3 cups cold water

Peel thin strips of lemon, avoiding the white pith. Macerate the peels in vodka for two weeks. Strain the liquid removing the peel. Make simple syrup by dissolving sugar in water over medium heat. Once the syrup is cooled, add it to the lemon-infused vodka. Mix and allow to settle for 24 hours, then chill and serve.

Cheesecake Cocktail

Smells and tastes exactly like cheesecake!

2 parts Cruzan Vanilla Rum

One part each of pineapple juice and cranberry juice

Blend or shake with ice and serve in a cocktail glass.

Vodka Punch

12 ounces of 80 proof vodka

2 (6-ounce) cans of frozen lemonade

2 cans of orange juice (use empty lemonade cans)

1 bottle seltzer (33 ounces)

1 bottle ginger ale (33 ounces)

1 can (16 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained

24 pitted maraschino cherries, drained

Mix the above ingredients with a wooden spoon, add ice cubes, chill and serve.

By the way … I’ll be over later for a vodka martini, “shaken, not stirred!”

Bob Lipinski, a local author, has written 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need to Know About Vodka, Gin, Rum & Tequila” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on wine, spirits and food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com or [email protected].

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Huntington legislators and members of Charles A. Oddo’s family stand in front of the sign at the park now named after him. Photo from A.J. Carter

By Victoria Espinoza

Commack volunteer firefighter Charles A. Oddo was memorialized last month after a park in East Northport was named after him.

The late East Northport native and New York City police officer was killed in the line of duty in February 1996, after being fatally struck by a car while placing flares around an overturned gas truck on the Gowanus Expressway. He was 33.

More than 250 people — family, friends, neighbors and former colleagues in the police force and fire department — attended the ceremony, which included a color guard from the New York City Police Department and the Commack Fire Department, and an emotional address from Oddo’s sister, Maria Oddo Forger.

“Today, we gather together once more in the town he and I grew up in, in our neighborhood park, and celebrate his memory, his fervent heart and selfless love which sent itself out daily in helping others, never blowing a trumpet before him and never seeing his actions as being noble, no, just necessary to ensure a better outcome for someone in need,” Forger said at the park. “Today, you show us by your loyalty to him and his memory that you are indeed, family.”

Oddo grew up walking distance from Verleye Park and played there as a child. He graduated from John Glenn High School in 1981. In 1982, he joined the Commack Fire Department, where he served as a volunteer firefighter, paramedic and mechanic.

“Standing here brings back happy memories for me of a carefree time when life was simple, innocent, fun, filled with love and laughter under the protection of my brother,” Forger said.

The Commack firefighter joined the New York City Police Department in 1990. Five years later, he was transferred to Brooklyn’s Highway Unit #2, following in the footsteps of his father, who was a Suffolk County Police Department Highway Patrol sergeant.

Members of the Huntington Town Board and leaders from first responder agencies were also in attendance for the official rename of Verleye Park to the “Charles A. Oddo Verleye Park.”

Supervisor Frank Petrone (D) said that park renaming is not very common in Huntington, so this was a special case.

“Charles was an inspirational person, as a family member and as a person everyone liked,” Petrone said. And when he was lost, people came by. They came in droves because people recognized who he really was and today, we want to put that memory here, in his home town, and make sure it is everlasting.”

Councilman Gene Cook (R) said recent events like the mass shooting in Orlando “are a sobering reminder of the courageous, selfless contributions that police officers, firefighters and first responders make every single day across the country.” Cook sponsored the resolution to rename the park that was unanimously passed by the town board in May.

The Commack Fire Department had asked Cook about creating a memorial. After a discussion with Petrone, it was decided that renaming the park would be most appropriate.

Councilwoman Susan Berland (D) said how this park will ensure Oddo’s legacy will never fade.

“For generations to come, children are going to come here and ask, ‘Who was Charles, what did he do, why is the park named for him?’” she said. “What they will hear is the story of a selfless man, who gave of himself to the fire department, to the police department, who helped his community. The best legacy he could leave would be to encourage youngsters to pursue the same goals.”

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The space in Smithtown where Chick-fil-A wants to establish a new branch. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

By Rita J. Egan

Fast-food company Chick-fil-A hopes to bring its chicken to Smithtown — but residents aren’t as eager to get a taste.

The addition of Chick-fil-A would mean the demolition of the structure that is home to Bagel Gallery, Pub 347, Kempo Karate, The Foot Relaxation Spot, and empty storefronts. A petition with almost 5,000 signatures has been created against the restaurant.

Bagel Gallery owner John Ahr said when he first heard of the fast-food chain’s intention two and a half months ago, he couldn’t bring himself to talk about it with anyone.

“When I heard this was going down, I cried,” he said. His establishment has been around for the past 30 years.

Ahr said he found the supportive comments people have left on the petition site heartwarming, but he feels it may not be of much help.

“Like everyone says it’s not going to be a problem … it’s Chick-fil-A,” he said.

Ahr, who grew up in Smithtown and graduated from Smithtown West High School in 1978, began working in the bagel shop back in 1980, and in 1985 he and his brother-in-law bought the store. Now a resident of Centereach, he and his wife Donna have worked at the 24-hour spot for decades, including holidays, with their children Nick, Tony and Jamie.

When Ahr first talked to his landlord about the plans, he said, “It may be your building but it’s my home.”

A public relations employee at Jackson Spalding, the firm handling Chick-fil-A, said the chicken joint is eager to join the Smithtown community.

“We are pleased to be joining the Hauppauge community as we look to open a new Chick-fil-A restaurant at the intersection of Routes 111 and 347,” he said in an email.  “We look forward to becoming a great neighbor and partner in the community, and to serving all guests great food in a welcoming restaurant environment.”

However, when it came to issues with the property and the decision to take over land currently used by businesses like Bagel Gallery, the employee said “We have been working with the landlord directly and are not privy to the details of the previous tenants’ leases.”

A representative for the property owner, 111 Associates, LLC, said the landlord did not have any comment at the time.

According to the Smithtown Zoning Board Chick-fil-A is requesting several variances including “drive-up windows [that] shall not face a residence district” and a reduction in the “planting area along front property lines from 25 to 6 feet.” Smithtown’s Planning Director David Flynn said he met with Chick-fil-A representatives about six months ago, and while they didn’t discuss all the reasons the restaurant picked the spot at the intersection of Routes 111 and 347, the location of the other two Chick-fil-As was a consideration.

“They’re building one in Commack by the [Long Island] Expressway, and they opened one on the bypass in Port Jefferson by 112,” he said.  “I guess this is kind of halfway between the two. I think it strategically is where they can get the most customers. It’s not too close to one of their other restaurants.”

Todd Feldman, owner of Pub 347, said his business would close if Chick-fil-A gets the go ahead from the town of Smithtown to build in the shopping center.

“It’s putting me out of business,” he said.

He also fears the traffic impact of the fast-food stop.

“It’s going to make it [traffic] 10 times worse,” Feldman said.

Ahr said as of now he has until Feb. 10 to vacate the premises, which means he would have to close on Jan. 31 to have enough time to clean out his equipment. He said he and his wife have been looking at new locations, and customers have told them they would follow the bagel store wherever they go.

“We are people of faith. We trust God. Our lives are in his hands, and it’s going to be the way it’s going to be. As much as it hurts, it’s part of life, too. Things happen,” Ahr said.

The proposal will be presented at a zoning board meeting Tuesday, July 12.

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U.S. Congressman Lee Zeldin, Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner and town Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro at Sills Gully Beach following the revitalization. Photo from Town of Brookhaven

Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro (R), U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) and Councilwoman Jane Bonner (C-Rocky Point) announced the completion of repairs intended to protect, restore and strengthen Sills Gully Beach in Shoreham, after it was severely damaged during Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

“The revitalization project at Sills Gully is one of a dozen North Shore surface water quality protection projects the highway department has undertaken since I took office,” Losquadro said. “I want to thank Congressman Zeldin for expediting the federal funding necessary to complete this project and ensure the resilience of our shoreline.”

“Preventing storm water runoff from entering the Long Island Sound this is a victory for the residents of Shoreham and the environment.”

— Jane Bonner

In order to reduce risk of damage from future storm events, members of the Brookhaven highway department completely removed the ineffective gabion basket walls, replacing them with 160 feet of steel bulkhead with stone-toe protection to prevent scouring. The bulkhead — which now protects areas of the bluff that have experienced significant levels of erosion in the past — has a longer life span than the gabion walls and will better protect from future disasters.

“The completion of restoration at Sills Gully Beach is an excellent example of different levels of government working together for the benefit of our community,” Bonner said. “I have been diligently working on this issue since the damage was caused by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, and I am extremely happy to see these necessary repairs come to fruition. By preventing storm water runoff from entering the Long Island Sound, this is a victory for the residents of Shoreham and the environment. I want to thank Congressman Zeldin and Superintendent Losquadro for working with me to make this happen.”

Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro points out the new improvements his department made to protect the area. Photo from Town of Brookhaven
Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro points out the new improvements his department made to protect the area. Photo from Town of Brookhaven

As a result of these mitigation measures and to comply with Tidal Wetlands and Clean Water Act permits, the department included upgrades to the existing storm water system by installing a new bioretention area where storm water naturally collects. This bioretention area consists of two, 12-foot deep leaching basins and an 8-foot wide trash rack to capture storm water and transport it through nearly 400 feet of 48-inch, smooth, interior-corrugated polyethylene pipe for natural dissipation. Additionally, a rock-lined drainage swale was constructed along the length of the parking lot to collect any remaining runoff. These upgrades will ensure that polluted storm water is not directly entering the Long Island Sound.

The project was funded with an $875,000 federal grant secured by Zeldin through FEMA.

“Once Brookhaven Town received the necessary federal funding to make repairs at Sills Gully Beach and Gully Landing Drainage Facility, the town was able to complete this important project,” said Zeldin, who is also a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “This revitalization project will help protect, restore and strengthen Sills Gully Beach in Shoreham and the overall quality of water in our local area, and I am proud to join with Superintendent Losquadro and Councilwoman Bonner to announce the completion of this project.”

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Servicemen and women salute the American Flag in Northport on Memorial Day. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

Do you ever stop and think what the Fourth of July is really all about?

While we were enjoying our BBQs, lounging at the beach, sipping on a drink or lighting fireworks this Independence Day, we realized the meaning of this holiday, like many others, can be forgotten when we’re busy trying to have a good time.

Our nation’s founders fought for our freedom.

Following the American Revolution, the 13 American colonies regarded themselves as a new nation, and with that, came a string of unalienable rights that we now mark with patriotic displays on July 4, to symbolize our pride and celebration of this freedom.

Reflecting on what it means, and why we’re honored to live in this country, several things came to mind.

Freedom of speech is something that Americans can take for granted. The ability to express opinions, either as an individual or as part of the media, is essential to the backbone of our country.

Two in our editorial department have backgrounds that extend beyond our borders.

One, a first-generation American, was raised with a particular appreciation for the freedoms we enjoy. Both her parents emigrated from Eastern Europe as children in the 1920s and were raised in New York. They faced challenges including learning a new language and adapting to American ways, but in America there was no tsar, conscripting male heads of households or, in retrospect, no dictator on the rise who would eventually annihilate most of the Jews left behind in Eastern Europe. The American Dream became a reality for her parents.

Another editorial staffer’s father moved to this country from Colombia when he was in his 20s. Hearing about his background, she loves that he was able to prosper in this country — not just survive — but pursue his dream job of teaching and find a career where he is still excited to go to work and see his students 30 years later. As the daughter of an immigrant, she’s proud to be a part of the country that welcomed her dad and let him follow his dream.

While we look back on what we were founded on, and why this country is unique in the freedoms it gives us, we can also look ahead, to what we want it to be. We can be thankful for what we have, and for what America stands for, but also strive to continue to make this country an even better place than it was when we became a new nation on Independence Day.

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After every July Fourth we hear about the sickening tally of those injured or maimed by illegal firecrackers and explosives that were fired off in the name of fun. We routinely say, “How idiotic. Why don’t they just leave the fireworks to the professionals and go watch the show someplace?” There are always places to see the artful displays, hear the raucous explosions and cheer together the red, white and blue. If all else fails, there is the television or the computer screen. Do we have to injure ourselves to fully honor the actions of the colonists almost two-and-one-half centuries ago?

This subject is of more than casual interest to my family. When my dad was growing up on an upstate New York farm, one of nine children, a neighbor brought the family some explosive caps with which to properly celebrate Independence Day. The children gathered around a large boulder and cheered with each explosion, as my father’s favorite brother smashed the caps in turn with a rock he held in his hand. But one refused to go off. To make sure he was hitting the cap in exactly the right spot, he bent his head close to the obdurate explosive and carefully aimed his blow. This time it did explode and blew out his right eye. Needless to say, that was the end of that in my household.

The trail of these stupid tragedies continues.

When we first arrived here, on the beautiful North Shore of Suffolk from our Texas air force base, at the end of June, 47 years ago, my husband, who was an ophthalmologist, applied for hospital privileges at St. Charles in Port Jefferson. He was admitted to the ranks with the news that his first “on call” day would be on July 4. His first patient, waiting for him in the emergency room, was a teenage boy whose eye had been destroyed by an Independence Day explosive. He tended to the boy, of course, but never got over the horror of that sight and was sickened by the memory every year. It had been more traumatic for him than the many cases he had treated during the Vietnam War.

With these illegal explosives, brought in gleefully from distant states, we are to this day making war on ourselves. There is the story of the young visitor from Virginia in New York City, who was romping over the rocks in Central Park with his two buddies, when he stepped on a plastic bag of explosives that went off and destroyed his foot. There are seemingly unending stories of hands blown off, faces disfigured, house fires started, bystanders wounded and all manner of ugly consequences from fireworks across America. Some 230 wound up in emergency rooms at the latest count.

When John Adams wrote a letter to his wife, Abigail, on July 4, 1776, envisioning a dazzling annual celebration of independence from Britain, he surely didn’t consider such carnage as part of the party. Nor did he imagine the single horror that brought about what was probably the first city ordinance in America banning the possession or sale of fireworks within the city limits.

It happened in Cleveland in 1908. A clerk in S.S. Kresge’s department store was showing a 4-year-old boy and his mother a “harmless” sparkler with which to celebrate the holiday when a spark flew into the nearby display of skyrockets, torpedoes and candles. The store was almost immediately engulfed in flames. Seven people died, including the little boy, and dozens more were injured as the store burned. The tragedy prompted the city council to act, and many more cities and states have outlawed explosives over the last century.

But there are still states where the sale of explosives is legal, and the present concern is that a growing movement seems underway to relax some of the current legal restrictions. The Consumer Product Safety Commission, which regulates the sale of fireworks, reported that in addition to the many maimings from explosives 11 people died in 2014 alone. Why?

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Chances are the day of this publication, July 7, i.e., 7/7, is your lucky day. Why? Many people believe seven brings them luck, whether it’s because of the seven days of the week, seven colors in the rainbow, seven continents or even the “7” Mickey Mantle wore on his back.

If you believe in lucky numbers, seven might give you the kind of confidence you need to say exactly the right thing in a job interview, to seek a date with a long-term love interest, or to swing at a fastball at just the right moment, sending the ball deep into the night.

Practically speaking, all those people who share that lucky No. 7 can’t be winners at the same time. What if a pitcher in a tight game, who is the seventh child in a family of seven and might have been born at 7:07, is pitching to a hitter, who grew up on 77 Main Street and who always bats seventh? Who would win?

Taking a step back from the “7” sports quagmire, what is it about numbers that can make or break our confidence, that can inspire or deflate us? Even for those indifferent to theorems and patterns, numbers can be beautiful and comforting. They can create order in a chaotic world, offering support and structure in their patterns and predictability.

There’s the alternating odds and evens. That’s a pattern that’s like looking at a checkerboard, with its alternating tiles. According to some news reports, zero presents a problem for some people because they are not sure whether it is odd or even and most odd/even discussions begin with “1” while evens begin with “2.” (Zero is an even number under the standard mathematical definition.)

Then there are those rules of numbers that can help in the prime versus non-prime consideration. If you’re looking at an odd number, how do you know whether it’s divisible by three? You add up the digits in the number and see if the sum is divisible by three. Take, for example, 4,197. The sum of four, one, nine and seven is 21, which means it’s divisible by three.

But then there are those well-known irrational numbers that provide memory challenges for schools. Some schools, on March 14 each year, hold a contest about the famous constant, pi, which is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Students commit as many digits of pi as they can to memory. Most people recall the 3.14 part of pi, which is why those competitions are held on March 14, but some push themselves to memorize more than a hundred digits.

Then there are those numbers that signal the beginning or the end of something. The famous countdown to a rocket launch that carries with it the hope of finding something new, of taking humans somewhere we’ve never gone, or of exploring or seeing the Earth from a different perspective. Parents know the famous mantra, “I’m going to count to three,” before a potential liftoff of another kind.

For the sports fanatics out there, numbers are the game within a game. For example:

• How fast did he throw that pitch?

• How many goals did he score in the World Cup?

• How great was this player compared with another player?

Numbers are sliced and diced to make predictions, reconsider greatness or understand a player’s potential.

Perhaps the corollary to the question, “Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet?” should be, “Would a superstar with a different uniform number play as well?” The answer might depend on the date of the game.

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File photo

A 40-year-old woman from Huntington Station was shot on Wednesday, July 6 just before 11:30 p.m.

Lanise Felder was walking on Craven Avenue towards 10th Avenue in Huntington Station when police said she thought she heard a firecracker explode and then felt tingling in her lower leg and realized she had been shot about four inches above her ankle.

Felder, 40, was transported by a family member to Huntington Hospital, where she contacted police and received treatment for her injury.

The investigation is ongoing. Detectives are asking anyone with information about the incident, or about a black SUV, possibly a Nissan Pathfinder, that was seen leaving the scene of the shooting, to contact the Second Squad at 631-854-8252 or call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.

 

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