Formal living room with fireplace. Den with bar and fireplace. Spacious eat-in-kitchen. Second floor features 2 Primary bedroom suites with updated baths. A total of 6 bedrooms and 4 full and 2 half baths complete this elegant home. Inground salt water Gunite pool, Full unfinished basement. Private 2.2 acres with separate barn, ideal for studio or pool house.
$1,750,000 | MLS#3480353
For more information click here
This home has undergone a complete renovation. The master bedroom is a true retreat. Three additional bedrooms and two updated full bathrooms. The updated eat-in kitchen boasts elegant quartz countertops. The formal dining room offers views of the backyard oasis, including an above-ground pool, and convenient bar area. Home features two grand fireplaces, one electric, and the other propane.
$699,000 | ML#3483259
For more information click here
UPDATE: The June 29 community availability session at the Port Jefferson Village Center for the Lawrence Aviation Industries Site is postponed. DEC will notify the public once a new community meeting date is scheduled.
To ensure careful and thorough cleanup efforts at the former Lawrence Aviation Industries Superfund Site in Port Jefferson Station, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation scheduled a community availability session at the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 East Broadway, tonight, June 29, from 6-8:30 p.m. This event has been postponed to a later date.
Experts from NYSDEC, the state Department of Health, NYSDEC-contracted engineering and demolition firms, the Suffolk County Landbank Corporation and the Suffolk County Department of Health Services will be available for one-on-one interactions with community members. Multiple stations will be set up at the Village Center, with representatives available to discuss specific areas of interest.
Participants can attend any time during the session.
The community availability session will present information about the planned demolition, cleanup activities and future use at the LAI Site. Handouts of the presentation materials will be made available during the session.
Eliminating possible exposure to site-related contamination in the local community will be a point of emphasis. The updates include the latest information regarding the planned demolition of derelict buildings and provide progress to address contaminated soils and groundwater on the property.
By Daniel Dunaief
At a recent national meeting of experts in his field, Matthew Lerner said the gathering paused to toast the remarkable life of Donald Triplett.
Born and raised in Forest, Mississippi, Triplett died on Thursday, June 15 at the age of 89, after a full life in which his family, his community and a medical and research field around him learned about a condition he helped various communities understand.
Triplett was different from other children growing up, and in 1943, after his parents brought him to psychiatrist Dr. Leo Kanner, he became “Case 1” for a new diagnosis called autism.
“Everything we know about autism started with what was learned from Donald,” said Lerner, associate professor in Clinical Psychology at the Stony Brook Neurosciences Institute. “I’m still confident the field would have found its way to autism,” but the interaction between Triplett and Kanner helped establish some of the parameters that define a condition that researchers estimate affects about one in 36 children today.
As with people who have other diagnoses, the reaction people have to those with autism varies.
“There are two broad threads in the history of how we’ve understood, studied and treated autism since the 1940s,” said Lerner.
In one, people consider it a lifetime disability, in which the diagnosis is limiting and stigmatizing.
In the second, people see autism as a different way of being, in which individuals have an opportunity to develop a meaningful and happy life, as was the case with Triplett.
“The idea of autism as being so different and so impairing was the prototype,” Lerner said. Triplett’s life “didn’t follow that trajectory at all. He had a life filled with community in which he felt supported and accepted.”
This second model of autism, Lerner added, is achievable in “far more cases than we may have historically assumed.”
Triplett, who worked at the Bank of Forest for 65 years and traveled the world, had unusual cognitive abilities that set him apart from neurotypical people. He could multiply two three-digit numbers rapidly without a calculator. He also could look at the side of a building and could indicate the number of bricks without counting them one by one. He had perfect pitch.
As he was growing up, he didn’t interact socially in typical ways for children his age. His parents institutionalized him for a year, where he became withdrawn and disinterested. When they brought him back to their home, he became more engaged, earning a high school and bachelor’s degree in French from Millsaps College.
“He may have been the first, but he was far, far, far from the only autistic person who ended up exceeding the horizons set for him when he was young,” Lerner said.
Lerner believed people in the autistic community, like Triplett, have something to teach others about challenging circumstances.
“Kids are going to get where they are going at their own pace,” Lerner said. Being patient and kind and taking time to meet people where they are as individuals can help people grow. Lerner suggested that “we need to be okay with the idea that what that person is going to be is themselves and the best thing we can do is create a space” for that development to occur.
People will develop when they don’t feel like they are failing because people around them are setting expectations that don’t match them or are underestimating what they can do, he added.
“It’s important to feel validated and valued” through life, Lerner said.
Parents of children from a wide range of abilities sometimes hear what their offspring will never do.
People are frequently “proven wrong” by that child in that family, he added.
As for Triplett, Lerner encouraged people to watch the movie ’In a Different Key” about the person later known as Case 1.”
MEET CHEVY!
This week’s featured shelter pet is Chevy, a two year-old male Pit Mix who had a very difficult start to his young life. It’s hard to imagine that this happy pup was once found on the side of the road, broken and beaten this past New Year’s Eve. Thanks to the kind hearted nature of law enforcement at the Suffolk County Police Department, a truly devoted team at Animal Surgical Center, one saintly foster family, and the selfless team at the Smithtown Animal Shelter, Chevy is thriving, back to good health, and awaiting his furrever home. Since his recovery, Chevy has become quite a celebrity, making appearances in viral TikToks, and getting profiled by News 12 and Newsday. Chevy loves to listen to music, especially Andrea Bocelli, earning him the nickname Bocelli, or Bo for short.
Chevy is finally getting to experience the happy puppy life that he never had before. He has gained back weight, is strong and mobile despite still having a slight limp, and loves to snuggle and kiss. Even though he was mistreated by humans before, he is still very trusting and friendly to all new people. He gets along with some dogs and has lived in a multi-pet home for the period of his recovery. Chevy is the perfect example of the ultimate comeback story, and he won’t let anything get him down.
Chevy will only be adopted into the best of homes who will provide him with the love and care he was missing in his past life. Due to his limited vision, he should only be with older kids that will respect his sight trouble. He also has a well-managed food allergy. He needs a family that is fully committed to the promise that Chevy will never know another bad day again. Chevy can’t wait to find his perfect furrever home, and we know that home is out there somewhere for him.
If you would like to meet this sweetheart, please call ahead to schedule an hour to properly interact with him in a domestic setting.
The Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Visitor hours are currently Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sundays and Wednesday evenings by appointment only). For more information, call 631-360-7575 or visit www.townofsmithtownanimalshelter.com.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly used stolen credit cards to make multiple purchases in Farmingville.
A man allegedly made purchases using two stolen credit cards at Gaurav Wine and Liquors, Family Dollar, and Fine Fair Supermarket, all in Farmingville, on June 13 and 14. The cards had been previously stolen from a home on Waverly Avenue in Farmingville. The man, who was described at white and approximately 40 to 50 years old, has a tattoo on his right forearm and left the stores on a bicycle.
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, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.
Dress Up at Sea
In celebration of Pride Month, The Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor presents Dress Up at Sea, on June 29 at 2 p.m. and again at 4 p.m. Set sail with drag artist and mermaid, Bella Noche, for a unique Drag Story Hour including maritime origins of mermaids and reading mythical stories. Decorate a ship wheel ornament to keep for your own journeys. Costumes encouraged. Admission fee + $10. Register at www.cshwhalingmuseum.org. 631-367-3418.
Owl Prowl
Visit Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown for an Owl Prowl on June 30 at 8 p.m. (rescheduled from June 23). Meet and learn about some of their resident owls and then embark on a walk into the darkness to enjoy the night. Wear bug spray and bring a flashlight just in case. Open to families with children ages 5 and up. $15 per person. Register at www.sweetbriarnc.org. 631-979-6344
Mud Day at Sweetbriar
Get ready to get muddy! Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown hosts a Mud Day on July 2 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join them for slime making, sand playing and volcano building. Meet some animals that love to dig around just like you! $10 per child and no charge for adults. Register at www.sweetbriarnc.org. 631-979-6344
The Patriot Tour
Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Road, Setauket kicks off its 2023 Family Summer Program series with The Patriot Tour with Margo Arceri of Tri-Spy Tours on July 4 from 11 a.m. to noon. Learn about the Patriots that lived in Setauket during the Revolutionary War during this walk around the park. Meet at Hap’s Red Barn. Free. 631-689-6146
Scrimshaw Carving
Join the Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor for an afternoon of Scrimshaw Carving on July 6, 13, 20 and 27 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Discover how whalers carved teeth, bone, and baleen into beautiful works of art, then create your own scrimshaw-style art on a keepsake box. This classic, popular craft has long been a rite of passage for Long Islanders! Admission + $10 participant. 631-367-3418
‘Seussical Jr.’
Smithtown Performing Arts Center presents an outdoor production of Seussical Jr. on the grounds of the Smithtown Historical Society, 239 E. Main St., Smithtown from July 8 to Aug. 17. Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat and all of your favorite Dr. Seuss characters spring to life onstage in this fantastical musical extravaganza. Tickets are $18 per person. To order, call 800-595-4849 or visit www.smithtownpac.org.
‘Flat Stanley’
John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley from May 28 to July 2. Stanley Lambchop is an ordinary ten-year-old who longs to travel the world and do something amazing! Careful what you wish for, Stanley! One morning, Stanley wakes up really, REALLY flat! In a whirlwind musical travelogue, Stanley scours the globe for a solution to his unusual problem. He’s stamped, posted and mailed from Hollywood to Paris to Honolulu and beyond hoping to once again become three-dimensional. All seats are $20. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.
‘Goldilocks & The Show Biz Bears’
Up next at Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson is Goldilocks & The Show Biz Bears from July 7 to July 29 with a sensory sensitive performance on July 9. Join them for a delightful re-telling of the famous story as Goldilocks, a Campfire Bluebird Pioneer Scout Girl, joins up with the three nicest show-biz bears you’d ever hope to meet. Along with Granny Locks and Wolf Hunter, Forest Ranger, the crew foil the villainous plans of Billy de Goat Gruff. Don’t miss this hysterical musical melodrama about safety! All seats are $12. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.
‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’
Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington continues its Cinema for Kids! series with a screening of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? on July 2 at noon. Robert Zemeckis’ brilliant, and altogether hilarious classic returns! Eddie is a toon-hating private detective who is hired to clear the name of toon-sensation Roger Rabbit. Rated PG. Tickets are $12, $5 children 12 and under. www.cinemaartscentre.org.
St. Anthony’s Feast and Festival
Fr. Thomas Judge Knights of Columbus celebrates its 30th annual St. Anthony’s Family Feast and Festival at Trinity Regional School, 1025 Fifth Ave., East Northport tonight and June 30 from 6 to 11 p.m. and July 1 from 3 to 11 p.m. Featuring rides, games, food, craft beer, live music and circus shows. Fireworks on July 1. Free admission, pay-one-price rides or individual rides. 631-261-1077
Northport Community Band
The Northport Community Band will host a concert at the Robert W. Krueger Bandshell in Northport Village Park tonight, July 6, July 13, July 20 and July 27 starting at 8:30 p.m. Bring seating. Rain location is Northport High School. www.ncb59.org
St. Anthony’s Feast and Festival
See June 29 listing.
Sounds on the Sound
The Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce presents its annual Sounds on the Sound Port Jefferson Sunset Cruise on Friday, June 30 from 6:30 to 9:15 p.m. featuring a performance by Dr. K’s Motown Revue (Motown tribute band). For ages 21 and over. General tickets are $45, VIP tickets are $65 at www.portjeffchamber.com. For more information, call 631-473-1414.
Musical Moments
Musical Moments in Kings Park return to Russ Savatt Park, 14 Main St., Kings Park from 7:30 to 9 p.m. tonight with a free concert by Mystery Play, courtesy of the Kings Park Civic Association. Bring seating. 516-319-0672
Happenings on Main Street
Northport Arts Coalition kicks off its annual Happenings on Main Street series, free concerts at the Northport Village Park Gazebo at the harbor Friday evenings at 7 p.m., with a performances by The Haymakers, Bring seating. 631-261-1872, www.northportarts.org
St. Anthony’s Feast and Festival
See June 29 listing.
Sherwood-Jayne House Tour
Preservation Long Island will host tours of the Sherwood-Jayne House (c. 1730), 55 Old Post Road, Setauket at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. with a self-guided tour at noon. The house contains period furnishings and features original late eighteenth-century hand-painted floral wall frescoes. Tickets are $10, $5 children ages 6 to 15, under age 6 free at www.preservationlongisland.org/tours. 631-692-4664.
All Souls Poetry Reading
The Second Saturdays poetry series returns to All Souls Church in Stony Brook via Zoom from 11 a.m. to noon. Suffolk County Poet Laureate Richard Bronson will be the featured poet. An open-reading will follow; all are welcome to read one of their own poems. For more information, call 631-655-7798. Participants can access the program through the All Souls website https://www.allsouls-stonybrook.org/
Huntington Summer Arts Festival
Heckscher Park’s Chapin Rainbow Stage, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington hosts the Huntington Arts Council’s 58th annual Summer Arts Festival with music, theater and dance from July 1 to 30. Opening week schedule features Sunny Jain’s Red Baraat tonight at 8 p.m., Nassau Pops Symphony Orchestra on July 2 at 7 p.m.; Huntington Community Band on July 5 at 8 p.m, Huntington Men’s Chorus on July 6 at 8 p.m. and The Englishtown Project on July 7 at 8 p.m. For the full schedule, visit www.huntingtonarts.org. 631-271-8423
Huntington Summer Arts Festival
See July 1 listing.
Sushi Savant Concert
The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, 97 Main St., Stony Brook will host a concert by Sushi Savant from 3 to 4 p.m. Free with admission to the museum. For more information, call 689-5888 or visit www.limusichalloffame.org.
Wind Down Sundays
The popular summer concert series returns to Hap’s historic Red Barn at Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Road, Setauket with the Claudia Jacobs Band at 5:30 p.m. Bring seating. 631-689-6146, www.frankmelvillepark.org
Movie Trivia Night
Join the Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington for a Movie Trivia Night at 8 p.m. Try to answer 50 questions based all around film, actors and actresses, awards, and everything else associated with the world of film. Challenge like-minded film fans in a battle of wits for cash and other prizes. You can form teams, so bring some friends and work together. Feel free to come alone and play solo as well! Hosted by Dan French. Tickets are $10 per person, $7 members at www.cinemaartscentre.org. 631-423-7610.
Fourth of July Parade
Grab yourself a lawn chair and head down to Main Street so you don’t miss a moment of the Port Jefferson Fourth of July Parade at 10 a.m. Fire trucks, dancers, bagpipe players, classic cars and more. The event is sponsored by Port Jefferson Fire
Department. 631-473-1414
Celebration of Hometown Heroes
VFW Post 6249, 109 King Road, Rocky Point and the Rocky Point Sound Beach Chamber of Commerce present A Celebration of Hometown Heroes at 11 a.m. Followed by a live reading of the Declaration of Independence. Refreshments will be served. 631-729-0699
Fireworks at Bald Hill
Celebrate Independence Day at the Long Island Catholic Health Amphitheater at Bald Hill, 1 Ski Run Lane, Farmingville with a high-energy concert by Mean Machine and The Chiclettes starting at 5:30 p.m. followed by fireworks by Grucci at 9:15 p.m. Free. 631-676-7500
Huntington Summer Arts Festival
See July 1 listing.
Author Visit
Join science writer and artist Erica Cirino as she discusses her book Thicker Than Water: The Quest for Solutions to the Plastic Crisis at Northport Public Library, 151 Laurel Ave., Northport at 4 p.m. Plastic pollution is not confined to the oceans, but is prevalent in our air, food, and soil as well. Learn about the real story of the plastic crisis and gain hope hearing about what is being done across the world to address the problem. Open to all. To register, call 261-6930.
Author Talk
Join CNN Senior Political Analyst and author John Avlon as he discusses his new book, Lincoln and the Fight For Peace, at the Middle Country Public Library, 101 Eastwood Blvd., Centereach from 6 to 7:30 p.m. A Q&A and book signing will follow the lecture. Free and open to all. Registration required. 631-585-9393
Sunset Concerts
Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council kicks off its Sunset Concerts at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson from 6:30 to 8 p.m. with The Well Diggers. Held rain or shine. Bring seating. 631-473-5220, www.gpjac.org
Northport Community Band
See June 29 listing.
Huntington Summer Arts Festival
See July 1 listing.
Dennis Cannataro Concert Series
The Dennis Cannataro Family Summer Concert Series returns to the Smithtown Library, 1 North Country Road, Smithtown with a concert by Just Sixties tonight at 7:30 p.m. with a preshow at 7 p.m. Bring seating. 631-360-2480 ext. 150
Harborside Concerts
The Village of Port Jefferson kicks off its annual Harborside concerts at the Show Mobile at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson on Thursdays at 7 p.m. with a performance by Solid 70s. Bring seating. 631-473-4724 www.portjeff.com
‘Every Body’
Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington presents a special screening of the documentary Every Body, a revelatory investigation of the lives of intersex people, on July 5 at 7:30 p.m. The film tells the stories of three individuals who have moved from childhoods marked by shame, secrecy, and non-consensual surgeries to thriving adulthoods after each decided to set aside medical advice to keep their bodies a secret and instead came out as their authentic selves. With Director Julie Cohen in person. Tickets are $15, $10 members. www.cinemaartcentre.org.
‘Brothers In Blues’
Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington will screen the documentary Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan: Brothers in Blues on July 6 at 7:30 p.m. Brothers Jimmie and Stevie went from a small, post-war house in Oak Cliff, Texas to selling millions of records and playing alongside the likes of David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jackson Browne, Carlos Santana and more. Featuring newly revealed photos, home movies and interviews. Tickets are $15, $10 members at www.cinemaartscentre.org.
‘The Sound of Music’
The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport is The Sound of Music from May 18 to July 2. The final collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein was destined to become the world’s most beloved musical. Featuring a trove of cherished songs, including “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “My Favorite Things,” “Do Re Mi,” and “Sixteen Going on Seventeen.” Tickets range from $80 to $85. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.
‘The Two Gentlemen of Verona’
The Carriage House Players continue their 34th annual Summer Shakespeare Festival in the mansion courtyard of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport with The Two Gentlemen of Verona from June 4 to 30. Young Valentine travels to Milan to find his fortune, but instead falls for the fair Silvia, daughter of the Duke. His world is turned upside down when his best friend, Proteus, abandons his love, Tickets are $20, $15 children under 12. To order, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.
•Hauppauge High School Class of 1978 will hold its 45th reunion on July 22, 2023 with a reunion party on July 21 and a reunion picnic on July 23. For details, email [email protected].
•Port Jefferson High School Class of 1973 will hold its 50th reunion on the weekend of August 4-6. For information, email Lori Sternlicht Lucki @ [email protected] or call 631-495-8604.
•Ward Melville High School Class of 1973 will hold its 50th reunion at the Setauket Neighborhood House, 95 Main St., Setauket on Sept. 9, 2023 from 6 to 11 p.m. For ticket information, contact Tibo Dioguardi at [email protected].
•Save the date! Port Jefferson High School Class of 1964 will hold its 60th reunion at the Meadow Club, 1147 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station on Oct. 17, 2024. For more information, email Mike Whelen at [email protected]
■ Vendors are wanted for the 2nd annual Port Paws Dog Festival at Joe Erland Park in Port Jefferson on July 15 and 16 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fee is $350 for 10X10 booth for both days. Visit portpawsdogfest.com/vendors or text 516-939-8960.
■ Spirit of Huntington, 2 Melville Road, Huntington seeks artists, musicians, and vendors fort its Spirit of Summer Art Festival on Aug. 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. $125 fee for 8’ by 10’ area. Rain date Aug. 13. Deadline to apply is July 28. Visit www.spiritofhuntington.com.
■ Northport Arts Coalition is now accepting applications from artists and artisans for its annual Art in the Park event at Northport Village Park on Sunday, Aug. 13 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. All crafts must be handmade by the artist — no kits, manufactured items, purchased pieces, imports or resale items will be permitted. 10’ X 10’ artist space is $100, $80 for NAC members. Only 40 spaces are available. Deadline to apply is June 30. Visit www.northportarts.org for an application or call 631-261-1872.
■ The Village of Lake Grove seeks arts & crafts, food and community vendors for its 2023 Lake Grove Summer Festival at Memorial Park, 980 Hawkins Ave., Lake Grove on Aug. 20 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visit lakegroveny.gov for an application.
■ Vendor applications are now available for Sunshine Prevention Center’s Family Fall Festival at 468 Boyle Road, Port Jefferson Station on Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (rain date Oct 15). Fee is $50 for a 10 x 10 space, no charge for Agency Resource tables. Bring your own tables, tents, chairs. All vendors must also donate a prize ($20 value) for a raffle. Register at www.sunshinepreventionctr.org or email [email protected].
■ Craft and new merchandise vendors are wanted for the St. Thomas of Canterbury Church Fall Car Show and Craft Fair, 90 Edgewood Ave., Smithtown, on Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $50 per booth (10’ by 10’ space). For more information, call 631-265-4520 or visit www.Stthomasofcanterbury.net.
The Greenlawn Centerport Historical Association seeks volunteers for its Summer Gardiner Farm Stand. One volunteer is needed for each shift to work alongside a GCHA rep. Shifts are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. beginning the week of July 1. High school students can earn community service credit! For more information, call 631-754-1180 or email [email protected]
CALENDAR DEADLINE is Wednesday at noon, one week before publication. Items may be mailed to: Times Beacon Record News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733. Email your information about community events to [email protected]. Calendar listings are for not-for-profit organizations (nonsectarian, nonpartisan events) only, on a space-available basis. Please include a phone number that can be printed.
The Village of Port Jefferson is undergoing its first mayoral transition in 14 years. Outgoing Mayor Margot Garant, who has held the village’s highest post since 2009, will officially leave the office early next week, handing the reins of power to trustee Lauren Sheprow.
Sheprow, a write-in candidate who campaigned as an agent of change, defeated Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden in last week’s village election [See story, “Write-in candidate Lauren Sheprow elected Port Jeff Village mayor,” The Port Times Record, June 22, also TBR News Media website]. Throughout her campaign, she proposed several initiatives, such as new staffing procedures, committees and communications channels.
In an exclusive interview, the mayor-elect opened up about the transition process, unveiling her expectations for the office and offering some reorganization plans.
“Fourteen years is a long time,” she told TBR News Media. “Mayor Garant did amazing things in Port Jefferson, and I never want to take anything away from her and what she’s done.”
“I’m just excited to start something new and fresh, and see what we can do to help bring Port Jefferson to the next chapter,” she added.
She offered that she is currently “working through sort of an organizational chart,” assessing where current staff members will fit within the organizational hierarchy and whether there are opportunities for change.
Through this chart, she is “trying to understand if everything makes sense the way it’s laid out,” she said. “Possibly it does, but that’s the evaluation process that I’m going through right now.”
With one year remaining in her unexpired term as trustee, one of Sheprow’s highest-profile vacancies is the one she will create by swearing in as mayor. New York Village Law empowers the mayor to “appoint individuals to fill vacancies in both elected and appointed offices when the vacancy occurs before the expiration of the official’s term of office,” with this type of mayoral appointment “not subject to board approval.”
Outside of village attorney Brian Egan, who announced his resignation this week, Sheprow declined to reveal any other major administrative changes or forecast upcoming mayoral appointments.
One of Sheprow’s central positions during her campaign was the formation of new resident task forces and committees to assist the board in local decision-making. Sheprow maintained her intent to move ahead with plans for committees on parking, budgets and the Port Jefferson Power Station, among others.
“I have three or four people that I can tap into immediately on the Audit and Budget Committee,” she said. “I’ve been talking to people about the Parking Committee, the LIPA Committee,” adding that the village government is exploring a portal for residents to enter their interests and alert the committee boards on which they would like to volunteer.
Expanding upon this initiative, Sheprow said she had contacted Kevin Wood, the village’s communications committee head, about overhauling the village’s municipal website, suggesting a website revamp would likely be a multimonth endeavor.
Sheprow also said she has been scrutinizing the village’s existing Code of Ethics, noting this “probably hasn’t been touched in all the years since it’s been established,” adding that a similar approach is underway for procurement and investment policies.
The mayor-elect described the transition process as “exciting,” noting a personal lack of anxiety in preparing for the mayor’s office.
“It’s just energizing, and I’m looking forward to it,” she said. “We have a great operating institution in the Village of Port Jefferson. The people in place are doing their jobs, and I hope to empower them to do their jobs even more.”
Sheprow will be sworn in as mayor outside Village Hall this Tuesday, July 4.
By Stephanie Giunta
Something is blooming on Long Island: lavender. In recent years, the rising popularity of lavender farms has taken the island by storm. The East End’s beautiful and expansive fields, filled with gorgeous colors and magnificent scents, has drawn a diverse crowd of both lifelong locals and international visitors. Crowds flock annually to traverse through acres of beauty, enjoying fragrant fields and spectacular views, completely enveloped by the purple craze.
If you are looking for a natural and transformative experience this summer, look no further than Lavender By the Bay. Located in both East Marion and Calverton, the farms are a fusion of agricultural artistry brought to life through the Rozenbaum family. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Chanan Rozenbaum, co-owner of the business, who provided some insight on the legacy behind the illustrious lavender and the farms’ tranquil escape.
How did the business develop into two large farms with 47+ acres?
It’s quite a story. I grew up summering in Southold back in the 80s. My dad always had a green thumb and worked at the apple orchards in Israel. He was always playing around in the garden. He is originally from Paris, and lavender from France is a big part of the culture there — it grows acres upon acres. So, he tried growing lavender and it flourished.
My mom was an art teacher at the time in the NYC public school system, and was very crafty with dried flower bouquets and making sachets. We set up a picnic bench in front of the house, set up products, and my dad saw an opportunity. He saw lavender flourishing out there [the East End] and no one else was growing it. He loved the farm culture of the North Fork, so he took a chance and bought some property out in East Marion in 2002. It was a 17-acre plot. One year he planted one acre, then two, then three, and kept going.
As a result of social media, we went viral. More and more people were coming [to the farm]. We saw that the property out east couldn’t totally handle the amount of people coming, so we bought the property in Calverton in 2018. The property is a little over 30 acres, and it’s been a great ride. We never thought the response would be what it was.
Why do you think the lavender farms are so popular?
People really love lavender and it really affects them. I often get people telling me that the scent of lavender reminds them of their grandmother, or a pillow their mother gave them. It’s part of the charm and appeal of the farm.
What type of lavender do you grow?
We grow English Lavender and French Lavender. English Lavender has a sweeter fragrance and a vibrant, purple color. Other varieties can be pink, white, and light blue. French Lavender has a stronger fragrance; it is a little more dull in color, but a taller bloom. It gives off that sea of purple when you’re standing in it. I love the French bloom, but the English is quite magnificent.
When is the most optimal time to see each at peak bloom?
It’s very difficult to totally predict when the lavender is in bloom because we’re in Mother Nature’s hands. Typically, the English Lavender blooms mid-June to the end of June. Some varieties of English will bloom at the end of the summer or early fall. French Lavender blooms in the beginning of July, peaks for the first two weeks, and extends until the end of July. It is never all in bloom at once since we are a working farm, and need time to harvest lavender in bunches for sachets.
What can people expect when they visit Lavender By the Bay?
Disconnection from technology. Being in the moment. Embracing nature for what it is. You can see the bees gathering nectar from the lavender, and butterflies fluttering around. It’s a unique experience needed for the soul. Especially in the times that we’re living in now after COVID, it’s really an opportunity to recenter yourself.
Lavender By the Bay is a beautiful experience. People are invited to walk around on paths through the fields and take photos.
There are a variety of chairs that are perfect for photo ops, and a beautiful pavilion in the fields to relax in. We even allow professional photo shoots to take place, which are reserved for after hours, and require a separate site fee. You can email [email protected] to make arrangements.
To make the most of your day and time at the farm, we recommend purchasing tickets on our website beforehand to ensure customers get their full time in the fields, but there is no entry fee when we are not in bloom. You can subscribe to our newsletter for bloom and ticket announcements.
Bring your dogs, too! As long as they are leashed and cleaned up after, they are welcome to enjoy the fields.
Can visitors pick their own lavender at the farms?
We don’t offer U-pick lavender, but we do sell freshly-cut bunches for purchase. We also carry and sell 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 gallon lavender plants.
Do you sell food or drink at the farm?
In order to maintain the beauty of the farm, we do not allow food in the fields, and do not sell food on the premises. Water and non-alcoholic beverages are permitted.
If you could describe the farms’ ambience in three words, what would they be?
Serene, picturesque, aromatic.
What types of lavender products are sold at your farms’ shops?
We sell dried lavender bouquets, handmade sachets, bath and body products, soaps, essential oils, pillow mists, and lotions, as well as wild lavender honey in our shops and on our website. We also offer gift cards for purchase in denominations of $25, $50, and $100, which are redeemable on our website only.
We also do farmer’s markets in the city, so there is a lot of outreach from that. We do about 5 to 6 markets a week in Union Square, the Upper West Side and Brooklyn.
What is your most popular product?
I would have to say our lavender plants, bunches, and sachets.
Why should people make the trip out to the North Fork?
It’s a beautiful place. I always joke that people from France are coming to the lavender farm on Long Island. We have people from all over the world come to visit. There are lots of vineyards and many other farms, so it makes for a fantastic and wonderful day trip. One of the beauties of the North Fork is that it is so close to the city. To be able to drive an hour and be in a different world is quite an opportunity to explore. It’s wonderful.
IF YOU GO: Lavender By the Bay has two locations: 7540 Main Road, East Marion (631-477-1019) and 47 Manor Road, Calverton (631-381-0730). Both farms are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in June) through December. Please call before visiting as the farm hours are weather and staff dependent. For more information, visit www.lavenderbythebay.com/ and follow along on Instagram @lavenderbythebay.
This article first appeared in Summer Times, a seasonal guide supplement by TBR News Media.
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