Yearly Archives: 2022

In gratitude for the support shown to EXIT Realty Island Elite by the local community, agents from the real estate brokerage recently transported and dropped off the backpacks and supplies collected during their annual backpack fundraiser. This is the fourth year this office has organized this supply drive, which provides every incoming kindergarten student in the Comsewogue school community with a free backpack and starter supplies like crayons, markers, rulers and more. 

EXIT, located at 4699 Nesconset Hwy, Suite 2, in Port Jefferson Station, has now collected well over a thousand back packs, and donated the extra supplies to local churches and organizations. 

“We appreciate being a part of this wonderful community and welcome the opportunity to give back,” said Jason Furnari, Broker/Owner of EXIT Realty Island Elite.

Cona Elder Law's new office in Port Jefferson

Cona Elder Law, the Melville-based firm focused on elder law, estate planning, estate administration, special needs and health care law, has announced the opening of its new office in Port Jefferson at 41 North Country Road, across from Mather Hospital.

Jennifer B. Cona, Esq.

“With a 20-plus year history in Melville, we are excited to bring our elder law and estate planning firm to Port Jefferson. We want to be available and accessible to our clients, including those in East Setauket, Miller Place, Mount Sinai, Rocky Point, and Stony Brook, meeting them closer to their homes and businesses,” said Jennifer Cona, Founder and Managing Partner of Cona Elder Law.

The office will be led by Melissa Negrin-Wiener, Senior Partner at the firm, who concentrates in elder law, Medicaid benefits, estate planning, government benefits eligibility, asset protection and special needs planning. 

“As someone who was raised in Smithtown, I am excited to serve my neighbors in our new Port Jefferson office. The attorneys of Cona Elder Law are involved with local organizations and will contribute to the community through educational programs and support of nonprofit groups, as we already do in Melville,” said Negrin-Wiener.

In addition to its main Melville office, Cona Elder Law has an office in midtown Manhattan. For more information, visit www.conaelderlaw.com.

Samples of Mark Strayer’s work

A retired toy designer fires up a new career as a ceramic artist

The Reboli Center for Art and History’s September Aristan of the Month, Mark Strayer, has had a long career as an Industrial Designer, designing toys and furniture for manufacturers. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from California State University and is a native Californian who now resides in Lamar, Missouri. While a designer at Fisher-Price Toys, employees were encouraged to learn other creative disciplines so that they could utilize that experience in their designs. He enrolled in a ceramics class at the Buffalo Clay Art Studio in Buffalo, NY. Little did he know then that this decision would create another career path.

Samples of Mark Strayer’s work

The work that will be on exhibit and for sale at The Reboli Center for Art and History will feature miniature houses, buildings, trees and other designs. He uses the Japanese technique of Raku for firing. Raku is a low heat firing process where the heat in the kiln reaches to about 1800 degrees within a short period of time. The pottery is removed when glowing red and placed into a container with combustible materials, such as sawdust and newspaper, to give them color.

According to Mark, “My ceramic business, North Star Pottery, is a place of experimentation and having fun with clay. My work is primarily functional ware, but I also love small architectural forms using the Raku process of firing.” He added, “Clay is an amazing material, natural, fluid and organic to touch, and my ability to transfer a lump of clay into beautiful and useful objects gives me joy. Being the artist of the month at the Reboli Center is a milestone in my career.”

Samples of Mark Strayer’s work

Lois Reboli, president and one of the founders of The Reboli Center said, ““I am thrilled to showcase Mark’s unique and intriguing creations. The shapes, style, and color of his pieces are fascinating. Another founder of the Reboli Center, Secretary Colleen Hanson, serendipitously discovered Mark when she relocated to Missouri. It’s wonderful when looking for art we discover such fabulous artisans, like Mark Strayer.”

The Reboli Center is located at 64 Main Street in Stony Brook and is open Tuesday – Saturday from 11 a,m, to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, please call 631-751-7707 or visit www.rebolicenter.org.

The following incidents have been reported by Suffolk County Police:

Centereach

■ Walmart on Middle Country Road in Centereach reported a shoplifter on Aug. 27. A man walked into the store, picked out a mountain bike valued at $98, and allegedly rode out of the store without paying.

Commack

■ Walmart on Crooked Hill Road in Commack reported a shoplifter on Aug. 25. A man allegedly took a USB drive and an LED work light off the shelf and walked out without paying.

■ Home Depot on Crooked Hill Road in Commack reported that two men allegedly stole electrical wiring valued at approximately $460 on Aug. 25.

■ A catalytic converter was stolen from a 2004 Honda Accord parked in the driveway of a resident on Partridge Drive in Commack on Aug. 23. 

■ A woman shopping at Costco on Garet Place in Commack on Aug. 27 reported that an unknown person stole her purse out of her pocketbook.

■ Walmart on Crooked Hill Road in Commack called the police on Aug. 27 reported a petit larceny. Two men stole assorted baby furniture valued at $150. 

Dix Hills

■ Cash and credit cards were stolen from a vehicle parked in the driveway of a residence on Redwood Drive on Aug. 26. The vehicle had been left unlocked.

East Northport

■ T-Mobile on Clay Pitts Road in East Northport reported a petit larceny on Aug. 25. Two men entered the store on Aug. 25 and allegedly stole an iPhone 13 Pro valued at $600.

Greenlawn

■ A resident on Robin Drive in Greenlawn called the police on Aug. 26 to report that someone broke the driver’s side window of his vehicle and stole a wallet.

Hauppauge

■ A resident on Cain Drive in Hauppauge reported that unknown suspects removed all four tires and rims, valued at $1100, off of his 2021 Toyota on Aug. 23. Three windows of the car were also broken.

Huntington Station

■ Anthropologie at the Walt Whitman Mall in Huntington Station reported a petit larceny on Aug. 26. A man and a woman allegedly stole approximately $510 worth of women’s clothing.

■ Sephora on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington Station reported that a man and a woman entered the store on Aug. 24 and allegedly stole assorted fragrances valued at $2800.

Lake Grove

■ PacSun at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove reported that three women allegedly stole $585 worth of assorted clothing from the store on Aug. 26.

■ A catalytic converter was stolen from a 2005 Honda Accord parked on Bayard Street in Lake Grove on Aug. 24 and from a Honda Element on Sterling Drive in Lake Grove on Aug. 25.

Melville

■ A man checking out of the Melville Marriott Long Island on Walt Whitman Road in Melville on Aug 26 found his Budget rental car in the parking lot missing all four tires and rims. The parts were valued at $800.

Miller Place

■ A Shimano bicycle valued at $400 was reported stolen from the Friendly’s parking lot on Route 25A in Miller Place on Aug. 25. The bicycle had been chained up to a light post.

Nesconset

■ A woman shopping at Shoprite on Nesconset Highway in Nesconset on Aug. 25 reported that an unknown person stole her wallet containing cash and credit cards from her pocketbook.

■ Catalytic converters were reported stolen from 2007 Honda Accord and a 2004 Honda Accord parked on Roy Drive, a 2004 Honda Accord parked on Yardley Lane, and a 2006 Acura parked on Commander Lane in Nesconset on Aug. 24 and 25. The parts were valued at approximately $500 each.

Rocky Point

■ Catalytic converters were reported stolen from a 2004 Honda Accord on Fern Road, a 2001 Honda Accord and a 2007 Honda Accord on Hickory Road, a 2001 Acura MDX on Rosewood Road, a 2007 Honda Accord on Patchogue Drive, a 2006 Honda Accord on Magnolia Drive and a 2004 Honda Accord on Tulip Road in Rocky Point from Aug. 24 to Aug. 26. 

Selden

■ A man shopping at 7-Eleven on Boyle Road in Selden on Aug. 26 returned to his car to find that an unknown person had entered his unlocked vehicle and stole a large amount of cash.

■ Home Depot on Middle Country Road in Selden reported a grand larceny on Aug 26. Three men allegedly stole various power tools and a tool box with a total value of $1860.

■ A resident on Strauss Avenue in Selden reported that an unknown person had stolen his mailbox between the hours of 7 p.m. on Aug. 25 and 5 a.m. on Aug 26. The mailbox was valued at $80.

Sound Beach

A resident on Beacon Drive in Sound Beach called the police on Aug. 25 to report that a catalytic converter was stolen from his 2005 Honda Element.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS.

— COMPILED BY HEIDI SUTTON

The Joseph Lloyd Manor property will serve as a pilot site for the grant project.

Preservation Long Island (PLI) has been awarded an Inspire! Grant for Small Museums from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Collecting since its founding in 1948, Preservation Long Island’s diverse and comprehensive collections comprise approximately 3,000 objects and 185 cubic feet of archival materials.

The grant will enable PLI to undertake an assessment of its inventory practices to improve access and the long-term care and maintenance of the collections displayed and stored at its historic sites and facilities — the PLI Headquarters building in Cold Spring Harbor, Joseph Lloyd Manor and Collections Storage in Lloyd Harbor, Sherwood-Jayne Farm in Setauket, and the Custom House in Sag Harbor. The grant funded project runs from September 1, 2022 through December 31, 2023.

Ranging from artistic and technological masterworks, to documentary imagery and everyday artifacts, PLI’s collections represent the social, cultural, political, and economic history of Long Island over four centuries.

“PLI holds its collection in trust for the public. The IMLS grant represents a strategic investment in the management of its permanent collection,” said Alexandra Wolfe, Preservation Long Island Executive Director.

“Organizationally, the project will enhance how PLI preserves and cares for its important artifacts of Long Island’s history,” said Lauren Brincat, Curator, Preservation Long Island. “Nationally, this project will promote access to and interest in Long Island’s history and cultural heritage.”

“As pillars of our communities, libraries and museums bring people together by providing important programs, services, and collections. These institutions are trusted spaces where people can learn, explore and grow,” said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. “IMLS is proud to support their initiatives through our grants as they educate and enhance their communities.”

The Joseph Lloyd Manor property will serve as a pilot site for the grant project.  The house was the center of the Manor of Queens Village, a 3,000-acre provisioning plantation established in the late 17th century on the ancestral lands of the Matinecock Nation. Jupiter Hammon (1711–before 1806), one of the first published African American writers, was one of the many people of African descent enslaved at the site.

The collections inventory project will help bring to light new stories that can be told with the existing collections at PLI’s historic sites. In addition, with the information gathered through this project, PLI will be able to seek new acquisitions that help make PLI’s collection—and the public programs, exhibitions, interpretations, and digital content the collection supports—more relevant to more people while also enhancing public knowledge of unrepresented stories.

About Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

 About Preservation Long Island

Preservation Long Island is a not-for-profit organization that works with Long Islanders to raise awareness, appreciation, and support for the protection of our shared past through advocacy, education, and the stewardship of historic sites and collections.

http://preservationlongisland.org

Visit the Digital Collections page on Preservation Long Island’s website to explore a sample of their extensive collections online.

Preservation Long Island maintains and interprets historic sites and collections that embody various aspects of Long Island’s history including:

Joseph Lloyd Manor, Lloyd Harbor http://preservationlongisland.org/joseph-lloyd-manor/

Custom House, Sag Harbor http://preservationlongisland.org/custom-house/

Sherwood-Jayne Farm, Setauket http://preservationlongisland.org/sherwood-jayne-farm/

Old Methodist Church and Exhibition Gallery http://preservationlongisland.org/methodist-church/

Northport Symphony Orchestra. Photo by Hayao Nakahara

The Northport Symphony Orchestra has announced the creation of a Student Scholarship Program for the 2022-2023 season.  The Orchestra will offer three deserving music students a chance at a scholarship worth $500.  The program offers talented musicians performance opportunities outside the academic program, and is an excellent addition to extra-curricular activities for college applications.  The scholarship is repertoire-dependent; this year, we can offer scholarship opportunities to qualified students who play violin, viola, cello, string bass, bassoon, and French horn.

High school seniors and college students qualify for the NSO scholarship program.  Each scholarship winner will have the full experience as an active NSO member for a two-concert cycle.  Please visit www.northportsymphony.org/nsoscholarship for complete details and links to the application form, complete requirements, and additional information.

Stock photo

By Michael Christodoulou

Michael Christodoulou
Michael Christodoulou

You may have heard that you can simplify your investment strategy just by owning index-based or passive investments. But is this a good idea? 

You’ll want to consider the different aspects of this type of investment style. To begin with, an index-based investment is a vehicle such as a mutual fund or an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that mimics the performance of a market benchmark, or index — the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500, and so on. (An ETF is similar to a mutual fund in that it holds a variety of investments but differs in that it is traded like a common stock.) You can also invest in index funds that track the bond market.

Index investing does offer some benefits. Most notably, it’s a buy-and-hold strategy, which is typically more effective than a market-timing approach, in which individuals try to buy investments when their prices are down and sell them when the prices rise. Attempts to time the market this way are usually futile because nobody can really predict when high and low points will be reached. 

Plus, the very act of constantly buying and selling investments can generate commissions and fees, which can lower your overall rate of return. Thus, index investing generally involves lower fees and is considered more tax efficient than a more active investing style. Also, when the financial markets are soaring, which happened for several years until this year’s downturn, index-based investments can certainly look pretty good — after all, when the major indexes go up, index funds will do the same.

Conversely, during a correction, when the market drops at least 10% from recent highs, or during a bear market, when prices fall 20% or more, index-based investments will likely follow the same downward path.

And there are also other issues to consider with index-based investments. For one thing, if you’re investing with the objective of matching an index, you may be overlooking the key factors that should be driving your investment decisions — your goals and your risk tolerance. An index is a completely impersonal benchmark measuring the performance of a specific set of investments — but it can’t be a measuring stick of your own progress.

Furthermore, a single index, by definition, can’t be as diversified as the type of portfolio you might need to achieve your objectives. For example, the S&P 500 may track a lot of companies, but they’re predominantly large ones. And to achieve your objectives, you may need a portfolio consisting of large- and small-company stocks, bonds, government securities and other investments. (Keep in mind, though, that while diversification can give you more opportunities for success and can reduce the effects of volatility on your portfolio, it can’t guarantee profits or prevent all losses.)

Ultimately, diversifying across different types of investments that align with your risk tolerance and goals — regardless of whether they track an index — is the most important consideration for your investment portfolio. Use this idea as your guiding principle as you journey through the investment world.

Michael Christodoulou, ChFC®, AAMS®, CRPC®, CRPS® is a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones in Stony Brook. Member SIPC.

File photo

Suffolk County Police arrested a Ronkonkoma man who allegedly seriously injured an East Setauket man by stabbing him in Centereach last night.

A 49-year-old man was driving a vehicle, with three passengers, into the entrance of Shell Gas, located at 1992 Middle Country Road, as Matthew Ulloa was jogging westbound past the entrance. Ulloa yelled at the driver and continued jogging westbound on Middle Country Road. The driver then drove into the gas station, pumped gas into the vehicle, and then drove it back out to the roadway, also heading westbound.

When the vehicle approached the jogger, the driver parked and exited his vehicle to confront Ulloa. A physical confrontation ensued, and Ulloa allegedly stabbed the man eleven times with a knife, in front of 2410 Middle Country Road, at approximately 8:10 p.m.

The victim was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
Following an investigation by Sixth Squad detectives, Ulloa, 18, of Ronkonkoma, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree. He is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on September 2.

A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Backstage School of Dance ribbon cutting. Photo from Councilmember Kornreich's office

The Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Aug. 12 to celebrate the grand opening of the new location of Backstage Studio of Dance. 

Located at 200 Wilson Street in Port Jefferson Station, the studio is described on its website as “a place where kids of all ages, shapes and sizes learn to dance and perform and where creativity, individuality and self-expression is encouraged through a community of teachers, students and families who are passionate about the performing arts.” Serving the community for 35 years, the studio’s motto is “We don’t just teach you to dance, we teach you to love dancing.”

The event was attended by Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, New York State Assemblyman Steve Englebright, students and staff. 

“Thank you to the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce, especially Jennifer Dzvonar, Joan Nickeson and Kristin Winter for their assistance in organizing the ribbon cutting and to Assemblyman Englebright and Councilmember Kornreich for their support,” said Gwenn Capodieci, the executive director of the studio. She also thanked her “incredible staff who make up the backbone of Backstage Studio of Dance and all the loyal families that support BSD and trust us with their children. It takes a village to run a dance studio and we are truly blessed with ours!”

“Backstage Studio of Dance in Port Jefferson Station is home to a passionate group of teachers and trainers who have made it their life mission to not just teach dance, but to teach students to love dancing. They have been committed to serving our community’s kids for over 35 years and are starting a new chapter in their new location,” said Councilmember Kornreich. 

“Having a stage and her own location for the studio has been owner Gwenn Capodieci’s lifelong dream. I was so honored to be a part of their grand opening and can’t wait to see their next musical theater production performed at this new location. Congratulations to Gwenn and her amazing team,” he said.

Pictured in center from left, Gwenn Capodieci, partners Nicole Lattanza Terlizzo and Pamela Christopher Strain, Councilmember Kornreich and New York State Assemblyman Englebright.

For more information, call 631-331-5766 or visit www.backstagestudioofdance.com.

Image from Stony Brook Athletics
Gift from inaugural football team member to support comprehensive excellence within Department of Athletics

Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis and Director of Athletics Shawn Heilbron announced that the University has received a $3 million gift from the Kehoe Family Foundation to support comprehensive excellence within the Stony Brook Department of Athletics.
 
The gift was made by the Kehoe Family Foundation which is comprised of Stony Brook football alumnus Kevin Kehoe ’77; his wife Lorraine; brothers Brian, Tim, Michael, and Jeremy; sister Deirdre Chanis; and daughter Julia.
 
“I really enjoyed my years at Stony Brook and playing on the original club football team. I’ve been fortunate in my career to build a couple of businesses which has given me the opportunity to start the Kehoe Family Foundation.
 
You can’t help but take enormous pride in seeing how far Stony Brook Athletics – and the football program specifically – have come. When I looked at where the program is now and where it can be in the future, I saw a great opportunity to make a difference. I’m happy to be even a small part of what will be an amazing journey,” said Kevin Kehoe as he reflected on what Stony Brook means to him and why he was compelled to have his foundation make this gift.  
 
The gift from the Kehoe Family Foundation is the third-largest in department history. The foundation’s donation will fund the replacement of both the north end zone video board and south end zone scoreboard in Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, launch an Athletics facilities master planning project, support the renovation of the football locker room, and provide operational support to Athletics Career Development & Leadership programming.
 
Through these priorities, the Kehoes’ gift will directly support the department’s vision to positively transform the life of each student-athlete and its mission to elevate the national profile of the University by winning championships; inspiring school pride; and fostering transformational experiences for student-athletes, alumni, and the Long Island community.
 
“I have been inspired to learn about the Kehoe Family Foundation’s approach to generational giving, and Stony Brook University is incredibly grateful for their generosity,” said President McInnis. “The growth of Stony Brook Athletics over the past six decades has been breathtaking, and I’d like to thank Kevin and his family for this meaningful gift, for this wonderful demonstration of team spirit, and for proving, as we like to say at Stony Brook…once a Seawolf, always a Seawolf.” 
 
In recognition of the Kehoe family’s generosity, we are proud to submit to the Stony Brook Council and SUNY Board of Trustees the recommendation that the Kehoe name be displayed within Stony Brook Athletics’ facilities where we plan to name the entryway of Island Federal Arena as the “Kehoe Family Atrium” and the south end zone scoreboard in LaValle Stadium as the “Kehoe Family Scoreboard.”
 
“This is a time of tremendous optimism and opportunity for Stony Brook Athletics, and I’m exceedingly grateful to the Kehoe family for their generous commitment at a time when investment is so critical. This gift addresses several vital needs for our department while providing significant momentum as we enter our first year as an all-sport member of the CAA. As a student-athlete when Stony Brook’s football program was in its infancy, Kevin is now graciously contributing to its continued elevation. I am indebted to him and his entire family for their trust and belief in what we are building,” said Director of Athletics Shawn Heilbron.
 
“We are grateful for the vision and generosity of Kevin Kehoe and the Kehoe Family Foundation. Not only are they strengthening the foundation of Stony Brook Athletics, but as an alumnus and former student-athlete, Kevin’s leadership will go a long way toward inspiring the next generation of Stony Brook students and alumni,” said Vice President for Advancement and Executive Director of the Stony Brook Foundation Justin Fincher. “We look forward to the family’s continued partnership as our Athletics program begins this exciting new phase in its evolution.”
 
Kehoe earned his bachelor’s degree at Stony Brook in 1977 and was a founding member of the university’s football team. As members of the inaugural football team at Stony Brook, Kevin and his teammates were pioneers who laid the foundation for what the program has become 45 years later.  
 
Kehoe was born in New York City but lived much of his life in Southern California, with stops in Florida and Texas. He began his business and consulting career with Coopers & Lybrand in 1984. Nearly a decade later in 1993, he launched his own consulting firm, Kehoe & Co., where he worked until he founded The Aspire Software Company in 2014. In 2021, he sold Aspire to Service Titan, where he retains a position as a consultant.
 
In addition to his successful business career, Kevin is a published author of his memoir, One Hit Wonder: The Real-Life Adventures of an Average Guy and the Lessons He Learned Along the Way.
 
Today, Kevin and his wife of 20 years, Lorraine, live in Arizona.
 
About Stony Brook Athletics:
Stony Brook University’s Athletics Department sponsors 18 varsity intercollegiate athletic programs that compete at the NCAA Division I level. Their world-class facilities include the 12,300-seat Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, and a sports complex housing the 4,000-seat Island Federal Arena, which opened in the Fall of 2014. All of Stony Brook’s men’s and women’s programs offer athletic scholarships. For more information about the Stony Brook Seawolves, visit stonybrookathletics.com.