CLOSE

Yearly Archives: 2019

by -
0 1293
Animals were up for adoption at Save-A-Pet's Hounds on the Sound event in Port Jefferson 2015. Photo by Bob Savage

By Leah Chiappino

Save-A-Pet Animal Shelter is looking to expand its reach to the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts where the organization plans to open a sanctuary.

The Port Jefferson Station-based animal shelter is due to close on a 20-acre property that contains a barn, house and space for a veterinary facility this month, according to shelter president Dori Scofield.

Starting around the holiday time, the sanctuary will be open to older or disabled dogs and cats that have had a difficult time finding a home.  The sanctuary’s first residents will be three dogs currently residing at the shelter from Mexico who were hit by cars and are now paralyzed.  However, they will still be available for adoption.

In the spring, Scofield hopes to welcome farm animals, such as pigs and goats that have been “faced with slaughter, factory exploitation, auctions, and whose lives have been wrought with fear and loneliness,”
she said.

The facility won’t just benefit animals. The shelter president said Save-A-Pet has plans to use the sanctuary to “provide an educational program where people can experience the individual personality of each animal, to become kindred spirits and therefore begin to understand the changes we must make in our own lives to stop the exploitation of animals for food and consumer products.”

The organization has fundraised what they need to make a down payment through a capital campaign and has mortgaged out the remainder of the cost. However, Scofield says the sanctuary still “desperately” needs funds. 

“I am nickel and diming my way through this just like I did with Save-A-Pet,” she said.

Scofield is looking for volunteers to provide services such as plumbing, electrical work and carpentry to assist in some capital repairs needed on the Massachusetts property. They are also looking for veterinary assistants and volunteers willing to care for the animals at the property, while building a staff of volunteers in the Berkshires. 

“Everything we have at Save-A-Pet we will need there,” she said.

Save-A-Pet will be hosting an Uncorked Love fundraiser at Madrian The Wine Bar at 209 Main St. in East Setauket set for 7 p.m., Nov. 7. Tickets are availble at Save-A-Pet located at 608 Route 112. All proceeds will go to the sanctuary.

by -
0 454
Joanna Sanges stars as Dorothy in the Northport production

By Heidi Sutton

The iconic story “The Wizard of Oz” has entertained children for over 100 years. MGM’s 1939 version is regarded as one of the greatest films in cinema history.

Based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s book, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” the story of a young girl and her dog Toto from Kansas who are swept away by a tornado to the land of Oz and have wondrous adventures with a Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion made a 16-year-old Judy Garland a star. Now the classic tale follows the yellow brick road to the John W. Engeman Theater for a delicious fall treat. The musical runs through Oct. 27.

Dylan Robert stars as the Tin Man

Suzanne Mason directs an adult cast of eight, with each actor remaining true to their characters. The superbly talented Joanna Sanges, last seen on the Engeman stage as Rapunzel, stars as the lovable Dorothy. Her first number, “Over the Rainbow,” is executed beautifully.

Jae Hughes returns as the Scarecrow, a role she can by now play blindfolded. Making his Engeman debut, Dylan Robert steps onto the yellow brick road as the Tin Man and does a great job. Amanda Geraci is a force to be reckoned with as the Wicked Witch of the West as her haunting cackle fills the theater. James Schultz is a terrific Wizard, Sari Feldman has the cool role of Nikko the flying bat and Caitlin Hornik plays Glinda the Good Witch of the North who saves the day.

But it is Bobby Montaniz, in the juicy role of the Cowardly Lion, who steals the spotlight and gives an outstanding performance. His rendition of “If I Were King of the Forest” with all the trills would make Bert Lahr beam with pride.

Bobby Montaniz stars as the Cowardly Lion

The show has become an annual tradition at the Engeman and every year it gets better and better. This year’s performances have been elevated with the addition of a backdrop screen and the lighting has been turned up a notch to make up for the sparse set. Theatergoers are in for a visual treat as they are able to see a black and white movie of Dorothy’s house caught up in the tornado before landing in a colorful Munchkinland and witnessing the arrival of Glinda the Witch in her pink bubble. The stage floor turns different colors as well as the scenes change.

A nice touch is how often the actors come down into the audience on the way to the Emerald City, giving the stage crew a chance to change out the scenery. At one point the Wicked Witch pops up in the middle of the theater with her “I’ll get you my pretty!” making all the children jump. Speaking of children, it was so nice to see so many of them at last Saturday’s opening performance watching live theater and enjoying every minute of it. Don’t miss this one.

Meet the cast in the lobby after the show for autographs and pictures. Running time is 90 minutes. Costumes are encouraged.

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Route 25A, Northport presents “The Wizard of Oz” on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. through Oct. 27. Children’s theater continues with “Frosty” from Nov. 23 to Dec. 29 and  Disney’s “Frozen Jr” from Jan. 25 to March 1. All seats are $15. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

Photos by Jennifer Collester

by -
0 239
The McMorris Family leads the hike Sept. 30 through Manorville, ending at Shoreham-Wading River High School. Photo by Kyle Barr

Over 530 hikers crowded in the entrance to the Thomas Cutinella Memorial Field at Shoreham-Wading River High School. On a day when school was out for Rosh Hashana, both the old and young still woke up in the wee hours of the morning wearing red shirts emblazoned with the words, “Fly High Andrew.”

Hundreds gather at the SWR high school football field in honor of Andrew McMorris. Photo by Kyle Barr

The Boy Scouts of America Suffolk County Council, along with Troop 161 and the McMorris family, together organized to memorialize Andrew McMorris Sept. 30, who was killed by a drunk driver last year, by finishing the troop’s hike on the first-year anniversary of the young man’s death.

Robert Rabbitt, the senior district executive of the Suffolk Boy Scouts council, said the Scouts, family and troop wanted to do something on the year anniversary to remember Andrew, and while they expected a good turnout of a few hundred, the more than 500 people who pledged to participate stunned him.

“We’re overwhelmed by the response,” he said.

Andrew was hit by a drunk driver while on a hike with his troop last year in Manorville. The 12-year-old Shoreham resident was pronounced dead the following day. The legal battle is ongoing for Thomas Murphy, the Holbrook man who has been charged in the death of Andrew. The trial is expected to begin in November, though that could be delayed.

The hundreds of people gathered there came from all over Suffolk County, even as far away as Huntington, Rabbitt said. Members of the Miller Place Panthers football team also came to hike in support of the McMorris family. Andrew’s father, John, is a guidance counselor at the Miller Place High School.

Scouts and community members signed up to take a 1-mile, 5-mile or 10-mile version of the hike, helping to fundraise for the Andrew McMorris Foundation and to help create scholarships in Andrew’s name. The Boy Scouts council was also accepting donations to help build a new lodge at Baiting Hollow Scout Camp in Wading River, which will be named after Andrew.

Scouts from all over Suffolk County came to Manorville to participate in the hike. Photo by Kyle Barr

“What a wonderful turnout to celebrate Andrew,” said Matt Yakubowski, scoutmaster for Troop 161, as he and his troop boarded the buses to take them to the hike’s staging grounds. “It’s going to be a touching day.”

The hike started at the Pine Barrens Information Center in Manorville before moving through the Pine Barrens. The hike took participants past the place where Andrew was killed for those looking to pay respects.

Troop 161 has done much in the year since Andrew’s death to both memorialize him and work toward healing. The troop created a garden outside the Brookhaven town-owned Robert E. Reid Sr. Recreation Center in Shoreham to commemorate his life. Future Eagle Scout projects are planned to help advocate against drunk driving.

Later that day, the Andrew McMorris Foundation hosted a benefit at Suffolk Theater in Riverhead, with the proceeds going to support the nonprofit.

by -
0 1305
More than 100 family members and friends showed up at Citi Field to hear Jordan Amato sing the national anthem. Photo from the Amato family.

For one high school senior, the school year has started on the right note.

Jordan Amato’s view of Citi Field on the day she sang the national anthem at the ballpark. Photo from the Amato family

South Setauket resident Jordan Amato, 17, performed the national anthem at Citi Field Sept. 8. While it was the second time she sang at the stadium — the first was the summer of 2018 — this time around she had a special guest with her.

In addition to the more than 100 friends and family members in attendance was Ryan Starace, who was the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Long Island chapter’s Boy of the Year in 2019. Amato and her family invited Ryan and his family to join them at the game after she helped to raise $36,000 for the nonprofit in the 2018-19 school year. Amato was the co-president of the multigenerational fundraising team 3vforacure in raising funds for the LLS Students of the Year campaign.

Sara Lipsky, executive director of the Long Island chapter of LLS, said Amato went above and beyond aiding the nonprofit’s mission of finding cures and supporting patients and their families.

“Raising $36,000 is a feat in itself,” Lipsky said. “Add school and extracurricular activities make it even more remarkable. Now, she continues to carry that passion forward by creating a very special day for a very special boy.”

Amato said even though she usually doesn’t suffer from performance anxiety, the second time around singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Citi Field was nerve-racking. It wasn’t just because of the throng of people hearing her sing, but because there were problems with the sound system, and she only heard the reverb while singing.

“It was kind of terrifying,” she said.

Her father, Steve Amato, thought she did a wonderful job.

“Not because she is my daughter, but she truly has a great voice and her rendition of the national anthem is excellent,” he said.

Overall the Citi Field experiences have been surreal for the family. Her mother, Jacque Amato, said the family has attended many games at the stadium, but it was a different experience walking up from the underground area to the field.

The opportunity to sing at the stadium came about when Amato sang at her grandmother’s funeral Mass. The husband of one of her father’s cousins works at Citi Field, and after hearing her sing he suggested she send in an audition tape.

The singer’s mother said her daughter sang a cappella that day in the church.

Jordan Amato, middle back row, and her family on the big day when she sang the national anthem at the Mets ballpark. Photo from the Amato family

“When Jordan got up there to sing, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” the mother said.

The singer’s father said to prepare for singing the national anthem at a venue like Citi Field, in addition to her singing lessons, his daughter sang at a Stony Brook University game, entered the Long Island Ducks Anthem Idol — where she won — and The Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s Long Island’s Got Talent. She also won a talent contest where the prize was singing a solo at Carnegie Hall.

Her parents said singing is something that came naturally to her, and when she was in fifth grade, they were surprised when she told them she was going to be singing in a talent show with one of her friends. Before that, they had never even heard her even hum.

Jordan Amato said one day she noticed she could sing well and figured, why not try it?

“I was pretty shy as a kid, so it was kind of unusual for me to be comfortable with singing in front of people, but I found it more comfortable than talking in front of people,” she said.

Last year in addition to balancing her fundraising efforts and singing, the now senior had a 102 unweighted average. Her mother said it’s no surprise she has accomplished so much.

“She has laser focus,” the mother said. “When she wants something, she just puts everything in the basket, and she’s just 100 miles an hour in one direction. She’s very goal oriented. She’s the most organized kid I ever met.”

Jordan Amato is hoping for another successful academic year, and while she’s planning to study singing in college, she said she will most likely go to medical school to become an ear, nose and throat doctor specializing in throat surgeries after shadowing her friends’ parents who are laryngologists last summer. She said the profession is interesting not only due to the doctor helping to heal patients but also training singers to regain their singing voices.

When it comes to trying out something new, Amato had advice for young people.

“Try it out,” she said. “If it doesn’t fit you, it’s not for you.”

by -
0 2345
Suffolk Police were on the scene Thursday, Oct. 3 after an alleged shooting at Port Jeff Liquors. Photo by David Luces

By David Luces and Kyle Barr

Suffolk County police said a man threatening a liquor store clerk with a sword was shot and killed in Port Jefferson last Thursday afternoon by a shop owner on East Main Street.

Police responded to a 911 call that came in at 2:23 p.m. Oct. 3 that a person at Port Jeff Liquors, located at 156 E. Main St., had shot and killed a man who had allegedly come into the shop “swinging a sword,” a police spokesperson said.

The man with the sword was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported.

Police later identified the man as Theodore Scoville, 50. Accounts from security footage have largely verified the owner’s accounts of the situation to police, and the owner is not being charged.

Trustee Kathianne Snaden and Deputy Mayor Stan Loucks were at the scene shortly after the shooting and were updating both the public and media.

“His actions posed an eminent threat to the merchant, who, regrettably, was forced to shoot the individual in defense of himself,” Snaden wrote on Facebook after the incident Oct. 3.

Officials with the Port Jefferson School District said Oct. 4 that buses had just left from the high and middle schools after 2 p.m. when a call from the village came in about the incident. The buses were notified en route, which then avoided the area. 

Mayor Margot Garant wrote on Facebook that their hearts go out to shop owner and Port Jeff resident Steve Plunkette and his family, along with the family of the deceased.

“The tragic and abhorrent event that took place today in the Village of Port Jefferson was a rare and isolated event which in no way reflects the beautiful historic community that we truly are,” she wrote.

Fred Leute, the acting chief of code enforcement, said constables were on the scene shortly after the event. Leute said Scoville was known to frequent Port Jeff every two to three weeks on Thursdays, having a schedule of visiting the Port Jefferson Free Library when new magazines became available, or he would arrive when the weather was nice. The chief added the man had never presented a problem for constables previously.

The liquor store closed for a day but was back in business in the rest of the week. Groups of people came down throughout the weekend to show support to the business owner.

This post was updated Oct. 9 to add quotes from Fred Leute, the acting chief of code enforcement .

by -
0 314
District Attorney delivers a special presentation on opioid-related crimes to mayors and other officials from Suffolk County's villages at Lake Grove Village Hall.

Suffolk County Village Officials Association, which represents 32 villages, hosted a special presentation on the opioid crisis Sept. 26 at the Lake Grove Village Hall.

District Attorney Tim Sini (D), Suffolk Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart and Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. (D) all spoke to the group about how the crisis has fueled a regional surge in illegal firearms seizures and sex trafficking crimes.

Most criminal cases in the county, the officials said, relate to opioid epidemic.

People initially became addicted to prescription painkillers and over time, as demand increased, supply went down, and prices went up. So, people gravitated toward heroin, the DA said, which is more potent and more dangerous. Drug dealers, who realized that money can be made, began cutting their product with the synthetic opioid fentanyl, and more recently with fentanyl variations known as analogs. Fentanyl, Sini said, originates in China and is coming into the United States through the Mexican border. The drug is also being sent into the U.S. over the Canadian border and from China through the U.S. mail.

County officials said they are drilling down as hard as possible. 

Since 2016, the federal government assigned an analyst exclusively to Suffolk County Police Department to examine overdose information with maps and weekly and monthly overdose reports. The mapping system, known as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program, or HIDTA, provides a real-time picture of overdoses. It also helps identify and coordinate candidates for the county’s preventing incarceration via opportunities for treatment program known as PIVOT for short. 

“Everything we do is driven by analytics,” Hart said.

The county has also been using court-sanctioned surveillance methods such as phone tapping and search warrants to crack down on drug crimes. It issued more than 350 narcotics search warrants in 2018 and has eavesdropped on more than 150 phone lines. Consequently, the county has seized greater amounts of certain drugs and illegal firearms. 

The officials said during their presentation that it’s targeting dealers who cause overdoses and charging them with manslaughter. Sini said that through surveillance, he’s learning that tougher manslaughter statutes result in dealers turning away from deadly drugs to instead
peddle nonlethal drugs. 

In 2018, the county also launched a sex trafficking unit that has identified and interviewed more than 200 sex trafficking victims. It has arrested 34 people for 235 counts of sex-trafficking related charges and learned during the interviews how drug traffickers use opioids to addict young women to keep them dependent.

Toulon said that they’re gathering information while the women are in the sheriff’s facility, which is providing other useful information on drug and sex traffickers. 

Victims, while in the sheriff’s facility, are involved in vocational and educational programs and put in touch with nongovernmental organizations that assist with counseling, drug treatment and job training.  A big problem, though, Toulon said, is housing.  

County officials emphasized that human trafficking is happening right here, right now in our communities. It can affect anyone from your neighbor to your niece and nephew. 

Officials are also calling for the use of different terminology for prostitution.  

“It’s a modern-day form of slavery and needs to be called what it is: sex trafficking,” Hart said. The force has historically arrested the women and that was the case, Hart said, but the county’s approach is shifting and officials are now looking at the women as victims.  

Officials are asking people to trust their own  instincts. 

“If you’re at a 7-Eleven and you see an older man in a car with a young woman who looks distressed, call or text us,” the officials said.

The county initiated a Text-a-Tip program. To reach officials, text TIP SUFFOLK to the number 888-777. Residents can confidentially share any information related to illicit or suspicious activity, including drug use or trafficking, Toulon said. 

Paul Tonna, who serves as executive director of the village organization, said in a telephone interview after the event that a group of mayors were previously given a private presentation on the topic in graphic detail. The situation, he said, is horrible. The women are being forced to perform six or seven sex acts a day. He is calling for people such as PTAs and religious groups to sponsor awareness campaigns with officials.

Local villages have resources, Tonna said, such as constabulary that can also become the eyes and ears of county officials. 

“We’re not here to say you need to do more,” Sini said. ”We need to think outside of the box. Because of collective efforts, we can make greater strides.”

Ann Marie Csorny is director of Suffolk County Department of Health Services’ Community Mental Hygiene Services.  The Prevention Resource Center, run by the Family Service League, she said, offers effective tools for those working to prevent drug and alcohol abuse.  Villages and towns, she said, should tap into coalitions that exist or start to build their own coalitions.

“Communities can have a great impact in terms of preventing or reducing drug use, alcohol abuse and related problems when they understand and promote coalition building,” she said. “This can be very exciting in that involved communities promote civic engagement and the building of shared understanding, shared norms, shared values, trust, and cooperation.”

 

by -
0 1845
Percy Smith's Market and Butcher Shop circa 1940. Photo provided by Beverly C Tyler

By Beverly C. Tyler

In Stony Brook, before World War II and before the changes made by Ward Melville, there were stores and shops spread out along Main Street, Shore Road and Christian Avenue. Main Street in Stony Brook during the 19th and the early part of the 20th centuries was an active commercial area with a variety of shops.

South of Harbor Road and the mill pond there were several small homesteads and farms, a harness-maker’s shop and blacksmith shop, and a schoolhouse. The business area really began at the Grist Mill, and except for Jacinsky’s Saloon and a bakery opposite Harbor Road, all the stores were between the mill pond and the harbor. Shops included an ice cream parlor, drugstore, hardware store, tearoom, second-hand clothing store, Chinese laundry, a tailor shop and harness-maker’s shop that became a butcher shop and grocery store about 1900, a barbershop, livery stable, shoemaker’s shop, post office and at least two general stores.

The butcher in Stony Brook at the turn of the century was Orlando G. Smith. His brother, Charles E. Smith, ran a butcher shop and general store in East Setauket. Percy Smith, in his booklet “A Century of Progress,” noted that in the 1890s Stony Brook farmers began decreasing their livestock, and Orlando Smith had to buy meat from Bridgeport. His order was shipped by boat to Port Jefferson, loaded into a wagon and brought to Stony Brook. “During this time, Orlando bought what meat he could, but this had dwindled mostly to calves, lambs and pigs,” Percy Smith wrote. Born in 1892, he took over in 1913 the butcher business that had been owned for a short while by Capt. Robert F. Wells and then by Percy’s father, W.H. Smith.

In 1922 Percy Smith moved to a new location in the old post office building. A Stony Brook resident his entire life, he remembered in an interview in 1976 how the local families relied on each other for many of their necessities of life. The farmers supplied the food products, and the ship captains supplied transportation for the goods that were sold in New York City and Connecticut. The coastal schooners also brought to Stony Brook many items that were not grown or manufactured here. The merchants then bought and sold from both the farmers and the schooner captains. Smith noted that his grandfather Joseph Smith Hawkins, born 1827, used to make butter and take it to the store and trade it in and get groceries: “Farming used to be a mainstay of the village, plus the boats that used to bring things in and take things out. My grandfather used to cut and ship cordwood to New York City. The dock at Stony Brook used to be covered with hundreds of cords of wood.”

The 19th century brought many changes that affected the close interdependent relationship of the farmers, ship captains and merchants. The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 and the subsequent building of canals brought coal for fuel from Pennsylvania and other states and hastened the decline of the use of cordwood for fuel in New York City. In addition, wheat and other grains from upstate New York and the Midwest were shipped on the Erie Canal and began arriving in New York City in large quantities. Most of the local grist mills found it difficult, if not impossible, to match the low price of Midwest grains and either adapted or went out of business. Percy Smith commented on these changes: “The older people died off and the younger ones didn’t want to bother with farming because they could make more money doing something else … so the farms were sold off.”

Thus, ended most of the small individual farms in the Three Village area. The local farmer was always a hardworking individual who took a great deal of pride in his work. The farms are gone but many of the farmhouses remain as witness to a lifestyle that has passed on.

Beverly C. Tyler is Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the society at 93 North Country Road, Setauket. For more information, call 631-751-3730 or visit www.tvhs.org.

by -
0 479
1 of 11
Protesters of all ages came to Hauppauge to speak out against climate change inaction. Photo by David Luces
Kallen Fenster, 13, speaks about the impact of climate change. Photo by David Luces
Protesters of all ages came to Hauppauge to speak out against climate change inaction. Photo by David Luces
Protesters of all ages came to Hauppauge to speak out against climate change inaction. Photo by David Luces
Protesters of all ages came to Hauppauge to speak out against climate change inaction. Photo by David Luces
Protesters of all ages came to Hauppauge to speak out against climate change inaction. Photo by David Luces
Protesters of all ages came to Hauppauge to speak out against climate change inaction. Photo by David Luces
Protesters of all ages came to Hauppauge to speak out against climate change inaction. Photo by David Luces
Kallen Fenster, 13, speaks about the impact of climate change. Photo by David Luces
Protesters of all ages came to Hauppauge to speak out against climate change inaction. Photo by David Luces
Protesters of all ages came to Hauppauge to speak out against climate change inaction. Photo by David Luces

“Climate change is not a lie, please don’t let our planet die,” a crowd of more than 50 people yelled in unison in front of Suffolk County’s H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge Sept. 27. Students, community groups, environmental activists and elected officials gathered to call for immediate action by governments and corporations on the current climate emergency.   

Kallen Fenster, 13, speaks about the impact of climate change. Photo by David Luces

The protest came on the last day of the Global Climate Strike, spearheaded by 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, who joined some 250,000 protesters in Manhattan Sept. 20. 

Kallen Fenster, a 13-year-old middle school student and founder of the youth organization Leadership for Environmental and Animal Protection, spoke on the effects climate change could have on future generations. 

“Myself and the others here are like millions around the world that we represent today that are worried for their lives and yours,” he said. “Entire species are dying, our oceans are filthy with plastic waste, our beaches are unsafe to swim in, the air is polluted. What hope is there for my future children, or even worse, theirs?” 

The middle schooler called on lawmakers to put more of an emphasis on climate change policy. 

“Tonight, we the youth demand that local, state and federal lawmakers put climate policy first,” Fenster said. “We ask every adult to be a climate action hero and advance policy that will protect communities and its families. It will take all of us, it will take work and it will take sacrifices, but we have no choice, we have no ‘planet B.’”

Other youth activists who spoke at the protest had similar sentiments. 

Gabe Finger, a 7-year-old elementary student, said he wants more people to take this movement seriously. 

“I want people to stop seeing climate change as a political belief and look at it as the dire crisis it is,” he said. “More and more people are seeing that global warming is something not to be ignored. This is not just a fight for the environment, but a fight for our lives — do whatever you can to help because hope is not lost yet.” 

Camilla Riggs, a student at The Laurel Hill School in East Setauket, mentioned climate change will affect everyone. 

“You may not believe in the science but it doesn’t mean you are immune to it or your children’s children. This is not about us anymore, this is about the future of all of us,” she said.

Elected officials called out the current White House administration, which has dialed back on climate change reform.  

“This president has engaged in an assault on all previous efforts to control and contain these greenhouse gas emissions, leaving the Paris accord was an embarrassment, said state Assemblyman Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove). “It is hard to imagine an American president would hire the worst polluters to run the agencies that are supposed to protect us.” 

Lavine said despite that, the state has started to move in the right direction in curbing greenhouse emissions. He mentioned the state Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, congestion pricing going into effect in New York City and a ban on single-use plastic as key steps forward. 

State Sen. Jim Gaughran (D-Northport) said we hopefully haven’t run out of time when it comes to climate change. 

“We have to hand [the Earth] over to them responsibly but, to be honest with you, my generation hasn’t been responsible and we have to step up to the plate,” he said.

Elmer Flores, of New York’s 2nd District Democrats, spoke on how climate change is already affecting certain communities. 

“Our low-income communities and minority population will disproportionately feel the negative impacts of climate change,” he said. “Research has shown that climate change, if left unaddressed, will worsen or cause unintended health consequences.”

Flores mentioned that when it comes to air quality, Hispanic and Latino residents have an asthma hospitalization rate that’s three times more than their white counterparts.  

Cheryl Steinhauer, special events manager of Hauppauge-based Long Island Cares, which helped organize the event with Action Together Long Island, spoke on the importance of calling for change. 

“I feel like this is a necessary thing to do. There are a lot of issues at the moment but really this is at the top and most important, at least to me, is taking care of our planet,” she said.

by -
0 1673
Paule Pachter stands on the roof of the Harry Chapin Food Bank in front of a community solar array that will energize households facing hardships.

Long Island Cares — one of Long Island’s well-known charitable institutions — is completing the installation of solar panels on the 35,000 square-foot roof of its headquarters at Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge.

The $414,000 project is expected to generate 350,000 kilowatt hours of renewable energy annually and 100 percent of it will be directed off-site to serve the electrical needs of households experiencing hardship and food insecurity. Long Island Cares is paying for system out of its reserves and available funds in its budget. 

“This solar project represents a direct extension of the humanitarian work of Long Island Cares,” said Paule Pachter, the organization’s CEO. “Part of Long Island Cares’ energy focuses on providing emergency food relief to hungry and food insecure Long Islanders through the Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank. But we also engage in direct service programs that address the humanitarian human needs of veterans, seniors, immigrants and others struggling with economic and social challenges.” 

The project is one of the first initiatives that are expected to help the industrial park meet by 2040 New York State’s ambitious goal of converting to 100 percent renewable energy. 

The power pass along is facilitated through an energy management practice called “community solar,” whereby electricity generated by a solar power installation is shared by multiple households, companies or institutions. It’s an initiative of the Hauppauge Industrial Association, a prominent Long Island business group, and its solar task force, which was launched last year.

Co-chairs Scott Maskin, CEO of SUNation Solar Systems, one of Long Island’s largest installers of solar panels and equipment, and Jack Kulka, president and founder of Kulka LLC, a major development and construction firm, are behind the initiative. 

“By taking the entire energy output of our solar installation and sending it off-site to provide discounted power to homes occupied by our lower-income neighbors, these households will have new found income to address some of their immediate needs,” Maskin said. “As such, it has a unique opportunity to bring forward both technology and value in a substantial way. From an energy perspective, the park can act as a responsible, shining example for all of Long Island.” 

Long Island Innovation Park, formerly known as the Hauppauge Industrial Park, is the second largest industrial center in the United States after California’s Silicon Valley, and the largest in the Northeast corridor. The park is recognized as a major driver of the region’s economy and is a focus of the regional development plan of Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). 

“Through the successful embrace of this program,” Maskin added, “our park can distinguish itself as Long Island’s single largest energy producer, delivering revenue to its building owners while helping achieve New York State’s renewable energy goals. It’s a win-win all around.” 

The Long Island Cares project is expecting to be up and running in October, but Pachter said that the project has recently encountered several obstacles.

“When PSEG inspected our site, they said that the transformer needs to be changed and wiring upgraded to handle the energy,” he said. 

Maskin said in a telephone interview that the issues are relatively common and protection equipment upgrades are something that will need be addressed as the industrial park  expands its renewable projects. The transformer, he noted, will be covered by a maintenance agreement it has for this specific project.  The additional $11,000 wiring cost, Pachter said, will be the responsibility of L.I. Cares.

“We are building a power plant on the rooftop,” Maskin said. “If you think of the complexity of it all, delays are to be expected. We’re still pushing to have the system up and running in October.”

Pachter said that the construction phase has been underway for the last few months. 

PSEGLI representative Elizabeth Flagler said that Community Distributed Generation makes renewable energy, particularly solar, more accessible to renters and apartment dwellers. The array, she said, is connected to the grid and managed by a host who serves as a liaison with PSEGLI. The pass through is accomplished through accounting, rather than through wiring a system to beneficiaries. 

The project is the first community solar project in the industrial complex.

by -
0 1637

Dorothy Trump

Dorothy D. Trump, passed away Sept. 3 at Jefferson’s Ferry Retirement Community in Centereach. She was 98. 

She was born in Brinkhaven, Ohio, Sept. 19, 1920, to Franklin J. and Mable Denman, and grew up in Orrville, Ohio. She attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, graduating in 1942 as summa cum laude with a degree in business administration.

She was the first female secretary to the president of the National Cash Register Company, located in Dayton, Ohio. She worked in the Department of Home Economics at the University of Maryland. From 1963 to 1988 she worked at SUNY as administrative assistant to the chairman of the Department of Electrical Sciences and in Engineering and Astronomy.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, James, a World War II veteran who flew B-26s in the European theater. He worked as a human factors scientist in the lunar module program at Grumman. She is survived by her children James (Nancy) and Susan (John Fenimore); and grandchildren Matthew (Wylie Hunt) and David (Michele). She was also much loved by her nieces and nephews and their families.

A celebration of her life was held at the Setauket Presbyterian Church Sept. 15. Donations in memory of Dorothy may be made to the Helen Keller Services or the Setauket Presbyterian Church.

Arrangements were entrusted to the Bryant Funeral Home of East Setauket. People can visit www.bryantfh.com to sign the online guest book.

William Deegan

William J. Deegan, of Ridge, died Sept. 23.

He was a proud veteran of the United States Army and the beloved husband of Monda. 

Deegan was the loving father of Maryanne (James) Cadwell, George (Mary) Fox, Claude (Patricia) Fox, Brian (Linda) Fox and the late Charles Fox. In addition, he is survived by his 14 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, his five great-great-grandchildren and his many other family members and friends.

A Funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Anthony of Padua R.C. Church in Rocky Point.

Interment followed at Washington Memorial Park in Mount Sinai with military honors.           

Arrangements were entrusted to the Branch Funeral Home of Miller Place.

An online guest book is available at www.branchfh.com.

Tessie Reveliotis

Tessie Reveliotis, of Port Jefferson, passed Sept. 23. She was 49.

She was the beloved wife of George and the cherished mother of Thomas, Michael and Nicholas.

In addition, she was the loving daughter of Mike (the late Loula) Kelarakos, the dear sister of Christine (Sam) Stavropoulos, Nicholas (Helen) Kelarakos and Michelle (Harry) Kelarakos.

She is also survived by her father-in-law Anastasios (the late Efthimia) Reveliotis, sister-in-law Maria (Matthew) Mecchi and many other family members and friends.

Religious service and cremation were privately held.

Arrangements were entrusted to the  Branch Funeral Home of Miller Place.

An online guest book is available at www.branchfh.com.

John Stamoulis

John Stamoulis, of Sound Beach, died Sept. 20. He was 84.  

He was the beloved husband of Christine Constantino; the cherished stepfather of Victoria (Richard) Rodriguez, Wendy (Octavio) Mendez, Christopher (Kristy) Constantino and Nicholas Constantino; and the loving grandfather of Richard, Keyana, Mason, Jordan, Faith and Tristen.

He is also survived by many other family members and friends.

Religious services was celebrated at the Greek Church of the Assumption in Port Jefferson. Interment followed at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Arrangements entrusted to the of Branch Funeral Home of Miller Place.

An online guest book is available at www.branchfh.com.

David Bayles Minuse

David Bayles Minuse, 81, died Sept. 8.

He was born at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital, Port Jefferson, April 4, 1938, to Elinore Dickerson Minuse and Thomas Bayles Minuse.

David graduated from Cheshire Academy. After attending Nichols College, he became a partner in the family hardware-houseware business, D.T. Bayles & Son, in Stony Brook.

D.T. Bayles & Son evolved from a shipbuilding business established in 1843. The business expanded to include a lumber yard, supplied with timber from family-owned land in the upper Northwest. The business continued to expand and later included the retail sales of lumber, hardware and eventually housewares. Throughout the 1900s, and more particularly under Dave’s ownership, it became the early morning gathering spot for local people to share their news of the day prior to everyone going to their own place of business. Stony Brook is rooted in the history of the Bayles family and today the name continues in future generations.

It was not long after becoming a partner in the family business that Dave purchased a fuel oil company, which he named Three Village Fuel Oil, and it served the local communities of Stony Brook, Setauket and Old Field as well as the surrounding areas of St. James, Head of the Harbor, Poquott and Port Jefferson.

Dave believed in the good of his community and contributed greatly to it. He was a longtime member of the Rotary Club having served as president. He also served as the head of the Stony Brook Business Association and was a member of the board of directors of John T. Mather Memorial Hospital. He also enjoyed membership at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in East Setauket and the Old Field Club.

It was always Dave’s wish to live in Florida, and after his children completed their general education in New York, he relocated with his family to Vero Beach where he lived for over 30 years. Eager to engage in his new community he soon went to work part time for Sewall’s Hardware in Vero Beach, where he met more lifelong friends.

Dave married his Honey in 1963, and they shared 56 years with each other, raising children, working, and in retirement enjoying extensive travels where they made and enjoyed the company of lifelong friends.

David is survived by his wife Priscilla (known as Honey); his son Peter Bayles Minuse and his wife Jill of Melbourne, Florida; his son Paavo Bayles Minuse and his wife Suzann, of Vero Beach, Florida; and his daughter Robin Elo Minuse and her longtime partner Jonas Beauregard of Melbourne, Florida. Paavo and Sue blessed him with two grandchildren, Brianna Rose Minuse and Jonathan Bayles Minuse. He is also survived by his sister Cynthia Murphy of Stony Brook as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Dave was very proud of his grandchildren and their participation in the Vero Beach High School music programs.

Dave is remembered for his beautiful spirit, generous nature and kind heart. He never met a stranger, he only made lifelong friends and was proud to serve the community he loved.

A Celebration of Life service was held Sept. 21 after the family had a private inurnment at Crestlawn Cemetery in Vero Beach.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations in David Minuse’s name to The Fighting Indians Band Boosters as follows: Vero Beach High School FIBB, P.O. Box 5124, Vero Beach, FL 32961.

Ady Fenton

Ady Fenton formerly of New York City, New Suffolk and St. James died Sept. 17.

She was 90 years old and resided at an assisted living facility in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. Ady’s husband, Joe Fenton, predeceased her in January of 2015, after a marriage of 68 years.

Ady began her career as a teacher and speech therapist but gave up working outside the home in order to raise her three children, Ivy, Martin and Nina. Ady was born and raised in Brooklyn and spent the majority of her life in Manhattan, New Suffolk and St. James adding an apartment in Philadelphia in her later years.

She loved to cook, sew, travel and entertain. Most of all she loved her family. In addition to her children, she is survived by five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Her zest for life never faded. She passed on what would have been her 72nd wedding anniversary, clearly a sign they are together again.

A Celebration of Life will be held in late October. For more information please call 516-443-5084.

Vivianne S. Bicknese 

Vivianne S. Bicknese of East Northport died on Sept. 20 at 55 years of age. Beloved wife of Gary; loving daughter of Sheila Lieu and the late Ralph Lieu and his wife Chandra; dear sister of Virginia (Francis) Farnum, Elizabeth Lieu, and Sabrina (Kelvin) Lieu; fond aunt of Francis, Kimberly, Sean, and David; dear daughter-in-law of Richard and Jeanette Bicknese. Visitation was held Aug. 25 at the Nolan Funeral Home, Northport. Funeral Mass was celebrated Sept. 26 at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church, Centerport. Interment followed at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Huntington. 

Prev1...545556...217Next Page 55 of 217
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©