Yearly Archives: 2022

The Center of Italian Studies at Stony Brook University presents its 16th annual Fall Italian Vehicle Concorso d’Eleganza on Sept. 18.
Ongoing

Stone Bridge Nighthawk Watch

Every evening through Oct. 6, from 5:30 p.m. until dusk, the Four Harbors Audubon Society will be tallying migrating Common Nighthawks to better understand nighthawk population trends. Join them at the stone bridge at Frank Melville Memorial Park, One Old Field Road, Setauket to witness nighthawks as they pass over during their migratory journey to their wintering grounds in Brazil and Argentina. Visit www.4has.org for further details.

Thursday September 15

Lunch & Learn

The Huntington Historical Society continues its Lunch & Learn series with a presentation titled Historic Sammis Houses of West Neck with Toby Kissam and Robert Hughes at Matteo’s Trattoria of Huntington, 300 W. Jericho Turnpike, Huntington from noon to 2 p.m. Fee is $55 per person, $50 members includes a gourmet three-course meal, house wine and dessert. To register, call 427-7045 or visit www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety .org.

Atelier lecture

Join the Atelier at Flowerfield for an online lecture titled “How To Select the Best View For Your Painting” at 7 p.m. When you are about to paint from a photo or when you are doing Plein Air painting, do you ask yourself “what is the best view”? Guest speaker and award-winning artist Antonio Masi will discuss and demonstrate a method he has used very successfully that helps answer this basic question. Free. To register, visit www.theatelieratflowerfield.org or call 250-9009.

Friday September 16

Greek Festival

Saint Paraskevi Greek Orthodox Shrine Church, 1 Shrine Place, Greenlawn will hold its annual Greek Festival today from 4 to 11 p.m., Sept. 17 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sept. 18 from noon to 8 p.m. Enjoy authentic Greek food and pastries, beer & wine, music and dancing, carnival rides and games, Yiayia’s Attic flea market, vendors and more. Call 261-7272 or visit  www.stparaskevi.org

Celebrating Tesla’s Birthday

In honor of Nikola Tesla’s birthday, the TeslaScience Center at Wardenclyffe, 5 Randall Road, Shoreham will celebrate with a Tesla Birthday Coil Show, featuring the world’s largest portable Tesla coil, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and a Tesla Birthday Expo and Coil Show on Sept. 17 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. with STEAM exhibits, robotics, Amateur Radio demos, drones, youth activity station, Tesla car showcase, a special appearance by a Dr. Who TARDIS, interactive STEM Bus from NYIT and much more. Tickets to each event are $25 adults, $22 seniors and students, $10 children, free for ages 4 and under. To purchase, visit www.teslasciencecenter.org. Call 886-2632.

Saturday September 17

Greek Festival

See Sept. 16 listing.

Celebrating Tesla’s Birthday

See Sept. 16 listing.

Dragon Boat Race Festival

Dragons will roar as the 8th annual Dragon Boat Race Festival heads to Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Presented by the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, the event will showcase dragon boat races throughout the day with Asian-themed food, cultural crafts, traditional lion dance, children activities and much more. Held rain or shine. Free admission. Call 473-1414 or visit www.portjeffdragonboatracefest.com.

Greenway Trail Clean-up

Join the Three Village Community Trust’s Friends of the Greenway for a trail clean-up at the Port Jefferson Station trailhead off Route 112 starting at 9 a.m. All necessary supplies will be provided. 

Fall Yard Sale

Join the Yaphank Historical Society for its annual Fall Yard sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the grounds of the Hawkins House at 4 Yaphank Avenue, Yaphank. Featuring a large variety of crafts, collectibles, and household items. Rain date is Sept. 18. Call-924-4803 or visit www.yaphankhistorical.org.

Friends of MCPL Garage Sale

The Friends of Middle Country Public Library’s will hold a Community Garage Sale will be held in the parking lot of the Centereach branch, 101 Eastwood Blvd., Centereach from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Over 30 families will be selling toys, furniture, gently used clothing, home/kitchen items and garden gear. The Teen Advisory Council will be hosting a Kids’ Zone for children visiting the sale. Rain date is Sept. 24. Call 585-9393.

St. Elizabeth Church Car Show

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton,800 Portion Road, Lake Ronkonkoma hosts its annual juried car show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Trophies awarded for People’s Choice, Best of Show, with food, vendors and 50/50 raffle. Free admission to spectators. Visit www.steas.org.

E-Waste & Metal Recycling

Emma Clark Library, 120 Main St., Setauket will host an E-Waste and Metal Recycling event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the library parking lot. Bring your used computers, cell phones, laptops, servers, wire & cable, scrap metal, circuit boards, batteries, printers, hard drives & storage devices, power tools, small appliances, small electronics, keyboards/mice, stereos, flat screen TVs and computer monitors, cameras, and more. Open to all. Call 941-4080.

Gallery North Outdoor Art Show

Gallery North, 90 North Country Road, Setauket presents its 56th annual Outdoor Art Show & Music Festival today and Sept. 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Featuring over 100 of the finest art and craft from regional artists and artisans, the event will also include live musical performances, kids activities, as well as delicious food vendors. Awards are granted for best in show for each category, including crafts, fiber art, glass art, jewelry, painting, photography, pottery, printmaking, and more. Free admission. Call 751-2676, or visit www.gallerynorth.org

Hallockville Country Fair

Hallockville Museum Farm, 6038 Sound Ave., Riverhead welcomes the community to its 41st annual Country Fair and Craft Show today and Sept. 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The two-day event features over 50 craft and artisan vendors, craft demonstrations and displays, live music, exhibits in the historic Naugles Barn, children’s activities and games, guided tours of the farmhouse, farm animals, food and more. Admission is $10 per person, children 2 and under free. Held rain or shine. Call 298-5292 or visit www.hallockville.org

German Fall Festival

St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 30 Brooksite Drive, Smithtown presents its annual German Fall Festival from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Featuring brats & beer, German baked goods, pickles, pretzels, hair braiding, vendors, bracelet making, children’s games, bounce house and raffles. Rain date is Sept. 24. Call 265-2288 or visit  www.standrewsofsmithtown.org

Draw Out! Arts Festival

Join the Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington for its annual Draw Out! Community Arts Festival from noon to 5 p.m. Enjoy a day full of art and music in the Museum and Heckscher Park with watercolor painting by the pond; sketching from a live model; docents in galleries and live music on the terrace by Dead Ahead;  Create with guest artists; meet and create with the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum, The Vanderbilt Museum & Planetarium and more and enjoy dance performances by renowned artist Wendi Weng. Free. No reservations required. Call 380-3230 or visit www.heckscher.org.

Old Burying Ground tour

Join the Huntington Historical Society for an Old Burying Ground  walking tour at 4 p.m. Established soon after the Town’s 1653 founding, Huntington’s earliest public burying ground features stunning folk art and beautiful epitaphs honoring Huntington’s residents and rich history. Tour begins at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building, 228 Main St., Huntington .Tickets are $15 adults, $5 children. For reservations, visit www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org.

Sunday September 18

Greek Festival

See Sept. 16 listing.

Hallockville Country Fair

See Sept. 17 listing.

Gallery North Outdoor Art Show

See Sept. 17 listing.

Pancake Breakfast fundraiser

Pass the maple syrup! Join the Setauket Fire Department Auxiliary Department for its annual Pancake Breakfast/Chinese Auction Fundraiser from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Setauket Fire Department’s Station #2, 9 Arrowhead Lane, East Setauket. Tickets: are $10 adults, $8 seniors, $6 children under 10. Toddlers under age 2 are free. Email [email protected].

Theatre Three food drive

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson hosts a food and personal care items drive at Infant Jesus Convent, 110 Hawkins Ave.(off Myrtle Ave.), Port Jefferson from 9 a.m. to noon to benefit the pantry at Infant Jesus Church. Items needed include juice, complete pancake mix, syrup, jelly, mac & cheese, cooking oil, cereal, oatmeal, canned fruit, black beans and healthy snacks as well as shampoo, conditioner and deoderant. Grocery store cards and cash also accepted. 

Corvair Car Show

Heckscher Park, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington will host the annual Long Island Corvair Car Show in Field #1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come and see the incredible Corvair in all models and styles. Free. [email protected]

Lions Club Car Show

The Port Jefferson Lions Club invites the community to its first annual judged Car Show at Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Rain date is Sept. 25) Presented by The Fabulous 50s & 60s Nostalgia Car Club, the event will feature food and music with over 14 trophy classes plus  a special people’s choice trophy decided by YOUR vote. Food, music and vendors. Proceeds will sponsor a guide dog for the blind. Call 680-7212.

Heritage Country Fair 

The Smithtown Historical Society, 211 E. Main St., Smithtown will hold its annual Heritage Country Fair from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Enjoy blacksmithing, spinning and weaving demonstrations, live music, historical re-enactments, house tours and more. New this year, folks can grow their own produce and compete in an exhibition. Tickets are $5 each. Held rain or shine. Call 265-6768.

Italian Car Show

The Center of Italian Studies at Stony Brook University presents its 16th annual Fall Italian Vehicle Concorso d’Eleganza event, a display of “art forms on wheels” as a means of illustrating one form of Italian culture, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Display vehicles will rally at Stony Brook University campus on the lawn adjacent to the Graduate Physics Building and directly across from the Sports Complex off John S. Toll Drive. Call 632-7444 or visit www.stonybrook.edu/italianstudies

Classic Car Show

Step back in time with the Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society as they present a Classic Car Show sponsored by the AACA Vanderbilt Cup Region and a tour of the Fitz-Greene Hallock Homestead, 2869 Pond Road, Lake Ronkonkoma, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a 50/50 raffle and basket auction. $5 donation. Call 588-7599.

Over 50 Fair

The Melville Marriot, 1350 Walt Whitman Road, Melville will hold its 13th annual Over 50 Fair from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The fair connects adults 50 and older with products and services and exhibitors including travel, health and wellness products, financial services, and education. $5 in advance at www.over50fair.com, $7 at the door. Call 516-621-1446.

Cow Harbor Day

Village of Northport hosts its annual Cow Harbor Day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Main Street is closed to cars as visitors enjoy rides, games, food, music, arts and craft vendors, sidewalk sales and a parade at noon. Call 261-7502, or visit www.cowharborday.com.

Stan Wiest in concert

South Huntington Public Library, 145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station welcomes pianist Stan Wiest in concert in the auditorium at 2:30 p.m. Wiest will perform his personal piano arrangements of music from the Great American Songbook along with humorous stories of the celebrities he’s performed with and closing out with a sing-along. Open to all. Call 549-4411.

Monday September 19

Olivia Newton-John celebration

As part of its Rock Legends Live! series, the Cinema Arts Center, 423 Park Ave., Huntington will present an Olivia Newton-John celebration at 7:30 p.m. Join guest lecturer Bill Shelley for a music-filled celebration of the late, great Australian singer and actress Olivia Newton-John. with many clips from concerts, television and movies. Songs will include “Physical,” “Summer Nights,” “Have You Never Been Mellow?,” “Let Me Be There,” “You’re The One That I Want,” “Hopelessly Devoted To You,” and “Magic” – plus many more favorites! Tickets are $17, $12 members. Visit www.cinemaartscentre.org.s

Tuesday September 20

Travel Presentation Club meeting

Join the Travel Presentation Club for its meeting at 7:30 pm at Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, 120 Main St., Setauket. Ron and Claire Ondrovic will share their early summer road trip entitled “Nine States in 17 Days.” All are welcome. Please contact [email protected] for further information.

Wednesday September 21

Harbor Jazz Festival

Jazz lovers are invited to attend the Harbor Jazz Festival at The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook today through Sept. 24. Each day brings a line-up of jazz greats, including some of the top internationally and nationally recognized talents. All events on Sept. 24 are free and take place on the Stony Brook Village Green. Call 751-1895 or visit www.thejazzloft.org.

Thursday September 22

Harbor Jazz Festival

See Sept. 21 listing.

Film

‘Poltergeist’

The Smithtown Library’s Kings Park branch, 1 Church St., Kings Park hosts an outdoor screening of the 1982 classic Poltergeist on Sept. 16 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Free but registration is required. Call 360-2480.

‘Kaepernick & America’

The Port Jefferson Documentary Series kicks off its Fall season with a screening of Kaepernick & America at Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson on Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. It was the summer of 2016, an election year with unrest rumbling through America. There were countless triggers—the murder videos of Philando Castille and Alton Sterling, the counterpunch of Alt- Right and Fake News, Black Lives Matter, Russian meddling—a discordant national cauldron ready to boil over. It was the birth of Trumpism, but nobody knew it yet. Then, Colin Kaepernick took a knee and America lost its mind. Kaepernick & America examines the man and his protest, exploring the remarkable conflict stirred by such a symbolic gesture. Followed by a Q&A with co-director Tommy Walker. Tickets are $10 at www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com or at the door. See more on page B15.

Theater

‘Henry V’

The Carriage House Players continues its annual Shakespeare Festival at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport with Henry V from Aug. 26 to Sept. 18 on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m. Performances take place outdoors on stage in the courtyard, where the Spanish-Mediterranean architecture adds a touch of timeless charm and magic. Bring a picnic dinner to enjoy before the show and bring your own lawn chair. Inclement weather cancels. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 seniors and children ages 12 and under. To order, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

‘Guys and Dolls’

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson kicks off its 52nd season with Guys and Dolls from Sept. 17 to Oct. 22. Considered the perfect musical of Broadway’s Golden Age, this delightful romp gambles in luck and love from Times Square to Havana. High rollers and low characters from Damon Runyon’s mythical New York are joyously presented in Frank Loesser’s bold and brassy score, featuring “Luck Be a Lady,” “I’ve Never Been in Love Before,” and “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat.” An award-winning classic for the entire family! Tickets are $35 adults, $28 senior and students, $20 children ages 5 and up. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. Read review in next week’s paper.

‘Mystic Pizza’

Up next at the John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport is the new musical comedy, Mystic Pizza, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 30. Based on the classic 1988 movie starring Julia Roberts, Mystic Pizza charts the lives and loves of three unforgettable waitresses in the harbor town of Mystic, CT. Add in some of the best pop songs of the ‘80s and ‘90s such as “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” “Addicted To Love,” “Small Town,” “Hold On,” and “Take My Breath Away,” and you have all the ingredients for a romantic comedy–with the works! Tickets range from $80 to $85. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

‘The Lightning Thief’

The Smithtown Performing Arts Center presents The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical  from Sept. 30 to Oct. 29. As the half-blood son of a Greek god, Percy Jackson has newly-discovered powers he can’t control, a destiny he doesn’t want, and a mythology textbook’s worth of monsters on his trail. When Zeus’s master lightning bolt is stolen and Percy becomes the prime suspect, he has to find and return the bolt to prove his innocence and prevent a war between the gods. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the thief. He must travel to the Underworld and back; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and come to terms with the father who abandoned him. Adapted from the best-selling book by Rick Riordan and featuring a thrilling original rock score, The Lightning Thief is an action-packed mythical adventure “worthy of the gods” Tickets are $40, $35 seniors, $25 students. To order, visit www.smithtownpac.org.

Vendors Wanted

Caroline Episcopal Church of Setauket is sponsoring a Fall Craft Fair & Barn Sale on the Setauket Village Green (Main St. and Caroline Ave.) on Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain date is Sept. 25 from noon to 5 p.m. Limited spaces still available on the Village Green (10’x10’) and covered Carriage Shed (9’x18’). Reserve your spot at www.depasmarket.com. Questions? Call 631-806-4845. 

Stony Brook Community Church, 216 Christian Ave., Stony Brook is seeking vendors for its Apple Festival on Oct.1 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (rain date Oct. 2). Spots (10’ x 10’) are $40 each; vendors can call or text 631-252-0777 for an application.

Parents of Troop 362 will hold a Craft Fair & Basket Raffle at Hope Lutheran Church, 46 Dare Road, Selden on Oct. 1. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (rain date Oct. 2). Vendors wanted -— 10’ by 10’ space for $40 donation. To reserve a space, email [email protected].

St. Thomas of Canterbury Church, 29 Brooksite Drive, Smithtown seeks craft or new merchandise vendors for its Craft Fair and Car Show on Oct. 8 (rain date is Oct. 15 for craft fair only) $50/space. Visit www.stthomasofcanterbury.net or call 631-265-4520 to obtain an application.

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 716 Route 25a, Rocky Point seeks vendors to be a part of their annual October Festival on Oct. 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fee for vendor participation of new items, no raffles is $35 per  10’ x 10’ space. Must supply own table and chairs. Visit www.thefishchurch.com Festivals and Events page.

Class Reunion

✴Ward Melville High School Class of 1972’s  50th reunion is Oct 1. Please spread the word and visit Facebook page “Ward Melville High School Class 72 50th Reunion” for more information and purchasing tickets. For more information, email [email protected] or call 631-928-5684 and leave your name and contact information for any questions.

File photo

On a national stage, two U.S presidents are in a tug-of-war for the soul of our nation. 

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden (D) and former President Donald Trump (R) presented disparate visions for the American future. Despite diametrically opposing messages, one theme unifies these speeches: Americans stand at a crossroads in our history, and our trajectory is undecided.

Numerous problems plague our policymakers in Washington, from national security, economic uncertainty, immigration policy, among many others. In the face of these seemingly unanswerable questions, we must remember that all politics is local. Before we can even consider pondering the great questions of our time, we must first get our affairs in order here at the community level. 

From town and village halls to school boards, environmental demonstrations, civic meetings, and everything in between, our residents grapple with the most pressing issues confronting our communities. We find particular examples of the nation’s broader, systemic issues within these forums. 

What does it mean to have a representative voice in government? What is an equitable distribution of public resources? How and where should we build, and to what end? 

We are wrestling with these unsettled questions right now. At the local level, our citizens learn how systems operate. With this understanding, we begin breaking down the great questions into bite-sized, manageable tasks. 

In time, we will accumulate small wins. This formula can be scaled, meaning we can soon apply our takeaways from local politics to the higher levels of government.

We hold that this bottom-up approach is the best course of action, both for our residents and nation. Locally, our voices ring louder, our votes weightier. Let’s fix our problems here first, then set our sights on issues further from home. 

We must first create a solid foundation to build something meant to last. May we heal this divided but unbroken nation. May we find solutions to problems both near and far. And may we never lose faith in the principles that unite us as community members and Americans. 

Queen Elizabeth II. Pixabay photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

During the Platinum Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years on the throne, Clary Evans, a radiation oncologist who works at Northwell Health, her husband Tobias Janowitz, a scientist at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and their families got together with another English family to mark the occasion.

They made a cake and had tea, “aware that this was probably the last time” they would celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s lengthy legacy, Evans recalled in an email.

Residents of Suffolk, England, Evans’s parents Philip and Gillian shared memories and thoughts on Queen Elizabeth II, who died last week at the age of 96.

Before Elizabeth’s coronation at the age of 27, Philip Evans, who was a teenager, traveled with his brother Anthony to Trafalgar Square, where they camped out near the fountain.

After a night filled with an early June rain in 1953, Evans and his brother awaited the moment to see the queen, whose coronation occurred 16 months after she became queen.

Gillian and Philip Evans with their Patterdale terrier puppy in Mettingham, Suffolk, UK in August of this year. Photo from Clary Evans

The next morning, as crowds continued to grow, the police pushed the newer arrivals in front of the group, which meant Phillip was in the third tier of onlookers.

Through the crowd, he caught a glimpse of the young queen, offering a stiff wave to her subjects.

“It was a marvelous thing to do,” Evans said by phone from his home. The travel and waiting in the rain meant it “wasn’t easy.”

Gillian Evans, meanwhile, traveled with her family to visit her aunt, who, at the time, was the only one in her family who owned a television.

“It was lovely to see what a beautiful spectacle it was,” Gillian Evans said.

The queen executed her duties admirably under an intense spotlight that never dimmed during her over 70 years of service, she added.

“What a remarkable lady she had been,” Gillian Evans added. “She said she would give herself to the nation for as long as she lived, and she did. Right up to the very, very last, which is wonderful.”

While Gillian Evans thought such conditions were akin to being in  prison, with all the limitations and the constant responsibilities, she believed the queen “loved it. It showed in her face.” Being a part of a “love match” with her husband Prince Philip “must have helped enormously.”

The Evans matriarch, 83, who is a retired diagnostic radiographer, is amazed at the effect the queen’s death is having on residents.

Philip Evans, who said the queen did “jolly well,” recognized that the queen made mistakes, one of which arose during her muted reaction to the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in 1997.

“She had a really bad time when Princess Diana was killed,” said Philip Evans, who retired in 2000 as a general surgeon. “She was just pulled down by the power of the press. In legalese, ‘she was badly advised.’”

During a recent visit to the ophthalmologist, Evans chatted with three people about the queen and her son Charles, who has now become King Charles III.

People were saying “the queen had done a good job” and that they believed her son was “well suited” for his new role.

Philip Evans has noticed that the church bells ringing in the aftermath of her death don’t have their typical sound.

The sound alternates between loud and muted. The churches are using a so-called half-muffled peal, which creates a somber echo. The bells rang the same way last year after Prince Philip’s death.

“It’s very alarming and tells you that something is odd,” Evans said.

As the country prepares for the funeral of a queen born eight years after the Spanish Influenza pandemic of 1918 and who died two years after COVID-19, Clary Evans recognized that Queen Elizabeth II was a “link to those values of duty and service that were strong in those war and post-war years.”

The Town of Brookhaven seal. Photo from the town website

Following a contentious virtual meeting on Monday, Sept. 12, the Brookhaven Redistricting Committee failed to reach a compromise on a proposed map, sending the redistricting process to the Brookhaven Town Council.

The committee voted on three maps during the meeting, none of which received the six votes necessary to adopt an official proposal. There was significant controversy leading up to this meeting. Despite this, all eight members and the committee’s mapmaker, David Schaefer, were present.

However, members calling attendance seemed to be the only unanimous outcome of the night, as the three Democratic appointees clashed with their Republican and Conservative Party counterparts throughout the evening.

The meeting got out to a rocky start after an unsuccessful motion to adopt an agenda. Schaefer then presented three maps that the committee requested during the previous session.

Schaefer first presented a “map of least change.” This map addressed only Council Districts 2 and 6, the two districts whose populations fall outside the 5% deviation allowable under the Town Code. After a vote, this map failed 3-5, with Democratic appointees Rabia Aziz, George Hoffman and Gail Lynch-Bailey voting “yes” and all others voting “no.”

Schaefer also presented a map that loosely follows the proposal of Coram resident Logan Mazer. On the whole, the Mazer map was viewed favorably during the public hearings. However, this proposal was ultimately shot down by another 3-5 vote, with the same committee members voting for and against it.

Schaefer’s final presentation was a map that followed the boundaries of Proposal 2, one of the two original draft proposals which met fierce opposition during the public hearings. With some adjustments to the boundaries of CD1 and CD2, this new map kept much of Proposal 2 intact.

In the face of this public opposition, the map was the highest vote-getter, with a 5-3 vote count — one vote shy of formal adoption by the committee. Ali Nazir, Edward McCarthy, Delilah Bustamante, Krystina Sconzo and Chad Lennon voted “yes,” with the entire Democratic caucus voting it down. 

In a phone interview, Lynch-Bailey confirmed that the redistricting committee officially disbanded the following day around noon after Nazir and Aziz, the co-chairs, could not reach a compromise. Failing to adopt a proposal, the committee sends the process to the Town Council. 

During a Town Board meeting Tuesday, Sept. 13, Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) discussed some of the criteria he will be looking for in the new map. He said he hopes to achieve an equal population distribution across council districts, keep minority communities together within district boundaries and reduce the number of split communities. The Town Board must adopt new council district outlines by Dec. 15. 

The supervisor expects a new map to be available on the town website by next week. A public hearing on the matter will be held at Town Hall on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 5 p.m. 

Visit our website to follow features on this important issue:

Handyman. Pixabay photo

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

If you grew up in an urban apartment, as I did, you would marvel, as I do, at living now in a house. Some of my earliest memories involve neighbors in the building.

For example, I loved to play jacks, a game on a hardwood floor with a bouncy rubber ball and 10 small metal pieces (called jacks), each to be lifted after the ball bounces but before it drops. When played, it surely made tapping noises on the ceiling of the apartment below, but that was nothing compared to the banging with what was probably a broomstick that the downstairs neighbor used to retaliate. The jacks trembled with each blow, and I certainly trembled at the attack. I remember bursting into tears and running to find my mother.

“You can’t play that game indoors,” my mother explained. “It bothers the neighbors.”

Another memory involves my husband and me, shortly after we were married and had moved into our first apartment. Canadian Royal Mounted Police aerobic exercises were popular then, we had bought the book and were in the first few lunges after work one evening when there was a loud knocking at our door. When my husband opened it, an older couple shouted at us that we were bringing down the ceiling on their heads, and what were we doing up there, anyway?

I’m skipping over the years of squeaky violin music being practiced in the apartment to the left of ours, the midnight screaming by the couple two apartments further down the hall, the acrid smell of cooking from the apartment to the right of us each night, and so many other instances giving proof that we were not alone in our building.

Of course, we made noises, too, and otherwise let our presence be known. That was apartment living and somehow, we all survived it.

The first time I lived in a house was when my husband was in the Air Force, and we were in base housing. To me, it was miraculously quiet, even though airplanes flew in regular intervals over our heads. “Someday we will have a house of our own, yes?” I asked my husband and kissed him when he agreed.

So then we moved to the North Shore of Long Island and had our own house. That was when I discovered that a house was a living thing. It needed tending regularly. The toilet wouldn’t flush, the kitchen faucet dripped, the light fixture sizzled out, the venetian blind got stuck in the open position, the dishwasher wouldn’t dispense soap, the cabinet door was askew, there were ants in the basement and the front door knob threatened to fall off. 

But unlike in the service, there was no one to call who would cheerfully arrive, fix the problem, then wish us a good day and leave. Oh, we could summon repair people to come, but when they left, we were less than cheerful. They had each gone off with a large chunk of our disposable income. In fact, we were lucky if we didn’t have more than one problem per month. Usually, the breakdowns seemed to caucus with each other and happen all at once.

We still love our house. You might ask, why? The answer is simple. We have found a handyman. Just as every first baby should come with an instruction manual, every house should be accompanied by a handyman. This person is a quiet, unsung hero. He, and it’s almost always a he, arrives with little fanfare shortly after he is called, carries two screwdrivers, a regular and a Phillips head, a hammer, a wrench, maybe some tape and seemingly little else. He squats down and patiently analyses each problem, pulls out the uncomplicated tool and sets everything right.

Oh, and did I mention that he doesn’t ask a month’s mortgage?

Now this person is not easy to find. In fact, there must be several unsuccessful trials before Mr. Right comes along. Ask your neighbors, your friends, your cousin, the hardware store, anyone who might help with a referral, but they may not want to share. Good luck!

The towns of Smithtown and Babylon presented a total of $119,500 to the Gino Macchio Foundation. Photo from Town of Smithown

Elected officials from Smithtown and Babylon gathered at the Horizons Counseling and Education Center on Main Street Sept. 8 to give people who have battled addictions successfully a second chance. 

Gino Macchio’s father Steven, at podium, thanks the elected officials who made it possible.

Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) announced the town was donating $70,000 to the Gino Macchio Foundation from Smithtown’s American Rescue Plan Act funds. At the gathering, Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer (D) said his town likewise was donating $49,500 from ARPA funds.

Deborah and Steven Macchio, who lost their son Gino due to injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash in 2018, were on hand for the announcement. The foundation’s executive director Kenneth Daly also attended with the Macchios.

Gino Macchio, who had recovered from a prescription opioid addiction, was 25 when he died. Before his death, he was committed to helping the oyster industry obtain sustainability and cleaning up the Great South Bay. His parents are on the board of the foundation.

The money donated on Sept. 8 will go toward the nonprofit’s Put Recovery to Work scholarship program, which provides recovery addicts employment opportunities. The Town of Babylon has already committed space at the Beacon Family Wellness Center in North Babylon to the program. A second location for the center, to be built in Amityville, will include the foundation’s job placement program.

“This money will go toward giving employment opportunities to individuals recovering at our local businesses,” Wehrheim said. “ARPA funds were originally intended to go to local municipalities for the purpose of getting communities back on their feet.”

He thanked Schaffer for helping to remove the stigma associated with recovery “and for being the first to take action to foster and encourage efforts to promote recovery-friendly workplaces at a local level.”

The supervisors hope that other municipalities will follow suit.

“We are here this morning to show solidarity to encourage surrounding communities throughout the state to do the same thing that we’re doing this morning,” Wehrheim said.

Schaffer said substance abuse has increased during the pandemic.

“We saw such a dramatic increase in people who are already suffering from addiction issues, but others who acquired them as a result of what went on,” he said. “Ed was one of the first supervisors to say we’ve got to do something. He’s a great partner in a number of things and, most importantly, in this initiative which is near and dear to my heart”

The Babylon supervisor has known the Macchios for nearly 40 years and knew Gino from when he was born. He said he remembered Gino getting back on his feet after struggling with addiction.

“Little did he know that one of the biggest things he was going to be doing was having this foundation created and providing opportunities for those who are going through the same issues that he was going through,” Schaffer said.

Joe Bieniewicz, director of drug and alcohol counseling services at Horizons, said the program’s work placement initiative goes beyond finding a job for a recovering addict.

“These opportunities allow for folks who are in need to find gainful employment, build their self-esteem and continue to engage in purposeful activity once again,” he said.

Steven Macchio said purpose is important for everyone.

“What we do with our foundation, with our Put Recovery to Work program, is we want to create purpose,” Macchio said. “We want to bridge the gap from rehabilitation to getting back out into the world and starting with your life again.”

On Sunday, Sept. 11, the Town of Smithtown in conjunction with the Smithtown Chamber of Commerce hosted local families of 9/11 victims, first responders, U.S. military and veterans in a Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony.

Rabbi Mendel Teldon, of Chabad of Commack, and Pastor Stephen Zarlengo, of Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle Church, led elected officials, first responders and community members in an interfaith reflection and blessing.

The names of the 53 Smithtown residents who were killed 21 years ago during the 9/11 attacks were read, followed by a moment of silence, and ceremonial wreath laying by representatives of the U.S. Marines, veterans and 9/11 first responders.

The ceremony closed with a rendition of “Proud to be an American,” by John Zollo, as Smithtown Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Barbara Franco handed out roses to be placed along the memorial fountain. 

The Setauket Fire Department invited the community to its annual 9/11 ceremony at its memorial park on Nicolls Road in Setauket Sunday evening.

Volunteers from the Setauket and Stony Brook fire departments, below, raised a huge American flag in front of the Nicolls Road firehouse adjacent to the memorial.

Setauket Chief Richard Leute, right center, opened the ceremony that included speakers state Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), left center, and Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook).

During the ceremony, Stony Brook and Setauket firefighters along with community members lined up around the memorial pond that contains a piece of steel from the World Trade Center and an artist’s impression of the flag that day. Later, attendees participated in a candle lighting ceremony.

The Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo’s First-Ever After Dark Haunted Experience

New for 2022, the Bronx Zoo is adding an after-hours event – Dinosaurs in Darkness: The Hatching. This is the zoo’s first-ever Halloween nighttime event for older audiences. Dinosaurs in Darkness transforms the fan favorite Dinosaur Safari into a thrilling nighttime experience each Friday and Saturday night from October 7-29 (including Monday Oct. 10). The Hatching is a scary Halloween walk-through experience that sends participants on an adventure that brings them up close with prehistoric creatures in a whole new way as they follow the story of a rare dinosaur egg, found intact after 66 million years, that is finally ready to hatch! What could possibly go wrong? This  is an after-hours event and is ticketed separately from Bronx Zoo admission. It is recommended for ages 13 and up. More information and tickets are available at https://bronxzoo.com/dinos-in-darkness.

See a video here: Dinosaurs in Darkness: The Hatching

The tradition of Boo at the Zoo will operate at the Bronx Zoo during normal open hours each Saturday and Sunday from October 1 to 30 (including the holiday, Monday October 10). Outdoor activities will include the popular professional pumpkin carving demonstrations and displays; magic and mind reading shows; trick or treating on the Candy Trail; and the spooky extinct animal graveyard. Animal-themed costumed stilt walkers and Halloween animal puppets will headline the costume parade, and everyone can meet live vultures, owls, ravens and other birds each day on the zoo’s historic Astor Court. Finally, October and Boo at the Zoo is the last chance to catch the Dinosaur Safari. The experience will go extinct on October 30.

See a video here: Boo at the Zoo

For more information, tickets and a full schedule of activities, visit the website at BronxZoo.com/Boo-at-the-Zoo.

About the Bronx Zoo: The Bronx Zoo, located on 265 acres of hardwood forest in Bronx, NY, opened on Nov. 8, 1899. It is world-renowned for its leadership in the areas of animal welfare, husbandry, veterinarian care, education, science and conservation. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is the flagship park of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) which manages the world’s largest network of urban wildlife parks including the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and New York Aquarium. Our curators and animal care staff work to save, propagate, and sustain populations of threatened and endangered species. We have educated and inspired more than 400 million visitors at our zoos and aquarium since our opening and host approximately 4 million guests at our parks each year – including about a half-million students annually. The Bronx Zoo is the largest youth employer in the borough of the Bronx, providing opportunity and helping to transform lives in one of the most under-served communities in the nation. The Bronx Zoo is the subject of THE ZOO, a docu-series aired world-wide on Animal Planet. Members of the media should contact [email protected] for more information or with questions.

The Three Village area and downtown Port Jefferson were filled with local history buffs Saturday, Sept. 10.

Culper Spy Day, presented by the Three Village Historical Society and Tri-Spy Tours in collaboration with more than 30 local historical and cultural organizations, returned in full force for its eighth annual event. Due to COVID-19, organizers hosted a downsized version last year and a virtual presentation in 2020.

The spy day celebrates Gen. George Washington’s spies who operated in Three Village and the surrounding area during the Revolutionary War.

The majority of activities, such as reenactments, readings, docent- and self-guided tours and more, took place on the grounds of the Three Village Historical Society headquarters. Other sites included Setauket Neighborhood House, Patriots Rock, Caroline Church and cemetery, Setauket Presbyterian Church and cemetery, Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, Setauket Elementary School auditorium, Sherwood-Jayne House, The Long Island Museum and Drowned Meadow Cottage Museum in Port Jefferson.

Mari Irizarry, TVHS director, said she estimated around 1,300 people visited the historical society grounds on Sept. 10.

Margo Arceri, of Tri-Spy Tours, said Irizarry was a huge help spearheading the planning of many of the activities. Arceri said she was grateful for all the volunteers, sponsor Heritage Spy Ring Golf Club and participating organizations, who were not just locally based but from all over Long Island, who made it a success. 

“We’re all telling our part of the Revolutionary story,” she said.

Arceri added she was impressed by the people from all different age groups she met at the event and showed interest in the Culper spies.

“This is not just one age group that enjoys and is attracted to this story,” she said. “It’s really for all ages.”

TVHS historian Beverly Tyler said he also noticed the age range of attendees.

“They were absorbing everything, asking questions and even proudly telling us their connections with ancestors in the Revolutionary War or things they have from the colonial period,” he said.

Tyler said he also saw children fascinated by demonstrations that included writing and mailing a letter in colonial times and hearing stories about youngsters during the era as well as recent local history.

In Port Jeff village, local historians greeted visitors with a tour of the Drowned Meadow Cottage Museum, a structure that dates back to the 18th century. 

The museum has been relocated twice before finding its way to its current resting place at the intersection of West Broadway and Barnum Avenue. During the Revolution, it was the former home of Phillips Roe, a known member in the Culper Spy Ring.

Mark Sternberg, the spy ring historian at Drowned Meadow Cottage, said he was elated by the day’s success and the public’s degree of interest.

“It has been awesome to have so much new information to share with people, specifically about [Phillips, Nathaniel and John] Roe and their involvement in the Culper Spy Ring,” he said. “A lot of Port Jeff residents don’t know that Drowned Meadow had such an important role during the Revolution, so the response has been great — and we have had so many people.”

Irizarry said she enjoyed all the organizations taking part in the day to tell their Revolutionary War stories. She added organizations such as Four Harbors Audubon Society discussed making ink from natural products, and Sweetbriar Nature Center representatives talked about birds of prey that existed during the 18th century.

“It wasn’t just talking about the spies and the war, but it was really just talking about life during the 18th century, which is the bigger picture also, which was nice to see,” Irizarry said.

Additional reporting by Raymond Janis.