Yearly Archives: 2022

One-on-one with Lauren Sheprow

by Raymond Janis - June 10, 2022

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Port Jeff village trustee candidate on finding creative responses to local issues

Lauren Sheprow, former media relations officer at Stony Brook University and daughter of the former village mayor Hal Sheprow, is running for trustee. During an exclusive interview last week, Sheprow addressed her family’s background in village politics, her experience in media relations, Upper Port revitalization, the East Beach bluff and more.

What is your background and why would you like to be involved in village government?

I’ve been working my entire life in public relations, communications and media relations — that’s about a 40-year career. I most recently was working at Stony Brook University as the Chief Media Relations Officer and prior to that I was at Mather Hospital and the public relations director for that hospital. I enjoyed those jobs immensely.

I retired from the University officially on December 31 and didn’t initially consider or think about running for trustee. My father was the mayor of Port Jefferson during a timeframe of 1979 until 1994. He was a trustee before that and a planning board chairman prior to that in the village of Port Jefferson. He also was an EMS and ambulance person for the Port Jeff ambulance. As I was growing up in that household with my siblings — I have a sister and five brothers — we all watched that, we saw him do that and it had a big impression on me. It was ingrained in me that it was an important thing to give back to the community.

It had been in the back of my mind for a while that I did want to do something, whether it be as trustee or to do something in a different realm. I did not have time to do that while I was working at Stony Brook because that was a 24/7 job and I would never have had the time it takes to run for trustee, let alone serve.

When I learned about and was reminded that these two seats are up for reelection, I started really thinking about it and thought that I could contribute based on my historic perspective because I grew up here and went to the schools here from pre-K to graduation. My children attended Port Jeff schools. I have twin girls who graduated in 2010 and a son who graduated in 2015.

I’ve done a lot of volunteer work here and I’ve learned a lot about working within organizations to help things grow and improve and just foster community excellence. I was a youth baseball coach for the village of Port Jefferson, volunteered on the Port Jefferson recreation committee and I was appointed to the Country Club Advisory and Management Council. Now I am the president of the Tuesday Tournament Group, which is actually a league that’s run as a board-run program. That’s a lot of work, too.

All that said, the point is I’ve been giving a lot of my time and I’ve been noticing and recognizing where there are opportunities for the village to see strategic growth and opportunities for impact and change.

What are your key takeaways from your father’s time in public office?

Lauren Sheprow (right) at the Mayor Harold J. Sheprow Parkland dedication ceremony at the Port Jefferson Country Club. Photo courtesy Sheprow

My father’s legacy of community involvement has always had a tremendous influence on my choices in life. He juggled so much — with help from my mother, of course. He was first and foremost an aeronautical engineer at [Northrop] Grumman, which is what brought us to Long Island in the first place. He also served, largely as a volunteer, as mayor, trustee, planning board chair and on the ambulance company as a volunteer EMS.

He had such a tremendous impact on this community with the annexation of the Hill Crest, Pine Hill, Ellen Drive, Laurita Gate and Jefferson’s Landing developments, and the acquisition of the country club being his two most significant contributions.

I hope to be able to emulate his community service and give back by being elected as a trustee of Port Jefferson village.

How is your background in media relations applicable to the work of a trustee?

I really feel like as a trustee, one of the most important things you can do is communicate to your constituency and communicate in a way that is transparent, concise, responsive and addresses the questions you are getting with answers and then potentially solutions.

At Stony Brook and at Mather Hospital, we had numerous inquiries and activities that had to be addressed at the same time. It was like drinking from the fire hose at Stony Brook, so you had to prioritize, you had to find the information that was going to be responsive to the questions you were getting from all angles — including from faculty, from administration, from students and from the media. We were responsive and accountable to everyone, and we had to do it in a way that was with the consensus of leadership.

We needed to get answers quickly, accurately and comprehensively. That really trained me for a lot of adversity. It trained me to work in a calm and thorough manner, not to be driven by agendas or a sense of urgency, but to be driven by getting the information you need that is right, accurate and has the consensus of the people who are working on the things you’re trying to learn about.

I think that bringing that skill set to a position on the Board of Trustees in Port Jefferson will help me really dig into some of the issues that are being expressed by villagers right now and look for solutions that are supported by facts, law and the code. The code really defines how you can move through a process, so I think relying on the code and the law is a really important part of what it means to be a public official.

In the same way that at Stony Brook that I would ask as many questions as I could and get as many responses from as many different sources as I possibly could to make sure the response is accurate, concise and responsive, I would do the same in this position as trustee and follow up and communicate in the same way I have done my entire career.

Sheprow during her daughters’ graduation ceremony. Photo courtesy Sheprow

What are the most critical issues facing the village?

I think the most interesting things that are happening right now are the revitalization of uptown Port Jefferson, one. Two, what’s happening at the country club right now. I see opportunities in both areas. And the Mather Hospital project is another very interesting issue that’s going on right now. Those are three of the most important things going on in the village right now.

In terms of the uptown Port Jefferson revitalization, the progress that’s going on there is tremendous. There’s a lot of interest from new developers. Attending the meetings of the Board of Trustees and following the progress, what I have learned is that there are new developers coming forward to propose new projects and to me that’s very exciting. Shovels in the ground means progress and creates excitement. It fosters the axiom that, “If you build it, they will come.” I believe that’s happening right now.

The other issue or opportunity I see is bringing the country club back to all village residents. What I would love to work on is bringing the country club back to the community so that the community can enjoy it, not just as a golf course but as a place to foster a social and cultural environment. That’s what the purpose of the country club acquisition was originally, it’s in the original documentation. Let’s go back to the future and find a way to welcome all residents back to enjoy that facility in the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

And I’ll touch on the bluff for a second: the bluff and the country club are not one and the same. The bluff is village property. The village has got to safeguard its property, it’s got to safeguard those beaches and that groin. There is a roadway down to East Beach and there is a groin between that roadway and the country club parking lot. As the erosion continues, that groin will fail and you will lose access and you will lose the beach. That is one of the things that will happen if that bluff were not restored.

It’s the village’s responsibility to take care of that property and this is the best way to do that right now. To me, it’s a no-brainer. And it’s not to preserve the building. It’s to preserve village property, the safety and security of village property. That’s what the role of the Board of Trustees is: to preserve and keep safe for the residents of the village, the property and the community.

As trustee, my commitment is to get to the bottom of the issues at hand and proactively engage concerned villagers in the process.

— Lauren Sheprow

How can residents play a more active role in village decision-making?

Sheprow with twin newborn grandsons, Clayton and Wyatt, 2018. Photo courtesy Sheprow

The village offers ample opportunities to become involved in the decision making process, as is demonstrated by the numerous committees, councils and volunteer organizations that exist, including the page on the village website called “Get Involved.”

There is an opportunity for a more robust and active recruitment for volunteers within these organizations — an experience I encountered while on the CCMAC and the Recreation Committee, which is currently dormant.

Succession-planning on boards and committees is important, and village trustees as well as those board chairs should be thinking about that from the moment they begin their tenure, so when someone decides to resign or a term limit is reached, there is a resource already in place to step in with no down time. The Trustee Liaison to each respective committee or board should be responsible for that.

It’s also clear that communication is an important factor and some in the village feel they aren’t getting the information they need to have an impact on decision-making. As someone who has worked in the strategic communications field for nearly four decades, I can say without hesitation that the communications resources and efforts from the village are robust and in accordance with village code. From the e-newsletter, to the YouTube Channel and streaming and posting to the archive live meetings, to the social media efforts, an incredibly responsive website, and other forms of email outreach, plenty of communications redundancy exists.

What is also important is that residents know that if they want to express a concern or get involved, they will be acknowledged and responded to in a timely manner and can feel confident that their representative on the Board of Trustees will help resolve the issue at hand. As trustee, my commitment is to get to the bottom of the issues at hand and proactively engage concerned villagers in the process.

Sheprow was involved in the organization of the 40th reunion of the Port Jeff Class of ‘78, 2018. Photo courtesy Sheprow

Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers?

I love this community, but that’s not what makes me stand out because I know everyone that’s running for these two seats loves this community as well and wants to see it thrive.

Vision, coming up with creative solutions that don’t add an extra burden on the taxpayers, and knowing how to get things done is what set me apart at Stony Brook and at Mather Hospital and will serve me well as a trustee. I’m a questioner, a problem-solver and a communicator, but I also understand how difficult it can be to navigate the bureaucratic labyrinth from working at Stony Brook for so long, and at Mather. Both entities provided me with great insights into how to get things done within the public sector.

I will hit the ground running. I have been attending board meetings, following the planning board and zoning board of appeals issues, and I have engaged in conversations with a number of people to understand what is most important to them and thinking about how it may be addressed or how to raise it as an issue. This is my commitment.

Three Village Trust continues community support despite pandemic

by TBR Staff - June 10, 2022

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IMG-1541 (1) — Members of the Three Village Community Trust, left, hand out lemonade to attendees of the Setauket Memorial Day Parade May 30. Photo from Three Village Community Trust

By Chris Mellides

Founded in 2003, the Three Village Community Trust has been a staple in the community and despite the rough times wrought on by the pandemic, the land trust’s members and community volunteers remain optimistic for the future.

Since 2020 onward, COVID-19 has been a thorn in the sides of many businesses and nonprofits on Long Island and elsewhere. Despite state-sanctioned shutdowns, through a dedicated volunteer membership, this not-for-profit organization has continued its community-centric efforts to preserve and beautify historical sites Three Villagers can admire in the area.

Members of the Three Village Community Trust, left, hand out lemonade to attendees at the Setauket Memorial Day Parade May 30. Photo from Three Village Community Trust

During the pandemic when things were at their worst, TVCT voted in one of its founders, Herb Mones, to take over from longtime president Cynthia Barnes.

Financial manager, Greg de Bruin, has been a contributor to the trust for years. “I became truly aware of how much responsibility the trust has assumed and how much it could affect our community for the good,” he said. “Herb Mones, who was installed as the new president at [the March 2021] meeting, happens to be very good at getting those points across,” de Bruin added.

The TVCT properties include the Setauket to Port Jefferson Station Greenway, Patriots Rock Historic Site, the Factory Worker Houses (also known as the Rubber Factory Houses), the Hawkins Homestead, the Smith/de Zafra House, the Bruce House headquarters, the Stephen D. Matthews Preserve and the Tyler House, according to Mones.

When asked how the trust was able to stick it out during the unforeseen global pandemic, Mones said, “The trust had to be creative.”

“We developed a number of unique online events to connect with our membership, and at the same time raise revenues ‘to keep the lights on,’” the president said. “Many of our properties are under renovation, with large price tags to do the correct historical renovations. And utilities, insurance and maintenance services are a big lift.”

Treasurer Hope Kinney said that she helps de Bruin in making sure the bills are paid the for the properties that mean a lot to the Three Village area community.

“The trust is amazing, they do so much for our community,” Kinney said. “We preserve many properties and help beautify the Three Village community. We have many events to help raise money for all these things we do.”

Among these fundraising projects, the trust headed up a relief effort for the people of Ukraine by asking residents to donate. The TVCT also recently installed sunflower art at its different properties throughout the area to show support for the Ukrainian people and to raise awareness of the crisis in that country.

De Bruin said that “obtaining funding to execute our mission is a never-ending effort. We receive funding from government grants at all levels and from private donors in the community. To get people or agencies to contribute, we have to show them that we have a worthy mission, that we have plans to accomplish the goals of the trust, and that we are succeeding in executing them.”

Aside from receiving support from the local community, the trust has recently secured a $50,000 matching grant from state Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket).

“The recently announced grant from the assemblyman is so critical to us,” Mones said. “We have worked very hard to emerge out of the pandemic, and this grant will be important to assure our sustainability in the future. We are honored to be the recipient of the grant and are deeply appreciative.”

The number of projects that have culminated thus far in the trust’s almost-20 years history has been impressive. Kinney said that her favorite restoration project was the Rubber Factory Houses: “We have been using the properties for many events recently and it is so beautiful.”

Sporting new gutters this spring, with newly painted windows, doors and trims, the Rubber Factory Houses are a rustic collection of three wooden buildings that were restored by community volunteers.

According to Mones, an electric feed was added to bring electric to the structures. An electrical panel, outside receptacles, outside lighting and some indoor light switches and receptacles were also added.

The houses were relocated in 2011 to the Bruce House grounds from the Setauket Fire District property on nearby Old Town Road.

“The trust hopes to expand its community outreach and continue its momentum in ‘protecting the place you love,’” Mones said. “We see the trust as a friend, partner and leader in helping to make the Three Villages a very special place.”

For more information on the Three Village Community Trust, visit www.threevillagecommunitytrust.org.

Editorial: Setting a course – Working with the LIRR for a better ride

by TBR Staff - June 10, 2022

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278118085_10158017848107315_5019051326659776356_n — Photo from Facebook

A growing divide has emerged between the people of the North Shore and the Long Island Rail Road, and it is time for the local community to bridge this gap.

In board rooms and public meetings throughout this area, local officials today express similar frustrations about their various dealings with this public railroad company.

On Monday night, Port Jefferson Village trustee Bruce Miller described the complications that arose during a recent meeting with LIRR reps as neither party could agree on a common path forward. A day later, Brookhaven and state officials traveled to Stony Brook train station, echoing the decades-old call for the electrification of the Port Jefferson Branch line.

Local elected officials are most familiar and best equipped to handle the plights of their constituents. Yet in communities throughout this area, our leaders are meeting resistance with LIRR, whose leadership changes too often. While LIRR rightly devotes much of its energies to the more heavily traveled Ronkonkoma Branch, the residents of the North Shore pay taxes and have an interest in this company, too.

LIRR officials should be aware of the frequency of riders who travel inland to the main line in the center of the Island. This suggests residents here are rejecting the railways in their own backyard for a longer drive to the train station — albeit a faster and more direct commute into Manhattan. The unintended consequences of this are greater congestion on our roadways and more pollution generated by cars. This burdensome commute impairs our quality of life, costing us more energy and placing unnecessary strain on our physical and mental health.

For decades, the people of this area have asked LIRR to electrify the Port Jefferson Branch. Today, as the cost of diesel fuel surges exponentially due to inflation, this transition is more necessary than ever before. Despite the preponderance of evidence that electrification will reduce air and noise pollution, that it will cut costs for the railroad and the taxpayer, and that it will deliver a better ride for the people of this community, electrification has been nothing more than a pipedream.

There is no better time than right now to electrify the line. With a flood of infrastructure stimulus cash from the federal government, the opportunity is ripe for the taking. We must thank our representatives who are fighting to secure a better ride and remind them to keep applying the pressure.

At some point, LIRR must soon give in and when it does, it will be for the better.

Part II: Focusing on the mental health of medical workers

by Daniel Dunaief - June 10, 2022

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The second in a two-part series, this article highlights the strain COVID-19 has placed on a mental health care system that was already resource-constrained. Mental health care workers, from social workers to psychologists, psychiatrists and emergency medical teams, have responded to the increasing need for their services, cutting back on vacation times and dealing with patients who threaten violence against themselves and others. During the pandemic, health care workers who focused on the emotional well-being of patients also sought balance in their own lives. To borrow from the TV show “Law & Order,” these are their stories.

For some, running half marathons, spending time with family, meditating and communing with nature helps. For others, staying connected and reaching out to the kinds of services they themselves provide also offsets the growing strains in their work.

Health care workers have shouldered the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic for more than two years, reaching out well beyond their job description to help patients amid a period of intense uncertainty that threatened their physical and emotional health.

The cost to health care workers, including those who work in behavioral or mental health, has been considerable, as time at the hospital and speaking with patients remotely cut into their personal lives and threatened their own sense of balance.

“It was very difficult to be a doctor through the storms of COVID,” said Dr. Stacy Eagle, director of Psychiatry at Port Jefferson-based St. Charles Hospital. Health care workers had to “deal with a lot of mental health issues” during the last few years.

Indeed, hospitals throughout the area offered varying levels of support while their staff were on-site, including meditation rooms and aroma therapy. They also suggested personal health checks and provided on-call services for employees who might be struggling amid concerns about their health and the well-being of family members and their patients.

While the general public has tried to push COVID into the back of their minds, attending sporting events and movies, going to restaurants and returning to patterns and activities that are reminiscent of life in 2019, health care workers have increasingly needed mental health support.

Employee Assistance

Over the last several months, Stony Brook University, which has an Employee Assistance Program, has seen a rise in the number of staff reaching out for help.

During the pandemic, Stony Brook launched an employee helpline for those who need mental health support, including psychotherapy and/or medication management. Compared to last year, Stony Brook is seeing a two-folded increase, or triple, the number of employees reaching out for services, according to Dr. Adam Gonzalez, director of Behavioral Health and associate professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health at Stony University Renaissance School of Medicine.

“There are high concerns about employee burnout, resignations and departures from health care,” Gonzalez wrote in an email. “Most concerning is the risk for suicide — the ultimate consequence of burnout.”

Stony Brook has an employee support team that implements wellness initiatives, including daily mindfulness meditation sessions, yoga and stretching, and confidential one-on-one support by a faculty and staff care team and employee assistance program.

Dr. Poonamdeep Gill, director of the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program at Stony Brook Hospital, said the mental health team is “seeing more patients who are sicker from a mental health standpoint. People are really struggling. It does take a toll on you.”

Gill said Stony Brook is proactive with staff, making sure they can access services. The university also encourages staff to check in with their leadership team if they are feeling burned out or struggling.

Dr. Michel Khlat, director of St. Catherine of Siena in Smithtown, said he has seen some of the same health care fatigue that has beset hospitals and other health care facilities throughout the country.

“Staff members have gotten overwhelmed with the volumes,” Khlat said. “Some are altering their occupations to see more outpatients. Some are reverting to part-time and per diem work.” He has had a few friends in Florida who are seeing the same phenomenon, with health care workers quitting or cutting back on hospital time and going into private practices.

Bounce forward

The Northwell Health System has been working on the support of all health care workers, including in mental health, said Dr. Vera Feuer, associate vice president in School Mental Health. Northwell has adopted a stress first aid response, peer support, and a resilience model to recover from stress and trauma.

The military developed stress first aid to deal with situations like the pandemic, in which there is ongoing stress with an uncertain ending. That, Feuer said, differs from a single event, like 9/11, where something traumatic occurs and survivors build back from it.

The pandemic has involved over two years of continuous stress and this feeling of uncertainty, she added.

Stress first aid teaches people to support each other in resilience and to “bounce forward,” Feuer said. “It is difficult to maintain in a busy, stressful environment.”

Finding balance

Doctors suggested they engaged in a wide range of activities to help with their own mental health.

A believer in the value of nutraceuticals and supplements, Dr. Jeffrey Wheeler, the director of the Emergency Room at St. Charles Hospital said he also works on focused breathing.

Eagle, his colleague at St. Charles, urges people to pursue some of their hobbies, such as reading or painting. She also recommends staying off of or limiting social media, particularly for younger children who might find the information and the reaction to postings unnerving.

Stony Brook’s Gill believes in physical activity and exercise. She ran a half marathon a few weeks ago on Long Island.

“I make sure I stay active,” she said. “We need to take care of ourselves before we can take care of other people.”

Stony Brook’s Gonzalez stays closely connected to family, friends and work colleagues.

“I also try to stay active and explore nature,” Gonzalez said. “I regularly practice mindfulness [which is] tuning into the present moment in a nonjudgmental way.”

Gonzalez enjoys a good TV show or movie to disconnect and unwind as well.

Northwell’s Feuer said she’s worked harder than she ever had, but, at the same time, she feels fulfilled by the hope and meaning in her work.

For Feuer, the silver lining is the attention to mental health, which “we know has been a problem for a long time. I’m hoping the right resources and interventions” will help those who need it.

To read the first of this two-part series, “Mental health strain for Long Islanders,” visit tbrnewsmedia.com.

One-on-one with Three Village’s incoming superintendent

by Rita J. Egan - June 10, 2022

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Scanlon2-5-29-BOE-paldyw — Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services Kevin Scanlon speaks at a meeting. File photo

A new superintendent will be overseeing the Three Village Central School district come July 6.

Kevin Scanlon will become the school district’s new superintendent on July 6. Photo from Three Village Central School District

TVCSD’s assistant superintendent for educational services, Kevin Scanlon, is ready to take over the reins with nearly 30 years of education experience behind him.

Last year, current superintendent Cheryl Pedisich’s announcement that she would stay on for one more school year coincided with Scanlon receiving offers from other districts. After the board of ed reviewed his résumé and interviewed him, they asked if he wanted the job. He said in a phone interview that after enjoying his work immensely in Three Village over the years, “I’m going to be happy to continue on in my new role.”

Background

The 52-year-old lives a short distance away in Smithtown, and he and his wife Kerri have two children, Meghan, 25, and Sean, 14. A native of Bay Shore, he grew up as the youngest of 11 children and began his college career at first majoring in accounting at Iona College. He soon switched to history, with a concentration on middle eastern history. Scanlon went on to get his master’s in criminal justice at the school and was employed by the college as an admissions counselor and then managed the dorms. He recently received his doctorate from St. John’s University and has an administration certification from Stony Brook University.

His interest in teaching grew when he was in college tutoring underprivileged students. He said that’s when “chalk got in my blood.”

“I felt I would do more for our world in general if I was working with kids like that,” Scanlon said.

Throughout his career, he’s taught social studies at every level from seventh grade to 12th, including Advanced Placement, honors and Regents classes.

“I’ve enjoyed that immensely,” he said. “I see so much of the good that our teachers do and teachers in general do, just affecting the future.”

His first teaching job was in a school in Upper Manhattan that saw an increase in crime right in its own hallways in the late 1980s and ’90s. The former amateur boxer, who spent eight years in the U.S. Navy Reserve, was conducting a student observation when he had to tackle a student with a knife in the hallway.

“The next morning, I was brought in to replace the teacher that was stabbed,” Scanlon said. “A little frightening, but well needed in that place. It was a very large high school in Upper Manhattan, 4,000 students. They set the state record for robberies and rapes in a school.”

After working in the New York City school system, he went on to teach Catholic school for a short period in Connecticut. He also has taught night school in Brentwood High School for 10 years.

His first experience teaching in Three Village was in 1996 when he became a social studies teacher in Ward Melville High School, five years later he became chair of humanities at Paul J. Gelinas Junior High School and remained in the position until 2003.

He had a two-year stint in the Oyster Bay school district as district supervisor of social studies and became principal of Roslyn High School in 2005 after a scandal in the district which is the subject of the movie “Bad Education.” After spending seven years heading up Roslyn, he returned to Three Village in 2012 as assistant superintendent for educational services.

The future

Scanlon said he is ready to work on some significant challenges when he begins his new position July 6. He said before the pandemic parents had been discussing school start times with the board and administrators. Many have said that some students, particularly high school students, have first classes that start too early and interfere with healthy sleeping patterns for teenagers. A start-time committee was formed before the pandemic, but discussions had to be put on hold as administrators dealt with COVID-19.

“We’ve had discussions on time and things of that nature, but we’re going to need to address some of that moving forward and involve all the constituencies in the district in that discussion,” he said. “Whether we do reconfigure or we stay in our current configuration, I think we need to at least discuss what that would look like going forward,” adding that things may not change drastically, but a closer look needs to be taken at the issue.

Scanlon also feels that divisiveness in the nation has carried over locally.

“We want to try to heal the community as much as possible, and I think what will go a long way is continuing to be as transparent as possible,” he said.

One way Scanlon said that can be done is using social media more often to supplement the district’s website. He said it also ensures that the community is getting their information from the district itself, especially when it comes to matters such as the budget. The future superintendent said social media is also a way to “be open to listening to some of the differing opinions that exist in the district and try to make the best decisions possible for the students that we have.”

“I want to make sure that as we do move forward that we have people understand about what we’re trying to do, and improvements we are trying to make and planning for our future, but also involving all our parents, our community members, our students, our faculty, our administration, in those decisions as we go forward,” he said.

Scanlon added that Pedisich has always been open to parents, returning emails and phone calls, and he will miss how deeply she cares about the community. He said he’s happy he was able to work with her for the last 10 years. Scanlon said she approached every issue with a calm attitude and is “a real model to emulate.”

While he will miss working with Pedisich, he’s proud to take on his new role in the district.

“I’m truly honored to be in this role,” Scanlon said. “I’m going to work my hardest for the benefit of the students and the families and the staff.”

SBU’s Christoper Gobler, Mike Doall show how kelp helps oysters

by Daniel Dunaief - June 9, 2022

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By Daniel Dunaief

Kelp, and other seaweed, may prove to be an oyster’s best friend. And, no, this isn’t a script for a new episode of SpongeBob SquarePants.

A thick, heavy leafy seaweed, kelp provides an environmentally friendly solution to several problems. Amid higher levels of carbon dioxide, the air has become warmer and oceans, including coastal regions, are more acidic. That’s because carbon dioxide mixes with water, producing negative hydrogen ions that lower the pH of the water.

Enter kelp.

A rapidly growing seaweed, kelp, which is endemic to the area, uses that carbon dioxide in the same way trees do, as a part of photosynthesis. By removing carbon dioxide, kelp raises the pH, which is helpful for the area’s shellfish.

The above graph shows pH scale measurements with and without kelp. The graph shows continuous pH (NBS scale) bubbling, and the addition of 4 x 104 cells mL-1 Isochrysis galbana added daily to simulate daily feedings of bivalves. Image provided by Chris Gobler

That’s the conclusion of a recent study published in Frontiers in Marine Science by Stony Brook University Professor Christopher Gobler, Endowed Chair of Coastal Ecology and Conservation at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, and Mike Doall, Associate Director of Shellfish Restoration and Aquaculture at Stony Brook University.

In a series of five laboratory experiments and a field study, Gobler and Doall showed that kelp lowered acidification, enabling better growth for shellfish like oysters. “There was better oyster growth inside the kelp than 50 meters away” Doall said, in what he and Gobler describe as the “halo” effect.

Gobler was especially pleased with the implications of the field experiment.“While showing that [result] in the lab was exciting, being able to improve the growth of oysters on an oyster farm experiencing coastal acidification proves this approach can have very broad implications,” Gobler said in a statement.

Doall estimates that kelp farmers can grow 72,000 pounds per acre of kelp in just six months, during the prime growing season from December through May.

Doall, whose primary role in the study was to grow the kelp and set up the field experiment, said he grew kelp at the Great Gun oyster farm in Moriches Bay that were up to 12 feet long. Over the last four years, he has grown kelp in 16 locations around Long Island, from the East River to Fishers Island.

This year, the team conducted kelp studies in nine locations. The best growth occurred in the East River and in Moriches Bay, Doall said. He harvested about 2,000 pounds each from those two sites this year and is primarily using the kelp in a host of fertilizer studies.

Gobler explained that using seaweed like kelp could enhance aquaculture.

“The intensification of ocean acidification now threatens bivalve aquaculture and has necessitated a solution,” Gobler said in a statement. “We believe our work is foundational to a solution.”

Above, Mike Doall during a recent kelp harvest in Moriches Bay. Photo by Cameron Provost

One of the challenges of using kelp to improve the local conditions for shellfish is that it grows during the winter through May, while the growing season for shellfish occurs during the summer.

“That is why we are now working on summer seaweeds,” Gobler explained in an email.

Gobler and Doall are looking for similar potential localized benefits from Ulva, a green sea lettuce, and Gracilaria, which is a red, branchy seaweed.

“Most water quality issues occur during summer, so it’s important to grow seaweed year round,” Doall said.

The Stony Brook scientists, who have worked together since the early 1990s when they were graduate students, are also exploring varieties of kelp that might be more heat tolerant and will try to use some of those on Long Island.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is leading a project to hybridize these heartier strains of kelp, Doall said. GreenWave, which supports regenerative ocean farming, is also participating in that effort.

Gobler explained that they also plan to start earlier, which will extend the growing season.

While the different growing seasons for kelp and oysters may make kelp only part of the solution for reducing ocean acidification for shellfish, the different growing seasons makes the seaweed a complementary companion crop for commercial shellfish diggers.

Summer laborers who work on oysters can transition to kelp harvesting in the fall and winter.

A resident of Rocky Point, Doall lives with his wife Nancy, who teaches at North Coleman Road Elementary School in the Middle Country School District.

The Doall’s 23-year old daughter Deanna, who is a graduate of the University of Tampa, is currently traveling in Guatemala, while their 20-year old daughter Annie is attending Florida Gulf Coast University.

Doall grew up in Massapequa Park. As a 12-year old, he pooled his lawn mowing money with a friend’s paper route funds to buy a small boat with a 1967 10-horsepower Evinrude engine. The pair went out on bays to fish and, periodically, to clam.

Doall, who loves gardening and being in the ocean, described the two of them as being “notorious” for needing tows back to the shore regularly when their engine died.

The former owner of an oyster farm, Doall also enjoys eating them. He particularly enjoys eating oysters in the winter and early spring, when they are plump. His favorite way to eat them is raw on the half shell, but he also appreciates his wife’s “killer Oysters Rockefeller,” as he described it.

As for kelp, the current supply in the area exceeds the demand. The excess kelp, which farmers harvest to prevent the release of carbon dioxide and nitrogen that the seaweed removed from the water, can be composted or used for fertilizer, explained Gobler.

Port Jeff brings home LI Championship title

by Bill Landon - June 9, 2022

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By Bill Landon

The Royals got rolling in the bottom of the second inning with bases loaded and no outs when Frank Andriani was hit by a pitch, forcing Nathaniel Mullen home to take a 2-0 lead in the Long Island Class C Championship against Carle Place June 3.

The youngest roster member for the Royals let his bat do the talking in the bottom of the 3rd when Evan Raymond the 8th grader drove in two runs to put Port Jeff out front 4-0. The Frogs avoided a shutout in the top of the 4th, scoring a run but struggling against senior Luke Filippi’s heat from the mound, who notched eight strike outs in the win.

The Nassau County champs threatened in the top of the 5th, loading the bases with one out, but Filippi, no stranger to pressure, pitched his way out of a jam as Carle Place stranded three. Again, with bases loaded in the bottom of the 5th, freshman Joe Aronica ate a pitch, plating the runner on 3rd for a 5-1 lead. Mullen hit one deep to right in the bottom of the 6th, driving home Daniel Owens the junior for a 6-1 lead. With three outs of life left in the top of the 7th, Filippi fanned the Frogs in order to clinch the LIC title game.

Photos by Bill Landon

Identity Theft Prevention Program heads to East Northport Library June 15

by Press Release - June 9, 2022

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On Wednesday, June 15, at 6:30 p.m. Suffolk County Legislators Rob Trotta, Manuel Esteban and Stephanie Bontempi will host an Identify Theft Prevention Seminar at the East Northport Public Library, 185 Larkfield Road, in East Northport.

Assistant District Attorneys from District Attorney Ray Tierney’s Financial Crimes Bureau will address Identity Theft from an elder abuse point of view focusing on motor vehicle theft, forged documents, insurance fraud, and other acts of identity theft.

As a former Suffolk County Detective, I know first-hand how devastating identity theft can be for our seniors and that they are reluctant targets of such crimes,” said Legislator Trotta. “I encourage everyone to attend as anyone can be an unwilling victim,” Trotta added.

“Anyone can be the victim of ID theft, especially someone who is not equipped with preventive strategies. Hearing from and engaging with ID theft prevention experts is a fantastic way to avoid becoming a victim,” said Legislator Stephanie Bontempi.

Legislator Manuel Esteban Sr. said, “It is my pleasure to partner on another important community program to help our residents.”

The event is free and open to all. The library will be taking reservations via phone at (631) 261-2313 or through its website at https://www.nenpl.org/

Romaine: “We’re here to celebrate libraries”

by Raymond Janis - June 9, 2022

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Comsewogue Public Library honors original research committee during 55th anniversary ceremony

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R), at podium, with Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) during the 55th anniversary celebration of Comsewogue Public Library. Photo by Raymond Janis

Surrounded by officials from the Town of Brookhaven, Comsewogue Public Library members honored their founding research committee during a 55th anniversary celebration.

The library research committee was the group of community members formed in 1966 during the library’s embryonic stage. The original committee members were the first to explore ideas and secure permissions to charter a new library that would serve the Port Jefferson Station and Terryville communities.

Debbie Engelhardt, CPL director, recounted the early history of the library and the important role the committee played in its development.

“Today we’re shining a light on the library research committee, a group of citizens who banded together and worked toward the goal of establishing a library for the community,” she said. “They formed in 1966 with an original committee of six members, plus an advisor, and followed the steps that New York State requires in order for the state to charter a public library.”

‘It was an act of tremendous vision to see a need and to start planning … We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to this research committee.’ — Jonathan Kornreich

While most of the members of the committee have passed, the library’s archives provide enough information to produce a likely narrative of its early history. Records indicate the committee envisioned the library to be a community hub for scholarship and intellectual enrichment.

“We do have many documents that help us piece together the timeline from back then,” Engelhardt said. “It appears the committee worked swiftly and that the community was supportive to where they did receive a charter.”

The idea to honor the research committee was first pitched by Jan Kielhurn, daughter of Jasper Newcomer, one of the six members on the committee. Kielhurn said she was browsing for a book one day when she decided to look for a plaque with her father’s name on it. Not finding one, she asked Engelhardt to explore ways to formally recognize the library’s earliest leadership.

“I had come up here to get a book and all the sudden I’m looking around and I realized there was nothing stating my father’s contribution to the start of this,” she said. “I had spoken to Debbie and she told me there was going to be a board meeting and she was going to bring it up then. That’s how all this all came about.”

The daughters of Jasper Newcomer, one of the six original members of the library research committee. Pictured: Lee Kucera (left) and Jan Kielhurn (right). Photo by Raymond Janis

Lee Kucera, Kielhurn’s older sister, remembers their father’s time commitment, dedication and collaboration with other committee members during the founding of the library. “They got together and went to wherever they had to go — several different places — to get the okey dokey on it,” Kucera said.

In 1967, Newcomer sadly died shortly before the library was inaugurated. At the time of his death, Kucera remembers her father’s enthusiasm for the project.

“He was very excited about it,” she said. “He was very, very interested in education and reading, and he really felt that was something everybody should have a chance to have.”

Knowing their father’s dreams for the institution and the personal sacrifice he and the committee had made for the betterment of the community, Newcomer’s daughters both agreed that he would be elated if he were around to see the library today.

“He probably would have been very pleased, probably looking for other ways to help it,” Kucera said. “He probably would have been instrumental in making sure that it had computers.” She added, “This would have been one of his babies.”

During a formal dedication ceremony, Engelhardt presented a plaque with the names of the original members of the library research committee. The plaque will forever enshrine these names in the library’s history, honoring the visionary citizens whose aspirations became reality, and whose imprint is left upon the community into the present day.

Brookhaven officials present two proclamations to the Comsewogue Public Library. Pictured (left to right): Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R), Jan Kielhurn, CPL Director Debbie Engelhardt, Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) and Town Historian Barbara Russell. Photo by Raymond Janis

Brookhaven officials were also present at the ceremony. Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) said events such as these help to remind people of the reasons for serving the community and the important function the public library plays as a repository of information for its members.

“All good ideas usually start with one or two people talking about something and then it grows,” he said. “Today, the town has issued two proclamations, one acknowledging the tremendous influence of this library on this community, the second on that research committee that started this with an idea.”

‘Libraries make us better citizens. Libraries build better communities. We’re here to celebrate libraries.’ — Ed Romaine

Since his time long ago serving on the Long Island Library Resources Council, Romaine said he has cultivated a deep understanding and appreciation for the valuable work that libraries perform every day in making communities wiser and better.

“They are repositories of a lot of information — not only the books, but all types of multimedia,” the town supervisor said, adding, “It’s where we come to learn about things, it’s where we come to educate ourselves about the world around us. Libraries make us better citizens. Libraries build better communities. We’re here to celebrate libraries.”

Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) was also in attendance. He highlighted the strong foundation laid down by the library research committee, a foundation which still supports the library into the present day.

“It was an act of tremendous vision to see a need and to start planning,” he said. “We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to this research committee.”

Since the founding of the library, the world has undergone remarkable transformations. These profound changes reshaped the ways in which humans relate to their technologies and to knowledge itself. Kornreich extolled the library’s leadership throughout its 55-year history for its willingness to adapt to changing times in service to the community.

“Fifty-five years ago when this was built, we wouldn’t have had computers or printers, there was no internet and there was no digital media,” the councilmember said. “They never could have imagined the changes that took place.” He added, “Under the continued wise leadership of our board and our library director, this institution continues to evolve and serve the community.”

‘Modern ideas and a progressive way of thinking I think have always been a part of the vision from back in the 1960s and it remains so today.’

— Debbie Engelhardt

Over a half century after the committee first laid down its foundation, the Comsewogue Public Library continues to exist in a symbiotic arrangement with the community. While men and women like Newcomer foresaw how a public library could foster creative thinking and community enrichment, the library and community members keep that visionary spirit alive today.

“It’s clear to me that from the research committee to the original library board to the original administration, there was a broad vision for an institution of excellence for this community,” Engelhardt said. “Modern ideas and a progressive way of thinking I think have always been a part of the vision from back in the 1960s and it remains so today.”

The names of the original members of the library research committee: Carol Benkov, Anne Herman, Florence Hughes, Laurence Lamm, Jasper Newcomer, June Tilley, and Gus Basile, advisor.

The Atelier at Flowerfield hosted Appreciation Celebration May 25

by TBR Staff - June 9, 2022

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On May 25, in the newly refreshed courtyard of The Atelier at Flowerfield in St. James, Paul Lamb, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Atelier thanked board members, staff, artist instructors and loyal students for helping The Atelier survive Covid. “We wouldn’t be here without their support,“ he said.

Board and Staff members in attendance included Dr. Stephen Vlay -Trustee and VP, Barbara Beltrami —Trustee and VP, Ellen Olsen—Trustee and Treasurer, Diane Moffet—Trustee and Secretary, David Madigan—Trustee, and Joan Rockwell—Trustee, Gaby Field-Rahman, Administrator, Donna Howard, Asst. Administrator, Aneta Dworak, Business Manager, Cand arol D’ Amato, Librarian/Teaching Assistant, Kimberley Bernhardt, Media Coordinator.

In January of 2020, The Atelier had to restructure to bring operating expenses in line with operating income. Four individuals were singled out as deserving of Special Thanks. Gaby Field-Rahman, Barbara Beltrami, and Joan Rockwell rolled up their sleeves and did just that. Bill Graf resident artist/instructor extraordinaire helped maintain the instructional staff. Without their devotion to The Atelier in its time of need, and their very hard work, The Atelier wouldn’t be here today.

Shortly thereafter the Pandemic hit, how would The Atelier continue operating without in person art classes? Bill Graf once again came to the rescue. He developed online art classes for The Atelier. We never missed a beat. Our student body remained constant during the height of the Pandemic, and today it continues to grow. Mr. Lamb concluded that without Bill, there is no Atelier and again offered his thanks.

The Atelier had to grow, even in times of Covid, to survive. Briana Sheridan, former Media Coordinator for The Atelier, stepped up and developed twice monthly free online art talks and lectures. Linda Catucci, another extraordinary resident art instructor, stepped up and expanded Youth Programming and developed the new Atelier website.

Mr. Lamb continued by thanking Aneta Dworak, Business Manager for The Atelier, for shepherding the refreshment of this Courtyard and the installation of new HVAC systems in The Atelier; Carol D’Amato for her work in re-organizing the 6,000-volume Fine Arts library; and Kimberley Bernhardt, the new Media Coordinator, who is now in the process of opening a new online art store for The Atelier.

Artists in attendance for this event included William Graf, Randall DiGiuseppe, Jane McGraw-Teubner, Linda Catucci, Christian White, Antonio Masi & Liz Jorg Masi, Ross Barbera, Krys Lipinski, Joan Rockwell, and Neill Slaughter.

The Atelier hopes to celebrate each continuing year of success in the same fashion! For more information or to register for a class, workshop or lecture go to www.atelierflowerfield.org or call 631-250-9009.

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