Yearly Archives: 2021

Theatre Three hosts food drive June 5

by Heidi Sutton - June 3, 2021

0 433

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson hosts a food and person care items drive to benefit the Open Cupboard pantry at Infant Jesus Church on Saturday, June 5 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Donations will be collected in the theater’s parking lot.

The following items are in low supply and greatly appreciated:

Juice, peanut butter, jelly, coffee, sugar, flour, Maseca corn flour, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, cooking oil, oatmeal, pancake mix, pancake syrup, white rice (#1 and #2 bats/boxes), canned fruit, pasta sauce, healthy snacks, boxed milk and paper towels.

They are also accepting donations of grocery store gift cards and cash to purchase whatever is needed. If you prefer, you can remain in your vehicle for a contact-free drop off. For more information, call Brian at 631-938-6464.

PJ Middle School hosts chamber music at Harborfront Park

by Julianne Mosher - June 3, 2021

0 1115

pjms 2, julianne mosher — Photo by Julianne Mosher

After more than a year of Zoom performances, practices and canceled events, the Port Jefferson School District decided to utilize a stage in their own backyard and hold their first in-person recital since the start of the pandemic.

“It was very nice to see everyone in front of us after such a long period of time,” said eighth-grader Christopher Lotten. “It made me feel more comfortable to play in front of a live audience. It was a great experience to play in front of everyone — instead of listening to our music through a computer screen, we got to listen to it on a stage.”

The Chamber Festival 2021 took place at Harborfront Park in Port Jefferson village on May 27 where students showcased compositions by Bach, Haydn, Pleyel, Hudson, Sherwin and Müller-Rusch.

The Port Jefferson Middle School grades 7 and 8 string orchestra used the opportunity to adapt to the uniqueness of this past school year, and during the second semester, students were given the opportunity to form their own ensembles and select their chamber piece to work on and perform.

“Chamber music promotes creativity and allows students to work collaboratively with their peers,” said orchestra teacher Vanessa Salzman. “It is a wonderful way to improve musician-ship while building valuable social and musical connections.”

At just after 11 a.m., family and friends set up their lawn chairs and blankets in front of the stage built back in 2019 to honor Port Jefferson resident Jill Nees-Russell.

“It was interesting to play in front of a live audience again,” said eighth-grader Ash Patterson. “I have always enjoyed playing in front of people, even if I do get nervous that I’ll mess up be-fore I have to perform. I felt that when I had to record our orchestral pieces, it was less real. There was no audience to motivate me to play well. It was a lot less exciting than playing live, and just turned into a tedious task for me.”

Family and friends listened to the PJMS chamber students perform at Harborfront Park last week. Photo by Julianne Mosher

Eight groups of performers grabbed their strings and took to the small wooden performance area that Salzman described as “a picture-perfect venue.”

Mari Fukuto, a seventh-grader, said Thursday’s performance was a nice change of scenery.

“It felt strange,” she said. “But it was nice not having to record it, the scene also made the experience better.”

Seventh-grader Lia Donohue said performing outside for her family and friends was a special moment.

“It made the experience special knowing that everyone was there live, and taking photos like last year,” she said. “Not only for us was the experience special, but for all of the spectators watching, because they didn’t need to try to figure out how to put our performance on their screen at home.”

Mehana Levy, a seventh-grader, agreed.

“Playing in front of people again was a little nerve racking at first but, once I got on the stage, it felt a little more like before COVID, and reminded me why I chose to play in the first place.”

Overall, with sunny skies and warm weather, Salzman said it was a great day.

“After a long hiatus from live performance, the support of the village hosting us and the parents and community who showed up to cheer us on made for a special and memorable day for our students,” she said.

Three Village residents remember the fallen on Memorial Day

by Rita J. Egan - June 3, 2021

0 374

1 of 7

For the second year in a row, the Memorial Day parade could not be held along Main Street and Route 25A in Setauket due to COVID-19 guidelines.

However, Veterans of Foreign War Post 3054 organized a wreath-laying ceremony at Setauket Veterans Memorial Park May 31. Veterans, elected officials and residents memorialized those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.

At the end of the ceremony, photo below left, Town of Brookhaven Councilman Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook), county Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) and state Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) took time out to take a photo with Post 3054’s new Post Commander Reanna Fulton, second from right.

Three Village Chamber hosts ribbon cutting for Pedego Electric Bikes

by Heidi Sutton - June 3, 2021

0 600

1 of 4

By Heidi Sutton

The Three Village Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration for Pedego Electric Bikes Stony Brook in Setauket on May 24. The event was attended by New York State Assemblyman Steve Englebright, Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn, Town of Brookhaven Councilman Jonathan Kornreich and Pedego Director of Business Development Cynthia Newcombe along with members of the chamber and community.

Owned by Trisha and Martin Larsen, the shop is located at 690 Route 25A at the corner of Bennetts Road in Setauket and is the first Pedego Electric Bike store on Long Island.

“Our community loves to get outdoors — we have so many parks and cultural locations and art institutions … and there’s a lot of history here and a lot of beauty and there is no better way to experience all that than on a bicycle. We are so excited for you — we are thrilled as a business community and a community to have you here and we are looking forward to all you are able to do,” said Leg. Hahn.

“With everyone’s help, we are going to make Pedego Stony Brook successful and hopefully bring a lot of tourism and awareness to this area,” said Trisha Larsen. “We have self-guided tours, group rides, rentals and site sales. Please stop in.”

“At Pedego, we’re committed to inspiring connection and adventure within each of our communities,” said Cynthia Newcomb, Director of Business Development at Pedego. “We’re a people-oriented, fun-focused company, which is why [this store] is the perfect addition to our Pedego family. We look forward to not only providing Pedego Stony Brook with the best e-bikes in the world, but also cultivating a community that brings out the best in each other.”

Pedego Stony Brook joins the over 160 locally-owned Pedego stores throughout the United States. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sundays, closed Mondays. For more information, call 631-201-4283 or visit pedegoelectricbikes.com/east-setauket.

Photos by Heidi Sutton

West Side School team announced as semi-finalists in I Am EM-powered contest

by Press Release - June 2, 2021

0 951

0-1 — Photo courtesy of Cold Spring Harbor CSD

West Side School in the Cold Spring Harbor Central School District has announced that a team of 6th graders, under the guidance of Ms. Piña, were chosen as semi-finalists in the I Am EM-powered Public Service Announcement contest sponsored by PSEG. The West Side video submissions mostly centered around the topic of energy efficiency and environmental conservation; many offering up alternatives and thoughtful slogans to make their statement to the community more aware of these issues. The student challenge contest was open to grades 4 to 8 throughout Long Island. Out of 207 videos submitted, 10 earned a “Finalist” designation, and 25 were recognized as “Semi-finalists.”

Ms. Piña shared, “I am so impressed with all of our sixth graders who worked hard on researching their own topics, thoughtfully building scripts, and creatively implementing these in video and editing. I believe that our semi-finalists from 6P landed this honor due to their originality and dedication in creating a stop-motion PSA with a thoughtful message, ‘Do What’s Right and Turn off the Light.'” Congratulations to the student team of Phoebe Talamas, Camryn Woodworth, Audrey Davidian West, and Serena Glantz!

Editorial: Danger ahead

by TBR Staff - June 2, 2021

0 455

With the Memorial Day weekend behind us, it’s time to enjoy outdoor get-togethers such as barbecues and lazy days on the beach. Unfortunately, this time of year also means more drivers under the influence on our roads and more inexperienced ones, too.

When attending a party, it’s pretty simple. If you plan on drinking alcohol or ingesting other substances that can impair your senses, make sure you have a plan. There is no excuse for driving under the influence. Once upon a time, someone who planned on drinking needed to have a designated driver, plan to sleep over at the place where they were partying or call a taxi. Sometimes many partiers found themselves with a designated person who decided they would have a little fun, too. Or, with no room to sleep at the house where the party was held or a taxi that never showed up, they then got behind the wheel of a car and took off. Nowadays, with phone apps to order car services such as Uber or Lyft, there’s no excuse for driving under the influence of any substance.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2019, 10,142 people lost their lives due to drunk-driving crashes in the U.S. That’s 10,142 lives that were lost unnecessarily. But there is even more to watch out for on the road during those hot months besides drunk drivers.

Memorial Day to Labor Day has become known as the “100 deadliest days” of the year as the teen driver death rate increases. According to AAA, from the unofficial start of summer to its unofficial end, there are “more fatal crashes per day, on average, involving teen drivers compared to the rest of the year.”

A study by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found more than 7,000 teens died in such crashes from 2010-19 in the U.S. In New York state, during the same period, 473 teen drivers died in car crashes. Risk factors include teens lack of driving skills and experiences behind the wheel and the unstructured time that summer brings with kids out of school and not having as many activities such as sports and clubs. There are also other risk factors such as texting while driving, running red lights, driving aggressively and not wearing a seat belt.

What can one do when they’re traveling the roads besides watching out for drivers who are weaving in or out or running red lights? The best thing is to set an example of good driving habits on the road, especially when young people are in the passenger seats, which means cinching that seat belt, no texting or talking on the phone, no eating or drinking while steering.

And to play a part in keeping impaired drivers off the road, of course, when you’re hosting a party, make arrangements for your guests who will be indulging themselves.

The summertime should be time for fun, not for tears. Let’s keep the roads in our community safe, not only for the next few months but all year long. It just takes making a few wise decisions.

D. None of the Above: The welcome return of planning during the summer of 2021

by Daniel Dunaief - June 2, 2021

0 214

united-states-1184905_1920 — Pixabay photo

By Daniel Dunaief

I’m not much of a planner. I put together professional plans, creating a schedule for stories I’d like to research and write, and I coordinate calls and meetings all week, but I don’t tend to go through the calendar to figure out when to visit socially with friends and family or to attend cultural events.

This summer, however, I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to look at the calendar and consider a wide range of activities that would have been difficult or impossible a year ago.

I’m delighted to plan to visit with my extended family. I haven’t seen my brothers in over 19 months. I have visited with them on the phone and zoom, but that’s not nearly the same thing as seeing them in person, throwing a ball with them, flying a kite off the beach or just sitting on the couch and having a free-flowing conversation.

I am also delighted to consider planning a trip to museums. On one of our first dates, my wife and I went to the Metropolitan Museum, where we wandered slowly through the exhibits, continuing to build on our relationship even as we studied the artifacts left behind by the generations that fell in love and married hundreds of years earlier. I recall wandering through those wide hallways close to a quarter of a century ago, listening to my wife’s stories and delighting in laughter that, even now, provides validation and meaning to each moment.

I am hoping to travel to Washington, D.C., this summer, to see the air and space museum. Each of the planes hovers overhead, and the space capsules from the early days of the NASA program are inspirational, giving me a chance to picture the world from a different vantage point, seeing the shimmering blue waters that cover the Earth.

I have watched planes fly overhead throughout the pandemic, but I haven’t ventured to the airport or onto a plane. I’m looking forward to the opportunity that flight provides to turn trips that would take over 10 hours into one- or two-hour flights.

Visiting family, friends and strangers in different areas, eating foods that are different and unfamiliar and experiencing life outside of the small circles in which we’ve restricted ourselves opens up the possibilities for the summer and beyond.

My son can prepare for the start of college and my daughter for a return to college with the hope that they can enjoy more of the academic, social, extracurricular and community service experiences that they imagined when they envisioned these years of growth, development and, hopefully, independence.

I spoke with a scientist recently who told me that the inspiration for a work he’d just completed came from a conversation he had during a conference a few years ago. He had been sitting in an auditorium, listening to a speech, when he and a stranger exchanged thoughts about the implications of the work. From that interaction, he started a new project that became a productive and central focus of his research efforts. As soon as conferences are back on the calendar, he hopes to return to the road, where such unexpected and unplanned conversations can trigger inspiration.

To be sure, I recognize that the realities of travel and planning don’t always dovetail with the hopes and expectations. I recently visited with our extended community at a social gathering, where I stood downwind of someone who wore so much cologne that I couldn’t taste the food I was eating.

I’m sure there’ll also be lines, traffic jams and literal and figurative turbulence as I leave our home cocoon.

Still, this summer, I’ll be grateful for the opportunity to do so much, including and especially, the chance to plan.

Between You and Me: Our first trip after being vaccinated against COVID-19 was a celebration

by Leah Dunaief - June 2, 2021

0 293

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

Congratulations are in order for this past weekend’s activities. First and most importantly, my youngest grandchild graduated from high school last Friday. What a lovely milestone for him, one not to be missed by us.

We decided to drive there, the 11-hour trip notwithstanding, rather than deal with the inevitable crowds and COVID risks and restrictions at the airport. But so much more had to be factored into our plans. Why, I wondered, would a school arrange for graduation during Memorial Day weekend? This was an especially puzzling question as reports were warning of major travel activity by car and plane. Over 37 million people were expected to venture more than 50 miles away from home, a 60% increase above last year, with a big post-pandemic breakout looming.

Clearly this situation called for some careful strategizing. First we called and secured reservations at a hotel near the school. This was going to be more than a one-day trip. That was the easiest part. Then we decided to start right after work on Tuesday evening since that would probably beat the traffic leaving the Island for the weekend. We would drive as far as we could before stopping at a roadside lodging for the night, which we figured would give us a good head start on the trip for the following day.

Next we thought to pick up some sandwiches for dinner in the car on our way out of town. We ordered those in advance, as well as the much loved chocolate chip cookies from the local bakery to bring my family. And we would stop for a package that a friend, who lives near my grandson, requested we bring to her.

We followed the plan.

After five hours of night driving with blissfully no traffic, we saw a sign for a familiar hotel at the next exit and drove off the highway feeling quite ready for a good sleep. Our first problem was that, in our haze, we couldn’t immediately find the hotel. After a bit of exploring and a U-turn, we did and pulled into a parking lot that looked ominously full. When we tried the front door, it was locked.

Fortunately, as we stood there in a fatigued stupor, a worker at the hotel came along and opened the door for us. She then called to the clerk behind the front desk, who had appeared from nowhere, and who told us what we feared: no rooms available. She directed us to the next hotel down the highway.

“But wait,” the first worker said as she scooted around behind the desk, “let me look at the register.” After several minutes, she found an unfulfilled reservation for a room on the fourth floor and offered it to us. Relief!

The next day, we happily arrived at our destination by mid-afternoon. I don’t have to tell you how wonderful it was to come together with family we had not seen in over a year, to hug them and note how the children had grown, and talk with them in person for hours. Thursday, other members of the extended family arrived, everyone in a happy mood, and Friday, under a beautiful blue sky, we all went to the commencement and cheered mightily as our grandson walked on stage, shook the president’s hand and received his sheepskin.

We, of course, celebrated the rest of the day and well into the evening. It felt a little unreal to be casually chatting together after the year of pandemic isolation, something we would otherwise, in earlier times, so taken for granted.

Now came the tricky part: when to leave for the drive home through the midst of the holiday weekend. We had decided on Saturday, hoping that was a good travel day, when most people would already have gotten to their destinations and before they would have started to return. Picking up some provisions for the car ride, we filled the gas tank and left in the morning for home. There was never any serious traffic along the route. Score one for strategy, another for luck. And another for appreciation and gratitude for all that we would have simply accepted pre-pathogen as our due.

Huntington reliever slams the door on O’Beirne gem to beat Northport

by TBR Staff - June 2, 2021

0 1296

1 of 16

By Steven Zaitz

The Houdinis of Huntington pulled off yet another escape — and it was the bullpen that wrote the final act.

The Blue Devils fended off a wild seventh inning comeback attempt by the Northport Tigers and won by a score of 4-3, May 27 in Huntington. Devils starting pitcher Palmer O’Beirne was brilliant again, going 6 1/3 innings and striking out nine. Closer Alex Bellissimo got the last two outs with the bases loaded to end the game.

“That last inning was definitely a lot of pressure, for sure,” the senior Bellissimo said. “But the whole time I was thinking that I’ve got to close it out for Palmer because he pitched a great game. I just stayed relaxed and tried to execute my pitches.”

While Bellissimo was relaxing, everyone else in attendance was on the edge of their seats — in the dugouts and in the stands. As the afternoon settled into early dusk, the other extra-curricular activities around the Huntington High School Athletic Complex had ended. Lacrosse players, cheerleaders and other members of the student body began to buzz around the ballfield to watch these two fiery rivals play this seventh and deciding inning. They were in for a treat.

Three weeks prior to this game, Huntington stunned Northport with four runs in their final turn at bat to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 6-4 victory. Northport was looking for a little payback.

But O’Beirne, a junior, was perfect through three innings in this rematch and had given up only three hits and a run through six. He came out for the seventh inning having thrown 95 pitches and immediately showed signs of fatigue by giving up a single to Richard Kershow to start the inning. He had struck Kershow out twice before.

“I got two strikes on him and tried to finish him off with a curve,” the 6-foot-3-inch fireballer said. “I left it up a little bit and he was able to get it into right field for a hit. I wish I stuck with my fastball there.”

After getting sophomore Owen Johansen to fly out to right, Tiger first baseman Joe Gonzales lined a double to right center, bringing the potential tying run to the plate and knocking O’Beirne, tired or not, out of the game, as he reached his pitch count maximum of 105.

“I would have liked to have been out there to finish the game,” O’Beirne said. “I was counting pitches in my head instead of focusing on getting the batters out.”

So O’Beirne, who was named after Baltimore Oriole pitching great Jim Palmer, moved over to first base and his teammate Bellissimo was called upon to put out a smoldering fire — and things were about to get even hotter.

Northport shortstop Ray Moreno drove in Kershow with a single to right. Speedy leftfielder Tom Tini, who saved two runs the previous inning with a spinning circus catch, legged out an infield hit on a very close play at first base. Gonzales came in to score on Tini’s hit and Huntington’s lead was suddenly just a single run.

Right fielder Rocco Stola drew a walk, loading the bases and more importantly, putting the potential tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position with only one out.

Northport catcher Mike Catrone stepped up to the plate. He had driven in a run with a well-struck liner in the previous inning but was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a double. But Bellissimo got him to pop out to third and the Devils were one out away from victory — the late spring daylight now fading as the drama came to its crescendo.

Number three hitter and centerfielder Dan Thompson was the last hope for Northport.

“Getting that pop out was huge and took some of the pressure off,” Bellissimo said. “But I still had one more out to get.”

With two strikes, Thomson smoked a humpback liner to straightaway center field. The pinging sound of aluminum on rawhide set off alarm bells over the now-hushed diamond. Centerfielder Kyle Colleluori, who seems to find a way to contribute every time he steps on a baseball field, ranged over a few steps to his left to snag the liner before it could find the grass. Ballgame over. Blue Devils win.

“Off the bat, I thought it was hit pretty good and maybe they just took the lead,” said the relieved reliever Bellissimo. “But I turned around and saw that Kyle was there, as he always is. What a great win!”

With the victory, Huntington and Northport, along with Bay Shore and Connetquot, sit atop the League II standings and are scrambling to best each other for playoff seeding.

“In our league, almost anyone can beat anyone,” O’Beirne said. “There are no guarantees.”

If these two teams meet again, it will be in the League II playoffs, and if recent history is any indication, there is one thing that can be guaranteed — that game will have another seventh inning storybook ending.

Who will author it?

Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn eyes Congress seat

by Press Release - June 2, 2021

0 471

Kara-Hann-for-Congress — Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn announced her bid to run for Congress on June 2. Photo from Hahn’s campaign office

As TBR News Media papers were going to press Wednesday, June 2, Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) was scheduled to discuss something big in the front courtyard of the Three Village Inn in Stony Brook later in the day.

Hahn, who is also deputy presiding officer of the county Legislature, announced in a press release June 2, her bid to be the next congresswoman for New York’s 1st Congressional District. The seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R) who has his eyes on the New York State governor’s seat in 2022.

The June 2 event was organized for Hahn to make her first public remarks about her decision. When she was younger, Hahn was a waitress at the Three Village Inn.

She said in the press release she is running for Congress “to make an even greater impact for the community where she grew up and continues to raise her family today.”

“For too long, our community has paid the price for a representative in Washington who is more dedicated to partisan politics than the needs of this district,” Hahn said. “The cost of living on Long Island is squeezing students, workers and homeowners across this district, and it’s time we have a representative that’s laser-focused on building an economy that supports Suffolk County’s working families.”

In her time in the Legislature, Hahn has risen to the deputy presiding officer leadership post and her accomplishments include authoring laws to protect land and water from pollutants, leading the charge to confront Long Island’s opioid epidemic, and working to keep women and children safe from domestic abusers.

The legislator lives in Setauket with her husband Chris and two daughters. For more information on her campaign, visit www.karaforcongress.com.

Prev 1...151152153...260 Next

Page 152 of 260