There’s been a new development in our kitchen. It used to be that I did the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen and my husband did the pots and pans. But lately I find myself doing the pots, or most of them, too. I think it’s because we recently got new cookware and, the control freak that I am, I want to keep them looking new and shiny, so I do them myself. That has led to another interesting development, though. In the interest of self-preservation, I’ve started to lean toward one-pot recipes, and of course I’ve gravitated toward the most obvious ones … those with chicken. Here are two I’ve tried that I think you’ll like too. They both go nicely with a tossed salad, but then, of course, there’s that bowl to wash.
Chicken with Black Beans and Corn
Chicken with Black Beans and Corn
YIELD: Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
½ tablespoon ground cumin
½ tablespoon ground coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, pounded thin
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ medium red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 frying pepper, seeded and diced
Two 14-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups thawed frozen corn kernels
One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, lightly drained
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
4 scallions, trimmed, washed and sliced
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the cumin, coriander, salt and pepper and rub into both sides of chicken. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; brown the chicken, turning once, until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from skillet; set aside to keep warm. In same pan, stirring constantly, cook onion and peppers over medium heat, about 2 minutes. Add beans, corn, and tomatoes and cook over medium heat until liquid is evaporated. Place in serving bowl and toss with vinegar, cilantro and scallions; add more salt and pepper to taste. Slice chicken and place over mixture. Serve hot or warm with green salad and rustic bread, if desired.
Roasted Lemon Chicken
Roasted Lemon Chicken
YIELD: Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
2 large lemons
One 3½- to 4-pound chicken, cut up
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch diagonal slices
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Squeeze the juice and scrape the pulp from one lemon. Cut the other lemon into 8 slices. In a shallow roasting or baking pan, toss together the chicken, carrots, potatoes, onion, oil, lemon juice and pulp, oregano, salt and pepper until thoroughly coated. Place a lemon slice on each chicken piece. Roast, turning the veggies once or twice, until carrots and potatoes are tender and chicken is golden, about 45 to 50 minutes.Serve hot with a green salad, if desired.
A photo of Jacob Donaldson from his baseball days. Photo from Victoria Espinoza
By Victoria Espinoza
Jacob Donaldson died this past weekend, leaving an incredibly rich legacy filled with public service and family memories.
A Huntington Station resident, Donaldson, 90, served as a staff sergeant in the Army during the Korean War, and later as a fireman for the New York City Fire Department. He left his mark in other significant areas as well, including on the baseball diamond, getting signed by the Boston Red Sox organization straight out of high school at age 16 and raising nine children in Huntington with his wife Grace.
Known by most as Jake, Donaldson was born Monday, October 1, 1928 on a crisp, fall Brooklyn day. His parents, George and Helen, raised him and his younger brother George in the borough until Donaldson turned 16 and left Newtown High School in his hometown and was signed as an outfielder to the Milford Red Sox, a Boston Red Sox minor league affiliate which played in Delaware.
In Donaldson’s first season in 1946 he hit .316 with 14 home runs in 116 games. For the next seven years he played for six other minor league teams, including several seasons with the Albany Senators. During his time on the ball field Donaldson rubbed shoulders with many prolific baseball players, including one hall of famer.
Left fielder and Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame inductee Ted Williams had to borrow Donaldson’s glove once, after someone broke into the locker room and stole Williams’. Donaldson faced off against pitcher Don Newcombe when he was still in the minor leagues.
After Newcombe struck Donaldson with one of his pitches, Donaldson told him to meet in the tunnel after the game. When they did, Newcombe said the only reason he hit him was because he was unable to get him out and asked to take the outfielder out for a beer, according to Donaldson.
While Donaldson was excelling on the baseball diamond, he could have fielded his own team at home. He and Grace first welcomed son Jim in 1954, followed by Bob, Kathy, Terry, Patty, Mary, Eileen, John and Joe completing the family of 11 in 1967. The family lived in Huntington Station where the children attended school in both the South Huntington district and Holy Family.
Donaldson’s baseball career was interrupted after playing 113 games in 1950. He was drafted into the Army during the Korean War, departing in October 1950. He eventually rose to the rank of staff sergeant.
In 1955, the father of nine joined the FDNY as a firefighter. He worked as a motor pump operator and chief’s driver in his nearly 30-year career with the department, mostly working at Engine 3 in Chelsea. He was recognized for his bravery on multiple occasions by the fire department and once appeared on the cover of the New York Daily News on Nov. 23, 1961 following an incident in which a five-alarm blaze did damage to a building in Times Square. On the cover, he is pictured emerging from the building after battling a fire that claimed the lives of two fellow firefighters.
Even though his baseball career came to an end, Donaldson’s days on the field were not over. His daughter Terry said one of her favorite memories was attending an Albany Senators Old Timers Nostalgia reunion game at Hawkins Stadium in the summer of 1985.
“It was so nice to see the old timers honored and it made my dad’s baseball days come to life for me!” she said.
When his wife Grace suffered from a stroke in 1997, she was confined to a wheelchair and could no longer use one of her arms. Donaldson ensured his wife was taken care of and stayed right by her side until she died in 2017.
Donaldson was the proud grandfather to 11, and great grandfather to six. He loved spending time with his grandkids, whether it was sharing the sport he loved with them and teaching them how to throw a ball, or playing in the family’s beloved backyard and inground pool. Andrew Mayrick, one of Donaldson’s grandsons, said when he went to the local pub that his grandpa had frequented earlier this week, several people approached him to talk about how much they enjoyed getting to know his grandfather.
“There were a ton of people I had never met who were all upset, and the owner John said, ‘Jake was like a grandfather to everyone,’” Mayrick said. “He loved everyone he met and lived a life worth talking about, so much that strangers would just sit down and love listening to him.”
Donaldson will be remembered by many as a larger than life personality, a friend to all who knew him, and someone who truly got the most out of life.
“Grandpa Jake had his own special language — a language of love reserved only for our family,” said granddaughter Mary Grace Donaldson. “He let us know ‘what a crew’ we were and had a number of other one-liners that will live on for years to come.”
Visitation will be held at M.A. Connell Funeral Home, 934 New York Ave., Huntington Station on Thursday, March 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. and Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. A funeral service will be held Friday evening at the funeral home. Interment will be at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale.
Residents file into Northport High School to speak out over LIPA's power plant. Photo by Donna Deedy
By Donna Deedy
More than 500 residents joined forces in the Northport High School auditorium March 16 to challenge the Long Island Power Authority. The quasi-governmental agency is seeking through the courts a 90 percent reduction in the approximately $82 million in annual property taxes it pays to the Town of Huntington for the Northport power plant.
A number of Northport residents were galvanized to take action. Paul Darrigo, a local commercial banker with Capital One, launched a new Facebook page, Concerned Taxpayers Against LIPA.
“We now have 1,200 members and are still growing at a rate of 15 members per hour,” Darrigo said.
LIPA states in its report, “2019 Fair Property Taxes for Electric Customers,” that New York charges more of the cost of government on utilities than other states. As a result, the not-for-profit entity alleges that it’s overassessed for its aging assets.
“I am advocating for the governor to support my two initiatives to provide Long Island residents with $139 million in state aid to communities impacted by tax certiorari issues.”
— Jim Gaughran
“The plant’s units were built in 1967 and 1976 and its technology is outdated,” LIPA spokesman Sid Nathan said. The plant operates at 12 percent capacity today compared to 54 percent capacity in 1999, a 78 percent decline.
The tax reductions LIPA seeks will reportedly be used to reduce customers’ electric bills.
Gordian Raacke, executive director of nonprofit advocacy group Renewable Energy Long Island, stated by email that he agreed.
“All LIPA customers pay more than would be the case if the properties were assessed at fair value,” he said.
But many Town of Huntington residents aren’t buying into what they call more empty promises.
If LIPA’s case is successful, as the agency has been in previous cases, critics say it could inflict a major economic blow to the community. Northport schools would annually loose an estimated $49 million out of some $54 million it receives from LIPA, according to district’s attorney John Gross.
To compensate for the loss, the Town of Huntington states on its website that residents would be forced to pay higher property taxes.
New York State Sen. Jim Gaughran (D-Northport) organized the town hall meeting to answer questions and to let the community know that he aims to seek funding to soften the blow if LIPA’s case prevails. His legislative bills, however, would require the approval of state lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). The state senator said he’s working to build consensus in Albany, but urges citizens to contact elected officials at all levels of government to encourage cooperation in the battle.
“I am advocating for the governor to support my two initiatives to provide Long Island residents with $139 million in state aid to communities impacted by tax certiorari issues,” he said. “I am fully supportive of the town and school district in continuing their fight against LIPA.”
The situation raises questions about how education is funded in New York state. However, many community members question why National Grid and PSEG aren’t bearing tax liabilities when shareholders are earning dividends. National Grid, a business based in the United Kingdom, owns the Northport plant and operates under contract to LIPA; PSEG Long Island manages transmission and distribution for LIPA.
Gaughran said that he’s looking into reforms that ensure the public’s interest is properly represented.
“Local communities should not be bankrupt by runaway authorities like LIPA,” he said.
“I love this place, but if I can’t afford to pay my bills what good is it.”
— Joseph Sabia
Northport resident Michael Marcantonio was among people who spoke during the meeting. Now a lawyer specializing in mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and hostile takeovers, the Northport High School graduate blames the problem on the government’s practice of using public funds to bail out shareholder-owned businesses. LIPA, he explained to the crowd, was formed when officials used the public’s money to buy all the debt and some of the assets of the Long Island Lighting Company after it mismanaged the Shoreham nuclear project, which
ultimately failed.
“This is what corruption looks like,” Marcantonio said. “Do not trust LIPA, they are robbing us, and we need to fight this.” The Northport resident ran for the state’s 12th Assembly District in 2018, largely on the LIPA issue, but he was forced to drop out due to a court decision over him voting locally in 2012 and 2014 while a student at Duke University Law School in North Carolina.
Newspaper reports from 1998 show that the now defunct Bear Stearns, the investment firm involved in the subprime mortgage crisis, served as the state’s financial adviser for the LILCO bailout, before quitting to successfully bid and broker the deal’s bond offering. At $7 billion, it became the largest public offering for municipal bonds in U.S. history.
The LILCO deal was originally promoted publicly as a 20 percent rate reduction plan, as reported in the May 28, 1998 New York Times article titled “The End of LILCO, as Long Island has come to know it.” Long Island ratepayers reportedly paid the highest electricity bills in the nation at the time. As details began to surface, critics found the scheme entailed delaying interest payments on the debt and permanently saddled ratepayers with 33 years of liability.
Nicole Gelinas, a senior fellow at the think-tank Manhattan Institute wrote a 2013 op-ed piece in Newsday titled “Long Islanders are still paying for three bailouts.” The policy analyst explained that Long Islanders need to understand the past mistakes related to the bailouts to prevent similar situations in the future.
LIPA restructured part of its debt in 2013. That plan, as reported in Newsday, aimed to reduce the cost of debt, instead of paying it down.
LIPA reports today that customers pay 10 percent in debt reduction and another 10 percent goes in interest. An additional 15 percent of a LIPA bill pays taxes and other fees. LIPA’s report does not specify what those other fees are.
“Do not trust LIPA, they are robbing us, and we need to fight this.”
— Michael Marcantonio
Business leaders, who also spoke at the meeting, urged others to join the Northport Chamber of Commerce. School board members passed out red business cards instructing residents to visit STOP LIPA NOW on Facebook and get involved.
LIPA states in its report that it ensures it’s working on all customers behalf to lower tax bills on its power plants and other equipment to reflect their fair value. It estimates the plant tax valuation at $200 to $500 million. Huntington assessed the value on the tax code at $3.4 billion.
The plant sits on some 244 waterfront acres near Asharoken, which LIPA estimates is worth “roughly $50 million.”
“We are confident that the court will agree that the Northport power plant is accurately assessed,” said Nick Ciappetta, Town of Huntington attorney.
For people like Northport resident Joseph Sabia, the situation has become unbearable.
“I love this place, but if I can’t afford to pay my bills what good is it,” he said.
The original article had the wrong first name for Sen. James Gaughran. We regret the error.
Planned changes to area around Barnum Avenue and Route 25A. Photo from PJ planning department
Port Jefferson village has long been dealing with issues of parking and attracting more people into the downtown, but proposals put forward by village officials and other property owners have received stern opposition from residents living close to these proposed projects.
The upstairs meeting room in the Port Jefferson Village Hall was packed March 14 as residents came out to get answers on several major developments coming to Port Jefferson. One details the planned development for a mixed-use apartment and retail space in the building that is currently Cappy’s Carpets, while another includes a new parking lot on Barnum Avenue.
The Port Jefferson planning board was originally allowing additional comments from residents until March 24, but they agreed to extend that until March 29 for the planned Cappy’s development.
Apartments in Cappy’s Carpets
Several Port Jeff residents said the Shipyard apartment complex, which only started receiving tenants little more than a year ago, left a bad taste in their mouths. Many who spoke at the March 14 meeting decried the Tritec Real Estate Company’s four-story 112-unit rental complex, and asked that if development were to continue, then they should learn from the last development.
The Capobianco family, which owns the property, along with real estate firm Brooks Partners LLC unveiled plans in February for creating a three-story apartment and retail space in the current Cappy’s Carpet shop at 440 Main St. The development would replace the existing carpet store along with the boat storage lot to the rear of the property.
The proposed plans call for 1,200 square feet of retail space, a 1,500-square-foot restaurant and a 750-square-foot fitness center on the ground floor. Above that would be 44 one-bedroom and two, two-bedroom apartments on the second and third floors. Also included was a roof deck and rooftop fire pits. Village Mayor Margot Garant previously said the building had remained at three stories in direct response to criticism over the Shipyard development.
Left: Cappy’s Carpets in Port Jefferson; right: rendering of new mixed use space. Left photo by Kyle Barr, right photo from Port Jeff planning department
In terms of parking, the project would include 78 spaces, with the 37 set in a parking garage within the development and 41 spaces outside. The parking spaces would require the developer to pay for four spaces in lieu of parking fees, due to village code parking requirements.
Sayville-based attorney Eric Russo, representing Brooks Partners, said the project would enhance the village’s walkability, especially north of the majority of downtown’s businesses.
“As part of your village’s master plan, your goal was you wanted to create a walking downtown and expand on the town, so it would move forward where it was on Main Street and continue upward toward this particular area,” Russo said.
Residents were quick to criticize the idea of a roof deck, saying that people standing up so high would likely be heard throughout parts of the village.
“We live in a bowl here, and if somebody has a roof deck on top of that building, that’s going to travel uphill into our residential area,” said Marge McCuen, resident on Tuthill Street. “I think it was very inconsiderate.”
The development would also go along with new projects to remediate traffic concerns in that area. The New York State Department of Transportation has said it will amend traffic concerns surrounding Barnum Avenue, including removing the triangle median where Barnum and Main Street connect, making one egress and ingress and eliminating the need for pedestrians to make two crossings along one road. The next project is to install a traffic light at the intersection of Old Post Road and Main Street in hopes of eliminating some problems of the accident-prone intersection during rush hour. Patrick Lenihan, an engineer with Hauppauge-based VHB engineering firm, said the state DOT has also recommended removing four street-level parking spaces on Main Street near the expected curb cut for the development.
Resident Michael Mart said removing those four spaces on Main Street would mean the village would be even further in the hole when it comes to parking spaces, not counting the four spaces the developer is willing to pay in lieu of parking for.
As part of the application, Brooks Partners conducted a traffic study with VHB. Results showed the weekday average traffic for Main Street was less than 18,000 vehicles per day in the vicinity of the project site as of March 2016. Saturday and Sunday daily volume during the same week was recorded at less than 20,000 and 15,000 cars, respectively. Some residents criticized the traffic study, especially for the limited time it was conducted, saying it should have also shown traffic patterns for weekdays, especially in mornings when buses take children to school and when cars arrive on the morning ferries.
“With your traffic study, instead of doing just one day in July, you should have done a day in April or May, preferably a weekday, make it when the ferries arrive,” said village resident Drew Biondo. “I think you’d get a better sense.”
“We live in a bowl here, and if somebody has a roof deck on top of that building, that’s going to travel uphill into our residential area.”
— Marge McCuen
Biondo later in the meeting asked if the building would be built on pilings, which the developer responded with yes, on over 200, which would take about three weeks to install during code-allowed times.
Mart added he hopes this new apartment complex would not get a similar payment in lieu of taxes plan the Shipyard complex received from the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency. Another $10.8 million planned apartment complex called Overbay, being built by the Hauppauge-based development company, The Northwind Group, has also received an extended PILOT agreement from the Brookhaven town IDA.
“We as taxpayers then have to pay the cost burdens from it,” he said.
At the village’s March 18 board meeting, Garant asked the board to look at the village’s code regarding roof decks, agreeing at the rate in which sound travels within the area.
Parking lot on Barnum Avenue
Port Jefferson officials are planning for a 44-space parking lot located on the west side along Barnum Avenue just after the turn on Roessner Lane that goes toward Rocketship Park.
The space currently exists as a gravel lot, and officials have allowed town workers to park in it for the time being. The site was once a house that Garant described as an illegal rental property. Officials agreed to purchase and demolish the building in 2017.
Plans for the parking lot give it a 53-foot buffer from Barnum Avenue and a 23-foot buffer from Caroline Avenue. These plans also include a new sidewalk with plantings along the edges of the proposed site. The board has stated its intention to eliminate parking along the northern side of Caroline Avenue.
The site of the planned parking lot on Barnum Avenue. Photo by Kyle Barr
Garant said the proposed lot would include a managed parking system with meters but no overnight parking and limits to the number of hours a car is allowed to park in that lot. A gate would be installed to prevent people from parking in the lot overnight.
Barbara Ransome, the director of operations for the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, said the new parking was desperately needed.
“We really haven’t had a new parking lot in downtown in 50 years,” Ransome said. “From the business perspective we really do support the additional 44 parking spots.”
The mayor added the plans for lighting include goosenecked, directional lighting that would focus their rays on the parking lot itself, and they would be automated to turn off at midnight.
“We’re very sensitive to the lighting,” Garant said. “The light will not penetrate beyond parking area.”
Despite her attempts at assurances, some residents who would border the proposed lot were not so convinced. Kathleen Loper, who lives on Caroline, said she has already had problems with lighting from the nearby baseball field disturbing her ability and her neighbors to maintain their sleep schedules.
“People have different work schedules — those lights are very distracting, so I can imagine what the parking lot lights are going to do,” Loper said. “If I wanted to live in Manhattan, I would have bought a house in Manhattan.”
Pat Darling Kiriluk, a Port Jeff resident, said she was concerned about the beautification of that space, especially with the Drowned Meadow House nearby along the same street.
We are never going to have enough [parking] availability,” Kiriluk said. “It’s never ever going to be enough.”
“The light will not penetrate beyond parking area.”
— Margot Garant
Others who live in the area already feel the area is dangerous for pedestrians due to high traffic along Barnum and Caroline. Tony Dutra, who lives at the corner of Caroline and Barnum, asked why the project couldn’t have an entrance off Barnum and an exit on Caroline. Anthony Cucuzzo of D&B Engineers and Architects said they could look at the idea but believed large traffic volumes along both roads would cause delays.
Garant has previously said if the project gets approval, she would want construction to start by fall of this year.
The mayor added the village may be able to enhance the crosswalk features. Other residents feared illicit activity happening in the parking lot at night.
Kevin Wood, village parking administrator, said current parking lots already have surveillance cameras and parking ambassadors, which would be extended to this new parking lot.
Michele Bacigalupo of Lake Grove recently snapped this photo of a beautiful sunset on her iPhone. She writes, ‘I call myself a sky chaser and lover of photography! My grandchildren tease me by saying I’m trying to capture the beauty! And what a beautiful sky it was!’
Middle Country junior attackman Thomas Stock takes a bending long stick to the face March 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country junior attackman Thomas Stock takes the pick courtesy of teammate Erik Worsoe, No. 4, in a nonleague matchup against Rocky Point March 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country junior attackman Thomas Stock brushes off a long stick to the face in a nonleague matchup against Rocky Point March 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country junior attackman Thomas Stock looks for the cutter March 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country junior attackman Thomas Stock looks for the cutter in a nonleague matchup against Rocky Point March 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Rocky Point junior defenseman Steven Modine clears the ball upfield past Middle Country’s Erik Worsoe in a nonleague matchup March 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior midfielder Nicholas Gurello fires a shot on goal for the Mad Dogs in a nonleague matchup on the road against Rocky Point March 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior midfielder Nicholas Gurello passes behind the cage for the Mad Dogs in a nonleague matchup against Rocky Point March 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Rocky Point sophomore midfielder Matthew Sweeney drives against a defender in a nonleague matchup at home against Middle Country March 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country Midfielder Matthew Robbert fires at the cage March 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Rocky Point senior attack Kyle Bonesteel, shoots on goal March 19th. Photo by Bill Landon
Rocky Point senior attack Kyle Bonesteel looks for someone on the cut in a nonleague matchup against Middle Country March 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country senior midfielder Jason McKeever passes behind the cage against Rocky Point in a nonleague matchup March 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country senior midfielder Jason McKeever rips a shot on goal for the score against Rocky Point on the road March 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country senior attackman Jacob Hyman splits the pipes for the goal in a nonleague matchup against Rocky Point on the road March 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Rocky Point senior midfielder Ethan Curreri winds up for a shot on goal in nonleague matchup at home against Middle Country March 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country Midfielder Dominic Ferrara after knocking the ball loose for a turnover scoops it up in a nonleague matchup against Rocky Point March 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country Midfielder Dominic Ferrara a senior steals the ball in a nonleague matchup against Rocky Point March 19. Photo by Bill Landon
The Rocky Point Eagles boys lacrosse team, a Division II contender, tested themselves early against the Middle Country Mad Dogs, a Division I team, in a nonleague lacrosse matchup on their home turf March 19.
Many coaches have said you want to play “up” against a better team to expose your weaknesses and to see where your team needs improvement. The Eagles got that test where they were able to stay with their opponent early, but the Mad Dogs stretched their legs outscoring Rocky Point by five goals over the last two quarters of play to win 11-2 in their second game of this early season.
Middle Country senior attack Jacob Hyman led the way in scoring with four assists and one goal. Senior midfielder Jason McKeever netted two goals and one assist as did teammate Kaleb Pullis, the junior midfielder. Defenseman RJ Smith stretched the net twice as did Erik Worsoe.
Rocky Point senior attackman Teddy Accardi and sophomore midfielder Matthew Sweeney both scored for the Eagles while senior Kyle Bonesteel dished up an assist.
Middle Country opens league play on the road against Lindenhurst March 22 at the Lindenhurst Middle School. Faceoff is 5 p.m.
The Rocky Point’s Eagles are set to take the field again March 21 where they host Elwood. Game time is 4:30 p.m.
Miller Place senior co-captain Sebastian Cannon drives against a WHB defender March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
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Miller Place senior co-captain Sebastian Cannon drives against a WHB defender March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore Patrick Ging from “X” March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore attack Patrick Ging reverses direction March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore attack Patrick Ging fires at the cage March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore attack Patrick Ging battles for possession March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore attack Nicholas Belvedere fires at the cage March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore attack Nicholas Belvedere passes over the middle March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore Matthew LoNigro gets checked March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore Matthew LoNigro passes the ball March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore Matthew LoNigro passes the ball March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place freshman goal keep Kenny Leen with one of his 10 saves in a non-league season opener March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place junior midfielder Dan Thompson passes the ball March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place freshman midfielder Anthony Bartalotto passes down field March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place freshman midfielder Anthony Bartalotto gets checked by two WHB players March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place freshman midfielder Anthony Bartalotto turns the corner March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place freshman midfielder Anthony Bartalotto passes around the wheel March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place senior co-captain Sebastian Cannon drives against a WHB defender March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore Patrick Ging from “X” March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place freshman goal keep Kenny Leen with 1 of his 10 saves in a non-league season opener against Westhampton Beach at home Mar. 16th. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place freshman goal keep Kenny Leen with one of his 10 saves March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place freshman midfielder Anthony Bartalotto passes around the wheel March 16. Photo by Bill Landon
By Bill Landon
Miller Place’s boys lacrosse team tried to shake off the early season cobwebs but had their hands full when the Westhampton Hurricanes blew into town for a non-league matchup where the Panthers fell 17-4 at home March 16.
The goals for Miller Place were few and far between but sophomore Nicholas Belvedere scored one goal along with two assists, freshman Aiden Schook stretched the net twice and senior co-captain Sebastian Cannon split the pipes to round out the scoring. Freshman goalkeeper Kenny Leen recorded 10 saves.
The Panthers were back in action March 19 where they faced Babylon on the road in another non-league contest before league play gets under way today, March 21, at home against Hauppauge. First faceoff for both games are 5 p.m. and 4 p.m. respectively.
Clockwise from top left, Cannon drives against a WHB defender; Leen with one of his 10 saves; sophomore Matthew LoNigro gets checked; freshman midfielder Anthony Bartalotto gets checked by two WHB players; Cannon drives against a WHB defender; Belvedere passes over the middle; Bartalotto turns the corner.
Chocology Unlimited owner Linda Johnson hands out samples of fudge at last year’s Women’s EXPO at the Middle Country Public Library in Centereach. Photo by Miranda Gatewood
By Elizabeth Malafi
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. Entrepreneurs face many challenges when starting a new business. The challenges are even greater for women entrepreneurs.
While the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the number of women-owned businesses increased by 45 percent from 2007 to 2016, a faster rate than the national average, research shows there is still a significant gap between women-owned and male-owned businesses.
Linda Johnson. Photo by Miranda Gatewood
A report by SCORE, “The Megaphone of Main Street: Women’s Entrepreneurship,” published in spring 2018, shows that women-owned businesses still fall behind in revenue and financing. However, the same report shows that mentorship increases a business’s chances of opening and staying open. Networking and connecting with other women entrepreneurs can yield the same results. These outside perspectives help refine a business’s practices and decision-making.
Connections with other business women and entrepreneurs is invaluable and can really make a difference in the success of a business venture.
Linda Johnson of Chocology Unlimited knows the value of these connections. When first starting her business, she met a kindred spirit in Maria Camassa of Lucky Lou’s Gourmet Rice Pudding. Both were starting new businesses after previous careers and quickly realized that they had very similar philosophies. “Even though we have very different directions for our businesses we still bounce ideas off of each other. Sometimes all you need is a different perspective,” says Johnson. The two became business supports for each other.
As successful women entrepreneurs, the two are often too busy to physically meet, but they do keep in touch. Both women are early birds who spend a lot of time driving so phone calls from the car are their main way of communicating. And communicate they do. Johnson says these calls are often for sharing thoughts and getting input on new business ideas. “We laugh … a lot. Mostly at ourselves.” With the laughter comes true, honest and valuable feedback. Johnson says her connection with Camassa is so important, not only for her business but for herself. It is great to not only get an outside opinion but also encouragement and understanding.
Mentors, partners and role models are beneficial to the success of women-owned small businesses but not always easy to find. Women entrepreneurs should reach out to other women entrepreneurs and professionals.
Not sure where to find them? Join your local chamber of commerce. Or visit one of the many business networking organizations on Long Island. Some even focus on the success of women. SCWBEC, the Suffolk County Women’s Business Enterprise Coalition, is an organization whose mission is to support their members through networking with other women business professionals.
Each fall, the Middle Country Public Library’s Miller Business Center hosts the Women’s EXPO, a venue for women entrepreneurs on Long Island to market their products. But more importantly, this event strives to connect its participants with other women entrepreneurs and business professionals.
Women entrepreneurs have come a long way, but there is still a ways to go toward complete equity. Partnering and mentoring between women entrepreneurs is a good way to get there.
Elizabeth Malafi is the coordinator of the Miller Business Center at the Middle Country Public Library in Centereach.
The Town of Brookhaven began a capital improvements project at West Meadow Beach March 18. Photos by Rita J. Egan
While some residents are dieting and exercising in anticipation of the summer, a town beach is getting a makeover of its own.
Suffolk County plans to have a walking trail, dotted line in Old Field Farm that will wrap around West Meadow Creek and end at the beach. Photo from Kara Hahn’s office
The Town of Brookhaven will temporarily close the parking lot of West Meadow Beach in Stony Brook until Memorial Day weekend, May 25-27, according to a press release from the Town of Brookhaven Parks, Recreation and Sports and Cultural Resources Department. On March 18, the town began work on new curbs, sidewalks, plantings and pavilion renovations as part of the town’s parks capital improvement program. During the parking lot closure, residents will be permitted to park along Trustees Road.
Brookhaven Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station) said the work will address necessary repairs to maintain the park that she called “cherished” by the community.
“West Meadow Beach is not only a beautiful, relaxing recreation location, but also an environmental marvel,” Cartright said. “Each year, I work with the Parks Department to continue my commitment to making improvements at West Meadow Beach.”
In 2017, the town refurbished the bathrooms’ interiors and exteriors and added new outdoor shower pedestals and a lifeguard tower, according to Ed Morris, town parks commissioner.
In the near future, Suffolk County will begin work at Old Field Farm to create a walking path that will lead to the beach, according to Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket). She said the goal is to finish the trail by Memorial Day.
Hahn said there will be a pedestrian entrance on West Meadow Road on the eastern side of the farm, and the trail will run along the creek and come out on Trustees Road before visitors enter the walking section of the path. She said she’s excited about the location due to the beautiful views of the creek and historic farm.
“This is part of my efforts to make our public lands accessible to our community for recreational and respite enjoyment,” she said.
In the past, the legislator has spearheaded initiatives for a parking lot and walking path at Forsythe Meadow Woods County Park in Stony Brook and a parking lot at McAllister County Park in Belle Terre.
The Old Field Farm trail will be closed during the six horse shows that take place at the location throughout the year so as not to disturb the horses; however, the park will be open for the public to enjoy.
For more information about the town’s capital improvement project at West Meadow Beach, residents can call 631-451-8696.
Katherine McLaughlin and Sean Yves Lessard in a scene from the show. Photo by Michael DeCristofaro
By Melissa Arnold
I never thought I’d cheer for a murderer. Nor did I ever imagine laughing so much at a show about murder. There’s a first time for everything, I guess.
Directed by Trey Compton with musical direction by James Olmstead, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” has a deceptively simple title, one that probably makes you think of a classic, suspenseful whodunit. What you get instead is a fast-paced, absurdly funny comedy that will keep you laughing from start to finish.
Based on the 1907 Roy Horniman novel “Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal,” the Tony Award-winning musical, with book by Robert L. Freedman and music by Steven Lutvak, ran on Broadway from 2013 to 2016.
Danney Gardner in a scene from the show. Photo by Michael DeCristofaro
As the show begins, we find ourselves looking in on a young man feverishly writing his memoirs from a London jail cell, seeking to preserve his story if he should face execution the next day. That man, Montague “Monty” Navarro, is the newly minted Earl of Highhurst, and his rise to nobility wasn’t exactly noble. Two years earlier, while grieving his mother’s death in 1907, an impoverished Monty learned that she was related to the powerful, aristocratic D’Ysquith family. The D’Ysquiths, however, disowned her when she chose to marry a commoner. Despite this, Monty was the ninth descendant in line to become the earl.
Monty hoped his newfound lineage would impress Sibella Hallward, the posh and sultry woman he loves, but she ultimately abandoned him to marry a wealthy man. With no one else to turn to, he attempted to make inroads with his new relatives, and in the process had a sinister thought: What if he killed the D’Ysquiths? What if he could become the earl? The show follows Monty through flashbacks of the past two years as he eliminates his cousins in a variety of zany and unexpected ways.
Wojcik/Seay Casting consistently assembles stellar casts for the Engeman’s shows, and this one is no exception, featuring a host of Broadway and national theater vets. Sean Yves Lessard plays Monty, and he is earnest, polished and entirely believable. You’ll empathize with his poverty and join him on an emotional roller coaster as he sneakily offs the D’Ysquiths. Beyond that, Lessard’s smooth, controlled vocals are a real treat, especially in the waltzing “Poison in My Pocket” and steamy “Sibella.”
What makes “Gentleman’s Guide” stand out is that eight of the D’Ysquith cousins are played by the same actor, Danny Gardner. He makes the transition from young to old, gay to straight and even male to female characters look entirely effortless. Each D’Ysquith has his or her unique quirks, and Gardner is so astoundingly versatile that you almost won’t believe it’s the same person. He also deserves accolades for impossibly fast costume changes and impressive tap dancing.
A torrid love triangle sits at the heart of Monty’s escapades. Despite her marriage to a wealthy man, Sibella (Kate Loprest) still comes knocking, especially as Monty ascends the line of succession. At the same time, Monty quickly finds himself falling for his distant cousin Phoebe D’Ysquith (Katherine McLaughlin), a good-hearted and pious lady that just wants to love and be loved.
Loprest makes the self-absorbed Sibella almost lovable with charming wit and confidence. She’s also a delight to listen to, a crystal clear soprano that’s strong without being overpowering. McLaughlin’s Phoebe is demure and sincere, a perfect foil to Sibella. She shines in songs like “Inside Out,” and the trio’s performance in “I’ve Decided to Marry You” is one of the show’s highlights.
Scene and props designer Nate Bertone deserves particular mention for his creative work on the detailed, Edwardian set of “Gentleman’s Guide.” To help audience members keep track of the D’Ysquiths, the stage is framed with massive portraits of Gardner in his various incarnations. Spotlights and laser X’s on those portraits will alert you to who’s still kicking and who’s been taken out. The effect is a lot of fun and adds to the show’s overall silliness.
The bottom line: “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” is hilarious from the first line, and so enjoyable that I’d love to see it again. The show isn’t gory, but there’s plenty of innuendo to go around, and there are occasional loud noises and use of light fog throughout.
The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport will present “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” through April 28. Runtime is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes with one 15-minute intermission. Tickets range from $73 to $78 with free valet parking. For more information or to order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.
Michele Bacigalupo of Lake Grove recently snapped this photo of a beautiful sunset on her iPhone. She writes, ‘I call myself a sky chaser and lover of photography! My grandchildren tease me by saying I’m trying to capture the beauty! And what a beautiful sky it was!’
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