Co-presidents Teri Mangione, standing far right, and Eileen Hattersley, seated far right, present certificates to nine of the group’s past presidents on June 22. Photo from Debbi Spiegel
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER The Smithtown Business and Professional Women’s Network celebrated its 35th anniversary at its monthly meeting on June 22, honoring nine past presidents for their valuable contributions to the organization. Established in 1982, the SBPWN’s goal is to promote women in the workforce and support its membership through education and networking.
“While the times have changed with technology, the mission of the Smithtown Business and Professional Women’s Network has remained constant. The networking and friendships are priceless,” said Debbi Spiegel, vice president of public relations, adding, “There is something very special about being in a room filled with dynamic businesswomen. It is true that ‘When women support each other, incredible things happen!’” For more information, visit www.sbpwn.org.
Don Michne of Miller Place recently snapped this photo of a young white-tailed deer at Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai. He writes, “My wife, Mary, and I go for frequent walks at the beach. Mary was first to notice the deer. I took many photo’s of him; he seemed very tame. The next two evenings in a row we found him again, never in the same location but always nearby. I got the feeling he was expecting us. We never fed him, just talked. Of the dozens of photos I took of him, we liked this one the most, sticking his tongue out at us.”
Calla lilies feature trumpet-shaped flowers in pink, red, yellow and white.
By Ellen Barcel
In general, from the gardener’s point of view, there are two types of bulbs (tubers, rhizomes, etc.) — those that are planted in fall and are perennials, tolerating or even needing cold weather to survive and thrive (tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, etc.) and those that are planted in the spring and usually are not hardy.
This second set needs to be lifted in the fall (or treated as an annual) since it won’t survive Long Island’s cold winters. And yes, there are some exceptions. For example, there are some hardy gladioli, but most glads are tender.
Generally, when planting glads, dahlias, etc., you will get beautiful flowers the first year if you buy quality bulbs since the bulbs are producing flowers based on what the grower did to them the previous year — how much water, fertilizer, pest control, etc.
If you are going to keep these tender bulbs going in future years, you must treat them well this growing season. This includes sufficient water, fertilizer and pest control. Then they will be ready to go dormant and be lifted in the fall and stored away for the following spring planting.
In general, the tender bulbs bloom in the summer. So, when you select them, know that you’ll have to wait a while for the flowers. Also, remember that although most gardeners plant these as bulbs/tubers they are flowering plants and in general (although not all the time) produce seeds from these flowers. And yes, in general, you can save the seeds and grow them next year with varying degrees of success.
Always follow package directions for planting bulbs, corms and tubers, but rules of thumb include:
• Orient bulbs so you plant them top up.
• Add compost to the soil.
• Water in the beginning and during times of drought but don’t overwater as some bulbs will rot in soggy soil.
• Add fertilizer if you plan to lift the bulbs in the fall and keep them growing in future years.
• Stake the plant if very tall.
• The depth of planting is determined by the size of the bulb — tiny bulbs go just under the soil level, bulbs as big as glads could be planted eight inches deep.
• Plant in a sunny location for best flowering (except caladium).
• Use mulch to help keep down weeds and hold moisture in the soil if you have very sandy soil.
Caladiums are a great addition to the often all-too-green shade garden.
Caladium
Caladium is a tropical plant, also grown for its large, but extremely colorful leaves. Caladium do well in shade, making them an ideal plant to bring color into this area of your yard. A native of South America, there are currently over 1,000 named cultivars. They grow best in a soil pH of 6 to 6.5 and can reach a height of three feet tall in just one season.
Gladiolus
Gladioli are in the iris family. Because of their unique shape, they are sometimes known as sword lilies. They bloom from the bottom up. To keep the plant looking tidy, remove spent flowers. Since these can be very tall plants, put them toward the back of the bed, with shorter plants in front of them. Glads make great cut flowers, blooming in general in August. Planting can be staggered so that you extend the blooming season. They come in virtually every color of the rainbow.
Dahlias
Dahlias are native to Mexico. They’re known for their colorful, showy flowers. The tuberous perennial is related to sunflowers, daisies, mums and zinnias. Dahlias range in height from dwarf to those tall enough to need staking. Flower shapes are varied as well from single and double to pompom, cactus and even orchid shaped. Dahlias are generally pest free, except, like hostas, they can attract slugs and snails. Be prepared to use whatever controls you are most comfortable with (I just pick then off at night). They grow best in a soil pH of slightly acidic to neutral, meaning you may need to add lime to your soil. The American Dahlia Society can be reached at www.dahlia.org; the Long Island Dahlia Society is at www.longislanddahlia.org.
Elephant ears
Elephant ears may be grown in pots if your garden is limited in size.
Elephant ears (Colocasia esculenta) can be grown in full sun but prefer light shade. They are enormous plants easily reaching five or six feet in height with enormous, heart-shaped leaves. I’ve seen a row of them used to block out road sights. They add a tropical look to any garden they inhabit. They are grown primarily for their enormous leaves, which come in a variety of shades of green and black (actually dark purple).
Calla lilies
Calla lilies are natives of South Africa. They bloom midsummer through frost. Like glads and dahlias, they do best in full sun to only light shade. And, despite their name, they are not lilies at all.
Peruvian daffodils
Peruvian daffodils (Hymenocallis festalis), also known as spider flowers, are a South American fragrant wildflower. It’s only hardy in zones 8 to 10, so like the others above either must be treated as an annual or lifted in the fall. A soil pH of mildly acidic, through neutral to mildly alkaline is ideal. Peruvian daffodils are not true daffodils but in the amaryllis family. Propagate them by offsets. Divide every five or so years, depending on what the bed looks like, in winter before new growth starts. If growing them in a container, bring it into an unheated garage in the fall.
Other summer flowering bulbs include cannas (with their enormous red flowers), tuberous begonias and crocosmia. Lilies and daylilies are hardy perennials in our area and can be planted whenever you find them in the nursery. More on them in the future.
Ellen Barcel is a freelance writer and master gardener. To reach Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County and its Master Gardener program, call 631-727-7850.
There’s a bowl of cherries sitting on my kitchen counter, and every time I walk by and pop one into my mouth I think of Irving Berlin’s song about life being just a bowl of cherries and I think, “Really?” But then I remember another line from the song that says “…so live and laugh at it all” and I think, “OK, maybe he was right.”
Before I get any more philosophical, let’s talk about those cherries. True, they are wonderful on their own, and oh so nice to look at when they’re fresh and have a nice green stem and an unblemished dark shiny skin. Like most summer fruits, they don’t last long in that condition, but when they start to go, they also make a darn good clafoutis, pie or scone.
Cherry Clafoutis
Cherry Clafoutis
This a French skillet dessert with a flan-like filling and pitted or unpitted cherries. It couldn’t be easier or quicker to make unless you insist on pitting the cherries, which I always feel I should do if it’s for company.
YIELD: Makes 6 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter for greasing
1¼ cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cherry liqueur or brandy
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
6 eggs
Pinch of salt or to taste
¾ cup flour
3 cups pitted or unpitted dark cherries, stems removed
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet or baking dish with butter. In a blender or food processor, combine the milk, sugar, liqueur, extracts, eggs, salt and flour; blend until smooth. Pour into skillet, then evenly scatter cherries on top. Bake until a golden crust has formed on top and bottom (lift gently with a spatula to check) and a sharp instrument inserted in center comes out clean. When cooled to warm or room temperature, dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with iced coffee or tea in summer and hot coffee or tea in winter or a dessert wine any time.
Cherry Pie
Cherry Pie
Forever linked in American lore with George Washington and his honesty, cherry pie is so much more than the subject of a presidential tale. In fact, it may well be the queen of American fruit pies.
YIELD: Makes 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
2 crusts for a 9-inch pie
4 cups fresh cherries, pitted
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
2/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons butter
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 450 F. For the bottom crust, making sure it overlaps the edges, line a 9-inch pie plate with rolled-out dough. Mix cherries with tapioca, sugar and extract. Let stand for 15 minutes. Pour into pie plate. Dot with butter. Cover with a second circle of rolled-out dough (be sure to make slits so the steam can escape) or woven lattice strips cut from the dough. Bake 10 minutes at 450 F, then lower heat to 350 F and bake another 35 to 40 minutes, until crust is golden and cherry mixture is bubbly and thickened. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Cherry Scones
Cherry Scones
Serve these cherry scones warm from the oven and your guests are sure to enjoy them. Scones are traditionally served with jam and clotted cream, a British cross between butter and whipped cream; but it’s hard to find, bothersome to make and not for the uninitiated palate anyway. Really good Irish creamery butter is better, I think.
YIELD: Makes about 12 scones
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups flour plus 2 tablespoons
1 scant teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons cold butter
3 eggs
¾ cup cream
½ cup pitted chopped fresh cherries
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 450 F. In a food processor, combine the two cups flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Using pulse button, add the butter, one tablespoon at a time until it is completely blended. Beat two of the eggs with the cream and pulse once or twice only to blend with ingredients in processor. Stir in the cherries (do not pulse). Scrape the dough onto a board dusted with the remaining two tablespoons flour. Knead 10 or 12 times, then press into a one-inch thick rectangle. Using a biscuit cutter or glass, cut dough into 2-inch rounds and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Being careful not to overwork it, press the remaining dough into a new rectangle and repeat procedure. Mix third egg with one tablespoon water and brush tops of scones with it. Bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Serve with butter and cherry jam, coffee or tea.
Timberwolf of the Setalcott Nation prepares to perform a war dance at last year's event. Photo by Lloyd Newman
By Kyle Barr
Every July for the past 11 years the sound of drums, yells, shouts and laughter has resonated from the grounds of the Setauket Elementary School. It is all part of the Setalcott Native American Nation’s Annual Corn Festival Pow-Wow, which returns this weekend. For Helen “Hart of Morning Star” Sells, one of the coordinators of the festival, those sounds are an important part of her family’s history and the history of her people.
A scene from last year’s Corn Festival Pow-Wow. Photo by Lloyd Newman
Sells is a member of the Setauket-based nation and can trace her lineage back four generations to Rachel Tobias Holland Hart, who is depicted in William Sidney Mount’s famous painting, “Eel Spearing at Setauket” (1845). The 76-year-old looks forward to helping to host the event every year.
“A Pow-Wow is a time where we get to celebrate the harvest that we receive from the great spirit each year” she said in a recent telephone interview. “We celebrate our history and make new friends. That’s what it’s basically about. It’s to let people know we’re still here.”
The Setalcott Nation was one of the first Native American tribes to encounter Europeans, selling 30 acres of land to colonists in 1655, in what would become the Town of Brookhaven. The name “Setauket” is derived from the Algonquin speaking Setalcotts whose members still reside in the areas around East Setauket, specifically along Conscience Bay.
A scene from last year’s event. Photo by Lloyd Newman
According to Sells, the Corn Festival Pow-Wow was founded in 2005 by her cousin, Theodore Green, who had been chief at the time. Green, who passed away in 2007, was asked to put an event together to educate the community about Native American culture as well as have them recognize the Setalcott Nation’s importance and history in the development of the surroundings towns and hamlets.
The family event will feature native traditional dances from the Bronx Taino Nation as well as Aztec fire dancers along with craft and food vendors, storytelling, singing, a candy dance for the children and much more.
A Grand Entry, which will be held at noon and 4 p.m. on Saturday, and at noon on Sunday, will honor the memory of World War I veterans with American Legion’s Hunter Squire Jackson Post 1218 (Amityville) and the Irving Hart Post 1466 (Setauket), among others.
The 12th annual Corn Festival Pow-Wow will be held at the Setauket Elementary School, 34 Main St., Setauket on July 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and July 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bring seating. Admission and parking is free but donations are appreciated. For more information, call 631-698-5517 or 917-415-5139.
President of the North Shore Community Association Gary Pollakusky, on left, who is running for legislator of the 6th district, with Rocky Point resident Ann Mattarella, who lost her son to drug addiction. The two were at a press conference in Rocky Point letting the public know of upcoming community forums related to drug addiction education. Photo by Kevin Redding
By Kevin Redding
As heroin and opiate-related deaths continue to rattle Suffolk County and devastate families, those personally affected are rallying the masses to help them stop the growing drug problem before it starts.
Tracey Farrell, president of North Shore Drug Awareness, talks to Rocky Point residents about the importance of educating youth on the effects and possible results of drug addiction. Photo by Kevin Redding
Residents holding pictures and wearing shirts covered in the names of loved ones who died from heroin, opiate and fentanyl overdoses stood together July 6 as Gary Pollakusky, president of the nonpartisan North Shore Community Association, announced the launch of a series of drug education and awareness-based community forums to be held at local school districts — starting Thursday, July 13, at Rocky Point Middle School. Pollakusky is running for Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker’s (D-Mount Sinai) seat, and has been backed by the Republican
The group, which was formed in 2013 to ensure transparency and advocate for local areas like Mount Sinai, Miller Place and Rocky Point, has kickstarted the forums alongside advocacy organizations Hugs Inc. and Thomas’ Hope Foundation, individuals in recovery and families and first responders who have witnessed the worsening problem firsthand. Collectively, all involved plan to lay a foundation for bigger and better drug awareness curriculums and assembly programs to be implemented in elementary, middle and high schools.
The mission is to prevent as many first-time users as possible by emphasizing the consequences of drugs to kids while pushing legislators to support stronger enforcement initiatives and treatment options.
Pollakusky said, at this point, the community can no longer rely on action to be taken by elected officials or school administrators.
“The families who have lost loved ones and those who are dealing with the results of this epidemic are outraged at our county government’s lack of action and responsiveness, and are looking to our community to come together to push for more drug awareness education and enforcement … now,” Pollakusky said to a crowd of local residents and first responders at Veterans Memorial Square in Rocky Point.
Tracey Farrell, a Rocky Point resident and president of the non-profits North Shore Drug Awareness and On Kevin’s Wings, knows both sides of the plague, as her son Kevin died of an overdose in 2012, and her daughter Breanna is currently three years in recovery.
“Children … they need to be afraid to ever try it and I don’t understand how they’re watching people die in the multitudes on a daily basis, and [they don’t want to educate].”
— Ann Mattarella
“We have organized this forum so that children and families can get more information on how to overcome this scourge and not feel alone in the battle,” she said. “It is imperative that our educational system consistently works to inform. … We are looking to support our community by having all of the community rise up and deal with this situation head-on.”
She said that while far too many lose their lives to these drugs, there’s hope for those that are still struggling and those who have yet to try anything. She has seen many overcome addiction through her nonprofit On Kevin’s Wings, which helps raise funds for those who can’t afford to get into, or get transportation to rehabilitation centers.
“It’s gotten so much worse, and now more than ever I need for people to use their voices because collectively we can make a difference,” Farrell said. “We need to shout from the rooftops that we need to look out for the next generation of kids. No one right now is willing to step up and we need that to change.”
Farrell said through these forums, she hopes to eventually implement a mandatory curriculum or program across the state, but added while many school districts in the area are on board for this type of serious drug education across the age groups, some parents don’t want to expose it their children to the harsh realities at such a young age.
Rocky Point resident Ann Mattarella, whose 29-year-old son died of an overdose, said she believes the younger the better when it comes to education.
Brian, Lauren and Nick Nardone speak about the loss of their sister and daughter to drug addiction. Photo by Kevin Redding
“There is no question to me that this needs to be brought up at an elementary school level,” Mattarella said, holding a framed collage of photos of her son. “Children need to be afraid to do this — they need to be afraid to ever try it and I don’t understand how they’re watching people die in the multitudes on a daily basis, and [they don’t want to educate]. Something has to be done to scare these children.”
Brian Nardone, a Rocky Point high school student whose sister died in 2008 battling a heroin addiction when he was just 6 years old, said drug education in the classroom is not handled as seriously as it should be.
“They go through it for a week and basically say ‘drugs are bad, don’t do drugs,’ but they don’t really emphasize the consequences of what can happen,” Nardone said, standing alongside his mother, Lauren, and father, Nick. “Frankly, I feel people should be going on the local, state and even national level just to show what’s going on in this country. You don’t know it exists until it happens to you. Ignorance kills.”
Pollakusky said the organization will pursue local small businesses and parent-teacher organizations to help fund an assembly program and hope to get the attention of elected officials and community leaders as their initiative grows.
The first community forum will be held Thursday, July 13, at Rocky Point Middle School from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Sarah Anker talks local issues at a debate at Times Beacon Record Newspapers. Photo by Elana Glowatz
By Kevin Redding
As Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) gears up to run a campaign in the hopes of serving the 6th District for a fourth term, two political newcomers — Republicans Gary Pollakusky and Frank Vetro — also each hope to occupy the seat in November.
Anker, who assumed office in 2011 and won her last election by a total 19 votes, said the most important part of running for public office is knowing the community. As someone who’s lived in the area for more than 30 years, she said her experience “literally trumps the [predominantly Republican] political system.”
“I will continue to do my job working for the people and not for the party,”
said Anker, who founded the Community Health and Environmental Coalition, advocated to build Heritage Park in Mount Sinai
and created the Jobs Opportunity Board connecting graduating seniors with local jobs. She has also provided sports safety forums to local schools to prevent deaths and serious injuries among student-athletes, helped reduce county government costs by streamlining services, and takes pride in being heavily involved with civic groups and always being accessible to constituents.
The legislator said she wants to build a stronger economy by revitalizing our communities, sustaining the district’s environment and continuing her work in the prevention and intervention of those addicted to opioids.
“I think I’ve proven myself through my past experience [through] community advocacy and by getting the jobs done,” she said. “I’m here to serve for our quality of life and environmental legacy.”
Gary Pollakusky
Gary Pollakusky
Pollakusky, 41, a Rocky Point resident who served as campaign manager for Anker’s 2015 Republican challenger Steve Tricarico, and recently secured the Republican nomination, said he believes Suffolk County is in the greatest physical crisis it has ever faced in our history.
“After 10 years of Democrat control … we have an opioid problem that is out of control, and gangs and drugs are pushing into our community like they belong here,” he said.
If elected, he said he aims to fix the county’s outstanding debt, eliminate excessive fees, make the area more affordable to its seniors and young people, stamp out the opioid problem and do more to support small businesses.
As the self-starter of Media Barrel LLC, a Rocky Point-based marketing and advertising business that strives to solve problems for companies and various local organizations, Pollakusky said his business experience and community activism will support his candidacy and ultimately his election.
“Beyond the barbecues and concert series are very important issues that need to be addressed,” Pollakusky said. “How are we going to get out of debt? How are we going to inspire companies to stay in Suffolk and on Long Island? This is what I do for a living. I help businesses solve problems by giving them solutions. I will bring business into the county, and work on our debt and balance our budget.”
On his opponent, Pollakusky said while Anker is well meaning, he said he thinks she’s misguided and ineffective.
“I help businesses solve problems by giving them solutions. I will bring business into the county and work on our debt and balance our budget.”
— Gary Pollakusky
“We’re in a pretty sad state,” Pollakusky said. “Not a lot has changed in our county since 2015. You know we’ve hit rock bottom when our county legislator is more concerned with making a pocket park surrounding a boulder than figuring out ways to actually retain the structural deficit. We’re drowning in debt and she wants to sink us with a rock.”
Upon graduating from Cornell University with a bachelor of science degree in industrial labor relations, Pollakusky ran the human resource department of AHL Services before working at Columbia Business School as assistant director of admissions.
Outside of his small business, he said he created the nonpartisan North Shore Community Association in 2013 to tackle community problems through transparency and advocacy, including educational drug forums. He was recently among Long Island Business News’ 40 Under 40 Awards list.
A former resident of Long Beach, Pollakusky and his wife, Jeanine, moved to Rocky Point after Hurricane Sandy destroyed their home. He said he loves the hamlet’s close-knit community.
“We love our open space, our beaches, our main street, small-town lives and the people,” he said. “We have such amazing people here that would do anything for their neighbors. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.”
Frank Vetro
Frank Vetro
Vetro, 45, the host of a LI News Radio show, a real estate agent and longtime educator from Miller Place, is currently in the process of gathering petitions to run against Pollakusky in the September primary. He said although he isn’t used to the political world, speaking publicly to residents on the radio for years pushed him to throw his hat in the ring.
“My listeners, after hearing me day in and day out, would always say, ‘Why don’t you run? You should run, you’re passionate, you really care,’” said Vetro, who wants to stamp out county corruption. “I have always fought for underdogs.”
He also discussed keeping the area affordable to those young and old.
“A last straw for me was that me and my family are so close, and a lot of my family is moving off Long Island because of the cost of living and better opportunities elsewhere,” he said. “I’m losing them and I can’t take it anymore — the taxes, the mismanagement, people being in office and leadership positions not on their merit but because they knew somebody. When is enough, enough?”
Vetro said his daily experiences, educating and rehabilitating young gang members and drug addicts, give him an advantage over other politicians.
“I think when you have your finger on the pulse and you’re in the trenches doing it, it gives you a better understanding of what’s going on,” Vetro said.
“A last straw for me was that me and my family are so close, and a lot of my family is moving off Long Island because of the cost of living.”
— Frank Vetro
As a principal at Hope House Ministries School, Vetro said he works with youth in great crisis, some of whom have been kicked out of school, and he helps them get reacclimated to a “normal” life. He said working with recovering addicts puts him in close quarters to what he sees as a major problem in New York.
“My body of work sits hand in hand with what’s going on on Long Island,” he said of the opioid crisis.
His job as a realtor, he added, gives him hands-on knowledge of the housing market.
In 2006, while principal of Hampton Bays High School, Vetro was arrested for alleged phone harassment of several women. He pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges, which were later reduced to violations. Ever since, he has been fighting corruption in the court system and rebuilding his life, and even wrote a book last year called “Standing on Principal,” detailing his arrest and injustices he faced.
“I know about Suffolk County corruption better than anybody and what I do to help people and what I stand for … I really, in my heart, believe that I’m the most qualified,” he said.
Brooklyn Atlantics and Brooklyn Eckford teams on the grounds of the Smithtown Historical Society this past May. Photo from Tim Keenan
By Marianne Howard
Much intensity erupted when Major League Baseball announced the no-pitch intentional walk rule at the start of the 2017 season. Accordingly, I wondered about the changes of baseball rules and their origins in America. The Smithtown Historical Society is home to the Brooklyn Atlantics, a team of vintage baseball players, those recreate the look and feel of historic baseball. The Atlantics play the game today according to 1864 and 1884 rules.The original Brooklyn Atlantics were the World Champions of baseball for the 1864-1865 season, and champions of their league throughout the 1860s.
So how do these gentlemen play the game?I spoke with Atlantics Captain Frank Van Zant, known to his teammates as Shakespeare, about these rules and how they evolved over time.In 1864, there were no gloves because the homemade baseball was much softer.It was made of one piece of leather which was sewn together.The pitcher stood 45 feet away from the batter, and threw the ball underhand, but with some purposeful zip and intention as to force the batter out.Over the course of 20 years, throughout the 1860s and 1870s, pitchers began to cheat slightly and throw the ball sideways, and eventually quicker and quicker, and then completely overhand.Since pitching this way is faster, it led to the appearance of the first catcher’s glove by the 1880s.
Think about trying to catch a line drive without wearing a glove as a fielder.If you stuck your fingers out, you would most likely break one, so you had to make a decision to force your hand out flat to catch the ball and stick to that, an insistence from today’s Atlantics that those who play this way are truly brave and manly men.In order to avoid injury, balls caught with one bounce in the field were also called as an out.This rule waned after the 1860s, with the fielders considered less manly if they caught the baseball in that fashion. In the early 1860s, balls and strikes did not exist.The calls weren’t “invented” until 1864, and at that point, umpires did not have to call them.
Pitchers could be throwing 40 to 50 pitches per batterToday, a starting pitcher is generally removed after throwing 100 pitches. Therefore, generally speaking, changes in rules over time have been to try to find an acceptable balance between the efforts of the offense and that of the defense.
Want to come down and see the Atlantics in action?Their next home game at the Smithtown Historical Society is on July 22 at 11am.Allgames are free, open to the public, and the players welcome questions from the audience about the rules and the game.
Marianne Howard is the executive director of the Smithtown Historical Society.For more information on the Society, its events or programs, or becoming a member, please visit smithtownhistorical.org or call 631-265-6768.
After losing by two votes, newcomer is challenging validity of ballots
Poquott's Village Hall. File photo
t seems the dust hasn’t settled yet after Poquott’s June 20 election for two trustee seats.
While challenger John Richardson emerged as a clear winner for one seat, it was a tight race between newcomer Debbie Stevens and incumbent Jeff Koppelson for the second spot. Stevens recently filed a lawsuit in Suffolk County Supreme Court in Riverhead to review the results.
Debbie Stevens
At the end of election night, Stevens had a slim lead over Koppelson before absentee and 10 contested votes were counted. Official results were delayed and not announced by the village until the next day, after election inspectors retained by the village and certified by the Suffolk County Board of Elections completed the count at Poquott’s Village Hall. Koppelson was declared the winner with 180 votes, while Stevens received 178.
After Stevens challenged the results, the village brought the ballots to the headquarters of the board of elections in Yaphank June 29, where the votes were hand counted by board staff members and certified bycounty election commissioners Nick LaLota (R) andAnita Katz (D).
LaLota said the village clerk handed over the ballots to their bipartisan team, and they hand counted each ballot, and their results were the same as the village’s count. However, the board of elections was not involved in any decisions involving the disputed ballots.
Stevens’ attorney George Vlachos of George C. Vlachos & Associates in Central Islip, said the village was served with a show-cause order last week to appear in court. A hearing will be held in Riverhead July 19.
Vlachos, who was originally retained by Stevens and Richardson to monitor the election, said he and his client have taken issue with the discarding of the rule that voters must be registered 10 days before an election. He said all the votes, no matter when the voter registered, were counted.
Jeff Koppelson
The attorney said he also questions whether the ballots were secured after the polls closed. He said he was on hand at Village Hall until the end of the night June 20, and there were approximately five or six ballots that were mismarked and had to be interpreted as far as what the voters’ intents were. He said he only saw one of those ballots presented to the board of elections. The lawyer said he remembers one ballot the night of June 20 where a voter chose three candidates instead of two. Vlachos said that ballot was not brought to the board.
LaLota said he had heard about the mismarked ballots before the recount, but didn’t see any major issues.
“There were up to two ballots that required a minimal review by the bipartisan team, but they easily came to a conclusion,” he said.
Koppelson declined to comment until after the matter is resolved, and Vlachos requested his client not talk directly to the press.
Vlachos added that many people from the village have offered to pay for his services to get to the bottom of the matter.
“This may just be the tip of the iceberg,” the attorney said. “I’m doing whatever investigation I need to do. I’m not sure what’s going on in Poquott, but I’m going to find out.”
A fire broke out at Hair Port Salon in Port Jefferson July 5. Photo by Dennis Whittam
A fire broke out early Wednesday morning at Hair Port Salon, located on Main Street in Port Jefferson between Arden Place and East Main Street.
The commercial building fire started around 8 a.m. July 5, according to Suffolk County Police. The Port Jefferson Fire Department responded to the blaze. The SCPD Arson Section is investigating the incident, though it appears to be non-criminal, according to police. Police said no one was injured.
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