Suffolk County’s largest canine event takes place Saturday, September 28, rain or shine, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on the grounds of the Smithtown Historical Society, 211 E. Main Street, Smithtown, when the Suffolk County Kennel Club hosts its Annual AKC All-breed Championship Dog Show. Over 400 dogs will put their best paws forward as judges from nine states award ribbons, trophies, and championships to the winners. Special features will include a four-to-six month old puppy competition, and the popular “My Dog Can Do That,” an opportunity for attendees to try their own dogs on an Agility Course. Admission is $10 per person, or $20 per carload. For further details: call (631) 277-2201 or visit www.suffolkcountykennelclub.org.
Please note: the wrong date was listed in this week’s Times … and dates calendar. We regret the error.
Sophia Zhukovsky, a Stony Brook University sophomore and Ward Melville High School graduate, addresses the school board Sept. 18. Photo by Andrea Paldy
By Andrea Paldy
Activism is strong in Three Village.
At the Sept. 18 Three Village school board meeting, parents, students and alumni came out in support of an issue that has concerned many members of the community: school start times.
“It’s very strenuous to strive for academic and personal success on half the medically recommended sleep time for people my age.”
— Sophia Zhukovsky
Earlier in the month, the board heard from parents in favor of later start times for the district’s three secondary schools. Last week, the board heard from Ward Melville graduates and students, themselves.
“Sleep deprivation does not have to be a part of Ward Melville culture,” said Sophia Zhukovsky, a sophomore at Stony Brook University and a Ward Melville graduate.
“Ward Melville has a great deal of high-achieving, dedicated and bright students, but it also has a great deal of exhausted students,” she said. “It’s very strenuous to strive for academic and personal success on half the medically recommended sleep time for people my age.”
Student and parent speakers echoed Zhukovsky’s sentiments. They described mornings as a “time of family anxiety and stress” and shared personal stories about the impact of sleep deprivation on family time and emotional health.
“Even 30 minutes would do a lot for students at the school in terms of both mental health and for fostering community,” wrote Kirti Nath, 2017 Ward Melville valedictorian. Nath couldn’t attend the meeting, but her letter was read to the board by high school student Natalia Newton.
“Ward Melville is undeniably one of the best public high schools that I know of, and I am incredibly grateful to have gotten my start there,” said Nath, a University of Pennsylvania sophomore. “I write this because I think that the Ward Melville experience can be even better.”
Annemarie Waugh, a local artist, P.J. Gelinas parent and founder of Sidewalks For Safety, said allowing students more time to sleep would “level the playing field” both athletically and academically. She added yet another concern.
“The system now encourages inexperienced teenage drivers to be driving in the dark at the same time other students are waiting on busy roads with no sidewalks in the dark,” she said. “This arrangement doubles the risk of tragedy.”
In addition to drawing even more supporters than the previous board meeting, the It’s About Time: Three Village Parents For A Later School Start Time movement gathered more than 1,400 signatures in a little more than a week.
But breaking through the chorus of support for a later secondary start time was Vincent Sperandeo, a parent of Ward Melville graduates. “Changing us would also mean that other districts would have to change as well,” he said.
He pointed out that Ward Melville was within the range of start times for surrounding school districts and changing Three Village’s junior high and high school start times would have to be done “in coordination with other districts.”
While Ward Melville starts at 7:05 am, nearby districts range in start time from the 7:02 a.m. warning bell at Miller Place High School to 7:10 a.m. at Comsewogue High School, 7:20 a.m. in Smithtown and 7:30 a.m. in Commack, Port Jefferson and Mount Sinai.
“The real world out there is not starting at 9 o’clock,” Sperandeo said. “The real world out there is starting when your job is telling you to start.”
Although districts in the immediate area have start times well before 8 a.m., schools across the nation have been taking a serious look at delaying start times.Ever since the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended in 2014 that secondary schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m., attention to the issue has grown. The State of California has even gone so far as to propose a bill pushing back start times for all of its secondary schools.
According to research, biological changes in the adolescent circadian rhythms make it difficult for them to fall asleep before 11 p.m. Waking up to catch an early bus interrupts the later part of their sleep cycle, preventing them from getting the recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep their developing bodies and brains need.
Researchers at Seattle’s University of Washington and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, found that students at two Seattle high schools that changed to later start times got more sleep during the week, had fewer tardies and absences in their first period classes and had improved academic performance.
“Changing us would also mean that other districts would have to change as well.”
— Vincent Sperandeo
Despite the abundance of information favoring later start times, most U.S. high schools start before 8:30 a.m., and some schools that considered change decided against it because of logistics.
That’s why Barbara Rosati, founder of It’s About Time, has suggested that Three Village officials attend the Adolescent Health and School Start Times Workshop, in Pennsylvania, which would cover the “science, strategies, logistics and tips” for making a shift.
The Nov. 13 workshop is already full. However, the website indicated that the organizer — the national group, Start School Later — was considering a second session.
Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich, who described the research on later start times as “cogent, valid and reliable,” said last week that the district would begin phase 1 of its investigation into the shift. This would mean “data gathering” so that there could be “meaningful conversation,” she said.
This process, the superintendent said, would include surveys of parents, staff and students, as well as conversations with districts that have made the time change and those that considered it, but decided against it. Pedisich estimated that if the board moved forward with a committee, it would take shape in January.
“The last thing in the world we want to do is give the impression that we’re not listening,” said board president William Connors during a telephone interview. “Fourteen hundred signatures is compelling and shows we have to listen and do our due diligence.”
But there are also a lot of factors to consider, he added, such as the “domino” effect on other grades and the fact that a shift could cost the district “literally millions of dollars” in additional transportation costs.
“I don’t like the idea of kids getting up at 5 in the morning, but we have to look at the alternatives and establish our priorities,” Connors said.
Map of all illegal dumping sites. Photo from DA's office
Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini (D) was joined by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Suffolk County Police Department on Sept. 23 to announce the sentencing of a self-proclaimed “dirt broker” who was indicted as part of the District Attorney’s Office’s Operation Pay Dirt investigation into an illegal dumping conspiracy on Long Island.
“The defendant, with no regard for the safety and well-being of Suffolk County residents, facilitated the dumping of solid waste on residential properties, properties near schools, and other sites,” Sini said. “Many of the sites contained materials that were hazardous or acutely hazardous. This is a major issue for those individual homeowners who were affected and a major issue for the general public.”
“This sentencing should serve as a reminder that there is a cost associated for those who engage in illegal dumping for financial gain.”
— Geraldine Hart
Anthony Grazio, aka Rock, 54, of Smithtown, pleaded guilty on May 2 to two counts of criminal mischief in the second degree, a D felony; two counts of endangering public health, safety or the environment in the third degree, an E felony; conspiracy in the fifth degree, an A misdemeanor; and operating a solid waste management facility without a permit, an A misdemeanor.
Grazio was sentenced today by Suffolk County Court Judge Timothy Mazzei to two to four years in prison. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $500,000 for a crime that the DA has previously stated is the state’s largest illegal dumping case.
In February 2018, the DA’s office, DEC andcounty police department began an investigation into a conspiracy to illegally dump solid waste in various locations across Long Island. The months-long investigation, known as Operation Pay Dirt, involved the use of electronic surveillance, including court-authorized eavesdropping, and physical surveillance. The investigation resulted in a 130-count indictment against 30 individuals and nine corporations for illegally disposing of solid waste at 24 locations. Grazio’s then 19-year old son Anthony was among the 30 people indicted in the case, which was unsealed in November 2018.
Some of the more than 24 identified locations contained acutely hazardous and hazardous materials including pesticides and the metals arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, zinc and mercury and pesticides.
Between January and July 2018, as part of the illegal dumping conspiracy, Grazio would act as a dirt broker by arranging for locations where trucking companies could illegally dispose of solid waste. Grazio posted advertisements on the website Craigslist and on OfferUp, a marketplace app, for “Clean Fill,” or material that could be used for residential landscaping projects. He also solicited homeowners over the phone and in person for locations to use for dumping.
Grazio would then coordinate with the owners or operators of trucking companies and solid waste management facilities to have solid waste illegally dumped at those properties.
“This sentencing should serve as a reminder that there is a cost associated for those who engage in illegal dumping for financial gain,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said. “The Suffolk County Police Department is committed to working with our partner agencies to apprehend those who commit environmental crimes in our county and Operation Pay Dirt is an example of the success of our collaborative efforts.”
The commissioner also said that the department is not only committed to serving our residents but also dedicated to protecting the land that makes our communities a great place to live.
Operation Pay Dirt was part of a statewide DEC law enforcement initiative known as Operation TrashNet. To date, Operation TrashNet has led to the discovery of more than 100 illegal dumping sites throughout New York’s downstate region, including 44 in Suffolk County, and resulted in 582 DEC-issued tickets involving 40 trucking companies.
“Illegal dumping poses a serious threat to our environment, and New York will not allow businesses to continue to harm the state’s environment and its citizens while putting profits over public health,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “I commend the work of DEC’s officers and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office in bringing this case to fruition.”
This case was prosecuted by assistant DAs Adriana Noyola and Laura Sarowitz of the Enhanced Prosecution Bureau and former assistant DA Luigi Belcastro.
The Town of Huntington is accepting applications for an affordable housing lottery. The deadline is October 13.
Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci (R) is excited to announce that the Town of Huntington’s Community Development Agency is now accepting applications online, for nine two-bedroom, two-bathroom townhouses eligible for an affordable housing lottery in Kensington Estates, the luxury gated 55 and older community located on Jericho Turnpike across from Oheka Castle in West Hills.
The Town of Huntington, in cooperation with the Huntington Community Development Agency and Triangle Equities, encourages all eligible individuals and families who meet the age, income and asset guidelines to enter the lottery for the opportunity to purchase one of the affordable townhouses currently available for sale. Applicants must be able to qualify for a mortgage.
“We wish to thank Triangle Equities for bringing dream home living to the Town of Huntington, adding to its already unparalleled landscape,” said Leah M. Jefferson, agency director.
Applications will be accepted through Sunday, Oct. 13, and lottery selection will be held in Room 114 at Huntington Town Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 5:30 p.m.
This development is restricted to people who are 55 years of age or older. Applicants must meet the age requirement at the time of the lottery application. In instances where a married couple or domestic partners that are registered are applying, only one owner must be 55 years of age or older. The owner(s) must occupy the home as his or her main domicile.
Priority will be given to applicants who are town residents or who are employed by a business or entity that maintains a verifiable physical location within the town, or nonresidents who have parents, children, grandchildren or grandparents who are town residents.
The nine affordable homes at Kensington Estates consist of five two-bedroom, two-bathroom townhouses priced at $248,000 (80% AMI Maximum Income-eligible) and four two-bedroom, two-bathroom townhouses priced at $372,000 (120% AMI Maximum Income-eligible):
• The Belmont, a two-bed, two-bath first-floor unit with a 1,045 sq. ft. living area, an 188 sq. ft. covered porch, a one-car garage and a 47 sq. ft. shared covered entry porch is priced at $248,000.
• The Delmar, a two-bed, two-bath firstfloor unit with a 1,095 sq. ft. living area, a 70 sq. ft. covered patio, a one-car garage and a 47 sq. ft. shared covered entry porch is priced at $372,000.
•The Beverly, a two-bed, two-bath second-floor unit with a 1,665 sq. ft. living area, two balconies totaling 117 sq. ft. balcony space, a one-car garage, and a 47 sq. ft. shared covered entry porch is priced at $372,000.
*The estimated annual real estate taxes are $6,600 for homes priced at $248,000 and $9,900 for the homes priced at $372,000. Estimated Monthly HOA Fees are between $379 and $599 depending on the unit.
*The developer has an application pending to change the tax classification from townhouses to condominiums, which if approved, will result in a substantial decrease in the taxes. In the event that you submit an application for the lottery and the application to change the classification is denied, the lottery entry fee is nonrefundable, but you will be under no obligation to move forward to contract with the developer to purchase a unit if we reach your lottery number and you meet the criteria to purchase.
A nonrefundable application processing fee of $26.50 must be paid online with submission of the application. All applications must be submitted online.
Eligible applicants will appear in list form on Oct. 17 at https://www.huntingtonny.gov/kensingtonestates.
The townhouses are expected to be move-in ready by spring 2020.
Questions regarding application guidelines can be directed to the Huntington Community Development Agency at 631-351-2884.
Village, school district, businesses and community come together for new homecoming celebration. Photo by Kyle Barr
“Always a Royal.”
That is how school district and village officials alike are calling present and past residents to attend this year’s homecoming celebration, shifting away from school-centered pride to exulting the whole of Port Jefferson.
The village and district are working hand in hand to create a celebration at Joe Erland Field near Caroline Avenue just west of Barnum Avenue. The celebration will include food, games and music from a DJ, and will take place in between the annual parade that flows down Main Street and the homecoming game set to take place Saturday, Oct. 5.
Port Jefferson homecoming floats make their way through the parade Oct. 21, 2017. File photo by Bill Landon
The change has come in response to district officials last year canceling the annual bonfire. As classic as it was, school district officials said the bonfire was unsafe and a redundant way of gathering school pride. They said it meant children wandering into nearby woods without supervision, adding their own internal pep rally did enough to promote school spirit.
Port Jeff Superintendent Paul Casciano said the bonfire could not continue as it had before, especially considering security and safety.
“We cannot guarantee that when children are dropped off at the high school for this particular night event, that they are in an environment that is safe and secure,” he said. “We are grateful for the conversations that have developed among community members, our board of education members and staff to come up with a carefully considered plan as we move forward.”
Not letting themselves get discouraged, community members looked to celebrate Port Jeff pride, and more than that, bridge the gap between school district, village, shops and community.
Jae Hartzell, a Port Jefferson resident and a local photographer, said many residents were upset the bonfire was canceled, calling it an old tradition. She started looking toward creating something new, perhaps even establishing a new tradition in itself. She and fellow resident Paul Braille have worked alongside school and village officials in crafting the new event.
“[This event] is a really enriching tradition and there’s a huge collaboration to increase school pride and school spirit that will continue for generations,” Hartzell said. “It’s all about creating traditions in the community — a way to stay rooted with your community.”
Along with several food trucks, the field will also be littered with games of Can Jam, Cornhole and giant Jenga, all provided through the Port Jefferson Free Library. There will also be face painting on behalf of the school art department.
Beyond the celebration at surrounding Caroline Avenue, the school district has connected with multiple businesses to emphasize school spirit and the community as a whole, including alumni. PJ Brewery is promoting live music by the band Damaged Goods, while throughout the weekend businesses will be promoting happy hour and brunch specials specifically for alumni. Prohibition Kitchen will also include Mayor Margot Garant as guest bartender Oct. 5. Participating restaurants include Nantuckets, Joey-Z, Prohibition Kitchen, Junior’s Spycoast, Billie’s 1890 Saloon and Old Fields Restaurant, just to name a few.
The Joe Erland Field will play host to an upcomming homecoming celebration. Photo by Kyle Barr
In the first meetings looking to create the new homecoming event, village trustee Kathianne Snaden was brought on board to give the village’s point of view. She said she immediately took to the idea. The village has put up the funds to pay for the food trucks, the DJ, physical and online promotions and has allowed the use of the field. Meanwhile, Port Jeff students will be creating a banner to go up along the football field at the high school, each letter being done by a different grade from Kindergarten through fifth grade, spelling “Royals.” The event, she said, has the possibility of doing much to bridge a gap between village and school district, one that has existed from each entity “doing their own thing.”
“When this came up, I said I wanted to take this up and make this work, because for the village this bridge has been broken for so long for whatever reason,” the trustee said.
“This is the best way to bring that back.”
School board Vice President Tracy Zamek said once the district established there would no longer be a bonfire at homecoming, the idea of bringing the community together in celebration, off school property and hosted by the village, immediately appealed to them.
“We’re really excited about waking up the village and bringing the school and village together as one entity — as a tight-knit community,” Zamek said.
Those involved said they hope the new event will bring in more people for the annual homecoming game, which all said has had relatively little attendance for the past few years.
In regard to the food trucks, Snaden said the businesses were contacted first to see if they would be available to set up stalls, but according to the trustee none had the correct permits. Having them host specials throughout the weekend was a way in which they could contribute, she said, with Hartzell adding she hoped they may be able to get the permits to participate in the future.
Festivities start Oct. 4 at the PJ Brewery with Damaged Goods playing at 7 p.m. The following day will include an 11 a.m. parade that rolls down Main Street and crosses over West Broadway onto Barnum Avenue, letting people move onto Joe Erland Field for the days’ activities. The football game is set to kickoff at 2 p.m. Alumni will receive complimentary mimosas at village restaurants for brunch that Sunday, Oct. 6.
Quest to remember the Royals fight song
In preparation for the upcoming homecoming, Port Jeff music staff wanted to bring back the classic “fight song” played at homecoming in the decades past.
However, there was a problem, said Christine Creighton, the middle and high school band teacher. The music sheets were nowhere to be found.
Mike Caravello, the director of music and fine arts at PJSD, gathered together music teachers from across the district, including Creighton, middle and high school chorus teacher Jeffrey Trelewicz and middle school band teacher Edward Pisano, to find a way to bring back the fight music.
It came from an unexpected place. One of the security staff at the district, Amy Goldstein, is an alumnus and told the staff she was part of the marching band when she was in school in the ’80s and knew the fight song by heart. It is a jaunty tune, a classic marching theme that’s short and to the point.
“We’re really excited about waking up the village and bringing the school and village together as one entity — as a tight-knit community.”
— Tracy Zamek
Creighton said Goldstein recorded the song for her. Taking that, she transcribedit on piano while the music staff helped her with the harmony. They then put it into music writing software.
They played it back for Goldstein, and she reacted with glee.
“She said, ‘It’s just like the real thing,’” Creighton said.
Alumni, the music staff said, are “coming out of the woodwork,” to help bring the song back for the upcoming homecoming game.
“They can all sing the fight song, they know it by heart,” said Caravello.
The middle school marching band will be leading this year’s parade, while the pep band will play the fight song at the end of the midday celebration at Joe Erland Field and during the homecoming game itself. Residents can expect to hear the song Oct. 5.
Scenes from the 2019 Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 21. Photos by Media Origin
Scenes from the 2019 Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 21. Photos by Media Origin
Scenes from the 2019 Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 21. Photos by Media Origin
Scenes from the 2019 Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 21. Photos by Media Origin
Scenes from the 2019 Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 21. Photos by Media Origin
Scenes from the 2019 Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 21. Photos by Media Origin
Scenes from the 2019 Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 21. Photos by Media Origin
Scenes from the 2019 Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 21. Photos by Media Origin
Scenes from the 2019 Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 21. Photos by Media Origin
Scenes from the 2019 Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 21. Photos by Media Origin
Scenes from the 2019 Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 21. Photos by Media Origin
Scenes from the 2019 Cow Harbor Day in Northport Village Sunday, Sept. 21. Photos by Media Origin
Cow Harbor Day is an annual, weekend-long festival that celebrates the history of the Village of Northport, which was once known as Great Cow Harbor. This year, the village turns 125 years old. As the legend goes, Great Cow Harbor got its name because many cows once grazed the fields along the water’s edge. The only bovines in sight the weekend of Sept. 21 were costumed residents and festival-goers.
The tradition coincides with the end of summer and typically attracts tens of thousands of people. This year’s glorious weather, if a little warm, seemed apropos for a farewell to the season. The events included a nationally ranked 10K run, a 2K fun run, a parade with marching bands and fire trucks, carnival rides, sidewalk sales, street vendors, live concerts in the bandstand and more. After Saturday’s race, the harbor glowed at dusk and into the evening with boats illuminated and decorated for the festival.
Jim Carter returns as the Crawley’s retired butler. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk,
Focus Features
Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel
Downton Abbey was a television phenomenon. This upstairs-downstairs drama captured the attention and the hearts of millions of viewers. In its 52 episodes (2010 to 2015), it followed the aristocratic Crawley family, the heirs of Grantham. From opulent drawing rooms to the sparse maids’ quarters, we came to know the estate and its inhabitants. The series opened with the 1912 sinking of the Titanic and spanned through World War I and its aftermath, closing New Year’s Eve, 1925.
A scene from ‘Downton Abbey’
We watched everything from births to deaths; we witnessed engagements broken and fulfilled. Investments were made and newspapers ironed. Throughout, the Crawleys and their staff grew in depth and understanding, reflecting a changing world. Downton Abbey was television at its very best.
And now, we are treated to a feature film. It is 1927 and the Crawleys are preparing for the impending visit of King George V (Simon Jones) and Queen Mary (Geraldine James).
Creator and screenwriter Julian Fellowes has wisely chosen to celebrate the series rather than reinvent it. There is the usual intrigue, romance and drama, but it never tips the scales into some of the episodes’ darker corners. Instead, we see the house and village preparing for this momentous event. Threading through much of the film is the friction between the snobbish royal entourage who are sent ahead and the Downton staff. The result tips slightly toward sitcom but is forgivable in the overall jubilant spirit of the movie.
The majority of the residents are here. At the center is Hugh Bonneville’s charming Earl of Grantham and his American wife, Cora, played with great warmth by Elizabeth McGovern. Michelle Dockery, as Lady Mary, and Laura Carmichael, as Lady Edith (now Marchioness of Hexham), are true to their sibling bickering but there is an underlying respect – or at least acceptance – that grew throughout the series’ run. At Lady Mary’s request, retired butler Carson (the up-tightly lovable Jim Carter) is engaged to temporarily take over from an off-put Barrow (Robert James-Collier), who always manages to balance good and bad intentions. If Brendan Coyle’s Mr. Bates is less brooding, it is nice to see his happy marriage with lady’s maid Anna (lovely Joanne Froggatt). Perhaps this best describes the film: It rarely frets but embraces an inner brightness.
A scene from ‘Downtown Abbey
The entire cast is as wonderful as ever. Allen Leech’s Tom Branson maintains his moral compass and is given a good bit to do in the film, highlighting his transition from Irish rebel to staunch family supporter. Phyllis Logan’s housekeeper Mrs. Hughes still functions as the below-stairs mother hen. Her camaraderie with the put-upon cook, Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol), remains strong.
But, it is Maggie Smith as the wry-witted, never-wrong Violet Crawley, dowager countess of Grantham, who steals every moment she is on screen with her golden quips and sly asides. Smith’s perfect sparring with the reliable Penelope Wilton’s Isobel (now Lady Merton) make for some of the most delightful moments. Smith shows a beautiful contrast in a deeply moving scene with Lady Mary toward the end of the story.
There is the introduction of a Crawley cousin hereto not mentioned. Imelda Staunton is Lady Maud Bagshaw, and the issue of who shall inherit her fortune becomes a subplot.There is also a romantic element connected to this legacy which will probably come to play in the much hoped-for sequel.
Yes, there some notably absent characters:Cousin Lady Rose (Lily James) and Lord Grantham’s sister, Lady Rosamond (Samantha Bond), with the former not even mentioned. Sadly missing is David Robb’s stalwart Clarkson, the family doctor who bridged the world of castle and village.
It is an opulent film and the production values are dazzling. Never have the locations and the clothing looked so rich nor has the music been this lush. It is both a Christmas present and a Valentine.
Downton Abbey is a gift for the followers of the series. For newcomers, it would be a costume drama without the drama. For fans, it is a joyous and welcomed “Welcome home.”
Women pose at Village Chabad’s Mega Challah Bake last Sunday night in preparation for Rosh Hashana. Close to 100 women attended with over 200 pounds of flour, 200 eggs and 1,600 ounces of water used in the process. Photo by Peggy Gallery
By Rabbi Motti Grossbaum
Imagine you were given an opportunity to travel the entire world, every continent, every country at no cost. But there would be one condition; you would have to do it blindfolded. You can trek from Hawaii to the Swiss Alps, from the Amazon to Jerusalem, but it will all have to be done without you seeing any of it.
It’s a frustrating idea. Here you are going from place to place but to you, it all seems the same. The truth is, this dilemma does not just exist in the realm of space, it also exists in the realm of time.
Women pose at Village Chabad’s Mega Challah Bake last Sunday night in preparation for Rosh Hashana. Photo by Peggy Gallery
The Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) teaches us that just as every place has its own unique energy and purpose, which is why traveling is always filled with newness and adventure, every point in time has its own exclusive character and rhythm.
This week, this day, this very moment will never happen again; there will be many more moments to come, but none will be like this. One can go through life, day after day blindfolded, like listening to the same song on repeat. Or one can take off their blindfold, look at each day and recognize that the challenges and triumphs that are unfolding before them are unique. They have their own flavor and will never happen this exact way again.
This is what’s so significant about Rosh Hashana and the celebration of the Jewish New Year. During this holiday, the energy that will define the entire year ahead, the context in which everything will be achieved, enters into our world for the very first time.
Furthermore, the Kabbalah teaches, not only is this a new energy, each year it is an even greater energy than the year past. The potential and destiny that is waiting to be unlocked during this coming year is something the world has never seen.
All this happens with the blast of the shofar. The sound of the shofar is the sound of us piercing heaven and drawing down a year that is unlike any that’s ever been before. Its unique tone beacons us to take off our blindfold and witness the transition into a brand new year.
This year, we are given the opportunity to go on a magical journey of time to experience moments that are filled with fresh and untapped beauty. The choice is ours; we can slide right into the New Year blindfolded, completely unaware of the fact that we just entered into an entirely new dimension, or we can go hear the shofar and blow the blindfold off. We can open our hearts and pray for a year of health, redemption, prosperity and happy adventures!
Author Rabbi Motti Grossbaum serves at Village Chabad–Center for Jewish Life & Learning at 360 Nicolls Road in E. Setauket. For more information about High Holiday services and other programs and activities throughout the year, visit www.MyVillageChabad.com or call 631-585-0521.
This week’s featured shelter pet is Louise, a 2-year-old hound mix rescued from the Bahamas after the hurricane.Louise is a super sweet girl, with a tail that never stops wagging. She’s pretty low keyed but gets excited to see the kennel staff when they arrive in the morning.
Louise is also great with other dogs. Come on down and meet her! She is spayed, microchipped, up to date on all her vaccines and ready for a new start in life.
Kent Animal Shelter is located at 2259 River Road in Calverton. The adoption center is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information on Louise and other adoptable pets at Kent, call 631-727-5731 or visit www.kentanimalshelter.com.
Long Island residents bear a tremendous tax burden. So, when the editorial staff at TBR News Media report low voter turnouts for local elections, we are constantly puzzled. Why are people not voting?
A recent example is the Sept. 10 special election in the Setauket Fire District where commissioners were looking for the go-ahead to buy four new pumper trucks. While the vote wasn’t one that would immediately result in higher taxes like a bond vote, the district was still looking for the community’s approval to spend approximately $2.5 million. The vote was a meager 85-65 for the new trucks. With over 11,000 voting age residents in the fire district, where was everybody that Tuesday?
In comparison, on Sept. 18, Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket saw 416 residents approve its budget and 61 voting “no.” While not a huge turnout, more people showed up to cast their votes.
Looking at board of education votes in North Shore communities, the turnouts seem only marginally higher. Considering school budgets can be a big hit to taxes, why do so many people miss out on casting their votes?
In 2019, for example, the Miller Place School District proposed a $74 million budget, an $1.2 million increase from the previous year. Only 783 residents turned out to vote. The hamlet may be small compared to other districts in our area, but according to the 2010 census, more than 12,000 people live there. Again, where was everyone?
When it comes to elections, whether for a fire or school district or library, entities are required by law to post legal notices in their local newspapers, which they do. And while they are not legally obligated to, many send out letters and include information in their newsletters and on their websites, and spread the word through social media. Plus, many school districts and libraries hold events to go over budgets with the community, though the meetings tend to be not well-attended by residents. The current system and practices seem inadequate.
It may be time for elected officials to look into the possibility of combining all such votes on one day, either in November or on primary day. If that’s not possible, due to fire district boundaries being different to those of school districts, then maybe legislators can set up funds to help fire districts, schools and libraries cover costs to better advertise elections. With the most recent Setauket Fire District vote, no letters were sent out, due to cost.
Under the current arrangement, entities have more incentive not to promote elections, since low voter turnout often means a proposal is more likely to be approved by the few people in the know.
Perhaps it’s time to institute a requirement: A certain percentage of residents must vote before a referendum can become official.
But the onus must also fall on the electorate as well as the government entities organizing an election.
So, in the meantime: Vote! It’s the only way to be sure your voice is heard.
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